Chinese martial arts
Examples of such traits include Shaolinquan (少林拳) physical exercises involving All Other Animals (五形) mimicry or training methods inspired by Old Chinese philosophies, religions and legends.
It is formed from the two Chinese characters 武術: 武 (wǔ), meaning "martial" or "military" and 術 or 术 (shù), which translates into "art", "discipline", "skill" or "method".
The Emperor is renowned as a great general who, prior to becoming China's leader, authored extensive treatises on medicine, astrology, and the martial arts.
[citation needed] The earliest references to Chinese martial arts are found in the Spring and Autumn Annals (5th century BC),[6] where a hand-to-hand combat theory, one that integrates notions of "hard" and "soft" techniques, is mentioned.
[citation needed] Taoist practitioners have been practicing daoyin (physical exercises similar to qigong that was one of the progenitors to tai chi) from as early as 500 BC.
The earliest appearance of the frequently cited legend concerning Bodhidharma's supposed foundation of Shaolin kung fu dates to this period.
[14] The origin of this legend has been traced to the Ming period's Yijin Jing or "Muscle Change Classic", a text written in 1624 attributed to Bodhidharma.
The Central Guoshu Academy (Zhongyang Guoshuguan, 中央國術館) established by the National Government in 1928[19] and the Jing Wu Athletic Association (精武體育會) founded by Huo Yuanjia in 1910 are examples of organizations that promoted a systematic approach for training in Chinese martial arts.
[3] Like many other aspects of traditional Chinese life, martial arts were subjected to a radical transformation by the People's Republic of China to align them with Maoist revolutionary doctrine.
[26] As a result of these changing sociological factors within China, both traditional styles and modern Wushu approaches are being promoted by the Chinese government.
In the wake of Ang Lee's Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), there has been somewhat of a revival of Chinese-produced wuxia films aimed at an international audience, including Zhang Yimou's Hero (2002), House of Flying Daggers (2004) and Curse of the Golden Flower (2006), as well as Su Chao-pin and John Woo's Reign of Assassins (2010).
Chinese martial arts can also be divided according to religion, imitative-styles (象形拳), and family styles such as Hung Gar (洪家).
Respect for teachers, dedication, discipline, and perseverance are instilled in practitioners, fostering a sense of community and loyalty within martial arts schools and lineages.
It is this holistic approach that distinguishes Chinese martial arts as not just a means of self-defense but as a way of life, promoting personal growth, cultural understanding, and the pursuit of harmony and excellence.
Without strong and flexible muscles, management of qi or breath, and proper body mechanics, it is impossible for a student to progress in the Chinese martial arts.
Therefore, meditation, as a part of foundational training, offers Chinese martial arts practitioners a comprehensive approach to cultivating both the internal and external aspects.
[45][46] Application includes non-compliant drills, such as Pushing Hands in many internal martial arts, and sparring, which occurs within a variety of contact levels and rule sets.
Sparring forms were designed both to acquaint beginning fighters with basic measures and concepts of combat and to serve as performance pieces for the school.
The term taolu (套路) is a shortened version of Tao Lu Yun Dong (套路運動), an expression introduced only recently with the popularity of modern wushu.
As well, often one of these terms are also included in the name of fighting sets (雙演; shuang yan), "paired practice" (掙勝; zheng sheng), "to struggle with strength for victory" (敵; di), match – the character suggests to strike an enemy; and "to break" (破; po).
In modern Chinese martial arts, most of the dui lian are recent inventions designed for light props resembling weapons, with safety and drama in mind.
[50] Many modern schools have replaced practical defense or offense movements with acrobatic feats that are more spectacular to watch, thereby gaining favor during exhibitions and competitions.
[dubious – discuss] The term "wushu 武術" meaning "martial arts" goes back as far as the Liang dynasty (502–557) in an anthology compiled by Xiao Tong (蕭通), (Prince Zhaoming; 昭明太子 d. 531), called Selected Literature (文選; Wénxuǎn).
The earliest term for 'martial arts' can be found in the Han History (206 BC – 23 AD) was "military fighting techniques" (兵技巧; bīng jìqiǎo).
The ultimate goal is reaching "no extremity" (無 極; Wuji) – closely related to the Taoist concept of wu wei – where both wisdom and emotions are in harmony with each other.
Examples of well-known practitioners (武術名師) throughout history: References to the concepts and use of Chinese martial arts can be found in popular culture.
A U.S. network TV western series of the early 1970s called Kung Fu also served to popularize the Chinese martial arts on television.
The fact that he was a non-white male who portrayed self-reliance and righteous self-discipline resonated with black audiences and made him an important figure in this community.
[77] Around 1973, Kung Fu movies became a hit in America across all backgrounds; however, black audiences maintained the films' popularity well after the general public lost interest.
One of the pioneers responsible for the development of the foundational aspects of hip-hop was DJ Kool Herc, who began creating this new form of music by taking rhythmic breakdowns of songs and looping them.
