"

The Evolution of Shaolin

Hand Combat
Israel > Tel Aviv Universitv

Martial

Meir Shahar

tel' hniqu m" Ulfe

centuries 10 evolve ,

~h n

had been pral'ticing the staff for several hundred years before it

monh

w lauJ"d

in late - Ming lileralure as an outstanding fighting mt" thod. Sirnilarly their

~ e

bare - handecl techniques - now famo\l s the woclJ O\T f -

Leen un

folding for some four hund d 'ears: As t' arly as the sixtl enth - l'ntury
60e

Shaolin

lTI onks

enteenth , they

pracliced unarmed

dewloped lphisticated

fightin in

the :ourst' of the

emply - handed

te(.hn(jll

~e

ancl

by the mid - Qing period (tt eight nth and eady nine..nth eenluries) , hand combat (quan) had erlipsed the staff as the dO Tl In8nl form of
ShaoJin martial traingi
The teml quan , which 1

r:!er

" hand comna\ ," m..ans literal\v "

fi !:t." During the lale - imp t>r iaJ period it f esignated unarmed fighting
lechniques , all of wbieh made USP - in addilion to ans -f Jegs; kic
king figures prominenlly in al! quan styles , in hich senS f"
is misleading.

1:.>

r1

"Boxin

which

"

hlld ('01hat"

has al50 been used to translate

qua

j)", E""lul; 1 IJaoJil1 H 1

s l! ffer~ from the add t> d di ilvanla!!e that it C{ )Jl no lt's

39

Comha

speeifi( l-estern spo Ji, 1 have opl('d

II

Ih '" "hand c( 1hat " but where il sound too uwkward ~~pecia l! y

dividlllll

;Iyl('~

- 1 Io u\ l '

reorled

10 111<" likr <1 1 "f "

<1;;

\\,

Itl

tfw m mp~ i>f in

pll

The earJi e1 rt'ft' re ee 1 arn awu of to Sh 1 Hl hand combllt OCCUI5 in T Shunzhi 's
(1507-1560) Jt"'rlI "Song of llw Emei Motlk:~ Fi ,; l" ("Ernf'i dao n
lols /l(nh th t' Emei nlO na len en"

(j uan

ge" ), w > ich e\

hand('d hling hl Iso the Shaolin

s.

However

in hi~ )mpreh t' nsive 1'realise on l\'li!itar} Affair,; (Wll !Jl1 tn) , wh f' re he lists conkrul'ora!)' 1 "
hand t'd !t'S ~tj(' h " ['F. rnperor

ehallg quan " )

al "\Y(' l!

Famth

Fist

Zh Tn';; I- Range ri~t" (Zhao T !ZU

quan) , tlw same author does lwt lllludt, to

(\ii t'njia

Shaulin , indiealiug Ihal Ihe mona~ler~ had )1 d('\(:'!( aS\' f'tar:ognized t' lllpt- handed
sty \c. ln thc mililary

f'

n('y eJ upedill , Tang - lik f'

allude~ 10 tlw Shao!in ~taff instead.

:-i e\'eral de( later
em~

0(" lat t'

WPll Xian g{eng

Nai(jinshi 1601)

Hnwever , it 15

Curilsly

Ihp

1610)

(who f' xptoJ it

anJ Yua lJ

IfOllgd

JI)

158l ), Gong

(whn \"si it'd the mon

to gauge Ll te importan('e of unarmed fightitlg il1 Sh aolin s

which

Wf' r f' Illeanl

10 {'mlVf' y the

mnna\('1\';" ambiafl('e

te(:hniqlles ,

provided

Exposilf

staff pe Ji

(j l hi

h rd

\\i al Shixing

lhe d f' aH'st indieatiou Ihat lat f'

linn 10 hand eumhal

ouln his

sllch as

el !CmposJt}

i military

C f" ury l1l ililw experls

,)

SI Jlin

a "" 1 9).

not analyze

allusiolls 10 har!(l ("ombat bf' gan 10 pf' ar in the lra and po

Ming visitnrs 10

regim f' n from !heir

( llE' r ~ixteellth

b) thc

Mill Shaolin lIl onks were luming their atten

ll,"

O vocal f' xpOllcn\ of their staff melhod.

J1t ,;\

Ih t' Original Shao!in

~taff 1 thod

has u hypothptical nterloeutor ask;

U 19

Zongy

(Shaolill gunfa ("han ZOllg) (('u. (610)

Why Shaolin

ffiOllks

f tdi('e

hafe

hUllded fghting? g; answer aeknowledW'H that 50111 f' mOllks wer ~i-fiously t'llga 1 il1 halld
comhal , even as it lean-s nn doubt that , for tl m ltwa~an wly acq\l1 f"hling vly
Furthennore , Clwng explains thal throughllul China e Jty - hand teehniqu 11ft' not yel
widely pntclieed , whieh i Pci5ely why Shanlin monks explofe jhem - they wisl > 10 develop
hand comhat lo the same level 01' l' t'rff'l.tion as thpir

arlcienl aff

th Ruddhi:;l v{)('abula of enlighlenm 01descrilJt'

nlt'lhod.

Cheng rep!yemploJ's

Ilte exeellell('!-' jo whieh Shuolin

monks

pire in their nowl fghting metlwd

Somer e rn<l~ ask: "As 10 the lafT the Shaolin [1 thOt] Jadmirf"d. '1 HV there Hre

many 1aolin monks who pradiee hand eO Jll h<l1 (quall)

, and do

IH pracn

40
The Hand Combat
1/hch hape

Clas~ic

und Xuanjis ACUpUl){'ture -

rO

dirl seventeenth - centu Shanlin hand rnbat take? A possibl!' an 1;::'

provided by !wo Qin -perio-j (1644-1911) manu ...hi l'h 10 ret 1 it. The two
trea t ses , which share Huch strikin similarities thal the\' hav been treated bv ~cholar~ as two
versiolls of ()nc wk cin l I:'d in Qing manuseript editiOl before being publi;;hed in stg
hai during the Republican (1912-1949). Th eyare; lIandComhat Clisic Hand - Com
bat Method
(slyle:

(Jl eetion

Zaidon

(Quan jing; Quan fa

aml

Xua i

1 iyao) ,

with a prefac f' ()f 1784 hy Cll! l Huandou

's Secret Transrnission of

A l' upu ture

Fonnulas (Xuanji mi shou XUpdll() quan jue) , which carries an

Minge

Purnts' Hand - Combat

undal p t'

hv one

Zha

The Hand Comhat Classe and Xuanji :'l Acupullcture l'onts traee Iheir milit 'd ry lehniquefi
- Ihrough an almost iJentical linpage of lay praetit (mers 1784

pface

to Hand Combat Classi(' , Cao

Huandou xplain5

tIhe

Shaolin Monllsten;. In

thal lhe manllal he mJll otated had

been authored over a century earlier hy one Zhang Kongzhao

(styl!"; Hengqiu

). He fur

ther note5 that Zhang Kongzhao studied his Shaoli l! method with Zhang Minge , who is given

118

author of Ihe preface to Xuanji '5 Acupunclum Points. The latter manllal al:;o m!"nlinn5 Zhang
Kongzhao 5 name Finally preeeding these lay dspl Ihe Iwo manuals irl(~lllifv the
Shaolin deric as the source of their teachings. This is the monk Xuanji ,

wh!"

narne

S Ii!llf'

appea m

Ihe litle Xuanjis Acupuncture Poinls (see illustration no. 1)

The Hand Combat Clas cs and Xuanji Acupu rJlure Points'daims of conlmO Jl origins ar rhome out hy their teaehings. The two nmnuals
an identical martial vocahularv.

The is

.~xJUnd

the 5ame fi ;1>ting

principl r-s ld r-mplo

also texlual conv!"fgence - almost half the text , as

weH as some illu5trations , are identical. The is no doubt th f'" ll , that Ihe two Iwoks afe
merely rellective of the same oraltradition , but afe also derivative fmm the sanw wrlh'll tex t.
Jud~ing

1I 0t
,')

by ao Huandous dating of ZhHng Kongzhao , this original manual of thc Shaolir> slvl E'

must have been authore in the evenh~enth centu l)

The Repuhlican period witnessed the puhli!'ation of numenJUs

treatise~

wh (.h just like

Hand Combat Cla55ic and Xllanji s Acupuncture Points ('Iaim to record the origl I Shaolin Fist
The m05t famous is Seeret Formulas of the Shaulin

Hand bat

Method

(Sh lin

quanshu

mijue) (1915) , which i5 still regarded hy some as an authenti(' eumposilion. Howt' ver 001
ars have shown that mosf these publications have nuthing 10 do with the

1'1 l '01"11"

41

"f Sh~oli" H~ncl Co ", bal

L -"~

.ll ~tr

Ar:"I'",,,, rure

tau

hy

th" Shaol in _ Mona

Xu~nji~

thod

Xuanji ," from

lIlf'

Illu<lraliun no. 1 , "Th,' l>oJ\'

p"j

\\'hereas mt Repuhliean Shaolin manuals derive from la!e - Qing 10 the Haml Combal
C!assic and Xuanji 's Acupunelure Poinls share a sevent nth - rentury referem'p frame. The
martial techniques th mentwn \H're. praehd during the !ate Ming , Itlltl even tht 1r thev
pllraphrase dBle from thal period. COllsider , for e mple the opening paragraph u( Hand Com

42

b" Jas~i(
The hisl' 01" hand eombat )rginate(j al th!' ShaoJin Monasle

F: ver since Emperor Son

Taizu studied there , the monash'ry {am sprej{j througlJt the land. Thereafter , there he
been " Well FamiJy Seventy - two Posture MO\g Form ," "Thi y - six Pos!ure Lo cking
fonn." "Twenty - four Throws Pat on Horse ," "Eight Evasivp Maneuvers ," aml
t
u "s

tt

Tw
h

dlve
p'0;;

CJose - Han F
"
t" Lu
H 0

n hn
'"1 '!Ei
I Thr.
h

nu

qu. Eagd Cla

w \Xian gra
"p jing tchni
uq
u
e am< I Zha
n
g
J mg
} i slrikin h~('hlliil U1"

techniques are 311 famous throughout the land , each having its OWH

onderful

\l'

Tlwse

Howev

er , they a all guilty of either emph izing the t 10 the negleel of the IUo the hoUom
lu the neglect nf the top. Even jf one essfully rdi!' ,; on them 10 ()ven:m1W an oppollenl , they
eannol h". l' onsidered penect in e\cry rcspect
The entirf' paragraph ha'l been bOITOwed from the sixteenlh - cenlury gelWfa! Qi Jiguang's
Essenlials of e Haml Combat CJassic (Quan jing ji ao) (
J

clJ ncems the Shaolins role in the evolution of

dirl nol

asJciate

handed ghting.

Tlre lale -

the monastery with empty - hanrled teehn (jues , mentioning

instead. Furthermore , Qi Jigtlang did not

"(." ed

J562).:!zn UJ1 Jv differenc(>

960 -975) , to the

relat thf'

!llona"tery.

Song Dyna ",ty Founder ,

Ming - period lore

altrif. led to

lar bare - handed technique known as "Zhao Taizu s L lO g - Hange

quan) , A!'. befitting a Shaolin manual , IIand Combat
emperor study his method at the monastery.
The Jate - Ming con!ext of Hand

Claic

t"

twisted the

Min gen f'rul

tltl'lr Iff

~mpemr

ntethod

Zhao Tai-

the enJ [lf' ror a popu

(Zlwo Tnizu chang
legend h ing

1:1

Combasic

Cao Huandous 1784 e1 aim that th f' manual he

and

atlUlaled

Xuanji Acupunctuft>

had been

authon~(l

Poi 1l 1H

over u

supHts

('f'Jt tuf'arli

er. It would "eem that Ihe two manuals (lerived from an earlier text that had he t'1l ull\hored
rouncl the Ming - Qing trallsition , Further support for Ihis lime
:l

Shao !i n venance

the

fJme.

