A Brief Introduction-China Wushu
武术简述
Wushu is a bare-handed or weapons-in-hand practice or performance according to the taolu or sets. The Chinese wushu has an extremely rich content. Generally speaking, it can be divided into the following ten categories such as quanshu, daoshu, gunshu, jianshu and qiangshu etc. The ten categories can be further divided in detail into different schools or styles such as shaolin-style boxing, wudong-style boxing, xingyiquan, taiji boxing and hawk's claw boxing in quanshu, meihuadao, wanshengdao, zhuifengdao, six-harmony dao, and taijidao etc. in daoshu, yugonggun, shaolin-gun, and bazigun etc. in gunshu, wudangjian, taijijian, eight-trigram sword, damojian, and qingpingjian etc. in jianshu, Yang-style spear, li-hua-style spear, and six-harmony spear etc. in qiangshu.
武术是徒手或手持器械按照一定套路进行训练或表演的一种活动。中国武术的内容极为丰富，概括地讲，可以分为拳术、刀术、棍术、剑术、枪术等大类。而在每一大类中，又可分为具体的小类或派别。如拳术中有少林拳、武当拳、形意拳、太极拳、鹰爪拳等。刀术中有梅花刀、万胜刀、追风刀、六合刀、太极刀等。棍术中有俞公棍、少林棍、巴子棍等。剑术中有武当剑、太极剑、八卦剑、达摩剑、青萍剑等。枪术中杨家枪、梨花枪、六合枪等。
The birth of wushu has close relationship with the following factors. The first is the hunting of the ancient people. Before agriculture, the meat of the animals was one of the main foods. In the activity of hunting, people had concluded the fighting skills such as kick, hit and strike etc. While confronting with the wild animals with sticks and fists. Secong, with the prosperity of the private possessions and the appearance of war, people usually fought bare-handedly or with weapons in the risk of losing lives. Especially with the application of the broadswords, swords and spears in the war, people had summed up the ways facilitating in winning the war such as daoshu, jianshu and qiangshu etc. The third is the thoughts of the integration of universe and man, yin and yang, the five phases and still the unique theory of maintaining the good health. People often designed the exercise methods and fighting movements on the base of their understanding of the moving systems of the universe and the actions of the animals. Fourth, the rich sources of the colorful chamber dances and the folk dances enable the limb movemengs more smooth and extending.
武术的产生当与以下因素存在密切的关系。一是远古人类的狩猎活动。在农业产生以前，兽肉是人类最主要的食物之一，在猎取野兽的活动中，人类依靠棍棒、拳头与野兽搏斗，从中便会总结出踢、打、击等搏击技巧。二是随着私有财产的丰富和战争的产生，人与人之间经常徒手或持棍棒等以性命相搏，尤其是随着刀、剑、枪等兵器在战争中的运用，人们更是进一步总结出了刀法、剑法、枪法等有利于在格斗中取胜的方法。三是中国传统的天人合一、阴阳五行思想和独特的养生学说，使人们常常根据自己对天地万物的运行规律即某些动物的动作特点的理解，来设计各种锻炼身体的方法和进行搏击的动作。四是中国丰富的宫廷舞蹈和民间舞蹈方面的资源，能使肢体动作更加舒展和连贯。
It is recorded in the history there were people specializing in wushu in the periods of Spring and Autumn and the Warring States and considered it as a theory to maintain good health and used it in wars when necessary.
据史料记载，在春秋战国时期，就已经有人在专门研究武术，既把它作为一种养生之道，在必要时又把它运用于军事。
Wushu plays positive roles in strengthening the body, developing the potential of the body, tempering people's will power and even the cure of the difficult and complex cases of illness. So a wushu craze has been set off in the world since wushu spread out of the country at the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century. Many foreigners love exclusively Chinese wushu and travel regardless of distance to China to learn Chinese kungfu. They set up wushu school after they return home, which plays an important part in spreading Chinese wushu and promoting the communication of the Chinese cultures and the foreign cultures.
武术对于强身健体、开发人体潜能、锻炼人们的意志，甚至对于某些疑难杂症的治疗，都有积极的作用。因此，自19世纪末20世纪初，中国武术走出国门，渐渐在世界上掀起了一股中国武术热。有不少外国人对中国武术情有独钟，他们不远万里到中国来学习武术，学成之后回国设武馆传授武术，这对于传播中国武术文化、促进中外文化交流，起到了重要的作用。
It is the realization of the important volues of wushu in strengthening the body and inspiring the national enthusiasm that the Chinese government attaches importance to it. Chinese Wushu Association was founded in 1956 and many wushu competition rules have been made in succession. In 1990, wushu was decided as the official competition in the 11 the Asian Games. In 1991, the 1st World Wushu Invitational Tourmament was held in Peking. Now the Wushu masters are trying their best to enable wushu to be an official competition in Olympic Games.
正是认识到中国武术对于强健体魄、振奋民族精神所具有的重要价值，中国政府对武术极为重视，1956年，成立了中国武术协会，并相继制定了不少武术竞赛的规则。1990年，武术被列为第11届亚运会正式比赛项目。1991年，又在北京举办了首届世界武术邀请赛。目前，武术界人士正在为让武术称为奥运会的正式参赛项目而进行不懈的努力。
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