Definition
Chinese martial arts are the diverse combat, military, self-defense, health, performance, and physical-culture traditions developed within China and Chinese communities.
They include armed and unarmed systems, striking, kicking, wrestling, joint control, throwing, weapons practice, partner drills, solo forms, conditioning, breath training, and methods of mental cultivation. Their purposes have included warfare, civilian defense, policing, militia training, ritual performance, theatrical display, competition, physical education, health cultivation, and personal development.
Chinese martial arts do not constitute one unified system. They include hundreds of documented styles, family traditions, regional practices, institutional programs, and modern competitive formats. Familiar examples include Shaolinquan, Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Wing Chun, Pak Mei, Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, Shuai Jiao, and modern competitive Wushu.
Chinese Characters
Traditional: 中國武術
Simplified: 中国武术
Pronunciation
Mandarin: Zhōngguó Wǔshù
Cantonese: Zung1 Gwok3 Mou5 Seot6
Literal Meaning
中國 or 中国 means “China” or “the Central Country.”
武術 or 武术 means “martial techniques” or “martial arts.”
Usage
“Chinese martial arts” is an umbrella term. It may refer to traditional systems, modern standardized Wushu, combat sports, military practices, village arts, religiously associated traditions, or performance disciplines.
Terms such as “internal” and “external,” “northern” and “southern,” or “traditional” and “modern” can help organize the subject, but they should not be treated as absolute divisions. Many systems combine qualities assigned to both sides of these classifications.
Popular legends often connect martial arts to famous monasteries, religious figures, generals, or legendary founders. Such traditions can hold cultural and lineage significance even when they cannot be verified as literal history.
Related Terms
Kung Fu
Gongfu
Wushu
Guoshu
Quanfa
Wulin
Jianghu
Wude
Qigong
Neigong
Waigong
Chinese Wrestling
References
- Peter Lorge, Chinese Martial Arts: From Antiquity to the Twenty-First Century.
- Meir Shahar, The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts.
- Stanley E. Henning, “The Chinese Martial Arts in Historical Perspective.”
- Andrew D. Morris, Marrow of the Nation: A History of Sport and Physical Culture in Republican China.