Kung Fu FAQ

Discussion in 'Kung Fu' started by Guizzy, Mar 9, 2006.

  1. Guizzy

    Guizzy with Arnaud and Eustache

    I feel it is time to create a FAQ thread that could be stickified about Kung Fu, so that the issues that are constantly addressed are not brought up again. If you have anything to contribute, just reply to the thread and I'll add it if there's some sort of consensus on the subject.

    What is Kung Fu?
    Kung Fu is the name generally given to traditional external chinese martial arts (CMA). The name roughly translate to "hard work".

    What is Shaolin Kung Fu?
    First off; there is no verified authentic "generic" Shaolin Kung Fu. If the only thing about the name of the style you're practicing/want to practice is that it's "Shaolin Kung Fu", run to your instructor and ask for a more precise name, because just Shaolin Kung Fu does not exist (or at least is not a verifiable art).

    That said, many arts can be considered as having a Shaolin history. But in most case, Shaolin does not exactly mean much when talking about Kung Fu.

    What is Gung Fu/Gong Fu?
    It's another way to say Kung Fu. They can be used interchangably. (I think Gong Fu is in Cantonese and Kung Fu in Mandarin, but I'm not certain. Can anyone clarify?)

    What styles of Kung Fu are there?
    There are litterally hundreds of styles of Kung Fu, so it would be impossible to list them all. The Chinese were much less rigorous than the Japanese in maintaining written accounts of their martial arts, so it's also hard to distinguish what is authentic Kung Fu from what isn't.

    Ok, then what are the major styles of Kung Fu?
    The four most popular styles of traditional Kung Fu are Wing Chun, Hung Gar, Choy Lee Fut and Five Animals.

    Then there are some moderately popular styles; Long Fist, Wuzuquan (Five Ancestor Fist), White Crane, Praying Mantis (there are Southern and Northern Praying Mantis styles)... (any other styles I should list here?)

    What's the deal with those Southern and Northern styles?
    In reality it's hard to charicterize the two without making sweeping generalizations that will have tons of exceptions. The old axiom was Northern foot, Southern fist for the fact that the southern styles were known to foccus more on fighting with the hands and be less reliant on kicking. Most southern styles kicks are directed below the waist generally speaking. (Of course, there's already exceptions to that statment as Mok Gar, one of the five great family styles of the south is primarily a kicking style, but it is much the exception.)

    Southern styles tend to favor a closer fighting range than northern styles. This has to do with the more crowded conditions prevelant in the areas southern kung fu evolved in. Because of this closer fighting range southern styles tend to have a stronger foccus on bridging and trapping than their northern counterparts (though by no means do northern styles lack this). Many (but by no means all) southern styles are more "modern" having only become public since the 1800s (good examples would be Wing Chun, Lung Ying and Pak Mei). Southern styles tend to have relatively few forms compared to northern styles (again, plenty of exceptions to this). Common numbers of forms for southern styles are as few as three for Wing Chun or Lee Gar, to about a dozen for many of the other arts. Some northern styles such as Seven Star Mantis have as many as 120(!).

    Southern styles tend to have higher more compact stances, and shorter footwork due to their close range nature.

    (Thanks for the info, Sliver!)

    What is Wushu?
    Wushu is a Chinese term that refers to martial arts in general. However, to clear up potential misunderstandings, it is more often used here to refer to Contemporary Wushu. Contemporary Wushu is a performance art created by the Chinese Communist Party when they realised the cultural (and economical) gold mine that Kung Fu represented.

    Is there any sparring in Kung Fu?
    It all depends on the school. There is no regulating body for the multiple Kung Fu styles, and no general guidelines that schools have to follow.

    It is notorious that most Kung Fu schools spar less than full-contact sport Martial Arts, but this by no mean an indication of what level of sparring you will find in Kung Fu classes around you.

    Is there a Kung Fu school around *insert city here*?
    Just Google it, or check in your local buisness directory (yellow pages). If you have questions about specific schools, though, feel free to ask.

