Chinese martial arts

variety of fighting styles developed in China

Chinese martial arts is also known by the Mandarin Chinese term, wushu. It is popularly known as kung-fu. It includes a number of fighting styles[1] that have developed over the centuries in China.

Chinese martial arts
Welcome form in Chinese martial arts
Traditional Chinese武術
Simplified Chinese武术
Literal meaningmartial art

These fighting styles are often classified according to common features, identified as "families" (jiā), "sects" (pài) or "schools" (mén) of martial arts. Examples of such features include physical exercises that copy certain animals, or training methods inspired by Taoism, and legends.[2]

Styles focusing on qi are called "internal" (nèijiāquán), while others concentrate on improving muscle and heart fitness, and are called "external" (wàijiāquán). They are also often classed according to region, that is "northern" (běiquán) and "southern" (nánquán).

Related pages change

References change

  1. Deason, Rachel. "An Introduction to the Different Kinds of Martial Arts in China". Culture Trip. Retrieved 2020-08-16.
  2. "History of Chinese Martial Arts". en.chinaculture.org. Retrieved 2020-08-16.