List of Chinese martial arts

The hundreds of different styles and schools of Chinese martial arts ( 中 國 武 術 ) are
collectively called Kung Fu ( 功 夫 ), Wushu ( 武 術 ), Kuoshu ( 國 術 ), or Ch'uan Fa ( 拳 法 ),
depending on the persons or groups doing so. The following list is by no means exhaustive.

 Bafaquan (八法拳) - Eight Methods

 Baguazhang (八卦掌; Bagua Zhang) - Eight Trigrams Palm
 Bajiquan (八極拳) - Eight Extremes Fist
 Bak Mei (白眉拳) - White Eyebrow
 Black Tiger Kung Fu (黑虎拳)
 Chaquan (查拳) - Cha Fist
 Changquan (長拳) - Long Fist
 Chuo Jiao (戳腳) - Poking Feet
 Choy Gar (蔡家) - also known as Rat Kung Fu
 Choy Li Fut (蔡李佛; Càilǐfó)
 Dachengquan (大成拳) - Great Achievement Boxing (Yiquan)
 Ditangquan (地躺拳) - Ground-Prone Fist, Ground Tumbling Boxing
 Do Pi Kung Fu (道派)
 Dragon Kung Fu (Lung Ying) (龍形拳)
 Duan Quan (短拳) - Short Range Boxing
 Emeiquan (峨嵋拳, O Mei Ch'uan)
 Fanziquan (翻子拳) - Overturning Fist, Tumbling Boxing
 Five Ancestors (五祖拳) - Wuzuquan or Ngo Cho Kun
 Five Animals (五形)
 Fujian White Crane (白鶴拳)
 Fu Jow Pai ( 虎爪派 ) - Tiger Claw System (also titled Black Tiger Kung Fu or Hark Fu
Moon)
 Fut Gar (佛家)- Buddhist Palm
 Gouquan (狗拳) - Dog Fist
 Hakka Kuen (客家拳)
 Hong Cha
 Hop Gar (俠家)
 Houquan (猴拳) - Monkey Fist
o Drunken Monkey (醉猴)
 Heihuquan: see Black Tiger Kung Fu (黑虎拳)
 Hsing-i Ch'uan: see Xingyiquan (形意拳)
 Huaquan (華拳) - China Fist
 Hung Fut (洪佛) - Hung and Buddha style kung fu
 Hung Gar (洪家拳; also known as Hung Ga or Hung Kuen) - Shaolin Style and ancestor
to many southern styles
 I Liq Chuan (意力拳) - Mind-Body Art, founded by Chin Lik Keong of Malaysia
 Jeet Kune Do (截拳道) - Way of The Intercepting Fist
 Jian Shou - "splashing hands"; the oral history claims was developed for Shaolin guards
in the 1700s.
 Jin Lian Pai (金蓮派) - A modern hybrid system
 Jing Wu Men ( 精武門 ) - Jing Wu, a famous school founded in Shanghai that teaches
several different styles.
 Jing Quan Do (精拳道) - a modern synthetic style
 Jow-Ga Kung Fu (周家) - Jow family style
 Kuntao (拳道 or 拳頭) - Way of the Fist, a Hokkien term referring to Chinese martial
arts practiced in Southeast Asia and in Indonesia in particular
 Lau Gar (刘家) - Lau family style
o Lai-Ga-Sau - A recently created separate branch based in the United Kingdom
 Lai Tung Pai- Shaolin Style that mixes long and short fist
 Lama Pai (喇嘛派)
 Leopard Kung Fu (豹拳)
 Li Gar (李家) - Li Family or Lee Family style
 Liu Seong Kuntao (also Liu Seong Gung Fu, Liu Seong Chuan Fa) - A Chinese art with
Indonesian influence, practiced primarily in the United States
 Liuhebafa Chuan ( 六 合 八 法 ; Liu He Pa Fa, Lok Hup Ba Fa) - Six Harmonies, Eight
Methods or Water Boxing
 Luohan Quan (羅漢拳) Arhat Boxing, Law Horn Kuen
 Mei Hua Quan (梅花拳 Plum Blossom Fist)
 Mian Quan (棉花拳擊 Cotton Boxing)
 Mizongyi (迷蹤拳; Mízōngquán) - Lost Track Fist (also known as My Jong Law Horn; 迷
蹤羅漢拳)
 Mok Gar (莫家拳) Mok family style
 Monkey Kung Fu see Houquan
 Nam Pai Chuan (南北拳) - North South Fist
 Nan Quan (南拳) - Southern Fist
 Northern Praying Mantis (北派螳螂拳)
 Northern Shaolin (北少林) - Bei Shaolin
 Pai lum (白龍) - White Dragon, Pai Family Method, a modern style based on Kenpo with
Chinese influences found mainly in the US and Canada
 Paochui (炮捶) - Cannon Fist, Sanhaung Paochui
 Piguaquan (劈掛拳) - Chop-Hitch Fist, Axe-hitch boxing
 Praying Mantis: see either Northern or Southern Praying Mantis
 Sanshou (散手) or Sanda (散打) - Free Fighting
 San Soo (散手)
 Shaolin Quan (少林拳)
 Shequan (蛇拳) - Snake Fist
 Shuai Chiao (摔跤; Shuaijiao) - Chinese and Mongolian styles of wrestling
 Southern Praying Mantis (南派螳螂拳)
o Chow Gar (周家)- Chow Style Southern Praying Mantis
  Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳 Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan) - Supreme Ultimate Boxing
o Chen style tai chi chuan
o Yang style tai chi chuan
o Wu/Hao style tai chi chuan
o Wu style tai chi chuan
o Sun style tai chi chuan
 Tantui (彈腿/譚腿) - Spring Leg style
 Tibetan White Crane (白鶴派)
 T'ien Shan Pai (天山派)
 Tongbeiquan (通背拳) - Through-the-Back Fist
 White Crane: see either Fujian White Crane or Tibetan White Crane
 Wing Chun (詠春 or 永春) - See also Wing Tsun
 Wudangquan (武當拳)
 Xingyiquan (形意拳; Hsing-i Chuan) - Form-Intent Fist
 Yau Kung Mun (软功門) - Flexible-Power Style
 Yingzhaoquan (鷹爪拳) - Eagle Claw Fist
 Yuejiaquan (岳家槍) - Yue family Fist/Boxing
 Yiquan (意拳; I Ch'uan) - Mind Boxing
 Zi Ran Men (自然门) - Natural Boxing or "fist of nature"

[edit] General terms

 Chi Gerk ( 黐 腳 ) - Term used for sticky legs sensitivity training most notably used in
Wing Chun. Similar concepts are also practiced in Hung Gar and other Chinese martial
arts
 Chi Sao (黐手) - Term used for sticky arm sensitivity training most notably used in Wing
Chun. Similar concepts are also practiced in Hung Gar and other Chinese martial arts
 Zui Quan (醉拳) "Drunken Fist" - Term used for "drunken" techniques in many styles of
Chinese Martial Arts
 Dim Mak (點脈) - General term for point striking
 Iron Palm (Chinese: 铁 掌 功 ; Cantonese: tit1 zoeng2 gung1) is a body of training
techniques in various Chinese martial arts.
 Iron Shirt (Traditional Chinese: 鐵 衫 ; Simplified Chinese: 铁 衫 ; Pinyin: tiě shān;
Cantonese: tit1 saam3) is a form of hard style martial art exercise for protecting the
human body from impacts in a fight.
 Lei Tai {擂台; Lèi tái) - Full Contact competition platform used in Chinese Martial Arts.
 Qinna (擒拿; Chin Na) - General term for joint locks
 Sanshou ( 散 手 ) - General term for sparring methods, but also another name for the
sport, San da (散打)
 Tuishou (推手) - Term used for the "push hands" partner exercises used in the Neijia
arts.

[edit] Internal and external styles

Chinese martial arts may be divided into Neijia (內家, internal family) or wàijiā (外家, external
family) styles.

Many styles combine both internal and external techniques; Chow Gar is a good example of
this.
There is an ongoing debate within the martial arts community at both the popular and
scholarly level over the distinction between "internal" and "external" arts. Consequently, the
list of styles considered internal or external may vary greatly from source to source. There are
only three Chinese styles that are universally recognized as internal, and they are sometimes
referred to as the "Orthodox internal styles." These three styles are Xingyiquan, Baguazhang,
and Tai Chi Chuan, the three arts counted as internal and set apart by Sun Lutang, who
greatly popularized the terms "nèijiā" and "wàijiā" as a method of classifying martial arts.

[edit] Styles often considered internal styles

 Baguazhang (八卦掌 Pa Kua Chang) - Eight Trigrams Palm

 Liuhebafa Chuan (六合八法 Liu He Pa Fa, Lok Hup Ba Fa) - Water Boxing
 Tai Chi Chuan (太極拳 Tai Chi Chuan, Taijiquan) - Ultimate Supreme Fist
 Xingyiquan (形意拳 Hsing-i Chuan) - Shape-Intent Fist
 Yiquan (意拳 I Chuan) - Mind Boxing

Chinese martial arts

Chinese martial arts, sometimes referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu
(traditional Chinese: 武術; simplified Chinese: 武术; pinyin: wǔshù) and popularly as kungfu
(Chinese: 功 夫 pinyin: gōngfū), consist of a number of fighting styles that were developed
over the centuries. Those fighting styles can be classified according to common themes that
are identified as "families" ( 家 , jiā), "sects" ( 派, pai) or "schools" ( 門, men) of martial arts.
Example of themes are physical exercises that mimic movements from animals or a history
and training method that gather inspiration from various Chinese philosophies, myths and
legends. Some styles focus on the the harnessing of qi and are labeled internal (内家拳), while
others concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness and are labeled external
( 外 家 拳 ). Geographical association, as in northern ( 北 拳 ) and southern ( 南 拳 ), is another
popular method of categorization. Each fighting style offers a different approach to the
common problems of self-defense, health, and self-cultivation from a Chinese perspective.

[edit] Terminology

Kung fu and wushu are popular terms that have become synonymous with Chinese
martial arts. However, the Chinese terms kung fu (Chinese: 功夫 pinyin: gōngfū) and wushu
(simplified Chinese: 武 术 ; traditional Chinese: 武 術 ; pinyin: wǔshù listen (help·info);
Cantonese: móuh-seuht) have very different meanings. The Chinese literal equivalent of
"Chinese martial art" would be 中國武術 zhōngguó wǔshù.

In Chinese, kung fu can be used in contexts completely unrelated to martial arts, and refers
colloquially to any individual accomplishment or skill cultivated through long and hard work. [1]
In contrast, wushu is a more precise term for general martial activities.

Wǔshù literally means "martial art". It is formed from the two words 武術: 武 (wǔ), meaning,
"martial" or "military", and 術 (shù), which translates into "discipline", "skill" or "method."

The term wushu has also become the name for a modern sport involving the performance of
adapted Chinese bare-handed and weapons forms (tàolù 套 路 ) judged to a set of
contemporary aesthetic criteria for points.[2]
[edit] History

Ancient depiction of fighting monks practicing the art of self-defense.

Chinese martial arts may possibly be traced to the Xia Dynasty (夏朝) which existed more than
4000 years ago.[3] Their origin is attributed to self-defense needs, hunting activities and
military training in ancient China. Hand-to-hand combat and weapons practice were important
components in the training of Chinese soldiers.[4][5] From this beginning, Chinese martial arts
proceeded to incorporate different philosophies and ideas into its practice—expanding its
purpose from self-defense to health maintenance and finally as method of self-cultivation. The
influence of martial ideals in civilian society spread into poetry, fiction, and eventually film.

According to tradition, the Yellow Emperor (Huangdi, traditional date of ascension to the
throne 2698 BCE) introduced the earliest fighting systems to China. [6] The Yellow Emperor is
described as a famous general who, before becoming China’s leader, wrote lengthy treatises
on medicine, astrology and the martial arts. He allegedly developed the practice of jiao di or
horn-butting and utilized it in war.[7]

Shǒubó (手搏), practiced during the Shang dynasty (1766–1066 BCE), and Xiang Bo (similar to
Sanda) from the 600s BCE, [8] are just two examples of ancient Chinese martial arts. In 509
BCE, Confucius suggested to Duke Ding of Lu that people practice the literary arts as well as
the martial arts[8]; thus, wushu began to be practised by ordinary citizens external to the
military and religious sects. A combat wrestling system called juélì or jiǎolì (角力) is mentioned
in the Classic of Rites (1st c. BCE).[9] This combat system included techniques such as strikes,
throws, joint manipulation, and pressure point attacks. Jiao Di became a sport during the Qin
Dynasty (221–207 BCE). The Han History Bibliographies record that, by the Former Han (206
BCE – 8 CE), there was a distinction between no-holds-barred weaponless fighting, which it
calls shǒubó ( 手 搏 ), for which "how-to" manuals had already been written, and sportive
wrestling, then known as juélì or jiǎolì ( 角 力 ). Wrestling is also documented in the Shǐ Jì,
Records of the Grand Historian, written by Sima Qian (ca. 100 BCE).[10]

A hand to hand combat theory, including the integration of notions of "hard" and "soft"
techniques, is expounded in the story of the Maiden of Yue in the Spring and Autumn Annals
of Wu and Yue (5th c. BCE).[11]

In the Tang Dynasty, descriptions of sword dances were immortalized in poems by Li Bai. In
the Song and Yuan dynasties, xiangpu (a predecessor of sumo) contests were sponsored by
the imperial courts. The modern concepts of wushu were fully developed by the Ming and
Qing dynasties.[12]

The ideas associated with Chinese martial arts changed with the evolving Chinese society and
over time acquired a philosophical basis. Passages in the Zhuangzi ( 庄 子 ), a Daoist text,
pertain to the psychology and practice of martial arts. Zhuangzi, its eponymous author, is
believed to have lived in the 4 th century BCE. The Tao Te Ching, often credited to Lao Zi, is
another Daoist text that contains principles applicable to martial arts. According to one of the
classic texts of Confucianism, Zhou Li (周禮/周礼), Archery and charioteering were part of the
"six arts" (traditional Chinese: 六 藝 ; simplified Chinese: 六 艺 ; pinyin: liu yi, including rites,
music, calligraphy and mathematics) of the Zhou Dynasty (1122–256 BCE). The Art of War (
孫子兵法), written during the 6th century BCE by Sun Tzu ( 孫子), deals directly with military
warfare but contains ideas that are used in the Chinese martial arts.

Daoist practitioners have been practicing Tao Yin, physical exercises similar to Qigong that was
one of the progenitors to Tai Chi Chuan, at least since as early as 500 BCE.[13] In 39–92 CE,
"Six Chapters of Hand Fighting", were included in the Han Shu (history of the Former Han
Dynasty) written by Pan Ku. Also, the noted physician, Hua Tuo, composed the "Five Animals
Play"—tiger, deer, monkey, bear, and bird, around 220 BCE. [14] Daoist philosophy and their
approach to health and exercise might have influenced, to a certain extent, the Chinese
martial arts.

With regards to the Shaolin style of wushu, it is regarded as the first institutionalised Chinese
martial art[15]. However, the oldest evidence of Shaolin participation in combat is a stele from
728 CE that attests to two occasions: a defense of the Shaolin Monastery from bandits around
610 CE, and their subsequent role in the defeat of Wang Shichong at the Battle of Hulao in
621 CE From the 8th to the 15th centuries, there are no extant documents that provide
evidence of Shaolin participation in combat. However, between the 16th and 17th centuries
there are at least forty extant sources which provided evidence that, not only did monks of
Shaolin practice martial arts, but martial practice had become such an integral element of
Shaolin monastic life that the monks felt the need to justify it by creating new Buddhist lore.[16]
References of martial arts practice in Shaolin appear in various literary genres of the late Ming:
the epitaphs of Shaolin warrior monks, martial-arts manuals, military encyclopedias, historical
writings, travelogues, fiction and poetry. However these sources do not point out to any
specific style originated in Shaolin. [17] These sources, in contrast to those from the Tang
period, refer to Shaolin methods of armed combat. This include the forte of Shaolin monks and
for which they had become famous — the staff (gun, pronounced as "goon").The Ming
General Qi Jiguang included description of Shaolin Quan fa (Pinyin quánfǎ or Wade-Giles
ch'üan2 fa3, 拳法 "fist principles") and staff techniques in his book, Ji Xiao Xin Shu (紀效新書)
that title can be translated as "New Book Recording Effective Techniques". When this book
spread to East Asia, it had a great influence on the development of martial arts in regions such
as Okinawa [18] and Korea. [19]

The fighting styles that are practiced today were developed over the centuries, after having
incorporated forms that came into existence later. Some of these include Bagua, Drunken
Boxing, Eagle Claw, Five Animals, Hsing I, Hung Gar, Lau Gar, Monkey, Bak Mei Pai, Praying
Mantis, Fujian White Crane, Wing Chun and Tai Chi Chuan.

In 1900-01, the Righteous and Harmonious Fists rose against foreign occupiers and Christian
missionaries in China. This uprising is known in the West as the Boxer Rebellion due to the
martial arts and calisthenics practiced by the rebels. Though it originally opposed the Manchu
Qing Dynasty, the Empress Dowager Cixi gained control of the rebellion and tried to use it
against the foreign powers. The failure of the rebellion lead ten years later to the fall of the
Qing Dynasty and the creation of the Chinese Republic.

The present view of Chinese martial arts are strongly influenced by the events of the
Republican Period (1912–1949). In the transition period between the fall of the Qing Dynasty
as well as the turmoils of the Japanese invasion and the Chinese Civil War, Chinese martial
arts became more accessible to the general public as many martial artists were encouraged to
openly teach their art. At that time, some considered martial arts as a means to promote
national pride and build a strong nation. As a result, many training manuals ( 拳 谱 ) were
published, a training academy was created, 2 National examinations were organized as well as
demonstration teams travelled overseas [20] and numerous martial arts associations were
formed throughout China and in various overseas Chinese communities. The Central Guoshu
Academy (Zhongyang Guoshuguan, 中 央 國 術 館 / 中 央 国 术 馆 ) established by the National
Government in 1928[21] and the Jing Wu Athletic Association (精武體育會/精武体育会) founded
by Huo Yuanjia in 1910 are examples of organizations that promoted a systematic approach
for training in Chinese martial arts. [22][23][24] A series of provincial and national competitions
were organized by the Republican government starting in 1932 to promote Chinese martial
arts. In 1936, at the 11th Olympic Games in Berlin, a group of Chinese martial artists
demonstrated their art to an international audience for the first time. Eventually, those events
lead to the popular view of martial arts as a sport.

Chinese martial arts started to spread internationally with the end of the Chinese Civil War and
the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949. Many well known martial
artists chose to escape from the PRC's rule and migrate to Taiwan, Hong Kong,[25] and other
parts of the world. Those masters started to teach within the overseas Chinese communities
but eventually they expanded their teachings to include people from other ethnic groups.

Within China, the practice of traditional martial arts was discouraged during the turbulent
years of the Chinese Cultural Revolution (1969–1976).[26] Like many other aspects of traditional
Chinese life, martial arts were subjected to a radical transformation by the People's Republic of
China in order to align them with Maoist revolutionary doctrine.[26] The PRC promoted the
committee-regulated sport of Wushu as a replacement to independent schools of martial arts.
This new competition sport was disassociated from what was seen as the potentially
subversive self-defense aspects and family lineages of Chinese martial arts. [26] Rhetorically,
they also encouraged the use of the term Kuoshu (or Guoshu meaning "the arts of the
nation"), rather than the colloquial term gongfu, in an effort to more closely associate Chinese
martial arts with national pride rather than individual accomplishment. [26] In 1958, the
government established the All-China Wushu Association as an umbrella organization to
regulate martial arts training. The Chinese State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports
took the lead in creating standardized forms for most of the major arts. During this period, a
national Wushu system that included standard forms, teaching curriculum, and instructor
grading was established. Wushu was introduced at both the high school and university level.
The suppression of traditional teaching was relaxed during the Era of Reconstruction (1976–
1989), as Communist ideology became more accommodating to alternative viewpoints. [27] In
1979, the State Commission for Physical Culture and Sports created a special task force to
reevaluate the teaching and practice of Wushu. In 1986, the Chinese National Research
Institute of Wushu was established as the central authority for the research and administration
of Wushu activities in the People's Republic of China. [28] Changing government policies and
attitudes towards sports in general lead to the closing of the State Sports Commission (the
central sports authority) in 1998. This closure is viewed as an attempt to partially de-politicize
organized sports and move Chinese sport policies towards a more market-driven approach.[29]
As a result of these changing sociological factors within China, both traditional styles and
modern Wushu approaches are being promoted by the Chinese government. [30] Chinese
martial arts are now an integral element of Chinese culture.[31]

[edit] Styles

The Yang style of Taijiquan being practiced on the Bund in Shanghai

China has a long histories of martial arts tradition that includes hundreds of different styles.
Over the past two thousand years many distinctive styles have been developed, each with its
own set of techniques and ideas. [32] There are also common themes to the different styles,
which are often classified by "families" (家, jiā), "sects" (派, pai) or "schools" (門, men). There
are styles that mimic movements from animals and others that gather inspiration from various
Chinese philosophies, myths and legends. Some styles put most of their focus into the
harnessing of qi, while others concentrate solely on competition and exhibition. Each style
offers a different approach to the common problems of self-defense, health and self-
cultivation.

