Kung
Fu and Wushu
Kung
Fu, in western languages, normally refers to Chinese martial art.
In the Chinese language the present official term for martial art
is wushu. However, due to various reasons, one of the most important
of which is that the present Chinese government wishes to promote
wushu as a sport rather than a fighting art, the term 'wushu' when
used in the West often connotes a demonstrative form, whereas the
term 'Kung Fu' suggests a combative art.
Internal and External
There
are many styles or schools of Kung Fu. Traditionally these numerous
styles are divided into two major groups, namely internal Kung Fu
and external Kung Fu. The three well known internal Kung Fu styles
are Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan), Baguazhang (Pakua Palm), and Xingyiquan
(Hsing Yi Kung Fu). External Kung Fu includes Shaolin Kung Fu and
all its derived styles.
It is
important to bear in mind that this division into internal and external
Kung Fu is arbitrary and provisional. Actually there are more internal
aspects in Shaolin Kung Fu than in all the three famous internal styles
put together!
Internal
Aspects of Shaolin
This
may appear to be a wild claim to some people, but if we take the time
to examine the internal arts taught in Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan,
we shall discover that all these arts are also found in Shaolin Kung
Fu.
For example,
meditation to develop mind, gentle movements to engender energy flow,
and 'zhang-zhuang' (stance training) to develop internal force, which
are crucial training methods in all these three internal schools of
Kung Fu, are also found in Shaolin Kung Fu. On the other hand, some
internal Shaolin arts like 'one-finger Zen' and 'tiger claw', are
not found in the internal schools.
External
Form of Taijiquan
Then,
why is Shaolin Kung Fu usually referred to as external, while Taijiquan,
Baguazhang and Xingyiquan are referred to as internal?
The reason
for calling Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan internal is quite
straight-forward. All these arts emphasize internal training like
visualization, internal energy flow and zhang-zhuang, and pay little
attention to external training like leg stretching, hitting sand-bags
and lifting weights.
If you
practise Taijiquan, Baguazhang and Xingyiquan, but have little or
no experience in visualization, internal energy flow and zhang-zhuang,
then you probably have been practising only their external forms.
Shaolin
Kung Fu is generally referred to as external because most of the people
who practise it usually exhibit only the external Shaolin arts. Because
Shaolin Kung Fu is so extensive, and its internal aspects are usually
taught only after the students have been familiar with its external
forms, not many people have the chance or patience to progress to
this internal level of Shaolin Kung Fu.
Northern
and Southern Shaolin
Besides
the parental Shaolin Kung Fu, there are many styles derived from it.
Broadly, it may be classified into Northern Shaolin and Southern Shaolin.
Northern
Shaolin, which includes styles like Huaquan, Chaquan, Praying Mantis
and Eagle Claw, emphasizes long-reaching strikes and kicking attacks.
Southern
Shaolin, which includes Hoong Ka, Wing Choon, White Crane and Choy-Li-Fatt,
emphasizes close combat and hand techniques.
Importance
of Self-Defence
Irrespective
of whatever style you practise, you must be able to defend yourself
if you practise Kung Fu; otherwise your training becomes meaningless,
because the term 'Kung Fu' means martial art.
But Kung
Fu, unlike many other martial arts, is generally non-aggressive and
non-brutal although it is very effective for combat. Some Kung Fu
exponents may be aggressive. In my opinion this is due to the attitude
and policy of their respective instructors, rather than to the art
itself.
The
Highest Achievement
If we
examine the philosophy of the various styles of Kung Fu, we can find
that they generally emphasize tolerance, respect for elders, righteousness
and love for life. Such a philosophy is in contrast to that of some
martial arts which advocate hurting or even killing the opponent at
all cost, including the inevitability of hurting oneself in the process.
In great
Kung Fu styles like Shaolin Kung Fu and Taijiquan, the highest aim
is beyond mere fighting; it is achieving the highest attainment any
person can wish to have, i.e. spiritual fulfilment, called by different
names according to one's culture and religious belief, such as enlightenment,
merging with the great void, return to God's kingdom, and union with
the Supreme Reality.