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Origin and Purpose of Chinese Martial Science
中国拳法之起源与意义
In the Beginning…
A very ancient mural depicting 2 Stone Age warriors in unarmed combat
Chinese Martial Science/ Traditional Wushu/ Kungfu is basically a simple & brutal art of killing on the battlefield perfected through 4000 years of warfare. As long as Men have existed so have conflicts existed; whether it is among themselves or with fierce predators. Like the Buddha said, "All life is a struggle of some sort." How true it is, when you wish to know the origin of martial science. Because of the need for survival, Men have constantly searched for new & better methods to defend their own lives. In China, these methods came to be known as Kung Fu, thousands of years later today.
轩辕黄帝
Xuan Yuan (around 3000BC)As early as the era of 轩辕黄帝 Xuan Yuan, the Yellow Emperor, there had been a semi-developed art of striking, wrestling and fighting with various long weapons. According to the <Legend of Xuan Yuan> in the <Grand Historical Records> 史记 (composed around 104BC during the Western Han Dynasty), it is said: "Xuan Yuan constantly practices with spears & halberds," & "Chi You 蚩尤 could fight 5 warriors unarmed." From these verses we could see the influence of primitive martial science even at that time. Xuan Yuan was a humane & wise chieftain who first united all the Stone Age Chinese tribes under his rule. Chi You was his barbaric arch rival, who though being much stronger, was defeated by superior tactics, and 'divine intervention'. Xuan Yuan was generally accepted to be 九五真龙 a Dragon Incarnate, & thus the Founder of the Chinese Nation.
孔子
Confucius (551-478BC)But it was not until the Spring and Autumn Era (770-476BC) and especially during the Warring States Era (475-221BC) that the arts of combat reached full maturity, developing into distinct systems, along with the hundred schools of thought & their respective founders. 孔子 Confucius, by far the most influential, (he was often compared to being a 凤兮 phoenix) was not only one of the greatest Sage & Educator in Chinese history, but few know the fact that he was in fact an unsurpassed warrior as well. Although he did not believe in war & violence & never talk about these things, he nevertheless had the power to be firm when necessary. According to the <Legend of Confucius> from the <Grand Historical Records>, Confucius' forefathers were all strong generals. And he taught the arts of war - Archery and Driving as 2 of the 6 essential educational arts. Some believed his students learn these as leisurely arts, not martial arts, but I say they are wrong. Leisurely arts are only for times of peace; in a warring world nobody would spend time learning something if it did not serve practical purposes. Also, Confucius easily overcame Zi Lu, one of his prominent dicisples known for his martial prowess, in their initial meeting where Zi Lu challenged Confucius. When Confucius was Chief Justice, he manifested his bravery at the Jiagu Conference & his decisiveness in the civil wars in his homeland, the Lu State. During one of these civil wars, he once held a collapsing timber bar to allow others to escape. To confirm this, a reference from the <Book of Lie Zi> also says that his strength is great enough to support the city gates. Confucius was no frail scholar, but an awe-inspiring Man of deep learning and great courage. However, he refused to be known for his strength because in that chaotic era, he feels that it is not swords and spears, but only 仁义 benevolence and righteousness could save the world. Thus in the <Analects> he says: "The wise is never confused; the benevolent is never worried, & the courageous is never afraid." To be brave in war, wise in peace and benevolent in service - these are what make a Man complete.
老子
Lao Zi (around 580-500BC)老子
Lao Zi is the Founder of Taoism, the native Chinese religion of returning to Nature. According to the <Book of Lao Zi> he is also the Teacher of Confucius. At around the age of 30, Confucius was sent to the Capital Zhou State to learn the Rites 礼. There he met Lao Zi, who was the Imperial Librarian, & Confucius became his student for some time. Confucius had great respect for him, and compared him to a Dragon - rare, profound, mystical. Lao Zi was an enlightened Sage, and he certainly had no more need of arms. His teachings of non-violence, self-surrender, softness, naturalness, humility & simplicity in the 道德经 Dao De Jing directly influenced the development of martial science. They gave our martial science a rich spiritual depth, transforming its brutal nature & uplifting it into a path towards greater understanding of the universe. These same concepts are to later become the fundamentals of 太极 Taiji, one of the most sublime and powerful of Wushu styles. Lao Zi once said, "Men with fantastic skills and talents are not the highest kind of Men; the highest men are only ordinary men." In the same way, the best fighting techniques are often just the ordinary ones. How many people can appreciate the true value of the ordinary?孟子
Mencius (372-289BC)While it is not known whether the spiritual heir of Confucius, the Second Sage 亚圣, has any significant knowledge of martial science, his words on the meaning of true courage certainly inspired generation after generation of Chinese warriors. Personally I feel that he could not have been ignorant, for all the great thinkers during that era were masters of both the pen & the sword, a fact that many scholars are quick to dispute. Like Confucius, he disdained violence & warfare, emphasizing on the rule of benevolence & righteousness. But as Han Fei Zi 韩非子 (the Legalist) put it so well: "The (Confucian) 儒者 Scholars confuse the Law through their rhetoric, whereas the 侠者 Vigilantes disrupt Order through their martial struggles." From this we see that for those in power, scholars are no different from vigilantes; both are law-breakers, rabble-rousers at best. The former uses his tongue, the latter his fists. But one thing is certain - they both stand up for what they believe in. And nobody believes in right more than Mencius does. Some of his inspiring sayings include:
"When a man grips his sword & challenges another, it is only superficial bravery, enough only to fight one man. (But if he raises his sword to fight for what is right, this is true bravery that can conquer thousands even if he is only one)."
