| Kung fu and wushu (Traditional Chinese)
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| | resemble Tai Chi Chuan at least as early
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| are popular Chinese terms that have
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| | as the 500 BCE era. In 39-92 CE, "Six
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| become synonymous with Chinese martial
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| | Chapters of Hand Fighting", were included
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| arts.
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| | in the Han Shu (history of the Former Han
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| Chinese martial arts can be traced back
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| | Dynasty) written by Pan Ku. Also, the
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| to the Zhou dynasty in the 12th century
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| | noted physician, Hua T'uo, composed the
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| BCE and possibly earlier. As the Chinese
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| | "Five Animals Play" - tiger, deer,
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| writing system traces back to the Shang
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| | monkey, bear, and bird, around 220 CE. As
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| Dynasty (1766 BCE - 1122 BCE) and with
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| | stated earlier, the Kung Fu that is
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| the unfortunate destruction of many texts
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| | practiced today developed over the
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| during the reign of the first emperor of
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| | centuries and many of the later additions
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| China, it is difficult to confirm claims
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| | to Kung Fu, such as the Shaolin Kung Fu
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| of entire books regarding the martial
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| | style, later animal forms, and the
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| arts being written at earlier times.
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| | drunken style were incorporated from
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| According to legend, the reign of the
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| | various martial arts forms that came into
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| Yellow Emperor (traditional date of
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| | existence later on in China and have
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| ascension to the throne, 2698 BC)
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| | accurate historical data relating to
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| introduced the earliest forms of martial
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| | their inventors.
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| arts to China. The Yellow Emperor is
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| | In regard to the Shaolin style that is
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| described as a famous military general
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| | currently popular, Yi Jin Jing attributed
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| who, before becoming China’s leader,
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| | Bodhidharma (Pu Tai Ta Mo in Chinese or
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| wrote a lengthy treatise about martial
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| | Daruma Daishi in Japanese), a visiting
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| arts. He allegedly developed the practice
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| | Indian Buddhist monk, as the progenitor.
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| of Jiao di or horn-butting and utilized
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| | Bodhidharma visited a monastery, and was
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| it in war. Regardless of these legends,
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| | unhappy to find that some of the monks
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| Jiao di evolved during the Zhou Dynasty
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| | would fall asleep during their
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| into a combat wrestling system called
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| | meditations. Deciding that they needed
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| Jiao li (between eleventh and third
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| | more physical stamina, he introduced to
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| century BCE). The practice of Jiao li in
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| | the monks a system of exercises that
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| the Zhou Dynasty was recorded in the
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| | later developed into the modern Shaolin
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| Classic of Rites This combat system
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| | style. However, the texts that first
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| included techniques such as strikes,
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| | attributed him to Shaolinquan have been
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| throws, joint manipulation, and pressure
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| | shown to be unlikely forgeries.
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| point attacks. Jiao li became a sport
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| | Historical evidence has shown that the
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| during the Qin Dynasty (221 BCE - 207
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| | Shaolin monks during and before this time
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| BCE). Currently, Jiao li is known as
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| | harboured retired soldiers who taught the
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| Shuai jiao, its modern form.
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| | monks self-defense techniques that they
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| The Art of War, written during the 6th
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| | had learned during military training.
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| century BCE by Sun Tzu, deals directly
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| | Near the 7th century CE, the Shaolin
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| with military warfare. There are passages
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| | monks, in order to protect themselves
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| in the Zhuangzi that pertain to the
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| | from bandits and criminals, began to
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| psychology and practice of martial arts.
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| | codify what they had learned into a
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| Zhuangzi, the author of the same name, is
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| | "Shaolin" style. Interestingly enough,
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| believed to have lived in the 4th century
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| | the first fictional martial arts novel
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| BCE. The Tao Te Ching, often credited to
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| | for the general public was also written
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| Lao Zi, contains principles that are
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| | during the T'ang Dynasty in the 6th-7th
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| applicable to martial arts, but the
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| | century CE.
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| dating of this work is controversial.
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| | The fighting styles that are practiced
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| Archery and charioteering were a part of
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| | today were developed over the centuries,
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| the "six arts" ( Chinese: pinyin: liu yi,
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| | after having incorporated forms that came
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| also including rites, music, calligraphy
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| | into existence later. Some of these
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| and mathematics) of the Zhou Dynasty
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| | include Bagua, Drunken Boxing, Eagle
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| (1122 BCE - 256 BCE), according to the
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| | Claw, Five Animals, Hsing I, Hung Gar,
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| text Zhou Li.
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| | Lau Gar, Monkey, Praying Mantis, White
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| Taoist monks are claimed to have been
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| | Crane, Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan.
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| practicing physical exercises that
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