animals themselves, the animal dances of Turkic animists seem
a more likely source, especially if those dances were done by
sorcerers interested in acquiring the animals’ magical powers.
About 200 A Christian philosopher named Clement of Alexandria writes
that women should be athletes for God. That is, they should
wrestle with the Devil and devote themselves to celibacy in-
stead of bowing meekly to their destiny of mothers and wives.
About 220 As a way of recruiting the best fighters for his bodyguard,
a Chinese warlord named Liubei begins holding fencing
tournaments.
271 A group of Gothic women captured while armed and dressed
as men are paraded through Rome wearing signs that read
“Amazons.”
302 Stirrups appear in Chinese art, the Turks or Mongols then be-
ginning to invade the country having introduced the devices.
The most famous member of the Han resistance to the contem-
porary invasions is Hua Mulan, a young girl who takes her
elderly father’s place in the Northern dynasty army.
About 378 In Mexico, the Tikal king Jaguar-Paw and his brother Smoking-
Frog begin using atlatls (Nahuatl; spear-throwers), for the pur-
pose of killing enemies from long range. (Earlier battles had
been fought hand-to-hand.)
Fifth century Quarterstaffs become associated with Daoist exorcisms. The
idea was that when the priest pointed his staff toward heaven,
the gods bowed and the earth smiled, but when he pointed it at
demons, the cowardly rascals fled.
About 400 The Indian poet Vatsayana writes the Kama Sutra,or “Apho-
risms on Love.” Along with acrobatic sex, the Kama Sutraalso
taught Indian courtesans to captivate men through regular prac-
tice with sword, singlestick, quarterstaff, and bow and arrow.
495 The Shaolin Temple is built at Bear’s Ear Peak in the Song
Mountains of Henan province. The name means “the young
forest,” and alludes to the forest in north India where the Bud-
dha chose to depart this life.
501 The king of the Burgundians introduces trial by battle into
Western Christianity.
About 530 According to tradition, an Indian monk known as Bodhi-
dharma (Carrier of Wisdom) introduces southern Indian mov-
ing meditations to the monks of the Shaolin Monastery in
Henan province.
About 550 During an exhibition held at the court of the Liang dynasty Wu
Di emperor, a Buddhist monk called Dong Quan (Eastern Fist)
uses unarmed techniques to disarm armed attackers.
590 The Christian Synod of Druim Ceat orders British women to
quit going into battle alongside their men. The ban must not
have been especially effective, since the daughter of Alfred the
Great is remembered as the conqueror of Wales and the people
who taught sword dancing to the Ulster hero Cu Chulainn
were female.
About 600 The imperial court of China’s Tang dynasty hires Punjabi and
Bengali astrologers to teach Vedic astrology. This may have sig-
nificance for the Chinese martial arts, as many subsequent mar-792 Chronological History of the Martial Arts
141
cont.