Chinese martial arts, sometimes referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu ( ) and popularly as kung fu (zh: 功夫]] pinyin: gōngfū), consist of a number of fighting styles that were developed over the centuries. Those fighting styles can be classified according to common themes that are identified as "families" (家, jiā), "sects" (派, pai) or "schools" (門, men) of martial arts. Example of themes are physical exercises that mimic movements from animals or a history and training method that gather inspiration from various Chinese philosophies, myths and legends. Some styles focus on the harnessing of qi and are labeled internal (内家拳), while others concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness and are labeled external (外家拳). Geographical association, as in northern (北拳) and southern (南拳), is another popular method of categorization. Each fighting style offers a different approach to the common problems of self-defense, health, and self-cultivation from a Chinese perspective.

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