Explain how martial arts evolved.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

The martial arts evolved from efforts like those of boxing teacher Chio Yuan Shang Jen and were a product of Chinese philosophy and the need for skilled warriors. According to Howard Knuttgen and colleagues, the most recognized form of martial arts is currently known as wushu. However, in earlier times, it was called wuyong, which meant "military valor," or wuyi, meaning "military skill." The ancient Chinese appear to have used military skills that were more complex than those traditionally practiced by their contemporaries in the West. By the time of the Yuan and Ming Dynasties (A.D. 1279-1644), the movements and skills identified in the West as martial arts had been refined and distilled into eighteen types of military skills. These skills reflected the various elements of Chinese philosophy, such as yin and yang, the negative and positive forces that exist in nature. Over time, martial arts incorporated jing luo xue, the science of attending to the main and collateral channels found in the body. This concept is a traditional mainstay of Chinese medicine. The result of these influences is a system of martial arts that blends the physical aspects of existence with the philosophical, a highly sophisticated way of living that Westerners are only now coming to appreciate.