Daniel R. Faust - Kung Fu

Published in 2020 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. 29 East 21st Street, New York, NY 10010 Copyright 2020 by The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer. First Edition Editor: Greg Roza Book Design: Reann Nye Photo Credits: Series art Reinhold Leitner/. Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Faust, Daniel R.

Title: Kung fu / Daniel R. Faust. Description: New York: PowerKids Press, 2020. | Series: Enter the dojo! martial arts for kids | Includes glossary and index. Identifiers: ISBN 9781725310186 (pbk.) | ISBN 9781725310209 (library bound) | ISBN 9781725310193 (6 pack) Subjects: LCSH: Kung fu--Juvenile literature. | Martial arts--Juvenile literature.

Classification: LCC GV1114.7 F38 2020 | DDC 796.8159--dc23 Manufactured in the United States of America The activities discussed and displayed in this book can cause serious injury when attempted by someone who is untrained in the martial arts. Never try to replicate the techniques in this book without the supervision of a trained martial arts instructor. CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #CWPK20. For Further Information contact Rosen Publishing, New York, New York at 1-800-237-9932. CONTENTS What Is Kung Fu? Youre probably most familiar with martial arts from movies and television. Created mainly in East Asia, martial arts include many different armed and unarmed fighting styles.

While many ancient peoples created their own styles of armed combat, unarmed martial arts, such as karate and kung fu, began in China. This form of combat focuses on striking with the hands and feet, as well as . Although it has been practiced in China for hundreds of years, kung fu didnt become popular in the United States until the 1970s. Movies, television, and comic books introduced American audiences to the powerful and moves. Kiai! With movies like Fists of Fury and Enter the Dragon, actor and martial artist Bruce Lee helped popularize kung fu the United States. Bruce Lees films captured the imagination of American audiences of the 1970s and 1980s. Bruce Lees films captured the imagination of American audiences of the 1970s and 1980s.

Martial artists like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Donnie Yen continue to be popular today. Legendary Beginnings No one really knows when martial arts were first created in China. A legend, or story, tells us that the Yellow Emperor introduced the first fighting styles to China about 4,000 years ago, during the mythical Xia . The first historical references to martial arts in China come from the Zhou Dynasty of the 5th century BC. Kung fu is a relatively new form of martial art, coming to China from India during the 6th century CE. A Buddhist named Bodhidharma is said to have traveled from India to the Shaolin temple on Chinas Mount Song, where he taught the monks martial arts movements that would become kung fu.

Kiai! The original Chinese term for kung fu is wushu, and some people still use this term today. Wushu is a combination of the Chinese words for military and art. The Shaolin temple on Mount Song has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over the centuries. Today, it is recognized by the United Nations as a World Heritage Site. Welcome to the Dojo Anyone can start learning kung fu, whether youre young or old. Kiai! Most styles of Chinese martial arts use a variety of kung fu weapons, like the staff or the Chinese broadsword. Kiai! Most styles of Chinese martial arts use a variety of kung fu weapons, like the staff or the Chinese broadsword.

Although not regularly taught, some dojos offer advanced training in weapons. Padded exercise mats on the dojo floor and padded practice dummies allow students to practice their moves without getting hurt. When you enter the dojo, or the school where martial arts are taught, the first thing you might notice is that everyone is wearing the same clothes. The uniform worn by martial artists is called a gi. The gi is lightweight and loose-fitting to allow freedom of movement. The person teaching the class is called shifu, or sifu, a term of respect that means teacher or master.

Striking Style Kung fu is a striking style of martial art. This means that the focus is on using kicks, blocks, and hand strikes to defend against . A hard technique is one where you meet an attackers force with a force of your own. A soft technique uses an attackers strength against them. The basis for all kung fu movements is the stance, or the way you stand. As a beginner, you start by learning stances.

One of the first stances youll learn is called the horse stance. Kiai! Many kung fu exercises include the knowledge of chi, or qi. According to Eastern beliefs, chi is an energy that can be found in all things. With your feet placed wide apart and your knees bent, the horse stance is named for the position your body would be in if you were riding a horse. It provides a strong base against attacks. Punches and Kicks Kung fu attacks include both punches and kicks.

Strikes commonly refer to hand or fist strikes, such as the straight punch or the palm strike. Strikes include a number of elbow attacks. You will also learn a number of different techniques to block your opponents attacks. Because you turn your hips in the direction youre kicking, the roundhouse kick is more powerful than either the front kick or the side kick. In this photograph from a 2019 mixed martial arts (MMA) competition, Anderson Silva attacks Jared Cannonier with a roundhouse kick. The kicks and knee strikes used in kung fu are the same as those used in most other forms of martial arts.

The most basic kick is the front kick, where you thrust your foot forward and hit your opponent with the bottom of your foot. Other common kicks include the side kick and the roundhouse kick. Northern Styles Because it has been around for so long, theres not just one form of kung fu. In fact, there are over 400 different styles, or types, of kung fu. Each style of kung fu has its own practices, techniques, and beliefs. The northern styles of kung fu, for example, focus on kicks and wide stances.

One northern style of kung fu is Shaolin kung fu, named after the Shaolin buddhist monastery in northern China. Shaolin kung fu is broken down into numerous sub-styles, each of which focuses on a different strength. Another northern style is Monkey style kung fu, which the movements of monkeys and apes.