Martial Arts and Physical Education in Ancient China

Ancient China

• Civilization developed thanks to rice farming.
• Social pyramid: Emperor, military aristocracy, nobility (imperial family), mandarins (officials).
• Complex society: patriarchal, slave, and feudal elements.
• Monosyllabic and vertical language.
• Inventions: paper, gunpowder, porcelain, silk, compass, crossbow.
• Religions: Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism.
• Time period: 1766 BC to 1911 AD.

Chinese Dynasties

• Springs and Falls Period (770-480 BCE)
• Shang Dynasty (1766-1122 BCE)
• Zhou Dynasty (1122-221 BCE)
• Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE)
• Three Kingdoms (220-581 CE)
• Tang Dynasty (618-907)
• Sui Dynasty (581-648)
• Song Dynasty (960-1279)
• Yuan Dynasty (1279-13368)
• Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
• Ming Dynasty (1368-1677)
• Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)

Traditional Chinese Sport

• Chinese physical culture fluctuated between complementary activities:
  • Activities aimed at peace and harmony.
  • Competitive activities.
• Foundations inspired by different physical education methods:
  • Kung-Fu
  • Hua-To System
  • Siao-Lao System

Kung-Fu

• Originated in 527 BC.
• Bodhidharma arrived at the Shaolin temple.
• Taught 18 gymnastic exercises to monks, leading to 24 fighting movements.
• Possibly had prior knowledge of martial arts.

Hua-Tuo System (5 Animals)

• Created by Hua-Tuo (145-208 AD).
• Inspired by 5 animal movements (tiger, deer, bear, monkey, crane).
• Aim to stimulate circulation, strengthen health, awaken appetite.
• Aimed at postural awareness and re-education.

Siao-Lao System

• Aimed at the elderly, travellers, and the weak.
• Included massage as a main activity.
• Had an important medicinal component.

Physical Education in China

• From 1st century BC onwards, physical education emerged.
• Aim was integral education (intellectual + physical).
• Objectives: Develop body's potential, transmit Chinese traditions, teach obedience to the law.
• Physical-sports tests (compulsory for scholarly status): Archery, weightlifting, horse riding.

Main Traditional Sports in China (Chuiwan)

• Practiced since at least 1050 AD (similar to golf).
• Team game; players hit a ball into holes.
• Winner had fewest strokes.
• Holes 10-20 meters apart; played with one hand.
• Clubs of wood or bamboo, varying shapes.
• Balls of wood or ox horn.
• Women participated.

Jiju (Chinese Polo)

• Persian influence.
• Sport of military and aristocratic elites.
• Essential skill for general/minister nomination.
• Emperor's participation: game couldn't start until he scored the first goal.

Combat Sports (sanda/kickboxing/Kich-Li)

• Chinese boxing (sanda): fighting modality from Kung-Fu, using kicks and punches at high speed. Aim to quickly disable opponent with dislocations or fractures.
• Wrestling (Kich-Li): First recorded combats (1125 BC). Combat ended when one wrestler touched the ground. Forbid punches and stomps, using only grabs and holds.

Other Sporting Activities (Bingxi/Go)

• Bingxi: Ice skating since 7th century AD; popular in northern China, used for soldier training.
• Go: Board game (over 2500 years). Played on 19x19 board. Objective is to control at least half the board.

Classic Japan

• 660 BCE starts the Nara period, giving rise to the Mikado era.
• From the 10th century to the 19th century AD, Japan divided into regions (Daimyos).
• Military force was the governing system called Shogunate.
• Closed country—few foreign contacts (Dutch, Chinese).
• Change in the 19th century—Meiji Revolution (1868-1912); opening to the West, industrialization.

Samurai

• Japanese warrior class serving a daimyo.
• Recruited in youth, trained in castles.
• Code of conduct: Bushido
  • Elitism: Superior social class.
  • Loyalty: Military service to lord.
  • Zen Buddhism emphasized spiritual balance & discipline.
  • Seppuku (harakiri): Ritual suicide for failure.

Samurai Weapons

• Armor: Textile/iron/wood, some up to 30 kg.
• Katana: Curved steel sword (up to 90 cm, 1 kg).
• Yumi (bow): Bamboo, asymmetrical shape, varying sizes.
• Nanigata (spear): Wood/bamboo, curved steel blade (3 meters).
• Yari (spear): Similar to Nanigata (straight blade).

Samurai Training

• Kyudo (archery): Ritual self-discipline, shooting 1000 arrows a day.
• Yabusame (horseback archery): Shooting at targets while galloping.
• Kendo (Combat): Hollow bamboo sword, formal training, focuses on technique, calm, restraint and timing.

