The martial arts that were believed to make men bulletproof
In short: In 1900, a Chinese secret society rose against foreign influence, fueled by the belief that specific boxing rituals could grant them physical invulnerability. This movement transformed local village groups into a massive militant force, creating a myth of supernatural protection that shaped the course of modern history.
The group known to Westerners as the 'Boxers' was originally the Yihequan, or 'Righteous and Harmonious Fists.' They were a secret society whose members practiced specific boxing and calisthenic rituals. These practices were rooted in a conviction that such movements rendered the practitioners impervious to bullets. This belief was so potent that some Qing officials and even Empress Dowager Cixi actively encouraged the group, despite warnings from Western powers.
The movement's origins are complex. It is considered an offshoot of the Eight Trigrams Society, which had rebelled against the Qing dynasty in the late 18th century. By the late 19th century, a combination of economic hardship, natural disasters, and aggressive foreign expansion fueled their growth in North China. In 1898, conservative forces took control of the government and convinced the Boxers to pivot: instead of fighting the Qing dynasty, they would unite with it to expel foreigners.
The rebellion reached a fever pitch in 1900. After being renamed the Yihetuan (or 'Righteous and Harmonious Militia') to sound more official, Boxer bands began attacking Christians and destroying infrastructure like railroads and telegraphs. The conflict escalated into a full-scale international crisis when an allied force of roughly 19,000 troops—including soldiers from Japan, Russia, Britain, and the United States—captured Beijing in August 1900. The uprising resulted in over 100,000 deaths, with the vast majority being civilians.
The term 'Boxer' itself is a Western label derived from the group's practice of 'Chinese boxing.' While the movement was eventually crushed and its leaders fled to Xi’an, the legacy of the Yihequan remains a significant example of how folk beliefs and martial traditions can be mobilized into powerful political instruments during times of extreme social instability.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Boxer Rebellion | Significance, Combatants, & Facts | Britannica
- Also: Boxer movement
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