So one of our [awesome] users has suggested that I make a vocabulary list of Kung Fu terms so that people can learn how to write about their favorite Chinese action films. Unfortunately, my Chinese is not so good, so I would need help. What I need are the pinyin/characters for a lot of terms like roundhouse kick and Bruce Lee. From there I can make the file to feed to our back end. Anyone interested in going totally Chuck Norris on some martial art terms?

Here is a list I put together that you might be able to draw from. Unfortunately, I couldn't find "roundhouse kick" or figure out Chuck Norris' name. :(

Famous Actors/Directors etc.
Jet Li - 李连杰 - Lǐ Liánjié
Michelle Yeoh - 杨紫琼 - Yáng Zǐqióng
Zhang Ziyi - 章子怡 - Zhāng Zǐyí
Jackie Chan - 成龙 - Chéng Lóng
Sammo Hung - 洪金宝 - Hóng Jīnbǎo
Bruce Lee - 李小龙 - Lǐ Xiǎo lóng
Donnie Yen - 甄子丹 - Zhēn Zǐdān
Stephen Chow - 周星驰 - Zhōu Xīngchí
Yuen Biao - 元彪 - Yuán Biāo
Gordon Liu - 劉家輝 - Liú Jiā Huī
Tsui Hark - 徐文光 - Xú Kè
Golden Harvest - 嘉禾 - Jiā hé

Kung Fu Styles/Stances
Tai Chi - 太极拳 - tài jí quán
Eagle Claw - 鹰爪派 - Yīng Zhuǎ Pài
Praying Mantis Style - 螳螂拳 - Táng láng quán
Horse Stance - 馬步 - mǎbù
5 Animals - 五形 - wǔ xíng
Hsing Yi - 形意拳 - Xíng yì quán
Hung Gar - 洪家拳 - Hóng Jiā Quán
Monkey Fist - 猴拳 - hóu quán
Tibetan White Crane - Bái Hè Pài - 白鶴派
Wing Chun - 詠春 - Yǒng chūn
Drunken Boxing - 醉拳 - Zuì Quán
No-shadow Kick - 无影脚 - wúyǐngjiǎo
Jeet Kun Do - 截拳道 - Jiéquándào
Qing Gong - 轻功 - qīnggōng

Groups
Shaolin Temple - 少林寺 - shào lín sì
Beggar's Sect - 丐幫 - gài bāng
Triad Society - 三合会 - Sān hé huì
Wudang - 武当 - Wǔdāng

General Terminology
Wuxia - 武侠 - Wǔ xiá
Kung Fu - 功夫 - gōng fu
Wushu - 武术 - wǔshù
Revenge! - 报仇 - bào chóu
Master - 师傅 - shī fu
Venom/Poison - 毒 - dú
Martial Arts World - 江湖 - jiāng hú
Hero - 英雄 - yīng xióng

Weapons
Sword - 刀 - dāo
Double-edged sword - 剑 - jiàn
Meteor hammer - 流星錘 - liúxīng chuí
Butterfly sword - 蝴蝶雙刀 - húdié shuāng dāo
Guandao - 偃月刀 - yǎn yuè dāo
Monk's spade - 月牙铲 - yuèyáchǎn
Staff - 棍 - gùn
Emei daggers - 峨嵋刺 - éméicì
Spear - 枪 - qīang
3-sectional Staff - 三節棍 - sān jié gùn
Flying guillotine - 血滴子 - xuèdī zǐ

Popular Movies
Zu - Warriors from the Magic Mountain - 新蜀山劍俠 - xīnshǔshānjiànxiá
A Chinese Ghost Story - 倩女幽魂 - qiànnǚyōuhún
The Bride with White Hair - 白发魔女传 - báifàmonǚchuán
Ashes of Time - 东邪西毒 - dōngxiéxīdú
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon - 卧虎藏龙 - wòhǔcánglóng
House of Flying Daggers - 十面埋伏 - shímiàn máifú
The Storm Riders - 风云之雄霸天下 - fēngyúnzhīxióngbàtiānxià
Enter the Dragon - 龙争虎斗 - lóngzhēnghǔdǒu
A Better Tomorrow - 英雄本色 - Yīngxióng běnsè
The Killer - 喋血双雄 - Diéxuè shuāngxióng
Fist of Legend - 精武英雄 - Jīng Wǔ Yīngxióng

Now THAT is a Kung Fu List. Oh yes. Excellent work. I'm adding it to the queue of vocab to be added in the next update. Thanks a lot for helping out a poor first year student!