'iI

aH wt' JJ as for Ihe rnanual

is provided by Ihe name "Xuanji ," 10 whi C' h 1 hmnuul" ullribul Ih t: ir

teaching;; , A 1631 Shaolin

s1e in ion

alJ udes 10 a monk named Xuanji as a dutidiau(" su

perinlcndent") , wbich tenn was commonly applied 10 mililary appointees in tlw

monalery :S tn

ternal administration , It is likely , therefore , that Xuanji was a seventeenth - cenlury Shaolin
fighting monk , as asserted hy the Ireatises that puodtomoxd hls teaeh$11gs d
If Ihe Shaolin melhod

( JA-";i-o:

Tlw

b"lu!

4}

01 Sha"lin Hanol Combal

cunw I Ig - nmg!' hllnd ('ombal" (duan da shenghang quan) , for "short - nmg f' makes it
easl~r to n~a h the adversar} h. Ji" The Hand Cnmbat Classic in c! uJes an t> nlin. text - iL

IS 1111 n g: from thel r mutl \l ul - titled "Cumprellf'lI sive aml Original 'frpatisp o( the Shaolin
Mona Close - Rall i2P Fi~t Hod) M hod" (" Shaolin si rll l(Hl da shen fa lon zon~ qmlll
pu) For its pal1 , Xuanjis Aeupundure Pl) inls elaborates another short - rang f' style ealled "

Yue Ffunil} C! os

Rangt> Fisl" (uejia dllanda).

'fhe emphasis hoth mallua ],; plac t> on "

!7

d p - range hand comhat" typKal of lal(' - \1 ing am] earl} - Qing military literature , whith
"13 l! y distingu herl hetwCC Jl tWH tvp t>" of haml eombat: "long - runge" (ehang quall) and "

dose -

range" luanda).

Sixlt 11h

and seV f' II It)enlh

e ltUry

mi Ji tury

expe allud t>

to varioll>'

slu- rantv! ps indudi "Cotton Zhungs Close - Hunge F' ist" (Mian Zhang duand"

H" t) F'umily Clos~ - Ranl!e " (Henjia ,luanda) and " Liu [ family J Close - RunFi st"
(I.iu duan,!a). J
A sug-es \t(]

the

tedllliqm

t l1 fe ints

hv

it tille

Xuanji ~~ Aeupunetur t' Poinls , th t'

auributed 10 the ShaoJin

(xuedao)

JJl

snd

unk , of stking th f' oppo l1fmt i;

neept W2 b"Dwed

manual al50 expoumls

r: aviti

or

a punc

lfum traditiona! medicine , wherf' it de

ribed nsilJve spnt along the body s nlernaI ciITuit5 of en f> rgy (qi). Aeupun e\ ure treatment

is applied tn

these )ints

ry. 11 is 10 them , Ihe

which

lIl anllal

f' xplil

lhe aul l! o( empJnys Ihe Zhuatl !!J i

a ('ook
avs

knife maiw.d

followed the

fncture

!l (!!ural

ill nul

only

recepl e

to trealment Iml also

Ihal the ueeu lIl pIislwd Shaolin wamor

!l> etHphor

of Cook Oing

10 plain

d ets

Ih f-' technique:

as good as new , eV t' n after [l ineteen years of

ea~ities

sw:f' ptible IIIIJII

butche 19

in Ih t' oxens hodv. Hand eomhat shollld

his

T/ w

hJo

legend

for it had al

similarl 1 gel

acu

pomt!>

The hook l Zhuan g;)' rib. in the hig hollo the kn

l
penm

gs. 'Wh}
d
oe
"t v s
? B"'"
w h

e
e"
~n Cook
D'"
g cul 0
xen he

e no lon

er w 111

E
w hole

a-~ 1
s a) s lhe 'w
"h hanJ ('
combat w
Why? Be1U Sf' 1 am looking for my oppont;' ft
pOilIl S, acupundure poinls , and those furbidden to ~trike anJ 1 engrave them in my
F'or this reason , the moment 1 lif! mr halld

lIl ind s

eye

1 am able to target m ~ opponelt' lllpty plJl nls ,

ilnd strike at his acupuncture p()int~ 1\(1 1o l1 g:r se f' ng the whol t' w'rson. >l
The manual identifi acupundure points tlw striking of which wiIlU t umediate or
postponed dellth , as well

a~

those !ea

.,

.~jIJ

..!t.

-L

fHF
HN
AA

g hA
TAd
tM
-

R -A4

RI

A
h
H
fh

-
A

-4

A-

"

E pounrltn& Ih t") \!'1 011 ..1111 " , n ht lOg !'!H!! Illh ) 11 t5 t!1\t'r-. ' J IlI)I"'Ii I''
'I lnd LUlllh.l l UKl\II h dlll l U OIII' '" \.UpUlll' W..... I\lirtl r .....arichkJ' hn tl'!l 1 \ (~.;t hul jrv. <1'
Ilw 1!(1"'r i; I' rt(HC f> J~rt mte~

111 t'fl" uw van lJlL;j j ...1 1" 11 i j. J( w IllI ~ UWI1 rrn~h: !,oIl\P , 'wd

lIt

11011111

mrd ,od { 1Utnll. l; nl t' " "1Il ~ l'a1 m~ (~ II1 l11dng J. " f111JI ' Palrn" I 111 1 II Ii 1. ..i
rl'nn~ p In " t IU..th1.1' ). ~ IUlm PKll11" ( I m lZhll ). .. I""nltling Plllm" (h .li. "

F ol \l t; 1

4;

::'Io aollll ~"md ( "

Sweepul Pu!m" ( 7h ngl ""!t' I'allll" (danzhan) Il o\l bl Palm" (...hWI11gzIHl11 g)

allJ "Mundarin - [)uek Piilm" (\11<\1> yang zl11mg) a !l di

Hnf' f' X( in fi\ tm"I (quHn): TI1f~" A rdin Fist" (~hU n{lUall) "Flipplll"

( f'anqlllHll , "SU1 )ortin f! Fi~l" (dlf' ngquan) , "ln';PI1ing f'i " (..haqllan) , "I'llHill!! Fist"

(qian {j u1!/J), " f" Fi~l" (hmg(1 1H 1) "A('('orrl r- nied Fisl" (jUqlIl) and "J t'H'rc; iug
+1" (kmqu1)

a l1 di f!r

Some exee( in ellH meth ( ZhOll ) : The " Fl ipping EJho" (f'allzho \l 1 onling U
hO\\." (~hunzhou) "Horizonlal Elho" (h t-'lI g~holl )

, " lraighl E lI

(~1 lI7 holl) "Angl t' d

E lI H" (xiezhou) , "Da '" Elhow" (du !l ehnnz1\1) , and "Hack Flbow'i" ( ngzl lOl1 )

a Jl varv
Sorne excel Il ldho (sllf'n): '1'11<'
Bodv" (tuishen)

.\dvaneing R(d\' ( jinslwH )

"

"Stret('hing /1 0 1l\'"" ( I!f' n~herl

),

"Contradi J]/1 ody"

, " H t'l rIt 11

(1I 0~lt t' 11 ),

~l1 re(1 ( l{ ly" ({'hang~hen) "D i Jlg H y" (shanshl'n) , "lirr /1 oJy ,?" (.hellg~I H'1I
"1 )l !l Rod"

(~ueHh (!l)

(yollpiexi)

nd

are all di~~imilar

Son>e eXI' e) in kn method (xi): Tlw,

Thrusli K "

"I .-t' i

"

I kfl - lhru;;li K e

, "Kneelin Krlf'e"

(~uxi)

lrarting KfWt'" (slloxi) , aml "H :evng Krw('" (yingxi )

(m iexi)

"

"HCk Knee'!" (xi i1 llg\I)

j{ ihl
, "C(

11)1 clslincl

M t:'

Smne exeel jfl lq;: method ( 1 rh f> "Sin p: le LI:''''' laullll) , "Tw I k'g~" (~llllangtui)
"Changing Lt'.g s" (huantlli) "Splnning 11' g" (xuanlul) "ri()lng Lt' g" ('1 Wllllui)
Le "

(petui)

"Follov..ing l .e" (genLui)

bu)

, "

ex(' e] in tep method (1): Hw "Lo! qJ"

Angl!'d Step" (hengbu)

(shandian bu)
(huanbu)
Cur ed

"Fa('ing r kg ( mianlui)

, m" ul!'

- llo\' 1I

a a !l differe

Leg" (dianlui)
Jrne

, "Tllru~I'1

(langhll) "Sho h'p"

"Slrai !> I Sk,p ( zhibll ), " ge - Ikan -

"R t' verse Slep" (fanhu)

"Traeing SL t' p" (zonghu)

"A( ordillg

i \t' p"

(ShUllhu)

lI u('k

(tlllall
SLep"

, "Ew l! all i l1 A SIt' 1

"Full St" hibu) "F. lllply Step" (xuhu)

, "

Step" (qubu) , "Dir 1 Slep" (tingbll) , aml "Cy Ji ndr("al S p" (J:!."l nhll) art' all

Jistingui9hahle. ~
The Xuauji s Aeupu I lI re - I'oinls lrssion of varow p:dlll Jloslurf' IS il( I>IlI pmli f' d 1
an jlJ uslratioll thal fwlravs Buddhisl ill J1l1 enCe (( IIpare i!l uslratioll'" 3 aml 4)

lt'<1 st ill b

grapbu: m , if not in ils eCl l' finger positior , Ihe -arH

f~
1 lm s
la
i
tion of syJl
u
/
n

'0
0/ c hand g
s1m

'f'S (Sanskrit:
11 HIra; Chi!

e
r

lure!;.

a"") ill> HIItIft W

x

CI
1i

T~

z t.<

 J)1 )::.

46

t 1"

"

-
F
A
't

.,.

1~

f +

ll1 u\ratioll

~}'lllblJ\ic

llO. 3: I'alm

hand

I")~lr"~ bet mg .. inl1of B .J hist

g..~tllr"-' (m's)

, from Xuanji 's

Ancture

l'ois

Followng ther expostion of

fihtng ~les

ha fmual prineipl

firsl of which s the "Drunken

Ei~;-ht

the two nl1t nuaLs d t'l ail specfi(

- Immortals Fsl" (Zui haxian quan )

(e

ilJ ustratio /J nn. 5). n The eghl Daosl immortals hav t' 1n horrowed from late - Ming 10)

which Ihey were depieted as

riate each "f the

ins ant

earefrel

often la~ivi{)us

drunks. Nov e1s and plays

sainls with a given emblem: a flute)

flr

1I 1

Il sually

basket

whisk , etc. The martial artist mimieH wielding the icon n Ilis training routine , which , even as

E ~" ~

-l:("~

lC /. /u(jT "j'" 1 1' I I>"d

Co ", h;J 1

47

I appears nloxi('aled , is pprldlv ~I H' L ., Drunkpn Ei~ht - ImmoI1 als F~t "'" tlln t"~ rt"ft~rred

10 shoI1!v "Dnlllken Fi~t " is sl iJ l praduTd loday. (n ree t" nt dt'('lHl t" s il !nlo. b t" ('om t"

intpmationally fP nll\VI ~1 through .I a ky Challs (Cht, ")!."lol!!;l (b. 1954) tlwat al rPllditillll in
hi ,; blockhus[('f /J i t" DJl mkt' Jl ~a~lt"f (Zui f(Un ) (J g). 2; Thp ,; Ivle:" m'(' UlTPI J(" e in Hallt]
Comhal Clns~('

1lllfl

Xuanjis >\eupU\ \('luH. I'oints mi~JII indjeute Ihal it has l)et~n pnJcti( ] al jlu

Sh\O l;n ""lona1fV a~ eurlv a~ the ';<P\"enle t-' nlh ( ntun

(_~Xfl:

h 1111i<.

haml

llluHlralion no.

