 There are hundreds of different styles of kung fu, but it's not uncommon to hear them categorize as either northern or southern style. Now this raises the obvious question, why do we have this division and what are the differences between them? The truth is there are many different ways you can categorize the Chinese martial arts. You have internal, external energy, region, lineage, spirituality. It all depends on where you want to draw the lines. However, grouping them by north and south has become a common demarcation. While this is still a generality at best, I think it provides an important study on how the geographic location can have such a profound impact on how an art develops as well as understand how that evolution spreads in history to create all the other arts that we enjoy today. We're going to look at the observable differences between the two, how geography and physiology shape those differences, and how this helped influence the evolution of karate. At the end of this video, we'll be using praying mantis as an example of how the same art can vary in the two regions. Spoiler alert, they're actually not the same at all, and we'll show you why. Don't think I didn't feel you reaching for those keyboards. Two quick disclaimers. First, I apologize for my pronunciation. I do not speak Chinese, so if I mispronounce something, just give me a good ol' kick in the pants in the comment section. Second, the technically correct term for Chinese martial arts is zhuangou wuxu. Now the term kung fu simply refers to achieving skill through hard work, though we will be using it in this episode for familiarity and mercy on my mouthwords. Northern style kung fu is characterized by its emphasis on long-range techniques, dynamic stepping, and acrobatic movements. Practitioners often employ wide stances, expansive hand motions, and footwork to maintain distance and control in combat. The long, sweeping movements of northern kung fu reflect the open landscapes of the northern regions, where practitioners had ample space to maneuver and evade opponents. Additionally, northern kung fu styles often incorporate a diverse array of kicks, spins, and jumps, showcasing the agility and athleticism of its practitioners. Some of the well-known northern styles include sheng shuang or long fists, northern praying mantis, igu claw, shing yi shuan, northern Shaolin, shi ai jiao, ba gua zhang, and tai ji shuan. Each of these styles embodies the distinctive characteristics and techniques associated with northern kung fu, such as rapid strikes, evasive footwork, and elaborate forms. Training often involves repetitive drills, sparring, and conditioning exercises to build endurance and coordination. Usage of long-range weapons such as spears and long swords are also evident in this training. In talu, which is the Chinese counterpart to Japanese kata, it can be observed that northern forms often combine hand and foot movements in unison and can cover a wider range of ground. Southern kung fu, on the other hand, is characterized by its focus on close-range combat, compact movements, and rooted stances. Practitioners often employ lower gates, powerful strikes, and subtle hand techniques to deliver devastating blows at close quarters. The compact, effective movements of southern kung fu reflect the dense and rugged terrain of the southern regions, where practitioners had to adapt to confined spaces and urban environments. Additionally, southern kung fu styles often emphasize internal energy cultivation, joint locks, and grappling techniques. Training can involve partner drills, sensitivity exercises, and practice to develop timing, reflexes, and adaptability in close combat situations. Their forms and contrasts will often isolate the hand and foot motions from each other. Examples of southern kung fu styles include Wing Chun, Hong Ga, Chou Le Fu, Bak Mei, Fujian White Crane, and Southern Prane Mantis. Each of these styles embodies the distinctive characteristics and techniques associated with solid stances, powerful strikes, and intricate hand techniques. If you like our content and you want us to keep developing more episodes like this, then please help us out by visiting artofonedojo.com. We have a store with exclusive shirts that feature various martial arts styles and grandmasters. And for a limited time, you can use the code WUSHU2024 to get 10% off of any t-shirt. This is our way of thanking you for being a part of our dojo family, and you can fashionably represent your art. So what is the dividing line between the north and the south, and what is it about these regions that cultivates such different flavors of martial arts? Northern kung fu evolved in the vast plains and plateaus of northern China, while southern kung fu developed in the subtropical landscapes of the south. These regional differences in terrain, climate, and cultural influences shaped the development of kung fu styles, giving rise to unique characteristics and techniques. During times of conflict, the north was a better host for large-scale battlefields, while the southern regions after resorted to urban combat. The traditional boundary separating northern and southern Chinese martial arts lies along the Yangtze River. Northern China, with its severe winters, necessitates the use of thick layers of clothing for warmth, hindering the evolution and execution of snapping kicks due to the heavy leggings. Consequently, practitioners adapted by employing higher straight leg kicks, resulting in wide, sweeping motions and floor rolls executed with extended legs. Northern Chinese individuals, typically taller with longer limbs, owe their physique partly to a diet rich in grains and meat. They share a lot of genetic relation to other northern Asian people, such as the Mongols. This stature naturally led to extended reach and the development of long-range fighting techniques. In contrast, southern Chinese individuals, often shorter in satchel, inhabited regions featuring densely packed cities and restricted mobility. Confrontations typically occurred in confined spaces, such as narrow