Nice list JB
I don't watch many old kungfu movies like many of my friends love to do.
But 武馆 (dojo) should be added, its a common movie word that is strangely avoided by all dictionaries....

It might also be useful to have some collocations to go with all that... e.g. If I want to tell my friend I'm going to 'do' the flying mantis on him or whatever, what should I say? (Brings back memories of WWF role-play fights in the playground...)

It looks as if Chuck Norris is 罗礼士 (from Baidu).

Chuck Norris is on the list. Thanks for that chrka.

Jpssharp, I know what you mean about the word usage. I'll see if I can figure out a way to include some general words to enable users to actually "do" the actions. It would be a pity if you couldn't do the flying mantis punch style.

FINALLY! A word list that might actually be USEful to me.

Another one I've noticed in the wuxia TV shows a lot is:

剑法 - jiànfǎ - sword skill / swordsmanship

Here are a couple other ones. I've seen these translated a few different ways. Basically they are how apprentices in a martial arts school will refer to each other.

师妹 - shīmèi - Younger Apprentice/Martial Sister
师姐 - shījiě - Older Apprentice/Martial Sister
师弟 - shīdì - Younger Apprentice/martial Brother
师兄 - shīxiōng - Older Apprentice/Martial Brother

The students will call their master 师傅 - shīfu, which I mentioned above. In a situation where their master is married to someone who is also a martial arts expert, and is a teacher, they will call the wife 师娘 - shīniáng.

I'm 95% sure about the 师娘 - shīniáng, is there anyone who can confirm?

Incidentally a "dojo" is actually a place where Japanese martial arts are practiced, not Chinese martial arts. There is a big difference between the two (see Fist of Legend / Fist of Fury)

However, the word 武馆 - wǔguǎn seems like the right word for a place where Chinese martial arts are practiced. I haven't heard it in a movie, but then again, I'm not that good, so I've probably just missed it. I'll listen for it in the future. It seems like the characters for "dojo" are 道場, not 武馆. I'm not sure the best way to translate 武馆, but I don't think it's dojo. Anyone who's really into kung fu movies will immediately think of Japanese stuff if they hear "dojo" (karate, judo, samurai, etc.)

Anyone know of a better translation for 武馆? Maybe "Martial Arts School?"

Thanks for the continued interest in the list JB. I've added "sword skill" and the apprentice words. You seem to have quite the knowledge of the cinematic culture. Just out of curiosity, have you seen all the movies you put on the list? I was a cinema major in college, and I watched a lot of "classic" films, so I'm just starting to watch popular movies again in bulk, and I was thinking perhaps I do to make a kung fu action film list for myself and start working through it. I bet it'd be fun and I'd be able to listen to Chinese in my free time.

Yeah the list in my original post is a good place to start. Some other classics you might want to check might be:

36th Chamber of Shaolin (a.k.a. Master Killer)
Come Drink With Me (get the dragon dynasty version and listen to the commentary, great stuff)
Dragon Inn
Drunken Master II
Once Upon a Time in China series
Tai Chi Master
The Duel
Iron Monkey

Yeah, very good topic. I am more of a Karateka, so my Chinese for martial arts is quite bad. If you compile such a list, please also include techniques, stances etc.

I just know a few terms and styles:
弓步 - Forward stance/ bow stance
马步 - Horseriding stance
跆拳道 - Taekwondo
空手道 - Karate
合气道 - Aikido


