What is Kung Fu?
Mention the word “kung fu” and most Westerners will conjure up images of Bruce Lee whipping nunchuks around at the speed of light, cracking hapless opponents in the head or Jackie Chan performing seemingly impossible feats of agility with grace and humor. But most folks likely know little about the history and practice of these ancient arts. What they do know is most certainly distorted by fantastical images seen on the silver screen.
Broadly speaking, kung fu refers to a fighting system that originates in China. It’s use as a reference to personal combat can be traced back at least as far as the Zhou Dynasty (1046 BCE – 256 BCE). The Zhou Dynasty was a time of war and conquest as local kings and warlords fought both foreign invaders as well as each other. It was also the era that some of the most influential and important philosophers, thinkers, and scholars lived – Confucius (551 BCE – 479 BCE), Laozi (6th Century BCE), Mozi (470 BCE – 391 BCE), and many others. Because of this environment, it is perhaps no accident that the practice of kung fu has blended martial arts and philosophy since its inception.
The characters in Chinese that are translated as Kung Fu (功夫), at least in the modern usage, have nothing to do with martial arts. They are more accurately translated as “the pursuit of a skill through dedicated practice over a period of time”. It could refer to any endeavor – writing, singing, bicycle riding, etc. Moreover, with regards to martial arts, it only suggests the pursuit of a fighting system with roots in China, as opposed to a specific art. It’s akin to saying “sports”, instead of “football”; the general vs. the specific. To add to this confusion, the more correct term for martial arts in modern Chinese is “Wu Shu (武術)”. This term originated in the 1950’s and refers to a style of government sanctioned martial arts.
There are many systems of kung fu. They are often categorized by their geographical origin (Northern or Southern), or whether they are internal or external. There are even eclectic arts that don’t fit easily into any category.
Often, kung fu systems are associated with a variety of religious temples from across China – Shaolin, Wu Tang, O Mei, Fukien, and others. In spite of this, few systems of kung fu retain any real connection with a religion.
The martial art that I practice and teach, Chun Kuo, is thought to have originated in the O Mei Temple. According to my teacher, it was formally created in 1835, and arrived in the United States in 1930. Like most traditional martial arts, we seek to perfect not only our self-defense techniques, but we also hope to become phyiscally stronger, healthier, more confident, and more in tune with our energy and spirit.
Chun Kuo is considered a Southern Five Animal Kung Fu, meaning that our forms, weapons, training, and fighting theories are inspired by observations of nature: specifically drawing inspiration from the tiger, dragon, snake, crane, and leopard. Our kung fu doesn’t seek to pantomime these animals so much as to capture the essence of their spirit and fighting style. Over the years, various instructors have added their own experiences to its rich pageantry as well.
Various kung fu systems may have different lineages and histories, and they may emphasize one thing over another, but as my friend Sifu Azeem says, “kung fu is a big pot of gumbo”. We are more alike than we are different. Kung fu draws from the same rich Chinese cultural heritage. Our forms and techniques may look different but I believe the spirit that flows through them remains the same.
