FREE Kung Fu History and Styles Essay (original) (raw)

Chinese martial arts are often known in the West as "Kung.
" Historically, Kung Fu was called Ch'uan Fa (fist way). It.
is the generic name for as many as 1,500 different styles of.
individual fighting arts, both internal and external, northern and.
southern styles, hard and soft, and ancient and of relatively recent.
southern styles invention. Martial arts historians stress that Kung.
Fu did not start at the Shaolin Temple, but simply began to flourish.
under Shaolin's influence. .
A brief history of Kung Fu can trace its origins back some 4,000.
years to 2,674 BC, when Emperor Huang Ti used a rudimentary form of.
martial arts called Chiou Ti as a form of individual combat and.
military tactic. In 2,600 BC a new style of combat named Go-Ti came.
into being which had wrestling as its main focus. In about 600 BC,.
Confucius declared it necessary to cultivate the martial arts. Lao.
Tzu (a Taoist sage), living at the same time, composed the Tao Te.
Ching (The Power and the Way), the original book and foremost source.
of Taoism. By the 13th century Kung Fu had developed and expanded.
throughout Asia. In Japan it evolved into Karate and in Korea it was.
known as Taekwando All Asian martial arts evolved from Kung Fu. In.
China, Kung Fu eventually became categorized into northern and.
southern styles. .
The Northern systems are characterized by stylish and difficult.
patterns and acrobatic legwork, presumably because it was colder in.
the north so hand movement was restricted by thick robes and the.
mountainous terrain enforced the development of strong legs. Southern.
styles use low stances and kicks and strong hand techniques because.
southern Chinese such as Cantonese people are shorter and stockier.
than Northern Chinese people. .
Southern systems were developed from a need for quickly learned.
revolutionary fighting tactics so external is learned first.
Shaolin Temple: Easily the most famous Kung Fu institution. Shaolin.
boxing originated at the Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain in Henan.

1. Hong Kong Cinema... Low Art to High Art???

In the earlier era of Hong Kong kung fu cinema it was Chang Cheh who defined the style of the Shaw Brothers martial arts movies. He made kung fu cinema in the early colour era, painting screen red with blood. ... The Shaolin-derived kung fu styles in Lau's films are prime examples of the practical combative aspects of Southern style kung fu. ... With their mix of authentic martial arts techniques with comic and adventure elements, Chan's films represent the high point of the modern kung fu style. ... Jackie Chan's Drunken Master II (1994), takes the audience through martial...

2. Bruce Lee essay

Gung fu is a special kind of skill, a fine art rather than just a physical exercise. ... The core of this principle of gung fu is Tao - the spontaneity of the universe. ... Reflections On Gung Fu (An article written by Bruce Lee that was never published, written on December 21, 1964, to illustrate the different techniques used by the different schools of gung fu.) Gung fu is so extraordinary because it is nothing at all special. ... The closer to the true Way of gung fu, the less wastage of expression there is. ...

3. The History Of The Shaolin Religion

The different styles consist of Pa Hue Kung Fu, Black Dragon Kung Fu, Monkey Kung fu and many more. ... These were the names of these temples: Henna- This is the Shoaling temple seen in Chinese Kung Fu movies, and the one portrayed on the ABC- TV "Kung Fu" series of the 1970's. ...

4. Evolution Of MMA

It raised the question people always ask, What is the most effective hand to hand style? ... In fact this sport made its way, via Rome's conquests, to an Indian Pankrationist who later went to China and created Kung Fu. ... In the last ten years, Americans adopted this style of fighting and added it to their arsenal. ... Even in Greece, the art has once again become the major self-defense system: It practitioners now outnumber those who actively study the karate and kung fu styles that have dominated the martial arts scene there for so long. ... Helio&#x...

5. John Woo: Evolution Of A Director

It is from Zhang that he learned the art of directing violent swordplay and kung-fu scenes. Last Hurrah for Chivalry (1979), can be recognized as an homage by Woo to Zhang's style and influence. ... He directed Kung-fu films, such as Shaolin Men (1975), comedies such as Money Crazy (1977), and even a Cantonese Opera film, Princess Chang Ping (1976). ... Prior to A Better Tomorrow, Hong Kong studios produced mostly comedies and kung-fu films. ... This signature style of his first appeared in A Better Tomorrow. ...

6. Existentialism in The Matrix

The Matrix (1999) is an extension of the existentialist motifs of the mid 20th Century set in the 23rd, for its obvious influences from the American Style. ... Moreover, there is the classic "tilt shot" seen in the film that clues the viewer to the film's Noir-like style. This modern-day, science fiction, Kung Fu fighting Neo-Noir thriller is clearly rooted in film classics from the past. ... However, in the film, when Morpheus reveals what is the true history of the planet, he displays the desert of the real. ... Dark, ominous, yet exciting, this dramatic style has a long way from exti...

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