A comparative study on Chinese Wushu Sanda and Sri Lankan Angampora

Abstract

Every country has their own culture; each has significant characteristics. Both Sri Lankan and Chinese culture have attracted people all over the world because of the uniqueness of their cultures. Both countries have their inherent arts which have both the similarities and differences between them. Martial arts have a significant place in both cultures. Chinese Wushu is a recognized martial art all over the world but Sri Lankan Angampora is only limited to Sri Lanka. Yet, the fighting part of both arts have similarities and differences. Present research is focused on a comparative study between the Chinese Wushu Sanda and Sri Lankan Angampora. Related information was gathered from the research done by Chinese and Sri Lankan researchers, books and government information center. When analyzing the history of Chinese Wushu, it is clear that Wushu has two parts as Wushu Sanda and Wushu Taolu. Wushu Taolu is a performance art which displays the martial art as a performance, sometimes equipment also been used. Wushu Sanda is an authentic martial art which is done according to a specific regulation system and it includes attacking and defending. Wushu Sanda is famous as a sport all over the world. But, Sri Lankan Angampora is a hereditary martial art. Sudaliya and Oruvalliya are some examples for such legatees. Sri Lankan Angampora has three parts as Angam, Elangam and Mayaangam. Angam is an unarmed martial art which includes attacking, blocking and defending. A significant characteristic of this part is the use of pressure points when fighting. This is recognized as a deadly art. Therefore, normally this cannot be seen as a sport. The art of Angam which mostly uses self-defense techniques has a significant development in the modern society. While Elangam is the martial art which is done by using inherent equipment, Mayangam is done by using invisible things such as yanthra, Manthra, Pilli. Traditional medicine and meditation are also a part of this martial art. Thus, the present study strongly highlights the awareness of Chinese Wushu Sanda and Sri Lankan Angmpora to the readers who have a particular interest in this field through this comparative study.