Note To Reader

This project is not the exact history of Martial Arts as no-one knows the truth. Just like the Motor-car, Who invented it? Who designed the engineering? Who deigned the look? Nobody knows exactly. There are only possibilities in to which someone discovered something. I have been searching on the internet, in books and my research shows that there is no exact history behind the martial arts.

Before the 4^th century, a young prince was born in Nepal at Lumbini. He was naturally brought up as a warrior and was taught all kinds of combat, so that he could be one of the strong and powerful kings.

As he gained keen interest in the philosophy of life, his lifestyle changed and discovered the new way of life. He needed some form of exercise to keep his body in good condition and at the same time defend against weapons with open hands according to his new way of life. So he developed the exercises and technique linked with unarmed combat. That appears to be most effective and it was a birth of Martial Arts. He also taught this to his disciples and that is why most Martial Art schools of a non-military nature have very strong Buddhist relations. Instead of being King he became the founder of Buddhism and then a Buddha.

One of Gautama’s Buddha disciples travelled to China with Buddhist scriptures. Many Chinese called him as “Bodhi Dharma”. Buddha Dharma introduced the unarmed combat method as explained above then it become popular as Kung fu around the world.

Tremendous development took place in China, Japan, and Korea. Especially China, Japan and Korea deserve the prime credit for the development of Martial Arts in today’s world.

Bodhiddharma left the Emperor's Palace, where he had felt the scriptures were not taken seriously and then went to stay at a Temple in Hunan Province. It was dated in between 520 – 529 A.D.

The Temple was named 'Shaolin' (Young Forest) and the monks there practiced unarmed combat.

Bodhiddharma noticed that the monks lacked stamina, concentration. He then developed several sets of exercise in Shaolin Temple and later it become popular as a Kung fu.

During this time a Taoist hermit-priest named Chang Sam-fung (In Cantonese = Cheng Salm Feng (Canton is really 'Kwang Tung' Province.) introduced a new and refined form of 'boxing-exercise', it became known as T'ai Chi Ch'uan - Supreme Universal-polarity Boxing. It is thought that Cheng used to reside at the Hunan Shaolin Temple whilst practicing Taoist Boxing sets. Legend recalls that Chang did not wish to change philosophies to suit fashions, but wanted to seek a 'perfect' boxing form, which reflected Yin and Yang. He went to live as a hermit in the mountains in order to develop and refine Taoist concepts and skills. It is believed that, one morning he was awakened by the scream of a Crane. He looked out from his window to see this big bird fighting with a snake. The two were well matched.

Chang noted that the snake used Yin technique and the crane used more Yang moves (Yin and Yang. Page6). Chang then set about incorporating some of these movements into his new style. This 'new' form was generally less needy on short-lived muscle power (termed 'hard style') and instead developed internal organ strength and internal energy, chi through careful and considered practice. This was later known as 'soft style' or 'internal' training skill (Kung-fu). This won lots of favour with the Chinese.

and in 1912 'The Boy Emperor' abdicated from the throne.

The 'Boxer Rebellion' of 1900 was part of the final downfall of the Ch'ing when many brave men and women gave their lives for their cause and other's freedom. Sun Yat-sen became president of The Republic of China.

Chiang Kai-shek then became leader of The Chinese Nationalist Government in 1925 but he and his supporters were forced to flee when the powerful Communists led by Mao Tse-tung defeated them.

It was believed that after the formation of Peoples Republic of China banned the practice of Kung-fu and Wu-Shu appeared as a sort of Martial Arts “Showbiz”.

Many elite martial artists’ gurus fled Taiwan & Hong Kong. Still today some of the worlds greatest and most revered 'Kung-fu masters' can be found there. It was believed that some Chinese kung-fu teachers fled to Vietnam. Bruce Lee is one of the examples as elite marital arts of the century and founder of Jeet Kun do trained by such masters.

