Gong Fu (Kung Fu) is not a actual Martial Art

[White Warlock]

Iron Face Kung Fu - The art of wearing out your opponent's fists using your face.

 

Conditioning - Iron Face conditioning requires that you pound your face repeatedly against hard surfaces, such as gravel pits, makiwaras, and driver-side windshields after a most encouraging intake of elixirs.

 

History - The earliest recorded practitioner of this system is said to have existed many thousands of years ago - http://www.nauka.lucksite.com/pictures/flat-face-man.jpg

 

The man noted for its present form is 'Iron Face' Kao Fung, biographied in the movie Five Shaolin Masters.

 

Instructor - Here's an early picture of my instructor. He started conditioning at a very early age - Sifu Pem Pars

 

Doubt its veracity? Read this - http://www.karateforums.com/archive/o_t/t_13401/bah.html

[47MartialMan]

THATS A RIOT!!!!!

[law hon gung]

I think the difference would be martial art vs martial way,a martial way is something that has been derived from a martial art,to serve another purpose. japanese arts with the suffix word do in their names are martial ways not martial arts. Example aikido the way of harmony,tae kwon do the way of kicking ,karate do,the way of open fist,hapkido,the way of harmonious energy,these martial ways were created to serve some other use, aikido,for example,was created to bring an attaccker down without harming them,a nicce idea but not as useful as a true fighting art, the korean,japanese and similar systems were adapted to tournament play, a sport,not a martial art, this popularly used, loose intrerpretation of them,martial arts, has diluted its meaning. lets look at the deffinition of the separate terms, martial of,or belonging to war,war like bold military. Art; human creativity,skill acquired by study and practice,any craft and its principles,something done skillfuly,a sensitivity to beauty, Combined,these mean a high degree of skill at things belonging to war,not to tournament or play fighting,but acctual combat.

[KF Dude]

Kung Fu = Time, Work, Skill. Surgeon, Artist, Musician, Chef, Olympic Athletes all have good kung fu. Thanks to the song & the tv show - most Americans think kungfu means chinese martial art.

 

Kuen is probably a more accurate word to use for chinese fighting styles. Hung-Ga Kuen, Wing Chun Kuen, Jow Ga Kuen are a few examples.

[47MartialMan]

Kung Fu = Time, Work, Skill. Surgeon, Artist, Musician, Chef, Olympic Athletes all have good kung fu. Thanks to the song & the tv show - most Americans think kungfu means chinese martial art.

 

Kuen is probably a more accurate word to use for chinese fighting styles. Hung-Ga Kuen, Wing Chun Kuen, Jow Ga Kuen are a few examples.

 

Kuen, Kuyhn, Kune, Chuan,.......or if it is a "family" Chin Gar (Gah, Ga-whatever) or Chin Gar Chuan.........

[47MartialMan]

i think if you go anywhere and say you practice kung fu, people will know what you're talking about. even if it wasn't intended to be the name of a martial art at the time, it certainly is now.

 

From certain past information, and per linguistics ever changing per era, the term could have not been used 100-1500 years ago.

 

Chinese, like other languages, over years, developed other dialogues and usage of slang. Per language, old is casted out to make way for new. Rules or meanings are changed.

 

I think the Chinese, from what I understand, now use it out of pride, verbal realtion, identity, generalization, and inclusively.

 

I deinfitely believe it describes Chinese martial arts, but cannot wholly believe this term was used 100's of years ago. Especially, the dialogues of Mandarin, which I had some exposure to.

[Drunken Monkey]

...it is not a mandarin term.

 

as for the language, it's nature doesn't lend itself to much change if at all.

 

the reason for this is that the grammer is fixed and the mainland languages follows grammer quite rigidly.

 

the only changes i am aware of is that the language is 'losing' characters (not words...).

 

however, cantonese is a different matter.

 

if you like, it exsists almost only as a spoken languge.

 

there are also variations of cantonese depending on your actual family origins

 

but again, the base underlying written grammtical structure is the same.

[47MartialMan]

Did I say it was Mandarin, or for that matter, Wu, Yue, Hakka, Min, Gan, Xiang, or Cantonese? Or any dialogue in particular?

[Drunken Monkey]

did i imply that you did?

 

i was just pointing out that the term is primarily a cantonese term.

 

that is why you won't hear much of it's use in the other dialects.

 

this was in response to

 

I deinfitely believe it describes Chinese martial arts, but cannot wholly believe this term was used 100's of years ago. Especially, the dialogues of Mandarin, which I had some exposure to

[47MartialMan]

...it is not a mandarin term.

 

Is this a general comment or a implication?