I would only add to this, as it pretty much sums it up! Most traditional kung fu systems contain at least five times as many techniques as their Japanese, Korean and American counterparts. If you have 70 techniques to learn and perfect, it takes time. If, on the other hand, you have 350 techniques to learn, it can take a lifetime. Kung fu can be effective on the street, even at intermediate levels, but it lacks ground-fighting components. A kung fu practitioner's first prioity in a street encounter, should be to de-escalate the situation, before it becomes physical. In the time it takes to do this, he can also be planning his defense. If his communication skills are on-line, he will probably not have to test his physical abilities.