11:;

g. Un'"

( llludrIs)

Another ~tyle uepid t> d in thp two manuals!s !lw "Confoumling Fi;;t" (Miqwl!l) nam...d
beeause its quick and unexppcted m " ar impo.;<sibl t" for Ihe PV 10 foll " "[1 !(JllI1ding Fist" might be thp aneestor of a mndem l f< knu\\ !l 1 " Confl nding - Track Fist"
( Mizong (jIHlll) , whi('h similar nan l{" is matcfwd by all id t" nl cal elymology; ai I ()

()]I(

t entieth - century e ll. pe I1 tI "Confounding - Trurk t " i~ ,,0 ealled " l use ItH u JlI qu fuot
wor deceiv th f' a(h- PJ"~a t'Vt'~.

"

r.

Tlw modern ty!e iH al rrpd to h\" variol other Il a ~ome of lich

3rt'

homplr

nous with Mizong quan ( " ConfoulH Jing - Traek Fist") bul di fTer fmm it semantieally , beir

48

wrillen in otlu:r d l1:Haders. It is known as thp 11 Talllr('

Belisl Fsl" (Niw quan)

F 11

(Mizong quan) a((d Ihe

H "Yan-Vingtsl" (Yanqi quan)

The~f'

11 i! d

diverse ti

lJ(-s " t lhat th[e(.II!! qu klS e \"O ln"d , al ]('asl partially , within an I! i 1'al l"' en ronment

B the Imp pradJI10Uers l\Jght 10 write iI d O\\Jl, thrariously interpret t' d ils phonetic pro-

MIZOHK13

M
A
W
A
J

1H1I1 ('(Ut lO l>

J\

JFAi

'

llJ ustralion no. 5 "Ei!(ht -lm nJ nrtal , IJrunken p

Comhal Cl assi(

grew

fmltl Ih(' Hm

From another alle the techn t lues diverse appellati11;; refleet the la;e bod l' ()f 10re t}Ja I
IifO uncl it
Mizung quan is sum)uncled by Jegemls any of which a;suciule I with the

;- :J

2;iiUci

l' ..luI.""

111<'
} HH Mona
lIl

Ac{'onling to

()!\f',

o[ Sh"oli"

llw hcdlllq\H ('ff'Cl lpd jJ

(l

pp r! od ShaolJI

onk - n some n.. rt;i 11<' lS th f' muna~terl lutt' lary t!f> ll\ \ajrn (.I inhalt) h !ll ~I 1f

whu wa~ "0 rnprt' ~~{'d th tlw agilil ()f ,1Il al

I1

""

1/"..."

likp

<T

IIIII' af r JJl rtl. "\Vild- 1l ~l F (Nlzo lIg- qUWI)

puln l'f' Ih ,,( 11<' nam I hi Ilghllll f! 1 h

/1 0th""fIl l a Sl lC lah tlw h i ln

('al m{)na~l~ry wilh Ih(.. fidional prolali~l~ 01 Ihe \lint} oveJ Wlt'f I\hrgin. Tlw h ri" 1.11 J lIJl

VI I~ 1 10 ha \ f ' dt o [lt' d lhis dp('ppli\"e nwlho(l Iht' Sh in Monaskrv alld lakr lnul" lTl it

If' d it 10 his di '1e Yan Qing. \\ \1( t\ w lath r W I~ e~()11l from :()\ enlllWlll Inrpp~ 10 tlll
harlllil hav f'JI 1

I. langshan. he rt' l OJl it 10 hiJI' hi~ roolprinlS > 11 the sn()w , I'a !l ill il 1111" "

COllliH Hl ding - Traek Fi ~t" (Mizl g qu). ):tln Qil disl' ipl nauwd 1111:' I f' dullqu ill h
of Iheir ma"t t> r , ,. Yan Qing Fi " 111 ill del'c n:rt('1011 Buddhi:>1 provell(! lI( 'e rl' ll" l1'l'd 10 il al
~U

[11 "Tanlri l' F~I"

tlS

(Mizong qlla!l)

r!lI' n:peal l'd a Jl usio )l"

T:k Fisl) psl
J()rl

10 haollll n 11 11' legt'Jl(I~ IJrrOUndlrl \1 7.011 fJ uan ( Cll lI ll Jl llldlllg

lhal lhe n>onaskry miglIt (!V~ pl 1 ~()mt rol III ils e\"olulIH\. Fllrlher

f(J r lhis h) pothc~i~ is

su"J

b\ tlw jilll f'

\\-f'

lI!odern 1 " mi('al

krJO \I' ahml! Ilw

lineagt': Seholars usually Ifll l' e Ihe kchnique to a l1 ~ihleellth - eenlurv Shandollg 111 <1 I m1i ,,1
name Sun Tong ( styl e-; Li Kuan) might ha S"
di
1 aI tlw
>"
h !i n 1\1 0"
"Rihl

f}r
.~for
e
t h al the Mizung Qu
n (Lr fi)

un
hm

m>l i!iar today , derive - at le1!1iall

T k
F 1t).
w"
h H
l' h "? J'nt

from t! w Mquan ((onfOllmllll 1)

l't'l'

ordl'd II

Hand CornIJat Cl a fJ sie and Xuanji" A pW I(' IU fP Pninl

A third fighting k. dpscrilwd l I J I I Clllllbal Cl assir' 1 " f11 \1I<l rlj 1-11
punelUfI: Poin J,;, is 1hl" plum - Fl oI f ( \'leihua q lJ1i ll) which i~
1" tl~ fed rou1in f'lI<l mf'IJ

<l ft....r

I'

Ili1 n ll' lt' rized I a Ille

t! w 110~t' rs fiv t' pdal~ F t'1l lhough il figllre~ I't"olllir \th

in loday i-h n regirtwn , llw Plum -

lJ\ \N

Fisl pfl Jah h- did )1 0111' al llt" 111 l :1 sl

rhat il rnenloneu in Hand Coml 1 C1 a i(' on!y (and nol in Xwmji S .\"llfHl lll'l lIl"t' 1'oIII ,,)
m !-;-ht indical l' that it was I part of Ihe ori mtl IW \ I 'nl f'f' ntll - :pnlllll haoliu 11"\ 1,
rvecl a~ lllf~ rnar >uals' ~ rt:e.
a; the

h l1 iltermorl' , stlldie~ ()fh~r Qn

I fI 'rilld manual~

'hil , h h

\I-

w t>lI

Plum - Flowef pracliLimlt' f 'famil genealogies - ~U e.:('st Ihul Ihe t h T1 ique \\ O T1 ~llm!

!y develuped in Xuzhu Jiangsu , by mP lTl hl'rS of Ilw Zou

50
r.>< 5

of fl:' be Jl i()ll~ lll'l i\'iti(~S tb pr in(' t': Members of the fa i! ed 1813 Eight 'I' rigrarr Upn5

in p: in HuaCount tlorthern HI!<in udied !lw Plum - Flower Fisl. (

"

'III

Hua11

SHANXif

@/

!!.....-I

",_.1/"'1 SHNG

r. ..""-'
"_.._

_r

.L..

Chenjiagou

LrLHf'

Sshui

Kaifeng

Luoyan 91
,-"

i'

Neihuae

--_....-~"'

..
HENAN
Shaolin Monsstory

:1'd
V

some Hanan s..18d_1he1l8r1Od ml :

1lIJJlqu"91d al chFng ZoY. .u( of Talj 8 u
L_111 ;18I1g N-..._...

SI9h Yana 111

at

COI1m_.. N uang ty;1118 P"' In Ihe B

"

Orre reason for the rf' lative wealth f information orr Plum

Flwer hist

assoeiutiorr with the late - nin f' leenth cf' ntury Boxer lipri5irrg ( Yih(' quan ).

i" the

thal

rnethod

tirne , th f'

lerm "Plum - Fsl" J t' bignated rwt unly a tedmique , !lul al ;;o aT\ organ 1.ation; Tlw North - Chi
na plain5 witrressed th t'
'" imes refe eJ

spre1

()f

10 us "Plum -

whieh comhirred martial pradice

tl\\'P.5!S

Flm~er

Fist -

Il el UII"

times as " Plum - FIOIwr Fist to

militabrolherhoods

A~suati()ns"

with ligious eneration

aroll ng

e hecl Qing - period U on Plll ll1

of valiant deities

Shaolill praetitiorrer

w bom

Jou Hl e\"

ellrl\ages

of

f'I O\wr Fist

hi5 lcial haekgroUl

the

!he altenliofl of scholarH , whose fieldwurk has 1111-

Puinls wilh Cao Huandous 1784 irrtmdudoll to 111-' la !t er.

IIf r

11f 'p'

sw.h the

impt anl rol in

We may corrdude our brief corn ll1ents on lI aJl(1 Cornbat Classie

light

which wen'

(Meihuu quanhur) and smllt

(M t> ihua quanjiao ). Mp n!],ers of

heroi t: Sun \Vllkong (Monkey) - played an

the anti - Christian Roxer rcvoll ,

r ligious () erl1

with

a Xuanji ;. eupund lJ rt

Cao autubiographic<ll pfat:e

"h.-:d"

whieh was probabl} shared by uther literate martial artsts. The

irrto a family of sma]] landowners belnging lo

of the loeal gentry. The dan was promrrent enuugh 10 have

its wn

tht lower hd(

sehool , whi("h Cuo <l Hen

deJ , and the immediate family was 5uffieienlly aff1 uent fur his father !o hife hirn a priyate mar
hI ~

art

ill~trud()r

with WhOlll

tlle ly

practiced after sehool.

Neverthele

Cao

rf'peatedl~

failed the licerrtiate (~xams and henee he could nol (1lre to an educational , lel alOllt' a gnvern
melll

, cart

thereIore the martial arts as his \'ocation

Hand combat is arr excellenl ethod f()r prott t:t ing ones body und p venting humiliation

:?

1 t IUli "ha"liJl

11 ,, 1101 COlllha

1I urigin 1 allb f' Sh lin MOlf' 1"'- -'1Ilow hn\ Il ~n an Lharr p: KU11 p: zhao Ol w t' Il wt a rn~ i
OU~ pe r;; o t] ()'J n ) \\'1 11) InHU

l "
.;Jx
11"
11 4

At the tmt" t imr

r 'PH n ho
11
d.d iLo 111" t
h lhn who r"vt'rI
ai"tIle;n"
11 I11lI ~mission; Cheng .l ina 111 1 lall
hranhed into num f' roUH ~ub

11'''; radllall looHing

aml Zhan Zlwll p; llw

'ward it

t! w original m h!. Si 11 IIli gi Ct i

pn :tltJOner~ ns l' to prorrunell(T .1 for a whil t"('()!TI f faln( JS.

J tfwy stm l!l th r musdl 1( 1.jlOH(' 111 r hIIe

i Mpr
Z:h
a11
Kl

How f' Yt' r , f'JI" tlw mo~t

wask !h r .'Jl( qil H! 11 fm 4

NO Jlt' 01 them has beanl of \last' Jh a lJ !f'dmiq lJl'~l' nl()U appli l'!ltionH of tlw ~llbtl l'l o f'
its

1i mitlt' Irans f'1 Jrlllal i. 1"

Pradicing Ihe Mas!er hld - ('011 1 1lll'1 hod

hro~H a 1 dir hi~ qi Ithe low!'r llf' lh.

