Martial Arts and Physical Education in Asia

Ancient China

• Civilization developed thanks to rice farming.
• The social pyramid was topped by the Emperor (absolute ruler).
• Military aristocracy, nobility (imperial family), and mandarins (officials) were also part of the social structure.
• Complex society involving patriarchal, slave, and feudal elements.
• A monosyllabic and vertical language.
• Significant inventions included paper, gunpowder, porcelain, silk, compass, and crossbow.
• Major religions were Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism.
• The Summer Palace in Beijing dates back to 1750 AD.

Chinese Dynasties

• Timeline of dynasties including the Spring and Autumn period (770-480 BCE), Shang (1766-1122 BCE), Qin (221-206 BCE), Three Kingdoms (220-581 CE), Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279), Ming (1368-1677), Zhou (1122-221 BCE), Han (206-581 CE), Sui (581-648), Yuan (1279-13368), Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, and Qing (1644-1911).

Traditional Chinese Sport

• Chinese physical culture fluctuates between activities focused on peace and harmony and competitive activities.
• The foundations of Chinese sport systems are inspired by different physical education methods.
• These include Kung-Fu, Hua-To System, and Siao-Lao-System.

Physical Education Methods

Kung-Fu

• Originated in 527 BC.
• An Indian traveler, Bodhidharma, introduced 18 gymnastic exercises to monks at Shaolin temple to aid meditation.
• Led to the development of 24 fighting movements.
• Possibly evolved from existing martial arts knowledge at the temple.

Hua-Tuo System (5 animals)

• Created by Hua-Tuo (145-208 AD).
• Martial arts system inspired by animal movements (tiger, deer, bear, monkey, and crane).
• Aimed at stimulating circulation, strengthening health, and improving appetite.
• A method for postural awareness and re-education.

Siao-Lao System

• Aimed at the elderly, travelers, and the weak.
• Included massage as a key activity and had an important medicinal component.

Physical Education in China

• From the 1st century BC, physical education was integrated into a broader education, aimed at developing physical capabilities and teaching cultural values.
• Objectives included developing the body’s potential, transmitting Chinese culture, and fostering obedience to the law
• Multi-sport tests (archery, weightlifting, and horseriding) were compulsory for gaining scholar certification in philosophy.

Main Traditional Sports in China

Chuiwan

• A team game involving hitting a ball into dug holes.
• Played by teams, winner is the first to hole the ball.
• The players used one hand to hit the ball.
• The clubs were made of different materials.
• The balls were made of wood or ox horn.
• Women were also allowed to participate.

Jiju (Chinese Polo)

• Influenced by Persian practices.
• Practiced by military and aristocratic elites.
• Essential for appointment to general and minister positions.

Combat Sports (Sanda)

• A fighting modality originating from Kung-Fu.
• Relies on kicks and punches at high speed to forcefully incapacitate opponents through dislocations or fractures.
• Another modality was Wrestling (Kich-Li), recording first combats from 1125 BC.

Other Sporting Activities

Bingxi

• Ice skating originated in the 7th century AD in Northern China.
• It mirrored figure skating but used by soldiers for rapid movement on icy rivers.

Go

• A two-player board game known for over 2500 years.
• Played on a 19x19 grid; each player uses black or white pieces.
• The goal is to control half of the board by surrounding opponent's pieces.

Traditional Japan

Historical Introduction

• Nara period began in 660 BC.
• Daimyo (feudal lords) ruled regions from 10th to 19th centuries AD.
• Samurai formed a warrior class; the shogunate was a military-based government.
• Japan was mostly isolated from the outside world until the Meiji Revolution (1868-1912).

Samurai

• The Japanese warrior class serving a daimyo (feudal lord).
• Recruited in youth and trained in castles in weaponry, fighting, and combat strategy.
• Bushido, the code of conduct, outlined duties and obligations.
• Elitist in nature (superior to other citizens).
• Loyalty to their lord was paramount.
• Some adopted Zen Buddhism for spiritual balance and discipline.
• Seppuku (ritual suicide) was considered the ultimate act of discipline.

Samurai Weaponry

• Armored bodies made from textiles, reinforced iron, and wood.
• Katana (curved swords, weighing 1 kg and up to 90 cm).
• Yumi (bows made from bamboo) for archery.
• Nanigata (spears) and Yari (spears) used for cavalry warfare.

