The weapon he provided for this strongman was an iron staff weighing
120 catties (about 160 pounds). Although we hear nothing again of the
strongman after the failed attempt, Zhang himself went on to become a key
strategist and general for Liu Bang, who would found the Han dynasty.^7
Qin Dynasty Wrestling
Once the Qin created thefirst Chinese empire, the new emperor attempted
to demilitarize Chinese society to some extent. Private martial arts practice
was forbidden, as was the possession of weapons, particularly among the
aristocracy of the conquered kingdoms. The main threat to the state was
a large group of armed subjects resisting government authority. Without
weapons, however, even a group of well-trained martial artists was not a
threat. As Zhang Liang’s assassination attempt proves, however, weapons
were still readily available, and a small group of well-trained and armed
martial artists could be a direct threat to the ruler’s life. The technology to
make steel, iron, or bronze weapons of all kinds was widespread through-
out Chinese society after centuries of warfare. Knowledge of martial arts
was similarly ubiquitous. Forbidding the practice of martial arts and the
ownership of weapons was thus more a general attempt to disarm society
as a whole and prevent armed insurrection than an effective policy to
entirely expunge martial skills.
Indeed, the prevalence of martial arts in Chinese society was so wide-
spread that some substitute had to be provided that would replace it without
endangering the state. Regular military training was therefore abolished and
replaced with wrestling competitions and displays. Wrestling was practiced
inside and outside the army, and was known as a martial art among a good
portion of the population. Zhang Chunren and Cui Lequan suggested that
wrestling, since it was confined to techniques for throwing, was less likely
to result in injury than boxing, but this is hard to prove.^8 Being thrown onto
an unpadded surface could be quite dangerous. Wrestling contests were
ordinary entertainments among the upper class, and probably among the
commoners as well.^9
The Qin dynasty did not last long. As Zhang Liang’s assassination attempt
demonstrated, there was widespread opposition to Qin rule among the elite.
Qin Shihuang died peacefully, but the Qin government collapsed rapidly
afterward. For all of the power of the Qin system, it failed to provide for a
smooth imperial succession. Nearly paralyzed with internal struggles for
power, the government could not suppress the rising tide of warlordsfighting
60 The Qin and Han Dynasties