Abstract: Through literature review, the paper, from the perspective of social culture, researches and discusses the formation and evelopment of Chinese martial arts, believing that the social and cultural environment of the Song dynasty gave birth to the real germination of Chinese martial arts. Chinese traditional philosophy provides a unique and rich theoretical system and basis for Chinese martial arts while nationalization lifestyle brings about the unique inheritance mode and goal pursuit of Chinese martial arts.

Key words: Chinese martial arts, traditional culture, social development