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British Aikido Board Controversy
British Aikido Board acronym BAB or Bad at Budo, this is the governing body for Aikido in the UK, In the UK we have a governing body for each of the martial arts, the governing body should oversee its's particular art and protect it and it's members...
Jujitsu: History, Philosophy And Methods
Brief History:
Jujitsu is a 2500 year old unarmed combat discipline that has
its roots in ancient Japan. The exact date on the creation of
this martial art form is hard to trace but techniques resembling
that of Jujitsu had already been...
Positive Aikido the Book
Positive Aikido OUT NOW! > Now available on from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk > Derek Eastman - Aikido instructor helps write book - Click Here > Bracknell Standard newspaper visits local dojo - Click Here To Order this book from within the UK...
The Reality Factor
Looking around at different martial arts and the practitioners there is one thing that surprises me very time. Many, may people don't have an R-factor in their training and techniques You see people who get almost punched in their face and they...
Yoga Teachers, Prepare for the New Year's Rush - Part 1
The doors will fly open on January 2nd with enthusiastic mobs of
Yoga students. What can you do to prepare for the busiest
stretch of the year? How can you keep their interest all year
long?
If there was ever a time to clean up your Yoga...
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Kung Fu: History And Basic Principles
The Term:
Historically, the term "Kung Fu" is not really featured in any
ancient texts. It was first coined by a Frenchman named Jean
Joseph Marie Amiot, a missionary who lived in the 18th Century,
in reference to Chinese martial arts. Kung Fu is also called
Gongfu, Wushu, or Kuoshu, and originally denotes expertise in
any skill, and not exclusive to martial arts.
Brief History:
The practice, philosophy, and concept of Kung Fu can be traced
back to ancient Chinese texts such as Zhuang Zi, Dao De Jing,
and Sun Zi Bing Fa (Art of War written by Sun Zi), all written
between 1111-255 BC. These texts contain passages related to the
practice, propagation, and principles of Chinese martial arts,
or Kung Fu as it is known today.
One theory regarding the first written history of Kung Fu
suggests that the Yellow Emperor, who reigned from 2698 BC,
wrote the first treatise on Chinese martial arts. Others give
credit to Taoist monks for introducing an art form that resemble
modern Tai Chi around 500 BC. Then in 39-92 AD, Pan Ku included
"Six Chapters of Hand Fighting" in his discourse on the history
of the Han dynasty (Han Shu). As the popularity of martial arts
progressed, a physician named Hua T'uo also wrote his own
treatise entitled, "Five Animals Play" in 220 AD.
Kung Fu had become a common word in the West beginning in the
late 1960s, popularized by martial arts movies and TV series.
The Western world today has also seen an immense upsurge in the
creation and production of martial arts movies starring great
actors/masters such as Jackie Chan and Jet Li.
Basic
Principles:
The concept of Kung Fu revolves around three basic principles -
Motivation, Self-discipline and Time.
According to experts, the real motivation behind learning Kung
Fu is inspiration and not force, which should come from an inner
craving to learn and develop the mind and body. Motivation here
is the fundamental driving force. There is no external or
worldly gain for the learner, and the only reward is that of
knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom.
In Kung Fu, discipline is complementary to motivation.
Discipline puts motivation into deed and action. A learner has
to make an effort into what he has been motivated for, and
self-discipline helps him get started and guides him to achieve
that goal. Therefore, without discipline, motivation is just a
dormant state of mind.
Time is the path to perfection in martial arts. Once motivation
and self-discipline have set in, a learner has to spend a
considerable amount of time putting mind and body into practice.
A truly inspired learner does not have the privilege to waste
time, stay idle or indulge in fruitless activities. Everything
done by him/her should reflect real motivation and
self-discipline.
Variants and Styles:
With the passage of time, numerous variants and styles have come
up in martial arts, or Kung Fu. Some of the more popular ones
include Karate, Escrima, Wing Chun, Jujitsu, Judo, Tae Kwon Do,
Shaolin, White Crane, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, and Bagua Zhang.
About the author:
Martial Arts HQ offers
articles, tips and tricks about different martial arts.
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