Mountain Tae Kwon Do School

Well-known but less well understood, kung fu is actually a generic term used to describe many Chinese martial arts. The Chinese have a long tradition of martial arts, developed over the centuries as a means of protection in a land frequently torn by war and conflict. In much of China, kung fu is actually called wushu, from the Mandarin dialect. Wushu was originally the formal name for many martial arts, and is still used in much of China. The name kung fu, more common throughout the West, is from the Cantonese dialect.

The Shaolin monasteries in China were long the centers of kung fu's practice. The famous Shaolin-ssu monastery in Hunan Province has long been a physical and spiritual training ground for priests. For centuries kung fu was taught in strict secrecy and only to the monks. Not only was it beneficial for the mental discipline, but also while traveling unarmed between monasteries the monks were able to utilize kung fu's defense system to protect themselves against the marauding bandits and robber barons who dominated large tracts of China at the time.

During the middle of the T'ang Dynasty, a literate official class had developed and these officials regarded Buddhism as a disruptive force in Chinese society. In 845 AD the T'ang emperor began a full-scale persecution of the Buddhists. More than 4,600 monasteries and 40,000 temples and shrines were destroyed, and more than 260,000 Buddhist monks and nuns were forced into seclusion. The monks that managed to escape began secretly teaching their martial arts to farmers and villagers throughout China.

Secret societies have always played an important part in the history of kung fu in China. These societies generally worked for the betterment of the country and did threaten and sometimes helped overthrow the state.

The secret White Lotus Society, can be traced directly back to 12th-century Buddhist sects and indirectly to the 4th century. In 1795, members of this sect led the White Lotus Rebellion with the aim of overthrowing the alien Manchu Qing Dynasty. And, although the uprising was suppressed, White Lotus ideas were adopted by the boxer rebels of 1899-1901.

The Boxer Rebellion was particularly noted for the influences it received from secret kung fu societies. The uprising began as a result of the economic and political exploitation of China by various Western powers and Japan; The Opium War between Great Britain and China, resulting from the attempt of the Chinese government to prevent the importation of opium into China by British merchants; Japan's Sino-Japanese War; the advance of Western business interests in China was paralleled by the efforts of Western missionaries in their attempt to "save" Chinese souls and convert China to Christian civilization.

When hatred of the Western domination of China reached its peak in 1900, the kung fu societies were in the forefront of resulting Boxer Rebellion. The Boxer uprising received its name from the secret society that led this protest movement. A loose English translation of the society's name, Ye He Tuan, was "harmonious fists," which led Westerners to refer to its followers as "Boxers." Expulsion of all foreigners from China was the ultimate objective of the uprising. Although the Boxers were officially denounced, they were secretly supported by many of the royal court.

The best known, but least understood, group of secret societies is the Triads. They began in 1644 in the underground resistance movement which remained loyal to the Ming Dynasty after it was overthrown by the Manchu Qing. They were instrumental in many rebellions fought for the good of the people. In the early 1900's some gradually drifted into criminal activities which they are still involved with in Hong Kong.

Traditional kung fu training was rigorous, with students enduring months of waiting and manual labor before being accepted to study with a "sifu" (instructor). Once accepted, they spent months practicing basic stance, only later learning sets of stylized movements. After mastering the physical aspects of the art, advanced kung fu students practiced meditation and breathing exercises to further focus their energies. Nai gung, or "inner strength," was the product - and indeed the goal - of long years of discipline and practice.

While modern-day kung fu students may no longer wait for admission into a kwoon (practice hall) or endure months of manual labor, the training is much the same as it was during the days of the Shaolin monks. There are dozens of styles of kung fu, but in each, stance training is still emphasized, and mastery requires years of self-discipline, concentration, and hard work.

Advanced kung fu students often continue their studies with weapons training. Varied in size, shape, and utility, weapons are used almost as an extension of the hands, with students practicing the same basic strikes and stances as they do when weaponless.