Kung Fu is an antique martial art originating in deep China, over 3000 years ago.
If you wanna learn more about its origins at this time, I lead you to This Article.
But for now let's stick to our subject : what IS Kung Fu all about ?
At this time, its real meaning was 'skill over hard work'. So, to use the metaphore that many so called Kung Fu Masters used before me :
"A Chief who practice fried rice his whole life, days after days for his restaurant, will become really good at it.
He will become a master at making fried rice. So he will have a very good Kung Fu - skill over hard work-
His fried rice IS his Kung Fu."
The actual word to call Chinese Martial Art was in fact Wushu.
But the term 'Kung Fu' has been popularised in movies and culture by famous people such as Bruce Lee, and is now used as a generic name for chinese martial arts, while Wushu has been relegated to designating acrobatic, sport-oriented Kung Fu.
Today, the term Kung Fu has been accepted by everyone, even old sifus in China, so, let's use it and continue our story ;)
First of all, Kung Fu is a traditionnal martial art.
'Martial' suppose it should teach people how to defend against an attacker, when 'Art', suppose it should teach grace and beauty - because wandering around and just killing people, even if they're bad guys, doesn't fit the word Art, right ?
So, are the ability of fighting to defend oneself, and the fact of being a beautiful and wise person, total opposite ?
That's what old wise chinese master worked on for 3000 years : how to grow up to become a better person while being able to defend ourselves and other people ;
and they created the 'chivalrous way of living', translated at Kung Fu Wushu.
That's why Kung Fu, when compared to others martial arts such as Muai Thai or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, may seems less agressive and only-fighting oriented.
Because it doesn't fit the same goals. Kung Fu includes Qi Gong and meditation.
As said before, a person who would be very good at fighting, but who do not tries to help the weaker, elevate his consciousness, and so on, can not be called a Kung Fu master.
At the beginning only teached by taoist ermits to their upright and well known disciple , Kung Fu soon spread all around China and evolved in many differents styles, depending on the environnement, capacity and mindset of the local students.
For example, the Hung Gar style translate at Red Family, because its practitionners had to hide from the government, so they pretended to be circus artist and all weared red pants.
They also spent most of their time on flat-bottomed boats sailing on the rivers of China, so their style became very rooted, sturdy, and close to the ground - you wont try a flying crescent kick on a flat-bottomed boat, believe me.
There are tons of interesting stories about any style, such as Praying Mantis, Eagle Claw, Tai Chi Chuan, Pa Kua, Pek Kwar, Ba Ji, Xing Yi, Choy Lee Fut... To only quote the ones I know.
All of them are different, with specific stances and a wide range of techniques, but they're also all bound together by they main principles, and they're all Kung Fu.
This is why Kung Fu is pretty hard to explain sometimes, cause it can look and feel different from one school to another.But there are common point to all of them.
There is, now - you finnaly deserved it - what could a short Kung Fu description be like :
" Kung Fu (or Wushu) means Chinese Martial Art.
It take place in deep China more than 3000 year ago, and have influenced most of modern martial art and combat sport, such as Karate, Judo, Aikido, and so on.
Practicing Kung Fu leads to a complete understanding of your 'body diagram', it bound the body and mind together and then develop them as one.
The training goes with solo techniques, partner drills, and forms (called kata in japanese) that can be bare handed or with any weapons usable in combat : sword, staff, spear, chain, whip, chair, nunchucks, ...
Last but not least, Kung Fu has always been in a tight relation with Nature, and often mimics animals movements, such as tiger, crane, snake, mantis, monkey ...
( Who thought of Kung Fu Panda ! )
It follow the Natural way of moving, by applying the Yin and Yang principles, and intensively focus on the breathing to cultivate and use your internal energy. "
There is. Don't hesitate if you have any suggestion about it !
See you later,
Maoni
Hey ! What is Kung Fu even about ?