The Chinese civilization with a history of 5,000 years has fostered a uniquely splendid cultural flower, Chinese Wu shu, in the world's arena of culture. And the famous saying, "the world's kung fu originates from the Shaolin" has closely linked all the Chinese Wu shu sects with the name of "Shaolin." Consequently, in the minds of numerous admirers of the world, Shaolin Temple represents mystery and the occult to an incredible extent.The development of Chinese martial arts can initially be traced to self defense needs, hunting activities, and military training.  Over time, it has changed with the evolving Chinese society acquiring philosophical bases.  Eventually, Chinese martial arts became an important element of Chinese society. 

Originally, to practice kung fu did not just mean to practice Chinese martial arts. Instead, it referred to the process of one's training - the strengthening of the body and the mind, the learning and the perfection of one's skills - rather than to what was being trained. It refers to excellence achieved through long practice in any endeavor. You can say that a person's kung fu is good in cooking or that someone has kung fu in calligraphy; saying that a person possesses kung fu in an area implies skill in that area, which they have worked hard to develop. Someone with "bad kung fu" simply has not put enough time and effort into training, or seems to lack the motivation to do so.