Now that you have learned Kung fu for a few months , what are your general impression of it ?   I think , maybe , it takes a real Kung fu master to give a more fair assessment ; meanwhile , I am no more than a beginner . But I really doubt whether kung fu would be of any great help when it comes to defending oneself in real life .   You mean , kung fu may not be so powerful as it is imagined ? To some extent your idea holds water . Kung fu was originally intended for self-defense , but with time it became something more than defense skills . Now we are apt to treat it as an art .   An art ! You have a good point there . So it is called martial arts in English . The Chinese are really capable of doing things nicely . They even made fighting a great enjoyment , so marvelous and fascinating .   Thanks for your compliment ! Perhaps the Chinese culture as a whole has a special inclination towards aesthetics . Do you know Jin Yong ?   I know he is a martial arts fiction writer . But I've read none of his novels .   All of his works have been translated into English . I recommend you to read one or two works of his . You'll get a general glimpse into Chinese kung fu culture . When you go through the pages , you are likely to feel they are not about kung fu alone , but cover all walks of life .   I see . They must have incorporated a series of Chinese cultural elements .   Yes , take philosophy , for instance . What makes a true , respectable da via , or a warrior hero ? It's not enough only to be formidable . It also involves a man's character , sense of justice , and values of life .   So kung fu is also a means of self-cultivation , isn't it ? 