• Ch'uan fa (or quanfa) "way of the fist"
  
• Kung fu (or gong fu) "energy and time," "hard work"
  
• Tai chi ch'uan (or taijiquan) "supreme ultimate fist"
  
• Wu Su (Wushu, quanshu) "martial techniques"
  

The term kung fu is commonly used to describe all Chinese combative arts. Kung fu was mistakenly referred to as martial arts by Westerners. Kung Fu refers to any activity that requires patience to become an expert. The time and energy to reach this expertise is kung fu. In martial arts, it can take 10 years to reach a state of expertise. The Chinese term for martial techniques is Wu Su. In China, martial arts is integrated into society and is respected as a system to teach patience, respect, humility, and morals. To possess martial arts skills is respected in Chinese culture no matter the social standing of the individual.

The greatest system of Wu Su martial arts training and morality came from the oldest institution, the Shao Lin Temple. The Shao Lin system was revered in society. The temple was built in 377 a.d. by order of Emperor Wei. It was located near the Shao Shih Mountain in the Huo Nan province. Originally, no martial arts was practiced here.

In 527 a.d. a Buddhist prince, Da Mo, came to the temple on a religious journey. Finding the monks sick and weak, Da Mo composed two books, one a spirtual treatise, the second, a physical training manual for increasing internal and external strength. Da Mo completed these books after nine years of meditation. He died three years later in 539 a.d. The monks used his training manual and expanded the techniques for self-defense. Monks frequently travelled far to preach and this knowledge of self-defense helped protect the monks. The martial techniques became part of the required course of study along with the traditional religious studies of monks.

The acts of a few unscrupulous monks who turned to crime in 570 a.d. resulted in the closure of the Shao Lin temple by the Emperor. Another thirty years would pass before the temple was allowed to operate again. This time, a strict moral education became linked with learning martial techniques. Over the next thousand years, Wu Su, became the most complete system in China.