some kinds of kungfu

Kung Fu could be defined as any of the various Chinese martial arts. Chinese Kung Fu was studied, organized and systematized by the Shaolin monks. Shaolin Kung Fu is known for their many animal styles such as Tiger, Crane, Dragon, Monkey, Praying Mantis and Snake. The word Kung Fu was originally used by the West. It means "skill" or "ability". It literally does not have anything to do with martial arts such as the word Tae Kwon Do, which means The Way of the Hand and Feet. In China today, Wushu is the preferred word to describe Chinese Martial Arts. The word Kung Fu was first used by a western Jesuit Missionary named Pere Amoit after witnessing exercises and training regimen in China. He called it "Cong Fou" in his personal journals. The term "Kuo-Shu" was popular in China until about 1930. This term has since been popularized by the Taiwanese Government to describe Chinese Martial Arts.

The more famous Chinese kung fu includes:

Choy Li Fut:
Choy Li Fut is one of the most powerful styles of Wushu. It relies on very powerful hand and arm techniques. Four main hand techniques are used, including the straight punch, the back fist, the uppercut and the hook punch. It incorporates oriental medicine and philosophy. The emphasis is on learning through forms practice and many hands and weapons forms are taught, most of which have between one hundred and three hundred moements. Speed, balance and power are all important elements in this style of Wushu, which also combines hard and soft techniques. Many full contact fighters follow this system.


Tai Chi Chuan
One of the three orthodox "internal" styles of Chinese martial art (the other two being Hsing Yi Ch'uan and Pa Kua Chang). The term "T'ai Chi" refers to the ancient Chinese cosmological concept of the interplay between two opposite yet complementary forces (Yin and Yang) as being the foundation of creation. "Ch'uan" literaly means "fist" and denotes an unarmed method of combat. T'ai Chi Ch'uan as a martial art is based on the principle of the soft overcoming the hard.

WING CHUN

One of the most popular forms of Kung Fu. Wing Chun was an obscure and little known art until the mid twentieth century. While multiple histories of the art do exist (some with only minor discrepancies), the generally accepted version is thus: The style traces its roots back over 250 years ago to the Southern Shaolin Temple. At that time, the temple a was sanctuary to the Chinese revolution that was trying to overthrow the ruling Manchu. A classical martial arts system was taught in the temple which took 15-20 years to produce an efficient fighter. Popularized by Bruce Lee.

Chinese Kung Fu developed with the Chinese social society. The Shang period before the 16th and 11th centuries B.C. saw the flourishing of the Bronze Age in China, giving rise to an array of bronze weapons, such as the wave-bladed spear, dagger-axe, halberd, axe, battle-axe, broad-sword and rapier. These weapons required a corresponding development in skill wielding them. During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States period between 770 and 221 B.C., cavalry replaced chariot-based warfare. To suit combat on horseback, modifications on weapons were made such as shape of the blade or length of handle. New weapons were also invented. The Chinese people in their effort for survival developed Chinese KungFu through the centuries. Its roots lie in ancient society, though, at that time, it was a far cry from the artistic sport that it is today. In the distant past, man used clubs and sticks in his struggle against wild animals and in search for food. A rudimentary skill in weaponry was developed and then the need for skill in arms was further motivated by inter-tribal warfare. These conditions led to the continuing development of sophisticated weapons whose use required more skill, although hand-to-hand fighting was still essential to combat.