Posted by China

Martial arts originally started in ancient China and was used for hunting, entertainment, self defense, military training and fighting. There are a number of styles that evolved from mimicking movements from mammals, birds and insects, and there are other styles that gather inspiration from various Chinese philosophies, myths and legends. Traditional schools of martial arts (such as the shaolin) dealt with kung fu as a system of study, ethics, and development of philosophy as well as self defense and mental training. Martial arts styles can also be categorized by location, for example, northern, southern, or even by their province, city or religion. Throughout history martial arts practitioners have looked for supplementary income by performing on the streets or in theaters, and that has evolved through to today where you find many of these skilled artists performing in acrobatic and theatrical productions all over China. Popular names for Chinese martial arts are Kung fu and wushu and training consists of basics which are a vital part of the training, students cannot progress to the more advanced stages without them. Forms, which help develop strong and flexible muscles, proper body mechanics, and the management of the ‘chi’ concept (breath, or energy) of life force that is said to animate living beings. Applications and weapons, of which there are a large and varied selection of played a big part in the military history of China. These days, the philosophy of Chinese martial arts are seldom portrayed in depth, but it still plays a huge part in China’s culture as it is found in most cinema, TV, and opera productions. The Beijing Opera Company is renowned for producing cinematic martial arts heroes in China through it’s arduous training regime. If you click on the video travel tours below you will see some classic Chinese theatrical martial arts in action.