What is Kung Fu used for?

Answer 1

It depends on what time period we are talking about. During most of dynastic China (11th c. BCE - 20th c. CE), the Martial Arts, in this case skill with military weapons like spears, bows, and swords, were used with the expressed purpose of killing soldiers on the battlefield. Boxing and Wrestling had no practical use in warfare for two reasons: 1) soldiers fought in tight formations with weapons; and 2) punching and kicking would have no effect on men wearing armor. Unarmed fighting was primarily used to help prepare soldiers for weapons training and to keep their bodies fit between battles. Men who had been conscripted later returned to their lives and used the skills that they had learned to defend themselves and their families. The number of people living in the civilian population who knew martial arts fluctuated over the centuries. This number was usually at its highest during times of war and lowest during times of peace. It was during the Song Dynasty (10th - 13th c. CE) when circus-like displays of martial skill-e.g., wrestling and mock sword duels-became a popular form of spectator entertainment. This influenced depictions of martial arts in stage plays in later dynasties. Barring Confucian Archery, the martial arts were not looked upon as a type of self-cultivation until the 19th century. China had used guns in warfare from at least the 13th century; however, the advanced firepower that European forces introduced in the 19th century made boxing and traditional military weapons obsolete. Just like scholars who could not gain government positions came to look upon their studies as a form of self-cultivation, so too did the practitioners of Chinese martial arts who could no longer use it on the battlefield. During the mid-20th century, martial arts entered the realm of sports with the inception of competitive forms competitions. The Communists encouraged these sporting events because they satiated the people's need for martial expression, while also redirecting any restlessness that might pose a threat to the government towards physical training. In conclusion, martial arts were used for killing, self-dense, entertainment, self-cultivation, and sport over the centuries.

For a more detailed explanation, see the book Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century (2012) by Prof. Peter Lorge.

Answer 2

For self-defence or military training.