TIL that kung fu (or gongfu) is not a martial art but means "proficiency, aptitude, or mastery" thats acquired over long, rigorous training.

https://www.precisionstrikekungfu.com/what-is-kung-fu

115 points · 11 comments · view on lemmy.world

11 Comments

0ops@piefed.zip · 25 pts · 153d (4 replies)

Til, that makes this scene really ironic:

dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 153d (1 reply)

Considering how The Matrix is one big Gnostic saga, this one moment of ironic realization echoes throughout the whole.

pimento64@sopuli.xyz · 8 pts · 153d

that's which the series will end with "To Kung Fu, Thanks for Everything! Neo"

charade_you_are@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 153d (1 reply)

It would've been pretty cool if a guy walked in and said "Hi, I'm Kung Fu. Great friends with Neo!"

monkeyslikebananas2@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 153d

I read that as Zoidberg for some reason.

southsamurai@sh.itjust.works · 11 pts · 153d (1 reply)

I mean, kinda.

But it's like saying proud only means a good feeling about the self.

Kung fu has shifted in meddling meaning to refer to (depending on how you look at it) a martial art "genre" and it's original meaning.

It's okay to use the word for both, ain't nobody gonna misunderstand you, and only pedants will give you shit over either it's original use, or that it isn't really a single martial art at all.

nikolasdimi@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 153d

True. Background of the story of how I learnt is in my tai chi class where I asked the teacher if they also do king fu there. And they told me that well tai chi is also part of kung fu.

FinjaminPoach@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 153d (1 reply)

Yep and famously knitting is a type of Kung Fu

XTL@sopuli.xyz · 2 pts · 152d

Wax on, wax off. A whole new kind of kung fu.

mystrawberrymind@piefed.ca · 5 pts · 153d
Tollana1234567@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 153d

kungfu is just showmanship for non-chinese audiences.