Fihti Jl

w gards his spirit helw. t'll !hc

O

('."1:'-

il i~ likf~ a 1 1[">11 ful WOlllnll plueking

flowers. Re l II r mhles a lil f' mlu ng down hi~ hru"h. lt lld !Jt l'I d 10 Zhu)!:1:'
Liang (Hl

-234)

s(.hly

cap and

f('ath jJall toYan y (221

- 278)

d t"ga Jl t h

and dignified robes. 11 eould il p Oi;,.; ibl) hav t' ~harp ('dgcs?
W'I~ are four brolfH' r~ in my famil) ,

Il le

beillg lhin l. \-1:: e! ~1 hroth is )

HlH' 1I1II

, 81vl('

I'eiY lJ. Jn ollr nalive lla Ihe weak insult t"d and tJw few IJIIllied. 1 \\' ah~H\.~ afraid 1)1'

being ahm" d tlwrl' ('ore 1 "'a~ devolt'd 10 tht" martiuJ HrtS. -'1:;- ('ather did not ol , j!'d to lll~
Iramm

II the l" olllrar 111: ilwit 1 f]'(J ll> afur un dlldillg mu ial art!st 10 lea('h IllP

timc 1 \HJ.::; thirteen

, ll

I!

t tJu

d 1 WIlS :-;ludying tlw dass '"u lclJJ h(){)l. \' Jwn J uld turH

from ::;dH I 1 would pratiee wilh hlln.

W'hell J wus eighk f' IJ 1 obtaitlell Masler ZhK.oll {{Zh 's Halld Colllbal Cb~~u' (QL H
J' n) wl lJ ch h<" ompil1 whil <," _~I:' n in!< umJer my clan r<'"nlotl:'f<'"al - lIJl d in HII1Il 1 !l ("ol!l

( in Ihealern Shunxi , near Henan l rder). 1 took il wilh nw to sl' ho( 1m 11\\ ( tigalt'd it
day and nighl , 1 ating il as i(' I hme ohtain u rar.. tla~llre. \\I lf:' llJaiv..d 1011 11' 11 l SIIaolill

Close - Range

rI

and Comhal J 1'<'"11 - I-' rirwiples ()f Strikin g-" (da shi ze) m n:~ollllion wa~

firm and my spiril l centralt~d. 1 lldered il slrelluousJy , ulltil ~Udl nlv J dreamt Il l< il IWO old
mell explain it to me. Thereafter 1 dreamt abt11 tJ lt" m s t' veral lin

My hody e\\' ~lJ ppJer and

my lwnds oeeal livelie r. My mind grasp f' d llle suJ lel)' 1)( "euhivalin ({i" (lia l\ qi)
1 hell J reaehed tw nty eighl , h ause I J 1" aledly laken the lic l:' ll

 k it

"
the lI ulH! Conlhat Cl a~~i

MOreOH' l" I illustrated f' lH' h position with a drawing By

II glarwe th rf' ad t'f t llndrsland il , making it

JlJ

Illt'

rely casling

osl ~uitahle f()f praetice

However , the subtlev of th mth ls applieuti01I df'pf' nd ntirl:' lv on "l'r1l ul rength"

(neili ). It can not bf' exhakdJ won!". Lik t' an old hUllChha('k who ealches e(ada~ likt
urcher Yung yt Iji; who 5hol li<: t'. V/hen olle"s I'f' solulion " distrad 1 wlwn h~ nt
(t> n) 1'; ('mH'f' ntr 1 ht' will Im 10 auire the agilit ()f "mir onet'villg hands rt''1 lding" (d l'X n yi s l! ou). .-\1 lhis point there is sur t' 10 h f' 110 ~Lraining of mu le; nor expo

ure ()f hune

!1l 1SS10n

10

Would nol th 1)(> illm lik t' lraciJ J\ihlSler~ ZhangJ K..:haos aull lt' u!ie llilll~-

I\>' )"('{"I

1 h (' fl' sp f' (.tfu 11 prefaeed 11 tl lJ aJs nr; the time: QianlongS r"
ja('flt' n y lr ( 17 4) Hl ~1 l mid -I f' nth monlh

ninth ,

Cau Iluandnu , , 5t yl E': Zd

Cao Huandos prt' tiw!' wals Ihe multifarious rol Ihat the martial arl!; h e plaY f' d in his
life. I hs

ilial inkr I

wen' IJUlli E' l]

,l!l(! hurnillal E'd , hul lw alHo pntclir E'd for

llt' a1f'"dJ~ fn illnes

lial

pm ice f( whal

for c l"l Hl"

bones.

in hi".

Jl(l

Ive vllagE', wherr- Ihe weak

!IlNlical aSOIl S (fw had sufTr-red

fI'

anJ a':\ a foml nf ;wlr - eultivution. ln atldilion , Cao a~pired in his mar

could hp

1 hniqu Ihal
Tharl:"

tt

dl 10 the io1f. nl (l I IlH phere

waH

rt'

dpsnil]

( ly

ly 01 > forel'

infE'r this

far

as ar1 islie pE' rfedioH: lI e does not hid('

heauliful woman plu l' king f1 owcn;... a

and invol Vf'

tt

':\tntinillg mu.wl l:"':\

fll slltem
ul> d

f'

xposin!!

own sophisli("ated fighting sysl E' m , whi('h rps E' mbles a

lit E'rutu~ 1 mg

down

hi bnl h.

tt

" Fioally , rl' ligious uv t" r

tones are Iwl laek ing either: Zhang Kongzhao ("E' iH'S hi<; leu("hing'" fronl u "mystt )l! S person"
(yiren) , and Cao Huandou
iphany

C)

teacher appf' ar

- vl:" uerable

all([ his hands Iw(:ome

i iH~tru('\ed

liveli

lI uandou aUlhored his

in

th rl

of lhe Shaolin Cl oS E'

Rang E'

in his dr t" am , following whirh "his

as his mm]
pn'[;ICf'

gra IhE'

Fi I

hv

(livi

h suppler

suhtlely of qi - lraining ( lialll]!). "

10 Hand Combat

Cla ic

in 1784. Four de('ad E's IlI ter ,

in 1828 , 11 prominent Mam'hu ofTi("ial naID Lin Qi (1791 -184) visited th!~ aolin Tem
ple. By tht [)(.I re - ha 1e!1 leehniques have ('ml letdy edipsed lhe monastl:"r:.<~ anrient stafT
method

and , insteaJ of

au m1

display , Ihe dslingui;;hed guesl was

E'ertairwd

bv

d "

ring demonstralo rl
ln Ihe evening

W f'

relurned 10 tl lE' Shaulin Monastery , and paid our respe<"'ts 1I t Ih E' Jin 1 aluo

HalI. The deitys imagE' s musl awesnme. Ik

WP aT

S thin gannents ,

a wields a "

pok r-r

( huo 11). Tr Jition has il thal on('(~ lle display 1 hs divin l v and rded off ha lH lils. Toda
tw is lhe mona l" g"' n spirit (<j wlan). Praying 10 him is im'ariably effi('a!'ilS
1 P'eeded 10

a~k

th t" monks ahoul th f' ir hand -

( bal

method (quan

fa) 1m!

they

f(

fuser! 10 utler a w 1 1I it. I made it ('lear that I huve h f' ard about th f' Shaolin Fisl long ;n ,
and J k[)ow t
famOlls

lem

ha~ bee[)

rele(] U[l nn

solel for

Theref th t'y ed Iwl

guanling monasli('

regulatio[) and jl fI ecting

the

make prde[)('E'

fhe ahhnl laugllf"d and aSS E' ntcl 1. He

sE' led[

s E'\"E' ral sturd:y monks 10

llP d II

in [ronl 01'

th E' hal l. Thf,ir" bear - hallgings 111 binl streld> illgS" :J were ind .J artfu l. Afer the perform

;3~ x

1'..

"" .mlll~ -. 0"'''';.1'- I

' 1.. 1

i.. .".

1..1 -

Jw 11 ,11;1

d L..:: 1 1" .. 1".. 1 ;~.

1111 1' 1111" ..11ll.; 1 I 1". . '4 '"~

1",1 "" ",,' 1\....It lll ,1 ,...,.,

.101 ..1....1

II!

1 ::; ""

fl'"

", 1.1. 1 ..'1' 1".

,,, .1.. 1. 1 :.m" " 111. 1.. .1 . 11+) I~"h

1.1.. ..1 1" -1 ,1" . 11111.1"

"., 11.

", I..".I

..1 1.1. _11 11"- ""

'" 01'

11.. 11. 1 1..1. \"" .h. l' '11101 ,., IIn L:. I

".1 1'.111 .1." '''1 0I. ! 11.. "J ".. 1 .... 1 . 1'11 11

.1" .1 11 101. 11111 11 ,1 11.. \1"" 1". , .Ih. 1. ,1

" ......"

\\1", h

1 .~ \'"1 )1' ,. ". 11 I ~ .~.- .. 111....1 It\ ... ''''111 ,1,. " 111

11' 1 It ..1 11 ...1111 111"1' 1...

.'111 1M'

4'

'1' 11 ,. 1'1' 11.

111 . l' '''1 .1 .'1' '1 ,, 1 ".1...... 11"" .1111 1" ..

'" 01 1.

! '1"'"

1- 1:..... 1 . .1 1 .

1111 \ 1,.

11.;,

1~'rl"ul.

11"'" . 1"'1 11 0." 1. 1.1.- .11 ..j >l,..1 11"" 1."" 1 \1111' ttl" ,. I , 11' 1 ..11." . ~ 1 111 1,1" ,."",. 111 ." , 1" ..
..".11

11 ,<,

111.111/..1

'

1"

,.

1111 " 11" ..."

h1

1 tt

4~ 'Y

:4A
IU"." " t 10" "'~" .I""~"'.l'''' I!"

'-..'

/.. ..11.1.. ~

,11" "",, d"~t .1 "..1

11" ,,,

I--..

'11' 1). ,.1/, ," 1>,""11 ,'... ~ .ll ,...h1 1t"" 1.....1. '1 " 11 , n. .t I"1
III.h ,'

" il""

w.t. 'f' ltlt

r.. ,.Itf.,

hu

."'"....r.l I ..,

-." .hl'1I lt.fr..

\,,"

I! lr'I!

li .m

",

.h. ..~

1." ..111.

~I

I~

Ih lJ

".lf

n. lI\I

t.'

1 1. .1 .1.... "."l..1'1. 1 ...

11",, 1 , ,.. ;!.-"IIhlB' ,1 ,,, 41 , 111 1...,1

d II!'!.

1"'" 1." ~ n"'"

11 "" 1=1'

,h" 1r ",,"'

"t.

h... ..I.. l .lh

nlth...t " If '1""'" -

" 1.1"1'" fI" .1 I 11" ,1.1"., 1111 "'+!rdl }).,\l IIt"" 1<1 .11 t,.. .11 ,."""... ,t 1. 11 1< ,,, 1"11""
.. IIII~U .I .""

""

'J

"

" ~I" /!r... "\l lr t

1.1111 !-u,'h 1111. "".."

.".1

'''; JIJ

t t4

tIl 11110" mnd ,>rl! l' d i!!O I !I' m. <l hl t"" I I! uhn!ih 111 il 1)1,. 11IIr.'

IU Ll III1'" 11" prw'lu"

th

ril
3

1111-1 11 11".

Iin t""'l~ r"""ill!'- '-1111 h rw: "'11 I IUllt 1 "

Im"h"

fh'0

1111 hll"'1I" K 1 11.1111 UI1..._ 1" 01 '' l"oI')1'11 I<1 n

111..... h IU 1 1"<

01 <'1. 1 1' 1111 """ Irh - '-"11

I'l w

ho]nlio" or Shao];"

s:

H Ld Corn]

~'l ill FOUlld(lti( O)]>

H\' 1 InJlf:' spvenlt' nlh - c t'nlur Sllolitl !IIIIb wT I lI min!! tl lf'ir attenlioll 10 il , hai
?)<1 1 had alrdy lw t'1l higld~ dp\ f:' IOI1.