alleyways or streets surrounded by buildings. Acrobatic maneuvers were limited, promoting southern styles to emphasize close combat techniques tailored for such environments. Additionally, activities aboard Chinese junk ships necessitated sturdy stances to maintain balance amid the vessel's motion. Many arts like Wing Chong emphasized this balance, and this could be seen in a very fun way in Itman 2, when they were fighting on the Wobbly Table. It's not at all realistic, but it's an entertaining way to visualize the focus on this balance. So, southern styles prioritized close-quarter combat, employing firm footwork to generate powerful hand techniques. Emphasis is placed on utilizing the entire body, with practitioners executing short, forceful movements that blend offense and defense seamlessly. Strikes were designed to maximize power with minimal motion, reflecting the philosophy centered on efficiency and economizing movement. By harnessing full-body power, smaller individuals can overcome larger opponents, countering the physiological differences of the two regions. It's not hard to see the differences in geography and how genetics could alter the growth of a martial art. Now, if we take it a step further and look at how these methods spread, we can see the roots that grew into karate. Between the 1400s and late 1800s, Okinawa was part of a larger kingdom of islands known as the Ryukyu Kingdom. We talked about this history in more depth in our What Is Karate episode. However, this is where modern-day karate began. Maritime trade networks were established between China and the Ryukyu Kingdom, and it wasn't just goods that were exchanged. Martial influences were shared, and a lot of Chinese kung fu found its way to the Okinawa and mixed with their own local fighting systems. Three major forms of karate developed, shurite, nahate, and tamari tei, each to rename for the city of their primary origin. Now, if you look at the movements and forms of early karate styles, you can see a lot of physical similarity with kung fu, specifically southern-style kung fu. Karate adopted the shorter sances, the close-range grappling, and powerful upper-body striking. Fujian and Waikarein is widely accepted as being one of the more prominent forms of kung fu to share this influence. Now, if you continue to look at the evolution of karate as it spread, you can see that it continued to change based on geographical and even cultural needs. Shurite, or Shorenryu, became the basis of shoutokan, a Japanese adaptation that placed more emphasis on teaching larger groups of students, deeper stances, longer linear techniques, and more competition in its Okinawan counterpart. Shoutokan is also the foundation for tanksudo and taekwondo in Korea. So if you look at Korea, that also has a lot of mountainous terrain, so perhaps their emphasis on powerful high kicking mirrors the development that we see in northern China. Though without requiring the thick warm clothing, practitioners can chamber the kicks and give us those crisp and sharp snapping kicks that have become the signature of the Korean arts. So to exemplify the differences between northern and southern styles of kung fu, let's look at an actual example, northern and southern-style praying mantis, both very popular in common styles practiced today. Despite their names, they are actually two completely different arts. Both employ motions similar to the praying mantis, although if I'm correct it's more prominent in the north. I have also heard speculation that southern praying mantis might have been named as such so that people would assume it was simply a variation of the north and keep the true training a secret. I will leave that to scholars who are more educated than I am, but I find the idea very intriguing. So how do the two mantis systems compare side by side? Northern praying mantis is characterized by its long-range techniques, rapid strikes, dynamic footwork including circular steps, pivots and evasive maneuvers. Practitioners focus on maintaining distance, creating angles of attack and capitalizing on opponent's movements. Southern praying mantis by its powerful strikes and rooted stances. Practitioners focus on controlling the centerline, absorbing and redirecting force and maintaining balance in close combat. When it comes to talu, northern praying mantis practitioners often practice long flowing forms that emphasize fluidity and agility. Training methods may include solo forms practice, partner drills and sparring sessions to develop timing, reflexes and adaptability. The southern students often practice shorter, more compact forms that emphasize power and stability. Training methods may include stance training, striking drills and sensitivity exercises to develop strength, endurance and resilience. You can see a lot of this overlap in other southern styles such as wing chong and their practice of qi sao or sticky hands. These are just a handful of observations to highlight the differences and will likely take more comprehensive looks in future episodes. There are many ways you can classify Chinese martial arts. I mean there are literally thousands of years worth of history there and I think that the fighting between northern and southern styles is interesting because it's so broad and allows us to see the contrast on a larger canvas. Truthfully though, each art is unique and should be judged on its own merits. Now as requested, we have been putting a lot of time and effort into developing more art history episodes. We have several more coming soon and if we see invested interest then we'll do some deep dives including interviews with experts in those arts. For example, we took a thorough tour through the history, philosophies and training methods of xing yi shun with the help of sifu jonathan blues scene. This will provide you with a much closer look at the attributes that can be found in this widely practiced northern kung fu style including the very unique animal styles and employs. I think alligator style is one of my favorites. Check it out, let me know what yours is.