Chinese is a character-based language and cannot be directly expressed in English. Linguists have devised several different methods to phonetically express (“Romanization”) these Chinese characters using the 26 letters of the English language. Recently, the system used by mainland China (called the pinyin system of Romanization) has become more popular.Tai Chi Chuan and Taijiquan are the same words, only written in different forms of Romanization. Other variations on Romanization methods that you may be familiar with include Peking/Beijing, taoism/daoism, chi kung/qigong. As you can see, these are actually the same words in Chinese, just spelled differently in English.Kuo Shu (also spelled Guoshu) is different, however, from Wushu. Kuo Shu was the name given to the Chinese martial arts in the 1930s and typically represents the traditional martial arts. Wushu was the name given to the Chinese martial arts in the 1960s and typically represents the “new” forms of Chinese martial arts. During this period, performance value was emphasized over martial application; as such, Wushu incorporated elements of acrobatics, gymnastics and Chinese opera. Wushu was created as a performance art, with diminished emphasis on self-defense. Since our lineage stress the traditional, self-defense nature of Chinese martial arts, we use the term Kuo Shu.Kung Fu (Gongfu) is a Chinese phrase representing extraordinary skill. As such, you could have “Kung Fu” in dancing, music, or cooking. In the United States, the term “Kung Fu” became synonymous with traditional martial arts and so we use the term “Kung Fu” as well, since it is widely understood in the context of excellence in martial arts.