Background History of China

China is the world's oldest continuous major civilization, with written records dating back about 3,500 years and with 5,000 years being commonly used by Chinese as the age of their civilization. Successive dynasties developed systems of bureaucratic control, which gave the agrarian-based Chinese an advantage over neighboring nomadic and mountain dwelling cultures. The development of a state ideology based on Confucianism (100 BC) and a common system of writing (200 BC) both strengthened Chinese civilization. Politically, China alternated between periods of political union and disunion, and was often conquered by external ethnicities, of which many were eventually assimilated into the Chinese identity. These cultural and political influences from many parts of Asia as well as successive waves of immigration and emigration merged to create the familiar image of Chinese culture and people today.

Ancient history

The earliest written record of China's past, and therefore the beginning of its history, dates from the Shang dynasty in perhaps the 13th century BC and takes the form of inscriptions of divination records on the bones or shells of animals—so-called oracle bones. However the earliest comprehensive history of China, the Historical Records written by Sima Qian, a renowned Chinese historiographer of the 2nd century BC, begins perhaps 1300 years earlier with an account of the Five Emperors. These rulers were legendary sage-kings and moral examplars, and one of them, the Yellow Emperor, is sometimes said to be the ancestor of all Chinese people. Following this period Sima Qian relates that a system of inherited ruler ship was established during the Xia dynasty, and that this model was perpetuated in the successor Shang and Zhou dynasties. It is during this period of the Three Dynasties that the historical China begins to appear.

Sima Qian's account dates the founding of the Xia to some 4,000 years ago, but this date has not yet been confirmed. Some archaeologists connect the Xia to excavations at Erlitou in central Henan province, where a bronze smelter from around 2000 BC was unearthed. Early markings from this period, found on pottery and shells, have been alleged to be ancestors of modern Chinese characters, but such claims are unsupported. With no clear written records to match the Shang oracle bones or the Zhou bronze vessel writings, the Xia remains poorly understood.

Archaeological findings provide evidence for the existence of the Shang dynasty (ca. 1600-1046 BC), and the archaeological evidence is divided into two sets. The first, from the earlier Shang period (ca. 1600 to 1300) comes from sources at Erligang, Zhengzhou and Shangcheng. The second set, from the later Shang or Yin period, consists of a large body of oracle bone writings. Anyang in modern day Henan has been confirmed as the last of the six capitals of the Shang.

Chinese historians living in later periods were used to the notion of one dynasty succeeding another, but the actual opinionated situation in early China is known to have been much more complicated. Hence, as some scholars of China suggest, the Xia and the Shang can possibly refer to political entities that existed at the same time, just as the early Zhou (successor state of the Shang), is known to have existed at the same time as the Shang.

By the end of the 2nd millennium BC, the Zhou began to emerge in the Huanghe valley, overrunning the Shang. The Zhou appeared to have begun their rule under a semi-feudal system. Nevertheless, power became decentralized during the Spring and Autumn Period when regional feudal lords began to assert their power, absorb smaller powers, and vie for hegemony. The Hundred Schools of Thought of Chinese philosophy blossomed during this period and such influential intellectual movements as Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism and Mohism were founded. After further political consolidation, seven prominent states remained by the end of 5th century BC, and the years in which these few states battled each other is known as the Warring States period. Though there remained a nominal Zhou king until 256 BC, he was largely a figurehead and held little real power.

Meanwhile, neighboring territories of these warring states were gradually annexed, including areas of modern Sichuan and Liaoning, and governed under the new local administrative system of commandery and prefecture , which had been in use since the Spring and Autumn Period and was very loosely a primitive prototype of the modern system of Sheng & Xian (province and county). The final expansion in this period began during the reign of Ying Zheng, the king of Qin. His unification of the other six powers, and further annexations in the modern regions of Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong and Guangxi in 214 BC enabled him to proclaim himself the First Emperor (Shi Huangdi), forming the first Chinese empire under the Qin Dynasty

Bodhiddharma was born in what is now southern India around 440. He travelled to teach in China in about 475, where he found would-be Buddhists busy with scholasticism and attempting to earn favourable karma through good works.

Bodhiddharma travelled to various Chinese monasteries, teaching and giving sermons. According to tradition, he was invited to an audience with Emperor Wu Di of the Liang dynasty (Southern dynasties) in 520. When the Emperor asked him how much merit he had accumulated through building temples and endowing monasteries, Bodhidharma replied, "None at all." Baffled, the Emperor then asked, "Well, what is the fundamental teaching of Buddhism?" "Vast emptiness," was the bewildering reply. "Listen," said the Emperor, now losing all patience, "just who do you think you are?" "I have no idea," Bodhiddharma replied.

