Chinese martial arts

The major traditions

Chinese martial arts (武术, wǔ shù; or 功夫, gōng fū) divide into many schools. The major distinction:

• External styles (外家) — focused on speed, power, hard physical training. Shaolin kung fu is the canonical example.
• Internal styles (内家) — focused on internal-energy cultivation, slower, philosophy-adjacent. Tai chi, baguazhang, xingyi.

Shaolin

The Shaolin Temple in Henan is the traditional home of Chinese kung fu, dating from the 6th century. The current temple is part working monastery, part martial-arts demonstration centre. Around the temple, the Songshan area has many martial-arts schools — some serious, some tourist-oriented, training Chinese and international students for periods from a week to multiple years.

Wudang

Mt Wudang in Hubei is the traditional home of Daoist internal martial arts — taichi, baguazhang, xingyi, plus the Wudang sword form. Active monastic and lay schools train at the mountain. Multi-day visitor courses are widely available.

Tai chi

Tai chi (太极拳, tài jí quán) is the most internationally diffused Chinese martial art, generally practised today as a low-impact health and meditation exercise rather than as combat training. The five major family styles:

• Chen — the original; combines slow movements with sudden bursts of force. Chen Village (Henan) is the family origin.
• Yang — the most widely practised; gentle, flowing, accessible.
• Wu — derived from Yang; smaller frame.
• Sun — combines tai chi with baguazhang and xingyi.
• Hao — least common.

Wushu

Modern Wushu (武术) is the standardised performance and competition form developed since the 1950s. It includes:

• Taolu — choreographed forms with stylised movement.
• Sanda — full-contact sparring, similar to kickboxing.

Where to see

• Shaolin Temple — daily kung fu demonstrations.
• Mt Wudang — daily tai chi demonstrations.
• Beijing Temple of Heaven at sunrise — tai chi and other practices in the public park; locals welcome visitors who want to learn the basic moves.
• Wong Tai Sin Temple (HK) — regular early-morning practice sessions in the surrounding park.
• Wushu performances at the major variety shows in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong.

Where to learn

For a serious training experience:

• Shaolin Temple area schools — multi-week to multi-year programs. Yuntai Mountain Kungfu School, Shaolin Tagou Wuyi School (the largest, 30,000+ students), Shaolin Wushu Guan. Training day 5–7 hours, with academic Chinese-and-philosophy classes for international students. ¥10,000–¥30,000 per month including lodging.
• Mt Wudang schools — Wudang Taoist Wushu Academy, Wudang Tai Chi Academy. Similar pricing.
• Tai chi classes in tier-1 cities — Beijing, Shanghai have dozens of instructors and schools. ¥800–¥3,000 per term for group classes.
• Public parks — the Temple of Heaven mornings are free; bring water and follow the locals.

What's authentic, what's tourist

• The Shaolin demonstration shown to busloads of tourists is choreographed and performance-oriented; the kung fu is real but the show is a show.
• The serious Shaolin training is in the surrounding schools, not the temple itself.
• The Wudang tai chi demonstrations in the temples are mostly genuine tai chi simplified for a tourist context.
• The morning park practitioners in any Chinese city are a representative cross-section — some serious, some social, all welcoming to a respectful visitor.

Cultural notes

• Don't ask 'is this real fighting?' — the answer is more nuanced than that.
• The 'kung fu fighter' Western archetype is well-understood by Chinese practitioners as a simplified Western stereotype.
• The relationship between martial arts and Buddhism (Shaolin) and Daoism (Wudang) is genuine but historically negotiated rather than ancient and continuous.