Your questions answered!

I have been asked by a number of parents

what the difference is between

Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Karate and Tae Kwon Do.

Here is a very basic answer (I’ll spare you the ins and outs!)…

Kung Fu is a Chinese Martial Art based largely upon Indian martial arts, Indian health concepts and Indian philosophy as well as Chinese philosophy.

There are, essentially, two kinds of Kung Fu – that from north China and that from south China. I teach the latter.

Karate is of Japanese origination and has, to a very large, extent, degenerated to a mere sport.  It is based upon Karate-Do (referring to a way of life) which originates from Okinawa.

Karate-Do is based largely upon Chinese Kung Fu – both the northern styles and the southern styles.

Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Chi) is a Chinese martial art from the north that is practiced slowly for, health, fitness, meditation and depth whilst it can also be practiced/applied faster for human v. human self-defence. The unique way I teach Taijiquan is in a way whereby it has become i) a “physical Chinese medicine”; ii) an external AND internal self-defence;  and iii) a physical/mental/spiritual expression of Daoism (Taoism).

Tae Kwon Do is a modern sport from Korea based upon seven essential Korean martial disciplines. It has borrowed many ideas from Japanese Karate and is often called “Korean Karate”.

Aikido is a Japanese martial art based upon Taijiquan whilst Kendo is a Japanese martial art based upon the Samurai sword (kenjutsu).

Judo is a Japanese sport using grappling, choking, locking, throwing and rolling techniques.  As a sport it is a big man’s exercise; as an Art-form it is little man’s discipline. Judo is based upon Jujutsu which is, by comparison, an aggressive discipline. As an expression of  ~do there is seldom any ~do in judo the way it is taught nowadays.

San Shan Gong is the name I have given to my own Kung Fu discipline which is 90% southern-style Kungfu and 10% northern-style.

Young Dragons is exactly the same but for juniors whilst Tiny Tigers is the junior programme scaled-down for 3 and 4 year-olds.

If you have a question you would like me to answer then please let me know.

Email me at: realkungfu@talktalk.net