Originally, there were five principle Southern kung fu systems. They were named after their designated families. The word "gar" means family and in this case stands for gung fu families. The five family systems were originally created as strictly fighting arts, used to battle the Ching dynasty rulers. Unlike Northern systems which were older and had evolved during peaceful times when students could study their martial arts for years before reaching higher levels, the masters of the Southern systems had to compact their training and quickly teach their students how to fight. As a result, hard power was taught first, followed by internal training. Stances were wider and lower, and Southern footwork less active than Northern, relying more on the practitioner's strength for defense.