    I've heard/I think/A fairy told me that Kung Fu is all flash, but it uneffective in a fight. Is that true?
    The short answer is no. The longer answer is that just as with every Martial Art, there are good and bad Kung Fu schools.

    Kung Fu, however, seems to be getting a lot more of this kind of comment for a number of reasons. First, as there is no governing body for Kung Fu, there are quite a few schools of dubious quality. Don't judge Kung Fu because of those bad schools; that is most unfair. Then there is also the fact that many Kung Fu schools do not regularly enter fighters into competitions. While this gives the false impression that Kung Fu is unable to compete with other arts, it also gives space for schools of dubious quality.

    Most of the time, when people think Kung Fu is all flashy, they are referring to Contemporary Wushu.

    Is my Kung Fu style authentic?
    There is no certain way of answering that. But we have some very knowledgable people here on the Kung Fu forum, and it's reasonable to think that we've heard of most authentic styles.

    But don't feel so bad if you find you are not learning an authentic Kung Fu style; you might still learn something worthwhile.

    For example; there are a few people from a martial arts called Shaolin-Do that came in here a while ago. The general consensus was that their art was a modern invention. But a bit after that, a few Shaolin-Do guys went to a Bullshido Throwdown (an event organised by the website Bullshido.net where Martial Artists can spar against each other) and made a pretty good account of themselves.

    What is Chi/Qi?
    Chi (or Qi; both are the same thing) is a concept that stems from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). According to TCM, our body lives thanks to some sort of vital energy (Chi) that flows through canals (called meridians) in us.

    The whole issue of the validity Qi is a pretty touchy one. While the reputation of TCM is still largely unfavorable in most scientific communities, it is still widely popular inside and outside of Asia. Some modern scientific studies also validated some parts of TMA (though those studies are often themselves questionned), which makes giving a definitive answer impossible.

    On MAP, you will find people with a broad spectrum of believes on Qi. Some accept Qi a a litteral fact, others see it as a metaphor, or an abstract model, representing a scientific concept. Some others dismiss Chi as superstition.

    The Chinese Qi (or Chi) is the same as the Japanese Ki.

    What's the deal with the animals?
    Many Kung Fu styles refer to animals in name of the forms, techniques or stances. This is because many styles have evolved from a mentality taken from observation of how animals fight.

    Still, there are things one need to know about animals and Kung Fu. The five animals often associated with Kung Fu are the Tiger, the Crane, the Leopard, the Snake, and the Dragon. One misconception about Kung Fu is that someone is learning "Tiger style Kung Fu". Or "Crane Style Kung Fu". This is a misrepresentation. The animals per se are not styles. Some people train styles that have been influenced by only one animal, and that is reflected in the name of the style. But there is no "Leopard style" or "Snake style".

    The Kung Fu style of Five Animals, however, trains the five animals as separate entities.

    What kind of Kung Fu did Bruce Lee practice?
    Although he was not a master in it, Bruce Lee practiced Wing Chun Kung Fu under master Yip Man. He also created his own style by incorporating concepts from many martial arts; he called it Jeet Kune Do (JKD). If you want more information about JKD; there's a forum dedicated to it here on MAP.

    What kind of Kung Fu does Jet Li practice?
    In most of his movies, Jet Li just does what looks best for the camera; ie: no style (or Movie-Fu). But he is also a former Contemporary Wushu champion, so that is probably where most of his moves come from.

    What kind of Kung Fu does Jackie Chan practice?
    Jackie Chan is primarily trained in a performance art called Beijing Opera. It is some sort of ancestor to Contemporary Wushu. Just like Jet Li, he also mainly does what look best for the camera.

    (I recall reading he has also trained in some fighting Martial Arts; anyone has specifics?)

    What's the best Kung Fu style?
    This is a question that comes often in the Beginner forum, and is a question that cannot be answered. The best Kung Fu style is the one that you enjoy the most training in, and that depends on so many variables.

    What is San Da/San Shou?
    San Shou is a martial art developped for the Chinese military. San Da is what it's called when it is used in organised sport.

