Big Question

[RCastillo]

Just how many styles of Kung Fu are there that are generally known of?

Thanks :asian:

 

[WLMantisKid]

~ 350.

At least that's what a book told me. Could be wrong.

 

[7starmantis]

I've never heard a number that big, but it would be a pretty large number. Its hard I think because of all the family systems that were developed back in china. Now days people see them as all different styles when in reality they could be combined under one style. I think it would be very hard to nail down a specific number of systems. If I had to guess as far as ones that are generally known and practiced by large numbers, I would just say maybe 20 or so. ( I just pulled that number out of my *** though, so dont quote me). For example, is mantis one style or do you divide it into the plum flowwer, 7 star, wah lum, etc...?


7sm

 

[WLMantisKid]

I think among the praying mantis systems, they're different enough to the point where you can seperate them as different styles.

I think I got the info from my Wah Lum book.... I could be wrong though.

 

[Tony]

I think there are so many different styles of Kung Fu and some are still probably practiced secretly today. There are styles within styles and a lot of lesser known styles like Elephant Kung fu, even Duck Kung fu.

 

[7starmantis]

Just how many styles of Kung Fu are there that are generally known of?

Thanks :asian:

So you see from reading these few posts the difficulty of doing such a count. It would be interesting to see some research done on the topic, but I sure dont want to be the one doing the research!

7sm

 

[7starmantis]

There are styles within styles and a lot of lesser known styles like Elephant Kung fu, even Duck Kung fu.

I think this can alos cause a problem. There are techniques that mimic different animals but are used in many different systems. Then someone takes a few techniques and makes a whole system of (fill in the blank) kung fu from a just a few techniques that mimic said animal. I think it would need to be tested against time as well, how long has it been around and how has it been used?

7sm

 

[someguy]

Counting kung fu systems is like counting the stars your counting what no longer exists in the way you saw it. Kung fu allways changes and never is the exact same if you think about it.
As to answere the question it is simple 42 thats the answere to live the universe and everything. If you don't get the 42 thing go read Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy.

 

[Cruentus]

Wouldn't it depend on what your considering "style"?

I would think that the numbers could get into the thousands if you considered all the subsets.

 

[someguy]

Actually if you really felt like counting STYLES it would be all practitioners of kung fu would count so it would be millions and millions and millions I'd guess. I wonder how many people practice kung fu out there.

 

[7starmantis]

Actually if you really felt like counting STYLES it would be all practitioners of kung fu would count so it would be millions and millions and millions I'd guess. I wonder how many people practice kung fu out there.

Your saying everyperson who practices kung fu is practicing their own style of martial arts?

7sm

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Well, I just recently read that back in the 90s, there were well over 400 styles of Kung Fu recorded from way back when until now(not all have survived). It all had to do with modifications, secrecy, and family ties. Remember, alot of families kept certain secrets and passed them down by generation. And considering how many people there are in China and everywhere else who teach/know kung fu. Who knows. There are so many secret forms of Kung Fu that are kept from us because of racial restrictions.

 

[7starmantis]

I think you should do a little more research before completely believing everything you read about anything, but especially CMA. Your getting into that argument over "what makes a style" and that is as old as kung fu is. Because I position my right hand higher in a certain form than you, I'm doing a different system than you. That is quite an old argument that basically has no merit. What book was it that you received this info from?


7sm

 

[ShaolinWolf]

lemme check...well, I know the copywright is 1992, but I have found updated books that were from the late 90s that said this... oh yeah, here it is...

The Martial Arts Companion by John Corcoran


And yeah, it doesn't necessarily mean that just cause I do a higher hand movement I do a different style, it's just what I said..."It all had to do with modifications, secrecy, and family ties. Remember, alot of families kept certain secrets and passed them down by generation." I don't think its cause to call each style and totaled up to 400(or well over). I was just stating the speculation and the theory. I do plenty of MA research, so don't count me out as a noob yet...

