What is Kung Fu?

[minikahood1710]

Kung fu is one of a number of Chinese martial arts designed to refine the body and the mind. It is perhaps one of the most widely known Chinese martial arts, because many films incorporate kung fu techniques. There are hundreds of styles of kung fu taught all over the world, although they can be loosely divided into two camps: Shaolin style kung fu, and other techniques, some of which have a history which out dates the Shaolin order.

Kung fu is seen with a variety of different spellings including gung fu and gong fu. This spelling variation is due to the difficulty of transliterating from Chinese to other languages. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese was transliterated using the Wade-Giles system, which transposed the Chinese “g” sound with a “k.” Parts of China and Taiwan still use the Wade-Giles system, but most of China has begun to use pinyin, which has replaced the “k” of the Wade-Giles system with a “g.” Bruce Lee and other famous martial artists from China also use the “g” when talking about gung fu.

Shaolin gung fu has its origins in the fifth century. Like some other martial arts, it began in religious temples, where the monks sought a mind and body discipline. In addition to the fighting style, kung fu also includes mental exercises and religious practices designed to balance the whole body. Kung fu is fundamentally about aligning the practitioner with chi, the life force which is believed to move all around us.

Shaolin temples resembled universities, integrating a wide range of subjects of study. Therefore, traditional Shaolin styles such as Wing Chun, Crane, Praying Mantis, and Hung Gar incorporate knowledge from fields outside martial arts, such as the healing arts and meditation. Advocates for Shaolin styles believe that they are more rounded martial arts styles, and that practitioners will benefit from them on a whole body level.

Other fighting styles, some of which predate the Shaolin style, are also lumped under the kung fu umbrella. They include Pa-Kua, Eagle Claw, and Eight Drunken Immortals styles. These kung fu disciplines are not considered to be Shaolin style because they did not originate in temples, and are focused primarily on fighting techniques.

[RenDaHai]

Kung Fu is a wildly misused term. It has nothing to do with the martial arts. Gong fu (correct pinyin) is simply about mastering a skill (of any kind). Through personal mastery of a skill (any skill) one comes through a series of realizations, each of which gives one the joy and pride of conquest. These realisations about the nature of self and the world around are then used to further improve ones kung fu. Eventually the lessons learned from kung fu can then be applied in principle to all aspects of your life. The highest goals of kung fu are the same as those of Yoga, to unify the mind body and spirit (in chinese 'ba Xin yu Yi he'). To become one with your instincts are understand your true self.

Because Wushu (Martial Arts) trains the body and the mind it is the perfect method to begin training Gong Fu.

The whole internal/external thing is ridiculous. All martial arts must be both. There are two definitions of internal wushu. One is were the body structure is used efficiently to minimise the use of physical strength and maximise the power of technique. The other definition is to actually combine the feeling of Qi with movement. This is the lesser used nowadays.

In Ancient China there were 3 categories of martial art.

1. 'Police Arts' used for restraint, self defense. They have complex ugly forms full of intricate technique.

2. 'Mystic Arts' These are closer to Yoga. Although they contain practical moves combat is not emphasized. They are purer 'gong fu' styles which aim to promote self knowledge. They contain beautiful forms.

3. 'Soldier Arts' These are less well known in the west. They have only one purpose, to kill the opponent as quickly as possible. They have no forms, only individual techniques drilled alone or with a partener or a target. Of Chinese martial arts they are the only styles that use the concept of Sha Qi or Sha Xin (Murderous intent). This is where you must make the decision to kill the opponent before you throw the first punch. This is not the way of the other styles.

So these are the types of wushu. Any of them can be used to train Cultivate Gong Fu, but styles from the second category are most condusive to this lifestyle

[David Jamieson]

Kung fu is one of a number of Chinese martial arts designed to refine the body and the mind. It is perhaps one of the most widely known Chinese martial arts, because many films incorporate kung fu techniques. There are hundreds of styles of kung fu taught all over the world, although they can be loosely divided into two camps: Shaolin style kung fu, and other techniques, some of which have a history which out dates the Shaolin order.

Kung fu is seen with a variety of different spellings including gung fu and gong fu. This spelling variation is due to the difficulty of transliterating from Chinese to other languages. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Chinese was transliterated using the Wade-Giles system, which transposed the Chinese “g” sound with a “k.” Parts of China and Taiwan still use the Wade-Giles system, but most of China has begun to use pinyin, which has replaced the “k” of the Wade-Giles system with a “g.” Bruce Lee and other famous martial artists from China also use the “g” when talking about gung fu.

Shaolin gung fu has its origins in the fifth century. Like some other martial arts, it began in religious temples, where the monks sought a mind and body discipline. In addition to the fighting style, kung fu also includes mental exercises and religious practices designed to balance the whole body. Kung fu is fundamentally about aligning the practitioner with chi, the life force which is believed to move all around us.

Shaolin temples resembled universities, integrating a wide range of subjects of study. Therefore, traditional Shaolin styles such as Wing Chun, Crane, Praying Mantis, and Hung Gar incorporate knowledge from fields outside martial arts, such as the healing arts and meditation. Advocates for Shaolin styles believe that they are more rounded martial arts styles, and that practitioners will benefit from them on a whole body level.

Other fighting styles, some of which predate the Shaolin style, are also lumped under the kung fu umbrella. They include Pa-Kua, Eagle Claw, and Eight Drunken Immortals styles. These kung fu disciplines are not considered to be Shaolin style because they did not originate in temples, and are focused primarily on fighting techniques.

There are a few incorrect things here.

1st, as rdh has said "kung fu" is a term that applies to any high level of skill acquired in a given discipline through time and effort. One can have kung fu in bakery as they can have it in driving as they can have it in boxing.

kung fu as a term is more complex and with deeper meaning in that regards than just martial art or pugilistic practice. However, that is not to say that one cannot have kung fu in martial arts, as is implied.

The Chinese language and how it is romanized is a problem to this day, but with the advent of the internet and because of the implementation of putonghua(common speech) in China, there is a lot more understanding across cultural divides. the pinyin/wade giles thing is less important than meaning and use of the ideograms nowadays.

Shaolin Temple really didn't exist in the 5th century and the attribution of Kung Fu came with bodidharma who was also regarded as the first patriarch of Ch'an(zen). It is said he showed up sometime in 520 CE or early sixth century. There is some reference to martial practice there in the tang dynasty, but according to Meir Shahar, a researcher of Shaolin, it wasn't until the early 16th century during the ming dynasty that the shaolin became renowned for martial practice.

There is and only has ever been one shaolin temple proper. It's likely that the shaolin exchanged and resided in other temples. Only one bore the name Shaolin. During revolutionary years, there was a lot of interchange and attribution of martial arts skills to the shaolin. Much of this is legend and myth.

Baguazhang or Pa-Kua as you refer to it as is actually quite new as are most delineated "styles". Most forms, sets, systems and names of family styles and sub sets has only come about during the Qing dynasty. The last 300 years of imperial rule in china with a huge diaspora and obviously a lot of confusion saw the greatest development of stylized fighting systems.

There is a lot of suggested reading on the subject. Gene Chings articles and his new book is a tome of worthy info! Also, Meir Shahar's book "The Shaolin temple" is a very informative read and there are other supplementary books and information as well.

Otherwise, most of what you wrote was entirely incorrect.

[SanHeChuan]

Far too simplistic and too many "errors" of ignorance.

Suggested reading.

Information on Chinese Martial Arts - history, styles, and masters