The Characteristics of Wushu
Chinese motion arts have become increasingly popular in the past few years. Record-breaking movies such as "Matrix" or "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" have introduced Wushu to a broader audience and their fight scenes even capture people who are not basically interested in martial arts. Undoubtedly, this results from Wushu's enormous expressiveness and aesthetics which are one of its main characteristics. The beauty of its movements are unparalleled in the martial arts sector. And more than any other martial arts style Wushu incorporates all parts of the human body. Resulting from a complex interplay the limbs, the upper body, the head and the eyes as an expression of a lively mind form an inseparable unity. Movements are never isolated but always involve all nine main joints of the body.
Apart from harmonious movements involving the whole body Wushu is most of all characterized by an expressiveness which China's Wushu icon, Professor Cai Longyun, describes in the following way:
All movements shall be as fast as the wind, as heavy as iron und yet as light as leaves. They shall be as soft and yet as powerful as ocean waves and at the same they shall be as solid as a mountain. One shall jump as quickly and as agile as a monkey and one shall land as sure on target as a magpie that is swooping down. Standing on one leg one shall be as alert and quiet as a startled chicken and standing on both legs one shall be like a high, centuries old pine tree. All turning movements shall be like the ones of a fast-spinning wheel and all bending movements shall be similiar to a drawn bow. The fists shall be like shooting stars and any hip movements shall be similar to the movements of a snake, that is soft and flowing on the outside, yet forceful and strong on the inside. A martial artist's feet shall stick to the ground, yet he is not supposed to be heavy in his movements. The eyes as an expression of an alert mind are supposed to be filled with energy and they shall exude the focused expression of an eagle that is swooping down.
In additon, the following six points shall be kept in mind when practicing Wushu:
(1) "Yun" (= grace) stands for the harmonic interplay of fast and slow, hard and soft movements which leads to a highly elegant rhythm of all movements.
(2) "Qi" (= energy) symbolizes the power, the energy and the essence of beauty which should be visible in the movements. Furthermore, one shall keep in mind the common Chinese saying "yi, qi, li, san zhe he yi" that underscores the necessity of will/imagination, Qi and power becoming one.
(3) "Xing" (= form) and "Shen" (= mind) mean that the practitioner has to show the correct outer beauty of a Wushu form as well as clear and focused mind. The eyes play an important part in that since they mirror an alert mind.
(4) "Yang gang, yin rou" (= Yang hardness and Yin softness) expresses that all forms have definite Yang parts (that is hard, fast, active movements) and definite Yin parts (that is soft, slow, calm movements). Since Yin and Yang both influence each other a movement can stop on the outside while continuing in the imagination of the practitioner through the Qi flow. Apart from that body and mind have to become one true to the Chinese saying "xindong, xingsui" meaning "If the heart comes alive, movement follows".
(5) "Qu" (= pleasure, interest) stands for the creative invention of Wushu forms, especially in regards to animal forms. Wushu practitioners shall embody a certain measure of expressiveness.
(6) "Yi jing" (= artistic expressiveness) in turn stresses the need that a student has to practice with every fibre of his being. Hence a practitioner must be able to imagine himself in a made-up scenario such as an imaginary fight scene with an imaginary foe.
While all of the above are ideals requiring years of practice, one thing is essential for daily Wushu training from the start and that is training your body while at the same time forming your character.
Without a balanced, honest and virtuous attitude of mind (called "Wude" in Chinese) a student will never be able to grasp the true essence of Chinese martial arts in its entirety. The fact that Wushu is not just a physical exercise is the reason why in China it is also known by the term "Xiuxing yangshen" which means "forming the character and cultivating the body"!
