202 Conclusion
What this book reveals, then, practitioners have already known: The Chi-
nese martial art is a multifaceted system of physical and mental self-cultivation
that has diverse applications, from health and well-being to theatrical perfor-
mance, from competitive sport to religious self-cultivation, from self-defense to
armed rebellion. It is this versatility that has accounted for the tradition’s vitality
in the face of dramatically changing social and political conditions. The mar-
tial arts’ unique combination of military, therapeutic, and religious goals has
made them attractive to the young and the old, women and men, rebels and
scholars, the affluent and the needy, in diverse societies around the globe.