Is There Really So Much Martial Arts in China
Chinese martial arts are arguably some of China's nigh popular and successful cultural exports. Despite their widespread and enduring popularity, most people's understanding of the Chinese martial arts is limited. Join usa as nosotros explore the history and culture behind these ancient forms of self-defence force.
Table of Contents
- What are the Chinese martial arts?
- Origins and history
- Classifying Chinese martial arts styles
- Internal versus external
- Northern versus Southern
- Other classification schemes
- Not to exist confused with Japanese martial arts
- V influential Chinese martial arts styles
- 1. Shaolin Kung Fu
- 2. Fly Chun
- 3. Bajiquan
- four. Tai Chi
- five. Baguazhang
- A window into Chinese civilisation
- Chinese martial art vocabulary
What are the Chinese martial arts?
The Chinese martial arts are a collection of hundreds of different fighting styles that developed over centuries of Chinese history. Many of the Chinese martial arts contain philosophical concepts that are intimately continued with Chinese religion and philosophy, especially Taoism .
In Chinese, the terms 功夫 (gōngfū) and 武术 (wǔshù) are used to refer to the martial arts. The word 功夫 (gōngfū) is a general term that can be used to refer to any blazon of skill. It is the source of the English term "kung fu."
武术 (wǔshù), rendered in English language every bit wushu, is a more descriptive term that can literally exist translated as "armed services arts" or "martial arts."
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Origins and history
The martial arts accept a long history in Communist china. As the name wushu suggests, the martial arts are idea to have developed equally methods for hand-to-hand combat used past ancient Chinese soldiers.
According to fable, the martial arts were introduced in China past the Yellow Emperor during the Xia dynasty (2070 - 1600 BCE). The very first mention of Chinese martial arts occurs in the Spring and Autumn Annals , a court chronicle that dates all the fashion back to the fifth century BCE.
The first mention of Chinese martial arts tin can exist found in a chronicle from the 5th century BCE.
Classifying Chinese martial arts styles
Today, there are hundreds of different styles of Chinese martial arts. Various classification schemes have been proposed to aid categorize them.
Internal versus external
Ane common manner of classifying Chinese martial arts is by separating them into external styles (外家拳 wàijiāquán) and internal styles (内家拳 nèijiāquán).
External styles focus on developing agility and physical forcefulness, while internal styles focus on manipulating qi (气 qì) and cultivating the mind and spirit. Many of the philosophical ideas consort by Taoism are applied past practitioners of internal martial arts styles.
The most pop internal style of Chinese martial art is Tai Chi, also called Taiji (太极拳 Tàijíquán) while the most famous style associated with the external style is Shaolin Kung Fu ( 少林功夫 Shàolín Gōngfū).
The internal versus external classification is a pop 1 that has been used since 1669 CE. It remains somewhat controversial, still, with some experts arguing that there is actually no difference between the 2 due to the fact that every style includes some mix of "internal" and "external" elements.
The many different types of Chinese martial arts can be categorized into internal and external styles.
Northern versus Southern
Another mutual way to classify Chinese martial arts styles is by geographical region. There are many notable differences betwixt northern and southern China. Non just is this true when it comes to food, the arts, architecture, and language, simply it is also true of martial arts.
Martial arts from northern China are referred to as 北派 ( běipài ) and include well-known schools such as Baguazhang and Bajiquan. Northern styles are known for incorporating loftier kicks and acrobatic elements. Southern martial arts styles are called 南派 (nánpài) and identify more accent on arm and full-body movements.
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Other classification schemes
There are several other ways to classify the Chinese martial arts. Some of these nomenclature categories overlap, then that a single way may vest to more than i category. Other popular nomenclature styles that are sometimes used are based on religion, history and family.
Not to be confused with Japanese martial arts
To an untrained center, all martial arts may await the same, regardless of country of origin. In reality, countless differences—big and pocket-size—exist.
Jiu-jitsu, 1 of Nihon's most well known martial fine art, originated on the battlefields during the Nara period (c. 710–794) and utilized skills and tactics from a variety of other Japanese disciplines.
Its applications were designed around close combat fighting and emphasized parrying and counterattacking long weapons like swords or spears using a dagger or other small-scale weapons.
Different Chinese kung fu, which emphasized strikes and kicks, jiu-jitsu uses counter attacks that atomic number 82 to throws and joint locks.
