Kung Fu, in Chinese, simply means "hard work" or "skill". The name Wu Shu (meaning "war art") is the art's official name in China. Until about 1928, it was also known as kuo-shu.

The origins of Kung Fu might date back as far as the Shang Dynasty (16th century BC), but most scholars conclude that it began to develop sometime in the fifth century BC. A swordsman's art which became prominent during the Chou Dynasty (770 BC - 221 BC) may have been a contributor to kung fu; so might have pankration (see that style below), from times when Alexander the Great took pankratiasts with him on his conquests (including his journey to India).

The first emperor of China, Ch'in Shih Huang-Ti, banned the practice of unarmed martial arts during his reign (in fact, he banned and persecuted any thought or activity he considered too close to free will or free thinking), but open practice resumed in 206 BC, after his death.

In the sixth century AD, an Indian buddhist priest named Bodhidharma (called P'u-T'i-Ta-Mo in China) came to the Shao-lin Ssu (Young Forest Temple) in China's Honan province. The Shao-lin temple had been built in the late fifth century AD by emperor Hsiao-Wen to honor another Indian monk, Bodhiruchi.

According to legend, Bodhidharma found the temple's monks in such poor physical health that he was appalled. They could not even meditate properly - they promptly fell asleep. Bodhidharma decided to improve the physical health of the monks, and instituted a rigid physical training program, including an unarmed combat system that Bodhidharma instituted as part of this training program. So far the legend.

The Indian fighting style which Bodhidharma taught there, blended with combat techniques already known to the Shao-lin priests, became known as wai-chia. Eventually, it evolved into both Kung Fu and Karate.

Kung Fu and unarmed combat were not confined to the Shao-lin monastery by any means. The first martial arts schools in China also began teaching during the sixth century AD. This meant that the traditional way of training - that of a master taking on the training of a single student - had undergone considerable improvement.

Throughout China's turbulent history, Kung Fu continued its evolution. The Shao-lin temple was destroyed more than once, its surviving priests scattering to the winds and teaching their art in all parts of the nation. Uncountable variations on the style was developed over the next millennium.

Kung Fu was brought to the United States during massive Chinese immigration to the country during the 1840s, though it was not popularly taught to non-Chinese students until the 1960s, due to no small part the work of the Little Dragon, the now legendary master of the Martial Arts Bruce Lee.

Kung Fu is a very fragmented art, with innumerable different styles and techniques which doesn't necessarily have anything obvious common ground. Some of those styles will be discusser further on in this text. For instance, Bruce Lee was taught the Wing Chun-style in the years before he moved to the United States, and it wasn't until much later he developed the excellent kicking technique that he later became so famous for (incidentally, Chuck Norris taught Bruce Lee high kicks).

Kung Fu Sub-Styles

There are hundreds of Kung Fu styles, however, many of them fall into certain broad categories. It would be very impractical (and ultimately, futile) to discuss all those styles separately, so only a small choice selection of styles are discussed here.

Traditionally, Kung Fu was only taught to Chinese. The last 50 years, however, it has been taught to many non-Chinese, and some of these have strongly contributed to the spreading of Kung Fu. However, some styles of Kung Fu are still taught only in secret, and only to Chinese.

Many of the Kung Fu styles are based on animals or insects - mythological or otherwise. Examples of such styles include Praying Mantis, Bear, and Dragon. These styles may emulate typical characteristics of the animals in question, or may merely honor the animal by naming a Kung Fu style after it. Other styles are based around specific ideas or theories around movement, striking or whatever.

Bear Style
This style simulates the fast, overpowering strike of the bear. The practitioner uses the same hand for powerful open-palm strikes, blocks and counterstrikes, instead of striking with one hand and blocking with the other. As such, kicking is not a priority with this style.

Chin Na Style
This style began development in the early 1600s for use by soldiers and policemen. It is a good style for subdual and restraint of prisoners. It is a style less dependant on force than on human anatomy; it achieves its damage by attacking vulnerable points known to the oriental medicine (Chin Na).

Choy Lee Fut
This style was developed in the early mid-19th century, and as such is one of the newer styles of Kung Fu. It is a relatively "common" style, in that it uses kicks, punches and throws in a liberal mix. It is also often practiced with various pole arms, the Chinese chain whip, staves and swords.

