Introduction

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This is the first in a series of articles that explores Wing Chun is the context of Chinese Kung-fu. It looks from a historical perspective at the emergence, development and spread of Kung-fu.

The term Kung Fu (功夫) is written in Pinyin as Gong Fu, which is a more accurate and appropriate pronunciation.  The term is made up of two characters: the first character, Kung (功), can mean skilful work, hard training, or endeavour.  The second character, Fu (夫), means time spent.  In combination they mean time spent at skilful work or hard training.

In accordance with the underlying principle of QiGong, Gong Fu refers to achievement through hard work.  This includes the mastery of Chinese Kung Fu fighting but extends beyond martial arts to encompass the training, discipline, and commitment necessary to become a professional dancer, Olympic athlete, doctor, lawyer – all requiring a great deal of effort, practice, and patience over an extended period to attain high levels of skill in these fields. 

It is the principle of ‘what you put in is what you get out’. Within the context of mastery of any martial arts this recognises that it takes a lot of time, energy, focus, discipline, and practice. This shifts the focus from the end result (being a Kung Fu Master), to the journey itself (the continuous attainment of higher levels of skill).  Rather than describing the style of martial art itself, it was about the QiGong process of strengthening the mind, body, and skill.  It was only over time that Kung Fu began to be a term for the Chinese fighting style differentiated from martial arts in other countries, rather than the act of training in that method.

In modern Chinese culture Wu Shu (武術) has become the correct term to apply to Chinese martial arts.  The first character, ‘Wu’ means ‘war’.   The second character, ‘Shu’ means ‘art’.   In combination these mean the ‘art of war’.  This term is appropriate because the study of traditional Chinese martial arts involves not only the skilful use of kicking and striking, but also wrestling, grappling, weapons training, and strategy in combat.

However, modern Wu Shu, as it is now being taught in China, has lost many of the original functions and martial applications of the traditional styles, and it has become more of a sport and less of a useful martial art.  The limited association of martial arts as a purely a fighting art detracts from the deeper aspects of QiGong and the intellectual, emotional, and spiritual aspects originally bound up in the Chinese cultural expression of Yin/Yang harmony and balance.

The significance is that Kung Fu is deeply waived into the rich tapestry of Chinese culture and history and has remarkably persisted in modern culture as well.   Kung Fu has been a faithful ambassador to Confucianist, Taoist and Buddhist thought.   Through the practical implementation of their concepts and ethical beliefs, the martial art has proved itself to be a persevering companion to China’s philosophical heritage.   As a physical expression of highly skilled, harmonised movement it is the product of the merging of these different elements of Chinese culture, which have, in one way or another, left their footprint on the martial art.  

Despite this long-lasting legacy, it is a real shame that the cultural foundations are now becoming increasingly detached from martial arts.   This important epistemology (the study of the nature and grounds of knowledge of ourselves and our environment, especially with reference to its limits and validity) is a foundation stone of learning that underpins the mastery not only of Wing Chun but the ongoing development of ourselves.

The Emergence of Kung Fu

It is estimated that Chinese Kung Fu can be dated back to primeval society.  Descriptions of Chinese martial arts can be traced to the Xia Dynasty (夏朝) which existed more than 4000 years ago.  The emergence of martial arts at this time came about in China for the same reason as in every other culture around the world.  This arose from the needs of those primitive societies in the hunting of animals for the procurement of food and for self-preservation in prevailing during conflict with enemies.

Boying Ma in A History of Medicine in Chinese Culture (World Scientific, 2020) notes that primitive sports such as running, jumping, climbing, shooting, throwing, swimming and martial arts all developed from foraging, fishing, and hunting.

Qizhi Zhang in An Introduction to Chinese History and Culture (Springer, 2015) refers to archaeological discoveries of the ancient people who lived near the Zhoukoudian region of Beijing in the early Paleolithic Period (710,000 BC to 230,000 BC) were only capable of producing simple instruments by hammering stones and creating tools which provided limited abilities to protect themselves from wild beasts and were insufficient for hunting large animals.   

This use of basic cudgels to fight against wild beasts meant their diets were restricted to “a very limited supply of meat and were only able to hunt herbivores such as deer” with a major food source instead being fruit, seeds, nuts grains and plants.  However, towards the end of the Paleolithic Period (50,000 BC to 40,000 BC) Chinese society had advanced using new manufacturing techniques to create more advanced stone instruments.  Using more sophisticated stone tools allowed hunting to become the major method for acquiring food.

Qizhi Zhang notes that during the Stone Age (ending 4,000 BC) whilst “Stone Age Chinese made extensive use of axes for work and warfare, they also produced a weapon unique to China: the ge or dagger axe”.  Unlike the axe, the dagger-axe was made with the specific purpose of killing other men.  

This, as Peter A . Lorge in Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century (Cambridge University Press 2012) points out shows martial arts was born out of violence.

“At root, martial arts is about skill with violence.  Even it its purely performative manifestation, the movements of martial arts are about effective violence”

But despite violence being at the heart of martial arts it is the commitment, training skill in developing highly refined fighting skills which have, over centuries, associated Kung Fu as transcending beyond purely untamed aggression. 

Many of the Chinese martial arts incorporate concepts that are intimately connected with Chinese religion and philosophy, especially Taoism. Beyond spirituality, martial arts close association with higher learning has extended into science, technology, and medicine.  It is these influences which have underpinned Kung Fu advocating virtue and peace, not aggression or violence, despite these being at heart fighting styles.  This has been the common value upheld by martial artists from generation to generation.

Copyright @ Craig Sands

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