The Chinese martial arts have been identified by many generic terms throughout history such as Wu Shu (martial arts),  Kuo Shu (national arts), etc.  In the 20th Century, however, the term Kung Fu became popularly accepted as synonymous with all Chinese martial arts.  The modern Pinyin romanization system of the People's Republic of China uses the spellingGongfu while other transliteration systems employ variations such as Gung Fu.  Regardless of how it is rendered into English spelling, the term itself can be translated as "skilled achievement," and used to describe expertise in virtually any discipline.  For example, a master barber might be said to have "kung fu" in his chosen profession.

     It is therefore not out of ignorance of the Chinese language that practitioners of the Ching Yi Kung Fu System refer to their arts as Kung Fu.  It is instead an acknowledgement that (a) the general public will immediately recognize that we are practitioners of the Chinese martial arts, and (b) the term best describes what we are striving to gain through our practice - mastery of a skill.

Internal vs. External Kung Fu Styles

      The definition of what constitutes an "internal" or "external" style of martial arts training varies widely.  Some teachers will tell you that an internal style is characterized by "soft" techniques, while external styles feature "hard" methods.  Others maintain that the internal styles are "defensive" while the external arts are "offensive" in nature.

     Although there may be some merit in those concepts, we of the Ching Yi Kung Fu System have a much more concise definition of what constitutes internal and external styles - one we believe to be historically and functionally correct.  All genuine martial arts, regardless of country of origin, feature both "external" physical training (kick, punch, block, evade, seize, throw, etc.) and "internal" cultivation of the body's natural energy, called Ch'i in Chinese (Pinyin: Qi).  The Ch'i is developed through practicing specific postures and sounds, mental imaging and breathing techniques.  This "internal" training is generally referred to in Chinese as Ch'i Kung (Pinyin: Qigong) or Nei Kung (Pinyin: Neigong), meaning "Ch'i work" and "internal work," respectively.  The vast majority of martial arts today, such as Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Shaolin Kung Fu and so on, practice their martial arts applications and their Ch'i Kung separately, sitting down before or after a training session or performing various exercises specifically designed to cultivate the Ch'i.  The idea is that eventually the two aspects will manifest themselves as one, with every strike or defense harnessing the power of the Ch'i.  Others, however, incorporate the Ch'i Kung breathing and mental focus techniques directly into the martial applications from day one.  In general, the latter approach is far more difficult to master, and requires a much longer period of training before the practitioner can effectively use the techniques for self-defense or combat.

     The Ching Yi Kung Fu Association distinction between "internal" and "external" martial arts styles is therefore simple:  external styles do their martial arts applications and their Ch'i training separately; internal styles do both at the same time.  By that definition, the most commonly known internal Chinese styles are T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Pinyin: Taijiquan), Hsing Yi Ch'uan (Pinyin: Xingyiquan) and Pa Kua Tsang (Pinyin: Baguazhang), and the external styles are generally lumped together under the term Shaolin Ch'uan (Pinyin: Xiaolinquan), or just Shaolin Kung Fu.  We readily acknowledge that this is a flagrant over-generalization, and that there are any number of "gray area" exceptions, but such labeling does provide a convenient point of reference and appears to be widely accepted as valid among traditional Chinese martial artists.

     One other note on translation:  the names of Chinese Kung Fu styles are often suffixed with the term "Ch'uan" (Pinyin: Quan).  This character literally means "fist" but actually denotes a "fist method," or style of martial arts.  Most commonly, this is translated into English using the Western concept of "boxing" or "pugilism."  Although it is admittedly something of a misnomer, we will use the translation "boxing" to be consistent with most popular Western publications on the Chinese martial arts.

T'ai Chi Ch'uan:  (Translation:  Supreme Ultimate Boxing)  Often called "meditation in motion," T'ai Chi Ch'uan (or simply T'ai Chi) is characterized by slow, rhythmic, relaxed movements and is widely known for its health benefits.  In fact, it has become increasingly popular over the past 30 years in the West merely as a form of exercise therapy to reduce stress, lose weight, lower blood pressure, and promote general health and well being.  However, taught in its entirety, T'ai Chi Ch'uan is a very powerful and effective martial art.  T'ai Chi masters of old possessed extraordinary strength and fighting skills, and many made their living as professional bodyguards or security escorts.  T'ai Chi Ch'uan is the physical manifestation of the "Yin and Yang" cosmology, commonly illustrated as the intertwined dark and light halves of a circle.  In Chinese, this combination of the Yin (dark, passive, feminine) and the Yang (bright, active, masculine) is called the T'ai Chi ("Grand Terminus," or "Supreme Ultimate").

