Introduction to Kung Fu
Kung Fu in its original meaning refers to any Chinese martial art. The two component words of Kung and Fu literally translate to 'acheivement' and 'man' - which in turn when combined mean 'human achievement'. In Chinese, the two characters which make up this word are: 功夫 - which is pronounced as Gōng Fu. The phrase Kung Fu was rarely used in pre-modern China (with the term Chinese Boxing being more appropriate), however since the era of Hong Kong Film production and the rise of Bruce Lee, the term Kung Fu became increasingly popular. Chinese prefer to use the term Wushu (武術) martial arts skills.
Contrary to popular belief, any martial arts style which originates from China is therefore classed as a type of Kung Fu. This includes the following:
