Kung Fu and Wushu are two popular Chinese terms that are commonly used as synonyms for Chinese martial arts. Kung Fu is actually a very broad categorization for many styles of self-defense and personal discipline. It is interpreted that Kung Fu itself relates to general skill expertise, not necessarily martial arts skills. The Chinese term that translates into "martial art" is Wushu.

There are two famous styles of Kung Fu in the West. The first is from the fighting monks of the first Shaolin Temple and is known as Hung Gar. The Shaolin system derived from Taoism. It was based on a breathing exercise taught to monks to help them improve their physical health. The goal of this breathing exercise was so they could endure longer periods of meditation. The breathing exercises evolved into a fluid self-defense system that was much softer in execution of movement than what developed later. The techniques mimic five animals - the tiger, white crane, dragon, snake and leopard.

The second is Jeet Kune Do, which ironically is known as the style of "no style." The art, which was formed by Bruce Lee in various stages, was finally named in the late '60s. While continuing to deny that Jeet Kune Do was a "style," Lee began to show his system to the public with great skepticism from the martial arts community. Various Chinese individuals who found his teachings to be discourteous to tradition would publicly challenge Lee to fight, and he was made a target. Jeet Kune Do incorporates three styles of self-defense and has become a highly effective technique: blocks and displacements from Wing Chun, footwork from French fencing, and punches and blocks from American boxing.