Chinese martial arts are often known in the West as "Kung.
" Historically, Kung Fu was called Ch'uan Fa (fist way). It.
is the generic name for as many as 1,500 different styles of.
individual fighting arts, both internal and external, northern and.
southern styles, hard and soft, and ancient and of relatively recent.
southern styles invention. Martial arts historians stress that Kung.
Fu did not start at the Shaolin Temple, but simply began to flourish.
under Shaolin's influence. .
A brief history of Kung Fu can trace its origins back some 4,000.
years to 2,674 BC, when Emperor Huang Ti used a rudimentary form of.
martial arts called Chiou Ti as a form of individual combat and.
military tactic. In 2,600 BC a new style of combat named Go-Ti came.
into being which had wrestling as its main focus. In about 600 BC,.
Confucius declared it necessary to cultivate the martial arts. Lao.
Tzu (a Taoist sage), living at the same time, composed the Tao Te.
Ching (The Power and the Way), the original book and foremost source.
of Taoism. By the 13th century Kung Fu had developed and expanded.
throughout Asia. In Japan it evolved into Karate and in Korea it was.
known as Taekwando All Asian martial arts evolved from Kung Fu. In.
China, Kung Fu eventually became categorized into northern and.
southern styles. .
The Northern systems are characterized by stylish and difficult.
patterns and acrobatic legwork, presumably because it was colder in.
the north so hand movement was restricted by thick robes and the.
mountainous terrain enforced the development of strong legs. Southern.
styles use low stances and kicks and strong hand techniques because.
southern Chinese such as Cantonese people are shorter and stockier.
than Northern Chinese people. .
Southern systems were developed from a need for quickly learned.
revolutionary fighting tactics so external is learned first.
Shaolin Temple: Easily the most famous Kung Fu institution. Shaolin.
boxing originated at the Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain in Henan.