    It can be compared to Kickboxing and Muay Thai. (There is more to be said about it, but I'd rather let someone with more knowledge in the matter do it)

    Is San Da/San Shou Kung Fu?
    As there is no governing body defining what is and what isn't Kung Fu, there is no definitive answer to this question. If you take the most litteral meaning of Kung Fu, San Shou/San Da is certainly Kung Fu, as there's little doubt that it is a Chinese martial art requiring hard work.

    But there are some doubts about it being related to traditional Kung Fu; mainly because of its ressemblance to Muay Thai and Kickboxing, some believe it is rather descended from those arts. There are good arguments on both sides of the fence.

    Are there belts in Kung Fu?
    Traditionally, colored belts and grades are a primarily Japanese phenomenon. But some other martial arts (including some Kung Fu styles) have integrated them for various reasons.

    Some have done so to give their students a clear objective to look forward to. Some have done so in order to increase their rentability. Other did so to structure their training.

    But one thing that's true for every martial art with belts and grades is that grades are relative.

    There are black belts that couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag and white belts that can completely destroy higher ranks.

    It is also useful to keep in mind that belts are just that; belts. It's the accomplishment that come with it that is the true worth. If all you want is a black belt, I suggest you buy one from a martial arts supply store.

    Is there grappling/groundwork in Kung Fu?
    While most Kung Fu styles are primarily striking arts, many incorporate Chi Na (Qinna, or Qin Na). It is hard to tell if Qinna was originally a system in itself, but now it most often serve as the grappling/joint manipulation part of some Kung Fu styles. In application, it is somewhat of a mix between Jujitsu-like locks and Aikido joint manipulation.

    There is also Shuai Jiao, also called Chinese Wrestling. (I'd like some more info about it to add. Anyone can make a description I could put here?)
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2006
  2. Matt_Bernius

    Matt_Bernius a student and a teacher

    Guizzy,

    Thanks for the start. I've been working on one for a bit. Unfortunately my need to pull together a couple syllabi for classes I'm teaching has put that to the side. We already had one thread dedicated to this, but folks, have at this. This weekend I'll try to pull everything together and post it for editing.

    G, I'll definitely be stealing some of thing (and giving you credit).

    - Matt
     
  3. TheDarkJester

    TheDarkJester 90% Sarcasm, 10% Mostly Good Advice.

    the whole northern = more acrobatics part I don't buy. Yes northern styles do have high kicks, but there are so few that train them for practical application. Most are in form only. I know we NEVER kick above the waist in Mantis... To do so is asking for a palm/fist/elbow to the face or throat. Or a throw, or a takedown. And thats being nice about things.
     
  4. firecoins

    firecoins Armchair General

    There is no mention of internal/external arts. No mention of chi at all.
     
  5. dimmak

    dimmak Banned Banned

    Someone should integrate all the greatest qualities of each Kung Fu style, and make UFU, or Ultimate Kung FU
     
  6. Matt_Bernius

    Matt_Bernius a student and a teacher

    Both are in the FAQ that I'm working on.

    - Matt
     
  7. Brother

    Brother New Member

    It's just a start. I'm sure things will be added later on.
     
  8. Guizzy

    Guizzy with Arnaud and Eustache

    I did say typically, and was pretty cautious with that statement.

    I think it's still fair to say one should generally expect to need a bit more flexibility when doing Northern styles.

    *EDIT: If you have a better way of distinguishing Northern styles from Southern styles, that would be most welcome.

    Internal styles like Taiji, Bagua, Xingyi and the like are usually not grouped together with Kung Fu, and Taiji already has its own forum in here. Kung Fu is pretty much for External martial arts (with most having some Internal as well). I do intend on adding something on Chi. (In fact, I think I'll add it right now).

    By all means, do!

    The reason I'm doing this is because the Kung Fu forums has become quite unproductive. What I mean is that often someone ask a simple question, then it degenerates into an argument about a subject that is already debated somewhere else.

    If we can bring all answers to questions we always get, and represent everyone's viewpoint in these answers, I think we can reduce the bickering that's going on around here.
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2006
  9. PlumDragon

    PlumDragon "I am your evil stimulus"

    omigod this is going to be a disaster.
     