Chinese martial arts can be split into various categories to differentiate them: For example,
external ( 外 家 拳 ) and internal ( 内 家 拳 ).[33] Chinese martial arts can also be categorized by
location, as in northern (北拳) and southern (南拳) as well, referring to what part of China the
styles originated from, separated by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang); Chinese martial arts
may even be classified according to their province or city. [34] The main perceived difference
between northern and southern styles is that the northern styles tend to emphasize fast and
powerful kicks, high jumps and generally fluid and rapid movement, while the southern styles
focus more on strong arm and hand techniques, and stable, immovable stances and fast
footwork. Examples of the northern styles include changquan and xingyiquan. Examples of the
southern styles include Bak Mei and Wing Chun. Chinese martial arts can also be divided
according to religion, imitative-styles ( 象形拳), and more. There are distinctive differences in
the training between different groups of the Chinese martial arts regardless of the type of
classification. However, few experienced martial artists make a clear distinction between
internal and external styles, or subscribe to the idea of northern systems being predominantly
kick-based and southern systems relying more heavily on upper-body techniques. Most styles
contain both hard and soft elements, regardless of their internal nomenclature. Analyzing the
difference in accordance with yin and yang principles, philosophers would assert that the
absence of either one would render the practitioner's skills unbalanced or deficient, as yin and
yang alone are each only half of a whole. If such differences did once exist, they have since
been blurred.

[edit] Training

Chinese martial arts training consists of the following components: basics, forms, applications
and weapons. Each style has its own unique training system with varying emphasis on each of
those components.[35] In addition, philosophy, ethics and even medical practice [36] are highly
regarded by most Chinese martial arts. A complete training system should also provide insight
into Chinese attitudes and culture.[37]

[edit] Basics

Basics ( 基 本 功 ) are a vital part of the training, as a student cannot progress to the more
advanced stages without them; without strong and flexible muscles including the management
of the concept of "chi" (breath, or energy) and proper body mechanics, many movements of
Chinese martial arts are simply impossible to perform correctly. [38][39] Basics training may
involve a series of simple movements that are performed repeatedly over a short interval;
examples of these basics training include stretching, stance work, rudimentary conditioning,
meditation and basic kicking and punching techniques.

A common saying concerning basic training in Chinese martial arts is as follows: [40]

内外相合，外重手眼身法步，内修心神意气力。

Which can be translated as

Train both Internal and External.

External training includes the hands, the eyes, the body and stances.

Internal training includes the heart, the spirit, the mind, breathing and strength.

[edit] Stances

Stances (steps or 步法) are structural postures employed in Chinese martial arts training. [41][42]
They represent the foundation and exaggerated form of a fighter's base. Each style has
different names and variations for each stance. Stances may be differentiated by foot position,
weight distribution, body alignment, etc. Stance training can be practiced statically, the goal of
which is to maintain the structure of the stance through a set time period, or dynamically, in
which case a series of movements is performed repeatedly. The horse riding stance (骑马步/马
步 qí mǎ bù/mǎ bù) and the bow stance are examples of stances found in many styles of
Chinese martial arts.

[edit] Meditation

In many Chinese martial arts, meditation is considered to be an important component of basic

training. Meditation can be used to develop focus, mental clarity and can act as a basis for
qigong training.[43][44]
[edit] Forms

Forms or taolu (Chinese: 套 路 ; pinyin: tào lù) in Chinese are series of predetermined
movements combined so they can be practiced as one linear set of movements. Forms were
originally intended to preserve the lineage of a particular style branch, and were often taught
to advanced students who were selected to preserve the art's lineage. Forms were designed to
contain both literal, representative and exercise-oriented forms of applicable techniques which
would be extracted, tested and trained by students through sparring sessions.[45]

Today, many consider forms to be one of the most important practices in Chinese martial arts.
Traditionally, they played a smaller role in training combat application, and were eclipsed by
sparring, drilling and conditioning. Forms gradually build up a practitioner's flexibility, internal
and external strength, speed and stamina, and teach balance and coordination. Many styles
contain forms using a wide range of weapons of various length and type, utilizing one or two
hands. There are also styles which focus on a certain type of weapon. Forms are meant to be
both practical, usable, and applicable as well as promoting flow, meditation, flexibility, balance
and coordination. Teachers are often heard to say "train your form as if you were sparring and
spar as if it were a form."

There are two general types of forms in Chinese martial arts. Most common are "solo forms"
which are performed by a single student. There are also "sparring" forms, which are
choreographed fighting sets performed by two or more people. Sparring forms were designed
both to acquaint beginning fighters with basic measures and concepts of combat, and to serve
as performance pieces for the school. Sparring forms which utilize weapons are especially
useful for teaching students the extension, range and technique required to manage a
weapon.

[edit] Modern forms

[edit] Wushu

As forms have grown in complexity and quantity over the years, and many forms alone could
be practiced for a lifetime, modern styles of Chinese martial arts have developed that
concentrate solely on forms, and do not practice application at all. These styles are primarily
aimed at exhibition and competition, and often include more acrobatic jumps and movements
added for enhanced visual effect [46] compared to the traditional styles. Those who generally
prefer to practice traditional styles, focused less on exhibition, are often referred to as
traditionalists. Many traditionalists consider the evolution of today's Chinese martial arts as
undesirable, saying that much of its original value is lost, and refer to the newer styles as
"flowery fists and embroidered kicks". [47][48]

[edit] Controversy of modern form work

Even though forms in Chinese martial arts are intended to depict realistic martial techniques,
the movements are not always identical to how techniques would be applied in combat. Many
forms have been elaborated upon, on the one hand to provide better combat preparedness,
and on the other hand to look more aesthetically pleasing. One manifestation of this tendency
toward elaboration which goes beyond combat application is the use of lower stances and
higher, stretching kicks. These two maneuvers are unrealistic in combat and are utilized in
forms for exercise purposes. [49] Many modern schools have replaced practical defense or
offense movements with acrobatic feats that are more spectacular to watch, thereby gaining
favor during exhibitions and competitions. [50] This has led to criticisms by traditionalists for
endorsing the more acrobatic, show-oriented Wushu competition. [51] Even though appearance
has always been important in many traditional forms as well, all patterns exist for their combat
functionality. Historically forms were often performed for entertainment purposes long before
the advent of modern Wushu as practitioners have looked for supplementary income by
performing on the streets or in theaters. Forms designed solely for demonstration first
appeared during the Yuan dynasty.

Many traditional Chinese martial artists, as well as practitioners of modern sport combat, have
become critical of the perception that forms work is more relevant to the art than sparring and
drill application, while most continue to see traditional forms practice within the traditional
context—as vital to both proper combat execution, the Shaolin aesthetic as art form, as well as
upholding the meditative function of the physical artform. [52]

Another reason why techniques often appear different in forms when contrasted with sparring
application is thought by some to come from the concealment of the actual functions of the
techniques from outsiders. [53]

[edit] Application

Application training refers to the training of putting techniques to use. Chinese martial arts
usually contain a large arsenal of techniques and make use of the whole body; efficiency and
effectiveness is what the techniques are based on. [54][55][56] When and how applications are
taught varies from style to style; in the early stages of a student's training, most styles focus
on drills in which each student knows what range of combat is being practiced and what
attack to expect. Gradually, fewer and fewer rules are applied, and the students learn how to
react and utilize technique. 'Sparring' refers to the major aspect of application training, which
simulates a combat situation but usually includes rules and regulations to reduce the chance of
serious injury to the students.

The subject of application training is a controversial one, and is the subject of a raging debate
between the Neo-Traditional Martial Artists and Sports and traditional martial artists. In the
neo-traditionalist view, martial arts training should eventually lead to and be proven by actual
combat as well as being governed by a moral philosophy; neo-traditionalists often believe
sparring to test techniques is either irrelevant because of their disbelief in the validity of a
regulated test setting, or because the system's techniques are supposedly too dangerous to
use outside of a real combat situation. In contrast, the sport-competition and traditionalist
view suggests that all of the techniques in Chinese martial arts should be repeatedly time-
tested through sparring to insure their effectiveness. [57]

An example of this approach in the Chinese Martial Arts is the tradition of Lei tai (擂臺/擂台,
raised platform fighting) and Sanda ( 散 打 ) or sǎnshǒu ( 散 手 ).[58] Lèitái represents public
challenge matches that first appeared in the Song Dynasty. The objective for those contests
was to knock the opponent from a raised platform by any means necessary. San Shou and
Sanda represents the modern development of Lei Tai contests, but with rules in place to
reduce the chance of serious injury. Many Chinese martial art schools teach or work within the
rulesets of San Shou and Sanda, working to incorporate the movements, characteristics, and
theory of their style.[59]

[edit] Weapons training

Most Chinese styles also make use of training the broad arsenal of Chinese weapons for
conditioning the body as well as coordination and strategy drills.[60] Weapons training (qìxiè 器
械 ) are generally carried out after the student is proficient in the basics, forms and
applications training. The basic theory for weapons training is to consider the weapon as an
extension of your body. The same requirements for footwork and body coordination is
required[61] The process of weapon training proceed with forms, forms with partners and then
applications. Most systems have training methods for each of the Eighteen Arms of Wushu
(shíbābānbīngqì 十八般兵器) in addition to specialized instruments specific to the system.

[edit] Martial arts and morality

Traditional Chinese schools of martial arts, such as the famed Shaolin monks, often dealt with
the study of martial arts not just as a means of self-defense or mental training, but as a
system of ethics.[62][63] Wude (武 德) can be translated as "martial morality" and is constructed
from the words "wu" (武), which means martial, and "de" (德), which means morality. Wude
( 武 德 ) deals with two aspects; "morality of deed" and "morality of mind". Morality of deed
concerns social relations; morality of mind is meant to cultivate the inner harmony between
the emotional mind (Xin, 心) and the wisdom mind (Hui, 慧). The ultimate goal is reaching no
extremity (Wuji, 無 極) (closely related to the Taoist concept of wu wei), where both wisdom
and emotions are in harmony with each other.

[edit] Morality

Deed
Yale Traditional Simplified
Concept Putonghua Cantonese
romanization Hanzi Hanzi
Humility Qian 謙 谦 qiān him
Sincerity Cheng 誠 诚 chéng sing
Politeness Li 禮 礼 lǐ lai
Loyalty Yi 義 义 yì ji
Trust Xin 信 xìn sun
Mind
Concept Yale romanization Hanzi Putonghua Cantonese
Courage Yong 勇 yǒng yung
Patience Ren 忍 rěn jan
Endurance Heng 恒 héng hang
Perseverance Yi 毅 yì ngai
Will Zhi 志 zhì ji

[edit] Use of qi
Main article: Qigong

The concept of qì or ch'i (氣/气), the inner energy or "life force" that is said to animate living
beings, is encountered in almost all Chinese martial arts. [64] Internal styles are reputed to
cultivate its use differently than external styles.

One's qi can be improved and strengthened through the regular practice of various physical
and mental exercises known as qigong. Though qigong is not a martial art itself, it is often
incorporated in Chinese martial arts and, thus, practiced as an integral part to strengthen
one's internal abilities.

There are many ideas regarding controlling one's qi energy to such an extent that it can be
used for healing oneself or others: the goal of medical qigong. Some styles believe in focusing
qi into a single point when attacking and aim at specific areas of the human body. Such
techniques are known as dim mak and have principles that are similar to acupressure.[65]

[edit] Notable practitioners

See also: Category: Chinese martial artists and Category: Wushu practitioners

Examples of well-known practitioners (武术名师) throughout history:

An alleged photo of Wong Fei Hung. Some dispute this, however, pointing to the striking
similarity to a photo of a man known to have been a son of Wong Fei Hung.
 Yue Fei (1103–1142 CE) was a famous Chinese general and patriot of the Song
Dynasty. Styles such as Eagle Claw and Xingyi attribute their creation to Yue. However,
there is no historical evidence to support the claim he created these styles.
  Ng Mui (late 1600s) was the legendary female founder of many Southern martial arts
such as Wing Chun Kuen, Dragon style and Fujian White Crane. She is often considered
one of the legendary Five Elders who survived the destruction of the Shaolin Temple
during the Qing Dynasty.
 Yang Luchan (1799–1872) was an important teacher of the internal martial art known
as tai chi chuan in Beijing during the second half of the 19th century. Yang is known as
the founder of Yang style tai chi chuan, as well as transmitting the art to the Wu/Hao,
Wu and Sun tai chi families.
 Ten Tigers of Canton (late 1800s) was a group of ten of the top Chinese martial arts
masters in Guangdong (Canton) towards the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644 – 1912).
Wong Kei-Ying, Wong Fei Hung's father, was a member of this group.
 Wong Fei Hung (1847–1924) was considered a Chinese folk hero during the Republican
period. More than one hundred Hong Kong movies were made about his life. Sammo
Hung, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li have all portrayed his character in blockbuster pictures.
 Huo Yuanjia (1867–1910) was the founder of Chin Woo Athletic Association who was
known for his highly publicized matches with foreigners. His biography was recently
portrayed in the movie Fearless (2006).
 Yip Man (1893–1972) was a master of the Wing Chun and the first to teach this style
openly. Yip Man was the teacher of Bruce Lee. Most major branches of Wing Chun that
exist today were developed and promoted by students of Yip Man.
 Bruce Lee (1940–1973) was a Chinese American martial artist and actor who was
considered an important icon in the 20th century. [66] He practiced Wing Chun and made
it famous. Using Wing Chun as his base and learning from the influences of other
martial arts his experience has exposed him to, he later developed his own martial arts
philosophy which evolved into what is now known as Jeet Kune Do.
 Jackie Chan (b. 1954) is a Hong Kong martial artist and actor widely known for injecting
physical comedy into his martial arts performances, and for performing complex stunts
in many of his films.
 Jet Li (b. 1963) is the five-time sport wushu champion of China, later demonstrating his
skills in cinema.

[edit] Popular culture

References to the concepts and use of Chinese martial arts can be found in popular culture.
Historically, the influence of Chinese martial arts can be found in books and in the
performance arts specific to Asia. Recently, those influences have extended to the movies and
television that targets a much wider audience. As a result, Chinese martial arts have spread
beyond its ethnic roots and have a global appeal.[67][68]

Martial arts play a prominent role in the literature genre known as wuxia (武侠小说). This type
of fiction is based on Chinese concepts of chivalry, a separate martial arts society (Wulin, 武
林) and a central theme involving martial arts. [69] Wuxia stories can be traced as far back as
2nd and 3rd century BC, becoming popular by the Tang Dynasty and evolving into novel form
by the Ming Dynasty. This genre is still extremely popular in much of Asia and provides a
major influence for the public perception of the martial arts.

Martial arts influences can also be found in Chinese opera of which Beijing opera is one of the
best-known examples. This popular form of drama dates back to the Tang Dynasty and
continues to be an example of Chinese culture. Some martial arts movements can be found in
Chinese opera and some martial artists can be found as performers in Chinese operas.
In modern times, Chinese martial arts have spawned the genre of cinema known as the
martial arts film. The films of Bruce Lee were instrumental in the initial burst of Chinese
martial arts' popularity in the West in the 1970s. Martial artists and actors such as Jet Li and
Jackie Chan have continued the appeal of movies of this genre. Martial arts films from China
are often referred to as "kungfu movies" ( 功 夫 片 ), or "wire-fu" if extensive wire work is
performed for special effects, and are still best known as part of the tradition of kungfu
theater. (see also: wuxia, Hong Kong action cinema).

In the west, Kung fu has become a regular action staple, and makes appearances in many
films that would not generally be considered "Martial Arts" films. These films include but are
not limited to The Matrix Trilogy, Kill Bill, and The Transporter.

Martial arts themes can also be found on television networks. A U.S. network TV western
series of the early 1970s called Kung Fu also served to popularize the Chinese martial arts on
television. With 60 episodes over a three-year span, it was one of the first North American TV
shows that tried to convey the philosophy and practice in Chinese martial arts. [70][71] The use of
Chinese martial arts techniques can now be found in most TV action series, although the
philosophy of Chinese martial arts is seldom portrayed in depth.

Hard and soft (martial arts)

Hard and soft in martial arts refer to the way techniques deal with the force of an attack.

[edit] Techniques

Martial arts techniques can be effected in a 'hard' or a 'soft' manner. This applies to both unarmed
combat and to the use of martial arts weapons.

Examples of techniques used in unarmed combat include strikes such as punches and kicks, along with
traps, locks (see chin na), footsweeps, throws and takedowns, used in grappling. Examples of martial
arts weaponry include knives, swords, and spears. In use these may be thrust, swept, hooked, etc. See a
list of martial arts weapons for more details.

[edit] Soft techniques

Taijiquan Pushing Hands, Shanghai, circa 1930

In a soft technique the receiver uses the aggressor's force and momentum against him by leading the
attack in a direction where the receiver will be positioned in advantage, then, in a seamless movement,
effects an appropriate martial arts technique. In some styles, a series of progressively difficult training
drills such as pushing hands or sticky hands teach students to exercise this concept. While less
physically conditioned students may be encouraged to undertake soft style martial arts on the belief that
it does not take any strength to apply them, this is not technically so. The goal of soft arts is said to be
able to turn an adversary's force to their disadvantage, and to use the least possible amount of force
oneself.[1]

Note following points.

1) The receipt of the incoming force is dealt with in a soft manner thus: This 'leading' of the incoming
attack redirects forces from the aggressor either back at the aggressor or away from the defender instead
of meeting the force with a block. Soft defenses are usually circular: The way this works is similar to the
way a projectile may glance off a round or slanted surface without damaging it. The lack of resistance
while meeting of the incoming force is usually referred to as yielding.

A front sacrifice throw tomoenage used against an assailant pushing from the front

2) The final application of a technique is soft: A technique applied in a soft manner is often applied
when the person is off-balance (see kuzushi) which makes it easy for the person effecting the technique.
This ‘ease’ of application was termed ‘maximum efficiency’ by Kano Jigoro, who founded judo. The
Taijiquan classics report a concept known as "a force of four taels being able to move a thousand
catties" which refers to the Taiji principle that a mass in motion can seem weightless. Techniques
applied in this manner may superficially appear similar to those used in hard martial arts, e.g. throws,
armlocks, etc. but it is the softness in their application which makes them different. No more force than
is needed should be applied.

 In Fencing, a parry is an example where the opponent's blade is guided away rather than a
clash of forces in a block. This is likely to be immediately followed by a riposte and that
by a counter-riposte.

 When an aggressor (uke) pushes towards the recipient (tori), tori drops under uke while
lifting uke over him with one of his legs to effect the throw Tomoe Nage. The technique
is categorized as a front sacrifice technique, and is used in judo and other forms of
jujutsu. The push from uke can come directly, or in response to a push from tori. If tori
pulled uke over by sheer strength, then it would not be a soft technique.
[edit] The principle of ju

The principle of Ju (柔 Jū, Yawara?) underlies all classical Bujutsu methods and was adopted by the
developers of the Budō disciplines. Acting according to the principle of Jū, the classical warrior could
intercept and momentarily control his enemy's blade when attacked, then, in a flash, could counter-
attack with a force powerful enough to cleave armour and kill the foe. The same principle of Jū
permitted an unarmed exponent to unbalance and hurl his foe to the ground. Terms like "Jūjutsu" and
"Yawara" made the principle of Jū the all-pervading one in methods catalogued under these terms. That
principle was rooted in the concept of pliancy or flexibility, as understood in both a mental and a
physical context. To apply the principle of Jū, the exponent had to be both mentally and physically
capable of adapting himself to whatever situation his adversary might impose on him.

There are two aspects of the principle of Jū that are in constant operation, both interchangeable and
inseparable. One aspect is that of "yielding", and is manifest in the exponent's actions that accept the
enemy's force of attack, rather than oppose him by meeting his force directly with an equal or greater
force, when it is advantageous to do so. It is economical in terms of energy to accept the foe's force by
intercepting and warding it off without directly opposing it; but the tactic by which the force of the foe is
dissipated may be as forcefully made as was the foe's original action.

