(Asian martial art techniques) Kung Fu: History And Basic Principles
September 2nd, 2007
Kung Fu: History And Basic Principles
The Term:
Historically, the term ?Kung Fu? is not really featured in any ancient texts. It was first coined by a Frenchman named Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, a missionary who lived in the 18th Century, in reference to Chinese martial arts. Kung Fu is also called Gongfu, Wushu, or Kuoshu, and originally denotes expertise in any skill, and not exclusive to martial arts.
Brief History:
The practice, philosophy, and concept of Kung Fu can be traced back to ancient Chinese texts such as Zhuang Zi, Dao De Jing, and Sun Zi Bing Fa (Art of War written by Sun Zi), all written between 1111-255 BC. These texts contain passages related to the practice, propagation, and principles of Chinese martial arts, or Kung Fu as it is known today.
One theory regarding the first written history of Kung Fu suggests that the Yellow Emperor, who reigned from 2698 BC, wrote the first treatise on Chinese martial arts. Others give credit to Taoist monks for introducing an art form that resemble modern Tai Chi around 500 BC. Then in 39-92 AD, Pan Ku included “Six Chapters of Hand Fighting” in his discourse on the history of the Han dynasty (Han Shu). As the popularity of martial arts progressed, a physician named Hua T?uo also wrote his own treatise entitled, ?Five Animals Play” in 220 AD.
Kung Fu had become a common word in the West beginning in the late 1960s, popularized by martial arts movies and TV series. The Western world today has also seen an immense upsurge in the creation and production of martial arts movies starring great actors/masters such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Basic Principles:
The concept of Kung Fu revolves around three basic principles ? Motivation, Self-discipline and Time.
According to experts, the real motivation behind learning Kung Fu is inspiration and not force, which should come from an inner craving to learn and develop the mind and body. Motivation here is the fundamental driving force. There is no external or worldly gain for the learner, and the only reward is that of knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom.
In Kung Fu, discipline is complementary to motivation. Discipline puts motivation into deed and action. A learner has to make an effort into what he has been motivated for, and self-discipline helps him get started and guides him to achieve that goal. Therefore, without discipline, motivation is just a dormant state of mind.
Time is the path to perfection in martial arts. Once motivation and self-discipline have set in, a learner has to spend a considerable amount of time putting mind and body into practice. A truly inspired learner does not have the privilege to waste time, stay idle or indulge in fruitless activities. Everything done by him/her should reflect real motivation and self-discipline.
Variants and Styles:
With the passage of time, numerous variants and styles have come up in martial arts, or Kung Fu. Some of the more popular ones include Karate, Escrima, Wing Chun, Jujitsu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do, Shaolin, White Crane, T’ai Chi Ch’uan, and Bagua Zhang.
<a href="http://martialarts-hq.com/">Martial Arts HQ</a> offers articles, tips and tricks about different martial arts.
Where To Get Your Martial Arts And Self Defense Equipment
When you start training martial arts or Self Defense you will need the adequate martial arts of Self Defense equipment.
Both types of equipment are different and you should know what to look for when shopping for martial arts or self defense equipment.
The most common place to buy martial arts or self defense equipment is in the local dojo. Most dojos, training centers, etc?. have a small store where you can buy or order the martial arts or self defense equipment you need for your practice.
Buying your martial arts or self defense equipment at your local dojo has a lot of advantages. You will get expert advise from your teacher. He knows your needs and what type of martial arts or self defense equipment you are going to need for his classes. He will also be the best person to advise you on the quality of the different brands due to his years of experience with many different suppliers.
The negative part of buying martial arts or self defense equipment at your local dojo is the price. Buying only a minor wholesaler, the discount margins are very small and this will reflect itself in the prices your teacher has to charge for the martial arts and self defense equipment he or she sells.
The second possibility is buy your martial arts and self defense equipment at a local specialized store. The advantage is a lower price than in your local dojo or gym, you can touch, feel and try on the equipment before you buy to see if you like it and if the size fits you. You can get some advise from the salesperson about the different brands of martial arts and self defense equipment they sell.
The downside is the fact that most salespersons in those shops are non practitioners of the martial arts or self defense so they have no practical experience with the equipment they sell. This may lead to mistakes that will cost you money.