With this, Bodhiddharma was banished from the Court, and is said to have sat in meditation for the next seven years "listening to the ants scream." Another story credits Bodhiddharma with bringing tea to China. Supposedly, he cut off his eyelids while meditating, to keep from falling asleep. Tea bushes sprung from the spot where his eyelids hit the ground.

Bodhiddharma travelled to the recently constructed Shaolin temple in the south of China, where the monks refused him admission. Bodhiddharma sat meditating facing a wall for the next 9 years, supposedly burning holes into the wall by staring at it. Only then did the monks of the Shaolin Temple respect Bodhiddharma and allow him inside. There, he found the monks so out of shape from a life of study spent copying scrolls that he introduced a regimen of martial exercises, which became the foundation of many later schools of kung fu.

Yin & Yang are two prehistoric forces controlling the whole of the universe according to Chinese beliefs. It is thought that everything can be categorized by this balancing system of Yin and Yang. Indeed everything from people and animals, to nation’s continents and the entire universe, may be determined by the balance or lack of balance of the Yin and Yang.

The white (Yin) part of the diagram increases as the black (Yang) part decreases.

Sometimes it is assumed that Yin is female and Yang male, however, this is not exactly true. For example, even though Yin is thought of as a mainly feminine force, men can still possess it too.

Below is a table of the dynasties in Chinese history.

In most cases the dates given in the table are the commonly used conventional dates marking the generally agreed point at which power in China changed hands, however there is still much dispute about dates in the Western Zhou period and earlier. It should also be noted that history is rarely as neat as it is portrayed and it was rare indeed for one dynasty to end calmly and give way quickly and smoothly to a new one. Dynasties were often established before the overthrow of an existing regime, or continued for a time after they had been defeated. In addition, China was divided for long periods of its history, with different regions being ruled over by different groups. At times like these there was no dynasty ruling a unified China.

One example of the potential for confusion will suffice. The conventional date 1644 marks the year in which the Manchu Qing dynasty armies occupied Beijing and brought Qing rule to China proper, succeeding the Ming dynasty. However, the Qing dynasty itself was established in 1636 (or even 1616, albeit under a different name), while the last Ming dynasty pretender was not disposed of until 1662. The change of ruling houses was a messy and prolonged affair, and the Qing took almost twenty years to extend their control over the whole of China. To pretend that everything changed all at once all over China in the year 1644 would make nonsense of what actually happened.

Dynasty		Years
Legendary sage kings		before 2070 BC
Xia		2070 BC - 1600 BC
Shang		1600 BC - 1046 BC
Western Zhou		1046 BC - 770 BC
Eastern Zhou traditionally divided into Spring and Autumn Period Warring States Period		770 BC - 256 BC 770 BC - 476 BC 475 BC - 221 BC
Qin		221 BC - 206 BC
Western Han		206 BC - 9 AD
Xin		9 - 25
Eastern Han		25 - 220
Three Kingdoms		220 - 265
Western Jin		265 - 317
Eastern Jin		317 - 420
Northern and Southern Dynasties		420 - 581
Sui		581 - 618
Tang		618 - 907
Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms		907 - 960
Northern Song		960 - 1127
Southern Song		1127 - 1279
Liao		916 - 1125
Jin		1115 - 1234
Yuan		1271 - 1368
Ming		1368 - 1644
Qing		1644 - 1912

Taoism is an ancient Chinese way of life which promotes living simply and in harmony with nature, and going with the flow. Ancient Taoists believed that by following the natural world, pursuing a strict diet and meditation regime and not struggling with their lot, they could achieve an inner calm, improved health and great martial power. But despite its age, Taoism has a lot to offer the average Westerner and more and more people are turning towards the Taoist arts to help them with questions and problems in their lives.

The Taoist masters, often referred to in the ancient texts as 'sages' or even 'immortals' typically studied such topics as meditation, martial arts, herbalism, diet and medicine and often the arts. Though they might seem unconnected, study of all of these topics leads to self improvement on a physical, mental or spiritual level and this is one of the reasons they appealed to the Taoists of old.