The principle of Jū is incomplete at this point because yielding is essentially only a neutralization of the
enemy's force. While giving way to the enemy's force of attack there must instantly be applied an action
that takes advantage of the enemy, now occupied with his attack, in the form of a counterattack. This
second aspect of the principle of Jū makes allowance for situations in which yielding is impossible
because it would lead to disaster. In such cases "resistance" is justified. But such opposition to the
enemy's actions is only momentary and is quickly followed by an action based on the first aspect of Jū,
that of yielding.

[edit] Hard techniques

A hard technique by contrast meets force with force, either by directly blocking the technique with a
head-on force or by cutting through at an angle with one's own force. This can also serve as an example
of the receiver using the aggressor's force and momentum against them. It is sometimes claimed that
"hard" styles rely primarily on superior strength or conditioning to be successful, but practitioners of
these styles would claim that it is the mechanics of their blocking actions that results in success rather
than raw power as such.

 A Taekwondo kick to break the arm of a person throwing an incoming punch.

 Perhaps "hardest" of all is Shotokai with low, lunging attacks and brush blocks, all
committed to the most vigorous, straight-line attack possible.

[edit] Hard and soft styles or arts

Some martial artists refer to styles or arts as being hard or soft.

A hard style or hard martial art, such as Muay Thai and Tae Kwon Do, employs predominantly or
exclusively hard techniques.

Soft styles or soft martial arts, such as Aikido and the Chinese internal martial arts, employ many soft
techniques. For example, in Yin Style Baguazhang, a Chinese internal martial art which derives its
philosophy from the I-Ching, the Kun trigram represents pure yin and it tends to yield to force.
However, the Qian trigram represents pure yang and its techniques tend to be very hard. For instance,
one might use a sweeping strike (an attack method of the Qian trigram) to block and break the arm of an
incoming punch. Thus, while some might consider Baguazhang to be a "soft" martial art, it includes
"soft" and "hard" techniques.

Many martial arts combine 'hard' and 'soft' techniques, such as Uechi Ryu Karate (which was derived
from Pangai Noon meaning "Half-hard, Half-soft" in Chinese), Goju Ryu or Goju Shorei karate. (The
name Goju is derived from 'gō' (剛 Hard) and 'jū' (柔 Soft) in Japanese). Similarly the vietnamese
Vovinam Việt Võ Đạo is base on a principle of hard and soft ("Iron Hand over benevolent heart").

Such arts are usually called 'hard/soft'. The Chinese martial arts emphasize a balance of yin and yang. In
some styles these represent softness and hardness, respectively. One should yield (yin) to hard force
(yang); inversely, one should attack (yang) a soft (yin) opponent. Other uses of this doctrine state the
study of yin and yang involve offensive and defensive responses; if one is struck on the left, one can
effectively counterstrike from the right, if a low kick comes in, strike high, if a high punch comes in,
kick low. As well, if one initiates these sorts of attacks, one should be aware of the simultaneous
defensive liabilities involved.

[edit] "Hard/Soft" vs "External/Internal"

There is disagreement among different schools about how the two concepts of "Hard/Soft" and
"External/Internal" apply to their styles. Among styles that this terminology is applied to, traditional
Taijiquan equates the terms while maintaining several finer shades of distinction (see quotes below)
while students of some other styles consider the two concepts distinct. In the latter case you will hear
that "internal arts" tend to be "soft" but "soft" arts are not necessarily "internal"[2]. Differences in opinion
may be influenced by the national origins of a particular martial art and the use of the terms by those
schools or nationalities - but in any case the debate can be quite fierce. An example of a soft martial art
not generally acknowledged to be internal is judo.

[edit] Quotes

"Here he names the five words: before (attack), after (defense), weak (soft), strong (hard),
interim; in these words lies all art of master Liechtenauer and they are the fundament and core of
all combat." gloss on Johannes Liechtenauer, recorded 1389.[3]

"As a martial art, Taijiquan is externally a soft exercise, but internally hard, even as it seeks
softness. If we are externally soft, after a long time we will naturally develop internal hardness.
It’s not that we consciously cultivate hardness, for in reality our mind is on softness. What is
difficult is to remain internally reserved, to possess hardness without expressing it, always
externally meeting the opponent with softness. Meeting hardness with softness causes the
opponent’s hardness to be transformed and disappear into nothingness..." From chapter twenty of
the "Forty Chapters" preserved by Taijiquan's Yang family.[4][5]

"Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this
kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Taijiquan is unlike this. Strive for
quiescence of body, mind and intention. ...The greatest taboo when practicing Taijiquan is to use
force. If one can make the entire body loose and open, and be absorbed in the circulation of
blood and qi, then after a while one's practice will naturally develop inner jing. This inner energy
is extremely soft, so when encountering an opponent one doesn't need to resist at all. The ability
to extend and contract in order to follow the opponent's energy is referred to as elastic power
within softness. Taijiquan theory states: "From the greatest softness comes the greatest
hardness." This is what is meant by softness." Wu Jianquan in his essay Features of Taijiquan[6]

"In Randori we teach the pupil to act on the fundamental principles of Judo, no matter how
physically inferior his opponent may seem to him, and even if by sheer strength he can easily
 overcome him; because if he acts contrary to principle his opponent will never be convinced of
defeat, no matter what brute strength he may have used." Kano Jigoro[7]

"I may venture to say, loosely, that in Judo there is a sort of counter for every twist, wrench, pull,
push or bend. Only the Judo expert does not oppose such movements at all. No, he yields to
them. But he does much more than yield to them. He aids them with a wicked sleight that causes
the assailant to put out his own shoulder, to fracture his own arm, or in a desperate case, even to
break his own neck or back." Lafcadio Hearn[7]

"True spirit of Judo is nothing but the gentle and diligent free spirit. Judo rests on flexible action
of mind and body. The word flexible however never means weakness but something more like
adaptability and openmindedness. Gentleness always overcomes strength." Kyuzo Mifune[7]

"Do not think of attack and defense as two separate things. An attack will be a defense, and a
defense must be an attack." Kazuzo Kudo[7]

"Another tenet of randori is to apply just the right amount of force--never too much, never too
little." Kano Jigoro[8]

 "If you do not contest with something, you can not lose to it." Morihei Ueshiba

Advice from Our Past Grandmasters

 Jing Mo Association H.K., 1922

Chinese Proverb:
"A well tempered sword never gets rusty.'"
 
Today, historians have an insight on the teachings that were held within the wall of the Shao lin
Monastery.  Some monks wrote down some martial ideas and principles with the hope that they would
be passed down through the generations.  Their thoughts are interesting and can be applied to today's
martial arts.

 
 
Philosophy on Chinese Martial Arts
 
From the 1500's:
On force, Monk Chueh Yueh states, "Improvement of kung fu techniques can be obtained through
programmed training.  A practitioner should learn step by step, always refrain from making haste. 
Besides, he should not indulge in applying brute force in his practice.  Brute force is nothing  better
than without force, for it will never last long.  It is only applied by rough natives living in the
mountains.  An aptly applied force is one like that of running water, it is sustaining and long lasting.  A
practitioner knowing how to apply a force will never hurt himself."

Monk Shien Hsu takes the same concept further and states, "A practitioner should not over emphasize
the application of force only.  He should pay attention to keeping a calm mind.  For an over exerted
force is always out of control of the mind, while a calm mind can always keep one's movements under
control so that they may become effective.  A practitioner who over stresses brute force is always hot
tempered so he seldom concentrates on what he aims at and so his attacks will not be effective.  A
practitioner who is calm can always concentrate his thoughts so that his movements are always
effective.  A force is like fire.  It will be a servant to man when applied correctly.  It will bring fatal
calamity to a user when it is not suitably used."

On the subject of behavior, Monk Tung Sham states," A pre-requisite for a practitioner is to refrain
from being proud of his own attainment.  Proud ness leads to failure.  A man who is proud of his
wealth fails because of his wealth.  One who is proud of his position fails because of his position.  One
who is proud of his wisdom fails because of his wisdom.  One who is proud of his physical power fails
because of his physical power.  Why?  Because since there is something for him to be proud of, he is
always impudent, careless, and risking, so all the time he's endangering himself."

Monk I Kuan adds, "A good craftsman always conceals his skills.  A learned gentleman looks as if he
is foolish.  A competent kung fu practitioner, similarly should be humble, polite and respectful towards
others, no matter how skillful he is.  This is the correct way to become self-cultured and to keep
oneself safe."

 
 
 Sun Yu Fung’s Philosophy (Late 1920's)
 
"If you learned the boxing arts but do not known the boxing rules or have learned fencing but not the
fencing rules, then you could learn for years without fully understanding what you are doing.  Against
an enemy, you must be extremely fast.  Your actions are all reflexes and you cannot think in battle; just
act.  If you slow for an instant, your chance for victory will be poor."
 
 To his son, Sun Wen Yung, Sun Yu Fung stated, "To learn anything, you must learn from those with
experience.  You must always be thinking of situations of  attack and being attacked, of direct attacks
and of sneak attacks."
 
 
Wan Li Sheng’s Philosophy (1930's)
 
"In my observations and thoughts, the most useful are boxing and the sword arts.  Boxing can
strengthen the body and can be used in self defense.  Among all the weapons, the sword is the most
elegant.  Gentlemen of my country associate the flute and the sword to be companions of the scholars
who chant poems and songs.  It can be seen as both elegant and good exercise for the people.  When I
practice the sword at night with a bright moon and a gentle breeze, it is a happy feeling for me.  It is
alright to use a stick or a branch in place of a sword to practice.  The most refined and sharpest of all
weapons
is given the name, Precious Sword."
 
     "Whoever practices boxing or weapons, no matter how one moves his feet, or jumps, he has to be
calm.  If you are excited, you are like a nervous swan.  If you are calm, you are like a mountain.  In
practicing the sword, one must especially be calm.  When you are opposing an enemy, you must be
even more in control and not be flustered.  Only then will the movements be easier.  You can advance
and retreat at will."
 
Shui Hon Sang’s Philosophy (1970's)
 
“To what purpose is to learn kung fu?  If mastery is not used for fighting what good is it?  True martial
arts are more than ordinary fighting skills.  Kung fu virtues and finesse must prevail.  If there is only
kung fu but no moral refinement in a practitioner then the person is no better than a savage bull.  Kung
fu should be used whereas other mediating means fail and when danger is imminent.  There is no
satisfaction to fight someone needlessly just because one is skillful in kung fu.”
 
“Kung fu not only contributes to good health, but it also offers techniques in self defense and offensive
actions.  Water does not only keep the boat afloat but it also sinks boats.  Similarly, evil and good is a
gee of choice for an individual.  For thousands of years kung fu has been taught with secondary
importance while virtuous principles are the primary importance.  Most practitioners today ignore this
and will set back their kung fu attainments.  Kung fu is to be respected and not feared.”
 
Tai Chien's (A.K.A. Sik Kuen) Philosophy (1970's)
 
 “Two things which impeded kung fu are the instructors themselves.  Many follow blindly to the way
they were taught.  Some are not open minded enough to accept other styles as their equal and
overcome the superiority syndrome.  We must bear in mind that in every style there is benefits for
everyone to gain.”
 
"The position of Sifu is not for the purpose of the Sifu to show off but to cultivate new students and to
help persevere the Chinese martial arts.”
 
“The knowledge of martial arts is not just reading a few ancient novels of martial arts.  It is important
to the martial art cultivation of a person.  One can never make great achievements if one confines the
learning to one style and pay no respect to the strong points of other styles.  Therefore a martial artist
must have a broad knowledge and he must be modest technically, not contenting himself with one style
of his own and negating other styles.  In short, one must have a rich knowledge of martial arts.”
 
Yim Shan Wu’s Philosophy (1960's)
 
 "To teach kung fu is to teach kung fu".
 
Wong Chia Man’s Philosophy (1970's)
 
"A good defense is a strong offense. Be aggressive in attacking, whether it is a feint or a direct attack. 
Keep in mind, a good fighter defeats his opponent in three (3) to five (5) moves.  If this condition is
not met, then the opponent's abilities are either equal or better than yours.  Whenever possible,
counterattack at angles by side stepping towards the opponent's weak side.  The three (3) components
of combat are 1) Speed, 2) Guts and 3) Techniques.  All three (3) components must go hand in hand. 
One component cannot survive without the others." (WJM - June 14, 1974)
 
"The mind is the quickest and it must transmit its intent to the Ch'i.  When the mind is clear of its intent
(not confused), then the Ch'i has direction on where to flow.  Without direction, the Ch'i will flow to
anywhere it wants.  When the Ch'i is focused in one direction, then one's strength emerges."
 

Staff Arts
There is an old saying for Staff Techniques:

“A staff that has been struck out is difficult to take back

An unattached staff is a difficult to move

Entangling a staff is liable to make on forget the enemy

Moving the staff in a disorderly matter will show signs of weakness

Bring both ends of the staff into combination

The wrist must be flexible

The action of the body, waist and legs must be quick”

Ching Chung Do (1500's):

"Lots of people trained in the Shao Lin Staff.  But what they have learned is very different from
each other.  Is it because their masters have learned the staff techniques from different sources? 
No, the Shao Lin staff techniques were derived from one source only.  It is only because during
the course of history that different masters had a personal liking of combining together favorite
and different pole techniques.  This led to various forms and names."  We can conclude that the
different staff sets were the results of different masters developing their favorite staff techniques
and then passing them on to their disciples."

 Saber Arts
 "A saber is like a Tiger.
 
It sees RED the moment it strikes.
 
When the saber is drawn from its scabbard,
The struggle has come to a life and death situation.
 
The sound of the saber ringing
startle even the toughest opponents.
 
When the saber ceases to ring,
The opponents head is already on the ground."
 

Sword Arts
Li Ching Lin (1920's):
"When practicing the Wu Tang Sword, one must never have evil thoughts.  When fighting, one must
not have thoughts of killing or harming one's opponent.  This is true with all swordplay, including
throwing and spitting swords.  The Wu Tang Sword appears plain because it stresses the Form, Will
and the Spirit."  The other two families, Shao lin and Omei, are more flowery in their techniques and
rely on external power."

Secrets Of The Sword Arts

"The body has to flow  like fluid
Never having any stalling moves
After a long time of practice, the body and the sword becomes one
The mind and the sword become one
Where ever you are, you become the sword
If you know this, you are almost at the top knowing what the sword art is about
Whatever you want the sword to do, it will react
When there is no sword, there are swords everywhere
You can pick up any object and use it as a sword
Everything after this is my teaching to you."
 
Tsung Wei I (1890's):
'When he (opponent) moves a little, I move fast.  From fast to change, from change to bulls eye'.  This
demonstrates how to evade and attack." 
 
Spear Arts
 
"Spears hitting but the spears never met
They start like the wind and retreat like nails.
When the spears meet, they stick.
One does not see the other.
 It goes like the wind when you start to move."

Wong Chia Man (1970's):

"The spear is the King of all the weapons.  It must attack in like a thread line and go out and disappear
like a ghost. "
 
 
Kuo Yu Chang’s Skills
 
Yim Shan Wu : "During the demonstrations, Kuo Yu Chang would jump up into the air and
kick five (5) consecutive times before landing onto the ground. 
 
Chen Mon Hsin: "The seed that Kuo Yu Chang had planted in the south, has grown into a
giant tree."

 
Wan Li Sheng’s Skills
 
Many of the defeated masters acknowledged Wan Li Sheng's skills and described his abilities: 
" Wan Li Sheng's hands moved like ropes and his fingers were like iron hooks.  He rushes forward like
a hurricane and backed away like torrential water."
 
He was approached by a general and some young men who challenged him to a contest.  Wan Li
Sheng responded, "If I fight with these youngsters, and fail to win, then I would lose face.  And even if
I win, it would not be a glorious feat.  So why should I participate against them?  Therefore, I have
made up my mind not to perform in any martial art contest."
 

Grandmaster Sun Great Great GGM Wan Li Great

Lu Tang Grandmaster Grandmaster Sheng:Three grandmasters
Ma Ching Wan Li Sheng: Rings Harness Yim Shan Wu
Fung and Art of the Moon, cir and Lung Tzu
Grandmaster Lightness, cir 1925 Hsiang
 Wong Jack 1925
Man

Grandmaster Great
Wong with his Grandmaster
Triple Staff, Wan Li
cir. 1973 Sheng:Lui Ho
Saber, cir.
1925

Tue, September 22, 2009

 

Interview with White Crane Master YingHan Su

by Chen Pengcheng

Nearly 370 years ago, a Chinese female martial artist named

QiNiang Fang gained valuable insights from the movements of a
crane and, by bringing these insights to her Shaolin kung fu, she
created a new kung fu system?White Crane Boxing. She and her
husband later moved to a place called YongChun, where they
began to teach White Crane Boxing. Since then, the name of
YongChun County has become synonymous with White Crane
Kung fu in the world of Chinese martial arts. Like an evergreen
tree, White Crane Boxing took root and prospered in the quiet
mountainous region.

On November 20, 2006, PengCheng Chen set his feet on this

legendary soil and paid a visit to the prestigious White Crane
Master YingHan Su in Fujian. As a 7th Dan folk kungfu master,
Master YingHan Su is a representative Chinese White Crane
Master. He currently holds such titles as President of YongChun YiYun Martial Arts Research Institute,
Vice President of YongChun Martial Arts Association and Executive Director of Fujian WuShu
Association. Master YingHan Su welcomed PengCheng Chen warmly into his own house and impressed
PengCheng Chen with his eloquence, as well as his deep knowledge of White Crane Boxing. The
interview was conducted in a relaxing manner. A day and a half of talk resulted in a great deal of
laughter and joy.

PengCheng Chen: How did you start your journey into the White Crane world?

Master YingHan Su: I was born into a martial art family. When I was a boy, I often heard the ancestral
anecdotes of our clan. Those live stories inspired me a lot. Moreover, by then I read some martial art
novels. Consequently, I often dreamed of being a chivalrous knight who went out and righted wrongs.
What is more, I was weak at that time. These combined factors turned out to be the inner drives for me
to learn kung fu. My actual kung fu life did not start until I met my friend who later became my sworn
brother. My sworn brother had got a grand-uncle who was a celebrated White Crane master in
YongChun. His name was RuiDang Pan, the fourth son of the White Crane Grandmaster ShiFeng Pan.
My sworn brother introduced me to Master RuiDang Pan and he accepted me as his disciple. I trained
under Master RuiDang Pan for several years and later I got another sifu whose name was LianJia Zheng.
Before his return to YongChun in 1948, Master LianJia Zheng taught White Crane kung fu in Malaysia.

PengCheng Chen: Since you had two sifus, what was your first sifu?s reaction when you got the second
sifu? Did your first sifu get angry?

Master YingHan Su: Actually, something happened there. After my second sifu, LianJia Zheng, returned
to YongChun, he began to teach kung fu for free. He was actually one of my distant relatives. He lived
quite near my house. At that time, my father had passed away, so I had to work hard to support my
family. I had a big family of eight persons and life was hard in that era. My first sifu was very nice to me
and in my eyes, he acted like a grandfather. However, he lived 18 miles away from me. It was quite hard
for me to travel that far to his house for daily training. Because of all of these factors, I intended to learn
from Master LianJia Zheng. On the first day of my training with Master LianJia Zheng, he stopped me
suddenly. He looked at me and said, "You have learned White Crane kung fu before. Who was your
sifu?" I first did not tell him the truth and said that I was a White Crane beginner. He shook his head and
remarked, "No, no. You are not a White Crane beginner. I can see that you have learned White Crane for
several years. You must tell me who your sifu is. Otherwise I will not teach you." Then he went on to let
me know that the reason being that was that he did not want to offend my first sifu and it was the code
of conduct that he had to follow. I then told him that my sifu was Master RuiDang Pan. Upon hearing
the name, he remarked, "RuiDang Pan is a good master. I can teach you White Crane, but you must get
your sifu?s permission." The following day, I came to my sifu, RuiDang Pan and explained my poor
situation. My sifu RuiDang Pan gave me a full understanding that it was quite hard for me to travel 18
kilometers to his house for training since I had to work full time to struggle with my life. He also highly
appraised Master LianJia Zheng?s kung fu and said that he was a true master. He also mentioned that
they were friends, and they often gave kung fu performances before the public in the city of QuanZhou
in the 1950s. With his approval, I then later trained under Master LianJia Zheng. Luckily enough, I
became Master LianJia Zheng?s last disciple, the so-call close-door disciple. Though later I trained
under my second sifu, I kept a close relationship with my first sifu. In reminiscence, I had to give my
special thanks to both sifus for their unselfishness and understanding.

