以「國」之名：「國術」運動場域在台灣的建立過程

Abstract

「國術」或是「中國武術」對於台灣社會大眾而言並不陌生，卻具備多元的內涵和活動形式，包含體育運動、民俗文化、醫療和宗教。近年來，技擊運動如「拳擊」和「綜合格鬥」的興盛，相對地映照出「國術」運動化進程緩慢、不具備制度性規則和組織等事實，而無法在現代社會作為職業運動完善發展。本研究重探過去台灣的「國術比賽」，分析國術在台灣的發展歷史，如何進入台灣、有怎樣的原則和組織，又發生了怎樣的衝突，致使其運動化過程停滯不前。

本文以歷史研究為方法，蒐集國術相關的政令、報紙、期刊和書籍雜誌為資料來源，有以下研究發現：作為國族運動的「國術擂台賽」，必須體現國族特色，達成將中國作為「共同體」的想像，然而在內部難以整合出明確的競技方式、又無法向「外術」區異的亂象下，規則、組織和制度遲遲無法統一，致使運動化過程停滯。1940年代，國民政府帶著國術來到曾經日治的台灣，各地國術館(會)大量的開設，使得國術場域中的行動者更加雜異，充斥著台灣既有的南派拳術和日式武術。結果體現在1950年代中期開始舉辦的「國術擂台賽」，既無法呈現出中國武術的特色、又無法向「外術」區異。

1960年代後期，響應「中華文化復興運動」的推行，一群北派、外省為主的國術家試圖重振國術比賽，包含增設資格賽、修訂規則，更舉辦世界國術擂台賽和出版國術刊物；然而，不同派系和組織間的利益矛盾，致使台灣國術場域內部不斷產生衝突，國術比賽的亂象也依舊沒有受到解決。直至1990年，中華人民共和國推行的「新武術」在亞洲運動會登場，比起「國術」能夠體現國族特徵，也由於其是受國際承認的「正統中國」而更受到歡迎。本文以國術運動場域在台灣的建立過程，指出國族主義施予武術運動化負面影響；也以此反映國民政府在台灣對於中國民族的建構，如何形塑了當今台灣社會的認同。

"Guoshu" (Chinese martial arts) is a familiar yet multifaceted practice in Taiwanese society, encompassing sport, folk culture, medicine, and religion. In contrast to the growing popularity and institutionalization of combat sports such as boxing and mixed martial arts, Guoshu has struggled to sportify due to its lack of standardized rules, formal organization, and institutional support, preventing its development into a professional sport. This study revisits the historical trajectory of Guoshu competitions in Taiwan, exploring its introduction, organizing principles, internal conflicts, and the reasons behind its stalled sportification.

Using historical research methods, this study draws on government regulations, newspapers, journals, and magazines to analyze the development of Guoshu in Taiwan. Findings show that while Guoshu competitions were intended to symbolize national identity and foster a shared imagination of China as a political community, they suffered from disorganized practices, undefined competitive formats, and failure to distinguish themselves from foreign martial arts. After the Kuomintang (KMT) brought Guoshu to postcolonial Taiwan in the 1940s, the proliferation of Guoshu associations introduced diverse and often conflicting influences—including Southern Chinese styles and Japanese martial arts—into the field. These tensions became evident in the 1950s Guoshu tournaments, which failed to present a coherent national martial art practice.

In the late 1960s, efforts aligned with the Chinese Cultural Renaissance Movement, some Northerern Chinese style Guoshu experts sought to revitalize Guoshu through revised rules, qualification matches, international tournaments, and martial arts publications. However, persistent factional disputes and organizational rivalries continued to destabilize the field. By 1990, the rise of the People's Republic of China's "Wushu," showcased at the Asian Games, offered a more unified and internationally recognized vision of Chinese martial arts, gaining wider acceptance. This study argues that nationalism, rather than facilitating the sportification of Guoshu, obstructed it, and further reflects on how the KMT’s nationalist project in Taiwan shaped contemporary identity politics.