ABSTRACT
In their political project, the authorities of the People’s Republic of China have formulated a discourse on ‘martial arts’ (wushu), which has led to their regulation and standardisation into politically correct forms. Since the early 1950s, elements labeled as ‘feudal’ or ‘sectarian’ have been proscribed by state institutions – such as sport associations – and replaced by nationally shared standards and sport regulation. Since the 1980s, Chinese state institutions have striven to ‘develop’ (fazhan) wushu into a ‘competitive sport’ (jingji yundong) – with the goal of its introduction as an Olympic discipline. This development raises the question of the impact on practitioners’ habits and the way they articulate these new representations. This chapter will discuss two distinct kind of transmission frameworks of taijiquan techniques – traditional and sport-oriented – by focusing on the observation and description of social interactions happening in taijiquan communities. It will reflect on how Chinese institutions are reclaiming meanings over the practice of taijiquan, resulting in many structural and ideological changes. Moreover, it will also reflect on how this process of reappropriation impacts grassroots practitioners and the practice at large.