PengCheng Chen: Along with being a White Crane master, you are a traditional Chinese doctor, giving
treatments to those patients who suffer from bone diseases. Just being curious, can I ask who taught you
your medical knowledge, as I know that in the past, kung fu masters had a profound knowledge of
Chinese traditional medicine, especially for bone treatments?
Master YingHan Su: It was my first sifu, RuiDang Pan, who taught me how to give treatments for bone
diseases. My sifu, RuiDang Pan, was a professional kung fu coach. He lived on teaching White Crane
kung fu. He taught White Crane kung fu for more than five decades in his life. Besides, he also gave
treatments to the folks suffering from bone diseases. Actually, my second sifu, Master LianJia Zheng,
was good at treating bone diseases as well. I inherited both the formulas and the Chinese medicine
classics from them.

PengCheng Chen: When you adopt a disciple, what is your expectation? Have you got any particular
requirements for such a disciple?

Master YingHan Su: First of all, I would like to say something on the differences between a disciple and
a student. For those who come and train occasionally and whose purposes are for the health-keeping, I
would like to group them as "students." As with the disciple, we have got several kinds of disciples. In
YongChun County, the first disciple that a sifu has is called "KaiShanMen Disciple" -??-, which can be
translated as, "Open-the-door-of-the-Mountain Disciple." The last disciple that a sifu has is known as
"GuanShanMen Disciple -??-, which literally means, "Close-the-door-of-the-mountain Disciple." The
third kind of disciple is those who train and live with a sifu for a period of long years?we name it as
"DengTanRuShi Disciple," From these three kinds of disciples, only the prominent and the skillful will
have the opportunity to become the so-called "ChuanRen." ChuanRen is a person who can inherit White
Crane kung fu in a systematic manner.

Up to now, most of those training under me are just students. Even for those students, we have to make
sure that each individual is an honest and upright person. However, it usually takes several years to gain
a deep understanding of a person. Therefore, a student will have a long way to go before he becomes a
formal disciple. Nevertheless, to be a disciple he just needs to go through a rite. It does not mean that he
has mastered all of the White Crane knowledge. So in a real sense, a disciple refers to a person who has
got a deep knowledge of White Crane kung fu, and at the same time, his moral character is worth
commending. To be honest, it is now hard to get the disciples. It is mainly because most of the students
do not make an incessant effort on White Crane kung fu. In YongChun, there is a widespread saying
which goes, "A White Crane Master, Ten Years." This means that it will take as long as ten years to
become a true White Crane master. You can imagine how hard it is to draw the students to come and
train regularly. I expect that some promising talents will appear in my sight in the coming years.

PengCheng Chen: In the White Crane book that you wrote years ago, I can find such a phrase as, "Li
You San Ting," which literally means that the internal energy stops at three different points. I'm
confused by this phrase. Can you explain it in more detail?

Master YingHan Su: Oh, I think that you misunderstand the meaning of "San Ting" in that phrase.
Actually, the word "ting" means "to accumulate," or "to gather," instead of "to stop," as you understood.
Therefore, this phrase implies that the internal energy is gathered at three different points. These three
different points are known as the tips of the shoulder, the tip of the elbow and the tip of the wrist. As you
know, these three points are the body weapons. So when each of them is put in use, the energy should be
led to and then gather in such a certain body part, in order to secure a devastating effect.

PengCheng Chen: As it is widely known, you are the founder of the YongChun YiYun Martial Arts
Research Institute. Can you tell me something about the establishment of such a kung fu organization?

Master YingHan Su: The YongChun YiYun Martial Arts Research Institute was officially founded in
October of 1999. It mainly focused on foreign White Crane kung fu exchange and research into White
Crane kung fu. Since the first day it was established, it has received a number of martial arts teams from
the west. Besides, we have been devoting our time and energy to the compiling and writing of articles
and books about White Crane kung fu. We have done a lot of research into its origins, principles, and
applications of its techniques, as well as collecting stories about the old masters. In addition, the
YongChun YiYun Martial Arts Research Institute serves as an open window for the public so that more
and more people, especially young pupils, have a better chance to learn White Crane kung fu. Here I
would like to give my special thanks to my students and disciples who have been funding the institute so
that it can keep running all the time.

PengCheng Chen: What are your expectations for the future?

Master YingHan Su: As you know, the YiYun Martial Arts Research Institute is in my apartment. It is a
very small place. It only covers a floor space of 120 square meters. Obviously, it can not meet our needs.
I am looking forward to a bigger place of our own where I can call in more White Crane masters and
enthusiasts and then sponsor a bigger White Crane event. Also, it can be used as a gym for routine
training.

PengCheng Chen: Up to now, how many books or videos have you published?

Master YingHan Su: Years ago, I worked with Professor ZhengFu Hong and Professor YinSheng Lin on
the writing of a White Crane book called YongChun White Crane Kung Fu. That book was released in
1990. In the book, we included such contents as origin, strategies, principles and some forms. It gave
readers an overall view of White Crane kung fu. Later, that book was listed by the Chinese WuShu
Association as one of classic Chinese kung fu books. Since then, I have been devoting my time and
energy to the compilation and proofreading of six ancient White Crane books. In 2004, these six ancient
White Crane books were published in Taiwan. Last year, invited by the G.Z Beauty Publishing House
and the China?s People?s Sports Audio-Visual Publishing House, I filmed fourteen bare-hand patterns
and one training drill. So altogether there are over 18 discs coming out. As far as I know, these 18 discs
will be released by the end of this year.

(Note: These videos were all released by January of 2007 and are available in international markets.)

PengCheng Chen: Concerning the set of six ancient White Crane books, what provided the inner drive
for you to compile them?

Master YingHan Su: My sifu once said to me, "You are young. If you have got chances later in your life,
please don?t forget to compile the Crane books. Should they be lost, it will be a great pity." By then, I
had already trained under him for several years. However, I had never seen a single written Crane book
before. Actually, I never expected a book for my "Fist," as all the lessons were taught in a rather oral
way. My suspicion was later cleared away when my sifu presented to me the old Crane manuscripts. The
old manuscripts were great gifts for me as they exposed me to a vast world with profound knowledge in
White Crane kung fu.

My initial work on the compilation and proofreading of the old Crane manuscripts actually began before
the Cultural Revolution. I paid numerous visits to the masters of that age and requested to see the old
copies that they held in their possession. It was not an easy task, as some of the masters refused to share
the old copies. Most of them thought that I intended to get the old manuscripts. I explained to them over
and over that I just wanted to compile and then to correct the mistakes in the texts as I myself had
already got one. Luckily enough, with the old masters? help and with the oral narration of my sifu, I was
able to work on this project and pushed it forward in a gradual way. In 1963, the whole work was
completed.

PengCheng Chen: As you starting compiling the old manuscripts before the Cultural Revolution, what
happened to the corrected copies during the Cultural Revolution?

Master YingHan Su: The Chinese Cultural Revolution had a great influence on me. They took away all
my weapons. Luckily, I stored my corrected Crane manuscripts in other places and due to this, the
manuscripts didn?t suffer such misfortune and were able to survive.

PengCheng Chen: Master Su, you certainly have achieved a great during your deep research into White
Crane kung fu. Can I ask what your next field is for your research?

Master YingHan Su: At the moment, I am writing some other stuff and I would like to make it into a
complete collection of White Crane kung fu. It will be a big collection. This time I will include more
contents, such as the 108 JiShou techniques (JiShou means hand fighting techniques based on Pushing
Hand strategies) and more patterns. I think that White Crane fans will love it.

PengCheng Chen: White Crane kung fu in YongChun is a vast system with a lot of patterns. I once
witnessed wonderful performances given by your students years ago. In addition to bare-hand patterns,
I was also greatly impressed with the weapon demonstrations. How many kinds of traditional weapons
are there in White Crane kung fu in YongChun?

Master YingHan Su: We have various weapons in White Crane kung fu, such as double broadswords,
single broadsword, Guan broadsword (kwan do), GouLian spear, long staff, tui (a kind of long staff with
one large end and one small end), cai and iron-toothed rake.

PengCheng Chen: When it comes to weapons, I recall a remark by the prestigious old White Crane
Master Uncle Li Zheng, which says, "Fist is the root of Crane kung fu, while long staff can be the gem of
the art." What is your understanding of his remark?
Master YingHan Su: The term "Fist" refers to the bare-handed patterns. The first half of the remark
implies that bare-handed patterns are the foundation of the complete system. Besides, these bare-handed
patterns are the steps leading to the weapon patterns, as there is a great deal in common between them.
For instance, the long staff pattern has such fighting techniques as kun, tiao and sha, which are the same
as such techniques in the bare-handed patterns as splitting down diagonally, pushing horizontally and
striking downward vertically. As the same principle dominates both the bare-handed patterns and the
weapon patterns, from time to time we can hear such a saying: "One should get enlightenment from the
fists for the weapons, and from the weapons for the fist." Therefore, if one is good at bare-handed
patterns, it will be much easier for him to work on the weapons.

With the weaponry, the wooden long staff has been widely recognized as one of the most primitive
defensive weapons. Due to easy availability of a long wooden staff, it is the most common weapon not
only in White Crane but in other martial arts schools as well. If one is good at long staff, one will find no
difficulty with other any weapons, because any other weapon can be an extension of the long staff. For
instance, when you attach a piece of sharp metal to the tip of the long staff, you make a spear. When you
attach a hook-shaped piece of metal to the tip of the long staff, a GouLian spear will appear before you.
As all of the weapons are governed by the same fighting principles, the elements of long staff technique
can be introduced into other weapon techniques. For those who have already learned long staff, as long
as they know where the sharp edge and the black of the blade are, they will soon master the new
weapon. Therefore, the long staff is considered the gem of White Crane kung fu.

PengCheng Chen: In the White Crane book, there are such terms as "Wind Force," "Rain Force," and
"Cloud." What are their actual meanings?

Master YingHan Su: First of all, let?s imagine a rainy day. When there is no wind, the rain will drop
down vertically. When the wind blows, it brings a change to the course of the dropping rain. These are
the folk sayings. So when the rain awaits the wind to make a change to its moving nature, it is called the
Rain Force. When the wind blows up and totally alters the course of the dropping rain, it is called the
Wind Force. Therefore, rain force actually refers to "the stillness that awaita the coming moving force,"
while the wind force refers to "the moving force seduces the stillness."

Both the rain force and the wind force come from the same source; that is, the Cloud, which actually
means the waist. When there are clouds, there will be rain. When the clouds move, the winds blow. If
energy is like a coin, the rain force and the wind force are like both sides of the coin. What makes each
side of the coin is the cloud?the waist as the point where internal energy originates. The relationships
among one another actually teach us how to make a good use of the opportunity in a real fighting
situation.
PengCheng Chen: I read that these eight characters are crucial in White Crane kung fu: that is, xiao,
die, shou, chu, zhan, zhuan, fan, and ce. Could you tell me their meanings?

Master YingHan Su: These eight characters reflect the eight

fighting principles. Xiao literally means "to remove," or "to
eliminate," in Chinese. So xiao can be used to deflect a coming
attack and make it land empty, thus posing no threat. Die can be
translated as "continually," or "nonstop," in Chinese. The die
principle is closely associated with energy manifestation. It
requires a continuous releasing of internal martial energy. Shou
can be translated as "to draw in." Therefore, the shou principle
refers to defense strategies. Chu is also translated as "to remove,"
or "to eliminate," in Chinese. However, it actually means to break
down the so-called "bridge" formed by an opponent?s arm. Zhan
can be translated as range of movement while zhuan means "to
move in an arc or in a circle." Therefore, these two words
actually refer to deflecting strategies. Fan can be translated as
"reverse," or "opposite." The fan strategy teaches how to attack
the two opposite ends of a joint. The last word, ce, means "to turn
to the side." The ce principle teaches how to deflect a coming
attack and let it in. These eight principles are not independent of
one another. Instead, they are always used together.

PengCheng Chen: As it is widely known, the Crane systems in Fuzhou have a close link with the
ancestral Crane kung fu in YongChun. However, there is an obscure notion about how Crane kungfu in
YongChun was brought to Fuzhou. Do you have any particular information about the history?

Master LingHan Su: In the old days, Fujian Province was divided into eight administrative zones. There
were the so-called Eight Fus. (Fu is a term for "administrative zone"). These Eight Fus were divided into
two groups; that is, the First Four Fus and the Last Four Fus. The First Four Fus referred to the
administrative zones around what is known as Fuzhou City today and to other places in the north and
west of Fujian Province. The Last Four Fus referred to the MinNan area, which included our YongChun
County. When I was young, I was told that the old masters once taught Crane kung fu in the First Four
Fus. So I personally believe that the Crane kung fu in the Fuzhou area does come from YongChun
County. What is more, the masters of the Shaking White Crane in Fuzhou admitted that their old Crane
books came from YongChun and they claimed the old masters DaXing Wang and Zheng Chong as their
remote forefathers. The old Master Zheng Chong was the disciple of old Grandmasters Zheng Li and
Bai Jie in YongChun. Though there are no written records about how Crane kung fu was spread from
YongChun to the areas around Fuzhou City, we can infer that it was old masters such as Zheng Chong
and others of that age who brought the art out of YongChun.

PengCheng Chen: How should we understand the Crane saying, Du pi ruan ru mian, du nei ying ru tie?

Master YingHan Su: This saying can be translated as "the skin or the surface of the belly is as soft as
cotton wool while the inside of the belly is as hard as an iron block." This phenomenon is the result of
long practice of one's breathing exercises. White Crane kung fu asks for soft, even, and lasting
breathing. When breathing in, the dan tian contracts. When breathing out, the dan tian area goes loose
and qi flushes the area. This kind of breathing exercises the belly muscles and makes them hard, while
when the belly goes loose, it can be very soft. Either being hard or being soft is just the influence of qi.
PengCheng Chen: What is the difference between the term duan qiao and the term li qiao?

Master YingHan Su: First of all, let me start with the term qiao. Qiao can be translated as "bridge" in
Chinese. It is an important term in White Crane kung fu. It actually refers to the forearm. When a person
sticks out his hand and intends to fight, we call this "setting up the bridge." If the other person fights
back by sticking out his hand as well, when their hands touch, it is known as "linking the bridge." The
term duan can be translated as "to break," and the term li means "to leave." Broadly speaking, duan qiao
and li qiao both refer to "breaking the bridge," or "disconnecting" in modern language. However, there is
a small difference between these two terms.

Suppose that you and your opponent are in the state of "linking bridges."

You can entice him in and lead his forward hand to where he will be put in the most unfavorable
situation. The guiding strategy is to make him off the ziwu lin or center line, in which your opponent
will find himself being unbalanced with his awkward movement. At this point, you can use that energy
to fight back and move your opponent?s attacking hand off yours. This is duan qiao. However, suppose
your opponent attacks you right after you two link the bridges. If your opponent is very strong, you may
find it hard to directly push him off. At this point, what you need is to adopt an elusive fighting
technique by removing your hands from his and applying a new fighting strategy. This is li qiao. The
difference between li qiao and duan qiao is that li qiao is used when you are in the unfavorable condition
while duan qiao puts you in the strong position. In particular, li qiao is used to change from an
unfavorable situation to a favorable situation and then gain the initiative.

Master YingHan Su: Suppose that you are in the "link bridges" situation. If you are on the top, you may
find it easy to attack your opponent. At this point, you are in the strong position. The hand on the top is
like a knife while the hand below is like the meat. The knife will cut the meat and mince it. That is why
we will not go under the "bridge." The latter part of the saying refers to a situation in which you and
your opponent stand face to face. However, your opponent remains calm and does not launch the attack
first. To start the fight, you can stick out your hand, or even make a faint movement, and see how your
opponent reacts to your movement. That is what we describe when we say, "When there is no bridge, try
to set up a bridge."

PengCheng Chen: How am I to understand the term shi, in such a phrase as, "Use shi to confront a
coming attack" Is it a typical MinNan word?

Master YingHan Su: Yes, the word shi is in the MinNan language. Actually, when we mention shi, it
goes with the other term, fa. Fa means a certain technique while shi means posture. When the opponent
launches an attack, he will apply a certain technique. Therefore, fa can be understood as a single
movement. When confronting a coming attack, you can use many potential techniques to fight back. So
your shi, or posture, can produce a great number of potential applicable techniques. That is why the
phrase says, "Use the shi to confront a coming attack."
PengCheng Chen: There is another phrase in the old White Crane manuscript which I can not
understand very well. That is chen shen zhu qi -?-. What does it actually mean?

Master YingHan Su: Chen shen zhu qi is a dominant principle in routine training. The first two
characters chen shen mean "to draw the waist." It requires that the cervical vertebrae and the spinal
column and the coccyx should be in a vertical line. As you know, the waist is the source of internal
martial energy. Any awkward movement, such as leaning forward or leaning back, inclining leftward or
inclining rightward, will impair the flow of qi and then the manifestation of energy. Moreover, when the
waist drops, it promises a firm stance. The latter two characters zhu qi mean "to concentrate or to keep
the mind focused." Zhu qi requires smooth breathing and a calm mind. Avoid being impatient or
nervous. Always try to keep a kind and pleasant countenance.

PengCheng Chen: Could you give some advice to a White Crane beginner?

Master YingHan Su: For those White Crane beginners, I think that the most important principle they
should bear in mind is that they should never give way to impatience at any time. Keep calm and do
kung fu as if it is a very common thing that you must do every day. Kung fu is not equivalent to various
movements. People can mimic the movements quickly, but these movements are within the realm of
gymnastics. However, kung fu can not be learned in a short period of time as it embraces many factors:
the particular posture, speed, strength, and so on. These factors can only be obtained through long-term
training. What is more, training requires repeating movements and the process can be dull. Take the
Three Wars for instance; one should do it many times a day. There are no variations to this simple set of
movements which may keep one excited. There is nothing but repetition.

Moreover, one should continue this dull, routine training throughout one's life. So you can imagine what
will happen to a quick-tempered learner. On the other hand, White Crane kung fu is a quite soft system.
At the beginning stage, all learners? movements are still or hard. It will take a long time to remove the
stillness from their movements. Even when their movements become soft, they will have to push their
levels to the state of hua. When they reach the state of hua, their movements become very natural and
they can command their energy at will.

It is apparent that kung fu is not an easy task. In YongChun, there is a wide-spread saying: "A decade of
hard training makes a White Crane Master possible." So it is especially important for beginners to
remain patient.

The Shaolin Dharma of Fighting

by Shi Yan Lei

My main motivation for studying martial arts at the Shaolin
Temple was to learn how to fight. But when I got to the temple
the only techniques my teachers taught me were forms and
acrobatics. These looked beautiful and impressive but they didn't
take me any closer to my goal of learning how to fight, so I began
to get into street fights outside the temple gates to see if I could
learn how to fight this way. My master - the Shaolin Abbot Shi
Yongxin - soon grew tired of dragging me out of the local police
cell and sent me to a Chan Temple in the hopes that I would calm
down.

Fighting Meditation
There was no martial arts taught at this temple, and my Chan
master would wake me in the early hours of the morning and ask
me to come and chant with him. I told him I couldn't concentrate.
He asked me what I could concentrate on, and I told him: my
training. He then instructed me to let my training be my
meditation.

That one sentence changed my life forever. Suddenly I understood why the Shaolin arts are linked with
Buddhism. I realized that the true purpose of training the body was to train the mind. It didn't matter
what we did - meditation, forms, calligraphy, fighting, chanting - it was about the motivation behind
what we did and how we did it. From that day on, while he chanted I trained.

Shaolin Steel Jacket

When I went back to the temple, my master asked me to choose one of the seventy-two different Shaolin
styles. Because I'm only 5 feet 5 inches (1.65 m), my opponents were nearly always taller than me,
which made it hard for me to go in and attack. This is one of the reasons why I decided to study Shaolin
Steel Jacket.

I had seen monks demonstrating this skill at the temple. They would do a qigong form, and then monks
would kick them and break sticks over their torso. But I wanted to see if it was possible to use this
technique in a sanshou fight, which is so much quicker than a traditional demonstration. Could I control
my qi instantly without the need to do a qigong form beforehand? Could I make my body into a weapon
in a modern fighting environment? Those were the questions I set out to answer.

As a disciple of Shaolin I feel it is my responsibility to not only learn what has been passed down to me
generation by generation but also to take it to a new level. Olympic athletes constantly break records and
run at new speeds. I didn't want to train just to stand still, but I wanted to push the boundaries of Shaolin.

Turning The Body into a Weapon

My training program consisted of four sessions a day, two in the morning and two in the afternoon. I
would begin my day like the other disciples with a run up the Songshan Mountain, but I would wear a
10-pound weighted shirt. When I came back from the run, I would then skip for thirty minutes. I used
the weighted vest for the same reason long distance runners run at high altitudes. Not only did my
punches and kicks become much quicker, but my footwork did too.