"When you conquer others by force, they don't really submit; they do so only because they know they are not strong enough. Only when you conquer others by virtue, then can you be sure they submit happily & loyally."
"Wealth & nobility cannot taint him; poverty & humility cannot move him; power & force cannot bend him. This is what I call a true Man."
"I value my own life as I value righteousness. But if I cannot have both at the same time, I would gladly give up my life to protect what I believe is right."
"Thus Benevolence is a Man's heart, & Righteousness his Path."
So now you know why even after 2300 years, Mencius commands the same respect as people accord to Confucius.
孙子
Sun Zi (around 545-475BC)孙子
Sun Zi, the warrior sage, contemporary of Confucius, & the famous author of the <Sun Zi Art of War> - the bible of generals and cooperate leaders throughout the world. Sun Zi was the first man in Chinese history to compose a work of 13 books discussing the complete science of warfare. We can infer that he was not just a great strategist but an invincible warrior. This is based on the fact that the Army of the Wu State, under his leadership, won peerless victories over the much stronger Chu State; as well as struck fear into the hearts of the Lords of many other rival States. Even so, in the 1st book of the Art of War he states that it is virtues like Wisdom, Trust, Benevolence, Courage and Discipline that make a great general, not how many enemies he has crushed under his feet. In the 3rd book he states that winning every battle is not the greatest victory; winning without fighting is what makes victories complete. 不战而屈人之兵,善之善者也 From these verses we know how important it is for the Chinese warriors to cultivate both mind and body together as one, & never to kill for the sake of killing.
墨子
Mo Zi (around 468-376BC)If Sun Zi was a master of the art of war 兵争之法 through offense, then Mo Zi must be a master of the art of peace 非攻之道 through his defensive skills. Perhaps this is due to the fact that Mo Zi is a pacifist, preaching universal love, ascetic-like frugality & a socialist ideal state. He can do anything to prevent aggression, fighting being the last resort, & fought he did. Mo Zi used to be an artisan before he became a philosopher, & his skill with woodwork was second to none. He once made a wooden bird shaped like a plane, & flew it like a kite. And it flew for a whole day before being wrecked. That's more than 2000 years before the Wright brothers made flight a reality. Legend has it that he always carries a wooden stick to use as a ruler & as a sword (he considers metal a luxury). The thing is nobody could beat him in fencing even if they used real weapons of metal against his stick - such is his fame.
Once the King of Chu decided to attack a minor state, Song. He employed another famous artisan, Gong Shuban ( 鲁班 Lu Ban) to build for him siege ladders & weapons. Hearing this, Mo Zi, who was a native of Song, walked 10 days & nights from the Qi State to the Chu capital (he considered chariots a luxury as well), wearing only foot-rags. He convinced Gong to temporarily halt his work while he tried to discourage the Chu King from attacking Song. With his eloquent ways he was able to win the King in debate, but the King was not about to give up, saying that Gong had already made the necessary weapons. Mo Zi said that did not guaranteed success & he could prove it. So Mo Zi & Gong enacted a mock battle with his belt as the city walls & wooden chips as attack & defense formations, along with their equipment. Gong tried all sorts of siege strategies he could imagine, but they were all crushed one by one. Truly Mo Zi was a genius in defensive warfare. Enraged, Gong thought maybe just killing Mo Zi there would be the best strategy. But Mo Zi said to the King calmly that that would serve no purpose because he already stationed 300 of his disciples with his weapons on the walls of Song. Realizing that they could not beat Mo Zi, both the King & Gong finally gave up the planned siege. Although Mo Zi's teachings went obsolete during the Han Dynasty (people disdained its strict ascetic practices), leaving us only the book <Mo Zi>, he is remembered to this day as a genius, a great defender of peace as well as a master of martial science.
诸葛亮
Zhuge Liang (181-234AD)In the footsteps of the above Sages footsteps were many famous personalities who shaped the history of China, but among them none is as popular as 诸葛亮 Zhuge Liang. They were ideal Men in Chinese view - benevolent & wise in peace, fierce & unpredictable in war; and Zhuge Liang was an ideal example.
Zhuge Liang aka Kong Ming, titled the "Reposing Dragon" 卧龙, is one of the greatest military strategists in ancient China. Perhaps he has a little of all the different Sages mentioned above in him. Born at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he foretold and indirectly shaped China into the 3 Kingdoms Era (220-280AD). That was when he was only 27, 12 years before the 3 Kingdoms became a reality. Although he always utilized his genius to overcome his often stronger foes, few realize that he personally trained Liu Bei's (who was his lord) troops in martial science as well as tactics. From the Chinese classic 三国演义 <Romance of the 3 Kingdoms>, we know that when he first entered his service, he had no prior experience at all. Those soldiers, under his direction & led by brave generals such as Guan Yu & Zhang Fei, were later able to crush an enemy many times their size on the 博望坡 slopes of Bowang. Is it possible for a frail scholar who knows martial science only in theory to achieve such a feat? Think again. He manifested his martial genius again & again at the battles of Changban, Chibi 赤壁 and many others, finally meeting his end at the hands of destiny on the 五丈原 Wuzhang Plains in 234AD. He is also known to be great politician & inventor; responsible for inventing weapons like the multiple crossbow & transport machines like the self-automated wooden horses/ bullocks, very advanced at that time. These technologies are long lost to the modern world. From the amount of legends surrounding his deeds, we can only guess how much contribution this genius had made to the development of martial science. He left behind 50 chapters of the 诸葛丞相集 <Prime Minister Zhuge's Records>, a treatise on war & government.
司马懿
Sima Yi, his greatest rival, had this to say of him, after learning that Kong Ming had tricked him even after he died: "Alive, I could roughly predict his every move; but dead, I am totally helpless against him!"