Traditional Chinese Martial Arts are a set of very old combat and defense systems that have significantly influenced the rest of martial styles of the world. Formerly referred to as Wǔ Shù* 武術 (“martial arts”) or Guó Shù 國術 (“national arts”), today they are popularly known as Kung Fu 功夫**.
The difference between a martial art and a contact sport is that the martial arts, in addition to constituting a physical training as personal defense systems, also have a strong mental, philosophical and/or spiritual component, and a code of conduct or ethics. The student of martial arts not only learns defense techniques, but is also involved in a process of personal development that affects all areas of his life, making him grow and improve as a person.
Let’s not forget that the Shǎolín 少林 martial arts were means of achieving spiritual realization for the monks.
Notes:
* Nowadays the term Wǔ Shù usually refers to modern Wushu as a competitive sport, rather than as a martial art.
** Although the Chinese word 功夫 can be transcribed as Gōng Fū or as Kung Fu, we will refer with the first term to the skill or mastery that can be developed by both a martial artist and a potter, and with the second to the set of styles and systems of Chinese Martial Arts. Thus, Tài Jí Quán 太極拳 or Tai Chi is also a Kung Fu style.
Tīng lì 聽力 refers, in the field of Chinese martial arts, to a type of skill related to the perception of the opponent’s movements by touch. Its application is so wide that it covers the entire martial art, making it impossible to reach a high level without having developed it.
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Each practitioner turns to martial arts for different reasons: to get in shape, to release stress, as a form of personal development, etc. Finally, there are many who turn to a certain martial art looking to learn a way to defend themselves. But are martial arts useful for this purpose?
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The objectives of a martial art are areas in which to acquire knowledge, skill or efficiency, while methods are all kinds of exercises or training systems designed to achieve these objectives. It is important to clearly distinguish the training goals, and to resort to the appropriate methods to achieve them.
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Knee pain is, unfortunately, a common problem among Taichi practitioners. It is a sign of malpractice and is, in fact, easily avoidable, provided that you do not have a condition of previous injury.
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The study of Kungfu weapons is a very deep field, and must include a series of specific learning areas, which go beyond the techniques of each weapon, such as the characteristics and structure of weapons, their mechanics, anatomical targets, etc.
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During the Qīng 清 dynasty (1636-1912) there were groups of martial artists who believed in obtaining, through certain esoteric rituals and practices, a protection that made them invulnerable to both physical and spiritual damage. This invulnerability was referred to as dāo qiāng bù rù 刀槍不入, literally, “sabres and spears do not penetrate”.
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Choy Li Fut 蔡李佛 is a very useful Kungfu style in self-defense and hand-to-hand combat, but it is often misunderstood by both outside observers and its own practitioners. We want to share on this occasion some of the mistakes that we believe are most common in understanding this valuable system.
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Choy Li Fut 蔡李佛 is a very powerful Southern martial arts system, known for its wide movements and circular strikes. However, the concept of centreline also plays a fundamental role in this system and it is necessary to understand it to be able to apply the system correctly.
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For most of Chinese history, archery (射藝 shèyì), whether with bow or crossbow, was the main martial discipline and the most important form of warfare. Even after the appearance of the first firearms, archery maintained its primacy on the battlefield until well into the nineteenth century.
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The traditional Chinese martial arts salute (bàoquánlǐ 抱拳禮) is formed by closing the right fist and covering it with the left hand open, and extending both arms slightly forward in front of the chest. There are multiple theories and stories about the meaning of this greeting.
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