Abstract: This present paper aims to explore how wrestling took shape in the Shang Dynasty by examining oracle characters and oracle inscriptions. Major findings: Chinese wrestling first occurred in the Yin and Shang periods, which was called as “Dou” at the time. “Dou” means two persons wrestling unarmed, thus having the property of attack and confrontation; the “Dou” activities that the kings and nobility of the Shang Dynasty participated in, as recorded in the oracle inscriptions, were the main content of initial armed activities. During the Western Zhou Dynasty,wrestling, then called as “Jue” due to the influence of territorial change and dialects,became one of the most important parts in official lectures on armed activities. After Qin reunified the country, it was called “Juedi” and became the only content of official lectures on armed activities. Though the name of wrestling changed over time from the late Shang Dynasty through the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty, its form and content stayed unchanged. In terms of time span, “Dou” first occurred in the late Shang Dynasty, 1000 years earlier than “Juedi”during the Qin Dynasty, therefore, we may conclude that the origin of wrestling in China can date back to the late Shang Dynasty of over 3300 years ago.

Key words: Oracle, Dou, Jue, Juedi