Introduction to Chinese Kungfu

Kung fu, (also known as wushu or martial arts) is one of the most well known examples of traditional Chinese culture. It it is probably one of the earliest and longest lasting sports which utilizes both brawn and brain. The theory of Kungfu is based upon classical Chinese philosophy. Over its long history it has developed as a unique combination of exercise, practical self-defense, self-discipline and art. In sports like track and field, ball sports, weightlifting, and boxing, an athlete typically has to retire from full participation in his 30s. Injuries sustained during years of active sport participation at a young age can that affect our health in later life. In Chinese Kung fu however, a distinction is made between "external" and "internal" kung fu. It is said that "In external kung fu, you exercise your tendons, bones, and skin; in internal kung fu, you train your spirit your qi, and your mind." In addition to training to achieve a strong body and nimble limbs, there is also an "internal" training to adjust body and mind, strengthen internal organs, and increase circulation of one's qi, or flow of vital energy. Progressing from movement to stillness, from firmness to softness, the older one gets, the more adept one becomes at kung fu. The higher one's level of achievement in kung fu, the better one is at maintaining good health and living a long, active life. The internal training, that is, practicing Qigong, is essential for Chinese Kung Fu. Chinese say: "Practicing boxing without practicing Qigong will come to nothing." The skills of Chinese kungfu consist of various forms of fighting: fist fights, weapon fights, and other fighting routines (including such offence and defense acts as kicking, hitting, throwing, holding, chopping and thrusting) and unarmed combat. According to Statistics, there are over 100 schools of Chinese boxing alone. Many individual styles within each of these schools. Yongchun Quan (Wing Chun, Eternal Youth Boxing) originated in Fujian Province, later spreading south to Guangdong, Macao and Hong Kong. Yongchun Quan is just one of a number of styles under the general term, Nan Quan, the Southern School of Boxing, a vigorous and aggressive school popular south of the Yangtze River. Of the many styles of Nan Quan, the most well-known are Hongjia Quan, Liujia Quan, Caijia Quan, Lijia Quan, and Mojia Quan, "the Five Great Schools." Other schools of Nan Quan are: Tiger and Crane Boxing, Eternal Youth Boxing, Knight Boxing, Hakka Boxing, Buddhist Boxing, White-Eyebrow Boxing, Confucian Boxing, Southern Skills Boxing, Kunlun Boxing, House of Kong Boxing, Han-Exercising Boxing, Diao School of Teaching, Yue School of Teaching, and Song School of Teaching. Bei Quan, the Northern School of Boxing is a generic term for those schools in the provinces north of the Yangtze River. Characterized by speed and strength, the Northern School emphasizes variations of kicking and footwork, hence the common saying "Southern fists, Northern legs." The major styles of the Northern School are: Shaolin Boxing, Wheeling Boxing, Zha School of Boxing, Essence Boxing, Flower Boxing, Cannon Boxing, Hong School of Boxing, Full-Arm Boxing, Maze Boxing, Six-Harmony Boxing, Springing Legs, Jabbing Feet, Eight-Ultimate Boxing, Great Ancestor Extended Boxing and Silk Floss Boxing. There are also the popular Taiji Quan and Chang Quan, the energetic Xingyi Quan (Imitation Boxing), the flowing Bagua Quan, the vivid Hou Quan (Monkey Boxing) and Zui Quan (Drunken Boxing), the acrobatic Ditang Quan (Tumbling Boxing), and more. Each has its own characteristic skills. Chinese Kungfu involves practice with weapons as well as the standard bare-hand skills. "Weaponry" includes nine kinds of long weapons and nine short, such as knives, spears, swords, and clubs, which together constitute what is called the "Eighteen Types of Martial Arts." The majority of these weapons have been adapted from traditional weapons, hence the use of the term the "eighteen military weapons." This term was already widely used during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The Ming novel, Outlaws of the Marsh mentioned it frequently. One version of the book records the "eighteen military weapons" as the lance, mallet, long bow, crossbow, jingal, jointed bludgeon, truncheon, sword, chain, hooks, hatchet, dagger-axe, battle-axe, halberd, shield, staff, spear and rake. Today, the term generally refers to the broad-sword, lance, rapier, halberd, hatchet, battle-axe, shovel, fork, jointed bludgeon, truncheon, hammer, harrow, trident, staff, long-blade spear, cudgel, dagger-axe and wave-bladed spear. This is only a general term, since military weapons were never restricted to just eighteen forms. Other weapons frequently used include the rope-dart, Emei dagger named after the Emei Mountain in Sichuan Province from which the style originated, as well as the bent-handled club and hook. Today, the wide variety of weapons used in Kungfu practice fall into four groups: 1. Long Weapons: Longer than the height of a person and wielded with both hands during practice. They include the lance, staff, great broad-sword, spear, halberd, fork, trident and spade. 