I would then finish my first session with Shaolin Steel Jacket. It's only when the body is hot that it's safe
to practice body conditioning. I would begin by doing a qigong form especially designed for Steel
Jacket, then I would use different instruments to beat myself: a brick, an iron bar, a club of wood, and a
canvas sack full of metal ball bearings.
It is very difficult to get through the first three months of body conditioning, as this is the time when it is
most painful. There were many times when I wanted to stop. I felt nervous in the beginning because
body conditioning is potentially dangerous; if done incorrectly, it can end a person's martial life. An
injury can take months to heal, but an internal injury may never heal completely. I became very worried
when my skin started to go from black to blue to red and then completely peel off. Beating a brick on
raw skin pushed my pain barriers to the maximum, and when I went to see my master to tell him my
concerns, he gave me a recipe for a body conditioning tincture. I applied this to my skin and it started to
heal.

Bamboo Block
For my second session I trained on different weights of bags, and
I also kicked bamboo posts with my legs and blocked them with
my arms. I would then have lunch, sleep, and in the afternoon my
third session would begin with my kung fu brothers. We would
practice throws, kicks and punches. If one of my brothers was
better at throws, then I would get him to throw me over and over
again so I could try to work out how to block his throw. We
would also do combinations, sparring and pad work.

For my fourth session I did some basic Shaolin training, and then
my Shaolin Steel Jacket training again. I completely stopped
doing kung fu forms and acrobatics and focused on turning my
body into a weapon. I trained like this for nine months, and then
my master said I was ready to compete in sanshou fights.

Sanshou Fighting
I felt apprehensive in my first fight because my opponent was
taller and heavier than me, and I still didn't know whether I
would be able to use my Shaolin Steel Jacket. I'd used it against
my kung fu brothers, but could I use it in a real situation?

I started off by allowing my opponent to attack me. I didn't defend and I didn't block. Because I had
trained so intensely in Shaolin Steel Jacket, I found that I could harness my qi immediately. The training
I had done on the bamboo meant my arms and legs were harder; not only did this protect me, I could see
that it was painful for my opponent to kick or block me. When my opponent punched and kicked me,
this opened up a gap, allowing me to go in and attack. I was very happy to discover that my traditional
Shaolin skill could be used so successfully in a modern sanshou fight.
Unlocking the forms
I continued to compete in sanshou fights in China, and I also
went back to the forms I'd learnt as a boy. I began to unlock them
and discover the self-defense, blocking and attack techniques
hidden in the forms. I could never have discovered these without
the experience of fighting.

I began to practice these techniques against my kung fu brothers

and adapt them so they could be used in a modern fight situation.
As I began to master them, I slowly introduced some of these into
my sanshou fighting too.

Coming to the West

I came to the UK ten years ago to help my brother Shifu Shi
Yanzi set up the first Shaolin Temple in Europe. He was also a
sanshou champion in China. We set about teaching a unique
combination of traditional Shaolin skills as well as sanshou skills.
Many people argue that traditional skills take too long to master.
It's true that it's much easier and quicker to learn how to punch,
kick and throw, but in China we say that if you take three years to
master your skill, then your opponent will need three years to
figure out what you are doing and beat you.

The Shaolin Dharma of Fighting

Since coming to the West, I am surprised that most fighters don't train in qigong and body conditioning.
Combining modern fighting with one or two traditional techniques means that not only do you have a
kick, punch or throw as a weapon but also you have additional weapons and defenses - which are hidden
and harder for your opponent to defeat. I believe all fighters should train in traditional techniques. Not
only does it enrich their fighting experience and help them to respect themselves and their opponent
more, it gives them the edge and helps them to compete at the highest level.

From Outdoor to Indoor

by Feng Wu (translated by Chen PengCheng)

"Outdoor to Indoor" is an important phase that some Chinese martial artists have to go through. Those
outdoor students are informal followers, while those indoors are formal followers recognized both by the
master himself and the sect. It takes a long time for most Chinese people to become formal students. I
remember well what happened in the days when I was with my master. At that time, a dozen followers
learned martial arts from my master. Since my master didn't want to make a living by teaching martial
arts, he didn't charge them at all. The lessons moved on slowly, some of the followers did not acquire
even the JiuLu Striking Leg Style (basic skills in our sect), although several years had passed. Two years
later, there were still a dozen followers around the master, but they were not those of two years ago. One
day, my master said to me, "I teach you the JiuLu Striking Leg Style today."

Actually, Movements of the JiuLu Striking Leg Style are quite simple. I acquired the skills after only
several minutes. But I knew there was an underlying meaning. The JiuLu Striking Leg Style was not
taught to followers gratuitously. In our sect, being taught it meant formal admission, an honorable status.
My master had made me a formal follower and my status changed.

After the lesson, my master said, "We have got different movements of the JiuLu Striking Leg style for
different followers, different features mean different statuses in our sect." Then he moved on and said,
"If you happen to meet someone who practices the martial art style belonging to our sect when you
travel to somewhere, you can display the JiuLu Striking Leg Style. Someone from our sect will contact
you and look after you. And you can also prove your own status with it." I know that such regulations
have existed for a long time in our sect. Not only do we have this special practice, it can be found in
other sects as well. I am acquainted with one senior master whose forefather was good at both martial
arts and making a drug for traumatic injuries, which had an ideal curative effect. Every formal follower
is required to make the drug. If someone proclaims that he is the formal follower of the sect, his
identification and status can be obtained by simply asking the name of the drug and the way to make it.

After a person becomes a formal follower, the relations between the master and him change. The
follower will call the master ShiFu (master) instead of LaoShi (teacher) and their relations are much
closer than ever before, which are vividly expressed by the old saying, "Master is like the father." From
this point forward, the master will bend all his efforts in teaching him instead of being conservative.
Some other sects even hold ceremonies to honor the masters when the follower becomes a formal one.
In the ceremonies, the follower shall knock his head on the ground and present a small note bearing his
day of birth and the eight characters of his horoscope, together with the names of his family members in
the previous three generations, accompanied by a host who reads out the regulations of the sect.

Every sect has its own way of adopting the formal students. Some even make it simple by demanding
fees, although head knocking and a note are required as well. But the serious master doesn't accept the
nominal followers. The so-called nominal followers are those who have relations with the master, but
learn little from the master and are poor at martial arts. In addition to the nominal followers, a serious
master generally turns down registered students as well (who admire and follow the master, but don't
have any chance to learn from the master, though they are good at martial arts.) It takes a long time for a
serious master to formally accept a student.

I have a master who practices "XinYi Quan". He once told me that his master didn't accept him as a
formal follower until he practiced the PiQuan (splitting hands style) for three years. Later, he said that it
wasn't a long time if the student could get the essence of PiQun. In fact, if the student is skillful at
PiQuan, he has acquired nearly half of the XinYi Quan. Students who don't understand this fact will
think the master is conservative and doesn't want to teach them.

In fact, there are two reasons why the master proceeds in this fashion. First, he really cherishes the
martial art skills of the sect and doesn't want to pass on the skills to those who are poorly-behaved and of
ordinary natural disposition. My master once said that it would be a crime not to pass on the martial arts
to those who deserved it. And it would be an equal crime to teach those who did not deserve it. (There
are some other sayings as well, such as "The masters would rather make the martial arts lost in the world
than teach abusively.") Second, it is the traditional method of teaching handed down for generations.

This way of teaching seems too slow for many students, but in fact it is a shortcut. Many students leave,
unable to endure the boredom and hardships inherent in correct training. Those who are always with the
master are most likely to be successful. If they are accepted as formal students and given more advice,
they will make rapid progress in their works. At this phase, they can get advice not only from the master
but from others in the sect, such as the master's junior and senior apprentices, etc. After being made
formal students, they must follow the regulations of their own sects. If they act against the regulations,
they will be ejected or punished. But when my master accepted me as a formal student, he did not read
out the regulations. He once said, "Normally, I take one or two years to accept a formal student. During
this period, I will evaluate both his quality and natural endowment. If I accept the wicked as my formal
student, it not only means that he has got some problems, but also means that I make a big mistake."By
the way, he has not had a single wicked student in his life, though he has been teaching martial arts for
more than twenty years.
Nowadays, more and more martial arts institutes and training centers have been established in China.
Actually, the traditional way of teaching is not very popular with the students. But it still makes sense as
a way of accepting formal students and of teaching, developing and inheriting Chinese martial arts.

Appendix:

ShaoLin Regulations on accepting students

Since the founding of the ShaoLin Temple in the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, we have taught martial arts to
our followers. Followers shall use martial arts as a mean of defense. At the same time, followers shall
make great efforts to defend the state whenever it is in trouble. Followers are not allowed to bully the
weak and the good by depending on the martial arts they learn. Our followers shall abide strictly by the
regulations, love the common people and be benevolent to them.

Some of the regulations are as follows:

1. Followers shall honor the masters and respect their teaching. They shall give priority to royalty
and filial piety.
2. Followers shall spare no efforts in mastering first-rate skills and understanding the thoughts of
masters in previous generations.
3. Followers are not allowed to engage in rape. They shall be smartly dressed.
4. Followers are not allowed to insult the elderly by waving the fists.
5. Followers are not allowed to laugh for no reason and spread rumors.
6. Followers are not allowed to bully the weak and abuse public power to retaliate against a
personal enemy.
7. Followers are not allowed to strike at one by reviling others and arguing loudly.
8. Followers are not allowed to adopt an arrogant attitude by curling up the legs and breaking into
abuse.
9. Followers are not allowed to instigate wrongdoing in others.
10. Followers shall not be greedy for small gains and commit robberies or burglaries.
11. Followers shall be modest enough to consult others' inferiors.

Followers shall overcome their own shortcomings and be agreeable to others.

The followers shall keep these regulations in mind, or they will be punished.

There are also Ten Not Alloweds, to which the followers shall pay great attention.

1. Followers are not allowed to bully and rape the women.

2. Followers are not allowed to compel a girl to marry.
3. Followers are not allowed to bully the good man.
4. Followers are not allowed to loot others' belongings.
5. Followers are not allowed to make troubles after getting drunk.
6. Followers are not allowed to cripple others with the martial arts.
7. Followers are not allowed to act absurdly.
8. Followers are not allowed to betray their closest family member and relatives by depending on
the martial arts.
9. Followers are not allowed to act against the elderly.
10. Followers are not allowed to associate with gangsters.

In case followers violate one of the above-mentioned Ten Not Alloweds, they will be punished heavily
and suffer fatal disasters. Followers shall pay great attention to them.
There are an additional Ten Wishes made afterwards as well. When the follower is made the formal one,
he shall kneel down before a spirit tablet on a lucky day and read out the Ten Wishes. After that, he is
required to repeat the Ten Wishes before his master and make a promise that he won't forget them;
otherwise he will be executed by heaven.

The Ten Wishes are as follows:

1. I wish that I could secure the state and comfort the people with martial arts.
2. I wish that I could curb the violent and assist the weak with martial arts.
3. I wish that I could save and help others with martial arts.
4. I wish that I could fight against evildoers and bring peace to the people with martial arts.
5. I wish that I could assist with the orphans and widows with martial arts.
6. I wish that I could donate money for worthy causes with martial arts.
7. I wish that I could do boldly what is righteous with martial arts.
8. I wish that I could help bring prosperity to the sect with martial arts.
9. I wish that I could sacrifice myself for others when they are in need of help with martial arts.
10. I wish that I could pass on martial art skills to virtuous students.

Welcome to our Jing Mo (Chin Woo/Ching Wu)

Web site
 Shanghai's Ching Mo School 1909 - 1915
The original Jing Mo (Chin Woo or Ching Wu) Schools in Shanghai, China. 1909 and
1915.
Welcome to our Jing Mo Web site which is also known as Chin Woo and Ching Wu. This Web site
offers you the opportunity to learn more about our school curriculum at the San Bruno Jing Mo
Physical Culture Association (Jing Mo Athletic Association), our services and our products. We can
assist you in advancing your studies and development in the traditional chinese martial arts or gung fu.
We offer you an inside look at Jing Mo starting with the history of the original Jing Mo Physical
Culture Association, founded in 1909 in Shanghai, China. Since then many branches of the original
school have opened their doors through out many regions of China, Southeast Asia and around the
world. In 1935 the Kowloon (now is Hong Kong) branch of Jing Mo sent Great Grandmaster Sifu Lai
Hon Kuai to San Francisco to start up a Jing Mo school. Due to a lack of interest in gung fu at that time
none was started. Later the first Jing Mo Physical Culture Association in the United States was started
in San Francisco by Grandmaster Sifu Wong Jack Man in 1963. The San Bruno branch school was
established by Sifu Herb Leung and Sifu Robert Louie in 1995. Sifu Arthur Chin was invited to the
San Bruno Jing Mo School as special guest instructor, following the tradition of the original Shanghai
Jing Mo Physical Culture Association. Sifu Robert Louie, Sifu Herb Leung and Sifu Arthur Chin are
disciples of Grandmaster Sifu Wong Jack Man.

To learn more about us, click on any item on our menu. If you have comments or questions, write or e-
mail us at the addresses in the Contact Us section of our Web site. Thanks for visiting and be sure to
check back often for updated information.

Grandmaster Wong Jack Man Sifu

Grandmaster Wong Jack Man

Northern Shao lin, the 32nd Anniversary of Kuo Yu Chang's Death
By Chen Hsin Mon

Source: Wu Lin,#2, 1984

Translated by Benton Dere, 1985
Edit by Robert Louie, January 15, 1992

Note: Chen Hsin Mon was a disciple of Kuo Yu Chang and was rated as one of the top ten disciples.
This article is very important because it contains some insight about the style and about Kuo Yu Chang
from someone who directly learned from him. It also gives us some idea of what the status of Northern
Shao lin is in China today.
Shao lin kung fu took root and grew in Southern China and Ku Yu Chang played a major role in this.
Kuo Yu Chang was from Huning Chiang Su. He was born in 1894 to a poor peasant family. At that
time the country was in terrible shape. When he was 8 years old, Kuo Yu Chang started to learn kung
fu from a Shangtung master, Yim Chi Wen. Yim Chi Wen was a man who lived during both the Ching
dynasty and the beginning of the Republic. He was well verse in the Shao lin arts. People called him
"Great Spear Yim". Kuo Yu Chang became well known for his Shao lin kung fu in several provinces
such as Su Chiang, Che Chiang, Hunan, Hupei, etc.

In 1928, Nanking Central National Arts Institute held a national arts competition. Kuo Yu Chang came
out with very high praise.
When Kuo Yu Chang was in his twenties, he no longer feared hardship. He traveled all over Chiang
nan province,and spread the Shao lin arts. In the late 1920's, he and four other men , Wan Li Sheng, Li
Hsien Wu, and Fu Chen Sheng, who were all famous northern style masters, went to Kwangtung
province. This was noted in the book of Wu Lin Chen Ku:, "Five Tigers heading south of Chiang nan."
In 1928, Kuo Yu Chang was appointed instructor for both of the Kungtung and Kwangsi National Arts
schools. In 1929, Kuo Yu Chang formed the Kuang Chou National Arts Society with himself as the
chief instructor. It was from here that Shao lin Kung fu began to spread into Southern China.

Kuo Yu Chang's kung fu was at a very high level. Anyone who saw him perform were really amazed.
His kung fu was lively and people felt involved in the kung fu when they watched him perform.
Because his iron palm was so good, he was nicknamed "Iron Palm Kuo Yu Chang". His hands were
soft as cotton which was not unusuall. But when he used his hands, it smashed rocks into many pieces
and could bend raw iron. His palm strength reached a high level of development and it always amazed
people when he demonstrated. When he used his Iron Palm, he could used different levels of force, that
is, he had the ability to control the amount of force coming from his palms. Many Kwangchou people
have seen him take ten tiles, one on top of another, strike the first tile, and the tiles between the top and
the bottom tiles broke into pieces, but both the top and bottom tiles remained intact.

In 1931, a strong man from Russia came to Kwangchou at west Mellon Garden (now located at the
People's Southern Road Kwangchou's Daily News Neighborhood), to demonstrate strength feats. We
accompanied Kuo Yu Chang to see the strong man. When he came on stage, he pulled along a wild
horse which no one could get near. If anyone could withstand a kick from the horse and not get killed,
he would receive $200.00. Then someone in the audience shouted, "Russian, don't be so smug. Iron
Palm Kuo is here to cut the strong man down to size and to show how proud Chinese are." Kuo Yu
Chang went up on the stage.
The strong man observed that Kuo Yu Chang appeared to be an uncommon man. Since the Russian did
not know Kuo Yu Chang's background, he demanded Kuo Yu Chang have an examination by a
medical doctor to insure that he was a normal human. Finally Kuo Yu Chang went to confront the wild
horse. He got near the horse and using his palm lightly slapped it on the back. Immediately the horse
did not move. On the second day, the horse did not eat and died. The doctor autopsied the horse and
found severe internal injuries. The Russian quietly packed and left. This event of the 1930's is still
much talked about among the old Kwangchou people today.

In Kwangchou, Kuo Yu Chang taught the 10 Shao lin sets, 10 rows of Tan T'ui, Plum Blossom Double
Sabres (This is not to be confused with Ti Tung Double Sabers...Editor), Raise Blocking Spear,
Twenty-four Spear, Dragon Shape Sword, Ta Mor Sword (This sets was also taught at Ching
Wu.School..Ed.), Five Tiger Catching the Sheep Staff (This set was also taught at Ching
Wu.School..Ed.), Internal Hsiao Chin Chung Sixteen parts (Golden Bell Techniques..Ed) and some
other styles.

Of all the above, the ten Shao lin sets are the most famous, and the mostly exemplifies the
characteristics of Shao lin. The ten sets are arranged in ascending order. There names are:Open Door,
Leading Road, Sitting on the Horse, Piercing Heart, Martial Skills, Short Strikes, Plum Flower, Eight
Steps and Three Palms, Connecting Leg and Heart of Fist set. The Shao lin system is preserved in
these ten sets. The sets are strong in attack forms,and are not flowery. Each move and form
demonstrates attacks and defence. When doing the exercise, the legs and fists exhibit power. Shao lin
Wu Shu is:

Steady as a nail,
Cocked like a bow,
Turns like a wheel,
Fast as the wind
Light as a leaf,
Heavy as metal iron
Moves like a wave
Quiet as a mountain.

The ten Shao lin sets are arranged and structured with deep meaning and the different parts are each
specified. At the present time, these ten sets are the most popular and practiced northern style kung fu
among the Southern Chinese. Kuo Yu Chang was a great teacher. He greatly emphasized the basic
training of Shaolin and developed a complete training in the basics. His training program was
extremely tough. Kuo Yu Chang created a group of basic exercises, and based on his personal
experiences, trained the southern people properly. This was important because southerner people were
shorter than northern people, and needed extra exercises to adapt to shao lin. We are all old now, but
we still teach the way Kuo Yu Chang taught us,which is emphasizing strenuous training in basics.

Kuo Yu Chang was famous in the kung fu world, but he didn't show off. In demonstrations, he would
ask other people and students to demonstrate. He loved watching his students perform and even hoped
that they would some day become better than him. When I (Chen Hsin Mon) was 16 years old, Kuo Yu
Chang asked me to teach kung fu. Kuo Yu Chang taught me how to teach correctly. Because of Kuo
Yu Chang's teaching back then, the current kung fu teaching is good. Kuo Yu Chang was very polite
and never look down on anyone. Kuo Yu Chang lived in Kwangchou for six to seven years. Kuo Yu
Chang even had a very good friend, a Southern style teacher. Kuo Yu Chang studied some southern
styles and selected the good points to keep. In Kuo Yu Chang's time there was a Choy Li Fut teacher
named Tam San. Kuo Yu Chang sent some of his students to learn from him. Tam San had a student
who wanted to learn northern style and Kuo Yu Chang was happy to teach him. Kuo Yu Chang had
many kung fu books and he let any of his students study them, unlike most teachers who keep books
hidden away. Kuo Yu Chang was an honest man and helped anyone in need of help. In Kwangchou
many kung fu people were given favors or helped by Kuo Yu Chang. In 1952, Kuo Yu Chang died a
poor man with no possessions. But he left a great legacy in his kung fu students in the south. This is
the 32nd anniversary of Kuo Yu Chang's death and many people are still learning Northern Shao lin.
Kuo Yu Chang could never have imagined that so many people have learned Shao lin now. The seed
Kuo Yu Chang planted in the south has now grown into a gigantic tree. Now in Hong Kong, Macao,
and overseas, (many people are) all learning Shao lin and are KuoYu Chang's decendents.

