reflection of the source materials might prejudice the reader into seeing
martial arts as more important in the modern period than in ancient times.
Martial arts has always been important in every society, not only in China,
though the specific arts and the categories of practice understood to be
“martial”are contested.
Much of the current understanding of Chinese martial arts in the West
comes from the particular circumstances of late nineteenth- and early
twentieth-century Chinese history, and the representation of the Chinese
past in martial artsfilms. Most Chinese and Taiwanese people share these
misconceptions about the history of Chinese martial arts, and indeed Chinese
history as a whole. Very few historians, outside of a tiny group of specialists,
have read the excellent scholarship in Chinese on the history of Chinese
martial arts. It is therefore not surprising that when asked, the average
Chinese or Taiwanese person will provide the same list of myths and hearsay
that color and distort the understanding of Chinese martial arts. Familiar
fabrications–Shaolin is the source of Chinese martial arts, the Daoist Zhang
Sanfeng invented Taijiquan, or Chinese martial arts is about peace and self-
cultivation, not violence, to name only a few–are repeated so often and so
confidently that they appear to be true. They are not, and these misconcep-
tions undermine not only our understanding of the place of martial arts in
Chinese history but also the actual practice of martial arts.
A number of nationalisms and orientalisms inform the current mean-
ings of martial arts in China and the world. The individual skill of a martial
artist often becomes representative of not simply his or her abilities but also
the value of the style practiced and the culture that produced that style.
There is an ongoing debate over the relative qualities of the various styles,
where they become stand-ins for their country of origin, adding emotional
fuel to fundamentally inane comparisons. At the same time, the traditional
cast of martial arts and its patina of ancient history attract students inter-
ested in connecting with an earlier period. Supposedly ancient practices
rooted in discipline, good manners, and spiritual cultivation provide a cure
for modern social ills. China as the most ancient of the East Asian civiliza-
tions must have the most profound of arts. The older the art, the more
hidden are its true powers and value. Although China and Chinese martial
arts may sometimes appear old and weak, they are in fact wise and strong.
These are comforting myths for some, but myths nonetheless.
China is also a modern country, and its government wishes its distinc-
tive cultural artifacts to be valued like those of other countries. China
competes well in international sports but also wants other countries to
value and compete in its particular physical culture, Wushu. The rejection
Conclusion 239