The changes in a martial artist’s life My family story is about Kong Fu which is the traditional Chinese culture. It has an important significance to my whole family. During my long ancestors’ life, Kong Fu played a significant role, which means that every one of my ancestors learned Kong Fu from generation to generation. My great-great-great-grandpa was called Zhang Yuan and he learned Kong Fu from his master, whose last name was Chen at Malian Qu where was the hometown of my family. Moreover, a special habit which my great-great grandfather and his master had was that they rose with the cocks to practice Kong Fu every time with the sunrise, which is like a traditional Chinese allusion called ‘rising up upon hearing the crow of a rooster and practicing with the sword’. Another amazing thing is that their Kong Fu standard is so high that they could break off the chairs as soon as they twisted their asses. Although the story sounds exaggeratedly, I am …show more content…
Indeed, I found something useful in an article which introduces Chinese Kong Fu history. “During Shang and Zhou Dynasties (17th Century BC- 221 BC), martial arts evolved to be a kind of dancing. Usually the dancing of martial arts is utilized to train soldiers and inspire their morale” (Kelly). Initially, Kong Fu was only known as a social activity in Zhou Dynasties. At that era, people only played Kong Fu as a ceremony which could make soldiers become more confident to win the war. In the ancient of China, the war between two countries was different to the one nowadays. Before opening hostilities, two armies shew morale first and two generals fought with each other solely next. The contest of morale was an essential part in a war, which meant that soldiers might behave badly in a low morale. That was why every country should have a just cause to back a
Henning, Stanley E. "The Chinese Martial Arts in Historical Perspective." Military Affairs 45.4 (1981): 173-79. JSTOR. Web. 5 Mar. 2014.
China has seen many changes throughout the course of their development, yet one aspect about their culture has tended to see continuity over the centuries. The practice of ancestor veneration has been present for thousands of years in Chinese culture. Looking at this single theme from China in 1600 compared to earlier periods, it is not hard to see that China has seen great continuity when it comes to honoring their ancestors. Religion, politics, and the economics of China may have changed over the years, but ancestor veneration has persisted and has even been shaped by these aspects.
Knowing that Jimmy Wu is a depressed person and does not care much about life and his future it seems to me that prison will be quite rough for him. I predict in six weeks Jimmy would try to attempt to commit suicide, but before he tries to kill himself his cellmate stops him. I believe that he would do something like this because in True Notebooks it says “I want mine on fast-forward. I just want to get to the end. F*** it”(Salzman, P.54). To me it seems that Wu could care less about his life and does not even stress about his future. I believe that if Jimmy Wu starts writing in his plenty of free time during the next six months in prison that his depression and suicidal thoughts will go away. In the article The Pen has Healing Power it says
Chinese culture. It can be certain that the theory of filiality must be a historical value that influences Chinese people’s physical and mental life. Moreover, chief Wang as a typical man among numerous males who carries on absolute patriarchal ideas, as well as conventional bearing views. Overall, the director tends to reveal various factors causing by deeply traditional performance, which to call to action to alter people’s mind and enable individuals to gain a relatively proper standpoint to distinguish what filiality is and how to achieve filiality truly
Chinese New Year family traditions. (2012, February 3). YouTube. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noiouIzjJZE
The Chinese traditional values the father figure and sons to have a complete family. The figure 1 shows the huge role and value a father has in the family. The fatherhood is a famous tradition that has existed in Chinese tradition that gets passed from generation to generation (Lamb 228). The fatherhood tradition, has many prohibitions, for instance, the tradition prohibits a father seeking forgiveness to his sons among others. The father in Chinese traditions is the very noble person that should be above suspicion of committing errors it may offend the sons and the whole family. A situation is that a father has committed a crime, he should keep a low profile to avoid it being noticed to the sons and the family. The Chinese society has defined
This famous folklore about Chang’e dates back to ancient China. The earliest record is in The Huai-nan Tzu.6 And the version presented hereinafter is a composite of various versions currently told.7 This lady’s name is Chang'e8, who is the Chinese goddess of the Moon. Unlike many lunar deities in other cultures who personify the Moon, Chang'e only lives on the Moon as an punishment. And she has been living there for more than 4000 years.
Traditional Chinese medicine is a series of different medical practices that have been influenced and promoted throughout china’s history based on cultural or religious beliefs about the inner workings of the human body and the world around us. Much of the field lacks a purely scientific basis for its effectiveness, but it is often cited as being insightful or even helpful in most modern day scientific journals. Additionally while new medical technologies have continued to be introduced into the Chinese public overtime, the overall usage of traditional chines medicine and the cultural beliefs connected to it still remain a huge part of Chinese society as a whole. Because of this analyzing the history and foundations of traditional Chinese medical system, can yield great insight into the inner workings of the minds of the Chinese public, making it important to understand from an anthropological point of views.
