kung fu

a Chinese martial art

For the television program, see Kung Fu (TV series). For the Nintendo Entertainment System Computer and video gamesvideo game, see Kung Fu (video game).''Kung fu or gongfu (功夫, Pinyin: gōngfu) is a well-known Chinese languageChinese term used in the West to designate Chinese martial arts. Its original meaning is somewhat different, referring to one's expertise in any skill, not necessarily martial. Many consider ''wushu'' a better term for Chinese martial arts, as it translates directly into ''martial art''. In China, the term ''kuoshu'', meaning ''national art'', is also used.

History - The term ''kung fu'' was not popular until the 20th century, thus the word would be seldom found in any ancient texts. The term was first known to have been reported by a Westerner, French Society of JesusJesuit missionary Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, in the 18th century and was known little in the mainstream English language until approximately the late 1960s, when it became popular because of the Martial arts filmHong Kong films, especially those by Bruce Lee, and later Kung Fu (TV series)Kung Fu - the television series. Before that it was referred to primarily as "Chinese boxing". Kung Fu, as it is written here, refers to the general term of Chinese martial arts. Shaolin Kung Fu refers to the style that was developed in the Shaolin temples.The oldest evidence of Kung Fu, or Chinese martial arts goes back to the Zhou dynasty (1111-255 BC). There are passages in the ''Zhuang Zi'' (AKA ''Chuang Tzu'') that clearly pertain to the psychology and practice of martial arts. The ''Dao De Jing'' by Lao Zi contains many principles that are applicable to martial arts, and is similar in point of view to the ''Sun Zi Bing Fa'' (Sun Zi's ''Art of War'') which deals directly with martial arts. History says that Zhuang Zi lived during the reign of King Hui of Liang and King Xuan of Qi, which means that he must have lived within the span from 370 B.C. to 301 B.C. The dates of the author of the ''Dao De Jing'' are less clear. Tradition assigns him to a time earlier than Zhuang Zi, but the evidence indicates that the book itself was written down later than the time of Zhuang Zi. The Chinese writing system traces back to the dynasty that preceded the Zhou, the Shang (traditional dates 1766 BC - 1122 BC), so claims of entire books being written at even earlier times are strongly suspect. According to some traditions, however, the first written history of Chinese martial arts comes from the reign of the legendary Yellow Emperor (traditional date of ascension to the throne, 2698 BC). The Yellow Emperor is described as a famous military general, who, before becoming China’s leader, wrote a lengthy treatise about martial arts. He is also credited with being the founder of China’s oldest known martial art – chang quan (long fist). Furthermore, Taoist monks are claimed to have been practicing physical exercises that resemble Tai Chi (or a soft form of Kung fu) at least as early as the 500 B.C. era. In 39-92 A.D. , "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting", were included in the ''Han Shu'' (history of the Former Han Dynasty) written by Pan Ku. Also, the noted physician, Hua T'uo, is said to have composed the "Five Animals Play" - tiger, deer, monkey, bear, and bird, around 220 A.D. As stated earlier, the Kung Fu that is practiced today developed over the centuries and many of the later additions to Kung Fu, such as the Shaolin Kung Fu style, later animal forms, and the drunken style were incorporated from various martial arts forms that came into existence later on in China and have accurate historical data relating to their inventors.Today, popular kung fu styles include Bagua Zhang (Pa Kua Chang), Choy Li Fut, Drunken boxing, Eagle Claw Kung Fu, Hsing I (Xing Yi), Hung Gar (Hongjia), Shuai Chiao (Shuaijiao), Monkey Kung Fu, Praying Mantis Kung Fu (Tanglang Quan), Shaolin (martial arts)Shaolin, White Crane, Wing Chun and T'ai Chi Ch'uan.

Spelling - Part of the confusion around this term comes from the many ways the Chinese characters 功夫 can be romanized, as Chinese romanization systems have evolved much in the past years.Here are some of the most common versions in use today:

''Kung fu'' is undoubtedly the most widely spread. It uses the Wade-Giles romanization system; a system that many consider obsolete today.

''Gongfu'' is the Hanyu Pinyin romanization. With tones included this would be written ''gōngfu''. Even though Pinyin is currently the official system of romanization of the People's Republic of China, the spelling "gongfu" is not widely used. Pinyin is, however, a popular system used for many other similar Chinese terms, such as Qigong (instead of ''Ch'i Kung'' in Wade-Giles).

''Gungfu'' or ''gung fu'' is a Cantonese (linguistics)Cantonese version using Yale (romanization)Yale romanization, sans tone marks. This spelling was made popular by Bruce Lee during the 1970s.