Literally the Yellow River is at 4,350 km the second longest river in China, only surpassed by the Chang Jiang.

It originates from the Yekuzonglie Basin at an elevation of 4,500m in the northern slope of the Bayankera Mountains in the Qingzuang Plateau.

During the long history of China, Huang He was considered as a blessing from the heaven as well as a devil from the hell. Records indicate that, from 602 BC to present, the river's course made at least 5 major large-scale changes in direction and its levees were breached more than 1,500 times. A major course change that took place in AD 1194 took over the Huai River drainage system throughout the next 700 years. The mud in the Huang He literally blocked the mouth of the Huai River and made thousands homeless. The Yellow River adopted its present course in 1897 after the final course change occurred in 1855. Currently, Huang He flows through Jinan, capital of the Shandong province and ends in the Bohai Sea (Bohai Gulf).

The river gets its yellow color for silts that are carried in the flow. Centuries of silt deposition and diking has caused the river to flow above the surrounding farmland, making flooding a critically dangerous problem. During World War II, the Nationalist troops under Chiang Kai-Shek broke the levees holding back the Yellow River in order to stop the advancing Japanese troops. The river at that time flooded a huge area and the floodwaters took some 900,000 lives.

Sometimes Huang He is literally spoken as the Zhou Liu, or the Muddy Flow. The Chinese expression "when the Yellow River flows clear" is similar to the English expression "when hell freezes over." The provinces of Hebei and Henan derive their names from Huang He. Their names mean respectively "north" and "south of the (Yellow) River". Other passing cities include: Lanzhou.

As martial art, kung fu can be traced to the Chou dynasty (1111-255 BC) and even earlier.

Kung Fu was known as the father of Asian martial arts for a long time, China certainly influenced the arts of Japan and Korea. China’s gigantic size and long history undoubtedly made it the source of many Asian martial arts.

The term kung-fu literally means hard work, not martial art. It’s a term made popular during the Bruce Lee movie era, when Westerners were first exposed to his amazing fighting abilities. The correct terms for Chinese martial arts are either wushu, which means martial art. The first written history of Chinese martial arts comes from the reign of Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor of the Zhou Dynasty (1122-255 BC). Huangdi was a famous military general, before becoming China’s leader and wrote a lengthy treaty about martial arts. He is also credited with being the founder of China’s oldest known martial art – chang quan (long fist).

Kung Fu is a broad term that is used to describe all martial arts of Chinese origin. Kung-Fu existing under many different names through China’s histories, was Initially called Ch'uan Fa (fist way).

The Shaolin monastery housed many fugitives from justice, and many warriors turned monk, which sets the roots of Kung Fu in the Shaolin Temple in Northern China. Martial arts historians stress that Kung-Fu did not start at the Shaolin temple, but simply began to flourish under Shaolin's influence.

Kung Fu as one of the oldest martial arts has been a great inspiration to other and younger martial arts styles, such as Okinawan Karate styles and later Japanese Karate styles.

In modern times, Wu-shu emerged as a mixture of circus-like acrobatics and martial arts, and in China, national competitions are held in this sport. Jet-Li is a famous exponent of Wu-Shu, popularising the art in the West by appearing in martial arts movies.
Typical Kung Fu weapons are the broadsword and the butterfly knives.

The Following People Are Only A Few Of The Hundreds That Have Made Kung Fu Noticed!!!

Bruce Lee was born in San Francisco on 27^th November 1940. His mother was Grace Li and his father was Li Hoi Cheun.

During February 1941, Bruce appears in his first film, Golden Gat Girl. Later on, in 1946, Bruce began his profession as an actor, the first of 18 movies, later made.

Bruce Lee got educated at the La Salle Catholic boys school from 1952. Some years later, he got harassment where he was living so his parents moved him back to United States of America in April 1959.

By May 1961, Bruce Lee starts as a martial arts instructor. Still doing this, his first child was born, Brandon Lee. A few days after, his father had died. But, a happier moment occurred when his daughter was born on 19^th April 1969, her name was Shannon Lee.

