Up until the very early 20th century, Kung-Fu was only practised by the elite, be they the military, learned men, warrior monks or the members of a distinct family. Very negative effects of European interference in China had brought Chinese self esteem to a massive low. Mainly by Britain and France getting involved in the opium wars. China had been brought to its knees by a mass drugs trade in opium.
This caused the Boxer Rebellion of 1899 which was an attempt by the Righteous Harmony Society, also known as the Righteous Fist Society, to get rid of foreign elements and reclaim China back for the Chinese.
The Boxers believed that they where invincible and that their Chi Gung expertise and techniques would allow them to repel bullets, as it did swords and clubs.
These limitations of Chi power were very quickly discovered as many where killed with hails of the bullets from the enemy gunfire. This failed rebellion only saw more power given to the occupiers and because of this the Chinese government were unable to protect their thousand year old traditions against the European colonisation and take over.
The Chinese to boost the nation's pride and general well being, the government encouraged martial artists to open up their doors to the (Chinese) general public. This was a time when the mythology surrounding the Chinese martial arts was also being created at this time, with many popular novels featuring the mythology around kung fu.
At this time many Kung-Fu organisations were established that are still around today. The Chin Woo Athletic Association which was founded in 1910 and a central governing body for Kung-Fu which was founded in 1928. National Kung-Fu competitions were being held throughout China By 1932 and in 1936 Kung-Fu was presented on the world stage at the Berlin Olympic Games.
More Information can be found at http://www.kung-fu-world.com/
Source: http://www.ArticlePros.com/author.php?Gordon Powles
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