孫祿堂武術與成德之思想初探

Sun LuTang was one of the great martial art masters in Republican China. During Republican China, from 1911 – 1949, Like many Chinese martial art masters, Sun LuTang had to point out the values of practicing Chinese martial arts.

Unlike those masters who showed martial arts were a kind of science, Sun LuTang showed that martial arts were a bridge to self-cultivation and a path to seek the ‘Way’ (Dao). Firstly, this article focuses on Sun LuTang’s explanation of ‘Qi’. ‘Qi’, in Sun LuTang’s theory, not only means ‘Vitial Qi’(Zheng Qi), but also having ‘Virtue’ .

Secondly, this article will discuss Sun LuTang’s way to develop ‘Qi’. In Sun LuTang’s theory, to maintain a balancein every movement was very important. It was same as the ‘The Doctrine of the Mean’(ZhongYong), as in ‘the middle’. When we keep our balance at the center point, we keep health and cultivate ‘Virtue’. So, in Sun LuTang’s theory, martial arts were about more than keeping health. They were a way to self-cultivation. Sun LuTang regarded martial arts as a path to the ‘Way’ and to the cultivation of ‘Virtue’.

Finally, this article will point out that some intellectuals at that time, such as Tang Wenzhi, Ma Yifu, shared Sun LuTang’s ideas. They too thought that ‘Virtue’ was very important in Chinese traditions, and encouraged people to cultivate themselves by reading Classics.

In short, this article draws a picture of Sun LuTang’s martial art theory and how he nurtured martial arts as a way to cultivate ‘Virtue’. Sun LuTang regarded ‘Virtue’ as of paramount importance. His opinion was shared by some of his contemporaries.