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"Kung Fu" - Cantonese
for "An
Acquired or Sustained Skill"
"Wu Shu" - Chinese for "martial
art"
Origin: China
Classification: Both
"Hard" (Wing Chun) and "Soft"
(Tai Chi)
Clothing: Practitioners wear "sams" (loose tops) and loose pants and soft
shoes.
Description:
Said to be the oldest of
all martial arts disciplines,
Kung Fu describes hundreds of
different martial arts forms
and styles. Some of the more
famous being Bruce Lee's Wing
Chun, Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi
and Pa Kua (Bagua).
Kung fu disciplines start with
basic stances and movements which
act as springboards to learn
different skills. There are
many different techniques depending
on the style
you are studying, including aerial
attacks with feet and hands,
to acrobatics including cartwheels
and hand springs. Many of the
fighting styles employ animal
moves including dragons, monkeys,
snakes, tigers and the list goes
on and on.
Today the hard styles of kung
fu are practiced for competition
and self defense, while the soft
styles of kung fu are practiced
for health and well being.
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