Tf w

Min pf' n 1 \\illl f:' ~~ed Ihe enwrgf' l lI ()f indi

VHlual hUH' - ha J M\l f'~ \\hi(.h \\'cr id f' nll l ch bv ils 0\\'11 training roulin t' ()f fixed PO~ilion~ (~fll ). I.ul!' - l\1 il mihlar (~ru ("Iopedia"I' ry !:'anw compilatHm~ (lI al Ja lH Jl:' d
t!lf'

SIHiOlill .!;lff - ('IllHT \le O\rf ( 11 lJUall l Judil"'' SongJ E lI1 p{'ror l(I(l Tai-

lII:' J.c m Rangt'" "C( ZhanC! ose - Hang f' Fi~l " \colyt \Vohiping Guanyin

~lifilt' ulou~ Fi 1" (To lI z Lai gml1 in

,, 1lf'11

qlla !l ), "Zhall;< Fei lHjraculoll~ Fi.~t" (.'-hang Ft' i

she Jl qIJH fI). "Sun Fallli I~ Annon.d Fi~l" (SUII jia plgua ljuall) , "Ruler '" Fi"l" l Hawang
q lJ a fl )

" lX -i P ri~l" (Lillbll qllan

),

"J)'OY Fi~l" (F quan

),

and " \1 k Fi~l"

(IlJ quan)')'. H Ihp parl ~ixh'enlh ("" al l f' a'-I SOlllP fighting SdHI alrf' ad had ha D( l-

writlen - if 1 Pllbhshed - malluak ln his 1'fl:'1:' 011 Milil ffalrs. Tang Shu hi (1507
i5) quolps frorn a han"k t! w " Wl:' n Family Fi"I." ).1
nu~ IIU rmprt'hrn .si\ 1'lIl t
~

of Ming - per lOd unarmed fi g- hl >g is Qi JIl g~~ ( 1528

1588) Es~{'nlials 0 1' tf Hand Combul Cl as ,; i(' (Vu Jlll Jr J If'YB ), inelud!'d in his New

rH'ali~ f ~iJila r' E fTi{"H~ lI(( Ji'\i xinshu).

()i wus alllo thr

J\1

osl S !l ce f' ful aud inllo~a

Ilve gel >erals ()f x(eenlh - cenlur)' U lI na. He play t' d u rnaJor rolt: in Ih f' suppn 1011 !)f t" V
along Chinas )uthea~krn 1:0 " well a i Jl the paeification 01 11 nOlthern horders. In hi .s
Nw Treali.~t~

of Mililm Effi f'IIC 11Jt' H-'!IOwn eJ gen f' wl t: overt'J\' t'f)' asp f' d o[ rfHl~~ warhm

/'r om Ih Jectioll and training of In 10 di~t: jpli mmund 11:l dies , logi~li(
uu e

book did nol rU ilalr f' a r! il:' r

mande hard

11I ililary

('01 l1

alld weap

piJations - it w based UpOll the m

- won {')! nene e baltl t' firld. Cornpleted in la \e 1561 or dy 1562 , Nt,W

I'r alise allud alllp(lI gn~ \\' 1 by Qi onlv a f!~w 1II 0ntl !'arli

Vi f; Esselllials 0 1' llw Hand C( bal Ua l' i~ 1101 onh a su of ('on \t' mponuy baw
han{l!~d I f'chniqu

hut al Ilw !'adiesl

I:'

xtanl

lII

anuaJ 0 1' any. 'J" lw general .~un('y(~d ~i

spamn~tyles a Jl 0 1' wh H' h , he eoneluded , were "guilty of eilher emphlZ IIl 111" 10lu Ihe

neglecl of Ihe h 10m or Ihe 110m 10 [11 f' neglecl ()f 11 lop.

., ."

Tn order [0 1I m"l thr d f' fi

elenel f'!f i m li\ idual t~'I f'S ()i e]'! ted a ntl lf';;is. H chuse wllitt 11 ('onsiclered WI' fC t \i e hest
" y

- two poslure~ of all ml:'lh s pxph l' aling eaeh with an illu ,; lra !i oll a Jl d a rh millg fom lU

la. Hi.~ Iralist' i~ tlwft' fuH:' a ImndlJOok nf IJ~

(J

wtJ ~ld [J dardizf'd hand - com !Jal tf' chnique

HU1 HJ

,.

"

1:;;

4 t 1/:

pmdicing tlw rnarll rt~

(l

nl- ~h()llld IW l! lll \\ tI! Iwnd ('(l ml 1

lIlI d

prOIT~ l11 1' 1I Illn

hpn th~ nwll)( or li~1 \(1 ~I arp IId r"lood. II Jt ~ppar and all ull ll' r kl'hnljlll
11(' 1" alh lU"lu'rt'

MmJd

1 \\'<1l'I' tic lI J 1 nllWpn \U"P

llI pI('utOII~" LH( " battlt'

IIIO n'

Hl

hwh 1IIOIIgh J lI' t('all 1' 1('

III lJl"P si nfc lIlI 1 Ihm 1 ml\ ()f

\\<1"

!w\ lJ al n l"n lalH " V l r\ I lJ lw\()w! Ilw l\('d II1l lilll 1! I(

1 ([11 pd a ('( lmO I1 mn al - a ill p:. a("("nrdill p: 10 whi -h:

IpC'!I( [ue

\"011 will be t"fft" t illl

pmm>g. yOll

",

I'I IC 1!~'1If' 1

\ lhl 1i I' Jl I~ [l oHlu!('"{

d \"O lJ do m;l k(' Iltf' mi!>take

0]1(' tll O\(,

(""lII bat

FurtJwr-

,,

1 po~tllrill"lIl d

illlu"" jlwff",o:t iVt" \\ilh lt' n mIJ\e~" rt 1,: [llJllgl1lS t l a~ demOll~\rakd t lH-11 Ihj"~ \"1('\

wa shared h 10th j"j llh rf'a~"n

Iwd 110

[H:' rj(ll"ItI<IIlt" P"

("t'

nlu l"\ militar1" rU Il hu ~hi (1507 - 1560): "'1' 111

for [J o:-.!t u ill tlw rna ial arl fJ lt rung.

I~

10 fil("ilil 1(. tall" lrm "ll"'"

' 111 fix l:" d P()~lllfl'~ hlJ l 111 a !"1 ual pradic l:" t/ wn. ilW 1m fixnl poslun'"
l w nuid b lJ l 11

Form

)WII appli( J Ihp\

~lrlH 'tllral <"hara("\('ri

mainl <l n 11 1( '11

EV f" 11 Ihouh rrwrLial - a hi~I Ul i Ul I Hl lllllO pranw il. Vi Wll~ uml i 111 III~
Ienlia)s

0 1" tlw Il and

Con lal U

\s

!av in wp}O1l~ n"lruclinn f()r rna~" 1n '

not UH signifi(lnl.

h1S

(jrl(

t!w lll111lJu !t 'r T ular <l m\

Tlw har t'

Vi III lllkn. ~1

hand('d ~kill f indi idlliil a '"

l mighl ha l' Iw t-'Il ev" K 1 lor II lf' ir uss< l(" i<l lion ilh h" 1 "t' I" H

{
)i i;
a PIIlI'
n "f S rrm

]-)()U

l5 fn
"
1

N( rea" "I1 1\"lilitu F{ '"""

h ('h I f"r )ln'('ed by

}" ha

1'"
d -{1mi al "
11
1lllal M aS !1 1-'~('2-d
111011](' ))(k

a di "('lalll "B<lff"

rna~s wmfarl:"" How f"\ ex t"ITI

N'"

"

h;lIl dl'd le("hniq lJt"~" 1 111110 tl 1/. a l" l ,, 1

lim
hF;a Jl(
dk
U
j tml
1m t
1 ( II(dv
1 f
i
TOI"
It ;11 1l11' fOI
"
H L!

Ion of
p 1'"
Wf-y IlI J
h larv 5d
"fl
1 Jr mllil aJ rm h"
tdl 1HI 1 .H'll rs lul - JI/'n Ihe hit lt"l

Ill'

rill

W! lOl llad 1W(' 1l r"

from offi sal duwn 10 revi~e h writingi' lw (lpcid 10 ('x('i ,,(. hand )mh<l t

mn llwm alto

J"l"

gelher , ln 1584 , 111' deleted t1\t' EHHI-' ll!15 of t/lt' Hllnd Comhal 1 (' from t!w ~

lI owaduv"

rareJ y ad ~ fou Pf" n - ehll[ .rs

\"f"

rsoll of tlu Treali;w on Mililan I<:ffi('i('IH

Ma MII la ha!l

t ;1;t;

1;

i \h:J:td;l..

"

'1'11<' E\'olution of h8nli Jl Ha1 (:bat

the \\/ csl ( 1592) ha !:'\'("Il the quillL~:3e ial staff - aITHuu "k ).!;hl wilh IllS fists. In
t(' jnstanc(' , lh ", valiu lJ l monkl j~ d f'd of lt weapoll b u demoll

who sna h' hes it uy

wjth a mar: filk l. The u l1 urtned SU Il \Vukong res (I1 is !o hand (lmhut giving ttw iluthor an oplH1i h [0 di .I Il Y hi" familiarit with tlw l" on[l' mpo rHl)' jaron of "postures" (~hi at jiazi )

" LO lJ!;

Ruug<" ~" hangl]lHill ) ld "Uost'

Op t' lling wid f' the Four Levt' l~ !'o5Iure~:

The doubl(' -

Hange FisL" (duanquan)

(J

ki("kin~ fed \l p

r
'fu

Tfwy ab all" d hea h

'I' he hmnoI pointing the \\'a

t 1l0

Ridil the Crarn'

A Hungrv Ti r I'ou !lein ml 111(' I? 18 11]( t hurtful;

A

])ragl Playing

l' hl'

demoll king

rhe Great Sage

with

l'l1I

Sprinkling

Lo ose

i J-I oms

Earth with heds upturned;

flea pn hag

lun.

A green lion S up f' n mouthed

~n d

vi('iollS

T lillg

ploys a Deer

The wrist twiHts am l1 nd to seize

A carps

q Ul te

a Serpelll Turnin p; Arolllld ';

plungl 10

rhe dragon

tn' i

\\/(l

- back flip

flowel1)H~r th( h('ad;

Tying a ropp aro l1 nd the waisl;

A fan moving \o\.ilh lhe wind;
fhe rain driving Iwn the flower
The rnonster - f\ pirit the l1
AnJ pil p; rin> counlerH
The LJ

\'i

\l ses

Ihe Cuanyin Palm , ,

ith the :-\rhal

Fe'

Range Fist', strekhi is mu slack

Ho\'iI1 ld

it comp<lfe with lflP t:l ose -Itange

1111)'

The !w() ()f them fought for

of lale - Ming
Es
s

e
d

the

cleare t indi lioll

mef.
gellc

eofanew
n

of

al for

of edueation: women , merchants ,

jabs?

matched

that bare - ham !t'd techniques be r: ame all inlegral dellwnl

('
ltur'(: J> pr"
u
de

d
hv " ledias

the male IJUfeaucratie dite , Lut

Fi.~ts'sharp

rou J\t I"

None was the strunger , for they are evenlv

Pu > sibly Ihe

of eOUfse

for

da
th'

hou
"

dho

old manuals

use.

