武术

何晓鸽

武术，凝聚了中国文化艺术的精髓，深藏着中国传统哲学和道德观念。武术成为奥运会的正式比赛项目是每一个中国人期待多年的梦想。虽然申请道路困难重重，在北京承办08年奥运会之际，武术被列入北京奥组委的一项组织比赛，期待武术转正的梦想，也许指日可待。

Most visitors to China are deeply impressed by the tremendous popularity of wushu in this country. Going out early in the morning, they can see people doing this traditional form of exercise barehanded or with weapons in parks and on roadside open grounds. Marked by callisthenic beauty and rhythm and suggestive of real fighting, their movements follow set patterns that are designed more for health-building than for self defence.

Wushu, which literally means “martial arts” and is sometimes called “kungfu” abroad, may be traced back to pre-historical times when our ancestors had to fight against wild animals and among themselves for existence and subsistence. Wushu is a very important aspect that represents the spirit of Chinese culture and art. According to the philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine, wushu exercises consist of both “external” and “internal” work, the former meaning movements of the body, the hands and the feet and expressions of the eyes, and the latter being related to “the spirit, willpower, vital energy and strength.” The two aspects are combined as movements are guided by consciousness so as to achieve “a unity of body and mind.”

Wushu is very rich in form and content, encompassing hundreds of styles and thousands of routines, each with its own distinctive features. Changquan (Long-Range Shadow Boxing) is characterized by speed and vigour, while taijiquan is noted for its slow and gentle movements. One category of wushu forms is called xiangxingquan, which portrays the movements and postures of various animals, as exemplified by houquan (Monkeys Shadow boxing) and tanglangquan (Mantis Shadow Boxing). Then there is the humorous zuiquan that describes a drunkard who is “drunk in appearance but not in mind” and is sober enough to outwit his opponent.

However, as wushu is becoming worldwide popular, its a common wish of all Chinese people to watch kungfu competitions at the Beijing Olympic Games. In 2008 Olympic games, wushu is not an official event nor performing event, but wushu is allowed to hold a international competition under Olympic Organizing Committees permission.

大多数来中国的游客都对这里极为普及的武术运动印象深刻。一大早出门，就能看到人们在公园里或路边开阔的场地上练习这种传统的运动项目，他们或赤手空拳，或手持某种武器。这种运动富于柔性美和节奏感，也会让人联想到真正的打斗，其中的动作遵循设定的模式，其设计更多是出于健身考虑，而非防身之用。

武术，顾名思义它是“打斗的艺术”，有时在国外也叫它“功夫”，它可以追溯到史前时期，那时我们的祖先为了生存，不得不抗击野生动物或是自己的同类。武术是体现中华文化和艺术的一个极为重要的方面。按照中医原理，武术运动包含“外部”和“内部”运动，前者意指身体的运动，手脚、眼神，而后者则关系到“精神，意志，元气和体力。”通过意识引导身体动作，这两个方面便可结合起来，以达到“身心合一。”

武术形式多样，内容丰富，包括数百种样式，上千种套路，各具特色。长拳（长距离与假想对手扑击的拳术）富于速度和力量；而太极拳则以缓慢柔和的动作著称。有种武术样式叫象形拳，它表现的是各种动物的动作和姿势，例如猴拳（模拟猴子扑击的拳术）和螳螂拳（模拟螳螂扑击的拳术）。还有种颇具幽默感的醉拳，描述一个醉汉“形醉神醒”，且能智胜对手。

然而，武术正风靡全球，因此所有中国人都希望能在北京奥林匹克运动会上看到武术比赛。2008年的奥运会上，武术尽管还不是正式比赛项目或表演项目，但奥林匹克运动会组织委员会已经批准允许举行国际武术比赛。