CHINESE MARTIAL ARTS

Many martial arts of the East have their foundations deeply entwined with the philosophies, doctrines, concepts and religious beliefs of Confucianism, Buddhism, Taoism and Zen. It is cer- tainly true that most of the martial art systems in existence today owe their development and ultimate dissemination to the monks and priests who taught and transferred such knowledge over much of Asia throughout history.

In China today the various martial art styles that exist number into the hundreds; many still not known to the Western world, and each style reflecting its own righting philosophy and spirit. The following is a thumbnail sketch of two of the arts that you may see while travelling in China.

Shaolin Boxing

Shaolin boxing is one of the major branches of Chinese martial arts. The art is said to have originated at Shaolin Temple on Song Mountain in Henan province (p433). Shaolin monk fight- ers were trained to help protect the temple's assets. The martial art routines of Shaolin Temple were not organised into a complete system until some 30 to 40 years later when Indian monk Bodhidharma visited the site.

Bodhidharma taught the monks various kinds of physical exercises to limber up the joints and build a good physique. These movements were expanded over time and a complicated series of Chinese boxing (or forms) evolved. By the Sui and Tang dynasties, Shaolin boxing was widely known.

The fighting styles originating from Shaolin Temple are based on five animals: dragon, snake, tiger, leopard and crane. Each animal represents a different style, each of which is used to de- velop different skills.

The temple's famous forms have had a profound influence on many of today's martial arts, and the temple is still being utilised today.

Taichi (Shadow Boxing)

Taichi or taijiquan is a centuries-old Chinese discipline promoting flexibility, circulation, strength, balance, relaxation and meditation.

While the art is seen by many outside China as a slow- motion form of gentle exercise, it is traditionally practised as a form of self-defence. Taichi aims to dispel the*opponent without the use of force and with minimal effort. It is based on the Taoist idea that the principle of softness will ultimately overcome hardness. According to legend, it is derived from the movements of animals.

A major part of studying taichi is the development of chi (qi), or life energy that can be directed to all parts of the body with the help of mental training. Chi must flow and circulate freely in the body.

There is no single founder of taichi as the art has been developed over many centuries by countless people. Due to different needs and environments, various styles of taichi evolved. The most popular form of taichi is the Yang style, which is not too difficult to learn in its simplified form (though the full form has 108 postures) and is not strenuous. Other styles, such as the Chen style, call for a wider array of skills as the postures are painfully low and the kicks high, so endurance and flexibility are important. Chen style is popular with younger exponents and clearly has its roots in Shaolin, mixing slow movements with fast, snappy punches. Other styles include the Sun and Wu styles.