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Taizuquan
Tàizǔquán (太祖拳, eng. ''Boxing of Tàizǔ o''r ''Great-Ancestor Fist'') is a style of Chinese martial arts whose name refers to Emperor Tàizǔ of Sòng, the founder of the Sòng dynasty. There are two distinct variations of Tàizǔquán, the Northern Style: Tàizǔ Zhǎngquán (''Eng. Taizu Changquan''), and the Southern Style: Nán Tàizǔquán. Tàizǔ Zhǎngquán styles are taught in Guǎngdōng. Nán Tàizǔquán is taught in Táiwān. Both styles are found in Fújiàn. Traditional Aphorisms The essence of the style is to use the enemy's offense as means to control the enemy itself. The routine moves are rigorous, the footwork is flexible, both firm and supple. The practitioner is like a cat; shaking like a tiger, walking like a dragon, and moving like lightning. It requires one courage, two strengths, three exercises, four breaths, five tricks, six changes, seven evils, and eight cruelties. When attacking, check the situation and observe carefully; rush ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Changquan
Chángquán () refers to a family of external (as opposed to internal) martial arts (kung fu) styles from northern China. The forms of the Long Fist style emphasize fully extended kicks and striking techniques, and by appearance would be considered a long-range fighting system. In some Long Fist styles the motto is that "the best defense is a strong offense," in which case the practitioner launches a preemptive attack so aggressive that the opponent doesn't have the opportunity to attack. Others emphasize defense over offense, noting that nearly all techniques in Long Fist forms are counters to attacks. Long Fist uses large, extended, circular movements to improve overall body mobility in the muscles, tendons, and joints. Advanced Long Fist techniques include qin na joint-locking techniques and shuai jiao throws and takedowns. The Long Fist style is considered to contain a good balance of hand and foot techniques, but in particular it is renowned for its impressive acrobatic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nanquan (martial Art)
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 such as Hung Kuen, Choi Lei Fut, Hak Fu Mun, Wuzuquan, Wing Chun, and so on. History and development of Southern Kung Fu During the Ming Dynasty, there were Wokou (Japanese pirates) active on the coast of China. At one point, Generals Qi Jiguang and Yu Dayou were stationed in Fuqing and Putian in the Central Fujian. The local monks in those areas defended themselves using iron rods to repel the pirates. Yu Dayou and Qi Jiguang taught martial arts to the local armies and civilians to fight against the pirates, with General Qi teaching the use of javelins, knives and other weaponry.Guangxi Wang (2012). Chinese Kung Fu. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-05-2118-664-3. The fourteenth chapter of General Qi's Jixiao Xinshu includ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chang Moo Kwan
Chang Moo Kwan is a style of Korean martial arts that was founded by Yoon Byung-in and Lee Nam Suk. History At the end of World War II, several Kwans were set up to teach martial arts to Korean public. In the late 1950s, spearheaded by Choi Hong Hi, these Kwans united to form what was to become known as Korea Taekwondo Association and formed the universal Korean martial art known as Taekwondo. Formation (1948-c.1950) Lee Nam Suk's teacher Byung In Yoon had founded the "YMCA Kwon Bop Bu" (권법무) in 1946. Byung In Yoon had studied Chinese Kung Fu (ch'uan-fa) under the guidance of a Mongolian instructor in Manchuria. Yoon trained karate at university karate club in Japan with Kanken Tōyama. When he trained Karate in Japan, Japanese karate students pursued the Korean student and beat them up. Yoon Byung-in angered by the Japanese karate students, sprung into action using Chuan-fa. He deflected and evaded the karate students’ strikes and kicks to the point that the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chinese Martial Arts
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 traits, identified as "families" of martial arts. Examples of such traits include ''Shaolinquan'' () physical exercises involving All Other Animals () mimicry or training methods inspired by Old Chinese philosophies, religions and legends. Styles that focus on qi manipulation are called '' internal'' (; ), while others that concentrate on improving muscle and cardiovascular fitness are called '' external'' (; ). Geographical association, as in ''northern'' (; ) and ''southern'' (; ), is another popular classification method. Terminology ''Kung fu'' and ''wushu'' are loanwords from Cantonese and Mandarin respectively that, in English, are used to refer to Chinese martial arts. However, the Chinese terms '' kung fu'' and ''wushu'' (; ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Qi Jiguang
Qi Jiguang (, November 12, 1528 – January 17, 1588), courtesy name Yuanjing, art names Nantang and Mengzhu, posthumous name Wuyi, was a Chinese military general and writer of the Ming dynasty. He is best known for leading the defense on the coastal regions against ''wokou'' pirate activities in the 16th century, as well as for the reinforcement of the Great Wall of China. Qi is also known for writing the military manuals ''Jixiao Xinshu'' and Lianbing Shiji or ''Record of Military Training'' (), which he based on his experience as a martial educator and defensive planner in the Ming military forces. He is regarded as a hero in Chinese culture. Biography Early life Qi Jiguang was born in the town of Luqiao in Shandong province to a family with a long military tradition. His forefather served as a military leader under the Hongwu Emperor and died in battle. When Zhu Yuanzhang became the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, he bestowed upon the Qi family the hereditary po ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Southern Shaolin Monastery
