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Chinese Martial Arts
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Written by Administrator
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Tuesday, 05 January 2010 17:00 |
The Ancient World’s Special Force
They rode out from barren wastes of central Asia like men possessed and vanquished all before them without mercy. They developed the blitzkrieg centuries before the Germans, and were experts at keeping their enemies off balance. They’d overcome the Great Wall of China push into 12th century Europe and the Middle East and butcher Christian and Muslim alike. They prized loyalty to their clans above all else and were a mixture of Iranian and Turkish descent, and while they might not have been tall they were full of fight. They grew up in an unforgiving environment where every day survival was a fight, so when they came to the battlefield they’d go all out. The Mongols may have been simple tribesmen, but they became one the world’s greatest fighting groups.
The Mongols were barbarians who could neither read nor write and wandered a region where the weather went from extremes of subzero winters with heavy snow to summers of intense heat with powerful thunderstorms. They were nomads organized into clans who looked to Shamans for spiritual advice and believe in magic and demons. Their code of honor called for loyalty to their aul or clan, and shared many similar ethics with westerners. They hunted and ate virtually anything, and the warriors would always eat the best food before women and children.
On campaign in extreme circumstances they’d drink horse blood to sustain themselves, and if the need arose they’d slaughter their prized beast. They enjoyed a brutal form of wrestling and horse racing for entertainment. A young boy would learn how to ride early, and would only be considered a man when he got drunk and was still able to function. Though they’d end up fighting many different groups their neighbors the Tatars were their main enemy for generations. It was a hard life and it was survival of the fittest, but one man would unite these savage horsemen and build an empire.
Temujin was born into a powerful clan in the year 1161, but by the age of 9 he was a orphan after his father was killed while fighting the Tatar. If that wasn’t bad enough the young boy found himself kidnapped by a rival clan. A friend would eventually help him escape, but he had a hard life ahead, but the experience turned the boy into a fierce warrior. By 1202 the rest of the tribe recognized his strength and ability and united under him as their chief. He was given the name Genghis Khan meaning “universal monarch,” and among his first acts was to make war on the Tatars. By the time of his death in 1227 he ruled and empire that reach from Central Europe to the China Sea and included the Middle East and Northern India.
While the Mongols where savage they weren’t stupid and when it came to warfare they were very organized. Every warrior was required to have 2 bows, up to 200 hundred arrows and several horses. Scimitars, lances, and javelins were also used, and if an elite unit of a defeated enemy had a weapon they needed to win a fight they’d be impressed into service. They communicated on the battlefield using flags, and they setup a network of stations where a messenger could find a fresh horse so they could continue, and even cover over 200 miles in a day. There basic unit was 10 men and grew 100, 1,000, and than to a unit called a touman which was made up of 10,000 men. Four touman would comprise an army with its own supplies.
The Mongols were savages, but they took on the best Asia, the Middle East, and Europe had to offer, and proved that savage fighting combined with discipline and organizations is a deadly combination. There accomplishments have yet to be duplicated, and probably never will. A tough warrior culture, at the right time in history, under a charismatic and intelligent warrior leader doesn’t happen to often. |
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Written by William Pehush
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Wednesday, 02 September 2009 09:58 |
The Boxer Rebellion: Technology and Training Wins Again
Martial arts have always played a role in warfare, but in China’s Boxer Rebellion the Righteous Harmony Society martial arts were at the core of their beliefs that would lead to a violent uprising. As China approached the 20th century things weren’t good in the ancient empire. Over the previous decades thousands of foreign residence from Europe, The United Sates and other countries began calling the country home. They brought with them western goods to sell and began preaching Christianity. While some embraced the foreigners others wanted them out and if they had to do that by force they were more than willing. So the stage was set for a clash of arms, and those who survive the onslaught would only do so by grit and determination.
The Righteous Harmony Society began as a secret society in Northern China, and was based primarily out of the Shandong providence. Like many groups they practiced unarmed and armed combat and built up their bodies through calisthenics. Despite Chinese martial arts being very different from western styles boxing European began calling the Chinese martial artists Boxers and the name stuck. While martial arts can benefit an individual in many ways the Boxers took it one step further. They believed that through study and training that an individual not only could perform amazing feats, but could also make them immune to weapons. While some martial artists in China and else where have accomplished a lot through training ignoring bullets and blades is not one of the benefits of intense training.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 15 November 2009 01:51 |
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Written by William Pehush
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Wednesday, 02 September 2009 09:24 |
Dao: The Way of The Sword
Smashing through shields, smashing apart armor and slashing through fleshing and bone there was a time when the sword was king of the battlefield. It denoted strength and power, and in many cultures it was a symbol of leadership and nobility. China’s warriors called their broadswords and bladed weapons Dao, and they became part of the four major weapons groups in Chinese martial arts. A sharp curved edge and a hilt going oppose the blade is the most popular design today, but it has evolved over the centuries, and can still be lethal in close combat.