1
E
e SIX

1
x

e
I1
h
wp

which

othcr scgmellb of society thal

artans 1(1

Ih f' like. Sometirne f\

t'e

n'u
v
w
!1

inlellded nol only for

had ce1V1

ref.rred

a modicum

!o Ly tlw gener(

title CIJJ Jl plete Hook of Myriad Treasures (Wanhau quanshu ). Ihey covered ev t' ry aspect of
knuwledg e- neC f' ssary f(lr mantaining a I> ousehold: f rorn pra r:t i "1

I\'iee

on maki l1l' a

li

v
m

1 I
0

10
1<
(:a 03
1\ ntual.
a u1
"
r
0
s
h
mt
ha
n
d chara
-[~ (s

ul<
i
z

), the encyclopediai'

leatu d" n S

, J""

on such diversp tnpics as

58

fannng , li Vf> s!o('k bre li Jl g tradl arithnwl di rlllliOIl nulrilion , h!:' !l lth , ('ulli raph

IIl U

ie j{)ke~ and even rnmalle!-'

HouseholJ enqdopeda i' ll] devoted SP<I('!" fur hand combat. \\'hi t' b wa~ ( Jl Hitlewd u~f'ful
tl
for health and ~eJf - defen5 ali
likf~
e. The 1599 a'"
d 160

7 j;
t l of the
Al11 - Pu
"
i
'
X
sp Cor
r
"

f
y (W
a
aO
""~h f' n !wn

), j "'
m

n
3pJ!:' Ji ;ts 1e hv Oll f' th>w
f;an
UlS Ullrl' - handed teeh
<

Il ique~ of the day sueh af" Emp('ror mg Tai :m '5 Long - RHn p; e Fist ," \V t' ll Family 'Vl OV Hl g

Fist ," "Sand - W'ashing -t's Fi" t" (l .an gl osha quun ) , and "Spear - S f'i-t. i
(Qingqiang quan ). I"or their real!ers'benefit , the dr sdet'lPd ehoi pnsitio[]s from t1 H~.;!:'
" ing 5lyles , explieating each with

(l

rhyming !(Jrmu!a and an i1!lJ slflltion. '" id!:'lltlv SIJ(, 1>

manuaJs as All - PU' Cnnecl mirror the gmwing popularity of bare - halldpd fighln
cventhev ntribu tt-u

10 il;; di i>5e minatinn

Ming - pt'ri unanr techniques which ar t" recorded in ;;xteenth - e t" lltll r; literatun.
served as the foundation for new hare - handed slyles , which
Some of t1 w most
preme -

im)rtant

Ultma Fisl)

martial

5v~tems

""iL h whieh \w

f'

l'IIHII IIl centur

merged in lhe

a familiar

today - Taijj Quan (Sn

, XinF;yi Qnun (}'orm - und - fnl Fi ;>, t) , a

lI

l'OU

}uan orignatt'd 111 Ihe sev t' nlf>enth - century \1 in ing trunsition pt' riod ,

pose , it is signifieant thal nlueh 01" thiH npvelopmellt took plaee within rangl' of

Shaolin

For

(>

ur pur

tllP} )Iin

Mor >

"

Other Fighling Styles

In Ihe winter of 1930 ,

pi ring l1I artial

- m1

h tori !l n Ta Hao

to Chen FamiJy Village (Chcnjiagou) in 'Ve!l

Cou y

comhined texlual scholarsbip wiL ll field work ,

W2arching

(IR97 -1959) trav f' led

of northern Hl:' nan. Tang , WhllH I:'

f()r malerials on

r reh

the -i gills

of Taiji

Quan. which was known to hu\"e I)een deyeloped at e villagt' , He un hed tlwre two Qin p:
documents whieh suggelltclj that Ihe fnundatinns ()f the world - renowneJ te < Imiqup had lo t' t'n
laid in

the venteenth l:enturv

fnmily

history (jiupu ), which attril Jll ted 111<' C/ Wil harf'

handed slyle to the cla S I1Inth - J! nera

-ation'
r
and a r
~mb
Y
th
I
t
'T
di
;1
e
n hi

m
H'n
n

n'"

0
I1 nf a l'
ql
n
t hni

1q
u

e. Mo

st ehn

0
lar~
h av t' aceepted Tang Haos \.iew thal Chen

all l--.-f ings martial eith e-r

diate aneeslor o[ - the Taiji Quan \\.ith which we a famliar

the sam e- Il S -

Cb

4 i

).."'.

th(:'

imn

day , even \houg\ > ill Chens .\lf

[lI

viving writngs the tenn "1

tlf

"'~...:.:;

jiif;

1'1,.. t i i"" (lf u in HUlld , mhat

I Dll '1

1 elll Court to k f' ep

hand ('mnl t

(!j uan)

,,

("m Jl llll."'. \\:htjOf 1 inV f' lll t "t'hniquf f

; d \l rn th 1" V ~f' llSO([ 1 till Ih~ land; llkin Hd fmta~t'" (11" my l f'i

1 im;lrucl a few di~t" ipl f''' anJ t! esc t' ndatlls ,

and li t'rs.

(J\(>

t'

nabling Ih f'1II 10 he{'olllP

f"

15ilo,.' H ron (lmg01

"1

Chen W'lH1 gln S nali l"f' villa~I' Ch f'1'":011 WH. 1(1(' al d approximatelv 5 rnilrs nnrth of

thl~ Sh lin ma"kry ( tllap). H O\w\' k w th~!1 tlu Taiji Quan fuund t' r~ r ha r1
bHJught 111( 11

t'

wn CI r 10 the tll(H1 u"h

D..I\ C mh landlord narn .1 Li J u

engagf' d

III

I'

(YIJlhai) -

tlw

( d U r th f'

afll

W]IO durin f!" lIw Min j!: Dyna! s wan ' y(~ar wa.;;

l.i I11-HI f llishe( 1i" bas f' 111 tbe Song \1ountain's " l Jllp" rial Forl"

\"e

Jl)

Chen I ad rticlllil.ted in an ('XIIi tioll against a

r) place Wh f'fI' (:ording t Jq; ld Sh Ii l\'~ I\l telary d " alraparJl

(lah"r llf'd Ji l1 nal \lIl), had rerealed his dimul)" as a slaI Jding gi-

101

?.

-"

! 11.. 1

f'()L lI th' !1:1 wl

n~UIIllt'

- IJl iU nut c-

r: i .c!('J'"iJi

!'il l> U)

,"

-1.: h~1 Cl~"

K !;>ff

;:1

the

"

65322

60

Chen \\'an m(Tf'a l! 1 his I n" - handed st Y} in th f'

corr a t. 11 Id

nol

C01l1 P s

shad comn n Ira

"Is - ~uch a.~
n

l11 aa '"">
N
wlh J
lin Quan , 1'h>, 111
n "taiji" (S
"1

'..dl~n

thJaolin mOl1 ks ww lurmll

srist'

1 1I~ '1 i ()u

ther t" fo ff', thal

EFA

their Il tt f' ntinn to hand

the se\'enleenth cenlu fI

ih of the SI lill M O.

uring Ihe sallw peri

V H'Hl

1iltim"e) fg"z m> haolim H"Kd omhal

IIl t'

4UYU
K
zaM
P

AM
J3
ZLtWmgdw
rh

WVJ
V

h
Ju

Classie (5 i Jl ustration no , 9) , lusl as th f' mon s le l!;end of th staff - wieldi l1).!: Vajrapani
found its way into the Chen Family's military wrilings "Mot rwople " write~ -"1ltsuda Bv'/
chi , "believe Ihat Taiji Quan a Jld
Aeluall)'

in

11 ir ba~ic

SII Ilin

QUHn

a 'Ornpl tdv

method

postures , hand -

l f' g -

dilferent

mhI~

an!1

forml1 alld

eombal

! Iwr hling

aspeets

:he iwe bdyies ame tBxdv allke""

T"Q"n

was

n the

nnl) hMe -

handt'J tyle

whi('h emerged at the Shaolin

\1 onaft f'rv ;.

vicinity , Beguung in Ihe sevent f'f' nth eentury , and all Ihnlugh Ihe Qing - period , Il f' nan was a
hotbe!1 01' mmtial m1s. Along the Ydlow - TIiver basin (from Shan :>.., thmugh I It:mlll , to Shan
(!ong)
1e

I1 U/IIt" fOU5

intimatf'

plains is

fighting styles

ponn lion

many of th f'/II in the

hetween martial arl

atte~ted h comlllon

name of a bare -

emergt~d

hand styJe

J\

ontet of t'dariH Il

aml li IOU!; 5eelanan m

( (!lI1I11) as

weU a

rdig()JJ

(j i)

and our

1\1 h

in t! w

omendature: \\'e hav t> s t" en aIH)\T lhat Plu f1l

of

its ptured Illt' mberluny

that '"d

Il

N 1 1I-'rtl

allle
Henan

of whom came from Hua CO \lIl!\, lI emm

provide is wl h the earli t ac~ of the ha- hanued slvle of that Ilalllt
Another unarmeJ style

th

earli t'" idellet

1786 , and again in 1813 , the Eighl-Trigrams sect rebelled!n H('bei und
confeiOlls

- Chillll

Flow t' f was

Eigh! - Trigram; PaJ m (Bagua Zhar ). eomes from t1 w rel IOll upn fl!!: o f' lhal
The

reh f'J1 ion

in Qing - perOIj

Henan Xinyi

QU!l.ll

Fnrn > ( l nd

lnlent Fi;;t) , also known Xinyi I.iuhe Quun (1\'li [l( 1 - und - Inlent Six - Halllmllies >t)

1KT ZJfb
Jf123
wh

Mh
u
b
"
ur2

Qing - period manuals and family hislories su tha! il was createfl hv Ji Jikd 11. 1650)
who

wa a

native of

Henru neighboring lUllXl

pruv lIl ce. Ji i" ,.aid 10

h !'ft' al his

f'

mpfy

handed 5tyle on the lJa of a 5pear method , in wll ! :h he had lIed. FoIIO\\il!l w Malwhll
conqu

he wa5 reported to havt:

~aitl

lhat bart"

hand fighting w/11 tH propriate

anned combat for peaedul time5. By the eighle f'lI lh -

!' at

any rat t",

Ji \illgyi

than
Quall

had been lransmittd to Henan , where a local suh - style em t' rge!L One of tlw t'arlie5t extant
Xingyi

treati5

Mind - and - Inlent

- Ilarllluni t'&

Fi"t Mallual

(Xillyi Liul l<' Q lI an pU)

wa5 likely authonJ in Henan , WfWft , il was di5covere , 1 by Tang Hao m llw ear il' 1\"'<-' l1 lielh I'entury. The manuaJ CaJTes four prefac f'

d" 1733 1735 1754 and 177Y 11 hy I\ en !Hl

authors

Aceording to 50me Xingyi malluals , 1i Jike had spent over ten year al 11 1( l i1 0lin Monastery , wht~r he studied - and

'n taught - fighting. 'Howev f'r this daim slmBld be trealed

f'\'t

cautious1y: Wi> ereas the fighting les IIeuan eonneetion i5 undoubted , its fO lJlI d ,'r:" pe l"5onal

a.ffiliation wth the

mona5teshoul!1

hc

question

if

for no

oth r

reason than !wl'a IlSf' il

!d

tf

Duriflg-

u~d?

