Research Paper Education E-ISSN No : 2454-9916 | Volume : 1 | Issue : 4 | Nov 2015 IntroductiontoChineseMartialArts“WUSHU”. Dr. Dharmender Kumar 1 |Dr. Sakti Ranjan Mishra 2 1 Delhi Public School Ghaziabad,Ghaziabad, U. P 2 Former Principal, Baliapal College of Physical Education,Baliapal, Balasore, Odisha. Introduction: Ancient Martial Arts: Darwin used the phrase “Survival of the fittest” to describe how the While evidence show that martial arts have roots in prehistory, the natural selection worked. Survival of the fittest is commonly inter- earliest evidence of systematic training in specific martial arts tradi- preted as the “survival of the strongest”. In fact if we search out tions emerges in antiquity (late 1st millennium BC) in both Asia and human history of evolution, we would find that the most significant Europe. But it was around 4000 B. C. when the first compound bow factor of this period has been human ability of movement which made appeared which was made from more than one piece of wood or of mate- his existence possible. Searching for food and feeding himself could rial other than wood. After that we see a continuous use of various not have been possible without that. The most dramatic change in the weapons and bare hands practices of different types of martial arts in movement can be considered his ability to walk or move on two legs or various cultures. bipedalism. Bipedalism was a behavioural innovation that led the way to making everything possible for our evolution. It was still the All over the world, there are traditional styles of wrestling, and in single step in our ancient past that led to the tool-making, brain some cases also stick fighting, rooted in local culture and folklore. enlargement, and intelligence that have led to our pre-eminence on Among the weapons that were used extensively by the Africans, one of the planet today. the most important was the stick. Stick fighting, which is practiced in many cultures the world over, has especially been practiced in sub- In the dawn of the human race, physical fitness was motivated by sur- Saharan Africa. In East and Southeast Asia, these are forms such as vival needs. Through hunting and gathering, nomadic journeys, and Korean, Khmer or Mongolian wrestling and Japanese Sumo, in South labouring lifestyles, humans developed fit healthy bodies through and Southwest Asia Indo-Persian Pehlwani, in Central and Western daily tasks. Researchers recognize that primitive lifestyles dating Asia Turkic (Uzbek, Tatar) styles; in Europe, there are Icelandic, required regular physical activity as a component of everyday life Swiss and various English wrestling traditions. African folk wrestling beyond just the pursuit of food, water, and shelter. Even the dancing includes the West African style of Lutte Traditionnelle. rituals and cultural games of celebrating tribes were physically demanding and contributed to the necessity of a high level of physical While these arts are based on historical traditions of folklore, they are fitness as well as being a factor for social acceptance. In essence, phys- not "historical" in the sense that they reconstruct or preserve a histor- ical fitness in primitive cultures was a defining factor of human life. ical system from a specific era. They are rather contemporary regional sports that coexist with the modern forms of martial arts sports as For hundreds of thousands of years, human relied on hunting for gath- they have developed since the 19th century, often including cross- ering their daily food. Paleolithic people had a close relationship with fertilization between sports and folk styles; thus, the traditional Thai the world around them, and over a period of time, they came to know style of Muay Boran developed into the modern national sport of what animals to hunt and what plants to eat. They gathered wild Muay Thai, which in turn came to be practiced worldwide and contrib- nuts, berries, fruits and wild grains and green plants. Around the uted significantly to modern hybrid styles like kickboxing and mixed world they captured and consumed different animals, including buf- martial arts. falo, bison, horses, reindeer and fish. Indian Martial Arts: Can we imagine performing these activities without physical strength The field of Indian martial arts is demonstrably rich and varied. The and fitness, certainly not? Actually that was the period which founded immense diversity in India`s culture has contributed immensely to a strong base of human capabilities and abilities. Everything known the great variety and ingenuity in the form, style and practice of the about the evolution of human bodies reveals the idea that physical same. Over the years, there has been a revival of the art forms in vari- capabilities contribute to the ability to survive since the beginning of ous regions, and we see a resurgence of the traditional martial arts in