| The Term: | | | | starring great actors/masters such as Jackie |
| Historically, the term "Kung Fu" is not really | | | | Chan and Jet Li. |
| featured in any ancient texts. It was first coined | | | | Basic Principles: |
| by a Frenchman named Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, | | | | The concept of Kung Fu revolves around three |
| a missionary who lived in the 18th Century, in | | | | basic principles - Motivation, Self-discipline and |
| reference to Chinese martial arts. Kung Fu is also | | | | Time. |
| called Gongfu, Wushu, or Kuoshu, and originally | | | | According to experts, the real motivation behind |
| denotes expertise in any skill, and not exclusive to | | | | learning Kung Fu is inspiration and not force, which |
| martial arts. | | | | should come from an inner craving to learn and |
| Brief History: | | | | develop the mind and body. Motivation here is the |
| The practice, philosophy, and concept of Kung Fu | | | | fundamental driving force. There is no external or |
| can be traced back to ancient Chinese texts such | | | | worldly gain for the learner, and the only reward |
| as Zhuang Zi, Dao De Jing, and Sun Zi Bing Fa | | | | is that of knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. |
| (Art of War written by Sun Zi), all written | | | | In Kung Fu, discipline is complementary to |
| between 1111-255 BC. These texts contain | | | | motivation. Discipline puts motivation into deed and |
| passages related to the practice, propagation, and | | | | action. A learner has to make an effort into what |
| principles of Chinese martial arts, or Kung Fu as it | | | | he has been motivated for, and self-discipline helps |
| is known today. | | | | him get started and guides him to achieve that |
| One theory regarding the first written history of | | | | goal. Therefore, without discipline, motivation is |
| Kung Fu suggests that the Yellow Emperor, who | | | | just a dormant state of mind. |
| reigned from 2698 BC, wrote the first treatise on | | | | Time is the path to perfection in martial arts. |
| Chinese martial arts. Others give credit to Taoist | | | | Once motivation and self-discipline have set in, a |
| monks for introducing an art form that resemble | | | | learner has to spend a considerable amount of |
| modern Tai Chi around 500 BC. Then in 39-92 AD, | | | | time putting mind and body into practice. A truly |
| Pan Ku included "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting" in | | | | inspired learner does not have the privilege to |
| his discourse on the history of the Han dynasty | | | | waste time, stay idle or indulge in fruitless |
| (Han Shu). As the popularity of martial arts | | | | activities. Everything done by him/her should |
| progressed, a physician named Hua T'uo also | | | | reflect real motivation and self-discipline. |
| wrote his own treatise entitled, "Five Animals Play" | | | | Variants and Styles: |
| in 220 AD. | | | | With the passage of time, numerous variants and |
| Kung Fu had become a common word in the | | | | styles have come up in martial arts, or Kung Fu. |
| West beginning in the late 1960s, popularized by | | | | Some of the more popular ones include Karate, |
| martial arts movies and TV series. The Western | | | | Escrima, Wing Chun, Jujitsu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, |
| world today has also seen an immense upsurge in | | | | Shaolin, White Crane, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, and Bagua |
| the creation and production of martial arts movies | | | | Zhang. |