Japanese jiu-jitsu, in its own correct, is often confused with Brazilian jiu-jitsu. We defenseless up with Tony Debelak, a Brazilian jiu-jitsu Black Chugalug and owner of Gracie Jiu Jitsu Aurora, to ask about the differences.
"Traditional Japanese jiu-jitsu," Tony explains, "made its way to Brazil, specifically Rio de Janeiro, in 1925. Carlos Gracie and his brothers learned from Esai Maeda, a Japanese jiu-jitsu fighter. Helio Gracie, the youngest of Carlos' brothers, was the smallest and weakest of the brothers plus he had a medical condition that prevented him from training right away. And so, Helio spent most of his time watching the lessons taught to his older brothers."
Tony continues, "the story goes that in 1928 Carlos was late to teach a class so his brother Helio stepped upwardly. Merely Helio had never practiced traditional jiu-jitsu. He quickly realized he didn't accept the strength to successfully execute the Japanese techniques so he found ways to make the techniques work using leverage, timing, and natural body movements instead of strength, speed, and coordination. That transformation became the foundation of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, which spread across Brazil later on taking on the moniker of Brazilian jiu-jitsu."
Five influential Chinese martial arts styles
Although at that place are a multitude of different styles of Chinese martial arts, some are more popular than others. Check out the list below to acquire about five of the most mutual and influential styles.
1. Shaolin Kung Fu
Shaolin Kung Fu ( 少林功夫 Shàolín Gōngfū) is one of the most popular styles of Chinese martial arts. Considered an "external style," Shaolin Kung Fu was adult past monks at the Shaolin Temple in Henan Province.
The Shaolin Kung Fu style is distinguished past quick, forceful movements and makes use of weapons including spears and, most famously, staffs.
The Shaolin style has a history of over one,500 years and is believed to have been started past Buddhist monks from central Asia. One of these monks, Bodhidharma , is also credited with having founded the Chan schoolhouse of Buddhism, the precursor to modern Japanese Zen Buddhism.
Over the years, Shaolin Kung Fu gained semi-mythic status in China equally a consequence of the exploits of Shaolin Temple'due south "soldier monks." The Shaolin monks supported the founding members of the Tang imperial family in their successful armed struggle for the throne. During the Ming dynasty, the government also enlisted Shaolin monks to fight off multinational gangs of pirates that plagued China'due south coastal areas with frequent raids.
Shaolin monks didn't e'er bask authorities back up, however. During the Qing dynasty, their monastery was fifty-fifty defendant of anti-Qing activities and destroyed, only to be rebuilt afterwards.
Today, there are over 1,000 different sub-styles of Shaolin Kung Fu. Various schools of martial arts in other countries such as Japan also claim their origins can exist traced back to the Shaolin manner.
Shaolin Temple, in Henan Province, is the birthplace of the world-renowned martial fine art known every bit Shaolin Kung Fu.
2. Fly Chun
Wing Chun (咏春 Yǒngchūn) is a southern Chinese kung fu style descended from Shaolin Kung Fu. It has the distinction of having been founded by two women, Ng Mui and Yim Fly-chun.
The Wing Chun style is known for placing accent on technique rather than strength. This fashion too calls for practitioners to stay relaxed while fighting, allowing them to achieve a kind of "softness" or flexibility. This relaxed flexibility gives Fly Chun fighters a special kind of strength that allows them to bend, not break, just like bamboo .
Legend has it that Fly Chun founder Ng Mui was living at Shaolin Temple when information technology was attacked and destroyed past Qing dynasty forces. Surviving the attack, she escaped to the border area between Yunnan and Sichuan. At that place, she met a immature adult female named Yim Wing-chun who was the daughter of a tofu merchant.
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Upon learning that Yim Wing-chun was before long to be forced into union with a local warlord, Ng Mui taught her a modified version of Shaolin Kung Fu to aid Yim defend herself against his unwanted advances.
The style was after picked upward past members of a Cantonese opera troupe chosen the Cherry Boat Opera Grouping, who helped lead a pop uprising against the Qing in the dynasty's waning years.
Ip Human being, featured in the eponymous hit film, was a notable modern practitioner of Wing Chun fashion martial arts. He also taught the Fly Chun style to his student, Bruce Lee, who would go on to act in the beloved Hong Kong kung fu movies that helped make Chinese martial arts famous around the earth.
Wing Chun was the first martial arts mode that Bruce Lee learned.
3. Bajiquan
Bajiquan (八极拳 bājíquán) is another popular Chinese martial art. It emerged in the 18th century and was originally called Baziquan, or "rake fist," considering of its trademark use of swift downward strikes using partially opened fists.
