Spirituality – Chinese Martial Arts – Kung Fu

Chinese Martial Arts

Wushu

The word wu is translated as ‘martial’ in English, however in terms of etymology, this word has a slightly different meaning. In Chinese, wu is made of two parts; the first meaning “stop” (zhi) and the second meaning “invaders lance” (je). This implies that “wu’” is a defensive use of combat. The term “wushu” meaning “martial arts” goes back as far as the Liang Dynasty (502-557) in an anthology compiled by Xiao Tong, (Prince Zhaoming; d. 531), called Selected Literature (Wenxian). The term is found in the second verse of a poem by Yan Yanzhi titled: “Huang Taizi Shidian Hui Zuoshi”.

• “The great man grows the many myriad things . . .
  Breaking away from the military arts,
  He promotes fully the cultural mandates.”
  (Translation from: Echoes of the Past by Yan Yanzhi (384-456))

The term wushu is also found in a poem by Cheng Shao (1626-1644) from the Ming Dynasty.

The earliest term for ‘martial arts’ can be found in the Han History (206BC-23AD) was “military fighting techniques” (bing jiqiao). During the Song period (c.960) the name changed to “martial arts” (wuyi). In 1928 the name was changed to “national arts” (guoshu) when the National Martial Arts Academy was established in Nanjing. The term reverted to wushu under the People’s Republic of China during the early 1950s.

As forms have grown in complexity and quantity over the years, and many forms alone could be practiced for a lifetime, modern styles of Chinese martial arts have developed 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. Some traditionalists consider the competition forms of today’s Chinese martial arts as too commercialized and losing much of its original values.

Luc Paquin