Wushu is a term used to describe Chinese martial arts and is mostly used when referring to the modernized and competitive form of Wushu. The word can be cut up into two words, ‘’Wu’’ meaning martial or military and ‘’Shu’’ meaning art. The Chinese character for wǔshù is 武术. If we take a closer look at the first character (武) it is made of the character 止, meaning to stop and 戈, meaning halberd/spear.

Putting the characters together Wushu literally means the art of stopping the spear and thus to avoid conflict. ‘’ To stop the spear could be considered a non-violent action, because it means stopping the violence before it happens.

Alternatively, to stop the spear could imply that the practitioner is strong, skilled, and trained in martial science. A warrior would have to be very confident and powerful to be able to stop a spear in combat. Both possibilities offer the martial artist an insight to the depths of the arts. 

It is the second theory that corresponds to the meaning of Kung fu, a term that is more known to the western world and is often associated with the martial arts film industry made famous by actors like Bruce Lee, Jet li or Jacky Chan. However, it is these movies that bring a big misconception of the word Kung fu since they often only present the result and physical aspect of the term.

In opposition to Wushu, Kung fu or Gong fu is a more general term. The word Gong fu (功夫) literally means a man in labor and is used to describe high skill in any form. From the calligrapher to the farmer anyone can have good Gong fu as long as there is hard work and dedication. One can obtain Gong fu within Wushu. One can acquire high skill within martial art.