Most people think of “kung fu” as “Chinese martial arts,” although the term “wushu” more properly applies to the physical aspects of this kind of sport. It combines centuries of Oriental martial arts traditions with ancient Chinese philosophy. It may involve combat with or without weapons, although it is more often practiced as an exercise or for meditation.

Kung Fu is not one specific style of martial arts. Rather, it is a series of ancient sects of Chinese fighting. Similar to Japanese martial arts, the varying styles of kung fu take inspiration from philosophy, logic, and the movements of animals.
The literal meaning of kung fu is that of a person who has achieved his goal through long and hard work. The implication of this is that if you work hard at your kung fu, you will find balance and meaning in your life. There are many internal and external benefits of kung fu: self defense, personal growth, and health are the main reasons for an ongoing practice.

Though Japan’s martial arts styles are more popular in America, the Chinese styles are many and go back thousands of years. As with most things Chinese, the northern and southern styles differ greatly. The southern style is focused more on strong arms and a fluidity of movements, where the Northern style utilizes more sharp power in jump kicks and quick actions. Most kung fu schools in America mix a few Chinese styles and do not differentiate which sub-school they are practicing as is common with karate forms.

Weaponry is an important part of any kung fu practice. In addition to the forms or series (commonly known as kata in karate), and sparring practice, kung fu is known for its use of myriad weapons. Students are trained to see the weapon not as an object but as an extension of themselves. Weapons are used more regularly in forms than in sparring, though advanced students do occasionally spar with weapons.

The kung fu styles can be divided into soft and hard styles. Soft styles mean diverting momentum to unbalance an opponent. They are used to bring opponents into striking range. These styles use less physical force and more internal energy and skills. Hard styles direct the energy outward. These are used to strike with the force.

Kung fu can also be divided by the form of movements. This subtle distinction classifies kung fu styles as circular and linear. As the name depicts, circular styles use around and aside movements in relation to the opponents. Linear styles use direct, straight-line movements. Most kung fu masters use a mixture of these two styles.

Then there are distinctions of styles, like internal and external styles. Here, internal styles emphasize the non-tangible elements like meditation, body control, perception and mind control. These styles are also known as mystical styles. Internal styles are part of soft styles. External styles use body mechanics and force. Weight, strength and positioning are used to gain the advantage. External styles are hard styles.

As a kung fu master learns from his surroundings, there are many styles which are adopted from the behavior of the animals. The famous example of this is monkey style, which is adopted from the behavior of monkeys.

Finally there is no end to the discussion on kung fu styles. A kung fu master learns from the environment and himself, or makes his own style.