Chinese Wushu and Chinese Culture
Wushu, a collection of thousands of years of human wisdom, embodies the national traditional culture in martial art form and also reflects the self-defense and health practices of Chinese people. The core philosophy of Wushu is drawn from the Confucius principle of physical and mental integration combined with neutralization; the Taoist principle of dynamic balance; the Buddhist principle of showing cultural syncretism of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism in China; and the Eastern theory, which believes man is an integral part of nature.
Compared with other Chinese cultural forms, martial arts are seen as a highly exclusive cultural system. With the exception of the Buddhism practices introduced during the Han and Wei dynasties (202 BC–AD 265), Wushu was hardly affected by external influences. Martial arts were essentially derived from the lower class, which reflects the character, thinking patterns and behaviors of China’s ancient lower class. Therefore, martial arts should belong to a purely civilian cultural class. Against “elegant cultures” such as music, chess, calligraphy, painting and poetry, martial arts appear hard and rough. At the same time, though Wushu maintains the simple and unsophisticated appearance of the country, it is characterized for its robust beauty and is still considered as a piece of pure land in the field of Chinese traditional culture.
Wushu and Regimen
Chinese Wushu highlights the harmonization between soma and spirit, and combines the inner and outer qualities. By nurturing a good temperament that fills one with vigor and vitality, and offering exercises to help lead a longer life, Wushu has long been considered as an effective way to maintain good health. And while it is also credited with helping to build a strong immune system to fend off sickness, keeping an aging body in good spirits, some still question whether this is true.
Good physical fitness differs from a prolonged life, despite their links. There are many facts that prove longevity is a complex issue which involves a wide range of factors. Practicing Wushu or Qigong is just one of the factors associated to living a long life, but they are not the only ones.
Wushu may keep one fit
It is widely known practicing Wushu may help build a stronger body, but maintaining physical fitness is seen as more of an outer appearance. Therefore, Wushu’s role of maintaining good health is reflected more in the exercise it offers for the central nervous system and inner organs. According to the ancient Chinese regimen, “essence, energy and spirit” were the three key elements to living well. Here, the “essence” refers to the original essence that comes from the kidneys and is fundamental to human life, known as “Mingmen” (not Mingmen point). “Energy” refers to the original vigor that is innate and rests in the kidneys. Meantime, the “spirit” refers to the fact that human nature and true minds are the outer reflection of “energy.”
“Essence, energy and spirit” are all provided at birth, but are later reduced and damaged by various emotions and desires that come successively in later days. This leads to weakened vitality, all sorts of diseases, extreme tiredness, premature aging and a shortened life. The Taoism Culture of Health Preservation in ancient China stressed the need for humans to develop innate energy with acquired energy to help restore essence, energy and spirit to its original state, helping achieve perfect integration and harmony between humans and the nature.
Some consider the practice of Taiji to be capable of improving the physical fitness of human bodies both inside and outside, balancing Yin and Yang, and allowing for energy and blood to flow more smoothly, to prevent high blood pressure and many chronic diseases. For example, the Nine Palace & Eight Trigram Palm is believed to renew the cell membrane, enhance body immunity and prevent cancer diseases. The Taiyi Wuxing Quan is said to help balance the functions of internal organs, keep blood lipids down, increase lung and heart performances, improve blood circulation and thus prevent coronary heart diseases. Taiji boxing, so long as it is practiced continuously and correctly, is also associated with helping to build strong bodies. Moreover, the combination of Taiji exercise and energy circulation are said to bring overall benefits to human health.
Chinese Wushu also includes many health preservation practices, and the “stake skill for better health” in the Xingyi Boxing is a case in point. The stake skill, based on the principles of “making both body and mind relaxed,” makes the practitioner mentally silent and focused through a combination of still or slow, gentle motions. The process regulates the excited central nervous system and removes the chaos and tiredness in human brains while activating the physiological functions of various human systems, improving internal organ performances and thus, keeps one fit both physically and mentally. Xingyi stake skills include dragon-like Kungfu, tiger-like Kungfu, ape-like Kungfu, bear-like Kungfu and health regulation Kungfu, which are suitable for the old, weak or those with chronic diseases.