The film demonstrates the long-lasting martial arts through the sword fight between the warriors. Chinese martial arts are a unique mixture of self-defense, exercise, meditation, harmony, and self-discipline. Additionally, it uses the strength of body and brain. Each battle scene in the movie depicts that martial arts virtue peace instead of violence. It is shown in the scene, where nameless (Jet Li) is fighting with broken sword while floating on the lake and drawing a pattern with their sword. The martial arts define the styles of Chinese tradition and life of the warriors. It is one of the important aspects of Chinese culture as it is deeply imbedded in China, and it serves as a representative of the culture. It has enhanced my understanding on importance of martial arts in Chinese culture.
The American Museum of National History in Central Park, New York City was remarkable to explore. There were many interesting and valuable artifacts in the museum that are a precious treasure to the history of America and how the items relate to one another. The color, shape, and style demonstrated the significance of understanding where the artifacts came from and how they were created. I enjoyed looking at the antiques and heirlooms that gave purpose to its development of the Chinese history and culture. One of my favorite artifacts that was exquisite to see was the Incense Burner in the Shape of a Rooster. This special item was created in the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), 18th century with a Cloisonné enamel on copper. The rooster in Chinese culture is a symbol of diligence and fortune. The rooster is a particularly popular Chinese decorative motif. This incense burner has an ingenious design. The hollow body houses the burning incense and the detachable wings serve as the lid with several small openings on
Between 500 CE and 1300 CE, China established international dominance, respective to the world of third-wave civilizations. However, East Asia’s rise to authority consisted of several changes that ultimately reinvented global perception of the region. Culturally, what was considered the “golden age” of the Song dynasty was also fraught with new patriarchal restrictions on women, societal opinions becoming increasingly misogynistic. Regarding the disruption in cultural opinion was the prominence of Confucianism, which had originally died out in favor of a more liberal mindset imposed by the surrounding steppe nomads. The most critical change was the definitions of masculinity and femininity; as Confucianism advocated education as one’s most valuable asset, women were seen as temptresses, distractions to men’s scholarly pursuits. Subsequent to what is considered a Chinese “golden age” is also a blemish on the country’s past, as practices that arose during this time were blatantly cruel, at least from a modern perspective. A product of this mindset was the new tradition of foot binding, which was both a mark of elitism and subordination, each central to Confucian philosophies. This process was created out of societal objectification of women, as women with smaller feet were allegedly more attractive to men and had a higher chance of marrying into a wealthy family, but also out of economic hierarchies, since peasant women could not have their feet bound because they needed full mobility to provide for their families on the fields. Economical changes usurped the previously woman-dominated field of textile production, and the greater chance for household prosperity limited social cohesion due to jealousy and tension. Ch...
Next, since the village is located up high in the mountains, the palace and the Kung Fu warriors training space is surrounded by nature and its beauty. Nature is a major thought in Taoism. “Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires” (Lau Tzu). The palace is in a secluded area and a plain design that is simple just as the teachings of Lau Tzu says to have in order to be a tru...
The celebration of a young man entering the adult life is also celebrated within Confucianism. Because the ancestors have such a large importance in Confucian traditions, this family ritual is seen as the presentation of the youth to his ancestors (Oxtoby and Segal 463). Often held for a young man between the ages of fifteen and twenty, this ‘capping’ c...
It became a dance that allows the user to have a good balance and coordination between shen, physical forms, and yun, the style, inner spirit, and emotions. When wushu, martial arts, appeared in China. Many types of performing arts were influenced by martial art movements, techniques, and flips. Also many original forms of classic Chinese dance were similar to those of martial arts. During the 5,000 years when Chinese culture was being established, classical Chinese dance was being enhanced, which what brought forth the “bearing” aspect of classical Chinese dance. Before the Qin and Han dynasties spanning at around 221 B.C.E to 220 C.E. there were street performers who performed martial arts routines that consisted of cartwheel, front flips, and back flips. During the Tang and Song dynasties (618 C.E. - 1279 C.E.), much of the dance and street performances contained early forms and techniques of classical Chinese dance. Classical Chinese dance is composed of three main parts: bearing, the form, and technical skill. Other essentials consist of training movements and postures, as well as challenging jumping and tumbling
Levy, Howard S. The Lotus Lovers: The Complete History of the Curious Erotic Custom of Footbinding in China (Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books, 1992).