Kung Fu / Wushu

“Kung fu” (功夫) means skill acquired through effort; “wushu” (武术) means martial arts. Both words cover a huge family of Chinese systems: northern and southern styles, internal arts such as tai chi and baguazhang, animal styles, and the temple-linked Shaolin traditions. From the 1950s the People's Republic standardised modern wushu as a performance sport, and the International Wushu Federation (founded 1990) organises competition in forms (taolu) and full-contact fighting (sanda).

Character

• Forms (taolu): Long sequences that train coordination, power generation and stance work.
• Sanda / sanshou: Chinese kickboxing with throws – the fighting side of modern wushu.
• Traditional styles: Each with its own stances, weapons and strategy; Wing Chun, Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut are well-known southern examples.
• Weapons: Staff, broadsword, straight sword and spear are the classic four.

Who is it for?

Anyone who wants depth, variety and a strong cultural thread. Because the umbrella is so wide, the school matters more than the name: ask whether training is forms-only, includes sanda, or both.