Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
Martial Arts Of The World - Webs Martial Arts Of The World - Webs
Chinese children in a martial arts class in Beijing, November 1997. (Karen Su/Corbis) 28 Boxing, Chinese day, but also records the names of sixteen of these styles for posterity. Prior to Ming times, boxing had only been mentioned in generic terms. Writings by several other Ming-period authors further raise the number of known styles to about thirty-six. These writings also offer insights into boxing techniques such as changquan (long fist) and duanda (short hitting), and they reveal a number of related boxing skills, including pofa (breaking), jiefa (escaping), nafa (seizing), and diefa (falling), some of which could be categorized as independent fighting systems, which show a striking similarity to Japanese jûjutsu. According to the Ming History (Zhang 1936), boxing was even included in the official military examinations toward the end of the Wanli era (1573–1620), possibly in recognition of General Qi Jiguang’s successes. Qi realized that boxing, in itself, was not particularly useful in battle, but that it was a confidence builder and provided the necessary foundation for effective use of the traditional weapons with which most of his troops were armed. During this same period, some monks from Shaolin Monastery volunteered individually and in groups to help fight pirates. They were known to have practiced boxing, but no specific style of boxing was named for the monastery. Their main claim to fame lay in their skill with iron staves, and
on one occasion their heroic exploits earned them the everlasting reputation of Shaolin Monk Soldiers. With the Manchu conquest of China in 1644, Chinese boxing became politicized, perhaps to a greater degree than it had ever been before. Among his writings, the pro-Ming historian, Huang Zongxi, included comments on an epitaph dated 1669 (1936, 5a–6b) that appear to have been misinterpreted ever since. In the context of the times, his description of an External School of boxing originating in Buddhist (foreign religion) Shaolin Monastery meeting its match in an Internal School originating on Daoist (indigenous religion) Mount Wudang can be seen as symbolizing Chinese opposition to the Manchus. However, less critical individuals took this piece literally as a serious discourse on Chinese boxing theory, an interpretation that has encouraged a degree of divisiveness in the Chinese martial arts community to this day. Other anti-Manchu intellectuals and teachers such as Yan Yuan (1635–1704) practiced boxing and other martial arts as part of what they considered to be a well-rounded education. Heterodox religious groups such as the Eight Trigrams and White Lotus sects used martial arts for selfdefense and included them in their religious practices. The Heaven and Earth Society, otherwise known as the Triads or Hong League, practiced martial arts, including Hongquan (Hong Boxing), and attempted to identify their organization with the fame of Shaolin Monastery. Professional martial artists ran protection agencies and escort bureaus to protect commercial enterprises and the homes of the wealthy, and to ensure the safe transport of valuable items. Finally, there were various protest groups such as the Boxers United in Righteousness, whose antiforeign movement in A martial artist in Beijing practices Chinese boxing, one of the oldest elements of Chinese culture still practiced. (Karen Su/Corbis) Boxing, Chinese 29
- Page 1: Martial Arts of the World
- Page 4 and 5: Copyright © 2001 by Thomas A. Gree
- Page 6 and 7: vi Contents Japanese Martial Arts,
- Page 9 and 10: Editorial Board D’Arcy Jonathan D
- Page 11 and 12: Bill Adams Director, Bill Adams Fit
- Page 13: Kimberley Taylor University of Guel
- Page 16 and 17: xvi Introduction the sword” in Eu
- Page 18 and 19: xviii Introduction References Frida
- Page 21 and 22: Africa and African America Although
- Page 23 and 24: a range of up to 80 meters. The wou
- Page 25 and 26: the competitors. In this respect, t
