What does Kung Fu really mean? A look inside the origins of Chinese martial arts

Historically speaking, the western world was introduced to Kung Fu in part by the mainstream appeal of Bruce Lee. Arguably the first-ever mixed martial artist, he spoke glowingly about the benefits of Kung Fu and practiced what he preached. It’s true that Bruce Lee really did live the Kung Fu lifestyle and was massively dedicated to improving his mind and body.

In terms of styles, he often trained a combination of Wing Chun and Jeet Kune Do to enhance his fighting skills. Elsewhere, he trained his body and put it through extreme workouts which also improved his mentality in relation to discipline and toughness. With this said, it’s fair to say he was not only a disciple of Kung Fu but also a true martial artist. We should also point out that credit is also owed to his mentor Ip Man who was a fantastic practitioner of Wing Chun and was also massively influential in spreading the art around the world.

However, you could argue that in terms of linguistics, Kung Fu blew up at the wrong time in the west. Due to its explosion of popularity during the 80s in an era without the internet, a lot of its beliefs got misinterpreted, and as a result even in modern-day, there are a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to looking at Kung Fu for what it really is.

For example, the term Kung Fu is Chinese and literally translates to “skill achieved through great effort” – with this in mind, it’s important to understand that Kung Fu isn’t exactly a martial art in itself, nor is it a distinct style. As much as anything, Kung Fu is actually a mentality and lifestyle that has drastically influenced other martial arts such as Wing Chun, Karate, and other striking arts. Below we shall delve into what Kung Fu really means and why this is relevant.

The origins of Kung Fu

Before Bruce Lee, Kung Fu had been around for thousands of years and dates back to ancient China. It can also sometimes be referred to as Wushu or Gongfu which is a different pronunciation. In regards to more recent times, Kung Fu is also practiced by Shaolin monks who use it as part of their training. Dating back thousands of years, this means that Kung Fu is literally the oldest form of martial arts on the planet and has been around since man would have started fighting.

These days, Kung Fu mostly applies to striking-based martial arts and is not as focused on other areas such as grappling or joint manipulation. Due to its historical roots, some elements of Kung Fu also train weapons such as knives and swords, although this is mostly done out of tradition these days. Although these aspects may feature in Kung Fu, generally it features kicks and punches.

A good way to understand it is to look at grappling as a term. Under the umbrella of grappling, you also have wrestling, judo, and jiu jitsu. This is similar to Kung Fu which has the likes of Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, and Karate under its sphere. However, this is only applicable when describing Kung Fu on a physical level.

On a spiritual level, Kung Fu can be more detailed when compared to grappling. Remember, its translation is “skill achieved through great effort” which means it’s more than just physical combat. Unsurprisingly, many of the martial arts from the far east are based on the mental aspects of training which shows just how influential Kung Fu was in the region.

Kung Fu as a lifestyle and mental guide to life

It could be argued that a large part of the mental aspect of Kung Fu has been lost in modern martial arts. For instance, back in the day, it was exclusive between training physical Kung Fu and being a respectful, humble person. Sadly, however the same cannot be said for some of the modern fighters in MMA. Whilst not all, many of these fighters may have fighting skills but lack the respect that is taught in Kung Fu and other traditional martial arts.

For example, Kung Fu strongly teaches the following: courage, patience, endurance, perseverance, and will as well as humility, respect, and virtue. Imagine you train your mind to increase these traits within your personality. You would soon become a much more morally pure person who leaves a good impact on the earth and others around you. This is a key part of Kung Fu which ties in with great skill and great effort. The term also implies that becoming a master is by no means easy, nor is anyone perfect. Instead, the idea is to practice and continually learn and improve as a person and martial artist.

So, why do people believe that Kung Fu is its own style?

As mentioned at the beginning of the article, due to its fame in the 80s, Kung Fu was often mistaken for its own style. Visually, most people associate it with the Shaolin dress code or think that it has its own style. A comparison would be saying that you train Wing Chun but not Kung Fu. Of course, Wing Chun is under Kung Fu if that makes sense. Returning to the grappling comparison, it would be like saying you train wrestling but you aren’t a grappler.

The two are mutually exclusive and on is the umbrella term. Due to this, it wouldn’t uncommon for a Wing Chun practitioner to say they trained Kung Fu – because technically they’re kind of right. However, from a literal standpoint, you can’t really train Kung Fu because it’s a mindset under which Wing Chun falls on a physical level.

If you combine this line of thinking with the lack of information that was freely available before the internet era, then it’s no wonder that Kung Fu was thought to be its own, distinct system. Perhaps if it was discovered in modern-day, things would be different as a result. Since then, it seems the image has stuck and there’s not much that we can do about it now.

Myths about Kung Fu

Can Kung Fu masters fly?

To answer this question, no – Kung Fu masters cannot fly. This is a myth that was circulated by Kung Fu movies. Here, you would see Kung Fu masters fly through the air as if using magic. Of course – this isn’t possible. Having said this, some Kung Fu trainers can master using the pole. It is possible to balance on the pole and mimic flying, albeit for a very brief time whilst in mid-air.

Why is Kung Fu not used in MMA?

Kung Fu is used in MMA. As mentioned, Kung Fu is basically a blanket term under which various striking-based martial arts originated form. Because of this, elements of Kung Fu are found in MMA fights. Some of the kicks from the likes of Wing Chun are commonly used in MMA and the UFC. However, Kung Fu is very rarely credited by pundits and commentators.

Final Thoughts

To answer the original question, Kung Fu literally means skill achieved through great effort. This means that if you work hard enough at something, you will be rewarded. Whether taken in the physical sense of improving your self-defense skills or taken as a moral code to live your life by – the result is the same, through dedication and perseverance you can improve your life by creating positive habits. In summary, Kung Fu shouldn’t be thought of as a way of fighting, but instead should also be celebrated as a philosophy that helps mold its practitioners into better human beings who are seeking constant improvement and humility.