I was recently having a conversation with T. W. Smith who runs the Kung Fu Podcast. He was developing an idea for a show and asked me what five specific moments did the most to transform Kung Fu. It’s a fascinating question, and a difficult one. Short lists are always a little more challenging than longer ones, especially when you are forced to prioritize such diverse experiences. So I rattled off about a dozen contenders and left it at that.
Still, it is an intriguing question. After considering it a little longer I have decided to share my first cut at this problem here. To make the challenge a little more tractable I decided to impose some ground rules. First off, all of these moments need to fall between the late imperial period and the present day. Truly ancient events (such as the invention of the sword or fire) are excluded from this discussion.
Second, each of these events needs to impact the Chinese martial arts as a whole, not just a single style. Obviously most things originate with a given system, and that is fine, but their lasting impact needs to be more universal in nature.
Lastly, we are looking for discrete moments in history when something changed rather than a slow evolutionary process (say the emergence of the “armed escort” business). As we will see in our conclusion, splitting events into these two categories can be a tricky business. Very few moments of lasting social consequence emerge tabula rasa.
So what are my top five? Here are some clues to think about before you read on. How many can you guess from the dates?
1. Huangpu River Delta, July 21st, 1553
2. Jiangnang, in the first few weeks of 1562
3. Sishui Village, Henan Province, 1781
4. Shanghai, July 7th, 1910
5. Hong Kong and Beijing, 21st of January, 1982