Kuo Yu Chang's (Gu Ruzhang's) Early Life

Gu Ruzhang's Early Life

Gu Ruzhang was born in 1893 in Huning County in Jiangsu Province to a poor peasant family.  His father, Gu  L
Hidden Weapon Arts such as flying darts.  Many people wondered how Gu Ruzhang learned the mysteries of iro
discussing their skills in martial arts.  During the discussion, Gu Lizhi attacked and injured the monk.  The monk
Later Gi Lizhi, who was counting the years as they passed, sent out spies to find out what the monk had been pra
learned the unconquerable iron palm.  He knew he was no match for the monk so he devised a plan.  On the day t
Lizhi Protection Agency, the workers stated, "Unfortunately two days ago, the chief had passed away.  His coffin
a gesture with his hand by sweeping the coffin and then left the scene.  Later, Gu Lizhi's men opened the coffin a
The coffin itself was undamaged, but the rocks which were inside the coffin, were pulverized into dust.  Gu Lizhi
would change his name and go learn the mysteries of Iron Palm.  However, the above story is false.

The Northern Shaolin Style survived the destruction of the monastery.  The style was saved by Monk Zhi Yuan w
He taught many villagers and the Shaolin Style was passed on to Feng Shaochen.  Later, Feng Shaochen passed t
to Kiangsu Province and taught the Northern Shaolin style to the Yan Family.  The Yan Family kept the Northern
their escort business.  They would teach their techniques to their hired hand in Shandong Province.  They operate
Province.  Yan Bo was the head of the business.  In his autumn years, he left the business to his son and returned
Shaolin Style to his grandson, Yan Jiwen.  Later, Yan Jiwen replaced his father as the chief of the escort in Shand
success.

Trouble in Guling

Once, Yan Jiwen had to protect a shipment of silk that was going from Northern China to Canton in Guangdong
there was a particular area where bandits robbed and killed any traveler on their land.  Instead of going around th
save time.  He was not afraid of the bandits.  As Yan Jiwen and his men were walking through the area, Yan Jiwe
ever seen.  There were lots of birds, trees and flowers.  Soon Yan Jiwen and his men came to a large hill with a fo
walk until they were stopped by the sight of one hundred men standing on the hill, looking down at them.  Sudde
Yan Jiwen assumed that this man was the leader of the bandits.  The man on the horse pointed his big staff at Yan
Jiwen replied that his business was escorting valuables and he was on his way to Canton to deliver some cargo of
this information was to him and requested that he step aside so he could pass.

The man on the horse introduced himself as Gu Hu, and that he was the owner of all the area.  Gu Hu stated his r
through his land, must fight him.  If Gu Hu wins, he takes everything.  If Gu Hu loses, the convoy can pass freely

Yan Jiwen knew that he and his men were out numbered and did not stand a chance against Gu Hu's men.  There
an expert in the Northern Shaolin Liu He style and his specialty was the staff.  Yan Jiwen was an expert in the Sh
the Shaolin Monastery in Henan.  Both men knew the same style, Northern Shaolin, but each learned from differe

As the two men started to fight, Yan Jiwen was surprised that Gu Hu used his iron staff as if he knew Shaolin Liu
skills in the spear were superior to his staff techniques.  Gu Hu found himself only defending against Yan Jiwen's
attack on his own.  Gu Hu became afraid and ran away.  Yan Jiwen let Gu Hu get away and felt it would serve no
wondering about Gu Hu's techniques.

Later, Yan Jiwen was feeling better and was glad that he took this route.  Winning the fight against Gu Hu made
came to a dense forest.  Yan Jiwen warned his men to beware of Gu Hu's men as they made their way across the
of traps.  Yan Jiwen could not ride his horse because the ground had many deep holes, which would cause a hors
stepped into a trap which sprung up and tied him up in ropes.  When Wan Guowu and Liu Tanfan  tried to rescue
Wan Guowu and Liu Tanfan retreated to the city of Kiu Kiang.  They discussed how they could try to rescue Yan
They just sat and drank liquor.  Sitting near by was the Jin Lin Li Convoy Chief of Nanjing, Gu Lizhi, who overh
south on a convoy.  As Gu Lizhi listened, he discovered Yan Jiwen was the hero who destroyed the Jin Ji Chui in
Jia Yanbiao.  Gu Lizhi walked over to the two men and asked if he could assist them in anyway.  The two men lo
Lizhi was a fighter because of his physical build.  The two men told Gu Lizhi of their problem and asked for a so
a plan.  He realized that a direct approached plan would not work because Gu Hu had too many men.  The plan in
fort and separate him from his men.  Gu Lizhi needed only a split second alone with Gu Hu and he would be able

The next morning, several men rode out to Guling and hid in the forest while Wan Guowu and Lin Tanfan went a
outside the fortress.  When Wan Guowu and Lin Tanfan saw the guards, it only made them angry and they furiou
scrambled into the fortress to tell Gu Hu, who became enraged.  He called out his men, mounted his magnificent
out of the fort.  Outside, Gu Hu saw Wan Guowu, Lin Tanfan and his dead grandson laying on the ground.  Gu H
his iron staff.  He chased Wan Guowu and Lin Tanfan who ran back to where the others were hiding as planned. 
inside and out, he was surprised to see the hidden men confront him.  Fearful, Gu Hu tried to retreat to where his
confronted by Gu Lizhi.

The two men sprung at each other.  Gu Lizhi was surprised that Gu Hu's staff techniques were of Shaolin.  As the
Hu's staff techniques.  Since all Shaolin disciples were brothers, he could not understand why Gu Hu was a bandi
Lizhi's ability was great and he became fearful.  Gu Hu turned away and started to run.  Before Gu Lizhi realized
Gu Lizhi ran after Gu Hu but realized that he could not catch him.  Gu Lizhi picked up a bow and arrow from a n
horse.  Gu Lizhi wanted Gu Hu alive.  But to Gu Lizhi's disappointment, the horse and its rider, fell over a steep h
Lizhi ran over to the dead horse and saw that Gu Hu was crushed.  Gu Lizhi held Gu Hu's head in his arms as Gu
Shaolin brother.  In the meantime Yan Jiwen's six men fought Gu Hu's men.  They fought hard and nearly killed

When Gu Lizhi returned to the fort, Yan Jiwen was already freed by his men.  Yan Jiwen was grateful to Gu Lizh
friends and Yan Jiwen said that someday he would return the favor.

The Favor is Returned

At the end of the Qing Dynasty, in Nanjing, Gu Lizhi opened a security bureau, The Lizhi Escort Service, which
a native of Founing County in Jiangsi Province.  His name spread far and wide because he defeated countless ban
Greenwood Forest would shuddered whenever Gu Lizhi's name was mention.  So when the Lizhi Escort House's
Lizhi's escort business prospered and engaged in more than two hundred escorts a year.  Because Gu Lizhi was il
of receipts and payments.  He decided that his children, Gu Yumen, the eldest son, Gu Ruzhang the second son, a

When Gu Ruzhang was seven, he was sent to private school.  At the age of twelve, Gu Lizhi taught his youngest
to establish a good basis for the martial arts.  Gu Ruzhang had an early interest in the martial arts.  He was also ve
sons, Gu Yumen, who reflected the glory of his ancestors and Gu Ruzhang, who would carry on his work.  Gu Li
will not have a dog - like son."  Two years later (1904), Gu Lizhi was taken ill and was confined to bed.  The doc
tears in his eyes, Gu Lizhi called for his sons.  He told them that none of his medications had worked and that he
his sons was that he was unable to teach all of his martial arts to them.  He told them of a friend, Yan Jiwen, in Fe
disciples if they wanted to be martial artist.  A few days later, Gu Lizhi succumbed to his illness and died.

Beyond words, the family grieved, and Gu Ruzhang, who was only fourteen years old, went on his knees and wa
House and dismiss all the escorts.  They then carried the spiritual tablets of Gu Lizhi back to their native villages
Ruzhang learned martial arts from his mother which proved to be inadequate for him.  He then left for middle sch

In Nanjing, Gu Ruzhang became close to a classmate, Ba Jingxiang.  Ba Jingxiang's father had a business in Nan
to be a permanent guests in the shop.  After two years in middle school, Gu Ruzhang was tired of schoolwork and
words his father said on his deathbed and decided to locate Yan Jiwen in Feicheng, Shandong.  Gu Ruzhang knew
he told him about his secret desire to leave school and go north to Shandong.  Ba Jingxiang expressed his desire t
Ruzhang returned home for a short family reunion.  After a few days, he left a note for his mother stating his inte

Together, Gu Ruzhang and Ba Jingxiang went north to Shandong Province.  When they arrived in Tsinang, they
part of Taian County.  After a days travel, they reached Feicheng.  They had to travel another thirty miles to the n
they reached the Yan family village.  When they inquired about Master Yan Jiwen, a small boy replied, "You mu
house which had a porch and three courtyards.  Weapons of all sorts could be seen mixed with wooden human fig
etc, lined the walls of the court yards.  A colorful old man, who was in high spirits, was teaching martial arts to so
saw it was 'Big Spear' Yan Jiwen.  Gu Ruzhang and Ba Jingxiang went up to the old man and bowed with their h
that they came to learn and that they heard of his great fame.  Yan Jiwen could not figure out where their native a
Yan Jiwen inquired who they were, Gu Ruzhang stated he was the second son of Gu Lizhi, head of the Lizhi Esco
died two years ago and had mentioned the grandmaster of today was Yan Jiwen.  Since his father's death, he had
brought him from a distance place to Feicheng, Shandong, to learn again.  Yan Jiwen realized Gu Ruzhang was li
recollected how Gu Lizhi saved his life from the bandit chief, Gu Hu.  A very strong friendship developed betwe
Feicheng are far apart.  Yan Jiwen recalled when he went south to Kiangsi Province to visit Gu Lizhi, he saw Gu
Jiwen was saddened that his friend past away but was glad to see the small boy grown to be a man.  He wanted to
and decided to express his gratitude in accepting Gu Ruzhang and Ba Jingxiang as his disciples.

During the first six months, Gu Ruzhang and Ba Jingxiang learned ten rows of Tan T'ui Shaolin.  This was the ba
Shaolin.  They practiced hard and with diligence.  After six months, Yan Jiwen saw that both of them had their he
them on the Northern Style of Shaolin from Henan Province.  Gu Ruzhang was quick to pick up techniques and w
questions.  Because of this, his development and his achievements advanced quickly.

Nine years passed by in a wink of an eye.  Time had flown like an arrow.  Ba Jingxiang received a letter from hom
Yan Jiwen that he had to return home to help with the family business and could not continue with his lessons.  In
China (1921), Gu Ruzhang was twenty seven years old and had been practicing for eleven years under Yan Jiwen
Northern Shaolin, flying knives, flying darts, flying spears, iron sand palm, breathing techniques of Qigong (Gold
received a letter from home and was told that his mother had passed away and both his brother and sister were ma
home sick.

Before Gu Ruzhang left for home, Yan Jiwen gave some words of wisdom to him.  Yan Jiwen told him that his s
could stand on his own feet.  He cautioned Gu Ruzhang that the world is a large place and that beyond this moun
always act with care because great skills and cracked hands were everywhere.  Gu Ruzhang assured Yan Jiwen th
to his master.

Gu Ruzhang returned to Nanjing and stayed with his friend, Ba Jingxiang.  Everyday, they would practice togeth
to practice with the heavier weapons such as Guandao, Flying fork, etc.  Gu Ruzhang, on the other hand, preferre
sword, tiger hooks, etc.  The spear became Gu Ruzhang's favorite weapon and soon he earned the title -`God of S
which is similar to the Liu He Spear set, became closely associated with Gu Ruzhang.  Many scholars believe sin
ability to compose and develop the Raise Blocking Spear set.  According to Wong Chia Man, who is an expert on
not exposed to the many varied Northern Shaolin sets.  It was not until Gu Ruzhang demonstrated the Raise Bloc
a set existed.  Today, martial artists still confuse the Lui He Spear set with the Raise Blocking Spear set.

Many people wondered why Gu Ruzhang loved the spear.  According to Wong Chia Man, "The spear is the King
line and go out and disappear like a ghost.  Besides Liu He Spear, Raise Blocking Spear is the only spear set that
Pear Blossom Spear.  The original Pear Blossom Spear set is lost to posterity."

The King of Weapons - The Spear

According to legend, Liu He Spear was created by Yue Fei.  It was told that he used the Liu He Spear techniques
Tribe leader, Black Wind Prince, with the Liu He Spear, it became famous.  However, the spear techniques Yue F
which became known as Yue Fei's Spear.

The Liu He Spear is a combination of six families, Yang, Gao, Sha, Ma, Luo, and Liu.  Together, these families o
Combination Spear.  Out of the six families, Yang was the most popular.  The Yang's Spear had two spear sets, P
seventeen feet and Flower Spear, which used a spear less than seventeen feet long and contained circular techniqu

The Yang's Spear had a steel head and a wooden handle.  It weight about four pounds and was nine Chinese feet
handle was two feet long and not tapered while the shank from the handle to the spear head was tapered.  This all
total weight was not heavy so as not to effect its flexibility.  According to Wan Laisheng, "The main theme of Ya
the body.  The body has to be quick like a ghost sticking its head out.  The force is like rolling beans.  In a standin
alignment.  A square is formed with the nose, the tip of the toe and the tip of the spear.  Observe the three weak p
body alignment is not right, 2.) holding the spear not right, 3.) the nose, the tip of the spear and the tip of the toe a
moves, the circles should be six to seven inches in diameter.  As one begins to learn the spear, the circles are larg
smaller.  This is related to the speed of counter attack and the blocking technique."  Wan Laisheng offered his adv
spears, block it.  When he does not move, spear him.  If the spear moves fast and hard, but is not fluid and contin
As a result, there will be an opening.  Therefore, block and attack together.  Always spear at the middle level.  Th
be used close and far.  Always obey two principles: First, if the opponent spears low, hold  (Grab = Na) it.  Secon
My middle attack was hard for my opponents to defend.  Always follow three steps: 1.) the spear should move in
face level.  High or low, your opponent should not be able to see it.  2.) Use the waist as a brace. 3.) Hands are lo
Move the hands then the feet.  If the hands just move, the spear will be too slow.  Set the hands and the feet quick

Both Gu Ruzhang and Wan Laisheng instructed their students on an ancient saying:

"Spears hitting but the spears never met

They start like the wind and retreat like nails.
When the spears meet, they stick.
One does not see the other.
It goes like the wind when you start to move."

Both Sha and Ma families had their own advantages in their spear techniques.  However, they were still no match
Yang's Spear can be used in long and short range fighting.  In fighting, both Wan Laisheng and Gu Ruzhang used

The Nine Methods of Yang's Spear

1. When the opponent Cha (pierces) me, I Na (grab) his spear.

2. When he Cha at my foot, I reverse my spear.
3. When he Cha me, I Lan (block) his spear.
4. When he Cha at my upper body, I Cho (lift) his spear.
5. When he Cha at my lower body, I sweep like I'm rowing a boat.
6. When he Cha high, I Cho (lift) his spear.
7. When he Cha low, I reverse my spear.
8. When he raises his spear, I wrap it.
9. When he Cha me, I Lan (block) it.

The Nine Methods of the Yang's Spear are tactics used when using the Flower Spear whose length is only as long
arm over the head.  These Nine Methods are tactics used in straight line attacks and are stressed in the Liu Ho spe
the Eight Mother Spear Methods of Yang are used by the longer spears that are over seventeen feet long.  The tec
length of the weapon.  These methods were used during the 1500's in the Ming Dynasty.  Monk Zhang Chozhong
Methods in his book, The Shaolin Staff, Spear and Saber.  These tactics are closely related to another method cal
attacks and counter attacks.  The Eight Mother Spear Methods were part of the Pear Blossom Spear set.

The Eight Mother Spear Methods

1. When the opponent attacks with inside circles, I Lang (grab) his spear.
2. When he attacks with outside circles, I Na ( block) his spear.
3. When he attacks with a inside circle (clockwise) to hook my foot, I Cho (lift) his spear.
4. When he Ch'a me, I Lang (grab) down his spear.
5. When he attacks with a circle outside (counter clockwise) to my foot, I sweep down.
6. When he seizes my spear, I block down.
7. I follow attack and hook his inside circle (clockwise), he counters by Lang (grab) my spear.
8. He returns his spear, I Lang (grab) his spear.

Some of the techniques can be found in both charts.  However, because of the difference in size of the two spears
shorter spear, the Flower Spear.  According to Wong Chia Man, during the Ming Dynasty, the long spear was sho
soldiers.  When this occurred, many of the Pear Blossom Spear techniques were lost or modified.  Today, the com
character poem, written during the Song Dynasty, gives a description of the Pear Blossom Spear set.

Pear Blossom Spear

First it goes through the fingers and through the sleeves,
Then it has Pear Blossom moves over the head.
  Some moves are strange and some are logical.
  Double fake, double real attacks,
  Double strange moves, double logical moves.
  If it is sharp forward movements, it has fast retreats.
  Dangerous moves, short subdivision.
  When I do not want to move, I'm like a mountain before you.
  When I want to move, it is like thunder and an earthquake.

Some of the Pear Blossom Spear techniques can be found in the Shaolin Plum Blossom Spear set.  It is said that t
Blossom Spear set except the Thirteen Taiji Spear.  However, the Liu He Spear and the Raise Blocking Spear are
sets to contain all twenty four moves and the nine methods of Yang's (Long) spear.

The Twenty-Four Moves

1.  Night Demon Searches the Sea

2.  Conquest of the Four Barbarians Tribes
3.  Compass Needle Points South
4.  Ambush From All Sides
5.  Green Dragon offers its Claws
6.  Side Block
7.  Flip Over the Iron Shaft
8.  Jump Over the Sword
9.  Fine Cloth Covers the Floor
10. Face the Heaven
11. Iron Ox Plows the Ground
12. Dip into the Water
13. Sitting astride on a Dragon
14. White Monkey Drags the Blade
15. Guitar Shape
16. Swift Cat Catches the Rodent
17. Novice Challenges the Master and is Crushed
18. Beautiful Lady Acknowledges Needles
19. Green Dragon Wags its Tail
20. Crouching Tiger
21. Pushing Aside the Mountain and Fill the Sea
22. Falcon Strikes the Quail
23. Old Man Hooks a Fish
24. Dash Through the Swan Gate
According to Hsuang Hon Shang, who learned Shaolin Lohan from Sun Yufung and Northern Shaolin from Zhao
Association, he states, "There exist two kinds of spears today:  the Big Spear and the Flower Spear.  The Big Spe
feet long.  The Flower Spear was used by the foot soldiers.  During the last three hundred years, many styles deve
Style has developed a set called Pear Blossom Spear and Northern Shaolin developed a set called Five Tigers Spe
spear techniques at the Jing Wu Physical Cultural Association.  He determined that there are only eight basic mov
(Splitting), and Kua (Attach) are defensive.  The other four moves:  Cha (Piercing), Na (Thrusting), Tiao (Jabbin

Gu Ruzhang - Hero of San Shiang

Gu Ruzhang reputation grew and he became well known for his Northern Shaolin skills in seven provinces such a
Hubei.  One legend states that Gu Ruzhang was able to knock fruit off of a tree without any direct or indirect phy
tremendous force of his Iron Sand Palm, from a distance of several feet!  This is only a legend.  However, Gu Ru

In early 1925, Gu Ruzhang went south to Canton and got a job as a clerk.  It was here in Canton that Gu Ruzhang
breathing techniques of Tun Qi.

According to Yu Baizhuang, a direct line disciple of Gu Ruzhang, he actively sought eye witnesses of Gu Ruzhan
doctor, Mr. Huang, who witnessed several events.  In 1925, when Mr. Huang was thirteen years old, a Russian ci
Road at Western Melon Park in Guizhou.  The challenge was to anyone who could survive three kicks from a hor
dollars in gold.  No one dared to accept the challenge except Gu Ruzhang.  Gu Ruzhang made a deal with the Ru
be allowed to strike the horse once with his palm and the Russians agreed.  On the day of the contest, Mr. Huang
amount of money to spend in 1925.

