Some schools have school masters and rank according to seniority. After a fireworks display, the student then throws a banquet for friends and teachers. To be accepted as a wushu student, one must perform various rituals: kneeling and bowing to teachers, reciting the teaching of ancestors, swearing by an oath, and praying to the ancient grandmasters. It has acquired a system of traditional customs. Broadly absorbing ancient medicine and Daoyin (guides to regimen), etc., it continues to grow deeper and richer.įolk wushu has a long history its skills have passed from father to sons and from teacher to students in many cities and towns. Folk wushu developed out of a need to meet individual combative situations. Historically, after the invention of firearms, military wushu lost its value and was abandoned by the military, only to be integrated into folk wushu. Military wushu developed its technical systems with a mind toward warfare and military conflict. Typical weapons are single knife, sword, rod, spear, iron chain, two-jointed pike, etc., which are shorter and smaller in size than military weapons but easier to carry. The techniques focus primarily on boxing. Its purpose is to defeat or capture the opponent, or to avoid being hurt by the opponent. The emphasis is on individual combat, and training focuses on the development of technical and physical skills for an individual. Fighting skills by fist or foot were regarded as irrelevant in warfare.įolk wushu is a combative form for competition on a stage or for catching thieves. The techniques are mainly in weaponry skills with long spears, broad knifes, long bows, etc. Its purpose was to defeat and kill the enemy. It emphasized the coordination of movements in group fighting and advancing in a battle. From their distinctive roles, military wushu developed killing techniques against large enemy masses. The people’s heroes, Yue Fei (in Southern Sung), Qi Jiguang (Ming) and Yu Dayou (Ming), etc., are the important figures who promoted the interactions of military wushu and folk wushu. Folk wushu enriched itself by absorbing inputs from military wushu and grew. In terms of their interactions and sources of influence, folk wushu grew out of military wushu.ĭefensive and attacking movements are the essential ingredients. They interacted and were influenced by each other, but developed in parallel. The resulting phenomenon was that military wushu and folk wushu had their own features but were interconnected. During the Western Chou dynasty, after the collapse of the slavery system, military wushu (which had been controlled by the slave masters) was introduced to the ordinary people. In the early development stage of wushu, its whole content was military wushu. In ancient times, those martial arts practiced by military personnel were called “military wushu.” Those outside of “military wushu” were called “folk wushu,” practiced by ordinary people. In the Chinese history of martial arts, “traditional wushu” has often combined “military wushu” and “folk wushu” into one. So-called “traditional wushu” refers to a martial art that has its roots in China. Inheriting all that is excellent in Chinese culture, it is regarded by the Chinese as a cultural treasure. It mixes in a philosophy of living and an understanding of the human condition. Chinese wushu is not only treasured for defense, physical exercise, preventing illness, and longevity, it also best illustrates Chinese behavior, morality, philosophy, and aesthetic expression. Its association with Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, and hundreds of other Chinese philosophical systems cannot be ignored. Over its five-thousand-year history, it has acquired a theoretical framework that embraces many Chinese traditional cultures (classical philosophy, ethics, militia, regimen, Chinese medicine, and aesthetic, etc.). It is so broad that one cannot see its edges. It is broad and deep and so profound that one cannot see its beginning or its end. In the long golden river of Chinese cultural history, wushu is a feature of great significance. The correct name is, indeed, wushu, as I discussed in detail in my article, “ Wushu Needs Name Rectification” But, if one mentions kung fu, everyone knows what is meant. When one mentions wushu, many Americans may not understand.
Wushu concept, theories, principles, and philosophies Tradition Wushu and Competition Wushu