I googled around and found a few interesting resources:
http://www.taijicn.net/viewarticle.php?id=4130
武术 Martial Arts
　　太极拳 hexagram boxing
　　刀 broadsword
　　钩 hook
　　飞功 chikung
　　剑 rapier
　　棍 cudgel
　　散打 free combat
　　匕首 dagger
　　盾 shield
　　双剑 double
　　拳法 fist position
　　叉 fork
　　猿形 ape form
　　如封似闭 apparent close
　　器械对练 armed combat
　　与眼平 at eye level
　　与鼻平 at nose level
　　上步盖掌 backhand stroke in bow step
　　仰身跌 backward falling
　　倒毛跟斗 backward somersault
　　平衡 balance
　　提膝平衡 balance with one knee raised
　　平衡练习 balancing exercise
　　摸胸反击法 against one who grabs your breast
　　抓肩反击法 against one who grabs your breast shoulders from behind
　　正面抓单手反击法 against one who seizs one of your hands face to face
　　身后抓单手反击法 against one who seizs one of your hands from behind

And the mother of all lists:
http://www.fane.cn/article_view.asp?id=3463
Aerial cartwheel 侧空翻

Any two person set 任何一套对练

Any two weapon forms 任何两套器械套路

Applications 实用技术

Back arc kick 后撩腿

Back roll over 挺身向后肩颈翻

Backward floor sweep kick 后扫堂腿

Backward roll 后滚翻

Balance on the shoulder and arms 肩倒立

Balance while leaning back and extending one leg 仰身平衡

Balance while leaning forward and extending one leg 探海平衡

Balance with one knee up 提膝亮掌平衡

Balance with one knee up 提膝平衡

Balance with one leg crossed behind 勾腿平衡

Balance with one leg crossed behind 勾腿平衡

Balance with one leg crossed over –盘腿平衡

Balance with one leg extended behind 卧云平衡

Balance with the back leg hooked up 望月平衡

Basic sanshou training 初级散手练习

Beat step 击步

Black dragon coils around the pillar and stand up 乌龙绞柱

Black dragon wraps around the post –乌龙绞柱

Bow stance - 弓步

Bow step punch fist 弓冲拳步

Broadsword 刀术

Butterfly kick 旋子

Butterfly twist 旋子转体 360 °

Carp flip 鲤鱼打挺

Carp kip-up 鲤鱼打挺

Cartwheel 侧手翻

Chang Quan 长拳

Circular walking step 弧行步

Cross behind step 插步

Cross over step 盖步

Crossed legged sitting stance - 坐盘

Drilling fist 钻拳

Empty stance - 虚步

Fan Zi Quan 翻子拳鹰爪拳 or Eagle Claw

Fish jump (yu yue) 鱼跃

Five Stances Form (Wu Bu Quan) 五拳步

Forms 套路

Forward drop 栽碑

Forward floor sweep kick 前扫堂腿

Forward floor sweep kick (full circle) into jumping front kick 前扫堂腿接二起脚

Forward front kick 正踢腿

Forward head flip (tou fan) 头翻

Forward head flip with hands 头手翻

Forward roll 前滚翻

Free style sanshou combat training 自由散手对坑练习

Front fist jab 前手冲拳

Front fist side hook 前手贯拳

Front fist upper cut - 前手抄拳

Grinder kick (Mo pan tui) 磨盘腿

group can choose any 10 techniques 传统组完成任何个动作 10 )

Half horse stance - 半马步

Half-squat stance - 仆步

Hammer fist 劈拳

Head stand 三角倒立

Heel kick 蹬腿

High back sweep kick –后高扫腿

Hong Quan 红拳拳查 or Cha Quan

Horse kick 厥子腿

Horse stance - 马步

Horse stance punch fist 马冲拳步

Inserting fist 插拳

Inside crescent falling kick 盘腿跌

Inside crescent kick 里合腿

International competition forms:

Jump both legs side kick - 腾空双侧踹脚

Jump both legs spring kick forward 腾空双打

Jump double forward heel kick - 腾空双蹬腿

Jump flying kick 二起脚

Jump flying kick (kick higher than shoulder and land on right leg) 腾空飞脚

Jump flying kick with right leg landing 腾空飞脚

Jump heel kick 腾空蹬腿

Jump side kick - 腾空侧踹腿

Jump side kick - 腾空侧踹

Jump spring kick 腾空箭弹

Jumping flying kick 腾空飞腿

Kicks 腿法

Kun Wu Jian 昆武剑

Lean back heel kick (yang shen deng tui) 仰身蹬腿

Lean back kick (dian tui) 点腿

Lifting fist 挑拳

Low cut kick 下踹腿

Low hook kick 勾踢腿

Nan Quan 南拳

Outside crescent (Lotus) kick –外摆腿摆莲

Planting fist 栽拳

Praying Mantis 螳螂拳通臂拳 or Tong Bei Quan (Long arm ape form)

