“Never test the depth of the water with both feet.”
Tantui, or Spring Legs, is a style of Kung Fu created by Moslems in China during the 1700s. It was and still is a very popular style in the
Northern regions of China. Tantui was one of the first forms of Kung Fu agreed on by many teachers to be adaptable to almost any
Kung Fu style.
Some of the famous styles of Kung Fu such as Northern Shaolin include Tantui in their training regimen. The basic Tantui forms teach
important principles and skills. Practicing Tantui improves one’s martial skills, balance, strength, and focus.
Tantui concentrates on feet techniques with fist techniques as support. Its movements are not complicated but complete and are
executed flawlessly. Symmetry is maintained by placing the feet one by one taking wide steps while keeping the body in a crouched
position.
Fist forms of Tantui have been used for centuries as a basic training tool. The kicks are low and hard in the first sets, but get higher
and more acrobatic in the later sets. Tantui has the appearance of an external style, where obvious lunges, dropping, and twisting of the
waist generate the power.
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