Traditional Japanese Sports

• Jiu-jitsu: "Gentle art"; focus is agility over brute force; based on energy of the opponent's strike, use of counter-attacks, and dislocations.
• Judo: Martial art derived from Jiu-Jitsu; created by Jigoro Kano (1882). Grappling, takedowns, locks, chokes; organized by belts.

Sumo

• Japanese national sport.
• Rooted in agricultural rituals, with fights dating back the 7th century AD.
• 82 permitted techniques
• Aim to knock down opponent or push them out of the “fighting space” called a do-jo.
• Wrestlers are subjected to a strict regimen.
• Sumo fights are short and intense, with ceremonial preparation before the contest.

Kemari

• Ball game (6-12 players, in a circle).
• Ancient Japanese sport, possibly an evolution of Chinese cuju.
• Ball was made of leather/filled with sawdust; hit by the feet.
• Each player can hit the ball a maximum of three times.
• The game emphasizes abstraction, relaxation and disconnection of mind.
• Players wear specific attire (kimonos & "duck-billed" shoes).

Bo-taoshi

• Japanese team sport derived from warfare training.
• Objective: knock down a vertically placed post to 30 degrees.
• Two teams (75 attackers & 75 defenders, 150 players total).
• Coordinated techniques and defense.

Traditional India

• India (Hindi Bharat): Named after the people of the Indus Valley.
• Primarily divided into the Himalayas, an extensive plain (Indus/Ganges), and Deccan Plateau.
• First civilization (Dravidian, black race) around 3000 BCE.
• Traditional social system based on rigid castes.

Major Religions of India

• Hinduism: Complex religion with many customs, beliefs, metaphysical teachings, and cults; no central dogma.
• Buddhism: Philosophical and humanistic religion. Founded by Siddhartha Gautama in India (5th Century BCE).
• Sikhism: Founded in the 15th century, with beliefs in one God; emphasizes strict rules for daily life.
• Jainism: Oldest religion in India (6th century BC). Focus on divine consciousness & liberation.

General Remarks of Indian Sports

• General education usually did not include physical education.
• Dance was the first physical and sporting expression; linked to religious rituals.
• Many sports developed as ways to maintain health, well-being, and fight aging.
• Indian sports not known for pre-eminence of rhythm and choreographic skill.

Yoga

• A set of postural and breathing exercises combined with meditation.
• The aim is to achieve mental liberation from worry and desires.
• Archaeological evidence of Yoga dates back to over 5000 years ago in the Indus Valley.
• Sage Patanjali compiled 196 techniques and theories in 300 BCE.

Kalaripayattu

• Dance-fighting with weapons; considered the oldest martial art in India.
• Phases of training: Body control, wooden weapons, then combat with actual weapons.
• Uses a wide variety of weapons, including batons, shields, daggers, whip-swords (urumi).

Wrestling (Kushti)

• Performed on a sand-pit; oiled / spiced.
• Wrestlers wear only a small pair of pants and have their bodies covered in oil/mud.
• Matches continued until one opponent surrendered; today, a knock-down suffices.
• Wrestling is usually 5 to 10 minutes.
• Wrestlers trained in gyms/akhara; led by a guru, who establishes training and lifestyle.

Strength Training Methods (Gadas/Mallakhamb)

• Gadas: Training with clubs or weighted sticks in a rhythmic way.
• Mallakhamb: Exercises on a high greased wooden pole (3.6m x 40cm). Combines agility & physical strength.

Team Sports in India (Yubi-Lapki/Kabaddi)

• Yubi-Lapki ("coconut robbery"): Similar to rugby; 7 players per team. Ball is a greased coconut. Goal is to carry the coconut into the opponent's goal.
• Kabaddi: Professional sport (4000 BC). 7 players per team. Each team sends a scout into the opposition. The aim is to capture opponent; the scout must avoid breathing to be able to sing during play; must return to own team's field and complete the play.

Oxen Races

• Held during both a dry and wet season.
• Oxen pulling carts (dry) and wooden planks (wet), determining winner based on speed.
• Used to showcase breeding excellence and earn money.

Chaturanga

• Board game, direct predecessor to chess,
• Combined "chatur" (four), and "anga" (members); four players.
• Pieces included: pawns, knights, elephants (bishops), ships (rooks), and kings.
• Winning conditions: "Choking the king," or "Stripping the king."

Test your knowledge about the martial arts systems and physical education practices that were developed in ancient China. Explore concepts related to the five-animal system, traditional sports, and educational examinations in historical contexts. This quiz covers topics from various aspects of Chinese culture and history.