Ditangquan, is a category of martial art

Martial arts

Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....

 that originated in the Shandong Province

Shandong

' is a Province located on the eastern coast of the People's Republic of China. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history from the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River and served as a pivotal cultural and religious site for Taoism, Chinese...

 of China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 during the Song Dynasty

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

 (960-1279).

Style

The major characteristic

Characteristic

Characteristic may refer to:In physics and engineering, any characteristic curve that shows the relationship between certain input and output parameters, for example:...

 of ditangquan is the ability to perform tumbles, falls, turns, somersault

Somersault

A somersault is an acrobatic exercise in which a person does a full 360° flip, moving the feet over the head. A somersault can be performed either forwards, backwards, or sideways and can be executed in the air or on the ground...

s and aerial

Aerial cartwheel

An aerial cartwheel is an acrobatic move in which a cartwheel is executed without touching hands to the floor. During execution of a standard cartwheel, the performer's body is supported by the hands while transitioning through the inverted orientation, whereas an aerial cartwheel performer is...

 acrobatics

Acrobatics

Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...

 using those techniques for both offense and defense.

Since the time of its origin, this martial art has spread throughout China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 and has been incorporated into other martial arts styles.

Although ditangquan exists as a traditional style, extant versions of it were unknown to the Chinese modern wushu coaches and players of the 1970s; as a result, a "new" version of ditangquan was created based on the tumbling techniques of monkey and drunken styles, but without the characteristic monkey or drunken movements. Today, traditional versions of ditangquan can still be found included as parts of other styles, such as in chuojiao

Chuojiao

Chuōjiǎo is a Chinese martial art that comprises many jumps, kicks, and fast fist sequences. The fist and feet work in unison and strike continuously forward, like “falling meteorites”, never giving the opponent a moment to recover. The qinggong portion of this style's training involves a...

, or as separate martial arts, such as Fujian góuquán (dog style); in the traditional styles, there is less emphasis on tumbling and more emphasis on attacking and defending while falling on the ground. In modern wushu, however, the "new" ditangquan remains a common style used in competition today.

Examples

Examples of the varieties of Ditangquan that now exist include, among others:

• Moving-on-the-Ground Boxing (地行拳);
• Plum Blossom Ground Tumbling Boxing (地躺梅花拳);
• Shaolin Earth Dragon Boxing (少林地龙拳);
• Flying Dragon Ground Tumbling Boxing (飞龙地躺拳);