Chin Woo Athletic Association

Publication Information

Organization : Chin Woo Athletic Association
Chinese : 精武
Motto : Love One's Country, Cultivate One's Character, Righteousness, Helping Others
Formation : July 7, 1910; 104 years ago
Type : INGO
Legal status : Federation
Purpose : Martial arts
Headquarters : Number 30, Lane 1702, North Sichuan Road, Hongkou District, Shanghai
Location : China
Region served : Worldwide
Official language : Chinese
Secretary General : Chen Neihua
President : Xue Hairong
Vice President : Jia Ruibao
Vice Secretary General : Shen Gongxing
Vice Secretary General : Fang Ting
Main organ : Committee

Jing Wu is an international martial arts organisation founded in Shanghai, China, on July 7, 1910, but some sources cite dates in 1909. Its name is also spelled in many other ways throughout the world - Ching Mo, Chin Woo, Ching Mou, Ching Wu, Jing Mo, Jing Wo, Jing Wu - but all of them are based on the same two Chinese characters - jing wu. It has at least 59 branches based in 22 or more countries worldwide, where it is usually known as an "athletic association" or "federation".

History

Jing Wu was founded as the Jing Wu Athletic Association in Shanghai, China in the early 20th century. Many sources, including the official websites of its branches in various countries, claim that Jing Wu was founded by the martial artist Huo Yuanjia, who died not long after its establishment. Jing Wu was actually founded by a committee of persons, including members of the Tongmenghui, such as Chen Qimei, Nong Zhu, and Chen Tiesheng. Due to Huo's popularity and recent death, the committee had decided that he should be the "face" of Jing Wu, resulting in his strong association with it.

After Jing Wu was founded, a number of prominent martial artists in China at that time were invited to teach there. They include: Chen Zizheng, Eagle Claw master; Luo Guangyu, Seven Star Praying Mantis master; Geng Jishan, Xingyi master; Wu Jianquan, founder of Wu-style taijiquan, ; and Zhao Lianhe, a master of the Northern Shaolin, became Chief Instructor after Huo Yuanjia's death.

As one of the first public martial arts institutes in China, Jing Wu was intended to create a structured environment for teaching and learning martial arts as opposed to the secretive training that had been common in the past. The founders of Jing Wu felt that the association would keep alive traditions that secrecy and social change would otherwise doom. The basic curriculum drew from several styles of martial arts, giving practitioners a well-rounded martial background in addition to whatever they wished to specialise in.

Jing Wu inspired the ecumenism seen in the Chinese martial arts community during the Republican era, giving rise to such efforts as the National Martial Arts Institutes. Sun Yat-sen, founder of the Republic of China, attended the third annual event held by Jing Wu in 1915, giving a speech of encouragement to the attendees. When Sun Yat-sen attended again at the 10th annual event in 1920, he also wrote for a special Jing Wu newsletter and made a plaque with the engraving "martial spirit". Jing Wu was closed by the People's Republic of China government in 1966 and was allowed to reopen after the Cultural Revolution.

Curriculum

During the early days of Jing Wu in Shanghai, the chief instructor, Zhao Lianhe, developed a curriculum that became the standard Jing Wu sets (Fundamental Routines).

Shi Er Lu Tan Tui (Twelve Rows of Spring Leg)
Gong Li Quan (Power Fist)
Jie Quan (Connecting Fist)
Da Zhan Quan (Big Battle Fist)
Qun Yang Gun (Shepherd Staff)
Ba Gua Dao (Eight Diagram Broadsword)
Wu Hu Qiang (Five Tiger Spear)
Jie Tan Tui (Tan Tui Sparring)
Tao Quan (Set Fist)
Dan Dao Chuan Qiang (Broadsword versus Spear)

Other styles were taught to students as well, but they varied from school to school and depended on the background of the master teaching that style. The standard curriculum, however, was taught in all Jing Wu schools.

Jing Wu in popular culture