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Written by Scott Tamas
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Monday, 18 May 2009 |
In Chinese, the term Kung-Fu（功夫） literally means "high skill." This is a general term and doesn't necessarily have to have a connection with Chinese martial arts. As annoying as it is to hear someone call themselves a "kung-fu chef" or "kung-fu video game player," the phrasing can be accurate.
Until the Ming Dynasty(1368 – 1644 A.D.), when romantic novels were popular, the term Wu-Shu（武术） was commonly used for martial arts. The chinese word for Wushu is comprised of two characters. The first, wu 武, means to stop while the second, shu (术) is a spear. When read together the meaning becomes: conquering violence by overcoming weapons. This philosophy comes from an ancient saying: "Weapons are like fire - if they are not extinguished, they will burn the user." In many ways this is a similar saying to the Christian saying, "Live by the sword, die by the sword." The difference being the way of implementing peace.
Despite the histories of the two words, kung-fu and wushu, the modern usage has reversed. These days in martial arts communities kung-fu has come to mean traditional styles, often family styles. They are always controlled by a private school often with a head or family council. Wushu on the other hand has come to mean styles of martial arts approved by the Chinese government. These styles are often performance based, or not used for fighting, with the exception of Sanda, a muy-thai like system of fighting, and systems used by Chinese militaries and police. |
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 18 August 2010 )
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