wushu

[cbraves85]

What exactly is wushu?

[JediMasterChris]

"War arts". A highly gymnastic, traditional sport-like artform characterized by several styles.


^^^Srait from the glossary at the top of this page up there ^^^

[SoKKlab]

Some Styles of Wu-Shu are not the Modern Martial Sport, although most of them are.

Some are old styles of Chinese Boxing (Kung Fu etc) that happen to go under the name of Wu Shu, instead of Chuan Fa or Kung Fu etc and are anything but acrobatic.

It's just another name for Chinese Martial Arts (Wu-The spirit or intent of War), but has been roundly adopted to represent a style of Martial Sport developed by the Peoples Republic of China to encourage aesthetically appealing forms and demonstrations.

Some of which have been developed from older more Practical forms of Chinese Boxing and Jazzed up a bit with more acrobatic jumping and some of which have been invented by Professors in Chinese Universities...

Most famous practioners are Jet Li and Donnie Yen, in fact Wu Shu, the modern Martial Sport lends itself very well to Movie Fighting, because of its emphasis on stylised acrobatic kicks, jumps etc.

[Bodhidharma]

As a matter of fact, Wu Shu and Kung Fu are the same. Wu Shu in chinese means (literally) "martial art" while gong fu means "time/energy and effort", and the term is not only applied to martial arts, if you are a bad student, but your effort made you get a high note, it means you spend/used gong fu.....so, although the both ways are accepted, it is better to say Wu Shu when referring to chinese martial arts (any style: Ba Gua Zhang, Pi Gua Zhang, Baji Quan, Liu He Ba Fa et caetera).

About the styles, there are a lot of styles of Chinese martial arts, at least 100 recognized and sub-styles of these styles.


"All martial arts practiced under the sky started in the Shaolin temple".

[Sub zero]

Originally posted by Bodhidharma



"All martial arts practiced under the sky started in the Shaolin temple".

I know this is another thread bt do you believe that qoute.I mean for example your screen name bodiramha was indian himself.

[Bodhidharma]

Yeah, I know not ALL martial arts started in the Shaolin temple, but a lot were developed taking the Shaolin forms (karate is a good example).

Sorry, but I don't see the relation between your accusation and my screen name. I know Bodhidharma was indian, but, I don't see your point, perhaps you would like to explain me what are you trying to mean.

[Sub zero]

Sorry.I didn't mean it as an accuation.
I ment that bodhirama had studied indian martila arts.Much like sudartha guatma, the budha(before he started on his religous quest) who was alive around 600 BC.So there were MA before shaolin.
That's what i ment

I just don't understand people who i have met in chat rooms etc who fully beileieve that "All martial arts under the sky started at shaolin".

I didn't mean it as a dig.Sorry if it was taken that way.

And btw Karate developed by itself initailly beforeit was affected by chinese martial arts.But i guess that chinese MA were equally influenced by other bationalites MA (IE japan thialand korea etc. )

[SoKKlab]

Originally posted by Bodhidharma
About the styles, there are a lot of styles of Chinese martial arts, at least 100 recognized and sub-styles of these styles.

Try more like 1000 systems and you'll be closer...