Chinese Martial Arts Equipment

There are more than a hundred different kinds of Chinese martial arts, and they make use of pretty much the same set of weapons, wielded and mastered in very different ways. Of course, martial artists may also train with the same training equipment.

One such training equipment is the wooden dummy, also called muk yan jong. It has made its appearance all throughout Chinese history to help with target and skill practice. A variation of the Bagua dummy, for instance, may have a spinning head with more than 4 arms at different heights. There are also wall-mounted dummies which can be adjusted for use of different people of different heights. Punching bags can be fitted onto wooden dummies. Stone locks and iron rings may be used for weight resistance and stamina exercises.

Martial artists also use very similar shoes. Those who practice modern martial arts may choose to wear modern shoes made from canvas and other light materials. Monk shoes can be used by those who practice Tai Chi.

The lion dance is made up of movements from the fundamental martial arts. Many different dances can be performed, but the Fo Shan is said to be the representation of a Chinese martial arts school, and is thus only performed by the best students of the school.