The Role of Chinese Traditional Martial Arts Training Grounds in the Formation of Practitioner Identity within “Menhu” :From the Perspective of Practitioners' Spatial Cognition

The purpose of this study is to elucidate how Chinese martial arts training grounds influence the formation of practitioner identity within the context of “MenHu”. The research method employs fieldwork and thick description, aiming to analyze the relationship between practitioners and the training grounds. The study explored the role of Chinese martial arts “MenHu” in the formation of practitioners’ identities from two aspects: 1) Practitioners in Chinese martial arts training grounds experience the “Unity of Heaven and Humanity” through the open ceiling, aligning with their ultimate goal of harmony with nature. This connection relies on bodily sensations, making the training grounds essential for linking practitioners with the earth and universe. 2) The sense of “being at home” for practitioners in the martial arts training grounds. The ground’s “walls” not only protect techniques but also enclose an internal space, allowing practitioners and creators to interact within the same space. The space for “worshiping ancestors” becomes the center of the internal space of the grounds. Even when practitioners are outside, they remain connected through symbols, maintaining the collective identity of the “MenHu”. Chinese martial arts training grounds is not just a space but a medium through which Chinese martial arts practitioner identity themselves.