Is Kung Fu really all that spiritual?

Question

I understand Taichi as a form of meditation.
But what is the spiritual aspect of KungFu?

Answer 1

They are sides of the same coin. Tai Chi has its martial component, and Wu Shu / Kung Fu/ Shuan Fa has its meditation component. In ancient China the emperor's guard was expert in Tai Chi, and what can be said of the monks of the Shaolin Temple? In either case it is about absorbing the energy of the universe and projecting your own energy toward you goal.

Answer 2

Originally, Shaolin kung fu started as a way to strengthen both mid and body; it was initially a meditative practice used by monks. Some kung fu forms, like Hsing-I, are still largely spiritual in nature. Another example is the Tiger form, which requires students to become mentally hardened. However, most kung fu, as taught in the U.S. and Europe, relies on the physical, not spiritual aspects.

Answer 3

It depends totally upon your teacher. Martial arts in general when all the "styles" and labels are taken away, is about fighting. Its what we as practitioners add to it that gives it its differences. One style may teach meditation, another may teach board breaking, and yet another may concentrate more on forms. They all have the same basis of teaching a fighting art though. To say all of kung fu is spiritual would be wrong. Many schools do teach the spiritualistic aspects, but not all.

Answer 4

It depends on the school. At it's very beginnings Kung Fu was a meditative art used by Chan Buddhist monks. Meditation led into Kung Fu training and training led into meditation. Many of the older styles involved were very religious in nature. You can still see some of this in these older styles where the goal was to escape rather then injure or kill an opponent, in forms that are practiced very slowly like Tai Chi and in symbolism used to describe the movements. Many times a lesson was given in Kung Fu training that they would then apply to life.

At it's heart Kung Fu was and in many ways still is a part of Buddhist teachings.

Answer 5

It depends on which definition you use.

According to the definition I use, "Kung Fu" is a term that encompasses all of the Chinese Internal Arts.

A closer translation of "Kung Fu" as I use it would probably be:
VIRTUE!

The martial arts are merely a long-term tool that a person uses to develop his/her virtue.

It also depends on what your definition of "spiritual" happens to be. (Can ya' tell I'm a technical writer?)

In MY book, the answer to your question would be:
YES!
.

Answer 6

if CMA (chinese martial arts, what people often refer to erroneously as "kung fu") is bieng taught as a martial art and not as a pajama party then "0".

The only spiritual aspect should be the art of learning to fight.

Personally I find learning the superior knowledge of how to properly execute a technique against a resisting opponent very spiritual.

It will make you one with god- and if god doesn't like it you can always knock him out.

Answer 7

It's to do with discipline of the mind and body. It's about understanding right and wrong. It's about self control, being upright and honest.....one of the basis of spiritualism

Answer 8

Yes and more
It teaches Self Worth over finance worth
a better value
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/counter_terrorism/threat.pdf
MMA wont help
Values will
what do we need to show the world now
fellow Martial Artists???
Miyagi or Lidell

Answer 9

All you have heard of the martial arts - centering, one pointedness, balance, breathing and skills of hand and weapon; plus mastery of the healing arts of medicine; and the power of meditation taught by the Zen masters.

Answer 10

they say it gets your center of strength and spirituality
(THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY)