Notable Practitioners: (Edit)

Notable practitioners[edit]
See also: Category:Chinese martial artists and Category:Wushu practitioners

Examples of well-known practitioners (武術名師) throughout history:
 Yue Fei (1103–1142 CE) was a famous Chinese general and patriot of the Song
Dynasty. Styles such as Eagle Claw and Xingyiquan attribute their creation to Yue.
However, there is no historical evidence to support the claim he created these styles.
 Ng Mui (late 17th century) was the legendary female founder of many Southern martial
arts such as Wing Chun, and Fujian White Crane. She is often considered one of the
legendary Five Elders who survived the destruction of the Shaolin Temple during
the Qing Dynasty.
 Yang Luchan (1799–1872) was an important teacher of the internal martial art known
as t'ai chi ch'uan in Beijing during the second half of the 19th century. Yang is known as
the founder of Yang-style t'ai chi ch'uan, as well as transmitting the art to
the Wu/Hao, Wu and Sun t'ai chi families.
 Ten Tigers of Canton (late 19th century) was a group of ten of the top Chinese martial
arts masters in Guangdong (Canton) towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912).
Wong Kei-Ying, Wong Fei Hung's father, was a member of this group.
 Wong Fei Hung (1847–1924) was considered a Chinese folk hero during the Republican
period. More than one hundred Hong Kong movies were made about his life. Sammo
Hung, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li have all portrayed his character in blockbuster pictures.
 Huo Yuanjia (1867–1910) was the founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association who was
known for his highly publicized matches with foreigners. His biography was recently
portrayed in the movie Fearless (2006).
 Ip Man (1893–1972) was a master of the Wing Chun and the first to teach this style
openly. Yip Man was the teacher of Bruce Lee. Most major branches of Wing
Chun taught in the West today were developed and promoted by students of Yip Man.
 Gu Ruzhang (1894–1952) was a Chinese martial artist who disseminated the Bak Siu
Lum (Northern Shaolin) martial arts system across southern China in the early 20th
century. Gu was known for his expertise in Iron Palm hand conditioning among other
Chinese martial art training exercises.
 Bruce Lee (1940–1973) was a Chinese-American martial artist and actor who was
considered an important icon in the 20th century. [66] He practiced Wing Chun and made it
famous. Using Wing Chun as his base and learning from the influences of other martial
arts his experience exposed him to, he later developed his own martial arts philosophy
that evolved into what is now called Jeet Kune Do.
 Jackie Chan (b. 1954) is the famous Hong Kong martial artist, film actor, stuntman,
action choreographer, director and producer, and a global pop culture icon, widely
known for injecting physical comedy into his martial arts performances, and for
performing complex stunts in many of his films.
 Jet Li (b. 1963) is the five-time sport wushu champion of China, later demonstrating his
skills in cinema.
 Donnie Yen (b. 1963) is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer,
action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist.
 Wu Jing (b. 1974) is a Chinese actor, director, and martial artist. He was a member of
the Beijing wushu team. He started his career as action choreographer and later as an
actor.
In popular culture[edit]
References to the concepts and use of Chinese martial arts can be found in popular culture.
Historically, the influence of Chinese martial arts can be found in books and in the performance arts
specific to Asia.[67] Recently, those influences have extended to the movies and television that targets
a much wider audience. As a result, Chinese martial arts have spread beyond its ethnic roots and
have a global appeal.[68][69]
Martial arts play a prominent role in the literature genre known as wuxia ( 武俠小說 ). This type of
fiction is based on Chinese concepts of chivalry, a separate martial arts society ( 武林; Wulin) and a
central theme involving martial arts.[70] Wuxia stories can be traced as far back as 2nd and 3rd
century BCE, becoming popular by the Tang Dynasty and evolving into novel form by the Ming
Dynasty. This genre is still extremely popular in much of Asia[71] and provides a major influence for
the public perception of the martial arts.
Martial arts influences can also be found in dance, theater [72] and especially Chinese opera, of
which Beijing opera is one of the best-known examples. This popular form of drama dates back to
the Tang Dynasty and continues to be an example of Chinese culture. Some martial arts movements
can be found in Chinese opera and some martial artists can be found as performers in Chinese
operas.[73]
In modern times, Chinese martial arts have spawned the genre of cinema known as the Kung fu film.
The films of Bruce Lee were instrumental in the initial burst of Chinese martial arts' popularity in the
West in the 1970s.[74] Bruce Lee was the iconic international superstar that popularized Chinese
martial arts in the West with his own variation of Chinese martial arts called Jeet Kune Do. It is a
hybrid style of martial art that Bruce Lee practiced and mastered. Jeet Kune Do is his very own
unique style of martial art that uses little to minimum movement but maximizes the effect to his
opponents. The influence of Chinese martial art have been widely recognized and have a global
appeal in Western cinemas starting off with Bruce Lee.
Martial artists and actors such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan have continued the appeal of movies of this
genre. Jackie Chan successfully brought in a sense of humour in his fighting style in his movies.
Martial arts films from China are often referred to as "kung fu movies" ( 功夫片 ), or "wire-fu" if
extensive wire work is performed for special effects, and are still best known as part of the tradition
of kung fu theater. (see also: wuxia, Hong Kong action cinema). The talent of these individuals have
broadened Hong Kong's cinematography production and rose to popularity overseas, influencing
Western cinemas.
In the west, kung fu has become a regular action staple, and makes appearances in many films that
would not generally be considered "Martial Arts" films. These films include but are not limited to The
Matrix Trilogy, Kill Bill, and The Transporter.
Martial arts themes can also be found on television networks. A U.S. network TV western series of
the early 1970s called Kung Fu also served to popularize the Chinese martial arts on television. With
60 episodes over a three-year span, it was one of the first North American TV shows that tried to
convey the philosophy and practice in Chinese martial arts. [75][76] The use of Chinese martial arts
techniques can now be found in most TV action series, although the philosophy of Chinese martial
arts is seldom portrayed in depth.
Influence on hip hop[edit]