Pubu chuan zhang 仆穿掌步

Pubu lunbi 仆抡拍步

Punches 拳法

Rear fist jab 后手冲拳

Rear fist side hook 后手贯拳

Rear fist upper cut - 后手抄拳

Resting stance - 歇步

Reverse arch kick 倒踢

Sanshou Application Form (Xiao Yao Quan) 逍遥拳散手实用拳

Sanshou Dao Long Fist 散手道长拳

Scooping fist 撩拳

Shoulder roll 抢背

Side drop 侧跌

Side front kick 侧踢腿

Side kick with heel 侧蹬腿

Side spring kick 侧弹腿鞭腿

Six Combination Form (Liu He Quan) 六合拳

Slap toe kick 正飞脚

Spear 枪术

Spear palm while in half-squat stance 仆穿掌步

Spearing fist 耳后穿拳

Spinning horizontal back fist 鞭拳,转身反背锤

Spinning lotus kick 转身摆莲

Spinning outside crescent kick with two legs landing at the same time -腾空摆莲(双同时落地脚)

Spinning outside cresent kick into splits - 腾空摆莲接劈叉

Spinning outward crescent kick - 腾空摆莲

Splits 劈叉

Spring (snap) kick 弹腿

Spring horizontal back fist 弹拳崩拳

Staff 棍术

Stances 法步

Step kick (Cai tui) 腿踩

Swallow while leaning forward and extending one leg 燕式平衡

Swing the arms 抡臂

Sword 剑术

T stance - 丁步

Tian Gang Quan 天罡拳

Tornado kick 简易旋风脚

Tornado kick (land on right leg) 旋风脚右落地脚

Tornado kick into splits -旋风接劈叉脚

Tornado kick with two legs landing at the same time 旋风腿双同时落地脚

Turn body into crossed leg sitting stance 翻腰坐盘

Turn waist over 翻腰

Vertical strike with heart fist 盖拳

Wushu Basic Techniques武术基本功

Wushu movements 武术动作

Yan Qing Quan 燕青拳



This one here gives a few of the most important basic techniques in (almost) any martial art:
http://sl.iciba.com/viewthread-58-140204-1.shtml
马步：horse stance
横踢：turning kick
下劈：cut down
侧踢：side kick
推踢：push kick
钩踢：hook kick
后踢：back kick
双飞：double turning kick
旋风踢：spin kick

Xia, that is one honkin' list, thanks for spending the time to put that together. I have just now finished putting it all into our database. >phew< Luckily, Nick used his emacs wizardry to macro the conversion to excel and saved me a substantial chunk of time.

We're going to point all the custom lists on the forums in the near future so that everyone can have a look at them, correct any of my (admittedly newbish) errors and perhaps suggest more topics.

Here are a couple more that I've heard:

Beggar - 乞丐 - qǐ gài (I included the name of their group before, but not what they call an individual beggar)
Taoist (priest) - 道士 - dàoshì
Eunuch - 宦官 huànguān (formal)
Eunuch - 公公 - gōnggong (informal)
Eunuch - 太监 - tàijiān - (less polite)
Scripture/Manuscript - 经 - jīng (often the martial arts manuals are called this.
Gang - 帮 - bāng (groups in the martial arts world are sometimes called this)

Oh, I just noticed two actors/stars I missed:

Chow Yun-Fat - 周润发 - Zhōu Rùnfā
Andy Lau - 刘德华 - Liú déhuá

I've added all of these new words to the mondo list, which, by the way, now has more than 150+ words in it now, divided into 8 sections. Whoa. I can't wait to see what people think of it. I've marked both you (JB) and Xia as the authors in the excel document.

Haha, cool. By the way, I just realized we missed one of the most important words.

武功 - wǔ gōng - martial arts

Wushu (in the first list) and wugong are somewhat interchangeable, although the former is more modern. Wugong is what they say in the period TV shows and movies.