| Martial Arts are traditional Chinese sports that have | | | | the disciplines. The reality, however, is that in the |
| developed over a long historical period. Attempting to | | | | Chinese language, kung fu can also be used in |
| classify these martial arts is a very difficult | | | | contexts completely unrelated to martial arts, and is |
| proposition, simply because of the enormous number | | | | really a colloquial reference to any individual |
| and variety of styles that exist in the huge country | | | | accomplishment or skill cultivated through long and |
| of China. Remember, one-fourth of the world's | | | | hard work. The practitioners usually have a particular |
| population lives in China, so that gives you an idea of | | | | reason for engaging in this form of physical culture. |
| the near futility of the task. Nevertheless, | | | | Some do it simply for the health benefits, and are |
| practitioners have managed to identify Chinese | | | | not overly concerned with either improving their |
| martial arts by one of three methods. Internal or | | | | fighting ability or being seen as a "macho" man. |
| External styles, Southern or Northern styles, or | | | | This is very possible, since most styles do a good job |
| "Shaolin." | | | | of exercising the entire body, and especially as |
| For clarification, the difference between internal and | | | | gender and age are of little consequence in the |
| external styles refers to whether the strength | | | | training. The genesis of Chinese arts has been |
| comes from the torso and legs (internal) or whether | | | | attributed to the need for learning self-defense |
| strength is derived from training of the more specific | | | | tactics, developing hunting techniques and acquiring |
| arm and leg muscles (external). Southern or Northern | | | | military training in ancient China. And although the |
| styles naturally refer to the territorial origin. The more | | | | Chinese have been practicing these martial arts for |
| popular Shaolin boxing styles are said to be derived | | | | hundreds of years, they do it not only as a means of |
| from the form of fighting practiced at the Shaolin | | | | self defense, but more importantly, as a disciplined |
| Temple in the Henan province. Some people often | | | | way to live their lives peacefully. Chinese martial arts, |
| refer to Chinese martial arts as Kung-Fu, a word | | | | then, is just a knowledgeable teacher from whom |
| assigned to identify modern-day television and cinema | | | | you can learn a lot, in order to survive in this |
| shows that attempt to showcase some aspects of | | | | complicated world. |