to the Chinese. The martial arts were widely practiced in the villages and
towns despite Yuan prohibitions, maintaining traditions of fighting
arts begun much earlier. Banditry and crime were still a threat to ordinary
Chinese, and the only effective response was to create or continue self-
defense forces.
As Yuan authority began to break down, local and regional strongmen
became increasingly powerful. When they began directly to challenge the
Yuan government they shifted from being mere bandits to actual rebels and
incurred a military response. Although the Yuan army was still capable of
defeating these rebels, internal political concerns undermined the suppres-
sion efforts. Rebel forces were able to survive, expand, and improve their
military capabilities, building on a foundation of widespread martial arts
skill among the population. The contest was not between one rebel group
and the Yuan government, but among a shifting constellation of rebels,
bandits, and strongmen, who fought with each other for power, and also
with the Yuan government until itfinally collapsed entirely. In this chaotic
struggle for dominance, continualfighting once again militarized Chinese
society and brought martial arts into the lives of a significant part of the
population.
156 The Yuan Dynasty