Draven Chen Zhen Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 Kung Fu = Wushu = Gung Fu ???I'm confused... some say yes, some say no...I need the truth :: Bless me father, for I have just killed quite a few men ::https://www.tricking.be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fallen_milkman Posted February 20, 2006 Share Posted February 20, 2006 Different people answer this differently. Here is my take.Kung fu is the Romanized Chinese form of gong fu. They mean the same thing. Basically, in this context, any martial art originating in China. Technically, the Chinese apply the term gong fu to any skill you put a lot of effort and time into mastering, but using it to refer to Chinese martial arts in general is pretty well accepted.Wushu has two meanings, again depending on who you're asking. The more common use for it that I hear is in reference to the sport based on Chinese martial arts. However, it can be used as a synonym for gong fu as well. 36 styles of danger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draven Chen Zhen Posted February 21, 2006 Author Share Posted February 21, 2006 K thx very much.Does anyone else have an other opinion? :: Bless me father, for I have just killed quite a few men ::https://www.tricking.be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Draven Chen Zhen Posted February 23, 2006 Author Share Posted February 23, 2006 nobody...none of you follow wushu? ... Or have a wide knowledge about the subject in general? :: Bless me father, for I have just killed quite a few men ::https://www.tricking.be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackWolf Posted February 23, 2006 Share Posted February 23, 2006 i see alot of teachers making up names for martial arts, and its all effective if you know the philosophy behind it all. But you can study them they are all similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moe Posted February 24, 2006 Share Posted February 24, 2006 I do Wushu, and as other people have already said the word means Martial Art in Chinese. But what I practice is a performance art made up of forms. There isn't much combat to it and is reliant on speed and flexiblity. Its nice to watch but very demanding on the physical department.For combat I practice San Shou which is the chinese version of kickboxing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigungWhite Posted February 25, 2006 Share Posted February 25, 2006 Kung Fu is Mandarin for Special SkillGung Fu is Cantonese for Special SkillWu-Shu Translated mean Martial ArtsThe reality of is allSigung White 34 years in the Martial Arts, Certified Police Trainer. Member of the Professional Karate Commission, IAOMAS, Fist Law Society, Director of the Molum Combat Arts Association and the MLCAA Honor Society Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ovine king Posted February 27, 2006 Share Posted February 27, 2006 wushu means in the original language martial art but because these days, wushu is also the name of a particular art (that being the display one described above), wushu isn't used, except when you are speaking in mandarin, to refer to martial arts.in cantonese especially, wushu (actually in cantonese it is closer to mo-shu) is hardly ever used, with kung fu (sounds closer to gung fu) being the prefered term. of course, that's ignoring the fact that most people will refer to their art by name instead of using a general term.kung fu/gung fu itself is more poetic in meaning.directly, it translates to "work".what it describes is both the work as well as the results of hard work.you can say that something needs a lot of kung fu and mean that it is a lot of hard work.you can also use it to say that someone's kung fu is good, meaning that he is skilled (saying that he has done the work needed to be good at what he does). earth is the asylum of the universe where the inmates have taken over.don't ask stupid questions and you won't get stupid answers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xingxing Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 Hi all,Well, I just saw the post (a bit late.... ) and wanted to add a little bit regarding the pronunciation: kung fu apparently being mandarin and gung fu Cantonese. I am not sure about the Cantonese but in Mandarin (using Pinyin to transcribe the characters, which is the only officially accepted transcription system) it is spelt gong fu. You arrive at 'Kung Fu' by using a different transcription system. It’s the same as the capital Beijing transcribed to Peking, Xiang Gang to Hong Kong, Guangdong to Kanton/Canton.I have to agree with ovine king regarding the meaning of the word itself, it is hard work. When traveling through China I have heard 'gong fu' applied to many different situations, not just Martial Arts. But in recent years as well as in the West Gong Fu/Kung Fu is the term used only to describe Chinese Martial Arts. As many of you have said Wushu is the term traditionally meaning martial arts but has become the synonym for the performance orientated, modern martial arts seen in many movies and on stage. Most of the time I’ve just heard the various forms of Martial Arts called by their name, ie. White Crane xyz, Praying Mantis, Northern/Southern this/that, Shaolin, Ba Gua, Qi Gong, Tai Ji etc. So in a way, the difference between these words only depends on your point of view. Peace, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kill Jill Posted March 25, 2006 Share Posted March 25, 2006 I tried to post a reply some time ago, but it got deleted. I'll try again.Gong Fu is a broad term in both Mandarin and Cantonese to refer to various types of chores. The word 'home work,' or 'housework,' for example, is covered by the term. It was Westernized as 'Kung Fu' as a result of the many martial arts films that came out of Hong Kong. More correctly, to refer to the martial arts of China, the umbrella term Wushu is used, although you will also find there are variations in terminology all over Asia, since Wushu is again a term often misappropriated by the West.I think this is correct - I have studied both Cantonese and Mandarin and worked in Hong Kong and mainland China! There are no limits.http://taekwondodiaries.blogspot.com^^* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now