Some may be unaware that it is the most skillful practitioners of traditional kung fu schools that perform the acrobatic lion dance. In China, the study of kung fu is more than self defense; the physical skills are employed in the lion dance, a ritual vital for establishing harmony and ushering good luck for the community. Modern martial artists may be unfamiliar with this cultural component of Chinese kung fu.

Martial artists with an eye for classical stances will see concealed behind the lion movements are horse, cat, bow and arrow, and twisted stances, the basis for fighting. Modern martial artists criticize these stances as static and unrealistic. Watching the agile lion movements attests to the claims that these stances can be employed in a natural and fluid manner.

In China, kung fu is more than a science of fighting, it is also, as the lion dance exemplifies, an art. Enjoy the performance!

Lawrence Tan
Check out our Tiger Combat Series