One of the unique characteristics of kung fu is it's emphasis on the importance of stance training. Generally this consists of holding a static stance for a certain period of time, and this is done not only to thoroughly familiarize a student with the stances, but also to increase leg strength and, to improve stability, to train balance (particularly in stances where all the weight is on one leg), and to increase flexibility (particularly for low stances).

Placing such an emphasis on stance training is staying true to a very traditional method of training, but in focusing on static stances many schools of modern kung fu or wushu neglect another aspect of stance training which is equally as important - stance changing exerises.

One of the reason there are so many stances in oriental martial arts like kung, often including some that look very impractical for real fighting, is that these stances are the building blocks from which the whole method of fighting is made up. In a real combat situation most of these stances are not for just going into and standing there, as in the ready position - they are transitional stances - meaning that they are a fixed point of reference within a continual flow of movement. Many complex and advanced kung fu techniques can be mastered much more quickly and easily if you breake them down into a series of transitions from one stance to another, and then iron out the wrinkles to make it a steady and continuous movement.

If you practice kung fu then being able to switch quickly and smoothly between stances without losing stability and balance will greatly expand your ability to apply the techniques that you learn beyond the set sequences of a particular form. If you practice a different martial art you may still learn something about efficient movement and footwork whilst getting a great work out at the same time.

Here is a video of a basic stance changing exercise, I will add more at a later date: