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The Kung Fu Kid


by Mike Krumboltz, June 11, 2010

Reasonable audiences could assume that a movie called "The Karate Kid" would be about a kid who, well, does karate. But, in the case of the newly released feature starring Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, that assumption is only half right.

The truth is that Mr. Smith's character (aka "the kid") does not practice karate, but the art of kung fu. This inconvenient truth was picked up on in various reviews and blogs. Misleading? Maybe. But nobody seems too surprised that the forces behind the remake elected to stick with the well-known title rather than practice a little truth in advertising. Why mess with a successful franchise?

Web searchers were quick to pick up on the minor controversy, sending online lookups for "kung fu vs. karate" and "difference between kung fu and karate" to significant gains.

So what is the difference? According to a blog on the topic, kung fu, which is Chinese, features "'circular' movements, as well as pressure point techniques and styles based around the movements of animals." Karate, on the other hand, originates from Japan and uses "'linear' techniques designed to finish a fight with one blow, and to fight many opponents."

Cultural issues and the often-contentious history between China and Japan are also wrapped up in the two terms. For example, Bruce Lee was a hero in his homeland for, among other things, employing kung fu to kick large amounts of butt.

To the untrained eye, the two martial arts look very similar, but we give the movie credit for acknowledging the difference. At one point, the mother of Smith's character asks him if he likes his karate class. Smith's response: "It's not karate, Mom."

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