Wu Shu and/or Kung Fu?

As soon as Chinese Martial Arts are mentioned most people instantly think of Kung Fu and legendary Bruce Lee, although the term Wu Shu can often be heard lately. Before I give any other explanation Ill briefly explain these two terms.

  Kung Fu is the most usual term used outside of China for all of the martial arts that have developed on the territory of China. The term was used for the first time in the sixties of the previous century and its used as a synonym for all Chinese martial arts. The term itself has no direct connection to martial arts, translated it means: Gong (功)  - virtue, merit, accomplishment; Fu (夫)- man.

  Wu Shu is more correct term for Chinese martial arts and on the territory of the Peoples Republic of China far more inteligible.Translated it means: Wu - militant, martial, warlike i Shu - method, technique, skill (art). Therefore, freely translated Wu Shu means Martial Art. This term becomes more and more popular although sometimes it is unclear weather it refers to all of the martial arts or just to so called "Modern Wu Shu".

Therefore although both of these terms are used for Chinese martial arts, the term Kung Fu is used to refer to traditional martial arts, and the term Wu Shu is used for modern ones.

Wu Shu - Kung Fu today

Chinese martial arts had long been kept secret in China, taught only to family members or to chosen individuals. Thats the reason why, until recently, not much was known about Kung Fu, and this martial art is still shrouded in secret. Thats why some of the "new" martial arts and those that have developed out of certain Kung Fu styles (karate) are more popular, better known and wider spread in the world.

The first important improvement in this field is the appearance of Bruce Lee and the movies he made during 1960s. Although these movies dont show real Kung Fu, they brought Chinese martial arts under the spot light. Another important thing Bruce Lee did was that he broke centuries old tradition and started teaching Kung Fu to strangers.

Opening of the Peoples Republic of China to the world marked the beginning of spreading of Wu Shu and growing of its popularity. The fact that its made for the physically weaker (people with Asian body build) brings it special popularity with women and children as an efficient self defence method.

All those who like martial arts are always impressed and awed by martial arts performances of Shao-lin monks.

For the purposes of popularization of Wu Shu, it is classified into three large groups in modern China.

This classification enabled standardization of the competition rules (unique competition system), it also enabled standardization of assigning rank and advancements and passing tests for different levels. And the standardization enabled Wu Shu to be accepted as an Olympic Sport and it will be one of the martial disciplines on the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

On the other hand popularization has its negative effects. One of the side effects is that numerous Wu Shu styles that were not able to fit in above mentioned classification and per scripted rules were discriminated, and as a result of such discrimination we have a large sub-group that can be called traditional Kung Fu- Wu Shu.

Many people believe that styles belonging to this sub group are the real representatives of the original Chinese martial arts, that is to say representatives of the original Kung Fu because they remained true to their own training system.

There is a question: should Wu Shu as a real martial art be introduced into sports as one of the disciplines and should it be popularised?

Anyway Chinese martial arts are assuming their place in the world of martial arts and they are becoming more and more popular.