time. The more physical fitness one has the more adept he becomes at the field of self-defence. maneuvering the human form and leads to healthier each physiologi- cal system. These combined physical variables provide the greatest The Sanskrit language term for martial arts is `Dhanur Viddha`, opportunity for surviving and thriving. Perhaps this is the reason that derived from the terms dhanush meaning `bow` and viddha meaning physical fitness appeals to something very deep in many people and `knowledge`. Thus, it literally translates into the science of archery. has thus been correlated in numerous cultures with spiritual and men- Since ancient times, martial arts have constantly been referenced in tal development, and is, quite literally a foundation for living that is various literary texts, indicating their long course of development and connected to all we do. refining. The means and the motivation for fitness have changed dramatically The history of martial arts can be traced over a greatly extended over time. It is however, important to note that from its earliest begin- period of time. Early martial traditions go back to the 2nd millennium nings to the most current trends and fads, the functional need for a fit BC. The Agni Purana is arguably the earliest extant manual of body has maintained an integral level of importance for us as humans. Dhanurviddha which talks about the art of war in five detailed parts. It was duly mentioned in Vedic literature like the Rig Veda, Yajur Though the various weapons and other tools definitely have been a Veda and Atharva Veda. The tome described how to improve a war- great assistance to the survival of human being yet they can't be rior`s individual artistry and kill enemies using various different replaced by the physical strength. Perhaps that has been the major fac- methods in warfare, whether a warrior went to war in chariots, ele- tor which led the foundation of martial art system in different cul- phants, horses, or on foot. Numerous references to Indian martial arts tures. are found scattered throughout the Mahabharata. Vivid descriptions of martial artistry are found in the contest between Arjuna and Karna, who use bows and swords, trees and rocks, and eventually fists International Education & Research Journal [IERJ] 16 Research Paper E-ISSN No : 2454-9916 | Volume : 1 | Issue : 4 | Nov 2015 in unarmed battle; and fighters boxing with clenched fists and fight- fighting techniques from animals (tiger, panther, monkey, snake, or ing with kicks, finger strikes, knee strikes and head butts. Other box- bear), birds (eagle, crane, or chicken), or insects (praying mantis). The ing fights are depicted in the Ramayana. Among the various Indian reason for imitating the animals' fighting was that it was believed martial arts, Malla-yuddha was regarded as prominent in that era. It that, in order to survive in the harsh natural environment, all the ani- is a form of combat wrestling codified into four forms which is mals still maintained a natural talent and skill for fighting. The best described in the ancient Indian epics as the fighting style of warriors way to learn the fighting techniques was by studying and imitating such as Bhima. these animals. For example, the sharp spirit of the eagle was adopted, the pouncing/fighting of the tiger and eagle's strong claws was imi- Indian martial arts display a great diversity in their form and type, in tated, and the attacking motions of the crane's beak and wings were keeping with the country`s rich and varied culture. Each region in copied. India practices its own unique martial arts discipline with great vig- our and enthusiasm. Broadly speaking, we can categorise them into Since the martial techniques first developed in very ancient times, the styles of Northern and Southern India. In northern India we see gradually they became part of Chinese culture. The philosophy of practices like Pehlwani, Gatka and the Thang Ta and Sarit. In the these fighting arts and culture has in turn been influenced by other ele- south, the most popular martial art forms are Kalairpayattu, ments of Chinese culture. In all Chinese martial art Shaolin has its Silambam, Varma Ati and Mallakhamb. These martial arts have own place. evolved in different eras of India`s history, often in response to socio- political situations. The Gatka, a Sikh martial art involving sticks, The Shaolin Temple evolved from sword practice in the 19th century British Indian army, Shaolin Kung-Fu was created at the Shaolin Temple, Mount and the warriors of the Tamil rebel king Veerapandi Kattabomman Songshan, in China. For generations, the techniques and knowledge relied largely on their Silambam skills in their rebellion against the of Shaolin Kung-Fu were handed down and preserved by guardian British. The various styles range from wrestling techniques like those warrior-monks known as the Sangha.