In the 1970s, Bruce Lee was beginning to gain popularity in Hollywood for his martial arts movies.
The fact that he was a non-white male who portrayed self-reliance and righteous self-discipline
resonated with black audiences and made him an important figure in this community. [77] Around 1973,
Kung Fu movies became a hit in America across all backgrounds; however, black audiences
maintained the films’ popularity well after the general public lost interest. Urban youth in New York
City were still going from every borough to Time Square every night to watch the latest movies.
[78]
Amongst these individuals were those coming from the Bronx where, during this time, hip-hop was
beginning to take form. One of the pioneers responsible for the development of the foundational
aspects of hip-hop was DJ Kool Herc, who began creating this new form of music by taking rhythmic
breakdowns of songs and looping them. From the new music came a new form of dance known as
b-boying or breakdancing, a style of street dance consisting of improvised acrobatic moves. The
pioneers of this dance credit kung fu as one of its influences. Moves such as the crouching low leg
sweep and “up rocking” (standing combat moves) are influenced by choreographed kung-fu fights.
[79]
The dancers’ ability to improvise these moves led way to battles, which were dance competitions
between two dancers or crews judged on their creativity, skills, and musicality. In a documentary,
Crazy Legs, a member of breakdancing group Rock Steady Crew, described the breakdancing battle
being like an old kung fu movie, “where the one kung fu master says something along the lines of
‘hun your kung fu is good, but mine is better,’ then a fight erupts.” [79]
Hip hop group Wu Tang Clan were prominently influenced by kung fu cinema. The name "Wu Tang"
itself is a reference to the 1983 film Shaolin and Wu Tang. Subsequent albums by the group
(especially their debut album Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)) are rich with references to kung fu
films of the 1970s and 1980s, which group members grew up watching. Several group members
(Ghostface Killah, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, and Masta Killa) had also taken their stage names
from kung fu cinema. Several music videos, promotional photos, etc. feature group members posing
or engaging with kung fu regalia and action sequences.

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Notable practitioners[edit]

See also: Category:Chinese martial artists and Category:Wushu practitioners

Influence on hip hop[edit]

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