The Karate Kid opens June 11, featuring an American boy who travels to China because of his mother’s new job. Although not a remake of the original, it does borrow elements from its predecessor in addition to the title. Despite the film’s name, the main character, Dre, ends up learning Wushu and not Karate. The confusion is explained in film’s plot when a group of bullies nickname Dre “The Karate Kid” as a joke due to his limited knowledge of martial arts. Karate and Kung Fu might seem like the same thing to some people, but then some people also think Japanese is the same thing as Chinese. In Asia, the film is actually being released as Kung Fu Kid, possibly since the film’s title can be misleading to those who know the difference.
Does it really matter?
The differences between Karate and Kung Fu have been discussed by many people in many ways for many years. And does it matter what they are called? It’s all relative, of course. It matters as much as any name matters. Martial arts styles may share similarities, but they also have rich histories rooted in different cultures, their own philosophies, language, methodologies and yes, names. There are volumes of literature that discuss these details in depth, so I’m just focusing on their names. What do “Karate” and “Kung Fu” mean, and where did their names come from?
Chinese Hand or Empty Hand?
“Karate” actually consists of two Japanese words: “Kara(空),” meaning “empty” and “Te (手),” meaning “hand.” There were actually different “Te,” or hand styles, believed to have developed from Chinese martial arts introduced into Okinawa in the 7th century. Trade relations in the late 14th century brought more Chinese martial arts influences and Okinawan styles became referred to as “Kara Te (唐手),” meaning “Chinese Hand.” In the early 20th century, most likely due to the poor relations between Japan and China, the character “Kara (唐),” representing China, was first changed to the similar-sounding word “Kara (空),” meaning “empty.” During WW2, Karate became popular among U.S. soldiers stationed in Okinawa. Some of these returning U.S. soldiers started Karate schools as early as 1945, with many more following during the 1950s. This infusion of Asian martial arts into mainstream America only grew, as Judo and Karate were featured in movies such as the successful James Bond series of the early 1960s. It wasn’t long before Karate became a common generic name for all Asian martial arts.
Kung Fu is Hard Work!
“Kung fu” is another all-encompassing term used for Asian martial arts. Martial arts have been practiced for thousands of years in China, but the first Western use of the name “Kung Fu” for martial arts most likely originates from a French priest, Jean Joseph Marie Amiot, whose missionary work brought him to China in 1750. In his collection of writings, Mémoires concernant l’histoire, les sciences et les arts des Chinois, Amiot observed “peculiar exercises” performed by Taoist priests. He called these exercises “Cong Fou,” later romanized as “Kung Fu.” This consists of two words: “Gong (功),” meaning “skill” or “achievement,” and “Fu (夫),” representing “human.” Together, this translates as human achievement through hard work. The “Kung Fu” name didn’t become as common for Chinese martial arts until the Hong Kong action film craze of the early 1970s, driven in a large part by Bruce Lee. In these HK films, movie characters would use lines like, “your kung fu is no match for my kung fu,” meaning “your skills are no match for my skills!” This kind of dialogue led to people referring to Asian martial arts in general as “Kung Fu.” Before then, Chinese styles of martial arts were more often referred to as “Chinese Boxing.”
Where does Wushu fit into the picture?
The term “Kung Fu” isn’t just used for martial arts, of course. It can describe many endeavors that reflect achievement through hard work, such as “Kung Fu Cha (功夫茶),” a specific and skilled method of preparing tea. A more accurate Chinese translation for martial arts would be “Wu Shu (武術),” literally translated as “martial arts.” To make things confusing, Wushu is used to refer to China’s national sport, also known as Contemporary Wushu. After the communist party took control of China in 1949, China’s government created a national sport based on a compilation of multiple traditional Chinese martial arts styles. This essentially produced a new standardized government style of martial arts which is why it is also referred to as “Guo Shu” or “Kuo Shu” (國術) meaning “national art.” Because of the naming ambiguity, “Kung Fu” is usually used instead of “Wushu” when referring to traditional Chinese martial arts (styles that developed prior to the PRC‘s creation of Contemporary Wushu).
Other related terms: