It is difficult to sum up the history of Kung Fu and Tai Chi (collectively, Chinese Martial Arts or “wushu”), as it spans thousands of years of history. We should start with the language. The term wushu (武术) literally translates to “martial arts.” It encompasses all Chinese Martial Arts, including Taiji (太極, often spelled “Tai Chi” in English). Much like there are many styles of the Japanese art of Karate, or the Korean art of Taekwondo, there are dozens of Chinese martial arts styles. In English – especially in America – wushu is often referred to as Kung Fu, and is usually used to distinguish martial arts styles that don’t fall under the Tai Chi styles.
The term Kung Fu comes from a mispronunciation of the term gongfu (工夫), which means “achievement through work” or “learned skill.” This term does not only apply to martial arts, but to anything practice with discipline for a long time. A great painter can be said to have “gong fu.” A talented chef has “gong fu.” So an excellent Chinese martial artist is said to have “gong fu.” Over time, the term Kung Fu became synonymous with Chinese martial arts, especially during the heyday of martial arts movies making their way into Western cultures.
To further the distinction, Chinese Martial Arts practitioners – often referred to as “players” – separate out modern styles by referring to them as “wushu”, and traditional styles (which tend to involve less acrobatic skills and flourishes) are referred to as “kung fu.”
Wushu – like most martial arts – were developed for self defense and military training. The earliest martial arts in China were thought to have started under the Xia Dynasty, some 4,000 years ago! The earliest written records of Kung Fu date back to the 5th century BC. Styles were influenced by their regions – typically divided amongst northern and southern styles, as well as internal and external styles. Many were influenced by animal movements or philosophies such as Taoism, Shaolin, and more. The founding of guoshu (physical education academies) in the early 20th century helped to standardize and popularize Chinese martial arts, making them more accessible and structured.
Like Karate and Taekwondo, Kung Fu employs empty hand techniques, weapons training, body conditioning, and combat training. This applies to the majority of styles of wushu, including Tai Chi, which is often mistaken as a non-combative style. The most common style of Tai Chi is known as Yang style, which was developed to be a more easily practiced version of the older Chen style. Yang style was made popular among the imperials, leading to its large uptake. But many styles of Tai Chi are still practiced today.
When learning wushu, empty hand and weapon forms – called taolu – are used to practice and reinforce the basics of body mechanics, proper movement, and power generation. These form concepts are similar to kata in Karate or poomsae in Taekwondo. However, the philosophy behind the design and practice of these forms is very different from those found in other arts. Most Kung Fu styles emphasize deep stances and large range of motion. These deep/wide stances and long movements allow for a broad range of body control. Some wushu styles however, focus on compact movements that generate power through proper breathing and kinematic techniques, with higher stances similar to other martial arts.