August 13^th 1970, Bruce injures his back. While bedridden and bored, he writes his philosophy of martial arts on paper and the later on gets published.

Bruce Lee passes away on 20^th July 1973 as he dies of an allergic reaction to medicine.

Jackie Chan is one of the most recognized names in kung fu movies worldwide, known for his comic, acrobatic fighting style and use of improvised weapons. Chan has starred in over a hundred movies.

Birthplace: Hong Kong, China
Height: 1.80 m (5' 8") Weight: 73 kg (160 lbs) Father: Charles Chan (refugees from the Chinese civil war who worked as cook and housekeeper for the French ambassador to Hong Kong) Mother: Lee-Lee Chan

Wife: Lin Feng-Chiao (aka Lin Feng Chow; Taiwanese; actress; married in 1983; separated) Son: J C Chan (born in 1982; mother: Lin Feng-Chiao) Education: Nan Hua Elementary Academy, Chinese Opera Research Institute (1961-1971), Peking Opera School

Chan is often said to do all his own stunts. While this claim does not hold up to close scrutiny, he does do most of his own work, and has racked up an impressive list of injuries to prove it. (The closing credits of his films usually show bloopers and at least one serious injury.) He's unable to get insurance anywhere in the world. He came closest to death while filming Armour of God 1985, when he fell from a tree in a relatively routine stunt and cracked his skull open.

In recent years, Chan has begun using doubles and special effects in his movies.

Chan was in the Seven Little Fortunes Chinese opera troupe as a youth, along with Sammo Hung.

In his biography, Chan says he created his screen persona as a reaction to that of Bruce Lee, and the numerous imitators who appeared before and after Lee's death. Where Lee's characters were typically stern, morally upright heroes, Chan plays well-meaning, slightly foolish regular guys, often at the mercy of their girlfriends or families. However, his characters always triumph in the end.

Chan repeatedly attempted to break into the American movie industry, appearing in films like Battle Creek Brawl, Cannonball Run, Cannonball Run II and The Protector. While he did attain cult popularity in the US, his break into the mainstream was Rumble in the Bronx in 1995. He has attained the box-office guarantee that has so far eluded other Hong Kong movie stars like Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh in Hollywood. He also made a successful animated television series called Jackie Chan Adventures.

Chan also has the distincton of being the central subject of UK band Ash's song Kung Fu.

In 1994, MTV honored Chan with a lifetime achievement award for his action-oriented movies, and a year later, he made his "official" debut in North America with a world-wide release of "Rumble in the Bronx."

It is the most widely used of all weapons and its influence goes beyond the field of Wushu. Every school of Wushu uses the sword as the basic weapon for rigorous training.

Sword play in China was first seen in sacrificial offerings to gods or ancestors. In the spring and autum period and during the Warring States 2,000 years ago, sword play became a common practice in society. After years of refinement, it is now one of the major competitive events in Wushu competition today.

It is one of the major long-shaft Wushu weapons. There are different types of spear, such as carefully-designed and delicately-made. “flowery spear”, thick and bold spear, zigzag spear with a sharp point and blade, double-head spear with blades on both sides. The spear was the major military weapon in ancient times and compact technique was developed.

The cudgel is called the “father of all weapons” meaning all other weapons were developed from it. As the cudgel is easy to make and use, and is practical, it has become a very popular weapon. Cudgel play lays stress on a sweeping action so the saying goes “with a cudgel you sweep all around”. Some tricks employed for other weapons (such as spear and sabre) can also be used in cudgel play.

Other Martial Arts:

-KARATE

Originating in Okinawa, an island between Japan and China, Karate grew from traditional Chinese roots, blended with indigenous fighting styles. The island was invaded by the Japanese in the early 17th century, and by the early 20th century Okinawan masters were teaching their arts in Japan; It was about this time that the name 'karate' was coined. Modern Japanese Karate is very much an external form, and in the West has almost completely lost touch with its spiritual roots. This is a shame, as Karate has a long history of spirituality, and the original Okinawan arts contained many internal elements. Literally translated as 'empty hand', Karate deals with solid, powerful blows with all parts of the body. Many styles also use weapons. All styles practice 'kata' - set routines practiced alone to improve technique. Well known styles include Wado-ryo and Shotokan.

