A foreigner's search for kung fu

Values of Kung Fu

Daily kung fu practice has long been routine for Brahm; it is the way he greets the day.

He recalled how he could not use one of his legs for about two years around 2010, and had to walk with crutches and a cane. However, by practicing martial arts, "very, very slowly" at the beginning, he was able to recover step by step.

"Martial arts can help us connect our body, connect our neural system, connect our blood flow, and also help connect us into our environment to increase our awareness. Martial arts is moving meditation," Brahm said, his eyes bright and piercing.

But to him, Kung fu's charm and values are far more than that.

In making his film, Brahm has looked into a dozen different forms of kung fu, interviewing many masters and scholars in the process. He has combined this knowledge with his own experience as a practitioner and tutor to extract 12 key principles and values of the martial arts: perseverance, roots, loyalty, respect, harmony, change, balance, centering, emptiness, flow, pragmatism and non-violence.

Kung fu movies have a massive fanbase around the world, not just because of the fight scenes, but also because of the wisdom, philosophy, morality and strategy within the movies, according to Brahm.

"I'd like to share these values and wisdom with the whole world, because I believe that they are universal and can be used to handle the challenges people face today," he said.

Brahm hopes his movie can help build bridges and understanding across nations and among people.

He makes use of vivid examples to illustrate the values that he has identified. "Of all the martial arts I've learned, all styles, we always start with a defensive move, never to strike. And I think that's the essence of it. It's not about hurting someone. It's about preventing violence," he said.

"Kung fu practitioners salute with 'baoquan,' literally meaning 'fist wrapping.' The common etiquette shows two things at least. One is you have a fist, but you're also not using it. And then you're showing 'I have no concealed weapons. I have nothing to hide.' It's trust."

"Whenever a person goes to a martial-arts dojo, they must abide by the values -- respecting teachers, classmates and heritage. The martial arts community has this concept of loyalty and respect. It's a very high standard," said Brahm.

"All of the martial artists, the ones that are really, really good, are very peaceful people. They will not pick a fight. They will avoid a fight at all costs. When you know how to use force, you are the last one to use force, because you know the outcome of this thing."