Kung Fu

Kung Fu: What it Really Is

The term Kung Fu is something that has been widely used by peoples all over the world to relate to martial arts that have originated in China. However, if this term will be used in China, Kung Fu really refers to, colloquially, any person or individual success in any endeavor that has been a result of continuous work and relentless improvement. The term Kung Fu has long been compared to another term that is more accurate to relate to Chinese martial arts. This term is ‘wushu.’ Since this is the case, Kung Fu, in this article, will be synonymous to martial arts.

Kung Fu has been in existence for about 6,000 years and was originated in China. The development of martial arts in China was a response to some needs: the need to defend one’s self, the need for skills to be able to hunt, and the need to be able to train other people with the same skill for future combat. Kung Fu was taught as a combat system, as well as a practice that also made use of weapons, especially those that were being trained for future combat.

Training in Kung Fu has a seemingly simple structure that has its roots buried deeply in its cultures and traditions. Starting with the basic aspects of Kung Fu, it provides the foundation of the martial art. The basics of Kung Fu serves as a prerequisite before a student is able to train for another level, because a lack of knowledge in the basics could mean that the student will not be able to learn and eventually perform the techniques that will be taught at the higher level. What is aimed to be developed and ultimately perfected in the basics training is the management of the individual’s energy or ‘Chi,’ and basic positioning and movement of the body. Very simple movements are required to be practiced by a beginner such as meditation, stretching and stance practice. Stances are also an integral part in Kung Fu training. These are postures prescribed for fighters to position themselves in as preparation for a set of movements. Parts of a stance may be how the feet are positioned, how a fighter’s body weight is distributed and how a fighter’s body is positioned as well. These greatly help a fighter execute routine or a repetitive set of movements as part of a skill set. As mentioned earlier, meditation is also another integral part of Kung Fu, by which a fighter’s focus and concentration can be improved. Mental preparedness is a vital tool for any martial arts practitioner in order to access his skills and execute them more effectively at any given point or in any given situation. Forms are sets of movements that have been created by other fighters that have proved to be effective in self-defense. These sets of movements are strung together to create one smooth movement that may reflect a specific style or branch of martial arts.

Kung Fu is a graceful, yet deadly martial art that can be practiced by anyone who will be able to ensure commitment to the practice of the craft.

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Filed under: Martial Arts Styles

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