Chinese martial arts, which are called
kung fu or
gung fu and
wushu , are a number of
fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in
China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" (; ), "sects" (; ) or "schools" (; ) of martial arts. Examples of such traits include
Shaolinquan physical exercises involving animal mimicry, or training methods inspired by
Chinese philosophies, religions and legends. Styles that focus on
qi manipulation are called
internal (; ), while others that concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness are called "
external" (; ). Geographical association, as in
northern (; ) and "southern" (; ), is another popular classification method.