Is there a grading system in classical Kung Fu?
Not usually; however, in some classical schools the students are divided into categories, such as student and disciple. Many commercial schools make up their own ranking system and award different colored belts or sashes. There are some organizations in China who make up their own forms, based on classical forms, and have a belt-ranking system. How can you tell if a Kung Fu system is legitimate? The teacher should be able to trace the Masters back to the founder. Contact the Master of the system to find out if the student has his permission to teach. Sometimes it is difficult to determine if the head of the organization, even if it is large, is a Master. Some systems have their forms recorded in books or videos. For example, the Chen Tai Chi form has been recorded. If a teacher’s movements don’t resemble the recorded form, he is not a Master. Learn the difference between an external and internal system so you can tell if the teacher is teaching according to the correct principles. If a
