Wudang Martial Arts or Wudang kungfu,Wudang Wushu,Wudang gongfu, Wudang Taiji ,a martial arts genre popular in Shiyan City, Hubei Province, is named after its creation by Zhang Sanfeng on Wudang Mountain. It is one of the national intangible cultural heritages.  

Wudang kungfu Characteristics
Wudang Martial Arts features distinct Taoist cultural elements, serving as a natural integration of martial arts and health-preserving methods. It not only embodies profound traditional martial arts heritage but also contains exquisite scientific principles. Tai Chi emphasizes "first using the mind to control the body," followed by "the body following the mind"; Xingyi Quan advocates "using intention rather than force, where intention leads to qi, and qi leads to strength"; Bagua Zhang requires "transforming intention fully" while walking in circles. These all reflect the Taoist concept of "embracing the ultimate principle" to achieve the fitness purpose of "What is the ultimate goal of using intention? It is to prolong life and stay young," conforming to the sports concept of combining physical training with mental training for integrated internal and external cultivation.  

The theoretical and technical systems of Wudang Martial Arts are complete. Guided by the principles of "cosmic holism" and "harmony between man and nature," and based on the concepts of "thick virtue carrying all things" and "following the natural way," it adopts the methods of "combining movement and stillness" and "cultivating both internal and external aspects," forming various unique boxing techniques and swordsmanship. It includes both theoretical principles and practice methods, as well as routine operations and key essentials, all of which are systematically presented in Zhang Sanfeng's three works: *General Theory of Tai Chi*, *Song of Tai Chi*, and *Thirteen Forms of Tai Chi.  

Wudang Kungfu National Intangible Cultural Heritage  
On June 5, 2007, Wudang Martial Arts was approved by the State Council of the People's Republic of China to be included in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage List, with the heritage number Ⅵ-8.  

Historical Origins of wudang kungfu
There are multiple legends about the origin of Wudang Martial Arts. One statement comes from Huang Zongxi's *Epitaph of Wang Zhengnan* in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties. According to the record, at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist priest of Wudang Mountain, was summoned to the capital. On the way, he encountered more than a hundred bandits. That night, he dreamed that the Three Pure Gods taught him boxing techniques. The next day, Zhang Sanfeng single-handedly defeated all the bandits using the boxing skills from his dream.  

Another legend says that Zhang Sanfeng was originally a Shaolin disciple proficient in the five Shaolin fists. He later combined these fists with Mianchang Fist and improved them, creating internal martial arts that differed from Shaolin martial arts and focused more on defense. Shaolin Boxing excels in external skills and is highly aggressive, while the boxing techniques improved by Zhang Sanfeng emphasize internal skill cultivation and stronger defensiveness. After ten years of painstaking research, Zhang Sanfeng founded the Wudang School. Since then, Wudang Martial Arts gradually gained popularity, giving rise to branches such as Tai Chi, Xingyi, and Bagua.  

Wudang wushu Prosperity in the Ming Dynasty  
The Ming Dynasty saw Wudang Martial Arts enter its peak period, with rapid development, during which the Wudang School was formed. It is said that Zhang Songxi, a Wenzhou native in the Ming Dynasty (1506–1620), played a crucial role in promoting Wudang Martial Arts. Although the internal martial arts of Wang Zong from Shaanxi and Chen Zhoutong from Wenzhou had gained some fame before him, Zhang Songxi was the one who truly developed and expanded internal martial arts. He learned internal boxing techniques in his early years, absorbed the essence of Emei Martial Arts, and founded the Wudang Songxi School.  

A legend goes that when Shaolin monks heard of Zhang Songxi's superb martial arts, they came to Wudang Mountain for a contest. One monk first challenged Zhang Songxi, who remained seated calmly, with his hands in his sleeves and no movement. As the monk leaped into the air to deliver a series of kicks, Zhang Songxi slightly侧身 (leaned sideways), raised his hand to gently guide, and the monk was sent crashing out of the window. This incident made Wudang Martial Arts widely renowned, attracting many to Wudang Mountain to practice martial arts.  

Categories of Wudang Martial Arts  
Wudang internal martial arts have formed a unique system through generations of accumulation and development, which can be classified into boxing techniques, weaponry, gongfa (training methods), and hidden weapons. Wudang Martial Arts is a collective term for martial arts genres in the Wudang region.  

Boxing Techniques  
Wudang boxing techniques include Wudang Chunyang Quan, Taiyi Wuxing Quan, Simplified Wudang Quan, Wudang Taiyi Xiaoyao Palm, Songxi Short Strike, Tai Chi Changquan, Wudang Pili Palm, Lightning Hongyang Palm, Bagua Xihun Palm, Wudang Qiankun Tiezhang Gong, Wudang Tian Shi Palm, Yinyang Wuxing Zhuihun Shou, Wudang Fenjin Cuogu Chanlong Shou, Liangyi Dianxue Shu, Wudang Wuxing Zhongshou Fa, Huangni Yinshou Zhang, Wudang Taiyi Mianzhang, Wudang Taiyi Xiaoyao Palm, Wudang Yinyang Bagua Zhang, Wudang Secret Tai Chi Quan, Wudang Chunyang Quan, Wudang Ye Family Boxing, Zhang Sanfeng's Original Tai Chi Quan, Thirty-Six Yinyang Hands, Yumen Liuhe Quan, Wudang Taihe Quan, Youshen Bagua Zhang, Yunfang Tai Chi Quan, Jiuzhou Cudgel, Wudang Shengong Tai Chi Quan, Sihe Yi Tai Chi Quan, Longxing Bagua Zhang, Hunyuan Palm, and Eighteen Forms of Tai Chi, among others.  

