Historia
Kung fu (gongfu) means "skill gained through hard work"; in the West it became the name for the hundreds of Chinese martial arts, which the Chinese call wushu. The Shaolin Monastery, founded in 495, is the most famous cradle: in 621 thirteen Shaolin monks helped the future Tang emperor in battle.
Styles are often split into northern (long, high kicks) and southern (low stances, strong arms), and into external and internal (tai chi, bagua, xingyi). In the 16th century General Qi Jiguang included a chapter on boxing in his military manual. In the 20th century the Jingwu Athletic Association (1910) and the Central Guoshu Institute (1928) modernised teaching, and Bruce Lee's films made kung fu known worldwide.
¿Sabías que…?
- Many southern styles imitate animals: tiger, crane, leopard, snake and dragon.
- Modern wushu has two parts: taolu (forms, judged like gymnastics) and sanda (full-contact fighting).
- Jet Li was national wushu champion of China before becoming a film star.
- The wooden dummy of Wing Chun and the iron rings of Hung Gar are famous training tools.
- In Chinese, kung fu can describe any hard-earned skill — even cooking or calligraphy.
Glosario de técnicas
- Ma bu
- horse stance
- Gong bu
- bow stance
- Pu bu
- drop stance
- Tan tui
- springing leg kicks
- Qin na
- seizing and joint locking
- Shuai
- throws
Formas
Wubuquan (five stances)LianbuquanTan TuiXiao Hong Quan (Shaolin)GongliquanTiger-Crane (Hung Gar)
Armas y equipo
- Jian
- straight double-edged sword
- Dao
- broadsword (sabre)
- Gun
- staff
- Qiang
- spear
- San jie gun
- three-section staff
- Sheng biao
- rope dart
⚔ In the Arsenal
JianDaoGun (bastão)Qiang (lança)GuandaoMartelo meteoroDardo de cordaChicote de nove secçõesBastão de três secçõesEspadas de gancho
☯ Philosophy and quotes
“Know the enemy and know yourself, and in a hundred battles you will not be in danger.”— Sun Tzu, The Art of War, ch. 3 (c. 5th century BC)
“The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting.”— Sun Tzu, The Art of War, ch. 3 (c. 5th century BC)
Kata / taoluKung fuWu deYin e yangSee all →
Figuras clave
- Yang Luchan (1799–1872) — spread tai chi in Beijing
- Wong Fei-hung (1847–1925) — Hung Gar master and folk hero of many films
- Huo Yuanjia (1868–1910) — founder of the Jingwu association
- Ip Man (1893–1972) — Wing Chun master in Hong Kong
- Bruce Lee (1940–1973) — actor and martial artist who took kung fu to the world
Fuentes: International Wushu Federation (IWUF) · Encyclopaedia Britannica
China
Francia · ffaemc.fr
Estados Unidos · usawkf.org
Filipinas · wushufederation.ph
Brasil · cbkw.org.br
