Mind-body Relationship in Chinese Martial Arts

Abstract

Mind-body dualism and body-mind monism are striking differences between the Western and the Eastern in sports culture. There are various types of martial arts in east Asia such as Japanese budo, Korean taekwondo and Chinese martial arts. During the past dozen years, many efforts have been focused on budo or taekwondo. However, what seems to be lacking is little attention has been given to Chinese martial arts. By analyzing Chinese martial arts books, such as Ji xiao xin shu (紀効新書), Taiji quanpu (太極拳譜, text book of taiji), Chinese classics, such as Mencius (孟子), Guan zi(管子), as well as other related materials, this study aims to clarify how body-mind relationship is presented in Chinese martial arts. The result are as follows: (1) Chinese martial arts focuses on both internal and external training (内外兼修). Such phenomenon is affected by the unification of man and nature (天人合一). (2) The unification of man and nature in Chinese martial arts mainly appears in two ways, the outer approaches (manipulating the "body” to learn, to adapt or to imitate nature) and inner approaches (emphasizing the importance of “mind”). (3) Mind has received more attention as an important prerequisite for affecting body, while, in order to training mind, we have to enter from the body. The relationship of body and mind are circulated and unified.