Throughout ancient history, martial arts has occupied an important part in Chinese culture. Developed by an Indian monk named Bodhidharma, the practice of martial arts, known as wushu, it is one the earliest sports and has lasted throughout China's development. It is a method of self defense, a way of maintaining health and fitness, a method of developing good morals and character, and a form of spiritual and mental training. Wushu originated and developed into …showed first 75 words of 903 total…

…showed last 75 words of 903 total…to play, an important role within the general structure of Chinese culture. Part of the reason it is so important is because of how it was influenced by so many other forms of culture, most significantly by the ones previously mentioned. It is easily seen how each aspect of martial arts relates to a different form of Chinese culture, and without this cultural diversity, martial arts wouldn't be what it was, and still is today.