Martial Arts and Weapons in China
Martial arts has a long history in China as a form of self defence and physical exercise. Each family or clan across the country was believed to have had their own type of unique style of martial art, using techniques and skills that utilized their bare hands as well as various types of weapons. The martial arts became so popular in China that during the Sui (580-618 A.D) and Tang Dynasties (618-907 A.D), practitioners of the martial arts were invited to participate in competitions to display their talents and prove that their style was superior. Martial arts competitions were also staged for more practical reasons: to recruit the winners to the military.
Weapons Banned From Martial Arts
However, during the Yuan Dynasty, which lasted from 1279-1368 A.D, weapons were outlawed under the rule of the Mongols to prevent an armed rebellion that could potentially lead to the overthrowing of the government by an armed rebellion. As a result, martial artists could not use weapons for several years.
This lasted until the end of the Yuan Dynasty, when the peasant Hongwu (Zhu Yuanzhang) became emperor of the new dynasty, the Ming (1368-1644AD). The emperor, also known as Ming Tai Zu, was an effective military leader who was well versed in the martial arts and was a great warrior himself. He sought to eliminate the country of the foreign Mongol forces, and allowed all under his rule to arm themselves against them. He also built a vast military.