Proper Kung Fu Salute ..

[iron duckee]

just wondering what the proper, "formal" kung salute is..? i've heard/read many different variations .. right open-hand grabbing left closed fist; left open hand perpendicular to right closed fist. also, differences with the left kick stance being forward and the right kick stance forward.

 

here's a couple of examples below :

 

There exists a precise symbology bind to the salute. At first the left closed fist denoted struggle, freedom, while the right open hand meant peace and respect for freedom. The union of these symbols is uprightness, human justice, personal freedom while fully respecting the rights of the others, but without servilely bowing, and the humility of recognizing one's mistakes.

 

Furthermore the left fist is closed because the left arm is the way to the heart.

 

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The salute is performed by stepping forward with your right foot into a right kick stance as your right hand comes across the front of your body in a fist to meet your left hand at your heart. The left hand forms a C and covers the right fist as both hands are presented to your front center. The arms form a circle. The right hand held in a fist represents your weapon, the left hand covers as the sheath. The interpretation is, "here is my weapon, it is put away, out of trust and respect". The right foot forward represents putting your best foot forward.

 

any insight would be appreciated. thanks.

[busling]

In our school its closed left fist, open palm right fist, joined together. I am not really up with history and tradition. I simply follow what we do at our school.

[delli04]

In all the chinese forms I know that open with that kind of bow they use open left covering right fight.

[CloudDragon]

All of the kung-fu folks I have studied with use the left covering right salute

[iron duckee]

another thing to ask is, should one hand be closed and covering the other (fist), or should that hand be flat and placed flush against the the knuckles..?

[Nick_UKWC]

We use open left hand and right fist

[ovine king]

am i the only one who does it right hand open?

 

the way i do it the flat hand rests on the first two knucles (the upper face of the fist).

 

mostly it depends on the school/style.

 

there is no one fixed way of doing it.

[italian_guy]

am i the only one who does it right hand open?

 

the way i do it the flat hand rests on the first two knucles (the upper face of the fist).

 

mostly it depends on the school/style.

 

there is no one fixed way of doing it.

We also do left hand closed in a fist and right hand opened that surround the fist. Like the first salutation that iron dukee described in his first post.

[iron duckee]

In 1986, the People's Republic of China standardized the salute for Wushu. This standard salute is basically the same as the salute used by Northern Shaolin. The right hand is clenched in a fist. The left hand thumb is bent, and the four fingers are stacked and straight. The palm of the left hand is placed over the fist. Both fist and palm are about 20 to 30 cm from the chest, with both elbows bent and the arms forming a circle. The hands are held at chest height. The feet are together with the knees straight. The posture is erect and the eyes are focused on the person who is being saluted.

 

The most common explanation of the symbolism of the salute is that the fist shows martial ability and the hand covers the fist to show civility. The modern PRC definition states that the right fist demonstrates that you are pledged to the cultivation of the martial arts, and are using martial arts to make friends. The left hand thumb is bent out of humility. Chinese people will point to themselves with their thumb instead of their index finger, as westerners do. A straightened thumb, like the western thumb's up gesture means "I'm number one!" to a Chinese. Therefore, the bent thumb means that that you are not number one. Even if you are, proper martial etiquette would demand that you be too humble to admit it. The four fingers symbolize uniting Wushu across the four seas (or directions).

[ovine king]

that's wushu.

 

it means nothing in relation to the 'proper' martial arts.