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Chinese martial arts are pretty different from the Japanese martial arts. However, there are numerous Korean and Vietnamese martial arts styles that were inspired and/or spawned off the Chinese styles of martial arts. The difference between the Chinese and Japanese styles are the movements and the influences. Japanese martial arts movements are pretty much structured and linear while Chinese martial arts movements are more fluid and circular in regards to striking.

The Chinese have far more styles of martial arts than the Japanese do. In reality, the Chinese have the most martial arts styles in existance in the entire world. These martial arts are the basis for the other martial arts in existance. Such as Karate descending from Kung-Fu and Jiu-Jitsu descending from Shuai Chiao. Authentic Kung-Fu training do not have a belt system but they do have a ranking system. Without a belt system, it breaks the myth in the United States that you have to get registered as a deadly weapon if you're a blackbelt.

Styles under the umbrella term of Kung-Fu are vast and diverse but unlike the Japanese styles, they're not as basic. In China, Kung-Fu is the term that encompasses all of the Chinese martial arts. The Chinese martial arts split into two types: internal and external.

There are few internal styles than there are external styles of Kung-Fu. The internal styles are martial arts styles developed by the people of China and not just the Shaolin monks. There is an umbrella term called "Three Sisters" in regards to the three original Chinest internal arts of Kung-Fu: Pa Qua, Hsing I, and Tai Chi. External styles of Kung-Fu are based on fighting only because stories got confused with the origins of Kung-Fu because of the Shaolin Temples and influence from India.

Most of the styles of Kung-Fu are some of the oldest in the world. There are styles that are far much older than styles of Karate by a few thousand years. Xing Yi Chuan happens to be one of them as it seemed to be introduced to China's military around 1100 AD.

With the external styles, the creators got their inspirations from outside sources. For example there is the Mantis style with sub-styles: Chi Ching Praying Mantis, Closed Door Praying Mantis, Spotless Mantis, Southern Mantis, Northern Mantis, Secret Door Mantis, Tai Chi Mantis, Tan Tui Mantis, and other styles of Mantis Kung-Fu.

There are styles inspired by the movements of clawed cats such as: Black Tiger, Cougar Kung-Fu, Hong Tiger, Leopard Kung-Fu, Lion's Roar, Panther Kung-Fu, Puma Kung-Fu, Shantung White Tiger, Snow Tiger Kung-Fu, Tiger Kung-Fu, White Tiger Kung-Fu, and Jaguar Kung-Fu.

In short, all of the Chinese martial arts styles are known as "Kung-Fu." To fully know about Kung-Fu, you're going to have to look at every single style out in existance in this world today. With the styles I have listed, I've barely scratched the surface of the Chinese martial arts.

Overall, there should be over two hundred styles of Kung-Fu at least present in this world. The Chinese martial arts is an extremely important part of China's history and culture. Each style has a piece of history of its own that make up China's history and let alone Kung-Fu's history.

In short, this isn't Karate nor Tae Kwon Do. To learn about Kung-Fu in general, you're learning about every single style of Kung-Fu in existance. To write about every style would be like writing a whole book. Just know that while there are at least two hundred styles in existance, there could be many more that haven't been discovered yet. Keep in mind that martial arts is something that evolves.

Possibly new styles of Kung-Fu could be created within the next few years.

Learn more about this author, Can Tran.
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