The third way to buy your martial arts or self defense equipment is to shop for it online. There are many suppliers to be found online that will ship the goods to your doorstep. To find them just type: martial arts or self defense equipment in google or any other search engine and you will get thousands of listings for this term.
The advantages are obvious : no need to leave your home, low prices and shipping to your doorstep but the inconveniences are also very obvious: You can not feel, try or touch the equipment before finishing the payment and receiving the shipment of your martial arts or self defense equipment. You won?t be able to get advise from a real person, face to face. Some suppliers will be happy to assist you in your selection of martial arts or self defense equipment by email or phone. If you have to return an order for whatever reason you will have to take care of the shipping and packing and refunds can take time to be paid.
So before starting to shop for your martial arts or self defense equipment take a look at the above and consider what is the best way for you. Some people will be limited to one or two possibilities and others can only buy their martial arts or self defense equipment online but wherever you go to buy yours, consider the warranty and the refund policies of all 3, the local dojo, the specialized shop and the online supplier.
This can save you a lot of headaches. Things do break and sometimes it just isn?t manufactured as it should be so warranty and refund policies will help you determine the professionalism of the seller and save you time and headaches.
Peter Vermeeren is a traditional martial arts teacher for over 30 year. His websites can be found here: <a href="http://www.takaharudojo.org" target="_blank">http://www.takaharudojo.org</a> and <a href="http://www.kamikaze-portal.com" target="_blank">http://www.kamikaze-portal.com</a>
Martial Arts Training: More Than Just Self-Defense
According to the FBI, four women die everyday as a result of domestic violence and about 130,000 women report that they’ve been victims of rape or attempted rape annually. Because of statistics like this, many women enroll in self-defense classes to learn the skills they need to defend themselves.
The thing is, a short-term self-defense class may not address all of the areas you need to be able to fully defend yourself. While martial arts classes won’t specifically train you for combat and fighting, they will give you the ability to defend yourself if you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to practice self-defense. The best part is that this self-defense isn’t always physical. What most people don’t know is that in a good martial arts class you’ll learn a variety of skills to help you gain the awareness, peace and physical conditioning you need to be a stronger person, in all aspects of your life.
Confidence. All the physical defense skills in the world won’t help if you don’t have the confidence needed to use them. That’s the beauty of martial arts training. In order to successfully train a martial art, you need to have your mind and body in tune with one another. This self-awareness gives you the confidence your need to control and defend yourself if needed. You’ll be able to handle everyday and extraordinary situations without losing your temper. You’ll be able to stand your ground. You’ll appear to be (and will be) more confident - and people who appear to be confident are less likely to be the victims of violence because they don’t look like “easy targets”.
Focus and Awareness. While training martial arts, you need to focus and concentrate on what you are doing so that you don’t injure yourself or those around you. This focus and concentration carries over into other aspects of your life as well. Soon, you’ll find yourself better able to concentrate on work, school and home. You’ll even find yourself being more aware of your surroundings which can help you avoid potentially harmful or violent situations.
Peace. Training martial arts will also give you an inner peace that can change your life. First of all, to effectively train martial arts, your workout will always be changing. You’ll never get bored with your workout because it will always be challenging to your abilities (both physical and mental). In addition to that, training martial arts is a great stress reducer. You probably already know that regular physical exercise can reduce physical stress, but what you don’t know is that martial arts go one step further to reduce emotional stress as well. Activities such as martial arts that require you concentrate on your movements and your core strength can give you full stress relief in one activity.
Strength and Conditioning. When you train martial arts, you use your entire body. You cannot use just one muscle set at a time. The exercises are always changing and evolving to give you the maximum out of each training session. Martial arts also increase your flexibility which is great because people who are flexible suffer fewer injuries, have better posture and are better able to relax their muscles.
If you are interested in learning more about how martial arts can help your self confidence, please contact one of my three locations in Bellevue, Lynnwood or Kent, Washington at 800-508-6141or martialadvice@hotmail.com to set up a free 2 week trail orientation.
Also, please see our web pages at www.kungfutemple.com and www.martialarts-instruction.com
Sincerely,
Robert Jones
Master Instructor
6th Degree Black Belt
Owner, the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts
About the Author
Mr. Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written two guides on how to pick a martial arts school. One for adults and one for parents wanting to pick the right school for their children. He can be reached at 800-508-6141.
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