He stated, "There was a sea of people with soldiers and police everywhere.  The crowd quieted down as the conte
performed his Shallow Breathing Techniques called Tun Qi.  After Gu Ruzhang finished preparing for the horse's
horse weighed one thousand two hundred and eighty pounds.  The horse raised its back legs and kicked Gu Ruzh
steps.  The crowd was amazed at what they had witnessed.  Gu Ruzhang retired to the side for ten minutes to prep
kick, Gu Ruzhang staggered back six steps.  The crowd roared aloud.  Gu Ruzhang retired to the side again to pre
breathing techniques took Gu Ruzhang twenty minutes.  On the third and final kick, the horse kicked Gu Ruzhan
back.  The rules that both the Russians and Gu Ruzhang agreed upon stated that Gu Ruzhang had to get up before
quiet as the count echoed in the air.  On the count of two, Gu Ruzhang sprang up from the ground and into the air
made a thundering cheer.  Gu Ruzhang retired to the side again.  This time it took Gu Ruzhang forty minutes to r
Ruzhang returned, he approached the horse and walked around to the rear of the horse.  Without a word, Gu Ruzh
screamed once and fell dead.  The audience broke out into a thundering noise, cheering Gu Ruzhang's magnificen
Lau Fat Meng, Master of Shaolin Eagle Claw, witnessed the same event and was curious as to how the horse died
external injuries.  When a postmortem examination was performed on the horse, a large bruise was found near th
were split with massive hemorrhaging.

This became the most talked about martial art event and Gu Ruzhang became the Hero of San Shiang.  Many ma
horse on the back and not on its head or upper torsal.  They theorized that he wanted to demonstrate how powerfu
earned the nickname `Iron Sand Palm, Gu Ruzhang.'

Russian Strongman Challenges Gu Ruzhang

According to Mr. Huang, in 1928, a Russian strongman from the northwest came south to Guangzhou to challeng
bullying on smaller and weaker nations.  Russia had taken some of China's land near the Russian borders.  Gu Ru
to use both hand and feet but the Russian only wanted to use fist with boxing gloves.  He was aware of Gu Ruzha
work for kicking.  Finally an agreement was made to fight the Russian's way.  The Russian was good and was no
open public location and free to the public in Guangzhou.  Before the fight, Mr. Huang, who was sixteen, perform
man who sang a song.  The third event was the Russian strongman, who lifted stone weights.  The fourth event w
then unbent the same iron rod and made it straight.  The final event was the fight.  The Russian was fierce and str
lot.  Not a single punch delivered by the Russian scored.  As the Russian moved faster, Gu Ruzhang moved away
Ruzhang would move his head.  After ten minutes, the Russian gave a left hook that grazed Gu Ruzhang's nose. 
Russian in the face and knocked him out.  The judges realized that although Gu Ruzhang wore gloves, the force f
stopped the fight.  Everyone saw that the Russian had been knocked out with one punch and realized that the Rus
Ruzhang's Iron Palm.  Gu Ruzhang was declared the winner.  When the Russian woke up, he requested Gu Ruzha

The First National Tournament - Nanjing, 1928

It was October, 1928 and the Chinese government decided to unite together the Chinese people by using Martial
Ming Dong) was to promote the exchange of knowledge and to tear down the curtain of prejudice that had existed
"A Strong Mind and a Strong Body builds a Strong Country."  Since the Boxer Rebellion, there had not been a na
interest.  Invitations were sent out and all the different styles were to be represented.  Many masters turned down
Rules of the tournament were simple.

Rule One: No poking or gouging of the eyes.

Rule Two: No poking or grabing of the throat.
Rule Three: No groin strikes.

The contest was divided into two divisions, combat and non-combat.  The non-combat division was competition
stage.  The winner for weapons division was Master Keng Te Hai, of Tai Sheng Shaolin Monkey Style. One of th
Bagua Master, Fu Zhensong, performed his Bagua style.  As he was so involved in his Bagua movements, he did
The stage was uneven and was not built very well.  Proper tools for building and good solid wood were scarce in
could find and fitted the stage the best they could.  As a result, Fu Zhensong, tripped over a wooden plank as he w
that when he stumbled, he could not regain his balance and fell off the stage.  Except for a bruised ego, Fu Zhens
impressed and later appointed Fu Zhensong as one of the "Five Tigers of the North".

In the combat division, the contests were fierce.  Many styles left sorrowful impression on the audience because t
measure up to their competition.  Gu Ruzhang fought two fighters.  In the first fight, he won easily.  In the second
Fighter with Cinnabar Sand Palms or Zhu Sha Zhang.  He too was a master of Iron Sand Palm and whose palms w
Palm.  Gu Ruzhang's Iron Sand Palm was called Black Sand Palm or Hei Sha Zhang.  Naturally, Gu Ruzhang's p
as Poison Sand Palm or Tu Sha Chang.   The training methods for both Cinnabar and Black Iron Sand Palms are

The first stage - Strengthen the palm by striking green peas.  This is to numb the nerve endings in the palm.  Late
bearing.  These iron pellets become imbedded into the flesh.
The second stage - The palms are thrust into hot sand to further strengthen them.

The third stage - Diluted poison is added to the iron pellets.  With time, the poison dose is increased slowly in con
the poison.

After drilling in each stage, herbs are prepared to nurse the hands to prevent injury.  Special herbal liquids are use
the pain was so great that practitioners would turn to western drugs such as opium and heroin to kill the pain.  He
since herbs prevent the body from absorbing too much of the toxic poison.  The difference between the Cinnabar
type of poison used in the training.  As the fighter strikes his opponent, the poison is transferred from the palm in
of the poison.  Many times blisters and welts would developed and would give the appearance of a snakebite.  He

When the audience saw that Gu Ruzhang was matched against the Cinnabar Master, the fight was titled, Black Ir
Master.  The Red Cinnabar Iron Sand Palm Master used his Bagua techniques to circle Gu Ruzhang and looked f
Palm Master attacked, Gu Ruzhang avoid the deadly red palm and counter-attacked.  Within three moves Gu Ruz
Palm and knocked his opponent down.  On his opponent's chest, was Gu Ruzhang's black palm imprint.  Gu Ruzh
and was treated for the poison.

As the tournament got neared its end, the fights became even more violent and bloody.  When there were only thi
stopped the tournament.  Death would result if the tournament was allowed to continue and that would not have s
declared the last thirteen fighters as China's Best and were called `The Thirteen Champions of All China'.  The th
agreed that Gu Ruzhang was the tournaments best fighter.  Many of the champions felt that Gu Ruzhang skills we
master, Zhao Yijian, who exceeded Gu Ruzhang by one generation.

The Five Tigers from the North

As a result of the First National Tournament in Nanjing, 1928, General Zhang Zhiqiang appointed the five top ma
for the government province schools.  Li Jishen, a top government official for Guangdong and Guangxi Province
National Arts program for morning exercises.  He asked General Zhang Zhiqiang if he could return to Canton wi
the request.  The five masters were Gu Ruzhang of Northern Shaolin and Cha Styles, Wan Laisheng of Northern
Zhensong of Bagua Style, Wang Shaozhou of Northern Shaolin and Cha Styles, and Li Xianwu of Northern Shao
recorded in the text, Wu Lin Chang Ku, as the `Five Tigers heading South of the River'.  Many scholars simply re
went South'.  When the announcement was made officially, Gu Ruzhang was traveling all over Chiangnan and sp
instructed to go south and represent the government as an instructor in the Guangdong Central National Arts Prov
was Li Jishen.  During this time, Guangdong and Guangzhou Provinces' martial arts schools were ninety percent
stylist to make a living unless he was exceptionally good.  With the encouragement from Zhang Zhiqiang, Li Jish
from Beijing University, to be the head of both Central National Arts Provinces Schools and Gu Ruzhang to be in
Guangdong Province.

Wan Laisheng ordered Wang Shaozhou to be head of the Guangxi Provincial School.  Since th
Laisheng requested that all five champions assist Wang Shaozhou in setting up a standard mar
Provincial School, the masters there agreed that the basic standard sets would be Lin Bo from
Cha and Short Strike Style and Ten row Tan Tui which was already a standard set for Jing W
stayed at the Guangxi Provincial School, he learned Cha Style from Qian Zhansheng.  Gu Ruz
of Cha Style since it was originally taught at the Shaolin Monastery and then disappeared after
 The Fading Styles

Are there fewer Kungfu styles now than there once was?
by Feng Wu, translated by PengCheng
About ten years ago, one of my colleagues told me that he was acquainted with an old man whose surname was W
matter of fact, I had heard of him before. He was known as Old Man Wu. It was said that Old Man Wu was highl
kung fu. He was a member of a group of bandits before the liberation. After the founding of the People's Republi
1949, he worked in the same tree farm as I did.

My colleague mentioned that he once saw Old Man Wu demonstrate his kung fu. At that time, he spent much tim
with Old Man Wu. Some other colleagues often asked Old Man Wu to show off his skills when they took rests, b
rejected every time. Not until Old Man Wu was near retirement did the lucky day come. That day, Old Man Wu w
good mood and showed off his skills when asked. "It is not worth seeing," he said before starting. Crouched over
the railway with his hands gripping his knees, he suddenly uttered a cry and leapt forward, landing firmly on the
sleeper ahead. He had covered a distance of three and half meters.

Later, I asked my colleague for Old Man Wu's address in the hope of learning from him. Unfortunately, he hadn't
Man Wu in years and didn't know where he lived. A few months later, I learned that Old Man Wu had died a cou
ago. He had never married, and he spent the last years of his life at an old folk's home where he died. According t
had known him, he had never taken on a student. Once a bandit, he had to be careful in his life, to avoid stirring u
was alive. Taking on a student, I think, would have been beyond his wildest dreams. I have often thought it a grea
world. In fact, Old Man Wu is not alone. I keep hearing similar stories of people like Old Man Wu who have fade
generation of kung fu practitioners regretting that such skills have been lost. From what I've heard, there are a gre
Wu who have submerged themselves among the folk, living quietly without attracting public attention.

Not until the year of 1982 was traditional Chinese kung fu taught in public. In the old days, kung fu lessons were
with the door shut. I once had the honor of studying from a sifu (kung fu instructor) who practiced traditional Ch
was an immense water vat that was always kept covered. None of the kung fu students knew what it contained an
lessons from Sifu, I came to know that there was nothing inside it except sand. It was used to improve the student
wrestling lessons. Before lessons, Sifu would give a demonstration. He made the water vat sway beautifully, usin
wushu brothers and I gathered around the water vat and tried to make it sway. Even when we exerted all our stren
said, "It takes more than one cold day for the river to freeze three feet deep." Then he continued, "At first, it is jus
basic handwork and footwork, you can increase the weight of the water vat by adding sand. Keep doing this until
explain what benefits could be drawn from the practice. "As a basic training method, the swaying water vat techn
the practitioner to keep his footwork stable and to gain force in the back, the arms and the hands as well. There is
great force conquers the sophisticated skills.' The martial arts learners in different countries also pay great attentio
Chinese kung fu attaches importance to the integrated force that comes from all parts of the body. While this swa
He concluded his speech with a sigh. "It is a great pity that it can not be spread widely, as it needs a spacious area
manufactured far much less than previously. Moreover, there are few people left who keep training on it througho
the world."

His words made a lasting impression on me. Filled with regret at this loss, I left there with the hope of seeing it re

After the great film SHAOLIN TEMPLE was released in China in 1982, a new upsurg
under state regulation and spread far and wide. Many Chinese kung fu practitioners fe
learned these forms. Shortly after the film, a great number of wushu schools or training
China. Although traditional Chinese kung fu lessons were provided in these wushu sch
forms or sanda (free boxing).

Traditional Chinese kung fu can be divided into three groups: the hard style, the soft s
training for litheness of the body and includes Nei Gong (exercises to benefit the inter
techniques that involve force or strength or hardening of the body belong to the hard s
techniques but also nimble footwork and flexibility.

Lessons at the kung fu school were modified to meet the needs of students eager for quick success and great insta
As a result, the 100-day-rapid-result course came to light. But real kung fu requires years of incessant and painsta
Compared to real kung fu, the techniques gained with the rapid-result course are like gloomy tiles, while the form
cherished as jade. Without training in basic skills, the showy forms are bare postures. For instance, stabbing palm
techniques are frequently seen in forms designed for competition. These techniques are designed to hit home and
opponents badly. But they require hardness of the fingers, which in turn requires conditioning methods handed do
generation to generation by kung fu masters; otherwise, the practitioner will suffer serious injury when adopting
techniques in real fighting.

Chinese traditional kung fu is systematic. Should the palm or fingers be stressed in a certain style, specific condit
palms and the fingers is to be expected. But fundamental training in traditional kung fu is not only boring but usu
long time. As a result, kung fu students are greatly discouraged and often back out before entering the realm of ku
one of the main factors contributing to the absence of traditional kung fu lessons at some kung fu schools. Over t
years, I have made several attempts to give the traditional kung fu lessons to the students at the kung fu training c
work, but I ended up with a sign every time. Students who are interested in the rapid-result course or flashy styles
show no interest in real kung fu that requires years of painstaking efforts. Handing down traditional kung fu to fu
generations is becoming ever more difficult. As a result, many styles of traditional Chinese kung fu are fading aw
of smoke.

Basic skills play a key role in traditional kung fu. There is an old saying in the martial arts world: "Without basic
will end up with nothing." The basic skills of traditional kung fu are somewhat like the funds needed to do busine
funds available, the more likely you will succeed. The ancient Chinese philosopher Hanfeizi once said, "Long sle
advantage in a dance, while more funds are an advantage in a business." Should the day come when basic skills a
or disappear entirely, kung fu practitioners will suffer the same dilemma as the stone-broke businessmen.

Some techniques are losing their value due to inadequate training on basic skills. Take the stabbing leg technique
adopted either to kick high at the opponent's head or to kick forward by moving fast close to the ground. It can al
attack the opponent's crotch or costal regions. It can be both cruel and clever. But this technique can only be exec
effectively with a well-conditioned big toe. Due to this factor, some similar techniques are fading in the martial a
finally out of the sight completely. However, some techniques have evolved into a different version. Once again t
stabbing leg technique. In the past, some people were good at the technique. But later most practitioners were too
Because of their physical limitations, they proceeded to attach a piece of iron plate to the toe of their shoes to com
deficiency. In a fight, they could hurt others badly with the help of the iron plate. In addition to those too old or w
adopted the trick. Generally in China, women are not as strong as men. Unable to outrun men, they made great ef
their big toes to make them hard enough to launch such attacks. As a result, they devoted much more time and en
In the old days, Chinese women dressed in long skirts and had their feet bound. They were required to walk witho
skirt and exposing their feet. So most of the time they walked slowly. As their feet were shielded from view by th
was difficult to detect the tricky shoes worn by female kung fu practitioners. In an actual fight, the opponent coul
the female attacker was launching a fatal attack, as it seemed that the female attacker was about to walk forward w
up the foot. Quite often, the female attacker ended up the winner. One of the traditional Chinese leg techniques, c
skirt leg technique," got its vivid name from this legend. As the same satisfactory outcome can be obtained with t
very naturally that there are fewer people left who keep training their big toes.

Some kung fu practitioners pay through the nose for the hard style, as it requires them to make certain parts of the
enough to serve as a weapon. Additionally, some hard style training techniques have been found to be unscientifi
health. One of my sifus had a friend who trained his shins so hard that even the iron bar failed to make him feel p
he was involved in a fight, he used his legs as a weapon. But in his forties he often felt pain in the shins for no rea
underwent a medical check and found that the shins had turned black. Shortly afterwards, he passed away. Althou
style training methods are designed reasonably, practitioners still can't escape from a similar fate. Quite often, the
opponents seriously and simply raise their hard-enough weapons to intercept the coming attacks, depending on th
undetected injuries begin to take their revenge. Ultimately they will be eaten up by the injuries. In China, this phe
internal energy), which occurs frequently in old age. In the old days, Chinese kung fu practitioners didn't study ku
means to make a living or gain social status. The unskilled or shoddy could lose their job at any time. So they oft
even harming their bodies. Nowadays, unlike our kung fu ancestors, most kung fu students pursue martial arts wi
Naturally, today's kung fu students steer clear of certain hard style techniques, even though they sound marvelous

Chinese kung fu takes its root in the common people. Most Chinese kung fu masters are poorly educated. They d
academic research. Some vague, awkward-sounding words and ambiguous theories are used when they give lesso
might say, "The force shall be like that of the dragon playing in the sea," while some others will proclaim that "T
drives on the former." Of course, some illustrations are given by the master himself when the lesson is being give
finally gain the force described as that of the wave, the dragon. As a matter of fact, the wave-like or the dragon-li
years of training. It is true. However, the most important thing to gain the force is the key to the movements. Wha
key tips clear. Although the disciples of future generations may fail to feel the force of the dragon, they will alwa
theory are adopted when they move on to teach their disciples. In the end, the so-called dragon-like or wave-like

Some Chinese kung fu masters are very strict when they choose their formal disciples. They would rather make th
would abuse the martial arts. In additional to showing talent, hand-selected disciples should be both well-behaved
opposite potentialities can be expected. Those who are lucky find followers who will develop their styles further
pass away without leaving behind a single disciple, as a suitable student never materialized during the master's lif

Some people hold that lost styles are due more to natural selection. Such styles lag far behind and fail to meet the
-- select the superior and eliminate the inferior - these styles vanish. But in my opinion, some styles fade away no
understanding and appreciation.

十八般兵器
 

Dao 刀 Qiang 槍
 JI 戟 Fu 斧

Gou 鈎 Cha 叉

Jian 簡 Chui 錘

Tang [金堂] Gun 棍

 Bang 棒 Guai 拐
ページのトップへ↑

MASTERS OF SHAOLIN

LATE QING PERIOD SHAOLIN MASTERS

Shi Henglin (1865-1923): One of the protectors and heroes of the Shaolin Temple prior to the 1928 burning, hav
was great martial monk and master of various boxing styles.

Shi Zhenxu (1893-1955): In 1899 he was ordained as a monk at the Longxing Temple. In 1920 he arrived at the
Henglin. He studied Shaolin Boxing arduously with Shi Hengln and other senior martial monks, including metho
various weapons. He also practiced Tie Shen Kao and Ti Qian Jin specialised skills.

Shi Degen (1914-1968): A student of Head monk Zhen Xu(1893-1955) and of Wu Sanlin (1875-1970) he was th
during his relative short life had become reonowned for his martial skills teaching many monk and lay disciples a

MINJIAN SHAOLIN MASTERS

Shi Suxi: Master Shi Suxi (Geng Shuanzhu) was born in 1926 in a village near Dengfeng, Henan Province. He b
became a disciple of Head monk Zhen Xu studying Chan, Medicine and Martial Arts. 

Shi Suyi: Layman disciple Shi Suyi (Liang Yiquan) was born in 1931 in Dengfeng, Henan Province and studied
father Liang Haishui. Later he also progressed his studies under the guidance of 29th Generation Shaolin monk S

Liu Baoshan: Master Liu Baoshan was born in 1930 in Dengfeng, Henan Province. He studied Shaolin Martial A
opened the Dengfeng Tagou School in 1978 where he currently teaches alongside his 3 sons Liu Haichao, Liu Ha

MODERN SHAOLIN MASTERS

Currently, there are a multitude of Shaolin Masters throughout the world as the Shaolin Temple gains the popular
In Henan Province, Ten Traditional Shaolin Boxing Masters have gained recognition and been commemorated: C
Zhigan, Liu Baoshan, Liang Yiquan, Liu Zhenhai, Wang Changqing, Lian Heguan and Chen Jun.
  

   MASTERS GALLERY
                                                

                     

(1914-1968)]                   [Shi Degen and Li Tianchi circa 1963]                 [Wang Dingyi (1908-1976)]                             [Wang Zongren]                           
                
      [Shi Suxi (1926-2006)]             [Shi Suxi practicing Shaolin Boxing]                 [ Master Shi Deyang ]                    [Master Shi Suyun]             [Master Zhang Qinghe]       
 
 

                    

           [Liang Yiquan]                   [Liang Yiquan's Parents, Father Liang Haishui]      [ Liang Yiquan Practicing Guai ]     [Master Liang Yiquan in 1979 with Japanese Delegate]      
 
THE TEN SHAOLIN BOXING MASTERS:
 

 
    [崔西岐]          [陈成文]           [陈五经]             [付志乾]         [刘宝山]           [梁以全]           [刘振海]      [王长青]             [耿合营

HISTORICAL SHAOLIN BOXING MASTERS:

                  
    [Shi Henglin (1865-1923) leading the Security Guards during turbulent period]           [Shaolin Martial Monks of in the early 20th Century]      

SHAOLIN FORMS AND WEAPONS CURRICULUM

The Shaolin Curriculum as recently re-built consists of over 300 hand forms. Of course more than any lifetime co
Forms as per the Authentic Shaolin Institute which is based on Lay Masters Liu Baoshan, Liu Zhenhai and Liang
there are only 13 (although some may have multiple roads/sections):
 
 
1.  Xiao Hongquan (Small Red Fist)
2.  Da Hongquan (Large Red Fist)
3.  Qixingquan (Seven Star Fist)
4.  Changhu Xinyimenquan
5.  Luohanquan (Arahan Fist)
6.  Meihuaquan (Plum Blossom Fist)
7.  Paoquan (Cannon Fist)
8.  Jingangquan (Jingang Fist)
9.  Taizu Changquan (Taizu Long Fist)
10.Luohan Shibashou (Arahan 18 hands)
11.Tongbiquan (Through Arm Fist)
12. Liuhequan (Six Harmonies Fist)
13. Xinyiba (Heart and Mind Sections)
 
 
In terms of Weapons, the emphasis is on Shaolin Staff, but there are a large array of weapons taught these include
 
 
Staff: Yinshougun, Shaohuogun, Chimeigun and Damogun
Sword: Damojian, Longxingjian, Qinglongjian and Qixingjian
Broadsword: Meihuadao, Heihudao, Simendao and Chantoudao
Spear: HuaQiang, Meihuaqiang, Liuheqiang and Luojiaqiang
 
 
Additional weapons include the Damo Spade, Trident, Spring Autumn Long handled broadsword, daggers, chain
many more.
 

