The major
characteristic of ditangquan is the ability to perform tumbles, falls, turns, leg skills,
somersaults and
aerial acrobatics using those techniques for both offense and defense. Since the time of its origin, this martial art has spread throughout
China and has been incorporated into other martial arts styles. Although ditangquan exists as a traditional style, extant versions of it were unknown to the Chinese
modern wushu coaches and players of the 1970s; as a result, a "new" version of Ditangquan was created based on the tumbling techniques of monkey and drunken styles, but without the characteristic monkey or drunken movements. Today, traditional versions of Ditangquan can still be found included as parts of other styles, such as in
chuojiao, or as separate martial arts, such as Fujian
gǒuquán (dog style); in the traditional styles, there is less emphasis on tumbling and more emphasis on attacking and defending while falling on the ground. In modern wushu, however, the "new" ditangquan remains a common style used in competition today. ==Styles==