 

[7starmantis]

I was replying more to someguy than you about what he said here:

Actually if you really felt like counting STYLES it would be all practitioners of kung fu would count so it would be millions and millions and millions I'd guess. I wonder how many people practice kung fu out there.

I think that is absurd and incorrect.

Now, to ShaolinWolf,
I don't quite understand what you mean by; "It all had to do with modifications, secrecy, and family ties". Why does modifications, secrecy, or family ties increase the number of kung fu systems in the world? Do you mean that a family might change a system secretly and that would count as a new system? I guess I'm just not getting what your saying. Thanks for the book source though.

7sm

 

[Gary Crawford]

The question I have is:How many Kung Fu sytems are currently taught in the U.S.?

 

[ShaolinWolf]

I was replying more to someguy than you about what he said here: I think that is absurd and incorrect.

Now, to ShaolinWolf,
I don't quite understand what you mean by; "It all had to do with modifications, secrecy, and family ties". Why does modifications, secrecy, or family ties increase the number of kung fu systems in the world? Do you mean that a family might change a system secretly and that would count as a new system? I guess I'm just not getting what your saying. Thanks for the book source though.

7sm

No, I mean that due to people modifying a certain Kung Fu style, and adding their own unique style, changing the name and teachning it to others that way.

And with Secrecy I mean that people know of certain martial arts, but due to plenty of racism, we don't have access to that certain martial art. Also, many of the secret Kung Fu arts have probably died, being that there are so many. I meant secret as in inaccessible, and even ones we don't know of. Mostly the ones we don't know of is part speculation, part truth.

The comes Family Ties. It partly comes back to little modifications. A family messed with a certain system, and being that chinese families were big back then, during the feudal era, with so many relatives, the families would pass down their modifications. Then these modified arts would become a minor art by name. And there are other things that go without saying.

These are just a few reasons why there are so many diverse Kung Fu arts. And I don't believe that there could possibly be even 1,000 Kung Fu Arts. That's preposterous. I'm just stating the fact that there have been nearly 400 Kung Fu styles, and who knows how many more.

And how do you know that there was not that many back then? China is a BIG country. Just about as many cities as the US, maybe more. I can't remember how many cities are in the US and in China, but they are pretty close. Doesn't matter. Nonetheless, I'm just calling the fact that I've run across plenty of authors who have said this such fact. I'd have to go to the library to see who the authors were, because I don't own such books, but I get plenty MA books from the Library.

:asian:

 

[7starmantis]

Thats cool, I'm deffinatly not trying to say you are not correct, I just wasn't understanding what you were saying.

I see your point about the family lineage idea, but I don't think I agree that it finalizes into a different art by name. In 7 star mantis there are two main lines; Chiu Luen and Lee Kam Wing. Their forms look different if you know what you are looking at. For example Chiu Luen forms tend to use closed fists as graps, while LKW uses eagle claw grabs. There are other differences but much harder to explain via this medium. My point is that they are still both 7 Star Mantis, just slight variations to the forms. Both make sense, both work in application, just different philosophies of application. This is a prime example of your family idea, but it didn't result in a different art, just a variation in performance.

I guess it does come down to how we define an style or system.

7sm

 

[someguy]

Style v. System definition is what I was getting at. But that isn't really here or there. Really there are alot of systems out there

 

[ShaolinWolf]

Yeah, I know 7*. I didn't think you meant it that way. I just read it alot, but I still have a hard time believing it myself.

I think it's stupid to do all that modifying and call it a style. It's a stinkin' modification. LOL. I think that 400 is a bit much. I know there were enough people in China to learn more than 400 Kung Fu styles, but even 400 is a bit ludicris. I was just stating the fact that it was real. It's basically just making a system that a group of people can't get their bodies to work with, and changing it for that neighborhood so that everyone there can enjoy the MA. Thus, a new MA is born. Blah! What a joke...but hey, it worked.