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.

Sumo wrestlers are fighters who don’t posses muscular physiques and do not practice a regular athlete’s training routine. All sumo wrestlers maintain their weight to be as possibly heavy as they can, making people wonder what could have made them fast with that kind of weight on them. The answer to that is their way of training and their unique fight diet. Gaining weight is very important for a sumo wrestler. They treat weight gain as part of their training for there are no weight divisions or weight limits in this sport. They can basically be as heavy as they want them to be. Actually, a Sumo wrestler’s daily calorie intake can reach as much as 8,000 kilo calories which is more than twice the calorie intake of an average male.

These kind of fighters starts their day at around 5:00 in the morning going directly to the place wherein they start they training with an empty stomach. They believe that strenuous training with an empty stomach is an advantage in the effort of gaining weight. It helps slow down the body’s metabolism making it more difficult to burn calories.

Around 11:00 in the morning, fighters take in their first meal of the day. For an average person, you can call it a feast for they are served with many different meats, vegetables and fish. It is a pretty big meal for they must eat and eat for them to gain weight. They call this meal a “Chankonabe” and practically, anything can go into chankonabe. This meal is very rich in protein and served with other side dishes. By not eating overnight and doing training first thing in the morning, a Sumo wrestler’s body is turned in to a fat storing mode. They can basically eat anything and everything what is served infront of them. Sumo wrestlers sit forming a circle while they eat 5 kilos of meat and a minimum of ten bowls of rice in one sitting.

Right after a heavy meal, they are instructed to go directly back to their bedrooms to take a long nap. By doing this, it helps sumo wrestlers to effectively gain weight faster as all the foods are being stored as fat in their body.

Around 6:00 to 7:00 in the evening, these fighters would come back to the dining table – yes, for dinner. One may say that such fight diet regimen and habits are unhealthy. It may be true as Sumo wrestlers usually die at an earlier age as compared with an average adult male. Obesity is a risk factor for different ailments, diseases and complications that can wear out body.

Though it has not been proven scientifically why such fighters die early, they still live on what they believe, continuing the tradition that is being passed on from generations to generations. Sumo wrestlers believe that these are the methods, the fight diet and habits that they need to follow to become great fighters.