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In fact, the word “karate” originally translated to “Chinese hand,” used to express the idea that it was a martial art from China. Ryukyuan martial arts was influenced by kung fu-the Fujian white crane, in particular-and was officially brought to Japan in the early 20 th century, when the Ryukyu Kingdom was annexed by Japan.
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Karate originates from Japan and it was developed from the indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts. Unlike kung fu, karate refers to one specific form of martial art. These circular motions also give kung fu a more fluid and graceful look, which is why kung fu is sometimes referred to as part of “soft” styles of martial arts. In some ways, kung fu can be more useful in situations where you are in defensive mode, grappling with your opponent. This means that practitioners shift weight laterally as opposed to forward (like in karate), and is more about reacting to attacks. Generally though, it refers to an accomplishment that was achieved through a lot of time and energy and it was once used to describe the process of one’s training of the body and mind and the perfecting of one’s skills.Ĭommonly, movements in kung fu are said to be more circular in nature. The term kung fu is a compound word, comprised of “work” or “achievement,” and “man” or a word with a variety of meanings, resulting in “kung fu” having a number of interpretations. Each of these forms has their own philosophies, principles, and even techniques. Think of kung fu as an overarching umbrella term for forms such as Shaolin kung fu, tai chi, or wing chun. Kung fu is actually used to generally describe any skill, study, or discipline achieved through Chinese martial arts, but not necessarily any specific style of martial art. The next time someone uses the wrong term to describe one of these two martial arts styles, enlighten him or her with the differences between the two as illustrated below. But these two martial styles could not be more different from one another, from their origins to their philosophies. What is the Difference Between Kung Fu and Karate?įor those who do not practice martial arts, kung fu and karate may seem like interchangeable terms.