Kung means 'discipline' and Fu means 'person', hence, 'Kung Fu' refers to a disciplined person. Kungfu is often mistaken by the uninitiated as simply as a physical activity. However, it is far from the truth, especially for Shaolin Kungfu.

There are many styles or schools of kungfu. Traditionally, these numerous styles are divided into two major groups, namely internal kungfu and external kungfu. The three well known internal kungfu styles are Taijiquan (Tai Chi Chuan), Bagua zhang (Pakua Palm), and Xingyiquan (Hsing Yi Kungfu). External kungfu includes Shaolin Kungfu and all its derived styles. Today, the two most well known branches of Shaolin Kungfu are Northern Shaolin which emphasizes on kicking, long range, acrobatic and ground-fighting techniques, and the Southern Shaolin which emphasize on higher stances and hand techniques.

Limited by space, it is impossible to describe each and every school of Chinese Chuan in Chinese Wushu. Therefore only the most representative and influential schools are dealt with. The origins, features, basic theory and technical characteristics for several dozen schools are discussed here. From here one can gain a general understanding of Chinese Wushu.