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History of Chinese martial arts
Many Chinese martial arts, and several Japanese martial arts, claim to have originated from the teachings of Bodhidharma at the Shaolin Temple, a Buddhist monastery. Researchers regard the claim that all components of Chinese martial arts derive from Bodhidharma with considerable skepticism, since history records earlier sources for some techniques and schools. However, the Shaolin Temple, located in the Henan province near the city of Dengfeng, has had centuries of long tradition of fostering the martial arts as it has provided refuge for martial artists with widely differing techniques from all over China.
Styles of Chinese martial arts
Hundreds of different styles of Chinese martial arts have developed over the past thousand years, many styles unique with their own sets of techniques and ideas. There are styles that mimic movements from animals and others that gather inspiration from various Chinese philosophies. Some styles put all their focus into the belief of the harnessing of qi energy, while others concentrate solely on competition and exhibition. Many styles also make use of the broad arsenal of Chinese weapons. For a list of styles, see list of Chinese martial arts.
Chinese martial arts are split into two broad categories: external and internal (or hard and soft). The difference is what type of training is the main focus of the style, even though most styles contain both external and internal elements. In addition, external styles in particular are often divided into northern and southern as well, referring to what part of China the styles originated from, separated by the Changjiang (Yangtze River).
External/hard styles
These styles are what most people associate with Chinese martial arts. They are generally fast and explosive, focusing on physical strength and agility. External styles can be both the traditional styles focusing on application and fighting, as well as the modern styles adapted for competition and exercise. Examples of external styles are Wing Chun, which emphasizes short-range punches and blocks, Shaolinquan, with its direct explosive attacks and high-kicking aerial maneuvers that resemble those of Korean Tae Kwon Do, and the many animal styles inspired by the movements of certain animals.
In opposite to internal styles, external styles begin with focus on speed and application, and integrate the internal aspects at a much later stage, when a high physical level has already been reached. This internal practice is highly regarded, and is often thought to reveal the true power of the style.
Internal/soft styles
Internal styles focus primarily on the practice of what is considered internal elements, such as strengthening of the mind and the qi, and breathing. Though many people believe internal styles lack physical training, much time is spent on basics, such as stretching and strengthening of muscles, as well as on forms, which can contain quite demanding postures. The forms of most internal styles are performed slowly, though some also include sudden outbursts of explosive movements, such as the Chen style of Taijiquan. The reason for the slow pace is generally to improve coordination and balance, and to let the student feel their whole body and its weight as they perform a technique. At an advanced level, and in real fighting, internal styles are supposed to be performed quickly, but the goal is to learn to involve the entire body in every motion, to stay relaxed, with deep, controlled breathing, and to coordinate the motions of the body and the breathing accurately according to the dictates of the forms while maintaining perfect balance. Internal styles have been associated historically, in legend, and in much popular fiction with the Taoist monasteries of Wudangshan in central China.
Today, only a few traditional schools that teach internal styles train the martial aspects (see pushing hands) or know the applications of their forms for real combat, even though they were originally a part of all internal styles. This is especially evident in schools located outside of China. Most schools teach forms that are practiced for the physical benefits only, as this is what most students are looking for and as the students seldom have the time or devotion to reach far enough in their training to start focusing on the martial aspects. This has made many such styles available for a wider audience, who are not looking to learn how to fight but are interest in the training and philosophies around it. Other schools see this as the most fundamental part of the training, and something that must be practiced as well to understand the purpose of the movements, and feel a school that isn't teaching those aspects cannot be said to be actually teaching the art itself.
Another important part of the training, as in most other physical activities, is what is referred to as basics, such as various exercises for strengthening the body, and regular stretching.
Most Chinese martial arts pay considerable attention to stretching. Common stretching exercises include general warm-up stretching, stretching in pairs, and various types of stretch kicks, usually practiced with speed. As many Chinese martial arts are formed to suit children and higher-level students who have been practicing since childhood, they can include basic exercises that require very high flexibility in order to be possible to perform at all.
Many styles consider forms as one of the most important practices, as they gradually build up the practitioner's strength and flexibility, speed and stamina, and teach balance and coordination. They also function as a tool for both the students and the teacher to remember the many techniques taught by the style, and sort them into various groups.
A style can have many forms, both empty-handed and with weapons. In most styles, empty-handed are the most common, but many styles also contain forms using a wide range of weapons of various length and type, utilizing one or two hands. There are also styles that only practice a certain weapon, containing only forms with the specific weapon.
Another reason why the martial techniques might look different in forms is by some thought to come from a need to "disguise" the applications of the techniques from outsiders, and make the forms so that they could still be performed in front of others without revealing too much of its martial use.
Nowadays, many Chinese martial arts choose not to practice much application at all, as the need for self-defense has become less significant in the societies of today. The introduction of firearms such as guns has made the traditional weapons and empty-handed martial arts lose much of their power, as even a completely untrained person can kill a master of any style by firing a gun from a safe distance. Before guns existed, however, knowledge of martial arts could save both you and your family's life. Because of this, the applications of the techniques were often considered sacred, and were commonly kept secret from all but family and the closest friends. Today, the views on this are very mixed, and some schools openly teach applications to anyone willing to learn. Others still require the students to show that they are worthy before teaching applications, "worthy" usually meaning that the students can be trusted that they will not use their knowledge in bad purpose.
