Fujian White Crane, also known as White Crane Style () is a Southern

Chinese martial art Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...

that originated in

Yongchun County Yongchun (; Min Nan: Éng-chhun; lit. 'eternal spring') is a county in western Quanzhou city of southern Fujian province, People's Republic of China, located on the upper reaches of the Jin River. It is under the administration of Quanzhou City. ...

Fujian Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...

() province. According to oral tradition, the style was developed by

Fang Qiniang Fang Qiniang ( ''Fāng Qīniáng'') was a Chinese martial artist and founder of the Fujian White Crane style of Chinese martial arts in the mid-17th century. She learned martial arts from her father, Fang Zhengdong, a lay Shaolin disciple. Legen ...

(方七娘;

Amoy Xiamen ( , ; ), also known as Amoy (, from Hokkien pronunciation ), is a sub-provincial city in southeastern Fujian, People's Republic of China, beside the Taiwan Strait. It is divided into six districts: Huli, Siming, Jimei, Tong'an, ...

Min Nan Southern Min (), Minnan ( Mandarin pronunciation: ) or Banlam (), is a group of linguistically similar and historically related Sinitic languages that form a branch of Min Chinese spoken in Fujian (especially the Minnan region), most of Taiwan ...

: Hng Chhit-niâ), a female martial artist. It is associated with traditional fighting techniques, including long range, but is most similar to close-quarter or

hand-to-hand combat Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a physical confrontation between two or more persons at short range (grappling distance or within the physical reach of a handheld weapon) that does not involve the use of weapons.Huns ...

. It is most recognizable by the way the fighter imitates a bird's pecking or flapping of wings. While some white crane styles make use of traditional weapons, others have discontinued the use of weaponry. Fujian White Crane descends in part from Shaolin Boxing and imitates characteristics of the white crane. This system is separate though related to Lohan Quan (Fujian Shaolin). The entire system of fighting was developed from observing the crane's movements, methods of attack and spirit, and may have evolved from the southern Shaolin animal styles. There is no singular Fujian White Crane system. Multiple branches are collectively referred to as Fujian White Crane, including Sleeping, Crying, Eating, Flying and Shaking Crane styles based on imitative characteristics of their techniques. This group does not include

Tibetan White Crane Tibetan White Crane (, "Tibetan White Crane Fist"), also known in Cantonese as Bak Hok Pai (, "White Crane Style"), is a Chinese martial art with origins in 15th-century Tibetan culture that has developed deep roots in southern China. Tibetan W ...

, which developed independently in western and southern China.

History

The legend of the white crane

Qīniáng and her father lived in

province, where many cranes live. Qīniáng's father knew

Southern Chinese martial arts Nanquan refers to a classification of Chinese martial arts that originated South China. The southern styles of Chinese martial arts are characterized by emphasis on "short hitting" and specific arm movements, predominantly in southern styles ...

and taught them to his daughter. One day, while Qīniáng was doing her chores, a crane landed nearby. Qīniáng tried to scare the bird off using a stick and the skills she had learned from her father, but whatever she did, the crane would counter. Qīniáng tried to hit the crane on the head, but the bird moved its head out of the way and blocked the stick with its wings. Qīniáng tried to hit the crane's wings, but the crane stepped to the side and blocked the stick with its claws. Qīniáng tried to poke the crane's body, but the crane dodged backwards and struck the stick with its beak. From then on, Qīniáng carefully studied the crane's movements. She combined these movements with techniques learned from her father, ultimately creating the White Crane Style. There are many versions of this legend. In some, the crane does not block a stick, but evades and counters it. The point of the style is to emphasize evasion and attack an opponent's vulnerabilities instead of using physical strength. Since it was created by a woman, White Crane fighting elements are especially popular in women's self-defense training because the movements do not require great strength. They more closely imitate the delicate pecking motion associated with this fighting style.

Documented history

During the Shunzhi period of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1662) lived Fang Zhong (方種 - also known as Fang Zhangguang), a practitioner of

from Funing Prefecture, Fujian (now

Xiapu County Xiapu (; Foochow Romanized: Hà-puō) is a county in the municipal region of Ningde, Fujian, People's Republic of China, located along a stretch of East China Sea coast, with many harbours and islands. It is bordered by Fuding City and Zherong C ...

). Fang Zhong was from a wealthy family and renowned for excellent fighting skills, having trained with well-known martial arts masters. Fang Zhong lost his wife in his early years, who had given birth to only one daughter,

Fāng Qīniáng Fang Qiniang ( ''Fāng Qīniáng'') was a Chinese martial artist and founder of the Fujian White Crane style of Chinese martial arts in the mid-17th century. She learned martial arts from her father, Fang Zhengdong, a lay Shaolin disciple. Legen ...

