DEVELOPMENT OF CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS

HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS

This research paper summarizes and analyzes the historical development of martial arts in China. The form and content of martial arts in China has been the product of the confluence and interaction of many religious, philosophical and practical influences dating back to ancient times. The most important influences have been the Chinese classical approach to warfare and military tactics, Daoist thought, Buddhism and various more modern syntheses of martial arts theories, including the teachings of the monks of the Shaolin Monastery during and after the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618-907) and the Taijiquan classics during the time of the Qing or Manchu Dynasty (1644-1911).

Chinese Military Realities and Classical Theories

The martial arts in practical terms formed the basis for the training of Chinese for combat which in turn was influenced strongly by the nature and realities of warfare as it was practiced in ancient times and recounted by Chinese historians.

Most of those histories related to civil wars between contending power factions, later to the wars which established China's first longlasting unified dynasty, the Han (B.C. 202-A.D. 221), and the wars fought by the Han against barbarians from Central Asia. In the earlier period, the Ch'un Ch'iu era (8th to 5th century B.C.), Kiernan and Fairbanks said warfare was regarded "as the ultimate touchstone of the sovereign's virtue . . . a massive sort of divination in which cosmic

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aven and earth" (pp. 258-259). During the Han period, the art of qi-gong, or "the manipulation of inner energies [qi] through breath control" was developed (Holcombe 12). Even before Buddhist influences from India became prevalent in China (during A.D. 100-700), Taoist teaching stressed the importance of mind over matter. Despeux said "in the practice of gymnastics, the individual makes certain outer or inner movements of the body in correlation with breathing exercises and with special meditative techniques designed to expel negative energies and enhance positive energies" (p. 249). She said for ordinary Chinese "gymnastics . . . should be part of everyone's daily round of activities, as life-giving and as necessary as eating, drinking, and sleeping" (p. 252). Holcombe said "the quintessential Chinese martial art [was] . . . marked by breath control, concentration, and graceful dance-like movements" (pp. 20-21). Buddhism The next major influence on the martial arts was Buddhism imported from India and adapted to the Chinese milieu. In ancient Hindu and pre-Buddhist India, warriors were trained in sword play, wrestling, throws, hand strikes and flying kicks, practices known as nata which Tomio said represented "the awakening o

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