Translation and usage - Nowadays, the most common use of the term ''kung fu'' is when referring to Chinese martial arts in general. Thus, when someone says they train kung fu, they likely mean they train in one of the many styles of Chinese martial arts. The original meaning of kung fu is quite different, and is hard to translate as there is no English equivalent. In short, 功夫 (gōngfu) means "achievement through great effort" or simply ''virtue''. It combines 功 (gōng) meaning achievement or merit, and 夫 (fū) which translates into man. In Mandarin (linguistics)Mandarin, when two "first tonal languagetone" words such as ''gōng'' and ''fū'' are combined, the second word often takes a neutral tone, in this case forming ''gōngfu''.Originally, to practice kung fu did not just mean to practice Chinese martial arts. Instead, it referred to the process of one's training - the strengthening of the body and the mind, the learning and the perfection of one's skills - rather than to what was being trained. It refers to excellence achieved through long practice in any endeavor. You can say that a person's kung fu is good in cooking, or that someone has kung fu in calligraphy; saying that a person possesses kung fu in an area implies skill in that area, which they have worked hard to develop. Someone with "bad kung fu" simply has not put enough time and effort into training, or seems to lack the motivation to do so. Kung fu is also a name used for the elaborate Fujian tea ceremony (Kung-fu cha).There is a curious contemporary twist on this meaning in the hacker culture: there the ''fu'' has been generalized to a suffix, implying that the thing suffixed involves great skill or effort. For example, one may talk of "script-fu" to refer to complicated scripting. It is unknown whether this was consciously based on the original, broader meaning of the term or whether it was a simple wordplay on the less general Western notion of "kung fu".In Japanese languageJapanese, the characters 工夫 are read 'kufū' and refer to a resourceful method devised to achieve a particular result. Another meaning is to engage in Buddhist training, especially Zazen. When read 'kōfu', the same characters refer to a building site laborer. The characters for Kung Fu (功夫) have carried over the Chinese pronunciation and is read as 'kanfū' (カンフー), although Taiji styles are referred to as 'taikyokuken' !(太極拳、たいきょく� �ん).? Chinese martial arts can also be referred to as 'Chūgokuken'(中国拳) or !'Chūgokukempō,'(中国拳法 )? which translates as 'Chinese boxing.'In Korean languageKorean, the characters are read as 'gongbu' (공부), and simply mean 'study'. The different meanings associated with the same character-based words in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean shows that, contrary to popular belief, just because you can read Chinese characters, it does not mean you can understand all three languages.

Philosophy - There are various philosophyphilosophies around the term kung fu, suggesting a deeper meaning. The following is an example of such a philosophy:For a process to truly be kung fu, the following three elements must be present:

Motivation

Self-discipline

Time''Motivation'' is the basic driving force, and without it, kung fu can never be reached. It means both interest and the will to do something; a person who is forced to do something is not truly motivated. A motivated person, on the other hand, has interest in learning: they have a goal.It is important to note a difference between the various types of motivation: A person can be motivated to do something, because if they do not they will be punished. Money can also lead to motivation, because you know that doing something will give you more money. However, the motivation kung fu comes from an interest and an inner desire to learn and develop, in which the goal is not an external gain, like avoiding punishment or earning money, but an internal one, with the only reward being knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. This motivation can be inspired, but not controlled, by other people.''Self-discipline'' is closely related to motivation, but refers to the effort and patience required to actually get something done, and to get past obstacles that might appear on the way towards one's goal. While motivation is the mental state of wanting to do something, discipline is required to put motivation into action: A person might ''want'' to do something very much, but lacks the required amount of discipline to get started. Without this, motivation will lead to nothing.It is true that a competent instructor can assist a person by providing discipline, helping that person to get past obstacles. This is good, but will not last forever, and in the end, it is always up to the person herself to put her thoughts into action.''Time'' is essential for finding one's motivation and self-discipline, and to actually accomplish something by making use of them, but motivation and self-discipline are also important to make a person willing to put time into accomplishing their goal: to prioritize.In later stages, once motivation and discipline have become an integral part of a person's life, it is important not to stop spending time on practice. This is said to be a very important aspect of kung fu: Many ancient Chinese philosophers and martial artists consider time the most valuable commodity in a person's lives, as time cannot be replaced. It is said that one should use time wisely, and that, to get the most out of life, must practice kung fu in every activity. By finding interest in and putting effort and time into every action, one will make the best use of time, and live a happy and productive life.

See also -

Fu

Martial arts

External links -

chinashaolintemple.com - China Shaolin Kung Fu

kungfuscience.org - Kung Fu Science - Information about the physics behind the power of kung fuCategory:Chinese martial arts termsca:Kung-fude:Kung Fuet:Kung-fues:Kung fufr:Kung !fuhe:קונ 90;? !פוhr:KungFuit:Kung -fuko:쿵푸nl:Kungf uja:功夫sl:Kung-fu fi:Kung? fusv:Kung Fu

Internal Kung Fu
Mew Hing's 18 Daoist Palms system of internal kung fu.
http://www.internalkungfu.ca

QWAN KI DO
SITE DU CENTRE PARISIEN DE QWAN KI DO
http://www.artsmartiaux.org/

Wing Chun in North Carolina
Wing Chun kung fu school Raleigh, NC
http://www.rduwingchun.com/

