Wu shu

The origin of Wushu may be traced back to pre-historic times, when our ancestors used stone tools and wooden clubs in hunting for food and in defending themselves against wild animals. In tribal strives they used their tools of production as weapons of war, and when these were damaged or knocked off their hands they resorted to kicks and blows and other tactics which later evolved into various schools of traditional Chinese boxing. Experience in battles told them that in order to overwhelm their enemies they must not only have good weapons, but should always keep fit and improve their skills of fighting through intensive training in times of peace. Consequently, various forms of contest were employed in military training down through the ages.

The troops commanded by Chiyou, who fought against the Yellow Emperor were known to have practiced exercises with axes and shields. In the Zhou dynasty a kind of wrestling was listed as a military sport alongside archery and chariot racing. During the Han dynasty their appeared a type of shadow boxing and sword play. The five animals devised by the famous physician Hua tuo, imitated the movements of the snake, tiger, crane, dragon and monkey, was probably the earliest set of exercises for health building recorded in Chinese history that helped " limber up the body and stimulate the appetite ". In the Tang dynasty, swordplay flourished as never before, and in the Yuan dynasty wrestling gained in popularity and winners in major contests were awarded silver bowls. The development of Wushu however, was not without restriction.

While Wushu served them as a means of strengthening their military power, the feudal rulers had misgivings about the people learning any form of martial art, for fear that they might use it and rise in rebellion. Some rulers even forbade the people to possess any kind of weapons, and Wushu groups and societies could exist in secret. However, much has since been done to unearth and recover the legacies left by our ancestors and make this gem of Chinese culture more resplendent than ever before. Old styles and routines on the verge of extinction have been saved and new ones evolved with innovative ideas.

A beginner should firstly select the routines, draw up a plan for training and determine the amount of exercise for each work out according to their age, health condition, interest and amount of time they can afford. Generally speaking, an elderly person or one with weak constitution may take up Tai Chi exercises whose movements are slow and gentle. For those who wish to take up systematic training, it is advisable to start with the basic exercises so as to lay a foundation for practicing the regular routines with or without weapons.

Secondly, always bear in mind that Wushu is made up of..... external work which denotes movements and strength of the hands, the feet and the body and ..... internal work which means the spirit, will, vital energy and expressions of the eyes. It is necessary therefore, to acquire the correct postures and do the exercises with concentration and alertness, consciously guide the movements, follow them with the eyes and regulate breathing.

All these are important to achieving co-ordination between different parts of the body, unity between motion and stillness and combination of hardness and softness. Only by paying equal attention to these two aspects " internal and external ", and embodying both the physical and mental aspects in the movements, can good results be obtained?