1. Lesson 9: Ways of Thinking and Living in China
Martial arts
Lesson 9: Ways of Thinking and Living in China

2. Martial arts and Qi
Martial arts isn’t just fighting, it’s about being healthy in your body and mind. Meditation and using your “qi” (also called chi) is very important. You need to be able to focus your mind and body to practice martial arts.
“Qi” is energy- energy in your body, in others, in animals, plants, nature- anywhere in the universe.
People who practice martial arts believe you can focus your qi in different parts of your body to either heal it, or attack an opponent.
For more information on “qi” please see the language ppt.
You could show your students this video, depending on their interest and age:
Think Pair Share
How would you describe “qi”?
What could be “good qi” or “bad qi”? How would you feel?

3. 功夫 太极拳 Gong Fu Tai Chi gōng fu Tài jí quán
There are many different types of martial arts. Two of the most famous from China are
Gong Fu is also called 武术 wǔ shù and kung fu
Kung Fu comes from the CANTONESE pronunciation (gungfu)
Gong Fu is the MANDARIN pronunciation.
功夫gōng fu or 武术 wǔ shù – what’s the difference? In brief…
In the West we often see “Gong Fu” or “Kung Fu” to talk about Chinese fighting martial arts. Wu Shu is the term used to refer to martial arts, of which Kung Fu/ Gong Fu is one area.
See the language ppt for more detail on these characters. Also
Gong Fu 功夫
gōng fu
Tai Chi
太极拳
Tài jí quán

4. 太极拳 Tai Chi (Tài jí quán)
“Tai chi” or “taiji” is a type of slower martial arts, practiced all over the world for its health benefits.
It works with the “qi” in your body, balancing yin and yang. This helps to calm and focus your mind, and keep your body flexible and moving.

5. “The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and strong” Lao Tzŭ
The main philosophy of tai chi is to resist force with softness, to prevent injury.
Think about a tree moving in the wind- if it didn’t move with the wind, it would break.
Can also do as a Paraphrase passport activity
“The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and strong” Lao Tzŭ 
Think Pair Share: What do you think this means?

6. Time to practice some Tai Chi!
Tai Chi with Kids

7. Gong Fu (gōng fu) 功夫
One of the most famous gōng fu (kung fu) styles comes from a mountain temple in the north of China, called Shaolin 少林 (Shàolín). Shaolin Temple is located on Song mountain in China’s Henan province.
The monks of the temple created a system of fighting to protect the temple- and the monks- from bandits and armies during a long period of fighting in Chinese history.
Some interesting videos about Shaolin you could share with older students:

8. It takes many years of hard training to become a gong fu master…

9. Five Animals 五形 wǔ xíng Discuss:
What do you think connects these animals to gong fu?
(Clue: Have you seen Kung Fu Panda? Who are the Furious Five?)
The Furious Five in Kung Fu Panda are a nod to the five different fighting styles of southern Chinese martial arts- crane, snake, monkey, praying mantis and tiger.
In Shaolin Kung Fu, the five main animals are tiger, leopard, crane, snake and dragon

10. The concept of the five animals is thought to have originated early in the Ming dynasty ( ) at Shaolin Temple. Monks studied the animals and adopted many of their habits. Those habits included how they rested, how they gathered and released their qi (chi), how they stalked their prey and how they fought. The five animals were chosen for their superior attributes for fighting and defence and for other mannerisms that contribute positively to human life.
Gong fu experts believe that studying the way animals behave helps us be more in balance, by letting nature be our teacher. It helps us be more aware, internally and externally.

11. Five Animals
After studying the movement and character of different animals, monks created martial art moves:
The Tiger represents strength and aggressive force.
The Crane represents balance (yin and yang), concentration, and grace.
The Leopard represents speed, cunning and strength.
The Snake represents accuracy and balance.
The Dragon represents power, wisdom, speed and unpredictability.
This is a good, class-friendly video on the more general training techniques of Shaolin monks
This is a good video for you as a teacher to see what the animal movements are- we would NOT recommend showing to a class, as they may try to emulate the moves. Martial arts should be taken very seriously, and never attempted unless in a proper class with a trained expert. Any use of martial arts can result in serious injury and harm.
Pair Share: What’s your favourite animal? Can you create a move that looks like it?

12. Why not organise a Taiji/martial arts introductory session with South Bank Confucius Institute or another local source?