Chinese Kung Fu

Kung Fu

Bruce lee, Jackie Chan, Jet lee, you must have known them by their action movies. Of course, you can learn Chinese culture through those action movies of China. Chinese martial arts are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families", "sects" or "schools" of martial arts. Go so far as to its history, the genesis of Chinese martial arts has been attributed to the need for self-defense, hunting techniques and military training in ancient China. According to legend, Chinese martial arts originated during the semi-mythical Xia Dynasty more than 4,000 years ago. It is said the Yellow Emperor Huangdi introduced the earliest fighting systems to China. That is to say, Chinese martial arts are of long standing.

Early history

It is said that the earliest references to Chinese martial arts are found in the Spring and Autumn Annals (5th century BCE), where a hand to hand combat theory, including the integration of notions of "hard" and "soft" techniques, is mentioned. Feiyue Martial Arts Shoes There is a combat wrestling system called juélì, which included techniques such as strikes, throws, joint manipulation, and pressure point attacks. Jiao Di became a sport during the Qin Dynasty (221–207 BCE). The Han History Bibliographies record that, by the Former Han (206 BCE – 8 CE), there was a distinction between no-holds-barred weaponless fighting, which it calls shǒubó, for which training manuals had already been written, and sportive wrestling, then known as juélì. Wrestling is also documented in the Shǐ Jì. In the Tang Dynasty, descriptions of sword dances were immortalized in poems by Li Bai. In the Song and Yuan dynasties, xiangpu contests were sponsored by the imperial courts. Whereas, the modern concepts of wushu were completely developed by the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Modern history

During the Republic of China's Kuomintang government of mainland China (1915–1949), the Jing Wu Athletic Association (established in 1910) together with the Central Guoshu Institute (established 1928) played an important role in the preservation of traditional schools of martial arts and their transformation into the various modern styles practiced today. Also, as a Chinese, we should take our duties to pass on our precious culture of Chinese martial arts.
Styles

Shaolin Sect

Shaolin Sect is one of the largest and best known orthodox sects in the wulin (martial artists' community). Its home base is in Shaolin Monastery, Henan. Its original aim was improving health, self defence, upholding justice and helping the weak. What are mentionable are its complex skills- Shaolin Long Fist, Arhat Fist, Tiger Subduing Palm, Skanda Palm and Merciful Thousand Leaves Hand. To impress you more deeply, I can recommend you to read a novel named The Smiling, Proud Wanderer  ,which has been made into a TV series.

Wudang Sect

Have you ever read Jin Yong’s novels? If you have read, you must know WuDang Sect. The Wudang Sect is a fictional martial arts sect mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction, which is featured as one of the leading orthodox sects in the wulin. It is named after the place it is based, the Wudang Mountains. To tell you more about it, the sect was founded in the early Yuan Dynasty by Zhang Sanfeng. In addition, the fundamental skills of it are Shiduanjin, Thirty-two Styles of Long Fist , Wudang Long Fist, Wudang Heart Sutra and Eight Trigrams Soaring Dragon Palm. Last but not the least, Wudang's "inner energy" skills and qinggong are also amongst the best in the wulin.

Emei Sect

To learn Emei Sect better, you ought to read Jin Yong’s novel. In Jin Yong's The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, the Emei Sect is founded in the early Yuan Dynasty by Guo Xiang around the same time as the Wudang Sect. What’s more, what makes Emei Sect extraordinary is that Emei's martial arts are the best among those suited for women. When it comes to its styles, Emei's martial arts range from powerful inner energy cultivation techniques to the use of weapons and unarmed combat. The skills of it is also so amazing, such as the Nine Yin White Bone Claw and the Six Specially Mastered Skills.

Kongtong Sect

The Kongtong Sect is a fictional martial arts sect mentioned in several works of wuxia fiction. It is a leading orthodox sect in the wulin . It is also named after the place where it is based, the Kongtong Mountains. There is an interesting story about its history, according to legend, the sect was founded by a shepherd boy. The boy met an immortal in the Kongtong Mountains, who taught him extraordinary martial arts. The boy later became Mulingzi, the founder of the Kongtong Sect. Furthermore, some of Kongtong's best known skills include Seven Harms Fist, Soaring Phoenix Hand, and Yin and Yang Grind.

Representative Films

• Fist of Fury
• Enter the Dragon
• Shaolin Temple
• Once Upon a Time in China

Influence

Chinese martial arts are the collective memory of Chinese. Historically, the influence of Chinese martial arts can be found in books and in the performance arts specific to Asia. Recently, those influences have extended to the movies and television that targets a much wider audience. Besides, It also becomes an event in Olympic Games since 2008. As a result, Chinese martial arts have spread beyond its ethnic roots and have a global appeal. Nowadays, Kung fu has become a regular action staple, and makes appearances in many films In the west. On the whole, Chinese KungFu is not only popular in China but also in the west, and it is influencing more and more people around the world.