5u5piciously recurring mo Li f in the hagiographies of numerous martial - apalriarch~

is

Z
J

Tf lt'

F olulion ..f 1aoli"

61

C"n

Ha..d

the Qing p t" fiod , a h in ('O !l nf:'t'l wn )Iwars tbaH. be lt" II pn: r<". I t" i11 maltial - a r1
mythoiop:y th t'

iJlVt"

nlors 0 1' J\{'W p:hling slyl t" s

r ~uPf to have trav t" l t" d 10 Ilw

\\'t' t'

fl)

onas-

len and aslf:' wd ib t Jtrlique~ !()ferpuling th!' Jr ()wn sup t" rior on!'s. The 1eo lary fou "
of tbe "lnterllaJ Sehonl" (Neijia ), ZhU11g Sa11rl (11. 14CX1 ,?). i~ sai{l to haH' thofoughl)
studied the Sbao Ji n ~t~lt" fwfore "w\ersin Is prlll('\pl t' s. "imiJarly '\1/ang Laug (11. \7, 1,

ulu) pfe mcd ( ator of 11](' I'mying - Ma Il ti;; Fi ( Tan 1 an g: Quan ) \'a~ J lie\ed tO
havl re~ided at the Sbaolin Mona wh rt' he \\'a~ rep!'atlJy defeal t" d hy itut~tandillg

ma r1 ial at~

L!'aving the rnona\e ry in d!'~pair ~':ang p!'Tl t s w'ral ~.ear O!l \h t' IlJd , until

ht" happ l' w:Il OTl e day

1J[lon

a pray

Hl1l tis ('atdling a ei('ada. Imitating th

in~t' d;' l'o relimbs

he invl lted his IIniqll !, ~ty!t" WI l l ' ft' UpO )l hp retuflwd to Shaolin , and fna \1 y (lTam!' his ad
versanes

lf we lum our a1tention frorll \11t' ('onsi(lemtion 01 individual 1. \0 th ~xamill <l \i()n of \il
eratu H', we are am trllck by Ilt'nan 's significan l'e. Even though impmtant h<m.> - hand
'a 1i8e.~ were a180 written elsewhne

- tlw Inlt:nml Sd1 F'i ,;1 Methml (NI'ijia quan fa )

( 1676) , for t" xarnple , in Zhejinag - )me ()f t!](' n in l1 uential Qin j!:

period 11lIl uaJs wt" re

authored within a dav or two '.'; mule rid t" fro \he ~haolifl J\.lonH l~ry. Chang Nlizhou (11
1740)

(K: flned

his l rtial - art lreuti;;e" at Si"hui , ~"'ne thirty )nI t";; north of th!' l1lonaste

andWall~ZtJllgyue

(0.1780) , alheita anxi nativt: , probabl~' auth J his theo fl' lieal Taiji

Quan essays either in J. uoynag or 1n Kaifeng , wh f"f e he

'sided in t\w 1790s Likl'wi Cher>

f{

Changxing (1771 -1853) anrt Chp J\ Xin (1849 -1929) lpiled their THJi manual'"

H nan1) and we haVf~ seen ang Bng (h. 1672) au\ l!o ff' d hi" P!um - Flow ( ' f Ot1t" in
province ; Neihuang County (SI'(' map)

Th Xin. " nual

\ w

Mind - and Jnt Six - Harmo

nies Fist was pmhabi)' written in the pr a5 wdL \\/t" 'Y .mdude llwr lhat Shaolin hand comhal pro5pt'1" ecl 111 a rion lhat had (l la e(! a majnr role ill lhe evolutiofl of Chine
bare - handed fi~hling
'fhe lale - Min alul early - Qing \\'e plY al fwriod in the histo f Chir lt' HI' hand {'omDrawing on ear\ ier , Ming - p!'riod , quan t Imiqlles th l:' ev t"nteellth

bat

Ihe lf:rgence

()f

bare -

hand st"II:~ whi

three - hundr r- d

ntll1~itne55ed

H"U lat r-\"

\\"'W

all over the world , The orin of 1'aiji Quall , Xin l!:yi Qllan m>d Shaolin Quall Vtiges

()f which ar(' fl'corded in Hand Comhat Cl assI' alld

Xumljis cupun l"lllr('

10 ft'ad

th t' earli t'..\

I'"inls - ('an

be traeed equaUy 10 the Ming - Qing transition !'ra

NOle
(f) On lbe e."olulioll of 130lin slafT t t'dl"" Mt' j[' 'i h"har "Ming:"" Pni E\'idcll"" l ill Ma!tial
InK'tc"

Jianqin ,

Harvard lournal o[ Asiati,.

"Mir Shaoli" Wl II

2003 )).

kao" ,

61: "0. 2

(f)"..1:r 2 1

in li" go1.. '"""J'

. g""

) , 359

\'Xin

4 1)

t m lated

b\' I.i

( 1l<'11 1(f' Shanlin , hlL

16 -48

ctn Shunz) i.

Sll1.

"Emc da()ren

qum "

i" Jingchuan

~ianng

wt' nji ,

ff

Wanli 5

62

print in SilHlan (Shanghai: Shang 1922) , 2.81 ,

@Tang Shunzhi , \\'u hian '1 ia 5.37

5.3%

(4) a Shixi a l1 ud'" to ShJi n M k~} - ~t).le fightLg (H ~cr his "Song you ji"

hiH Wl1 n Lt"

V( 1593 e.J it') 1. 2h - 3a; , ee a180 Gongnai , "'i haolill gu i hi g..(" \V Il I,.!o in)'; 1 aol

r. O

l\1: onks

l11

p,.t,." ) ,.. 1 W'en Xian!'f.." ouSbaolinji" ("AJ ne ' to Sbaolin aolin 8i zhi

( prefar 174!!) mmpil"d hy y" F.. a 1. , r..vis" rJ hy Shi Yizao 1 (r. opy ..t th HarvaTII - 'r hing Li ], mr}}. 7.2aa 13.23" ''(''I-''.'<"I i '

aml S

Ji (" lbl

Al'l"uunl uf a juurn lu So~ ~Iou"lai ") i"

Yuan Hongdao , Yuan Hon J' J jiao , a""ollll..d ! ()iarr H h..ng (Shanghai: Sha i 1981)
5 1. 1475
(.5)CI.." 7""

Shaolin gUl a ('han in hi .e}" sb.. 1ti i(T b"iqll"~ fo After -- Fann! Pa5

time) (1621 ..diliorr) , 3. 7h

~ ()uan jjng: ~)u<m fa h"ipo , antho 1'S giwn a' ZI bzhao 1 C lI uanrJOlJ
)1\l

(Shanghai: Chanyin ln , 1936) ,

u [ia
an (T b

ei:

(lJ

lso ",'ailllbh. in

prinl

in vo l.

in \l iaoyuan

101 t.""

ljid
ILt"ng

Xin

hai: Clloji xn{'sh" , 1927) ('1')' ~"hai T.ibra)

(Jy Qllarr jl Q"" kiv

I'wfar

1a - 2a , 1. 1 , and 1. 7 , wh..rf' Cao expl n IJwl ZI K

zhaos manual hhpen transmitted in hilily a ('f'ntu

preface 1a , and 1. 14a. Two olher lllm1ial nrtisls wlou aw
Wa {'Ol11pil Quan jin

manual

a11udes

Qllan fa

aJ to ~nothcr

teacher; see Xuanji

bt'i}'~

prt' fa f' c 1a , and

milila1)' exp..rt

xU l': d liO qllan jup ,

mi hOll

l11f'nlned

hen

prefa'~

Cm Xua 6holl lI "dno

in [,(1 ),

manual are CI]('n~ Jir and

Xna hou X lJ HO

Songquan

quan ju

Hu

quan jut', j. 3a. '0,,, jut

7.hal Ming'e !o is

2a

Compare Qua Jl jin QUHn fa IIl': i)'2. 4a 2.15a , and Xllmm hou xuedau qnau j ,w. illuslration ,;

1.

1. 4a ,

(
9 Tang Ha.3 Cu I.iuxi

15

Isud
. Ry

uchi ZJlI"""
t
Jl
10 "
Wl ho shi10

e (1"0
N!l "
.fZm""" "
"t"u
t
W
s
'"hi) (Ta
.. i: [)a
"
1'l1H~
and Mal
"s 198

6) pp.34-3

57

(5e e Tang Hao , Shaolin qllanslm rniju" kaozhe (hai Shahai (;lI oshu nhlli I94I) "1'
pp. 70 -74 , 99 - 138. The Shaolin 'l uanshn mijlle

r ~r"

jo

Ilnng'l nan l'

@Qulln jing; Quan fa heiy1. 1a. This is larg..lv 1las Wi!I': S llanslatinn of l l1 e Qi Ji~ lI a p
that had rverl ." Quan S()l!l\'r; c,,'C Dougl \\ il _ T Cllis A fsl"Jb T!tlaking "f I lJ lernaJ Arl
tv Swe< Ch\ Pre"~ 1999)

in Qi

Jigllan~

).

1H - 19

Jixiao xinshll: "hilm juall hen (('a. 1362) , ann I hv ( \Ven! l.ii 'r; >";..", bi

yanjill congshu

(B..iji ghull 2 1)

14.227 -22'>; Douglas '>\'il ..<_

In"~ 1 T

Chi Ancestor pp.18--19

( Ming - perind 1 attrihutedSong Taizu also hniques i 'h th.. histo l elll ,'mperor mighl

m
rbk

( In Qi Jigu~ng

ZK

(New

have be V('f!<pd; see MlI Mingda Uf1 Jlan ...ong { 1 anll lOu: l.anzh dU 2)Q l. jJJl .77-82;o"

So ng Taizu

p Y irl

Chj (F "hmary 2

Ka~h

"T1... Original

F.lllperur~

L:mg FiHl

Sr .

Kung Fu

'Ll

10 19

@!'h e " titled .. Chongxill I \t-n ng ji ( " H... [ SUSI-" nd.. I-

E''''' l"H ld

'>'n ,lI i"n" He"()ll

stmclon" 1. Thc 1677 a Insc l pti f1 n "f Sha hot Nirrran (( " Ni"Wan C"i~ taming l,.. il)

radical: xuan 1h. 1 am

gr leful

to

A/ for

both

lrm n1J()tl

;;

allude. lo Xu!!' edfiLlI)' a, a "fighti monk" (WUS"" I< aZ 1 ). H" t"\t"r t rite8 his U8 1t1 t' "ilh 1/'" ""'1"/

r 5dggrl

..mporllry

TI".

6 ::1

~ 1111;011 "f h1;1I-l and ct Ih~1

(:OHl U ()uun jing:, (,)uun f~ 1 i \llO .I.2ha'"i i

J1
i 0>""
u
1
.."
a" i
i
1J1 JII
1&4

M
1> fa
1w
l\'U('.
pp

101 -1 ha

X"" i hou .\U !UO ljUdll j

Stt ~)i J

( huug-h

1. 11h-12a

Ji\i lO ~jllhu; , Idha j!Jell 14.229; H L;ul' g:(.h'n Cougsllll in'h.. Jl g , .d;lion

Sh" '"'11. 1939\.2_ 26: Ch..~ Z"" I-"OlJ ~oli" m fa. 3_ 11 ,,: ""'\ Ta''1I 1"hi. W" hiall

'l ianji.5.3

n,

"Iso "duanrlu '"Iwng \\w.hu 1 k.. 'l uun (/kij >n g-, ZhOllg-Jt) dahaik quall lm

1998) , p_ 171
t~ Bll
f'I'P ".196R)

50

\ran" , '['1 ,.. (;0"' 1'1 ork 01 ChUIIllg Tw (N "k C ""I ia [I "i\t

X 'J' Il q J 1. 3 1>
h"" - YU 1 11nd W~n
pl; 1;""

~d"'11' I:! tt' ikr

Manu"l ,

u. lI. Fu ""~I_< \\'ushu Train;ng

_ \\ 11

Xuur; ", i sh"u X l1 ao q l1 an )11

Llan!\

a! \1/"11

(I':a~!

P""'id.. ,,,.,., Way o[ th <,

<l nd

Il")!: 200

M ;o 1 -\rl~

p. .1 63

1. la - h; ", I,.. r(' IIw l~'nl~ ar.. sli lJ 1,<, iHA 1I"<,d 1 \'" 11

)"

- Ching \l/lI

@
e .
e
1
ri
. krna
k '"
f""ras
M
? d
it
'" bri
W

ri05' rR H
d
11
!h~'"'"

Tar

n"q

.
.. ,." llllf (
p"
'"
i~ G

d
1;"
I

se~

llb;

pa Q;
1Ju""}
bpi
l"1.
2 911 - 31a , awl X lI aoji ~updao quun " 1. 1010

also "wi

q":r.hon1J~!o ll

balk..

qUHn~I Il' 1'1'.

131 - 132

a S!ud~ of [ Hooj! " Mllrtial i\ rt~ Film (I! tln['. Kj!: (( 1.1 )) . 1'. 216

(() ..; Quan Ja kiyao , l. 16 [,; ('o"' I'<l))' X hou xu"" j".. , 1.91 ,
Mllt"laRy ! ,.l, i. l"

127

<'~ Malsa Ih'! ,.h>, pp. 123 - 125; 111 0 "''lin l' quan in /JH>"~1'\'" "'!l "I'lll'lI i~ . oJ"",,, hll , 1'1'
122-123 a Hoo

Chi

1 "Th fi<ul ri of

K.