There are also modern styles that practice application and even focus solely on them, though these are aimed mostly at competition. One such style that has grown quite popular is called Sanda (or Sanshou). It is similar to Muay Thai and is a type of sparring competition where the competitors wear protection and gloves, and get points when scoring a hit on the opponent or performing a successful throw.
Many believe that one's qi energy can be improved and strengthened through the regular practice of various physical and mental exercises known as Qigong. Though Qigong is not a martial art itself, it is often incorporated in Chinese martial arts, and practiced as a compliment to strengthen one's internal abilities.
There are many ideas regarding controlling one's qi energy to such an extent that it can be used for healing oneself or others: the goal of medical Qigong. There is also the practice known as Hard Qigong, which purpose is to strengthen parts of the body using qi, so one can withstand massive damage to these areas. Some styles believe in focusing qi into a single point when attacking and aim at specific areas of the human body (similar to the study of acupressure), to cause maximum damage or disable certain functions of the body. Some goes so far as to think that at an advanced level it is possible to cause harm without even touching your opponent, a popular concept in Chinese martial arts movies.
A US network television action series of the early 1970s called Kung Fu also served to popularize the Chinese martial arts on television.Northern styles
These are styles that have evolved from northern parts of China such as the Henan province and the Shaolin Temple. It is said that northern styles put more focus on legwork, kicking and acrobatics. Some say this is because the northern Chinese were generally longer than those living in southern China, and that they made their styles take advantage of their greater range of motion, especially in their legs. An example of a northern style is the modern Changquan (Long Fist) that is the most popular style in the forms division in most contemporary Chinese martial arts competitions held around the world today.Southern styles
Southern styles are styles originally practiced in southern China, in the provinces south of the Changjiang. There are sayings that because of their shorter height, the southern Chinese developed styles that were direct and powerful, mainly developing their upper body strength and speed. A generalized Nanquan (Southern Fist) style has become a popular class in modern Chinese martial arts competitions. It is similar to Changquan but includes more rapid punches and blocks, and less legwork and jumps.Training in Chinese martial arts
Most styles of Chinese martial arts contain practice of the application of techniques (both as prepared drills and as free sparring), but also the practice of what is known as forms, or taolu (套路 - tao4 lu4) in Chinese. Forms are a pre-choreographed series of techniques and movements, performed alone or with one or more partners.Basics
Basics are a vital part of the training, as a student cannot progress to the more advanced stages without them; without strong and flexible muscles, many movements of Chinese martial arts are simply impossible to perform correctly. Basics include such things as stretching, strengthening of muscles, bones and tendons, stamina training, and basic stances, kicks and punches. Some styles also consider jumping, jump-kicks and acrobatics basics. In addition, many styles teach a few basic techniques as well, before moving on to forms. These techniques are normally the most common techniques of the specific style, found in many of the style's forms.Forms
Forms or taolu are series of techniques put together after one another so they can be practiced as one whole set of movements. Some say that forms resemble a choreographed dance, though martial artists often argue that a general difference is the speed and explosiveness seen in most external styles, and that the movements are actual fighting techniques.Types of forms
There are two types of forms in Chinese martial arts. Most common are the solo forms, performed alone by one person, but there are also "sparring" forms, which are a type of choreographed fighting sets performed by two or more people.Appearance of forms
Even though forms of Chinese martial arts are based on martial techniques, the movements might not always be identical to how the techniques they symbolize would look when applied in combat. This is due to the way many forms have been altered, to provide better exercise and to look more beautiful, by including lower stances and higher kicks. This has been especially evident in the later years, as the need for self-defense has decreased and many modern forms have replaced martial movements with acrobatic feats that are more spectacular to watch, in favor for exhibition and competition. Appearance have been important in many traditional forms as well, as it was a way for martial artists to earn money when they had no use of their fighting abilities, by performing on streets or in theaters.Modern forms
As forms have grown in complexity and quantity over the years, and many forms alone could be practiced for a lifetime, there styles of modern Chinese martial arts that concentrate solely on forms, and do not practice application at all. These styles are primarily aimed at exhibition and competition, and often include more acrobatic jumps and movements added for enhanced visual effect compared to the traditional styles. Those who generally prefer to practice traditional styles, focused less on exhibition, are often referred to as traditionalists. Many traditionalists consider the evolution of today's Chinese martial arts as bad, saying that much of its original value is lost.Application
Application training or sparring refers to the training of putting the martial techniques to use. When and how applications are taught vary from style to style, but in the beginning, most styles focus on certain drills where each person knows what technique is being practiced and what attack to expect. Gradually, less and less rules are applied, and the students learn how to react and feel what technique to use, depending on the situation and the type of opponent.Use of qi in Chinese martial arts
The concept of qi (氣), the inner energy or "life force" that flows through the body of every living being, is encountered in almost all styles of Chinese martial arts. Internal styles pay more attention to this than external styles.Chinese martial arts in movies
In modern times, Chinese martial arts have spawned a popular genre of cinema. The films of Bruce Lee were instrumental in the initial burst of Chinese martial arts' popularity in the West, and lately, actors such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan have appeared in many Western films. This type of martial art film is often referred to as "Kung Fu movies" (see martial arts film, Wu Xia film).