In The Beginning
In the beginning, many Chinese styles were “family arts”. Fighting methods passed down from generation to generation, from family member to family member. These fighting methods were used to protect the family’s livelihood and possibly fellow villagers from warring tribes or roaming bandits that might want to loot their home or village. The country of China has many provinces spread out over vast amounts of land, thus making it difficult in previous centuries for the ruling governments to adequately protect and maintain the provinces and the country’s borders. All too often, various provinces were called upon to defend themselves from invading forces that may have chosen to infiltrate that section China from the surrounding regions or to protect themselves from other provinces wishing to expand. Often, the endangered province was left to fend for itself with very little help from others. Many times, citizens were forced into military service where their family fighting method would be added to the militias fighting techniques and tactics, thus expanding the family art and solidifying its effectiveness on the battlefield.
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