-THAI KICK BOXING

Thai kick boxing (or Muay Thai) is extremely popular as a spectator sport in Thailand, and as a freestyle sport, provides a solid grounding in self defence. Demanding high fitness levels and sharp reflexes, this is a powerful and aggressive external art.

-JIU-JITSU AND JUDO

Jiu-Jitsu, the predecessor of Judo, was the martial art of the Japanese Samurai. It deals with grapples, grips, joint locking and single strong blows to pressure points or other sensitive areas. Jiu-Jitsu was strongly bound into the Samurai code of ethics, and with Zen philosophy - discipline was extremely strict, and was supposed to govern everyday actions. Modern Jiu-Jitsu keeps the emphasis on manipulating and locking joints, though many of the more lethal techniques have been lost, or are no longer taught. Judo, although based on Jiu-Jitsu, is not a martial art but a sport, using holds and throws.

-TAEKWON-DO

Taokwon-do is a Korean martial art which emerged shortly after the 2nd World War from roots that stretch back over a thousand years. A Korean soldier named Choi Hong Hi was responsible for unifying the splintered styles of tae kyon, the original Korean martial art, into its modern form. The style is famous for its powerful kicks.

-AIKIDO

Founded in Japan in the 1940s, Aikido ('way of harmony') is really an internal art, based on defense not attack, and utilisation of 'ki' (an internal force, very similar to the Chinese chi). The ultimate aim of Aikido is self realization through unification and control of mind, body and ki. The movements in Aikido are fluid and soft, with deft footwork that is hidden from the opponent by the long split skirt unique to the style.

-JEET KUNE DO

A fusion of martial arts created by the legendary Bruce Lee. Incorporating kung fu, western wrestling, T'ai Chi and karate, it is an external art which teaches fluid movements and shuns set forms.

Kungchido

Kungchido is the combination of Kung fu, Tai Chi and Karate with unique style, which has been developed by analyzing, synthesizing and marrying all the "above" mentioned schools by Grandmaster Saroj Joshi of Nepal

Military history of China

The military history of China extends from 1500 BCE to the present day. China has the longest period of continuous development of military culture of any civilisation in world history. Like the history of China, it is conventionally divided into three periods: Ancient China (c. 1500 BCE-221 BCE), Imperial China (221 BCE-CE 1839), and Modern China (1839-present). Throughout most of the first two periods, the Chinese military was characterised and shaped by the military threat from the nomadic societies of Mongolia, Manchuria and Inner Asia, as well as Legalism and later, the persistence of Confucian values. The third period relates to the efforts of the Chinese military to respond technologically and structurally to the West.

Warfare in Ancient China

Ancient China during the Shang Dynasty was a Bronze Age society based on chariot armies. Archaeological study of Shang sites at Anyang has revealed extensive examples of chariots and bronze weapons. The overthrow of the Shang by the Zhou saw the creation of a feudal social order, resting militarily on a class of aristocratic chariot warriors.

In the Spring and Autumn Period, warfare increased exponentially. Zuo zhuan describes the wars and battles among the feudal lords during the period. Warfare continued to be stylised and ceremonial even as it grew more violent and decisive. The concept of military hegemon and his "way of force" came to dominate Chinese society.

Warfare became more intense, ruthless and much more decisive during the Warring States Period, in which great social and political change was accompanied by the end of the system of chariot warfare and the adoption of mass infantry armies. Cavalry was also introduced from the northern frontier, despite the cultural challenge it posed for robe-wearing Chinese men. Military strategy shifted toward an emphasis on deception, intelligence and stratagems as codified in Sun Zi's Art of War.

I have found out that the most probable story of where the martial arts came from was from India, Nepal. Throughout this essay, I have found the possible history of where the Martial arts came from and also a little on the Chinese dynasties and emperors.

This was the most reliable source of information as it was from the Grand Master of Kungchido and also he has given me the opportunity of asking him difficult questions, such as, how did the Yellow river take part in the history? And also Who was Bodhiddharma? He has also told me reliable internet hyperlinks in which I have got this information from.

I thank Saroj (kungchido@yahoo.com) for the reliable information that he gave me!