The term Kung Fu denotes “mastery by effort” or “hard worker” and is used to describe all those who work hard to achieve mastery of an art and themselves. The Martial art is actually called “Kune Fa” 拳法 which means Fist Method; the colloquial term used most often in Canada is Kung Fu. Kung Fu is a Chinese martial art with a spiritual dimension, stemming from concentration and discipline. There are several styles of this art.
Our Kung Fu system is named Ng Ying Kune 五形拳 (five form fist) it integrates the movements and fighting styles of five distinct animals: the Tiger, the Leopard, the Dragon, the Crane, and the Snake. It also contains several weapon forms, breathing exercises and body conditioning.
Karate, translated to “empty hand”, descended from southern Quan Fa, originated on the island of Okinawa, spread to Japan in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, and then to the rest of the word; today there is Japanese Karate, American Karate, Chinese Karate and others. It is also known as Karate Do. Do means “road / path / way” and is used to denote that the art is primarily a meditative practice, and secondarily a fighting system.
Karate is generally considered to be a powerful stand-up striking art, however a large portion of the art’s more advanced applications involve locks and throws; moves which are more associated with jujutsu.
Jujutsu, means ‘gentle art’ and is characterized by it’s grappling, locks, and throws, but also utilizes strikes when necessary. This is because it comes from the empty handed or weaponless combat systems of the Samurai. Forged in feudal Japan, jujutsu arts are effective self-defence systems. Only after long hours of hard training does it become apparent why it’s called ‘gentle’.
Jutsu translates to “art / technique / skill” and is used when the primary focus of the training is application.
