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Sun, November 22, 2009
About the Tradition & Philosophy Kung Fu
Is Kung Fu tied to certain religious beliefs?
Some of the major styles of Kung Fu do have philosophical and religious roots or associations. For example, many Kung Fu styles originated or were influenced by the Buddhist Shaolin Temples. Other styles such as Taijiquan and the other Wudang Mountain arts are heavily influenced by Daoism. Therefore, it is natural for people who are considering Kung Fu training to wonder if it is compatible with their own philosophy or religion.
The short answer is that, regardless of influence or origin, the training and practice of Kung Fu is not inherently religious and should not conflict with most other major religions. In some schools, the Kung Fu training has almost no reference to it's religious roots; other schools try to preserve the ancient traditions by incorporating Zen meditations or Daoist philosophies. This is more often influenced by individual schools and instructors than anything else.
Normally it is not considered ethical for an instructor to try to impose his own views on his students. However, the philosophical aspects of some arts may still be present in the required training to the extent that some potential students would be offended by it. Be sure to watch for this aspect when you visit a school that you are interested in. Have a conversation with the instructor about it, and watch how he/she interacts with his/her students.
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