Laoshan Zentrum für Chinesische Medizin und Lebenspflege
Das Laoshan Zentrum bietet Ausbildungen, Seminare und Workshops in Qigong, Taijiquan, Taiji Bailong Ball/Taiji Rouliqiu, Tuina Anmo, Chinesiche Medizin und Bewegungskünste in Europa und China an. Ausserdem werden regelmässige Studienreisen und Urlaubsreisen in Verbindung mit Lebenspflege veranstaltet
http://www.lebenspflege.de

Vendrell Martial Arts
Yee Chuan Tao Kung Fu is an internal/external system developed thousands of years ago by Taoist monks. Sigung Michael Vendrell, the 88th master of the system, was raised in the Art and has since taught all over the world, including in the movie business.
http://www.vendrellmartialarts.com/

www.tigredoro.org
Scuola di hung gar kung fu in Avellino (Italy). Maestri, storia,foto,links,e tutto quanto riguarda hung gar kung fu
http://www.tigredoro.org/

International Martial - Arts Scholl
Our Martial - Arts Scholl is International Agree and Recognition .
http://www.karate-do-nrw.de/

Laoshan Zentrum China, Urlaub, Fortbildung und Genuss
Das Laoshan Zentrum bietet Ausbildungen, Seminare und Workshops in Qigong, Taijiquan, Taiji Bailong Ball/Taiji Rouliqiu, Tuina Anmo, Chinesiche Medizin und Bewegungskünste in Europa und China an. Ausserdem werden regelmässige Studienreisen und Urlaubsreisen in Verbindung mit Lebenspflege veranstaltet
http://www.lebenspflege.net/

Tibetan Kung Fu and Tai Chi
Information and teaching in the old art of kung fu. Understandings of chinese medicine and health are integrated with the kung fu.
http://www.tibetankungfu.net/

Veng Tsun Gong Fu
Selbstverteidigung & Kampfkunst
http://www.shaolin-gongfu.de/

Esdo, Tai Chi und Kung Fu Verein Erkner
Unser Verein in Erkner bietet Esdo, Tai Chi und Kung Fu an.
http://www.esdotaichi.de/

Meng's Martial Arts
Meng's Martial Arts is dedicated to bringing you the best in martial arts for health, self-defense, and self-improvement. Our system is well-known for maximum efficiency. Master Benny Meng is a world-reknown expert in the martial arts, specializing in Shaolin Wing Chun, Hung Fa Yi. Visit our website for more details and a free offer!
http://www.mengsmartialarts.com/

PUNKSTATION.IT
Website about world's punkhardcore scene. Daily dawned with hundreds of news, reviews, interviews and mp3.
http://www.punkstation.it/

JMACTIONDVD
Martial Arts and Self-Defense videos. We produce and distribute instructional DVDs of Karate, Jujutsu and other martial arts
http://www.jmactiondvd.com/

Koo Self Defense
Koo Self Defense is not a traditional martial art nor a mixture of different types of martial arts. Koo Self Defense has a different approach to training its students for health, fitness and street self defense! There are hundreds of different martial arts' styles in the world today. All of them are variations of each other except for Koo Self Defense which is not a style but was uniquely created from an out of the box approach which is from a street fighting viewpoint.
http://ksdi.net

Ashihara Karate International
Ashihara Karate, led by Karate Kaicho Hoosain Narker of South Africa, is a practical karate system based on Sabaki - Japanese Fighting Karate.
http://www.ashiharakarate.org

Shaolin Kung Fu
Ten Animal Shaolin Kung Fu School in Wuerzburg, Germany
http://www.kung-fu-wuerzburg.de/

Shaolin Si Wushu Guan in Göteborg
The official Wushu school in the nordic countries of the Shaolin temple.
http://www.shaolin.se/

yes
add wing tsun, tsun to the keywords
http://www.wingtsung.fi/

ABANICO
Top class Martial Arts instructional DVDs and videos
http://www.abanico.de/

Kung Fu Online
A source for information about the Chinese Martial Arts. Lists features, library, web directory, school listing, chat room, round tables, online supply shop, and event calendar.
http://www.kungfuonline.com/

Shaolin Gung Fu Institute
Style description, history, overview, philosophy, temples, letters, kwoon and FAQs.
http://www.shaolin.com/

The Tipperary Stairs Company
Design and manufacturing of extremely high quality staircases and handrailing systems in glass steel and wood.
http://www.geocities.com/tipp.stairs

Kung Fu Chess
A new fast-action version of chess where both players move simultaneously. Registration is required to play.
http://www.kungfuchess.com

Kung Fu Cinema
Leading news and review site for Hong Kong films
http://www.kungfucinema.com/

Kung Fu Grippe
Merlin Mann's weblog, covering pop culture, OS X, indie rock, San Francisco, and "the man".
http://www.kungfugrippe.com/