Wushu-Kung Fu Celebrates Grand Opening with Lion Dance

The grand opening ceremony of the Wushu - Kung Fu Fitness Center in Livingston included a traditional Chinese lion dance and a Kung Fu demonstration by the Masters and students.  Guests were thrilled by the exciting performances showcasing Chinese martial arts (Wushu).  

Wushu is literally translated as “martial arts” and, when written, is comprised of the two Chinese characters “wu” (martial/military) and “shu” (arts).  Chinese characters are based on pictograph, where words were originally represented by their physical appearance.  The character for “wu” is the result of two simpler characters, when separated, has been interpreted as “self-defense”.

The term “wushu” comes from Mandarin Chinese, the national language of China, while the term “kung-fu” comes from Cantonese, a dialect of the Chinese language, and both are often used interchangeably to refer to Chinese martial arts in general in English.   

Wushu is often used to refer to modern competitive taolu (choreographed forms) and sanda (sparring/fighting) while kung-fu refers to the classical counterpart from which wushu is derived. International superstars Jackie Chan and Jet Li were trained in the art of Wushu.

The Chinese martial arts are made up of numerous styles, which are often categorized into internal (nei jia) and external (wai jia) arts. Internal Chinese martial arts focus on the use of the relaxed body and is used to describe styles such as Tai Chi. 

While typical physical characteristics of external Chinese martial arts include physical development, speed, and explosive movements as is found in Long Fist, Southern Fist, Ground Tumbling Boxing, and Eagle Claw -- both internal and external arts require coordination of the mind and body, and it has been said that they have the same destination while simply taking different paths.

The Wushu - Kung Fu Fitness Center offers Chinese martial arts programs for children and adults and has locations in Livingston and Parsippany. For more information, visit www.WushuKungFuNJ.com or call (973) 992-6888. The Wushu - Kung Fu Fitness Center is located at 30-34 Okner Parkway.