(方七娘), and Fang Zhong taught his skills to her. According to the traditions of the Lee family branch of Flying Crane, Qiniang was born in the mid-17th century. Fang Zhong and Fang Qiniang have held various aliases. Fang Zhong is a survivor from the end of the

Ming Dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

and had participated in anti-

Qing The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaki ...

and Fuming activities, having connections to

Hongmen The Tiandihui, the Heaven and Earth Society, also called Hongmen (the Vast Family), is a Chinese fraternal organization and historically a secretive folk religious sect in the vein of the Ming loyalist White Lotus Sect, the Tiandihui's a ...

associates. Both have used pseudonyms to avoid being caught by the Qing government due to their anti-Qing activities. "Fangzhang" (方掌) and "Fangzhang" (方種) are believed to be the same person, and "Fangzhangguang" should also be "Fangzhang". "Fang Chung Gong", is a transcript of voice transmission. Fang Zhong also adopted the name "Fang Hui Shi" after defeat of anti-Qing forces. One day, Qiniang saw a huge crane and attacked it with a stick. As she was unable to defeat it, she realized the crane had come to teach her, and developed her own unique techniques from the experience. Qiniang would modify her father's

Nanquan Nanquan may refer to: * Nanquan (martial art), a family of martial arts from Southern China * Nanquan Puyuan (c. 749–c. 835), Chán (Zen) Buddhist master in China during the Tang Dynasty * Nanquan Temple, a Buddhist temple in Xiangyin County, Hu ...

techniques in the way that would serve as basis for what is now known as Fujian White Crane Kung Fu. She had four principal students who later developed four main branches of Fujian White Crane: Eating, Crying, Sleeping, and Flying. Many systems evolved from each of the four original types of White Crane. Zeng Si from Yongchun, married Qiniang and had two sons. Zeng Si and Qiniang returned to the Gu family's ancestral hall in Hou Temple, Rulin Village, Wulijie Town, Yongchun County to teach martial arts. Yongchun County is adjacent to Kinmen, which is the threshold for Taiwan. At the ancestral hall (coaching temple) there are paintings of White Crane Taoist and Zeng Si revered as the first teacher of White Crane. In the Flying Crane tradition, Fang Qiniang never married, had children or a husband. Rather, she retired in Bai he an (white crane temple) and taught martial arts. According to the yong chun bai he tradition, the Ong Gong Shr Wushuguan was established in the town of Yongchun (永春; Minnan: eng2 chhun1), prefecture of

Quanzhou Quanzhou, postal map romanization, alternatively known as Chinchew, is a prefecture-level city, prefecture-level port city on the north bank of the Jin River, beside the Taiwan Strait in southern Fujian, China. It is Fujian's largest metrop ...

province, when its founders were taught by Fang Qiniang during the reign of the

Jiajing Emperor The Jiajing Emperor (; 16September 150723January 1567) was the 12th List of emperors of the Ming dynasty, Emperor of the Ming dynasty, reigning from 1521 to 1567. Born Zhu Houcong, he was the former Zhengde Emperor's cousin. His father, Zhu You ...

(r. 1521–66) of the

Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last ort ...

. Pingyang White Crane was created by Fāng Qī Niáng during Shunzhi period during the Qing dynasty. During Jiaqing period, this kongfu spread to Pingyang city. Yongchun-style White Crane was created by Fāng Qī Niáng during KangXi period during the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...

. Li Wenmao (), an opera performer and leader of the 1854–1856

Red Turban Rebellion The Red Turban Rebellions () were uprisings against the Yuan dynasty between 1351 and 1368, eventually leading to its collapse. Remnants of the Yuan imperial court retreated northwards and is thereafter known as the Northern Yuan in historiogr ...

Foshan Foshan (, ), alternately romanized as Fatshan, is a prefecture-level city in central Guangdong Province, China. The entire prefecture covers and had a population of 9,498,863 as of the 2020 census. The city is part of the western side of the ...

, is said to have practiced the Yǒngchūn style of White Crane. The Xu-Xi Dao style of White Crane as taught by Chen Zhuozhen was derived from Zhong-Ho 'Springing Crane', and was developed in Taiwan by Huang Laoyang in the 1950s.

