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1 Gongfu
2 Gongfu Categories
3 Gongfu Philosophy
4 Gongfu Styles
5 Non-Gongfu Arts
6 Gongfu Miscellaneous
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9 Getting started

Gongfu

Gongfu [Kung fu] and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese martial arts.

However the Chinese terms gongfu (Chinese: 功夫 pinyin: gōngfū) and wushu (Chinese: 武術; simplified Chinese: 武术; pinyin: wǔshù) have very different meanings. Wushu can describe greatly varying martial arts traditions, while gongfu can be used in a context without any martial arts whatsoever.

Colloquially, gongfu alludes to any individual accomplishment or cultivated skill obtained by long and hard work.

Wushu refers to general martial activities. The term wushu has also become the name for a modern sport similar to gymnastics involving the performance of adapted Chinese bare-handed and weapons forms (tàolù 套路) judged to a set of contemporary aesthetic criteria for points, but having minimal martial arts application.

Gongfu Categories

Further information: Gongfu categories

Chinese martial arts can be split into various categories to differentiate them: for example, external style (外家拳) and internal style(内家拳).

Chinese martial arts can also be categorized by location, as in northern (北拳) and southern (南拳) as well, referring to what part of China the styles originated from, separated by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). The styles can also be classified according to their province or city.

The main perceived difference between northern and southern styles is that the northern styles tend to emphasize fast and powerful kicks, high jumps and generally fluid and rapid movement, while the southern styles focus more on strong arm and hand techniques, and stable, immovable stances and fast footwork. Examples of the northern styles include Chang Quan and Xingyi Quan. Examples of the southern styles include Nanquan and Wing Chun.

Chinese martial arts can also be divided according to religion, imitative-styles (象形拳), and more.

Gongfu Philosophy

Further information: Gongfu philosophy

There are various philosophies around the term gongfu [kung fu], suggesting a deeper meaning. The following is an example of such a philosophy:

For a process to truly be gongfu [kung fu], the following three elements must be present:

   * Motivation
   * Self-discipline
   * Time

Motivation is the basic driving force, and without it, gongfu [kung fu] can never be reached. It means both interest and the will to do something; a person who is forced to do something is not truly motivated. A motivated person, on the other hand, has interest in learning: they have a goal.

It is important to note a difference between the various types of motivation: A person can be motivated to do something, because if they do not they will be punished. Money can also lead to motivation, because you know that doing something will give you more money. However, the motivation for acquiring gongfu comes from an interest and an inner desire to learn and develop, in which the goal is not an external gain, like avoiding punishment or earning money, but an internal one, with the only reward being knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. This motivation can be inspired, but not controlled, by other people.

Self-discipline is closely related to motivation, but refers to the effort and patience required to actually get something done, and to get past obstacles that might appear on the way towards one's goal. While motivation is the mental state of wanting to do something, discipline is required to put motivation into action: A person might want to do something very much, but lacks the required amount of discipline to get started. Without this, motivation will lead to nothing.

It is true that a competent instructor can assist a person by providing discipline, helping that person to get past obstacles. This is good, but will not last forever, and in the end, it is always up to the person themself to put their thoughts into action.

Time is essential for finding one's motivation and self-discipline, and to actually accomplish something by making use of them, but motivation and self-discipline are also important to make a person willing to put time into accomplishing their goal: to prioritize.

In later stages, once motivation and discipline have become an integral part of a person's life, it is important not to stop spending time on practice. This is said to be a very important aspect of gongfu: Many ancient Chinese philosophers and martial artists consider time the most valuable commodity in a person's lives, as time cannot be replaced. By finding interest in and putting effort and time into every action, one will make the best use of time, and live a happy and productive life.

Do less if you want to achieve more; minimalism