2. Short Weapons: Shorter than the height of a person and wielded with one hand. These include the broad-sword, rapier, hatchet, hammer, truncheon, jointed bludgeon, dagger and shield. 3. Soft weapons: Rope, chains, or rings are used to create linked weapons which are able to strike close or far and are wielded with one or both hands. They include the nine-sectioned chain, three-sectioned flail, flying hammers which is tow iron balls linked by a long iron chain, the rope dart, flying claw and the ordinary flail. 4. Twin weapons: Here a pair of weapons are wielded, one in each hand. These include twin broad-swords, handled clubs, twin lances, twin hatchets, twin daggers, double-bladed daggers, Panguanbi (Twin rods with fist-shaped heads) and duck and drake battle-axes. Shaolin Kungfu and Shaolin Temple The Shaolin kungfu, following its originating in the Shaolin Temple, had been circulated for quite a long time among the monks of the Temple. It is after the event of 13 martial monks helping Prince Tang that the world began to know about the kungfu of Shaolin, and gradually a huge system of the Shaolin kungfu has taken shape in the society. In the Tang and Song Dynasties and afterwards, a lot of non-monks entered the Shaolin Temple to learn kungfu and conduct kungfu exchange. By the mid-Ming dynasty, the Shaolin kungfu was already popular in the society. By the beginning of the Qing dynasty there were ten branch Temples of the Shaolin in China. And these branch Temples became the centers of the Shaolin kungfu. In the course of popularization the Shaolin kungfu itself has got enriched and developed. The result is that there are now many Shaolin kungfu schools, such as the Emei Shaolin, the Guandong Shaolin, the Fujian Shaolin, the Shandong Shaolin, etc.. As the spread is so fast and the scale is so large that in the present China "people cannot talk about martial arts without mentioning the Shaolin". Hence the saying: "All the kungfu in the world originate from the Shaolin Temple". When China entered into the modern age, the recent century of wars and civil commotion has accelerated the spreading of the Shaolin kungfu. The Shaolin disciples live all over China. Since China adopted the policy of economic reform and opening up to the outside world, the central and local governments have been giving support to the Shaolin Temple kungfu, regarding it as an important aspect for prospering the national culture of China. There are now countless organizations specializing in learning and studying the Shaolin kungfu. In a sense the Shaolin kungfu has become popular wushu for the common people. As a physical exercise for human beings, the Shaolin kungfu is also being extensively popularized in the world. Its overseas spreading can be dated back to the Yuan Dynasty. During the reign of the Emperor Taiding of the Yuan Dynasty, a Japanese monk named Dazhi came to China to study the Zen. When he returned to Japan, he was the earliest one who introduced the Shaolin kungfu in Japan. During the reign of the Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Yuanding, a non-monk desciple in the Shaolin Temple, sailed eastward and reached Japan, where he spent many years embarking the boxing of the Shaolin Temple. In the 1930's a Japanese monk, Zong Daocheng, came to the Shaolin Temple to learn kungfu. When he returned to his motherland, he founded the world's first non-Chinese organization specializing in exercising the Shaolin Temple kungfu, "Japanese Shaolin Temple Boxing Kungfu Association", which has at present a membership of over a million. In the past years, along with the opening of China to the outside world, the Shaolin kungfu has been introduced to foreign countries at an even higher speed. At present special organizations for imparting the Shaolin kungfu have been set up in more than 10 countries including U.S., Holland, France, Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Switzerland etc.. In the recent years people from more than 30 countries and regions have come to the Shaolin Temple to get kungfu training. The Shaolin monks delegations consisting of monks and non-monks have visited many countries. With a view to