Branches and schools

Yongchun White Crane in China

The lineage of The Weng Gong Ci Gym in

is: * 方掌光 - Fang Zhang Guang * 方七娘 - Fang Qi Niang * 曾四 - Zeng Si * 潘賢 - Pan Xian * 潘堆金 - Pan Dui Jin * 潘賽玉 - Pan Sai Yu, 潘敦池 - Pan Dun Chi, 潘大任 - Pan Da Ren * 潘深恩 - Pan Shen En, 潘月照 - Pan Yue Zhao * 潘利秋 - Pan Li Qiu * 潘貞團 - Pan Zhen Tuan * 潘孝德 - Pan Xiao De * 潘成廟 - Pan Cheng Miao * 潘瓊琪 - Pan Qiong Qi

Feeding Crane in Taiwan

The lineage of Feeding Crane in Taiwan is: * 方七娘 - Fāng Qī Niáng * 曾四叔 - Zēng Sì Chū * 鄭禮叔 - Zhèng Lǐ Shū * 蔡忠叔 - Cài Zhōng Shū * 蔡公頸 - Cài Gōng Jǐng * 林德順 - Lín Dé Shùn * 劉故 - Liú Gù * 劉銀山 - Liú Yín Shān * 劉長益 - Liú Zhǎng Yì (Liu Chang I)

Calling Crane in China

* Lin Shi Xian * Pan Yu Ba * Xi Zong Xiang * LIn Zhen Lan - Chen Shi Ding - Huang Xing Xian * Lin Jan Hua, Zheng Hui Sheng -Ruan Dong *Lin Yuan Dun - Zheng Xian Qi

Dancing/Shaking Crane in Taiwan

* Fang Qi Niang * Zheng Li * Zheng Cong * Li Seng * Fang Shi Peng * Fang Yong Cang * Lin Guo Zhong * Huang Xing Xian * Zheng Xian Qi * Huang Yi Xiong

Flying Crane

*Fang chi-niang *Lee fah hsieng *Lee mah-saw *Lee kiang-kay *Lee joo-Chian - Augustin Wu *Kheir Salam

Influence on other styles

Fujian White Crane is one of the constituent styles of

Five Ancestors Five Ancestor Boxing (''Wuzuquan'' or ''Ngo-cho Kun'') is a Southern Chinese martial art that consists of principles and techniques from five styles: * the breathing methods and iron body of Bodhidharma (達尊拳) * the posture and dynamic ...

, who, in addition to the various styles of

Karate (; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...

(notably Goju-ryu,

Shitō-ryū is a form of karate that was founded in 1934 by . Shitō-ryū is synthesis of the Okinawan Shuri-te and Naha-te schools of karate and today is considered one of the four main styles of the art. History Kenwa Mabuni (Mabuni Kenwa 摩文仁 ...

and Uechi-ryu), use the routine "San Chian" from Fujian White Crane. San Chian is best known by the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

pronunciation of its name,

Sanchin is a kata of apparent Southern Chinese (Fujianese) origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Okinawan Karate styles of Uechi-Ryū and Gōjū-Ryū, as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian Whi ...

Notes

References

Sources

* Real Dachengquan, by Li Kang, Beijing Sport University Press 2005 * Baihemen Shihequan, Liu Gu, co-authored by Su Yuzhang, Wuzhou Publishing House * "Taiwan Martial Arts" (33) MOOK 3-Crane Law. 2006 * Liu Yinshan "Authentic Southern Shaolin Boxing, Secret Boxing White Crane Gate Food Crane Boxing" published by Cheng Meitang in 1983. * "An Introduction to Shaolin Temple Boxing in Fujian: Into the Crane", Xinxing Publishing House, 1983. * Authentic white crane kung fu by Grandmaster Lee joo-chian and master Lorne Bernard, 2021, Kontact Sports inc * Bubishi George Alexander and Secrets of the Bubishi DVD ASIN : B00015400K * Shaolin white crane kung fu: A rare art revealed () By Lorne Bernard. *

External links

White Crane Online - learn Tai Chi online

White Crane Academy - classes, courses, and workshops in the south of England

Weng Gong Ci Whu Shu Guan

Weng Gong Ci Whu Shu Guan InternationalWhite Crane Martial Arts

Southern Crane Kungfu & Tai Chi U.K.

FuJian White Crane Kung Fu Club

White Crane Kung Fu

White Crane Fighting Arts

All Masters Martial Arts Centre

Feeding Crane - Taiwan - Liu Chang I

White Crane Kung Fu & Tai Chi Club of Scotland
{{Martial arts Chinese martial arts Fujian Nanquan Buddhist martial arts