Shaolin Kung Fu: Throw

About Kung Fu

Translated the term kung fu means skill gained through hard work over time. In the west, Kung Fu has become a general term for all of the martial arts of China. China being a very vast country with a diverse population and a long history has evolved countless styles of Martial Arts over the centuries. All of these styles fall within two major categories: Internal styles and External styles of Chinese Kung Fu.

This division between External and Internal styles is like any categorization in that the line between the two can be slightly blurry in that styles that are categorized as being External usually have elements within the training that could be classified as Internal and vice-versa.

External styles usually train fighting maneuvers such as blocks, punches, and kicks right from the beginning of training. Power is usually generated from the muscles and from rotation of the body. The many schools and branches of Shaolin Kung Fu are external styles.

Yang style Taiji Quan: Snake Creeps Down

Internal styles are concerned with training the body’s energy or Qi, body integration, and mind intent. Taiji Quan (Tai Chi Chuan), Xing Yi Quan, and Ba Gua Zhang are the most famous of the Internal styles.