accelerating the spreading of the Shaolin kungfu schools have been set up all over the world. In 1991, in order to promote the development and interf low of the Shaolin kungfu, in Zhengzhou, capital city of Henan province, the China Zhengzhou Shaolin Wushu Festival was established and was to be observed annually. This international Shaolin kungfu festival indicates that the Shaolin kungfu of China is sure to become a precious cultural heritage of the whole mankind. Shaolin temple Shaolin Temple was built during the Northern Wei Dynasty in the 19th calendar year of the reign of Emperor Taihe (495) and is one of China's most famous an-cient temples. The Shaolin Temple once had many monks on its premises. Those monks of the lower level mostly came from the secular society and some of them knew some martial arts before entering the temple. Those who knew martial arts taught and helped each other to improve their skills. They also absorbed the experience of their predecessors and gradually developed their mar-tial arts into the unique Shaolin school. During the Northern Qi Dynasty (550-577), Shaolin monks could lift hundreds of kilograms in weight and were good at Chuan and horse riding. By the end of the Sui Dynasty (581-618), Li Shimin, king of the Qin state, fought with the self-appointed emperor of the Zheng state, Wang Shichong. Shaolin monks Zhi Cao, Hui Yang, and Tan Zong took the side of Li and heped him catch the latter's nephew Wang Renze to force the self-appointed emperor to surrender. After Li Shimin was enthroned as the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, he awarded his followers ac-cording to their military merits and contributions. Monk Tan Zong had the title of chief general con-ferred on him, while the Shaolin Temple was given large grants of land and money to expand the temple complex. The Shaolin Temple was allowed to organize an army of monk soldiers, who acted as military people in warring times and as monks in peace time. The Shaolin school of Chuan im-proved and developed through the trials of battles and wars. The Shaolin monks in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) were all taught to practise Wushu. In the 32nd calendar year of the Jiajing reign (1553), the Shaolin military monks took part in the battles against Japanese invaders in southern China and accomplished many military exploits. Wang Shixing of the Ming Dynasty wrote in his Tour of Mount Song. "All of the 400 Shaolin Temple monks have good Wushu skills." "Fists and cudgels were wielded as if they were flying during practice." Cheng Chongdou also of the Ming Dynasty wrote in his book The Dossier of Shaolin Cudgel Fight: "Shaolin monks are best known for their cudgel fights." Ming general Yu Dayou, who was reputed for his anti-Japanese military service, went to teach cudgel fighting skills in the Shaolin Temple. It was in the latter half of the Ming Dynasty that Shaolin monks switched from cudgel fighting to fist fighting, so that fist fights could be promoted to match cudgel fights. In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the people living around the Shaolin Temple were very active in practising Wushu, which boosted the development of the Shaolin school of martial arts. In the Shao-lin Temple, the rear hall was used for Wushu exercises, where various kinds of weapons were dis-played on the weapon stands ready for use at any time. Some monks practised fist fighting to safe-guard the temple. After years of exercises and practising, foot prints were stamped on the brick floor of the rear hall and these prints can be seen clearly even today. On the north and south walls of the White-Clothes Hall, there are Qing Dynasty murals vividly depicting the exercises practised by monks in the temple. In the fifth calendar year of the Yongzheng reign of the Qing Dynasty (1727), people were not allowed to practise Wushu. However, they could not be stopped either in the secular society or in the Shaolin Temple, where Wushu was practised underground. Apart from the Shaolin Temple on Mount Songshan, the Shaolin Temple was said to have set up more than a dozen Shaolin affiliates in other temples in the country. The Shaolin Temple on Mount Nine Lotus in Fujian Province during the Ming Dynasty was famous for developing the Shaolin Quan. Around the 1911 Revolution against the Qing Dynasty, the Shaolin martial arts underwent further developments. Wushu clubs were established all over the country and most of them took the Shaolin Quan. Lots of patriots organized sabre and flying sword groups in order to overthrow the dynasty. They constantly practised their skills and contributed greatly to the cause. Taiji Quan Taiji Quan is