Shuai Chiao, the Ancient Predecessor of Chinese Martial Arts

"Shuai Chiao" is said to be the first style of martial arts as this is the progenitor of the Chinese martial arts. It can also be called "Shuai Jiao" which dates back to the ancient style of grappling called "Jiao Di." Jiao Di was the Chinese term for wrestling and grappling. It was also dubbed as "horn butting." That would mean that two fighters would grapple with each other like two bulls butting horns with each other at ramming speed. It was dubbed as Jiao Di by the mythic Yellow Emperor known as Huang Di over three-thousand years ago. This style is the predecessor to styles such as Sambo Wrestling, Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, and Sumo Wrestling. Shuai Chiao could be classified as one of the earliest styles of wrestling.

Over the centuries, Shuai Chiao would evolve as the Zhou Dynasty would develop the style such as "Jiao Li" with strikes, blocks, joint locks, and pressure point attacks. Those strikes, blocks, submissions, and other attacks would be essential to the creation of new styles of the Chinese martial arts. Under the Qin Dynasty, it would become a public sport such as Sumo Wrestling become a national sport in Japan, Muay Thai becoming a national sport in Thailand, Capoiera become a national sport in Brazil, and Tae Kwon Do becoming a national sport in South Korea. In a sense, Shuai Chiao is the predecessor to most of the Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Southeast Asian martial arts styles.

In ancient times such as Ancient China, winners of various sports would be given a special status. For the case of Shuai Chiao, the winner would then be rewarded for the job of being the emperor's bodyguard or a martial arts instructor for the military. Being the emperor's bodyguard would be the biggest prize that a fighter could win. There were fighting tournaments in the past where the winning soldier would be awarded the position of an officer. Over the years, Shuai Chiao would be watered down. But, the Chinese did travel across the globe. They did bring the various styles of Chinese martial arts to Korea, Japan, Okinawa, Thailand, Burma, and many parts of the Pacific.