Wudang Bagua Zhang(wudang eight diagram palm) is a boxing technique that integrates offensive and defensive moves with guiding methods in circular walking. Later practitioners often follow the connection lines of the eight trigrams when circling. Taking standing桩 (stake standing) and walking as basic skills, it uses circular walking as the fundamental movement form. The walking routes include the Yin-Yang fish, Bagua diagram, and Jiugong (nine palaces). It gives full play to the advantages of the palms, using palms instead of fists for striking and replacing hooks with palms for grabbing, forming the characteristic that almost all techniques in this palm system are palm methods. Bagua Zhang is not only a combat technique but also a fitness method.  

Wudang martial arts of Weapons
Wudang weapon routines include Wudang Sword, Night Walk Knife, Taiyi Fuchen (Taoist whisk), Songxi Xiaohua Sword Routine, Wudang Chunyang Sword, Wudang Xuanwu Cudgel, Wudang Zuibaixian Sword, Wudang Dan Sword, Huwei Whip, Xingyi Dao, Wudang Shexing Jian, Spring and Autumn Great Saber, Double Knives, Bagua Dao, Wei Cudgel, Nine Sons Seeking Mother Sword, Wudang Bagua Taiji Sword, Wudang Dan School Swordsmanship, Zuibaixian Sword, Xuanwu Cudgel, Dan Sword, Taiji Sword, Taiji Spear, Bagua Gonshou Dao, Songxi Cudgel, etc. There are also paired training such as Double扎杆 (Thirteen Spears) training, Sanhe Sword Duel, and Bagua Zhuandao Duel.  

Wudang internal Training Methods
Wudang gongfa includes Wudang Mingmu Gong (eye-nourishing skill), Wudang Huoxue Gong (blood-activating skill), Iron Shirt Gong, Wudang Taiyi Wuxing Shengong, Wudang Qiyin Qiyang Zhuihun Shou, Wudang Shengong Erzhichan (two-finger禅), Wudang Zhanyi Shibatie (sticky clothes eighteen falls), Wuxing Yangsheng Migong (five elements health-preserving secret skill), Yijing Yunshen Gong (Book of Changes body-moving skill), Wudang Ziran Waiqigong (natural external qi skill), Wudang Taiyin Shengong, Wudang Dali Yingzhua Gong (great strength eagle claw skill), Hanshu Tiebuyi Gong (cold and heat iron cloth shirt), Wudang Taiyi Leizhang Gong, Songxi Tongzi Gong (童子功), Wudang Qinggong (lightness skill), Wudang Dilong Gong (earth dragon skill), Jiulong Shizi Gong (nine-dragon lion skill), Wudang Xuanzhen Gong, and Wudang Qiankun Tiezhang Gong, etc. The battle formations of Wudang Martial Arts include the Jiugong Bagua Formation and Sancai Sword Formation.  

Wudang traditional Hidden Weapons  
Wudang hidden weapons include rope darts,脱手镖 (throwing darts), single-tube sleeve arrows, plum blossom sleeve arrows, meteor hammers, willow-leaf flying knives, stones, flying claws, flying forks, flying raos, throwing arrows, flying thorns, wolf-tooth hammers, iron toads, money darts, iron olives, and hooks, etc.  

Wudang Kungfu and Health-Preserving Principles  
Wudang Martial Arts is based on the principle of health preservation. For example, Wudang internal boxing, whether sword or fist techniques, each move is designed to optimally regulate the physical and mental state, with the effects of relaxing tendons, activating blood, nourishing the five internal organs, and cultivating the mind. Even in combat, it does not violate the health-preserving principles, using methods like "using four ounces to defeat a thousand catties" and "borrowing the opponent's strength to strike." Therefore, all Wudang Martial Arts must have health-preserving functions.  

Specifically, Wudang Martial Arts attaches great importance to the cultivation of jing (essence), qi (vital energy), and shen (spirit) in practice, emphasizing the process of refining jing into qi, refining qi into shen, and refining shen into emptiness. It always adheres to the three regulations (regulating the mind, regulating the breath, and regulating the body), never violating medical and health principles. In any gongfa, it emphasizes the training of hand, eye, body, method, and foot externally, and jing, shen, qi, strength, and gong internally. Both internal and external aspects adhere to the simultaneous cultivation of centrality, correctness, balance, circularity, relaxation, stillness, softness, and flexibility, focusing on yin-yang transformation, circular twists, combination of movement and stillness, and softness containing rigidity. It establishes an ordered process of "taking dantian cultivation as the core, smooth meridian and qi-blood flow as the guide, and improving gonadal system function as the focus."  

Practicing to a certain level, on the one hand, it enhances human vitality and achieves the effect of preventing diseases and prolonging life; on the other hand, by reasonably utilizing human physiological characteristics, it exerts unexpected self-defense and combat effects, embodying Zhang Sanfeng's true intention of "hoping to enable all heroes in the world to prolong life, not pursuing the trivial study of combat." Zhang Sanfeng's term "heroes in the world" is not just a title for martial artists but a praise for all common people, containing the heart of helping and saving the world.