A timeline on the Origins and Development of Chinese Martial Arts
Chinese martial arts are an integral part of China’s history, philosophy and culture. Their origins span more than 4000 years, back to primeval society.
Recorded accounts place the early development of the martial arts to the Xia Dynasty (夏朝2070–1600 BC) when Jiao Di (角力), an early form of Chinese wrestling, was used by Huangdi‘s (皇帝) army in 2697 BC to defeat the rebel army led by Chi You (蚩尤).
In the time of the Shang Dynasty (商朝1766 -1122 BC) and the Zhou Dynasty (周朝1046–256 BC), martial arts evolved from rudimentary tactics into more complex methods. Wrestling techniques were held in high regard and used by soldiers on the battlefield. Kicking, striking and weaponry also continued to develop and by the time of the Qin (秦朝 221 BC–207 BC) and Han (漢朝202 BC–220 AD) dynasties, Chinese martial arts went through significant and rapid change.
By the Tang Dynasty (唐朝 618 – 907), many methods had evolved and techniques were highly regarded. Martial arts examinations were implemented and outstanding martial artists received titles and awards. The exams were demanding and appealed to young men who wanted to advance themselves. The high standards and competitiveness of the examination process further propelled the refinement and growth of Chinese martial arts. The Shaolin Temple (少林寺) gained prominence, and the skill of the Shaolin monks became legendary. The fighting prowess of the monks was instrumental in securing victory for Li Shimin (李世民) in 621 at the battle of Hulao (虎牢之戰). The Tang Dynasty is regarded as the Golden Age of Chinese civilization, including the development of its martial arts. It was during this period that Chinese martial arts, along with other arts and crafts, were introduced to many nations in Southeast Asia.
By the Song Dynasty (宋朝 960 – 1279), Chinese martial arts were widespread, and their practice had become systematized and applied not only for military use but also by civil organizations, thus further enhancing their popularity. Martial arts performance troupes also became popular. These groups would tour and earn their living by demonstrating their martial skills. General Yue Fei (岳飛), a legendary figure in Chinese history, lived during the Southern Song Dynasty and is credited with the development of various weapons and martial arts techniques. He is particularly known for the Eagle Claw system, which he taught to his soldiers to fight the Mongol invaders.
During the Ming Dynasty (明朝1368 – 1644), also known as the Great Ming (大明), martial arts continued to flourish, and many new methods were developed. Training manuals and books on martial arts skills were published. There was also an exchange of martial arts skills among masters of different styles, which led to the creation of new systems; for example, Tai Chi Quan (太極拳) and Xing Yi Quan (形意拳) developed during this time.
The Qing Dynasty (清朝1636 – 1911), also know as the Empire of the Great Qing (大清帝國), was established by the Jurchen people who lived primarily in the region later known as Manchuria. When the Qing came to power, many martial arts masters went underground. Secret societies were formed with the desire to overthrow the Qing and restore the Ming Dynasty to power. During this time, styles such as Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) came to prominence.
A martial arts movement founded to dispel foreign powers from China, and secretly backed by the Qing court, culminated in what became known as the Boxer Uprising in 1900, eleven years before the collapse of Imperial China. This was one of the dark periods for Chinese martial arts because many great masters and entire methods perished in the bloody uprising that pitted traditional Chinese martial arts practitioners, many of whom were Chinese peasants, against cannons, rifles, and machine guns.
In 1910, the Jing Wu Athletic Association (精武體育會) was founded in Shanghai by Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲), with the goal of restoring morale and national pride in the Chinese people and to dispel the label “Sick Man of Asia.” The faculty of the Jing Wu Athletic Association included masters such as Chen Zizheng (陳子正), Zhao Lianhe (趙連和), Ye Yuting (葉雨亭), Wu Jianquan (吴鉴泉), Geng Jishan (耿繼善), and Luo Guangyu (羅光玉). In 1911, the Tianjin Chinese Warrior Society was established by several prominent masters including Ma Fengtu (馬凤图), Li Shuwen (李書文), Li Cunyi (李存义), Sun Lutang (孫祿堂), Zhang Zhankuí (张占魁), and Li Ruidong (李瑞东). The Warrior Society’s main goal was to promote Chinese fighting arts.
The overthrow of the Qing Dynasty put an end to more than 2000 years of Imperial rule, but the birth of the Chinese Republic (1912-1949) brought another bloody period in Chinese history. After the fall of the Qing, a power vacuum led to a period of turmoil. The years between 1916 and 1928 were known as the Warlord Era (軍閥時代) and saw several figures vying for power and control of Beijing. Many famous martial arts masters served as bodyguards for the warlords or martial arts instructors for the various warlords’ armies. In 1927 the Zhong Yang Guoshu Guan (中央国术馆), or Central Martial Arts Academy, was founded by General Zhang Zhijiang (張之江), with a faculty that included some of the most famous practitioners of the time, such as Li Jinglin (李景林), Yang Chengfu (楊澄甫), Sun Lutang (孫祿堂), Ma Yingtu (馬英 圖), Ma Jinbiao (馬金標), Wu Junshan (吳俊山), Wu Yihui (吳異輝), Chen Ziming (陳子明), Wang Ziping (王子平), and Chang Dongsheng (常東昇). The academy was instrumental in establishing a martial arts curriculum, printing books and promoting martial arts at all levels.
The Chinese Civil War essentially began in 1927 between the Chinese Nationalists and the Chinese Communists. This conflict, along with the Sino-Japanese War and subsequently World War II, was a great upheaval for the general population and for the structured practice of Chinese martial arts. In 1936 a team of exceptional martial artists was selected to participate in the Berlin Olympic Games; their performance astonished the crowds. The Nationalists were defeated in 1949 and moved their government to the island of Taiwan. The Guoshu movement that was started in 1927, as well as countless masters of different styles, went with them, and this helped preserve many of the traditional Chinese martial arts teachings.
China was involved in the Korean War (1950-1953), and faced internal turmoil to suppress counterrevolutionary forces. The country suffered three years of natural disasters and great famine from 1958 to 1961 that took the lives of more than 45 million people. During this period, martial arts development was limited to individual practice and small family groups. In 1958, the Chinese Martial Arts Association (中國武術協會) was established to research and preserve Chinese fighting arts. However, much of the progress that was made was aborted by the Cultural Revolution (文化大革命 1966-1976), when the Red Guard ran amok and destroyed so much of China’s cultural heritage. Many martial arts masters suffered greatly, and some were put to death; others simply gave up their teaching and took their skills underground to train secretly. Overall, martial arts practitioners who lived in rural areas were not as affected by the cultural movement and continued their normal practice routine, although with certain reservations.
It was only after the end of the Cultural Revolution that there was a resurgence in the practice of martial arts, and this was fully backed by the Chinese government. In 1979, the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports formed a task force to research and implement standardized teaching practices for Wushu (武術), which integrated all the different martial arts methods under its banner. In 1986, the Chinese National Research Institute of Wushu (国家武术研究院) was established as the principal authority for the administration of all Wushu activities. The International Wushu Federation, or IWUF (国际武术联合会), was formally established on October 3, 1990, and has been working to promote Wushu internationally with the goal of making it an official Olympic sport.
Today, Chinese martial arts are practiced in every corner of the world. In the West they are often referred to by the term Kung Fu or Gong Fu.
Note: This brief writing is the result of the extensive research that was required when I published the Wugong Journal and the Journal of Chinese Martial Arts