History of Kung Fu
KUNG FU IN PREHISTORIC
AND ANCIENT TIMES
Kung Fu is older than civilization. As long as there have been people on earth, there has been fighting. And as long as there have been fighting, people have devised ways of helping themselves fight well. These developed into an art, which was Kung Fu, and it occurred before people began farming and settlement, which were the beginning of civilization.
Chinese archaeological discoveries show that the Stone-Age Chinese were well versed in martial arts and had large quantities of axes, spears and swords made from stones and bones. The earliest of these weapons, dated to more than 7,000 years ago, were of a surprisingly high standard. These prehistoric men employed martial arts individually in fighting amongst themselves and against animals, as well as collectively in tribal wars. Archeological evidence suggests that during periods of peace, they performed dances based on martial arts movements. Hence, the dance-like sets that you perform now when you practice Kung Fu may be traced back to these prehistoric ancestors!
During the metal age in Hsia and Shang Dynasties (c 2000 – 1030 BCE) weapons were made from copper and later bronze. The earliest Chinese writings on bones and tortoise shells depicted many martial art concepts. By the time of the Zhou Dynasty (c 1030 – 480 BCE), Chinese martial arts, known as quanyong (fist fighting) and shoupo (hand combat) at that time, had developed into sophisticated systems with profound philosophies. The principals of yin-yang, wu-zing (the five elemental process), and bagua (or pakua, the eight archetypal symbols) were employed to explain many martial arts concepts.
During the Warring States period (480 – 221 BCE) various governments as well as the general public placed tremendous importance on martial arts, which were known as jiti (techniques of fighting) and xiangpo (inter-combat) at that time. Archery and horseback fighting became essential aspects of martial arts. The world-famous classic on warfare, The Military Strategies of Sun Tzu, was written in this period.
After Shi Hwang Ti had unified China and established the Qin Dynasty (221 – 207 BCE), he introduced the sports of shoupo (boxing) and juedi (wrestling), where two contestants fought each other in an enclosure. These were probably the earliest boxing matches in the world.
GLORIOUS HAN AND TANG
The term wuyi first appeared in the Han Dynasty (207 BCE – 220 CE) and had remained the most popular term for martial arts among the Chinese throughout the ages. At this time it included archery, horseback fighting, weightlifting, boxing, wrestling, unarmed combat, fighting with weapons, set practice and sparring.
The sports of boxing and wrestling remained very popular, especially with the encouragement of Han Wu Ti, the emperor who was well known for the Han military expansion. Han records showed that contesting boxers were bare to the waist and wore shorts just like our modern boxers, but they did not wear gloves and were not restricted by safety rules. Wrestling matches were safer; the contestants were not allowed to hit or kick and they won by points gathered from throwing opponents to the ground.
Swordsmanship became very popular and highly respected. Not only warriors but also scholars were engaged in sword practice and some even carried swords for personal adornment. Sword-fighting techniques were linked together to form routine sets, which were often performed as dances, frequently by pretty maidens who were not trained in martial arts; hence they sometimes degenerated into merely demonstrative forms. However, sword duels were common between martial arts experts to settle disputes.
After the fall of the Han Dynasty, China broke into numerous contesting states for about 400 years. This period is often conveniently called The Two Chin and North-South Dynasties (221 – 617 CE). During this time, patterns using various weapons as unarmed fighting patterns were linked together to form routine sets. The original purpose was to enable martial artists to remember the patterns better. In this way routine sets were established in Chinese martial arts. These sets, sometimes performed for demonstrations, were quite different from individual techniques, which were primarily practiced for fighting. There was also a difference in martial art training between routine set practices and sparring.
It was during this time that the Venerable Bodhidharma came from India to China to spread Buddhism. In 527 CE he settled down in the Shaolin Monastery in Henan Province, and inspired the development of Shaolin Kung Fu. This marked a watershed in the history of Kung Fu, because it led to a change of course, as Kung Fu became institutionalized. Before this, martial arts were known only in a general sense. It was only after the inception of Shaolin Kung Fu that names were used to label the various schools, like Taijiquan, Bagua, Wing Chun, Eagle Claw, Praying Mantis and so on. Indeed, Kung Fu, as we understand it today, started from Shaolin.
The Ming period witnessed the establishment of many Kung Fu styles. The Taiji style founded by the first Song Emperor, and the Eagle Claw style founded by the famous Song General Yue Fei, both of who were Shaolin masters, evolved into distinctive schools of Kung Fu. Both arts were initially practiced in the armies but later diffused into public practice. A Shaolin master, Wang Lang, founded the Praying Mantis style in this period.
The distinction between the “external” and “internal” schools of Kung Fu was first mentioned in the Ming period. In the much-quoted Elegy of Wang Zhong Nan, Huang Zhong Yi said that:
Shaolin Kung Fu is the most famous beneath heaven, and is primarily used for fighting; hence it is external whereas internal Kung Fu emphasizes the quiescence against moving, and originated with the Taoist priest Zhang Sen Feng of the Song period.
In his Internal Kung Fu, the famous master of internal school, Zhang Song Xi said: There are two schools of Kung Fu, namely external and internal. The best known of the External is Shaolin, which is meant mainly for attack. The internal is meant mainly for Defense, and is soft.
SOUTHERN KUNG FU: FIVE FIGHTING FAMILIES
Originally, there were five principle Southern kung fu systems. They were designated by the word gar following the founder’s name. Gar means family and in this case stands for gung fu families.
The five family systems were originated strictly as fighting arts, used to battle the Ching dynasty rulers. Unlike Northern systems, which were older and had evolved during peaceful times when students could study their martial arts for years before reaching higher levels, the masters of the Southern systems had to hurry their training and quickly teach their students how to fight. As a result, hard power was taught first, followed by internal training. Stances were wider and lower, and Southern footwork less active than Northern, relying more on the practitioner’s strength for defence. The families were:
- HUN GAR – Founded by Hung Hei Gung, it uses external strength and dynamic tension exercises and is excellent for developing muscles and strong low stances.
- LAU GAR – Founded by Lau Soam Ngan, it is a middle length hand system, not often taught in present times.
- CHOY GAR- No relation to Choy-li-fut, the system was founded by Choy Gau Yee and is a long –arm style.
- LI GAR- Founded by Li Yao San (also one of Choy-li-fut’s originators), this seldom-taught system features a strong medium-range fist.
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MOK GAR – Founded by Mok Ching Giu, who was famous in Canton for his powerful kicks, this system places emphasis on short-hand techniques and strong kicks.
With the exception of hung-gar, the Southern family styles are rarely seen today in their original forms. Most of the popular Southern systems, including choy-li-fut, wing chun and white crane, had their roots in the Shaolin temple martial system, or in other Northern styles. When escaping revolutionaries transplanted these arts to Southern China, they adopted many of the distinguishing characteristics of the native styles. The combination of Northern and Southern elements make these kung fu systems particularly versatile and effective self-defence systems.