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Changing the Flow
Tai Chi Chuan
Like any other art or religion, martial arts has branched
into myriad disciplines. Like Ninjutsu, some have
become quite popular. In this section we look briefly at the history of
some of the better known forms. As we begin, keep in mind that almost every
martial art form can be traced back to their Chinese and Indian beginnings
in Shaolin Kung Fu.
Of the three recognized 'internal' martial arts of China---T'ai Chi Chuan, Hsing-i and Pakua---T'ai Chi Chuan is by far the most popular.
T'ai chi chuan means "supreme ultimate fist." However, most people know regard it as a form of gentle exercise. Its origins are obscure, but it is believed to have been practiced for at least 5,000 years. Old Chinese drawings show Taoist monks performing similar movements, which was part of the study of their philosophy. Legends of the feats of T'ai Chi Chuan masters abound. But it is mainly thought of in connection with the calmness of mind and the restfulness that it brings to its followers.
A Chinese general, Yu Fei, is credited with founding the martial art known as Hsing-i or "body-mind boxing." During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) a book said to have been written by Yu Fei (who lived several hundred years earlier) was discovered and given to a famous warrior, Chi Lung Feng, who is thought to have perfected the discipline.
Modern Hsing-i technique includes 12 animal forms or types of movement. However, the five basic actions are drilling, pounding, splitting, crossing and crushing. Combined with specific foot positions, they are ways of using the hands to manipulate and to strike an opponent. A student learns these movements alone before moving on to practice with a partner.
The origins of Pakua are not known. It is first recorded in 1796, when a Kung Fu teacher turned up in Shantung province and gave some lessons to a student called Feng Ke-shan, from whom a line is traceable to the present day. As in several other Kung Fu styles, the traditional story is that Pakua was founded by a Taoist monk.
PakuaIndian self-defense tactics go back to ancient times. While there is little documentation, some Indian literature suggests some rudimentary forms of martial arts as early as well before Biblical times. Remember that Bodhidharma, an Indian priest, is considered the father of Kung Fu. And Kung Fu is the well from which all other martial arts forms sprung. While martial arts per se originated in China, they are deeply rooted in the ways of Indian self-defense.
Tae means to kick or strike with the foot. Kwon means to punch or strike with the fist. Do means "art." Taekwon-do has two major features that distinguish it from other forms of martial arts: the wide range of kicking methods and the emphasis on breaking techniques. A Korean martial arts form, Taekwon-do is part of the training for the Korean military.
Kendo is a type of Japanese fencing. It uses classic techniques of swordplay, and others peculiar to its sporting aspect. The participants wear light armor and the swords are made of strips of bamboo held together with cord and soft leather.
Indian Martial Arts
Taekwon-do
KendoAikido is a throwing art. There is a prescribed way of moving into an opponent's attack, to be followed by a flowing, circular deftness leading into a throw or lock.
Adapted from Jujitsu, Aikido is simultaneously a sport, an art, a moral discipline and a philosophy. Its founder, Morihei Ueshiba, was a deeply religious man and a follower of Shinto, the national religion of Japan. While he studied many styles of Jujitsu, he found his inspiration in the 700-year-old Daito-ryu style. From about 1917 to the late 1930s, he developed a system he called Aikijutsu, which emphasized combat. Later, when the emphasis changed, he altered the name to Aiki-do. Of the 2,664 techniques of Aikijutsu, comparatively few are used in modern Aiki-do training.
Aikido
KarateUyeshiba's pupils said he possessed supernatural powers. Some accounts claim an ability to read the minds of his pupils, to sense their actions before they moved. It was even said that he had the capacity to move instantly and invisibly, from one point to another, a feat that he declared was hazardous; it shortened his life. Uyeshiba was truly a very unusual person. None of his pupils mastered all of his skills. However, they developed the art in their own individual ways.
One student, Koichi Tohei, for example, adhered to the more spiritual aspects of Aikido, which investigates "ki," or universal energy. The goal is to harmonize one's ki with that of the opponent, rather than opposing it, thus leading him or her into a throw. Several other Uyeshiba followers developed their own variations as well.
Karate was introduced to Japan by a teacher, Gichin Funakoshi, from Okinawa. He was invited to give a demonstration in Tokyo in 1922. Within two years Karate was part of the university curriculum. Since then, Karate has changed dramatically. In its early days it was neither a sport nor competitive. Students trained in prearranged sequences of movement or kata, besides techniques. Training also concentrated on stamina and strength. Some of Funakoshi's pupils started their own discipline, modified some of the techniques, and developed their own styles.
Karate became immensely popular in the West in the '70s, due primarily to the Kung Fu star Bruce Lee. Karate schools were set up all over the world, offering several dozen styles of Karate. But basically it is still an empty-hand art using kicks, blocks and punches. In fact, karate means "empty hand." Although there are some throwing techniques, principally a leg sweep is used in sport karate to bring an opponent to the floor or to knock him off balance. On the whole it remains an art of striking, not grappling.
Judo
Jujitsu
Unlike some other martial arts, originally Karate was designed to kill one's enemy with a single blow; hence, the emphasis on maximum power, perfect technique and focus of blow. Today, most of the training halls or dojos in the West are following a Japanese style or ryu, although Okinawan forms are still well-known and respected.
Modern karate is divided into three basic categories: traditional karate, sport karate and full contact karate. Sport karate emerged over the last 25 years; the more advanced students needed something to strive for other than technical excellence and understanding. It is somewhat unfortunate that enlightenment is sometimes not enough.
Today, Judo is essentially a competitive sport, which its founder, Dr. Jigoro Kano (1860-1938), wished to avoid. Nowadays, it concentrates on crowd participation and commercialization, and a win-at-all-costs attitude. Kano, like several other famous martial arts masters, was a teacher. He saw in Judo a way of imbuing moral principles and physical well-being into the Japanese nation and (later) the world at large. He founded his judo center in Tokyo in 1882, calling it the Kodokan. From there Judo spread around the world. As new students became more adept, the discipline took on foreign attitudes and new approaches.
The new approaches were good and bad. Among the bad was the growing imperative to win. Originally, Judo was a form of studying through training---a means of unifying mind and body. Today it differs little in intent from Western prize fighting.
Unlike Judo, Aikido and Karate, which all claim a modern 'father' or figurehead, Jujitsu has none. As martial arts became increasingly popular in the West, Jujitsu teachers of varying experience and ability, who had studied the art in Japan, opened up training halls all over the world. Training in Jujitsu in Japan takes a long time. Few Western teachers were able to stay long enough in Japan to obtain a teaching qualification from a particular school. Instead, they learned a variety of Jujitsu techniques from different schools, often mixing them with Aikido, Judo and Karate techniques, producing what is now a recognized form of modern, contemporary Jujitsu.
The Chinese regard Kung Fu as an integral part of their lives. It is simultaneously legend, history, medicine, combat, dance theater and physical culture. Many Kung Fu styles mimic animals, such as monkeys, white cranes, praying mantises and several others.
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