Unarmed Combat

Unarmed combat or Bái Dǎ (白打) as it is referred to in the 18 traditional Chinese weapons, quite simply put, is fist fighting.

For Centuries, unarmed combat has been an essential part of Chinese martial arts, used by warriors who sought glory in the Chinese military, or civilians who sought simply do defend themselves and their honor.

Unarmed combat, unlike fighting with weapons, has a much more varied tradition within Chinese culture. In the distant past, stylized fighting was patterned after famous warriors, as well as exclusive family styles, which were passed down from father to son, with little exception. Any teaching, happened behind "Closed doors" (關門).

Either way, Martial arts were very closely associated with military service, which was mandatory during the Han, up through to the Song Dynasty. No matter your class or station, basically everyone practiced martial arts, and the styles and techniques associated with the military were more or less uniform.

In the Ming Dynasty, the martial culture changed, and many of these traditions transformed. Several Family styles became more open to taking in students outside immediate family. These styles in turn, developed into different schools of unarmed combat, whereas fighting with weapons did not necessarily change as much.

Two key locations in which martial arts flourished during the Ming Dynasty were the Shaolin Temple (少林寺), and the Wudang Mountains (武當山).  In the Ming Dynasty, the martial culture began two very important distinctions within the martial arts.

Shaolin Temple near Dengfeng, Henan

The first was the distinction between Southern Styles and Northern styles. Northern Styles favored high kicks, wide stances, and very complicated footwork. Southern Styles tended to favor static, rooted stances with very few high kicks, and focused mainly on fist and arm techniques rather than kicks and footwork. Hence the Chinese idiom "Southern Fist, Northern Leg" (南拳北腿).

Choi Lei Fat a Southern fist Style

The Second distinction was between philosophies, namely Internal and External Martial arts. Internal Martial arts believe in the cultivation and use of Qì (氣) to fight, rather than using raw physical power. Internal Martial arts have their roots in Daoist Internal Alchemy, or Nèi dān shù (內丹術), which originated in China during the Tang Dynasty. This distinction led to the rise of several "purely" internal styles namely Tàijíquán (太極拳), Bāguàzhǎng  (八卦掌), and Xíngyìquán (形意拳). The debate on whether or not Internal Martial Arts are more effective than External Martial Arts, is still going on today. Many modern styles prefer a balanced approach and use both internal and external techniques.