(For an excellent writeup on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, see the Tai Ji Quan page on Tim Cartmell's Shen Wu Martial Arts site; an outstanding resource on the Internal Arts, not associated with the CYKFA.)

Hsing Yi Ch'uan: (Translation:  Form and Will Boxing) Hsing Yi is rather straightforward and simplistic in appearance when compared to other Chinese arts, yet is famous for its effectiveness in combat through the centuries.  As the name suggests, the overriding emphasis of Hsing Yi is unifying the will - or the "mind" - with the physical movements. Economy of motion is key; attacking and defending are simultaneous, as opposed to the "one-two, block-strike" techniques found in many other arts.  Basic training in Hsing Yi consists of five actions which correspond to the Chinese cosmological interaction of the five elements, earth, fire, metal, water, and wood.  Students then learn intermediate forms combining the 5-element actions.  Advanced training includes twelve animal forms, various other combined forms, 2-person combat applications, and weaponry.  In fighting, Hsing Yi allows no quarter.  Maxims such as "strike once and see red," "fight as if your clothes were on fire," and "when the opponent attacks, you strike, then keep striking until nothing stands before you," impart some idea of the Hsing Yi philosophy of combat.

(For the most complete and accurate description of Hsing Yi Ch'uan that, frankly, I have ever seen written in English, refer to the Xing Yi Quan page on Tim Cartmell's Shen Wu Martial Arts site; an outstanding resource on the Internal Arts, not associated with the CYKFA.)

Pa Kua Tsang:  (Translation:  Eight Trigram Palm) Pa Kua is a complex, almost mystical, art based on the Eight Trigrams and 64 Hexagrams of the Taoist I-Ching, or Book of Changes.  Pa Kua utilizes circular twisting, turning movements centered around intricate patterns of footwork.  As implied by the name, the primary weapon of Pa Kua is the open palm instead of the fist.  Throws, sweeps, and joint locks abound.  Pa Kua practitioners are known for extraordinary balance and strength, and fighting with a master of the art has been likened to attempting to strike the wind or a shadow - an opponent launches an attack and the Pa Kua practitioner seems to "disappear."  In actuality, this is merely the manifestation of the circular movements and the footwork, which enable the Pa Kua fighter to quickly evade incoming force and end up beside or behind an attacker.

(For another excellent article, this time on Pa Kua Tsang, see the Ba Gua Zhang page on Tim Cartmell's Shen Wu Martial Arts site; an outstanding resource on the Internal Arts, not associated with the CYKFA.)

Shaolin Ch'uan: (Translation:  Young Forest Boxing) Probably the most well-known of the categories of Chinese martial arts, Shaolin Kung Fu has its roots in the legendary Shaolin Buddhist Temple in China.  Literally hundreds of styles fall under the "Shaolin" definitional umbrella so any attempt to pigeonhole exactly what is - or is not - Shaolin is questionable at best.  In general, Shaolin systems are more athletic in appearance than T'ai Chi, Hsing Yi and Pa Kua, and feature quick, visibly powerful, movements with very little subtlety.  Many Shaolin forms feature a repetoire of high jumping kicks and rapid combinations of hand and arm techniques.  Shaolin fighters often condition their bodies with hardening techniques such as "Iron Palm," repeatedly striking bags, sand, wood and other objects, and a variety of demanding calesthenic exercises.  Shaolin styles are often patterned after the movements of animals, and bear their names.  Preying Mantis, Dragon, Tiger, Snake, Monkey Boxing, Eagle Claw, and White Crane are some of the more familiar systems hailing from Shaolin.  Other systems are associated with great fighters or Buddhist spiritual figures such as Lohan, Wing Chun and Yen Ch'ing Ch'uan, while still others have more esoteric titles such as White Lotus, Plum Flower Boxing, and Long Fist.

Chin Na: (Pinyin: Qinna) (Translation:  "Catch-Arrest," or "Seize and Immobilize")  Chin Na is at once both a martial art in itself and a part of virtually every other martial art.  The historical predecessor to the art of Jiujitsu, and its descendant arts of Judo and Aikido, Chin Na is the Chinese term for the techniques of grasping, joint-twisting, locking, and pressing vital points on the body.  Some Kung Fu practitioners train exclusively in Chin Na, but most utilize the Chin Na applications found in virtually every Chinese martial art - from T'ai Chi, Hsing Yi and Pa Kua to Shaolin - in concert with the striking and kicking techniques found in each particular style.