Wǔdāngquán (Chinese: 武當拳; Yale Cantonese: mou5 dong1 kyun4) is a family of Chinese martial arts known more generally as neijia. The name refers to the Wudang Mountains of Hubei Province, which are known for their many Taoist temples.

The Chinese martial arts can be broadly sorted into two categories—Wudang and Shaolin—though not without controversy. Internal or "soft" styles of Chinese martial art are sometimes referred to as Wudang styles regardless of whether they originated or were developed in the temples of Wudangshan, just as external or "hard" styles are sometimes called Shaolin regardless of whether the individual style traces its origins to the Shaolin tradition or not.

The unquestionably internal styles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang contain postures inherited from Shaolin and Shaolin martial art styles typically incorporate some degree of nèigōng (內功) meditation into their training, one of the properties that is said to distinguish internal from external styles.

Wudangquan incorporates yin-yang theory from the I Ching as well as the Five Elements of Taoist cosmology: water, earth, fire, wood, and metal. Animal imagery is evident in some of their practices. These motions are trained to be combined and coordinated with the neigong breathing to develop nei jin, internal power, for both offensive and defensive purposes. Wudangquan is known for its weapons training and is famous for its jian (Chinese straight sword) techniques.

See also

• Liu He Ba Fa
• Daoyin
• Zhang Sanfeng
• Wuxia
• Resources from White Horse Wudang Daoist Temple, China
• Wudang Internal Martial Arts from the Zhang San Feng sect

Chinese martial arts