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