- Page 27 and 28: Beginning in 1415, after the Portug
- Page 29 and 30: Many African combat systems relied
- Page 31 and 32: as a result of similar circumstance
- Page 33 and 34: eturn strike; rather, the practitio
- Page 35 and 36: Ranking in most aikidô dôjô is b
- Page 37 and 38: The magic monkey Songoku from a Chi
- Page 39 and 40: A young woman aims at a barrel of s
- Page 41: See also Kendô; Religion and Spiri
- Page 44 and 45: Baguazhang is closely associated wi
- Page 46 and 47: 26 Bandô ———. 1984. The Mast
- Page 50 and 51: A modern picture of a Buddhist mona
- Page 52 and 53: 32 Boxing, Chinese Shaolin Styles L
- Page 54 and 55: A 74-year-old Buddhist monk practic
- Page 56 and 57: Grand Master Rich Mooney demonstrat
- Page 58 and 59: 38 Boxing, Chinese Shaolin Styles h
- Page 60 and 61: 40 Boxing, Chinese Shaolin Styles m
- Page 62 and 63: 42 Boxing, Chinese Shaolin Styles (
- Page 64 and 65: 44 Boxing, European See also Animal
- Page 66 and 67: 46 Boxing, European marked the end
- Page 68 and 69: 48 Boxing, European If there is one
- Page 70 and 71: 50 Boxing, European practicality an
- Page 72 and 73: 52 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gilbey, John
- Page 74 and 75: 54 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu papers his w
- Page 76 and 77: 56 Budô, Bujutsu, and Bugei autono
- Page 78 and 79: 58 Budô, Bujutsu, and Bugei Meiji-
- Page 81 and 82: Capoeira Capoeira is a Brazilian ma
- Page 83 and 84: quiring knowledge of capoeira and t
- Page 85 and 86: early 1990s. By the late 1990s capo
- Page 87 and 88: The entries on archery, straight sw
- Page 89 and 90: Contemporary literature provides a
- Page 91 and 92: eral policies in recent years have
- Page 93 and 94: Clovis, one of the earliest Frankis
- Page 95 and 96: A candidate for knighthood, after s
- Page 97 and 98: though the weapons were blunted, th
on one occasion their heroic exploits earned them the everlasting reputation<br />
of Shaolin Monk Soldiers.<br />
With the Manchu conquest of China in 1644, Chinese boxing became<br />
politicized, perhaps to a greater degree than it had ever been before.<br />
Among his writings, the pro-Ming historian, Huang Zongxi, included<br />
comments on an epitaph dated 1669 (1936, 5a–6b) that appear to have<br />
been misinterpreted ever since. In the context of the times, his description<br />
of an External School of boxing originating in Buddhist (foreign religion)<br />
Shaolin Monastery meeting its match in an Internal School originating on<br />
Daoist (indigenous religion) Mount Wudang can be seen as symbolizing<br />
Chinese opposition to the Manchus. However, less critical individuals took<br />
this piece literally as a serious discourse on Chinese boxing theory, an interpretation<br />
that has encouraged a degree of divisiveness in the Chinese<br />
martial arts community to this day.<br />
Other anti-Manchu intellectuals and teachers such as Yan Yuan<br />
(1635–1704) practiced boxing and other martial arts as part of what they<br />
considered to be a well-rounded education. Heterodox religious groups<br />
such as the Eight Trigrams and White Lotus sects used martial arts for selfdefense<br />
and included them in their religious practices. <strong>The</strong> Heaven and<br />
Earth Society, otherwise known as the Triads or Hong League, practiced<br />
martial arts, including Hongquan (Hong Boxing), and attempted to identify<br />
their organization with the fame of Shaolin Monastery. Professional<br />
martial artists ran protection agencies and escort bureaus to protect commercial<br />
enterprises and the homes of the wealthy, and to ensure the safe<br />
transport of valuable items. Finally, there were various protest groups such<br />
as the Boxers United in Righteousness, whose antiforeign movement in<br />
A martial artist in<br />
Beijing practices<br />
Chinese boxing, one<br />
of the oldest elements<br />
of Chinese culture<br />
still practiced. (Karen<br />
Su/Corbis)<br />
Boxing, Chinese 29