Types of Chinese Martial Arts (Wushu)
Article by Leslie T
Shaolin Martial Arts
Being an important part of Chinese traditional martial arts, Shaolin martial arts are considered to be the authentic Chinese kungfu. Originally, Shaolin Kungfu was developed from the Shaolin Temple, in the region of Song Mountain. While cultivating in the thick forest of the high mountains, monks created a set of body-building exercises by learning the postures of flying, jumping and running from birds, beasts and fish. Gradually, these body-building exercises developed into a sort of boxing through long practice and improvement, which is generally called ‘Shaolin boxing’. Shaolin martial arts include boxing, stick art, spear art, sword art and so on. Shaolin boxing is strong and powerful. It is a combination of attack and defence thus making it practical for real fights. Stick art played an important role in wars. It can not only defeat the enemy and achieve victory, but also improve health and promote longevity. Spear is regarded as the king of the ancient weapons. Spear arts are various, including Shaolin spear, Yezhan spear, Lanmen spear and so on. Sword arts have a far-reaching influence on the Shaolin martial arts. The vigorous sword dance brings people a wonderful aesthetic feeling.
Wudang Martial Arts
Wudang martial arts are greatly related to the Chinese native religion – Taoism. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist who lived in the Song Dynasty (960-1279) created Wudang martial arts. The Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) saw the formal popularity of Wudang Kungfu. In order to promote Wudang Taoism all over China, Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty assembled 300,000 civilian workers to build 33 Taoist complexes in Mt. Wudang. It took them 13 years to finish the whole construction. Wudang Kungfu emphasizes the strengthening of bones and muscles and internal cultivation, and encourages the use of softness to conquer the unyielding. It doesn’t advocate attack but at the same time it is hard to defeat. Shadow boxing, Bare-hand fighting in six steps, Wuji boxing are all types of Wudang Kungfu. Wudang Sword is regarded as Wudang’s priceless treasure. Taiji Sword, Liuhe Spear, Baihong Sword are also famous Wudang weapons.
Soul-Particle Type (spontaneous type) is said to have been practiced by real ancient witches and wizards who believed that inside the human body exists the “soul particle”, a necessary matter of the human soul and a carrier of human sub-consciousness. The key to exercising this is to let one’s soul particle control oneself and to let one’s subconsciouness make spontaneous moves, so that the human potential energy can be strengthened through the exercises. The exercises were chiefly used to cure diseases and injuries of oneself and others. Its representative exercises are the Soul-Particle-Motion Technique.ýThe Internal Elixir Type was originally founded by Daoists as a part of alchemy. But also some Confucian scholars took part in it on the basis of the ideas in the “Book of Changes”. So, this type was a mixed product of Daoists and Confucian scholars, which was greatly improved. Exponents of this type believe that practicing this type of exercises will result in longevity, as if one has taken the elixir. Because of this belief and the pursuit of people for longevity, the Internal Elixir Type has become the mainstream of breathing exercises. It has formed a complete, complicated system aiming at the “great way” or longevity, not at any magic power.
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