Tracing History(Throughout the Dynasties)
1.Spring and Autumn period ~ Tang Dynasty
The origin of Chinese Martial Arts can be traced back to ancient society.Records from the Spring and Autumn period list shuai jiao, a form of Chinese wrestling, as a part of military training. Records from a Shaolin temple in Henan active during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty still survive today. In CE 702, Empress Wu Ze Tian established the military examination system, electing generals and officers on their military merit. This greatly spurred the development of martial arts in China.
2.Song dynasty ~ Ming Dynasty
After the establishment of the Song dynasty, bans on civilian organizations and possession of weapons were instituted. Many civilians and soldiers began to practice martial arts after the exodus of the Song imperial family to the south, at the suggestion of patriotic generals. With northern China occupied by the Jin, refugees from the north brought new styles of martial arts which blended with the existing Southern schools. Wanderers who practiced martial arts for a living were not uncommon during this period. In the Yuan Dynasty Han Chinese were considered second-class citizens, and were forbidden from practicing martial arts or attending martial arts meets. Qi Jiguang, a famed general of the Ming Dynasty, organized the various regional schools of martial arts into what is known today as the Southern Shaolin style. Many unique schools of martial arts were conceived during the Ming Dynasty, and books recording martial arts-related matters were published one after another.
3.Early Qing Dynasty
In the early Qing Dynasty, Han Chinese were banned from gathering and learning martial arts. Shaolin temples were supervised so that monks could not practice martial arts as well. Because the ban was exclusive to Han Chinese, the population of martial arts-learning Arabs residing in Cangzhou, a city close to Beijing, grew dramatically. As a result Cangzhou became the primary land-based trade route into Beijing. Luohan Quan and Liuhe Quan were among the popular schools in Cangzhou at the time.
4.After the Opium War of 1840
In Guangdong, Lin Zexu and Deng Tingzhen, Viceroy of the Two Guangs, cracked down on smuggled cigarettes in order to block out opium. This triggered the Opium War, necessitating the support of local organizations and martial arts groups. Since the ban on martial arts had somewhat loosened by then, they organized public practice sessions to defend from potential British invasions. The most famous martial arts town in the Guangdong area is Foshan, known for its Hung Gar masters. Hung Gar eventually spread from Foshan to the Nanjing and Jiangzhe regions. Notable Hung Gar masters include Wong Kei-ying and his son, Wong Fei-hung.
Due to rampant crime in Qing society, wealthy merchants and nobles would hire bodyguards or martial arts masters for self-protection. Household servants would be trained in martial arts, and local self-defense forces employed coaches to teach them martial arts. After the midpoint of the Qing Dynasty, martial arts began to be classified into internal (focused on qi) and external (focused on raw strength) schools. Spiritually schools were also divided into Buddhist and Daoist, and geographically they were categorized into Nanquan (Northern Fist and Beitui (Southern Kick). In the late Qing Dynasty, the term “Wudang Sect” emerged to refer to schools of martial arts from Beijing, Tianjin which combine elements of Changquan, Hung Gar, giving birth to new styles such as Tai Chi.
5.Under Nationalist Regime
With a stable government and a transitioning economy, many bodyguards turned to educational careers as martial arts coaches, leading to many new schools of martial arts. The Nationalist government strongly encouraged people to learn martial arts for its health benefits, establishing martial arts classes as part of PE curriculum in many schools. In 1927, the Nationalist government established the Central Guoshu Institute in Nanjing to better manage martial arts organizations. After World War II and the Chinese Civil War, however, the development of martial arts in China came to a standstill.
6.Under Communist Regime
Because of the communist party’s policy of public ownership, private training halls were banned. During the Cultural Revolution the value of martial arts was rejected — many books regarding the subject were destroyed, and people with occupations related to martial arts were subject to systematic persecution. In the 16 years between 1966 and 1982, the development of martial arts in China halted completely. After the Chinese economic reform, the State Sports Commission redefined the standard content for various schools of martial arts. A total of 10 International Chinese Kuoshu (lit. National Arts) Competitions were held between 1984 and 1993, which were later suspended due to conflicts between Taiwan and mainland China.
7.The Present
Currently the Chinese National Research Institute of Wushu and the Wushu Administrative Center are organizations included in the All-China Sports Federation. The China Wushu Association is also supported by the All-China Sports Federation. Chinese martial arts have developed even further after the Nationalist government’s relocation to Taiwan. New, unique schools of martial arts such as the Seven Khiams of Xiluo have been born, while ancient schools like Tai Chi have also been preserved.