Samurai Training

Kyudo

• Japanese archery, emphasizing self-discipline and mastery.
• Samurai archers practiced shooting 1000 arrows daily.

Yabusame

• Horseback archery with three shots at three targets at a gallop.
• Designed to improve equestrian skills.

Kendo

• Developed to train samurai in katana use.
• Focused on calmness, restraint, and timing.
• Practiced with bamboo swords.

Traditional Japanese Sports

Jiu-Jitsu

• "Gentle art"—focused on agility and brute-force triumph via strategic, skillful techniques.
• Developed as an unarmed fighting method; based on counterattacks, chokes, and strikes.
• Served as the basis for later martial arts.

Judo

• Martial art developed from Ju-Jitsu by Jigoro Kano in 1882.
• Emphasizes grappling, takedowns, locks, chokes (in both ground and standing positions).
• Designed to be non-injurious and emphasizes beauty, balance, and plasticity.
• Organized according to the color-coded belt system for the practitioners.

Sumo

• Japanese national sport and symbol in the nation's sporting culture.
• Originated in 7th century AD agricultural harvest rituals and developed into a martial art for combating.
• Wrestlers (rikishi) are subject to rigorous training, nine years in a stable.
• Fights are fast and intense, with preparation steeped in tradition.

Kemari

• A ball game for six to twelve players in a circle.
• Based on the evolution of Chinese Cuju.
• Involved kicking a ball with the foot to prevent it from the ground.

Bo-taoshi

• Originally a team game in the Japanese military academies.
• Involves 150 players, 75 attackers/75 defenders.
• The aim is to knock down a vertical post until it reaches 30 degrees from the ground
• Emphasizes balance and coordinated techniques.

Traditional India

Historical Introduction

• India (Hindi Bharat) named after the Indus Valley people.
• Three main regions (Himalayas, Indus & Ganges plains, Deccan plateau).
• Dravidian civilization (black race) emerged around 3000 BCE.
• Acaste-based social system for predefined social roles.

Major Religions in India

• Hinduism: a set of customs, beliefs, metaphysical teachings, and cults. No unified dogma.
• Buddhism (5th Century BCE): founded by Siddhartha Gautama. Philosophical, humanistic, universalist.
• Sikhism (9th Century BCE): centered on one God and teachings of the ten gurus. Strict daily life rules.
• Jainism (6th Century BCE): Aims to attain divine consciousness and liberation from the cycle of reincarnation.

Traditional Indian Sports

• General physical education was not part of the education program.
• Dance was the earliest physical and athletic expression.
• Several sports evolved for health, hygiene, delaying aging, and optimal physical condition.

Yoga

• A set of postural and breathing exercises (yoga-asana), combined with meditation.
• Aims to achieve mental liberation and detach from suffering.
• Archaeological evidence for yoga dates back to 5,000 years from the Indus Valley; codified by Patanjali in 300 BC.

Kalaripayattu

• A dance-based fighting style potentially the oldest martial art in Asia.
• Involves a sequence of training phases, focusing on body control, weapons (such as batons, sabres, shields, daggers, & whip swords).

Wrestling (Kushti)

• Performed on a sand pit.
• Wrestlers use oil/buttermilk/spices
• Uses pants and the fighters’ bodies are covered in oil/ mud.
• Single takedown typically ends the fight (5-10 minutes in modern times)

Strength Training Methods

Gadas

• Strength training using clubs, elements with a stick/ball at the top.
• Varied weights (from a few kg to hundreds).

Mallakhamba

• Gymnastic exercises using a greased wooden pole (3.6 meters high, 40 cm thick).
• Routine combining agility and physical strength.

Team Sports

Yubi-Lapki

• A 7 player team game resembling rugby in some aspects, but using coconut balls.

Kabaddi

• Professional sport (since 4000 BC) played with 7 player teams.
• Players (“scouts”) run into the opposing team's zone; attempt to mark/tag/touch an opposing player without getting marked.

Oxen Races

• Competitions for both dry and wet seasons.
• Oxen pull carts/wooden planks in races.
• Winner is the ox who completes the set distance first.

Chaturanga

• Predecessor of chess.
• Four player game based on a board.
• Pieces include pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, and kings.

Test your knowledge about the martial arts systems inspired by animals and their historical significance in Asian physical education. Explore topics from the five-animal system to traditional Japanese samurai culture. This quiz will challenge your understanding of these rich cultural practices.