Drunken Style
This style is actually a variation on the other styles; it is possible to fight with just Drunken Style, or fight with Drunken Monkey, Drunken Crane, and so on (Monkey and White Crane being two prominent animal-based styles). Visually, the style involves drunken staggering and swaying, and utilizes attacks which (because of the drunken stances and approaches) are difficult to see and deceptively awkward-looking.

Hung Gar Style
This style was developed for use in places where space was limited, such as narrow alleyways, in small rooms and so on. It is not, however, a style good at covering ground.

Monkey Style
The Monkey Style was developed in the mid-19th century by a jailed fighter who continually watched the cavorting of the monkeys around the jail (monkeys were often used at jails, as they screetched if prisoners escaped). One of the most distinctive elements of this style is that the fighter fights from a crouching stance reminiscent of a monkey's. (Strange noises and coos are optional I guess. But I digress.)

Monkey style is another style where the stances are so unusual that attacks and defenses often confound the opponent - which is one of the goals of the style, of course. Monkey style also often uses the staff, which is a parallel to the Chinese trickster god the Mad Monkey who often used a staff. Not to mention that the staff is a very effective weapon in the hands of a competent fighter.

Praying Mantis Style
This style, developed from a fighter's observation of the praying mantis in combat. It concentrates on grasping, clawing, and punching maneuvers. This style is approximately 350 years old, and is as such one of the older styles still in existence. There are at least two separate Praying Mantis styles, one Northern and one Southern. It can also be known as Tong Long, which is the name of the praying mantis in Chinese, i.e. Tong Long Kung Fu.

Shao-Lin Crane Style
This is an open, flowing style. The practitioner shapes his hands like a crane's beaks; the style adopts many one-legged stances. Blocks are performed with the backs of the practitioner's wrists or with the open hand.

Shao-Lin Dragon Style
This style simulates the coiling of the Chinese dragon. The practitioner moves with his waist loose and supple, and the style makes use of circular waist movements and hip-turning movements.

In this style, the attacker grabs his target, blocks attacks, and counterstrikes with fast punches. The style also involves a grab called the Dragon Claw, and joint-locking maneuvers.

Shao-Lin Leopard Style
Leopard style is a fast, rugged, up-close (in-your-face?) combat style. It concentrates on powerful flattened-fist blows (representing the attacks of a leopard's paws).

Shao-Lin Snake Style
This is a sinuous, weaving combat style. The hands, simulating the snake's strikes, are used for fingertip strikes to the target's temples, eyes, throat, and other vital regions. However, this style also employs kicks, unlike some other, similar styles (such as Praying Mantis, which doesn't kick very much).

Shao-Lin Tiger Style
This style simulates the ripping action of a tiger's claws. The practitioner uses a rigid open-hand technique with the fingers curled like claws, and makes use of palm-heel strikes and claw-hand strikes, both swung with downward arcs. The blocking techniques of this style also employs palm-heel blocks and forearm blocks. This style is also often fought with the Chinese broadsword (Darn-Do).

Shorinji Kempo
Shorinji kempo is the Japanese pronounciation of shao-lin ch'uan-fa, or shao-lin kung fu. According to tradition, Chinese monks visited Japan before it became closed off to foreigners in the 17th century and taught their kung fu art to the Buddhist monks in Japan. Today, the art, adapted to the Japanese way of life and philosophies, still thrives. Its students can be known from their curious, wide and round rope-belts rather than 'normal' flat belts.

White Crane Style
This Tibetan style, which simulates the moves of both cranes and apes, involves three basic principles: Evading attacks instead of blocking them in order to increase counter-attack speed, confusing the target with many arm sweeps, and moving in to the opponent for a better angle of attack. It may be noted that this style actually works though its idea may sound silly. Its development began in Tibet some 500 years ago.

Wing Chun Style
This style was developed in the 18th century by a fighting Buddhist nun; it was developed to be an aggressive, practical style. It involves aggressive, up-close fighting techniques involving short punches, low kicks, and leg sweeps.

Actually, this style does not involve kicks above the waist. Its most well-known practitioner would be the late Bruce Lee, though he later went on to found Jeet Kune Do ('way of the intercepting fist'). As such, Jeet Kune Do might actually also be thought of as a Kung Fu sub style.