Human unarmed combat sprouted in primitive society, and the punching and kicking caused by the competition for survival were mostly unconscious instinctive reactions. The real martial arts with certain skills began in Xia and Shang Dynasties.
Legend has it that two emperors, Xia Jie and Yinzhou, had extraordinary courage. "Historical Records" records: "Xia Jie and Yin Zhou beat wolves with their bare hands and chased four horses with their feet. They were brave." "Historical Records Yin Benji" records: "Zhou Wang is talented and has beasts in his hands." They are all appreciated by the world because they can fight wild animals.
However, there is no "fist" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, which originated in Shang Dynasty, but there is an "A", which means that two people hit each other on the head with their bare hands. Xu Shen's "Shuo Wen Jie Zi" is interpreted as: "The two scholars are opposite, and the battle is useless, and the shape is like a door." In fact, ancient people deliberately fought unarmed without weapons, which was a martial arts competition to show strength and courage.
During this period, the activity of "wild hunting" became a military training project, and one of its contents was to fight against wild animals. Zheng Kangcheng recorded in his poem: "Hunting in the wild, fighting with wild animals", and Zhu thought that "holding hands means fighting". "Shu Yutian" in the Book of Songs depicts Zheng Zhuanggong's brother's uncle's day, * * *: "Expose the tiger and offer the house", that is, naked; Violence, unarmed combat, means killing wild animals with bare hands.
Of course, the battle between man and beast requires extraordinary courage and superb martial arts. In ancient times, it was only an extreme example, and boxing was more reflected in unarmed struggle between people.
In Shang and Zhou Dynasties, boxing was an important part of military training. "Book of Rites" records: "Meng Dongyue, Heaven taught generals to talk about martial arts and learn to shoot wrestling"; "Whoever holds the technical theory is suitable for all sides, barefoot, and definitely shoots." Playing with bare hands is a show of boxing.
The earliest word "fist" in ancient books is found in the Book of Songs, which satirizes a person's incompetence with "no fist and no courage". The ancient word "fist" is "strength". In people's minds, a man should have fists and courage, courage is courage, and fists and feet are strength. The word "Quan Yong" appeared in the Zhou Dynasty, representing martial arts and courage.
In Guanzi in the Spring and Autumn Period, it was recorded that at that time, the atmosphere was martial, and the monarch ordered to recommend "those who are brave and resourceful to show their bones and muscles", and ordered that "those who have told, those who have not told, are all talented, and their sin is five".
At that time, besides Qi foreign countries, some other vassal countries also had a high level of boxing. According to "Biography of the Spring and Autumn Ram", Song Mingong's courtiers were all good at martial arts, and Song Mingong humiliated him. Chang Wanquan actually killed Song Mingong with one punch, and Gong Min's subordinate Qiu Mu came to take revenge. After a fight, Chang Wanquan killed Qiu Mu again, which shows that the boxing level in the Spring and Autumn Period was quite high.
Therefore, since the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the name of "fist stick" has almost become synonymous with martial arts. Some people of insight have also discovered another fitness function besides boxing. Sun Zi, a famous strategist, once pointed out: "Punching and kicking can strengthen the body", which means that boxing can not only strengthen the body except punching and kicking, fighting and fighting.
The dual functions of attack and fitness make boxing develop rapidly, and finally form a great landscape of China Wushu, which is exquisite, complex, numerous schools, ever-changing boxing methods and full of charm.
In unarmed combat, the martial arts of both sides must be high and low. This distinction is obvious on the battlefield, and it depends on each other's "wrestling" in peacetime.
Wrestling was popular in Hebei and Shanxi at the end of primitive society, and it was called "Chiyou Opera" at that time. It was more common in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and it was called "Dui Da". Shi Ming explained: "to fight is to fight widely." However, if you raise your hand and hit the key, you will eventually pounce. In fact, it is a kind of unarmed combat that combines wrestling, boxing and boxing.
When a wrestling match is held, the contestants are divided into two groups. Both sides can attack with their legs and feet, grab all parts of each other's body, or hit his head with his head, but boxing is strictly prohibited.
At that time, according to the rules, the contestants only landed on their arms and part of their backs three times to win.
At that time, the loser was eliminated, and then the winners of each pair competed with each other until the winner was decided. If the number of wrestlers is odd, the last one who has no opponent can directly participate in the final, but this is a lucky one who is despised.
According to Records of the Historian, during the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the struggle between boxing and power was quite common and many people liked it. Some people even dream of fighting with others. "Mandarin" said that in 632 BC, "Duke Xiang of Jin dreamed of fighting with his son, defeating himself and printing his brain".
According to "The Story of Gu Liang in the Spring and Autumn Period", in 660 BC, officials and friends of the State of Lu captured Junan. Instead of disposing of it, they offered to engage in war with Junan and ordered their men to stand back and not save themselves. In the course of the battle, Ji You was at a disadvantage. Urged by everyone, he broke the agreement of unarmed combat, drew his sword and killed Zhu Na, which was condemned by public opinion.
In order to exchange martial arts, every spring and autumn, people with high martial arts in the world get together for a competition. The Seven Laws of Guanzi describes the scene at that time:
Spring and Autumn Corner Test ... Set the heroes of the world and win the heroes of the world. Therefore, lift it like a bird, move it like lightning, and send it like a storm. Don't stand in front of it, don't hurt it, and don't dare to ban it.
This description means: In the spring and autumn, all the heroes in the world will get together to compete. Those martial arts experts jump like birds and are as fast as lightning in the game. When they broke out, the situation was like a storm, which could not be resisted in front of him and could not be started behind him. They can come in and out at will, and no one can stop them from surrounding him.
Wrestling statue