  10. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    Smart alec . . . :D
     
  11. Yohan

    Yohan In the Spirit of Yohan Supporter

    If you want to write a peice on "chi" - go look up declans post. He has the best discussions and descriptions of chi I've read so far. If you wanted more info you could probably ask him. Excellent writer, excellent ideas, easily translateable into understandeable concepts.
     
  12. Guizzy

    Guizzy with Arnaud and Eustache

    I doubt that, I don't intend to give a definitive answer on Chi. In purest Wiki tradition, I feel that when there is no consensus on a subject, the fairest is that all viewpoints be represented.

    *EDIT: There, I added it (along with a few other Q/A).

    Anything else to be added?

    *RE-EDIT: There probably should be something about Shaolin monks, the Shaolin temple and the like, but the ashes from these discussions are still somewhat hot.

    :S
     
    Last edited: Mar 9, 2006
  13. sliver

    sliver Work In Progress

    Incidentally, southern styles tend to use higher stances not lower. Observe Wing Chun, Lung Ying, Pak Mei, Mok Gar, Juk Lum Tong Long, WuZuQuan, Yau Kung Mun, Lee Gar, Lee Yin Sing, Chu Gar, Fei Chui, or Lijiajiao. Not really much of any low stance work in any of 'em. Not even in their forms. Low stances are more common in Northern styles by and large.
     
  14. Guizzy

    Guizzy with Arnaud and Eustache

    You seem pretty knowledgable on the subject. Would you care to write a little something distinguishing better Northern and Southern? :D
     
  15. sliver

    sliver Work In Progress

    In reality it's hard to charicterize the two without making sweeping generalizations that will have tons of exceptions. The old axiom was Northern foot, Southern fist for the fact that the southern styles were known to foccus more on fighting with the hands and be less reliant on kicking. Most southern styles kicks are directed below the waist generally speaking. (Of course, there's already exceptions to that statment as Mok Gar, one of the five great family styles of the south is primarily a kicking style, but it is much the exception.)

    Southern styles tend to favor a closer fighting range than northern styles. This has to do with the more crowded conditions prevelant in the areas southern kung fu evolved in. Because of this closer fighting range southern styles tend to have a stronger foccus on bridging and trapping than their northern counterparts (though by no means do northern styles lack this). Many (but by no means all) southern styles are more "modern" having only become public since the 1800s (good examples would be Wing Chun, Lung Ying and Pak Mei). Southern styles tend to have relatively few forms compared to northern styles (again, plenty of exceptions to this). Common numbers of froms for southern styles are as few as three for Wing Chun or Lee Gar, to about a dozen for many of the other arts. Some northern styles such as Seven Star Mantis have as many as 120(!).

    Southern styles tend to have higher more compact stances, and shorter footwork due to their close range nature.

    That's the basics, but as I mentioned, there's heaps of exceptions on all accounts, so take it all with a grain of salt. Be well.
     
  16. Guizzy

    Guizzy with Arnaud and Eustache

    Thanks. I'll add it to the FAQ.
     
  17. imperial_guardz

    imperial_guardz Master In Training


    Kung Fu is the typical western romanization of the chinese word 功夫.
    Also usually written as Gong Fu, which is the HanYu PinYin (romanization of Mandarin) spelling of it.

    Qi 氣 technically means Air, however in martial arts term, and chinese philosophy, it refers to a metaphysical energy that sustains life. It is also usually written as Chi (by pronounciation).
     
  18. Davey Bones

    Davey Bones New Member

    On the internals:

    I'm with Guizzy. They have their own forum and to create a FAQ which spans multiple forums is not really of much use, especially since there appears to be minimal crossover between the two in terms of posters.
     
  19. David

    David Mostly AFK, these days

    The three internals of T'ai Chi, Bagua and Hsing I are all kung fu, even if they are banished to their own forum because nobody knows wtf they're on about :D.
     
  20. Davey Bones

    Davey Bones New Member

    Then perhaps a MOD can cross-post this to the T'ai Chi forum and get their input. There aren't enough internal specialists here to really flesh out a good FAQ, IMO (or at the very least they ain't contributing).
     

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