 
  

 
WU BU QUAN (5 STEP BOXING)

Below is the modern adapted introductory set referred to as Wubuquan (5 step Boxing) that was derived from Chaquan but incorporated by many shaolin and wushu schools as basic
coordination and strength.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

17. 18. 19. 20. 21.. 22. 23.

** extracted from Beijing Milun School of Traditional Kung Fu

THE ORIGINS AND TRANSMISSION OF BEIJING CHUOJIAO FANZI

 
When Zhao Canyi then headed to Lixian (Li county), northwest from Raoyang, to teach the Liu family. Some of
 
 
WEI CHANGYI (魏昌义)
 
Wei Cangyi was from Jijiazhuang (Jijia Village) in Lixian and when Master Zhao Canyi was in Lixian as the inst
Wei Changyi sought out Master Zhao and studied the great art of Chuojiao. Master Wei also travelled to nearby S
other martial arts. He became a well known martial artist, a famous Biaoshi (Security escorted Logistics Expert)
imperial family. As a result of these posts/careeers, Wei Changyi did not have as many disciples, but did become
famous Xingyi Master Li Fuzhen had a friendly challenge with Wei Changyi, and was so impressed by the power
teach him some methods. Li Fuzhen then developed a set of Yuanyangquan which he incorporated into his branch
 

 
WEI ZANKUI (魏赞奎)
 
Wei Zankui (1854-1951) was the nephew of Wei Chanyi, who studied daily with the great Master for over 10 yea
many legends of Wei Zankui including one in 1900 when the 8 foreign nations invaded Tianjin, 20,000 Qing sold
Zhangjia Bay. Since Wei Zankui was so skilled in battle he became a captain and lead the soldiers to victory, forc
armies returned with a greater expanded force. Generals of the Qing armies such as Ma Yukun, Chen Zilin, Zhang
Tán Tuǐ
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

  (Redirected from Tantui)

Jump to: navigation, search
Part of the series on
Chinese martial arts

List of Chinese martial arts

Terms
 Kung fu (功夫)

 Wushu (武術)
Historical places
 Shaolin Temple (少林寺)
 Wudang Mountains (武當山)

 Mount Emei (峨嵋山)

Historical people
 Bodhidharma (菩提達摩)
 Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰)
 Five Elders (五祖)
 Yim Wing-chun (嚴詠春)
 Hung Hei-Gun (洪熙官)
 Fong Sai-yuk (方世玉)
 Dong Haichuan (董海川)
 Yang Lu-ch'an (楊露禪)
 Wu Ch'uan-yu (吳全佑)
 Chan Heung (陳享)
 Wong Fei Hung (黃飛鴻)
 Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲)
 Yip Man (葉問)

 Bruce Lee (李小龍)

Related
 Hong Kong action cinema
 Wushu (sport)

 Wuxia (武俠)
This box: view • talk • edit

Tán Tuǐ is a very famous Northern wushu routine and has several versions due to its incorporation into
various styles. For this reason the name can be translated to mean Spring Leg 彈腿 (the most popular) or
Pond/Lake Leg.
Styles that incorporate Tán Tuǐ include Northern Praying Mantis, Chángquán, and Northern Shaolin as
well as many other minor styles and systems.

[edit] History

Due to the lack of written histories we are left to rely upon oral stories which can vary from each teller
even within the same lineage. For this reason we supply you with the various versions we have come
across.

1. Tang Dynasty. The city of Ling Qing is situated between the warring factions of the Song, Liao and
Jin Courts. An infantry soldier named Kun Lung Dai Shi took refuge in the Lung Tan Temple located
within Ling Qing City. Becoming a Monk at this temple Kun Lung formulated the routine Tan Tui
(Pond Legs) with 10 Roads. It is said that this set was created in order to counter the Liao & Jin's
superior upper body grappling skills. Ling Qing City became a major trading center due to the Canals
built during the Yuan Dynasty. For this reason it is believed that Tan Tui was able to spread throughout
China[citation needed].

2. Shaolin's Tan Tui is given credit to Monk Xian Ji who while in residence at the temple in Ling Qing
Tan Temple in Shandong Province during the Ming Dynasty. It is said that he traded Shaolin's famous
Lohan Fist routine for their Tan Tui routine. Also Xian Ji is said to have also added an additional 2 roads
to the original 10 Road Tan Tui Routine.[citation needed]

3. Chinese Muslims,are known for the fierce combat skills. They helped in the founding of the Ming
Dynasty During the 13th Century. It is said that during Qi Ji Guang's journey to suppress Japanese
Pirates along China's Coastal Cities. On this journey a Muslim by the name of ChaShagMir (aka:
Chamir) fell ill due to the exhaustion and the harsh weather. His companions left him in the care of the
inhabitants of a mountain village in Guan Xian County. So grateful for their care he taught his martial
arts skills to the local villagers. In memory of him the called the system they practiced Cha Quan (Cha's
Fist)[citation needed]. Tan Tui (with 28 roads) was the foundation they used to develop their system. It is said
that 28 was used to signify the 28 Letters in the Arabic Language. Later this was condensed into 10/12
Roads. The Hui/Moslem are still today known as the best exponents of Tan Tui.

4. Chin Woo was the first Public Gymnasium founded for the purpose of making Martial Arts training
available to anyone (who could pay). The recognized founder was Huo Yun Jia, an exponent of the
Mizong System. Part of this system was a version of the 10 Road Tan Tui that Huo Yun Jia
demonstrated often[citation needed]. Due to his sudden death not many of his students had the opportunity to
learn this version. Chao Lien Ho was hired to head up the organization and as part of his task he
formulated a specific curriculum. While an exponent of Mizong he also had studied various Shaolin
based systems as well[citation needed]. The first form required to be studied by beginner students is a 12 Road
Tan Tui. While it is not sure where this version comes from, it has become the most popular version
taught throughout the Chinese Martial Arts due to the fame of the Chin Woo.

[edit] Understanding Tan Tui

Tan Tui is composed of a series of forms, which emphasize blocking, stances, footwork, and most of all,
kicks. Tan Tui exists as a style on its own, but is commonly used as a basic form for styles like Chāquán.

Today Tan Tui forms the basis for the Bei Chang Quan/Northern Long Fist systems. It improves your
fighting skills, balance, strength, and focus, thus, Tan Tui contains the basic skills and flexibility drills
required in advanced forms.
In some Schools, Tan Tui is taught as the first form to build the skills necessary to advance in the
system. It has been stated that if a new student doesn't find the Tan Tui form challenging that he or she
will not like the Long Fist style of Kung Fu.

Tan Tui is deep rooted in China’s Hui Muslim community. One such reference to the Islamic influence
is the posture of holding one punch out in front of body as a punch is thrown to the rear with the other
hand. The Body is turned sideways so that both the front and the rear punches reach maximum range.
Besides being a good exercise to train the fighter to get full shoulder and body trust behind each punch,
like a good Boxer, it also is a giveaway that the form has a Muslim history. Kung fu forms that use this
posture came from China's Muslim community.

Liu Seong Kuntao

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The Liu Seong System is one of the many styles of Kuntao Silat, which are hybrid martial arts systems
derived from the cultures of China and Indonesia. The Liu Seong system was brought to America, from
Indonesia, by Willem A. Reeders (1917-1990).

Reeders was of mixed heritage, being of Dutch and Chinese blood, but raised in Indonesia. He received
training in a variety of martial arts, no one knows how many exactly. His primary teacher was his great
uncle Liu Seong, whose title he bore. His uncle taught him his family's Kuntao system, a sophisticated
form of fighting which focuses on close range technique. Reeders also studied many silat systems,
having over ten silat teachers. His silat styles included Tjikalong (Cikalong), Tjimande (Cimande),
Harimau, and Serak, among others. Reeders was an extremely accomplished martial artist who was able
to tie many focal elements of various arts together into a cohesive whole. The result is an art that
although bearing many similarities to many well known arts still retains a distinctive identity with its
own signature movements, strategies, and tactics. It is based firmly in an objective approach, based on
the principles of physics, anatomy, and psychology. The patterns of movement are designed to be
extremely effective and one hallmark is the ability to throw a large volume of attacks very rapidly.

Today, Liu Seong Kuntao / Liu Seong Gung Fu is thinly spread throughout the United States, with
instructors offering variations of the art in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland,
Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Erie,Pennsylvania, Tennessee,Toronto,and
Virginia.
Contents
[hide]
 1 Combination of styles
 2 Chinese hands and Indonesian feet
 3 Standardization and diversity
 4 Fundamental strategies, tactics, and techniques
o 4.1 Strategy
 5 Reference and further reading
o 5.1 Books

o 5.2 Published articles

[edit] Combination of styles

Many styles that are the result of combining different methods are often termed "eclectic" and often are
lacking a core, instead relying upon the continual addition of new strategies, tactics, and techniques. The
Liu Seong system although hybridized is not at all "eclectic", and the basic movements are also the
advanced. Understandings and applications change, but the essential system does not. This allows for a
much greater depth in the development of skill owing to the continual refinement of a base that does not
inherently change, but instead becomes more advanced.

There are various view points espoused by martial artists about the nature of systems and their
development. One view is that although a style may be a hybrid or combination, eventually it develops
its own identity and is no longer considered to be 'mixed'. Another view is that all martial arts are indeed
hybrids and are the result of a continual process of synthesis and refinement, and any given art in a
generational span is, in fact, a 'phase' of its development.

Another extremely valid point of view upon differing martial styles is they are more accurately
identified as cultural/social representations. Karate is Okinawan or Japanese, gungfu is Chinese, and so
on. Each culture tends to focus on a different approach to the fighting arts, according to their mores.

In one sense, the 'real' difference in arts, beyond cultural distinctions, lies in the strategies and tactics
employed.

The Liu Seong system is culturally derived from the arts of China and Indonesia, and accordingly has
tactical elements of both. The adopted cultural aspects, primarily school etiquette, may vary between
Chinese and Indonesian terminology and practices, and may even include elements of both.

There is an axiom that states that for a system to be valid it must be based upon a greater system.
Beyond the consideration of historical and cultural elements, what defines the Liu Seong system is a
core of operation that is firmly rooted in the principles of physics, psychology and anatomy. This
orientation is what allows the art to weave together two disparate cultural elements and blend differing
strategies together into one whole, and in the end, define itself. It is a true synthesis.

[edit] Chinese hands and Indonesian feet

Being a synthesis, it has many tactics to draw upon. One basic recognition of this is found in the
expression, Chinese hands and Indonesian feet. This refers to the basic combination of Chinese-style
(Nèijiā) biomechanics and Indonesian style footwork patterns. The China Hand component teaches good
body alignment for power. Indonesian Feet teaches mobility and positioning through the use of footwork
'patterns'.
Because it is greatly influenced by silat, the Liu Seong System is what is known as 'blade aware', and
this is reflected in many elements of the posture. Although weapons are rarely used in practice, except in
advanced training, movements are made 'as if' the opponent was wielding a knife, stick, or one of other
numerous weapons, gun defense techniques do exist, within the context of the system to address this
modern concern. The postures used tend to protect most major vital areas and this protection is
maintained at all times. This method is known as 'closed body' movement. The closed body movement
also has the effect of 'winding up' the practitioners arms and legs so that he can strike out quickly and
'close up' again so as not to unnecessarily expose the vitals to attack. The guard shape and techniques
used in this 'closed body' system are very distinctive and tend to constitute the 'signature' of the system.
[citation needed]
in great part this 'closed' condition is maintained by the continual position of the back hand in
a guard position. Whenever the basic guard posture is changed or a strike is thrown the backup will be in
a 'guardian' position.

Often, it is taken to be a form of Pakuachang, although seemingly more angular in nature. Many are of
the impression that kuntao and Pakuachang are either the same or highly related. Others cite parallel
evolution. Given Reeders' history and circumstance, it is entirely likely he knew both arts. Despite the
origin, known or not, in the Liu Seong system there is an inherent use of angulation that tends to be very
advantageous in a combat situation, coupled with continuous non-stop entry and penetration. The art
doesn't, however, 'go around' to someone to strike, it 'goes to' the target with the use of angles to avoid
the opponent's attack. there are a large volume of counter-attack techniques in the system. Counter-time
or interceptive techniques are also prevalent.

These are a few of the basic characteristics of the system which is a unique combination of the Chinese
and Indonesian elements from which is it created.

[edit] Standardization and diversity

There is no standardized curriculum, nor is there a central organization to represent the art, to which all
chapters subscribe. Each school has its own individualized program of training. Despite the variety of
expression found in the art, and the independent nature of the schools, there are more similarities than
differences, and often it takes one who is familiar with the system to identify the difference in methods,
as they are, in most cases, quite subtle. Experts in the system can often identify who a student trains with
just by watching them move. This is due in great part to the fact the many of Reeder's original (first
generation American) students are, for the most part, alive and well and heading up their respective
chapters. Therefore their students have a strong model to emulate, and their teacher's 'style' shows in
their forms and applications.

The range of these arts is also shown in a wide array of forms (kata, quan, etc.) that are practiced.
Different lines of the art have different sets of forms. These forms are often deconstructed and made into
smaller patterns of movement for ease of learning and for children's programs, as well as being
rearranged in different sequences. These are the individualized training tools developed by different
instructors.

Additionally, some chapters have assimilated forms from other sources into the Liu Seong system or
teach it in concert with other methods.

[edit] Fundamental strategies, tactics, and techniques

The origin of many tactics and techniques in the system is unknown. Speculation of where a particular
tactic comes from, in terms of root style, is often a point of discussion amongst practitioners. Because of
the hybrid nature of the art, many techniques taken from other arts may very well have been transformed
by its absorption in the system to the extent that they no longer resemble their parent art. It is often
stated by those that knew Willem Reeders, that he was primarily concernced with the technique
applications and fighting tactics of the arts that he studied, not with ritual elements, like forms, or juru-
juru (prearranged sequences of movement).

This fact plays out in the many different methods of engagement that can be found within the system.
Due to this variety, the art cannot be rigorously classified. The common thread found running through
all the schools are the principles of operation. Although Liu Seong encompasses many techniques, its
true definition is found in the tactical transitions of the distinctive postures of the style, and the
syncopated rhythm of attack which are used to enter, strike and achieve a wide variety of locking and
throwing techniques, culminating in finishing attacks upon the downed opponent.

[edit] Strategy

Liu Seong is an art of self defense, and not meant for sport competition. Practitioners spar at less than
full speed and strength, and many attacks are not used due to their inherently dangerous nature. This
concession is considered a necessity in order to prevent injury to the students.

The Liu Seong system, in great part, has not undergone modernization, as have many other disciplines.

Willem Reeders' system of martial arts still retains its old school combat orientation with techniques that
are designed to seriously injure an attacker. The essential premise of the art is that for self defense to be
adequate it must take into account the worst possible scenario in which you could find yourself, in a
fighting context. Accordingly, this would be having to face multiple, armed attackers who are versed in
the martial arts as well. This assumption lays the theoretical basis for the art.

The Liu Seong system is a 'blade aware' or weapons based system which is generally trained without
weaponry. Weapons are added to the training at advanced levels as an extension of the hand technique
which is considered paramount. This is a departure from the method of many other styles of weapons
combat which begin training with weapons first and take up 'empty hand' methods after basic baton,
knife, or staff skills have been learned.

Five Ancestors
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五祖拳
Five Ancestors Fist

Pinyin: wǔ zǔ quán

Minnan: ngó chó kûn

Part of the series on
Chinese martial arts
 List of Chinese martial arts
Terms
 Kung fu (功夫)

 Wushu (武術)
Historical places
 Shaolin Temple (少林寺)
 Wudang Mountains (武當山)

 Mount Emei (峨嵋山)

Historical people
 Bodhidharma (菩提達摩)
 Zhang Sanfeng (張三丰)
 Five Elders (五祖)
 Yim Wing-chun (嚴詠春)
 Hung Hei-Gun (洪熙官)
 Fong Sai-yuk (方世玉)
 Dong Haichuan (董海川)
 Yang Lu-ch'an (楊露禪)
 Wu Ch'uan-yu (吳全佑)
 Chan Heung (陳享)
 Wong Fei Hung (黃飛鴻)
 Huo Yuanjia (霍元甲)
 Yip Man (葉問)

 Bruce Lee (李小龍)

Related
 Hong Kong action cinema
 Wushu (sport)

 Wuxia (武俠)
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This article is about the martial art. For the folklore figures written with the same Chinese
characters, see Five Elders.

Five Ancestors Fist is a Southern Chinese martial art that consists of techniques from five different
styles:


the breathing methods and iron body of Da mo (達尊拳)[1]

the posture and dynamic power of Luohan (羅漢拳)[2]

the precision and efficient movement of Emperor Taizu (太祖拳)[3]

the hand techniques and the complementary softness and hardness of Fujian White Crane (白鶴
拳)[4]

the agility and footwork of Monkey (猴拳)[5]
Wuzuquan (Five Ancestor Kungfu) also known as Ngo Cho Kun is a southern Shaolin martial arts based
on the techniques of five different styles such as: Baihe, Qitian, Taizu, Luohan and Dazun. There are
several versions of Wuzuquan’s history, with some putting the founding of the art around 1300 AD,
while other put it as late as the 1800s.

The combination of these five styles and their characteristic techniques were during the creation of the
Five Ancestor System, consolidated by a sixth influence; Xuan Nu also known as Hian Loo(玄女拳).[6]
'The Lady in the Green Dress,' who introduced the most deadly of its techniques Dim Mak lethal strikes
to the pressure points of the body.

Five Ancestors has been attributed variously to Chua Giok Beng (pinyin: Cài Yùmíng) of Jinjiang near
Quanzhou in Fujian in the second half of the 19th century or to Bái Yùfeng.[7], a famous 13th century
Shaolin monk of the original Henan Shaolin Temple in the North of China to whom Five Animals style
and Hóngquán (洪拳) have also been attributed. The Cai (Chua) branch also calls themselves He Yang
Pai (鹤阳派), a tribute to Cai's teacher.

Practitioners of the Bái Yùfeng lineage also credit the influence of the Xuan Nu (玄女拳) system, with
its emphasis on flowing movements and humility, for refining the art of Five Ancestors[8].

One of the primary characteristics of Five Ancestors is its reliance on the Sanchin|Sam Chian|San
Zhan(literally "three battles":三戦) stance and the corresponding hand form of the same name, which it
obtained from Fujian White Crane. The "three battles" refer primarily to the three stages of Wuzu
practitioners can achieve: combat preparation, combat tactic and combat strategy; all of which must be
mastered in order to attained a good level. "Three Battles" has multi-faceted meaning: conceptual,
physical, and spiritual.

Sam Chian can also be said to allow development of the eight Five Ancestor principles and so, is
considered the most important form in the style. Indeed, it is said that this form contains all the
principles of the Five Ancestors system. Thus it is the first form taught to junior students, so that they
may explore the essential points of Five Ancestors from the start of their training.

Although the exact method depends on the school, Five Ancestors is known for its large variety of
power generational methods. Due to the distinct character of each ancestor, these methods change
depending on the power required. Some schools teach tension forms that develop power, of which there
are about ten, and fist forms that train technique, of which there are dozens. Others stress a relaxed body,
instead seeking maximum transmission of the relevant jin.

On top of this are miscellaneous hand forms, two-man forms (also known as form-drill) that may or may
not include sticking hands, and forms for a comprehensive arsenal of weapons including rice bowl and
chopsticks, umbrellas, even opium pipes.

Over the decades masters have added to this list introducing material they considered relevant to the
time.