Its current full proper name is 开门八极拳 (kāimén bājíquán), which can be roughly translated as "admissible fist of the viii extremes." The "admissible" or "open up-gate" role of this name comes from the practice of forcing one's opponents arms apart in order to strike their body.
Bajiquan features rapid, explosive movements including elbow and fist strikes and is considered ideal for short-range combat.
As an iconic Chinese martial art, Bajiquan has influenced the pop culture of both China and other countries. It is often featured in Japanese video games, as well as in manga and anime. Bajiquan even makes an appearance in The Matrix and Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance .
Agent Smith, played by actor Hugo Weaving, makes use of Bajiquan techniques in The Matrix.
four. Tai Chi
Tai Chi (太极拳 tàijíquán) is the most well-known of the "internal" Chinese martial arts styles. While it is most commonly practiced today as a meditative, gentle form of practice, it also has its roots in the martial arts and was originally developed as a class of cocky-defense.
Tai Chi is sometimes referred to equally "shadow boxing." Although most people recall of Tai Chi as existence fabricated upwards of dull movements, there are several styles which include faster paced elements.
Similar many other forms of Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi is intimately connected to traditional Chinese belief systems including Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.
Tai Chi's central philosophy is related to the Taoist concept of yin (阴 yīn) and yang (阳 yáng). In traditional Taoist metaphysics, yin is said to be a dark, soft, female force while yang is a difficult, bright, male force. Together, these 2 forces make up the universe, and it is important to seek a balance betwixt them.
Tai Chi is rooted in ancient Taoist philosophy.
In Tai Chi, practitioners piece of work to keep the yin and yang forces constantly in flux so that 2 forces of equal forcefulness are never used against each other. The use of a difficult force confronting some other hard force tin can but upshot in deadlock. Thus, in Tai Chi, hardness should be met with softness, and vice versa.
The exact origins of Tai Chi are unclear, with some historians arguing that information technology originated with a twelfth century Taoist monk, while others contending that its origins are much more recent.
Today, Tai Chi is known both within Communist china and around the globe for its many scientifically proven health benefits. The renowned Mayo clinic even recommends Tai Chi as a great way to gently reduce stress and anxiety.
Mod students of Tai Chi, like these CLI students, tin do good from the many scientifically proven health benefits of this ancient martial fine art.
5. Baguazhang
Like Tai Chi, Baguazhang (八卦掌 bāguàzhǎng) is considered an "internal style" martial art. Its philosophy draws heavily on Taoist concepts like yin and yang and information technology even takes its name from the Taoist trigrams, or bagua .
Dong Haichuan is credited with founding this style in the starting time half of the 19th century by synthesizing martial arts techniques that he learned from the Taoist and Buddhist practitioners that he met during his travels in rural China.
The near distinctive characteristic of the Baguazhang style is its use of circle walking. Practitioners move in a circular pattern while performing the various moves associated with this style, which are quite diverse and include a mixture of strikes, throws, kicks and grappling moves.
Baguazhang is also known for its employ of a various array of weapons including distinctive large broadswords. Interestingly, this style is said to exist particularly effective when fighting against multiple opponents.
A window into Chinese culture
Due to their connections with Chinese philosophy, religion and history, the Chinese martial arts provide a fascinating window into traditional Chinese culture.
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Studying the Chinese martial arts is a keen manner to gain a deeper understanding of Chinese civilization.
Chinese martial art vocabulary
| Hànzì | Pīnyīn | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 功夫 | gōngfū | kung fu; martial arts; skill |
| 武术 | wǔshù | wushu; martial arts |
| 外家拳 | wàijiāquán | external style (of Chinese martial arts) |
| 内家拳 | nèijiāquán | internal way (of Chinese martial arts) |
| 气 | qì | qi; vital energy |
| 北派 | běipài | northern school/style (of Chinese martial arts) |
| 南派 | nánpài | southern schoolhouse/fashion (of Chinese martial arts) |
| 少林功夫 | Shàolín Gōngfū | Shaolin Kung Fu |
| 咏春 | Yǒngchūn | Wing Chun |
| 八极拳 | Bājíquán | Bajiquan |
| 太极拳 | Tàijíquán | Tai Chi |
| 阴 | yīn | yin; a dark, female force |
| 阳 | yáng | yang; a bright, male person strength |
| 八卦掌 | Bāguàzhǎng | Baguazhang |
Source: https://studycli.org/chinese-culture/chinese-martial-arts/
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