(1' ruarv 2

48

t 1Jr\': Tlw

.-\r1 i~b

alld ..\rLr\ of

MiztlIWII" K" Fu

Tui

-53

..." Mals 1I u Ry? ehi. 1'. 129

( See Qu JI jing; Qu~o fa b"i }'U o , 1.1812. 19a; s..~ also Yih M ldoH qiYlllln 1 1.
(Jinan: Shandon!( d""ue , 1990) , p. 89; "M f' ihuH 'l uan" in
Ch 11011S o

quall

Luolll

Zhon" IJ

I u

Hai ,'hao '1 H '/ i1

pp

baik.'

quan~h". 1"

W 1"h!J. "an I...., i.

1,\1 'r d"

122;

1994) , 1

409 -453
f y lan yundoll qiyllao lall
Gaj~ng ji 'yu

jing:

88

1 Zhotl W <il Zhol " "~hu hi (lki

2(K13) , pp , 86 -88

fJw
nM
1ai r<)d
u1 ;0 Yilwq
E """
i

en>"k e Ori'"s of tb l:Ix('f l!pri '"g (B'rk'1 .\

l. nl1 \'<' '1v ,,1' ( lifo

w
,
p n , 1987) , 1"

1 --1
9

J;:~f'.f'. SUafl Naquin , Mill f' flHrian !l ~bdlion ina ( N.. ", Hav~n: ' al ,' r "ivrr~it\' P"'''' 1976). f'

31

;t.

also

Esh

jbid

:!S Yihf'quao y l1ndor q!) uan 13IJO pp. 83 - 102: bh"ri ,'k , pjJ. 14R - 155: and III Wt' ;lian~
7JHJf Uo

wushu

pp. 86-88

11...It' rem'e 10 th ,' l..n prlm'I"I.~ of Shliud rik;n~ (lAoljn dum' )

le .J ;11

lh.an

jing Quan f" h,.iyao.

pp_

"ft. ..Iaf"

J.'''''

~"fhi >i is an aI!u~ion j{) Zhuan""/h~r' C"nh l(' ;u ,; \ on hj~ . h.. ]J ~S<'1 " I)(h " 1",
wh... 1,.. ~a u h lJ""iJIoH("k \l" hing . ;lh a j(.~ "I~ a" t"a~il\" Jgh h.. n jng rlwm

Wllh h; ha" .J, " e H 011 Watson , l an TI... Compl ,.1l' \\ "rk~ of Chu<l rlr~. ..1-.. ( N} I.u'
,."", jl)' J)re~"

196R) , 19.199

l &

~.~5 .K(

@'Yan l\ Yo"ji "'"'" fahuloll"-r tlw ring - and - A umn 1-lal" "f Chu: S" ,. (
J'

Quan f1l h"i}'ao , IJl ~1 -'e. 111 - 2

rhi~ re"'~ tthe ZhuallgZ: "T" I '"

dmw i" '" prad"ng b"ar - hanging , anrl hird

- ll<' h i~

Iv CO I](.t' m

*)

to hail. to

to ~pll olrl breath and

hir (xiong jin niao ~h""

) , longf'v hi (l n

lhp lil" lavo ff' lll l\' the sl' h( praU'PS i\yrnlli (rllloyin

), llw 11111 1\ II' bn n

~1H'S hhody who h 10 li ",- 10 h.. a~ d as I'l'!Z" Se'- Allrl"" WalH' trans. , The C""'plet.. Wnrh of

Chuang '['zu , 15.167 -168

iJl H.in Qi

{~jighll}'

t'"' w .r;nl

H..iji

H"iji guji 1 41 clion

p~ri(xl

(1 4 4 -1(12)

m llch"ng I'p('ulate
flaihua "i

lhose fonns lhal shown in

lhal I.1Il

Qi IS11 "d

se..

R han;;

Gene Chlllg ,

{1849;Phc

1 : 011 I.in Qing Art!to!' Hun1 ,..-1., Eminent

(\\.'a~hinI. ibrary ofongrp 1943 -44)

1999) , p_ 355 , 1.111

the

Trm'"s in llw )

Taguo

"13 )

Lh..

S(

mural inting: ~e..

506-507

hi , Sh 1l0lin

falll

'h(k,1 of Shao!i n lghting , .]"i"" Lo t,,<u.h

Warrio ]1; "r T.

KUllg

F" T"i Chi (

C"in" ",,- 01' Lh ,- Chng

(Tillnjill:

ah <'1'e <l)

11m X" uan 1 i (Ill ustral Hecoro of ~. I.ir.."

h
F
J id ZJN
?- EK zbKZEAif

J)J

64

on)~

D... l

ber 2C) p. 49
Ii!~Cori 1iI<Il11 J lao X lIlM nh.."

Zheng Hurw"ng ,
bian qianji , 5.

Ji"'l n Jl

37b; al~

(pr..liJ"" 15(8) Siku

Cheng Dllli , n Mingdai

14.227-230; H tiangdlen Zlwllji , 2.26 - 27;

q l1an~hEJ

wu~l u n ,

"diLion , 8a
in

Zhon EJ()

-4 ,,;

wushu

ul 'j'ml~

SllU nzhi , W"

baike hhu

70

T'" Sh "
l~hi. ~\:11 hi cp

"
a
1
~ C cnn
""
s int
g
'ro
d
IW

h
llQiJ'g
"" Ji
t
hlU:

~h
hiblljuanben pp. 4-5 Jiguang
~e" C-" Iri"h

1 :220 - 24 , and Huang. 1587 A Year of

Wile Ti-ehi" A"""sLor

1'.

~o Silificance.

pp. 156 -188

19; th" O){ nal is Qi JE Jixian ~ill "ben.14.229

@Wile , Ti -chis Ancestors , p. 19; lh.. nriginal i~ Qi Jil h

iI ju<lIl l...n 14.229

-230

S
E

H" Lillng"hen , Zhenj >, 2.26

W le Ti - chi A pp. 12 , 18: th" original is Qi Jiguan~ Jlxiao xinshu: Rhi lo., juan hen , 14

227
Wil.. T l i -chi Anceslors p. 12; the inal i~ Ta ~ Shunzhi , \'f u hian '1 5 7"

Qi Jiguang , Jixiao ~inshu: shiha jul 14.227; ar.. also Wi!.., Irans]"t

I'I

l A "...

p. 18. EW I1 1Ually , the general Ided four Ch3 rS I() his buok , hul h.. ke~ lhis l'lJI mJl~1I 1 i " li""I lhal

Quan

jeyao

was

inally

inlendftl

f lhl'

la

@t" QiJ!gl.l an

g Jix

Xl llO
XlllShl.l: ls-1 jURn ben ,
a ma1 bv F Z
hOllj!:yi ( m

n
g
l
h 20

1) :
O
M td

a
S h"
J'
an p. 31O 1
d Wil ",. T
see a1 &o Ma

hi i; An"'
0""

16 -17

@.M Shuojian p, 311

See Jin Ping Mei eihu 90.1244

~tmle l<'our -l,e,'els" (siping) poslure gured in Illt f'

Cheng
~hu:

ZOIl 01.1

Shaolin

shiha jURn b

gll~ 2. I

14.234-35

Tang

Mi armed and unanned , f: ~hti lllike

Shllnzhi , WII bian q

5.37 Jipwll

8 1'1'

Jixiao xin

Rnd Wile. Ti-Chi neestors. 27 - 30

(!)A"ony Yu , Iran~l lItor Th e JOllm..y 10 lhe West (Chle

llni" l'rsity of Chicagu Pr..~~ 1977 - 83)

3 :1 4-15
@\'f u Hllifan
2 1

V/anhao quamhu: Ming Qng sh<1(' mi ian ~henghuo shilu , (Tai !J ei , 7h19zhi da

k
f

PC

rS~s... Sar i W~.ng~ (15 9'J .t! ili)

lnl !r hi( l]um"s 3

()I Ch ,! goku

ni("hiv'i ruisho h'/ 'f lil 1 hv Sak~i 1'1( 1~akade y"hil!!!o a 10W Y'! iehi (K\ ,? l... 2)0) 14

Ih; H"d \Vu Iluifang , 1' .34 and n..tc 4 lJ 1. (The" S~lld -

Fi , t" HW

rnentn 'd

in th('

I 7 lition.

V;,' lls l1 ing

<:l\('S Fist" <:l "'1"

Se izin

f,j} S,.,. Tan !, ]]".. and r;u l.i ~in. 1'1'. 179 - H; 'I1i! bIa Ry'l dli , pp

ll -83: m ZhO !l E

..,

haik'luanghu. 1']>. 71 , 91

(,9,\n i"nu ,. ntiHI DU""l dHSHi tlw ~ ri]>l"'''' ,,1" lh" Y .lI CO"'1 (H lJ "n~tinf': j' {("U. lhinl .nlun'

<'. )

(J

utlit H"' r>l ra" u's .1 1 m,. rhtHl; (J!l

paJ1iHI lflm1"".

""

Ihe t~~ly'~ in l<' rnul diviniti .I'md Kwl!

~h (.(Mh aJUI Illnpr i~iou." i" Donald 1

( Pri..tou: Pri ,,,,,. lon Uni""' '>I ity Pre'"

J
Z d ? MJ
uvhuEUVJ

vtun
r

65

Tlw E '()\uli ()f ~haoli" Hand Cm'

'd. . R f'iigio o[ ChillH in Pmetir

1 pp. 149 155

WQ1 in Tauf! H~() ld Gu Li u\in

180

{DS,.,. TWl g lIao a 1 (;u Liuxin , 1" c(J rnf""~ al; th" Oll l1 1 h\' Ch.n l i Chp!l

Xiu(l84

1929) , ill Ti! iji 'l uan pu , 1" '" Zon/<yu" 1. al. (Il"!:\: Hpnmin tiyu , 1991 . p. 356

." Tung Ha"d Gu Li u~jn 1'- 15

M uda

Ry': ,']'i , P

Zhou p;lia"!;. Zhon110 U . ul~o N ;n. 'I1 illenariau H.. I .lI i m m

pp. 31 , 8R , 313
6S". Ma tda Ry

135 -138; and Zh\\ ~jliHn

@Se~ Ma lil'mg m,d Sun Yamin , "Xil' i shi Zl1 Ji I '"t1!\

Zh<>~uo '\ll~hu shi , p. 89

>

\V"Jin aZ a l. 84 (1988 9) . 1']>. 36

37; and "Ji J;ke" in Zhongg ~hu haik l' qwhu p , 538
rhe legen.1 fiffit appea in Huan Baijia<' (1643

hieji

, p.

. N ia quanla ( 1676)

I~; e al~o Douglas a lranslatoll i" hil" i - Chi A"-esIOJ

, i" Zhaod~i "0'ho

p. 58

See MatslI R hi pp. 183 -184; c. al~" Shou - Y11 l.iH- U. p. 447
@ChangN zhou

M t .

",1. 1 Xu Zh"n (1932. Re

rHip..i: Y t1. 1996)

]ated and analyz" ,j h~' Douglai!.. Ti - 'h An('p j. 71 -188. Wall/

, Lmus

PS W rJ ll!1'1" inrlurl

ed itl Taiji pp 24 -39. A 'jrdi !\ to TlI ng HC:I Gu Lim..in (p_ 1R3 ).. \\' Htl !)[ol hh' "ludi..d
Chen - Family T i Qu.

.,.,.

h", n h" residd iH ""u J"h}' LUOyH and KHif..ng

Theic als are in<"luded in THijiquan pu

245 -275 aud 276 -339 pe('lj '..ly

"

"

}\

f?
k