Chinese Medicine and Martial Arts

By Bill Reddy, LAc, Dipl. Ac

In ancient China, the Kung Fu master of the province was also the healer of the community. Fighting and healing seem to be unlikely skills for one person, but when armies were being trained – sprains, strains, contusions were commonplace and joint dislocations and bone breaks were not unusual.

Martial arts masters and Shaolin monks developed countless herbal formulas to treat everything from a sword wound to a concussion. Deeply rooted in the Taoist self-cultivation methods were herbal therapy and acupuncture along with meditation, Kung Fu, and Qi Gong.

In my study of Wing Chun Kung Fu, we would repeatedly strike and block in “two man sets” that would leave our forearms bruised the next day. My sifu had us apply Dit Da Jow and POOF the bruises would vanish. It was a wicked looking and strange-smelling concoction swimming with poisonous beetles, snakeskin, and herbs I couldn't identify. There's nothing at the pharmacy that even comes close to this wonderful stuff.

In the late 1800s during turmoil in China, two famous martial artists emerged one from the north, and one from the south. Their fighting skills and healing abilities were legendary. Sun Lu Tang was one of the most famous boxers of the northern Nei Jia or Internal school of martial arts. He trained under the great masters of the region and was known for his compassion for those injured in combat and his ability to heal them.

Wong Fei Hong, immortalized in countless Chinese martial arts movies, was known for his amazing martial skill and deep knowledge of Chinese medicine in southern China. His father was a renowned physician and one of the “Ten Tigers of Canton,” who founded a clinic known as “Po Chi Lam” (precious iris woods). Fei Hong worked at his father's clinic and trained in Hung Gar Kung Fu. He quickly became a folk hero in China, and has been described as the Chinese Robin Hood because of his kindness toward the poor and his willingness to treat anyone who came to his clinic.

Many skilled fighters believe the highest form of martial arts is not fighting. The same can be said for health and wellness. If patients get out of their own way, healing will occur naturally. According to the Taoist eight branches, the most subtle but profound approach to healing is meditation/self cultivation, which involves quieting the mind. Take a few minutes just to follow your breath your body will thank you.