The Term: Historically, the term “Kung Fu” is not truly featured in any ancient writings. It was first coined by a French named Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, a missionary who lived in the 18th Century, in reference to Chinese martial arts. Kung Fu is also called Wushu, Kuoshu, or Gongfu, and originally denotes expertise in any ability, and not exclusive to martial arts.
Short History: The concept, practice, and philosophy of Kung Fu can be traced back to ancient Chinese texts such as Zhuang Zi, Dao De Jing, and Sun Zi Bing Fa (Art of War written by Sun Zi), all written around 1111-255 BC. These writings carry contents related to the practice, propagation, and principles of Chinese martial arts, or Kung Fu as it is known today. One theory regarding the first written history of Kung Fu suggests that the Yellow Emperor, who reigned from 2698 BC, wrote the first documents on Chinese martial arts. Others credit the Taoist monks for introducing an art form that is close modern Tai Chi around 500 BC. Then in 39-92 AD, Pan Ku included “Six Chapters of Hand Fighting” in his discussion on the history of the Han dynasty (Han Shu). As its popularity progressed, a physician named Hua T’uo also wrote his own treatise entitled, “Five Animals Play” in 220 AD. Kung Fu had become a common word in the West beginning in the late 1960s, made popular by TV and movies depicting martial arts. Even in the Western World, there is an immense upsurge in the creation and production of martial arts movies featuring great actors/masters such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Fundamental Principles: The concept of Kung Fu revolves around three basic principles – Self-Discipline, Motivation, and Time. According to experts, the real motivation behind learning Kung Fu is to be inspired and not to use force, which should come from an inner craving for learning and development of mind and body. The vital driving force is motivation. There is no external or worldly benefits for the learner, and the only reward is that of knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. In Kung Fu, discipline is complemental to motivation. Discipline puts motivation into deed and action. A learner must exert effort for what makes him/her motivated, and self-discipline helps him get started and guides him in reaching that goal. Therefore, motivation is just a state of mind when there is no discipline. Time is the path to perfection in martial arts. Once motivation and self-discipline have set in, a learner has to spend a considerable amount of time putting body and mind into practice. A truly inspired learner does not waste time in useless activities.His/Her doings should reflect true self-discipline and motivation.
Variants and Styles: With the passage of time, many other forms and styles have come up in Kung Fu Some of the more common types include Bagua Zhang, Karate, Escrima, Wing Chun, Jujitsu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Shaolin, White Crane, and T’ai Chi Ch’uan.
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