Like in other nations the sword first appeared during China’s Bronze Age, but it wasn’t the best material to work with. The Era of Warring States which began in 476 BCE and last over 200 years brought about many change in China. Cavalry replaced chariots, crossbows began being widely used, and iron weapons and armor came into use. Among them was the dagger-axe which could be 9 to 12 feet tall which allowed armies to form walls of spears. Another weapon available to the infantry was the podao which was like a broadsword, but with a longer handle which allowed a warrior to cut the limps off a cavalrymen’s horse. Along with new weapons many new books on tactics were produced, the most famous being t Sun Tzu’s The Art of War, which still remains relevant today.
As time went on metal works and warriors would develop different designs to deal with whatever combat situation they had to deal with. The spear and sword remained popular with China’s soldiers, but the Mongol invasion would bring many outside influences. The riders of the steppes are best known for their use of the bow, but they were also experts with the saber and lance. The Mongols who primarily used the single handed curved brought weapons with them from Europe, Arabia, and Indian, and their influence would have long lasting effects on China’s weapons industry.
Chinese swords would continue to be used in combat in China up until Japan’s invasion during the 1930’s, and during the occupation they were used by resistance fighters in ambushes. Today they’re part of Wushu training, and a variety of swords are used as part of cultural training. Some schools still teach weapons combat as part of self defense though items like canes and baseball bats have replaced swords (try carrying a sword on your normal commute). Swords teach us the fundamentals of personal combat, and how to deal with close combat situations. Though firearms are part of combat today when you close in on an enemy you will find the fight hasn’t changed much, so don’t forget what you learned from your sword training.
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Last Updated on Monday, 19 October 2009 16:38 |
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Written by Administrator
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Thursday, 04 June 2009 18:27 |
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While China and Japan are two separate nations with their own distinct cultures they share a common bound through their martial arts. Of coarse all martial arts have some similarities, because after all we’re all fighting human beings even if we approach defeating an enemy in a different way. In Japan many styles originated from the home islands, but Karate the style most people identify with Japan and one of the most popular styles in the world originated in China. In China martial arts date back to before the 12th century and include hundreds of styles though the most popular are Kung Fu and Tai Chi. Kung Fu has only recently become popular in the west thanks to books and movies, but in China it was practiced by everyone from the common man to great warriors like the master strategic Sun Tzu. The Shaolin monks are perhaps Kung Fu’s best own practitioners, because they setup schools in their monasteries and practiced many different styles. While martial arts helped the monks lead a more fulfilling life through exercise and mediation the training also had a more practical concern, since they had to deal with bandits and warlords, and couldn’t rely on local governments for help. Over time they would defend themselves by developing different styles of hand to hand combat and weapons training. Their training included everything from learning how to focus your energy or “chi” to stretching and sparring. Some of the styles even mimicked movements of animals like the tiger, the monkey, and the crane. Chinese visitors would bring martial arts to the island of Okinawa in the 1300’s and the exchange of knowledge would continue between the two nations through sailors, merchants, and Okinawa’s nobles who went to China to train. King Shō Hashi who united the Okinawa and other neighboring islands supported adopting anything Japanese or Chinese that would help develop his country, so martial arts continued to develop. Another important event in the development of Karate was the Japanese invasion of Okinawa followed by its occupation by the fierce samurai warriors of the Shimazu Clan. Experts in many deadly weapons and armored from head to toe the samurai were a forced to be reckoned and they ruled with an iron fist. To make sure that they had even more of an advantage they also banned all weapons on the island, but empty handed fighting styles and concealed weapons styles were developed in secret. While the Japanese were never driven out Okinawa they learned well from what they saw and today many traditional martial arts techniques and weapons we identify with Japan actually came from Okinawa and China. In the centuries that followed both Japan and China would contribute to martial arts in Asia and around the world. Both countries have a lot of national pride when it comes to martial arts, but despite this they have learned a lot from each other and this sharing of knowledge benefits all martial artists. |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 04 June 2009 18:29 |
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Written by Damian Ross and BJ Pehush
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Thursday, 12 March 2009 11:20 |
The Shaolin martial arts are a combination of spiritual beliefs and practical self defense training. There are many misconceptions though and few truly understand the Shaolin and their Kung Fu. The Shaolin monks believe they can grow spiritual through mediation. They originally began developing exercises to strengthen their bodies to endure the long hours. As towns began to grow around the monasteries, the real need for personal protections skills was apparent. Shaolin monks quickly learned to deal with the dangers of the outside world.
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Last Updated on Monday, 13 April 2009 13:37 |
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Chinese Martial Arts
