Wushu History

What is the History of Wushu?

Contemporary Wushu culture is not just made up, without historical foundation, and it didn't just suddenly appear in its present form . It underwent a gradual development over a long period of time.

Instinctual attack

Primitive technique (Primitive Wushu)

Primitive society

Early stages of Wushu forms (Individual Wushu)

Xia -Song dynasties

Complete Wushu forms (Chinese Wushu)

Yuan- Qing dynasties

International Wushu forms (International Wushu)

Present

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ertertWhat are the different styles of Wushu?

Chinese Wushu* has many different styles which, if traced back through the lineage of masters, seem to start in the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties. The categorization of these styles varies greatly. For example, some say Wushu falls into "Southern Style", "Northern Style", and "E Mei Style"; others say the division should be "Yellow River Style", "Yangtze River Style", "Zhu River Style"; some say the styles fall into internal and external styles, ... Moreover, within each style, there are many forms. In 1984, there began a national research program to excavate all the styles of Wushu so that, at present, the history of Wushu has been clarified, the styles have been delineated and specialties identified. Over 128 styles have been recorded.

Why are there so many different weapons in Wushu?

The weapons used in Wushu play a central part in the Wushu forms and culture and have likewise gradually developed over time. Every weapon has a characteristic period, place, material, and use associated with it. Wushu contains a dazzling array of weapons which play different roles in various styles. According to the style and school in which it is used, every weapon has a different method of use and application. Through constant usage and mastery one can appreciate how one's specific mood, personality and environment all demand certain special characteristics of a weapon, hence the large number of different weapons used in Wushu.

How is Wushu related to other martial arts?

As with other branches of Chinese culture, Wushu, upon introduction into other cultures, mixed and adapted to those cultures. It's easy to see! As a matter of fact, Japanese Judo has its origins in China. At the end of the Ming Dynasty, Chen Yuan Yun left China and voyaged to Japan , where he settled in Guo Nei Temple. There, he gave instruction in how to catch criminals and convicts, but essentially this was teaching Chinese Wushu. Today, we can trace back the lineage of Tokyo Japanese Roushu back to Chen Yuan Yun based on inscriptions in tablets . Japanese Karate also has its origins in China. In fact, it quite clearly is a derivative of some styles of Nan Quan (Southern Style). Zong Dao Chen, having studied Shaolin Temple Style upon returning to Japan initiated a hybrid of Shaolin and local styles. The extensive Shaolin Style over the past thousand years has acted to bring together many different styles into new ones. But such fusion of styles is not ablsolute; the exchange of different cultures, styles and forms throughout history is, one could say, without end. Isn't Chinese Wushu a clear example of this?

Who can learn Wushu?

Wushu is for everybody! Old and young, male and female, all can learn! More specifically, according to one's age, physical health, and other qualities, one can choose an appropriate style and form of Wushu to practice.

1- Older people can study Taiji (or Taichi) in a number of ways .

2- Younger people can begin a more rigourous training emphasizing speed, jumping, acrobatics, and athletic power.

3- Children are the most suitable for studying Wushu because in the early years, the body responds, adapts and grows in step with one's practice. I myself have been practicing from early childhood, a fact which even today runs deeply through my practice.

To read some stories from my own practice click here.