a very unique and powerful art, for both internal power and longevity. Taiji Quan is a martial art which embodies Taoist philosophy. When Taiji Quan was developed, the martial arts were very aggressive. One's proficiency was measured by the strength and aggression of attack, in terms of the Taoist principle of yin and yang this was a purely "yang" conception of martial arts. What was revolutionary about Taiji Quan was the incorporation of the yin element to fighting. In Taiji Quan one uses a balance of yin techniques with yang techniques, a balance between yielding and attacking. It is for this reason that Taiji Quan is described as "a needle hidden in cotton" or "hardness concealed in softness". Presently Taiji Quan is rapidly growing in popularity for the tremendous health benefits which come through practice. Clinical studies have shown that T'ai Chi practice can lower blood pressure, reduce nervous tension, and benefit the immune, digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. At this time, over one hundred million people practice Taiji Quan on a regular basis. The heart of the Taiji Quan system is the practice of the single Taiji Quan form. The form practice of Taiji Quan is the foundation of the training. Though Taiji Quan is done slowly, the movements are very difficult and strenuous. Regular practice of Taiji Quan greatly improves the functioning of the bodily systems. Chen style taiji quan Chen-style Taiji Quan is an ancient traditional Chinese KungFu. It's also the origin of all kinds of Taiji style. It falls into two categories - the old and new frames. The old frame was created by Chen Wangting himself. It had five routines which were also known as the 13-move boxing. Chen Wangting also developed a long-style boxing routine of 108 moves and a cannon boxing routine. It was then handed down to Chen Changxing and Chen Youben, boxers in the Chenjia Valley who were all proficient at the old frame. The present-day Chen style boxing boasts of the old routine, the cannon routine and the new routine. The Chen style taiji boxing is the oldest form, all the other styles of taiji quan having derived from it either directly or indirectly. Other styles of taiji quan include Yang style taiji quan, Wu style taiji quan, Wu Yuxiang style taiji quan, and Sun style taiji. Qi Gong - Chinese Kungfu Qi Gong" (literally "breath exercise"),is an invaluable component of traditional Chinese medicine that has its origin in ancient times. Its primary stimulus was the search for longevity with the ultimate aim of immortality, which has so entranced the Chinese mind for centuries. The records shows the exercises to help the "qi" (the human body's vital energy) circulating freely and to nourish the internal organs dated to the Shang Dynasty (16th-11th centuries B.C.). The actual practice of "qigong" began in the fourth century A.D. Since then the search by physician and patient for greater health, techniques of religious cultivation and the martial artist's quest for better training methods all contributed greatly to its development and enrichment over the following centuries. The Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, Medical and Martial schools of practice developed. Unique to China only, Qigong has become an integral part of the the Chinese culture. Qigong exercise can produce a myriad of beneficial effects, of which the most common are preventing and curing diseases, strengthening the constitution, avoiding premature aging, and prolonging life. Qigong exercise requires one to relax, to be calm, natural and free from distractions, so that it can remove "stress," and dispel tension. Qigong exercise helps to keep the main and collateral channels in good shape to establish harmony between vital energy and blood, to balance between Yin and Yang, and improve coordination of the nervous system, so that protective inhibition of the cerebral cortex can be enhance. Qigong exercise helps to reduce fundamental metabolism, increase the capacity of storing energy, apply massage to the abdomen and improve appetite and brings good digestion. Qigong exercise helps to tap the body potentialities, stimulate positive factors, and enhance one's self-control. Therefore, it becomes an effective measure to attain health and longevity. Qigong masters and medical practitioners have developed a theory from a wealth of experience and practice of Qigong over many centuries. The modern scientific research and evaluation of qigong exercise has attracted increasing attention from academic and intellectual circles around the world. This may bring the benefits of qigong intellectual to light, but it may leave mech anistic dogmatism to Qigong phenomena.