| For those of you whom have stayed around long | | | | defense situation or you could look at some |
| enough to figure out the differences, there | | | | woman and children being physically |
| still may be some of you who do not know what | | | | assaulted. Most likely you will never need |
| this title means. After many years of | | | | kung fu skills to defend yourself. For the |
| research, study and first hand experiences I | | | | most part, today's society is gun happy and |
| have found a lot about the reasons for | | | | you can not effectively use martial arts |
| training and what styles to train under. Why | | | | against firearms. |
| are we taking any type of self defense | | | | |
| course? Why do we train in this style of Kung | | | | Anything that has to do with an older, more |
| Fu? Why not just join the armed forces? All | | | | original way to do something can be |
| of these questions and many others will be | | | | considered "traditional". In that respect, |
| answered in this article. | | | | kung fu styles that use older more original |
| | | | forms and techniques could be considered |
| Kung Fu or Wu Shu? | | | | traditional. |
| | | | |
| There have been many students that asked me | | | | However, due to the destruction of all the |
| "What is the difference between kung fu and | | | | old records and manuscripts, it is virtually |
| wu shu?" Let us first go into the translation | | | | impossible to correctly know if a kung fu |
| of these words from Chinese into English: | | | | style is authentically "Traditional" or not. |
| "Kung Fu" = Time and Energy. Then "Wu Shu" = | | | | Many kung fu teachers claim to be teaching |
| War like Technique. Neither of these two | | | | traditional styles but, are only using this |
| words separately can be translated onto a | | | | ploy to lure prospective students into their |
| fighting style or some type of self defense. | | | | schools. There are also many teachers who may |
| However, placed together they represent | | | | not actually know if their style is |
| generalized Chinese martial arts. | | | | traditional or not, they just teach the kung |
| | | | fu that was taught to them by their teacher |
| Kung Fu: A term normally used in the Chinese | | | | or father. |
| language for anyone who gains a skill through | | | | |
| time and effort. A carpenter would have good | | | | For most people here in India, modern or |
| kung fu in laying carpets, a tailor would | | | | traditional may not even matter. Our society |
| good kung fu in sewing clothes, a fighter | | | | is relatively peaceful in nature. There are |
| would have good kung fu in defending himself. | | | | no civil wars going on right now. Our |
| | | | government is not an evil tyrannical regime |
| The term "Kung Fu" got it's connection with | | | | that constantly thwarts the people at every |
| martial arts and Shaolin in the 1960's when | | | | turn. So the need for all people to be at |
| Bruce Lee and other movie actors used the | | | | their top kung fu skill just to stay alive is |
| phrase: "Your Kung Fu is good" which actually | | | | practically none. So this peaceful society |
| meant that there skill was good, not to say | | | | usually leads most people to martial arts, |
| that kung fu was there style. From that point | | | | not to stay alive, but to get in shape or to |
| onward most average people thought kung fu | | | | get some self defense in. For parents, kung |
| meant a type of fighting style like karate or | | | | fu can build confidence, discipline for their |
| tae kwon do. | | | | children. |
| | | | |
| Kuo Shu: Kuo = National and Shu = Technique. | | | | Fighting Art / Performance Art |
| National Technique, a term used starting in | | | | |
| early to mid 1900's by the Chinese | | | | I have heard many say "I wish to learn a art |
| government. They were trying to unify the | | | | form". An Art Form can be anything from |
| martial arts into a public sport. Later the | | | | dancing, opera, gymnastics or Kung Fu. As we |
| term Wu Shu would replace Kuo Shu as the term | | | | look at kung fu, the art form most people see |
| most of us recognize. | | | | is the "Form or Pattern". This Form are |
| | | | techniques linked together to create a |
| Wu Shu: A modern term used for the martial | | | | pattern or sequence. Older more traditional |
| sport popular in China today. Wu = War like | | | | forms are more practical, but still are |
| and Shu = Techniques. War Techniques or Wu | | | | beautiful and graceful to watch. Newer forms |
| Shu became popular in the 50's - 60's and | | | | such as in the style of Wu Shu are a bit more |
| China has now made an application for Wu Shu | | | | gymnastic / acrobatic in nature. The |
| to become an event in the 2008 Olympics. | | | | practitioners of Wu Shu look spectacular as |
| | | | they do a dazzling array of jumps, flips and |
| Modern / Traditional? | | | | aerial kicks. There are those who say that Wu |
| | | | Shu is just a performance art and not a real |
| There are plenty of arguments of what is | | | | kung fu style. That is a wrong assumption. As |
| considered modern and what is considered | | | | most of us go to competitions or |
| traditional. The only difference between the | | | | demonstrations, we tend to see the modern Wu |
| 2 should be: Something made or developed long | | | | Shu player as only doing the "Form" and not |
| ago or Something made or developed recently. | | | | fighting or sparring at all. If taught |
| | | | correctly and with traditional fighting |
| Modern kung fu or martial arts seam to focus | | | | values, Wu Shu can be an effective and |
| on the needs of the people today. Which for | | | | devastating kung fu fighting style. Just |
| the most part is health and fitness and a | | | | because something looks beautiful does not |
| little bit of self defense. There are very | | | | mean it is not deadly. |
| few hard core individuals interested in the | | | | |
| brutish power and aggressive nature needed to | | | | No matter what reason you think you are |
| become proficient in any type of worth while | | | | supposed to be taking kung fu, whether it's |
| street defense. | | | | for self defense or for the "Art Form" or |
| | | | just to get into shape. Just take kung fu |
| If you look at everyone on a whole, 75% of us | | | | because you enjoy what you are doing. Keep |
| will never get into a fight or need martial | | | | training hard and don't worry about anything |
| arts in our lifetime. There is a 25% chance | | | | else. |
| that some of will get into some type of self | | | | |