Kung Fu refers to a traditional system which was born from Chinese culture and specific to the environment of the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain. The main purpose of Kung Fu's practices' is to express the wisdom of Ch’an Buddhist teachings.
There are many names to use when talking about Chinese martial arts however Kung Fu is regarded as the origin of martial arts, therefore Kung Fu encompasses all forms of Chinese martial arts. So the terms Kung Fu and Chinese Martial Arts are considered interchangeable.
Kung Fu consists of a long history and includes many different disciplines and styles; all of which include a detailed structure of their own. Each variant of Kung Fu includes unique and multiple techniques for attack and defense applications.
Alongside the physical aspect of Chinese martial arts, its philosophy lies in many aspects of Chinese culture. One particularly foundation which is found primarily in its Shaolin form, is Ch’an Buddhist philosophy. The Ch'an Buddhist tradition imparted profound cultural connotations on Shaolin Kung Fu. For a real understanding and practice of Shaolin Kung Fu and Chinese martial arts in general, one should understand Buddhism’s belief in wisdom and cultivation.
The first Patriarch of Ch’an Buddhism was the Indian monk Bodhidharma. He introduced the Ch’an tradition to the Shaolin Temple in the 6th century and from that time the temple has been regarded as the origin of Ch’an Buddhism in China. Bodhidharma is a regarded as a deity of wisdom and strength.
Ch’an places stress on awareness and cultivation of physical, mental and spiritual development in order to achieve wu (realization or enlightenment). This idea complemented the practice of Kung Fu because it continueously cultivates the physical body, mental strength and spiritual awareness and welfare. Also, Ch’an's precepts and religious doctrines were used for cultivation by acting as a model for an ethical practice in martial arts. For example, the Shaolin Monks practice martial arts for self-defense purposes only. This mix of religious/spiritual and physical was necessary to reach high levels of Kung Fu. For example, Shaolin Monks have to improve themselves on both daily Chan studies and Kung Fu practices.
It is also important to stress that Chinese martial arts contains wisdom from other cultural, religious and philosophical traditions such as Daoism and Confucianism. In particular Tai Chi and Ba Gau are heavily influenced by Daoist thought.
To summarize, Chinese martial arts go far beyond a simple physical sport. It also engages the individual with many aspects of Chinese culture.
Components
Chinese martial arts are complicated in structure and abundant in styles. According to historical records, Shaolin Kung Fu is the first formal style which became one among many of Chinese martial arts schools. However Kung Fu alone is not one martial art school in a literal sense, but rather a profound martial arts system with rich contents.
Kung Fu can be classified into two types: barehand and weapons. While the weapons can be divided into long, short, and soft weapons. In addition, because Kung Fu includes many types of specific skills and philosophies, it advanced these skills by developing into specific styles. Examples of these disciplines include Qi Gong, Ba Gua, Wing Chun, Tai Chi, San Da and so on.
In general many Kung Fu styles organize their techniques into a few broad categories, these include: Tao Lu – Forms (a routine of movements), Ji Ben Gong – Basics (foundation techniques) and Shi Jian – Applications (practical use). These categories form a complete system to achieving the highest potential.
Shaolin Temple
The Shaolin Temple is situated at Shaoshi Mountain in the west of Songshan Mountain ranges, in Dengfeng City, Henan Province, China. The "Shao" in "Shaolinsi" refers to "Shaoshi Mountain"; lin means "forest" and si "temple". The name of Shaolin Temple literally means "temple in the woods of Shaoshi Mountain".
Against the backdrop of Wuru Peak of Shaoshi Mountain, the Shaolin Temple is surrounded with forests and hills as its natural defense. But despite the Temple's remote setting, in its history, it was still vulnerable to attacks from bandits, wild animals and robbers. This was one of the reasons that Bodhidharma and the following Patriarch's of the Shaolin Temple made martial training mandatory for the Shaolin Monks. This martial training eventually led to the formal Shaolin Kung Fu discipline which is known today.
