Black Belt Test Essay: The History of Martial Arts
by Abigail Sun
Martial arts is a very general topic. There are many different styles of martial arts, such as kung fu, karate, jiu jitsu, or wushu. Each one of these styles originated in a different place, mainly in Asia, but sometimes in Europe. With each style comes two main paths, competitive and performance. This is the very basis of martial arts.
Martial arts is sometimes considered a sport, and sometimes considered an art. There are different types of martial arts, some more for performance, while others are more for sparring or self-defence. Today, Wushu can be either one, but back in Imperial China, it was mainly used for fighting. There are different ideas as to when martial arts was first invented, but most agree that it was during the Shang (1600 to 1046 B.C.) and Zhou dynasties (1046 BC – 256 BC). Wushu, on the other hand, was probably created during the Bronze age (around 2,000 BC to 700 BC), when people struggled to survive in a harsh environment.
After that, over the dynasties, mainly the Han (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD) and Song (960 AD to 1279 AD), styles of fighting were improved and weapons were added. Martial arts was originally used as a defence and hunting system, then later started to become more of an entertainment sport. Later during the Qin dynasty (221 BC to 206 BC), the Boxer Rebellion took place, improving different aspects of fighting. This rebellion was a revolt against the Qin Emperor banning martial arts. In simplest terms, it was an underground uprising against the Emperor and his ban on martial arts.
Another later influence on martial arts is religion. Taoism highlighted opposites, black and white, yin and yang, hard and soft. Kung fu was greatly impacted by this. Many martial artists who were impacted by taoism focused on the inner portion of fighting. They valued mental and physical health above all else, and believed that balance made the world a much better place. Confucianism started the tradition of a palm and fist salute, since confucianism highlights the importance of respecting your elders and peers. Buddhists, on the other hand, thought that meditation was the key to unlocking the secrets of martial arts, and with it, the world. And even though martial arts’ roots can be found long before Buddhism reached China, many current practices are inspired by Buddhism and its ideas.
Contemporary martial arts was created solely for fighting off invaders such as the Japanese, British, French, Mongols, and other empires. Martial arts experts were encouraged to share their knowledge and ideas with their people, but it did little for them when the other kingdoms came with guns and adversaries.
Essentially, this is martial arts. It started during the Zhou and Shang dynasties, then spread throughout the Qin, Han, and Song dynasties. It was originally used as a fighting method, but it later developed into an entertainment activity. Not only did time influence this, but so did religion.