The Southern Shaolin Monastery or Nan-Shaolin () is the name of a Buddhist monastery whose existence and location are both disputed although associated ruins have been identified. By tradition, it is considered a source of Nanquan. Establishment The following account is based on legend or folklore, with little, if any, documentary evidence to support it. During the Tang dynasty in the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang, warrior monks from Henan Shaolin were deployed from the Shaolin temple to combat piracy. With the pirates suppressed, the monks remained in support of the local garrison and established the Southern Shaolin Monastery. During the Tang dynasty, Shaolin warriors were used in support of the regular army, and at its peak, there were nine subsidiary Shaolin monasteries. With the demise of the Shaolin warrior units, the subsidiary Shaolin monasteries disappeared, so that by the end of the Qing dynasty only the temple at Henan remained. Another popular account is that sinc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tiandihui
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 ancestral organization. As the Tiandihui spread through different counties and provinces, it branched off into many groups and became known by many names, including the ''Sanhehui''. The ''Hongmen'' grouping is today more or less synonymous with the whole ''Tiandihui'' concept, although the title "Hongmen" is also claimed by some criminal groups. Its current iteration is purely secular. Under British rule in Hong Kong, all Chinese secret societies were collectively seen as criminal threats and were bundled together and defined as "Triads", although the Hongmen might be said to have differed in its nature from others. The name of the "Three Harmonies Society" (the "Sanhehui" grouping of the Tiandihui) is in fact the source of the te ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1722. The Kangxi Emperor's reign of 61 years makes him the longest-reigning emperor in Chinese history (although his grandson, the Qianlong Emperor, had the longest period of ''de facto'' power, ascending as an adult and maintaining effective power until his death) and one of the longest-reigning rulers in history. However, since he ascended the throne at the age of seven, actual power was held for six years by four regents and his grandmother, the Grand Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang. The Kangxi Emperor is considered one of China's greatest emperors. He suppressed the Revolt of the Three Feudatories, forced the Kingdom of Tungning in Taiwan and assorted Mongol rebels in the North and Northwest to submit to Qing rule, and blocked Tsa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jixiao Xinshu
The ''Jixiao Xinshu'' () or ''New Treatise on Military Efficiency'' is a military manual written during the 1560s and 1580s by the Ming dynasty general Qi Jiguang. Its primary significance is in advocating for a combined arms approach to warfare using five types of infantry and two type of support. Qi Jiguang separated infantry into five separate categories: firearms, swordsmen, archers with fire arrows, ordinary archers, and spearmen. He split support crews into horse archers and artillery units. The ''Jixiao Xinshu'' is also one of the earliest-existing East Asian texts to address the relevance of Chinese martial arts with respect to military training and warfare. Several contemporary martial arts styles of Qi's era are mentioned in the book, including the staff method of the Shaolin temple. Background In the late 16th century the military of the Ming dynasty was in poor condition. As the Mongol forces of Altan Khan raided the northern frontier, China's coastline fell ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shandong
Shandong ( , ; ; alternately romanized as Shantung) is a coastal province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the East China region. Shandong has played a major role in Chinese history since the beginning of Chinese civilization along the lower reaches of the Yellow River. It has served as a pivotal cultural and religious center for Taoism, Chinese Buddhism and Confucianism. Shandong's Mount Tai is the most revered mountain of Taoism and a site with one of the longest histories of continuous religious worship in the world. The Buddhist temples in the mountains to the south of the provincial capital of Jinan were once among the foremost Buddhist sites in China. The city of Qufu is the birthplace of Confucius and was later established as the center of Confucianism. Confucianism developed from what was later called the Hundred Schools of Thought from the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. Shandong's location at the intersection of ancient and m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laizhou
Laizhou, alternately romanized as Laichow, is a county-level city in the Prefecture-level city of Yantai, Shandong Province, China. As of 2008, Laizhou had a population of 902,000, out of which 188,000 are urban residents. Laizhou traditionally boasts strong economy due to its abundant natural resources, such as gold, magnesium, granite, and salt. Laizhou produces about 15% of the gold production of the whole nation, around 55,000 pounds annually. It is ranked 37th among the similar size cities in the nation and the top 10 in Shandong Province. In 2010, the GDP of Laizhou reached US$7.3 billion. Laizhou Port is one of the major ports in the Yellow River Delta. Geography Laizhou embraces Bohai Bay Bohai Bay () is one of the three major bays of the Bohai Sea, the northwestern and innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea. It is bounded by the coastlines of eastern Hebei province ( Tangshan and Cangzhou), Tianjin municipality and northern S ... to its west border and is famous ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaolin Kung Fu
Shaolin Kung Fu (), also called Shaolin Wushu (), or Shaolin quan (), is one of the oldest, largest, and most famous styles of wushu, or kung fu of Chan Buddhism. It combines Ch'an philosophy and martial arts and originated and was developed in the Shaolin Temple in Henan province, Greater China during its 1500-year history. Popular sayings in Chinese folklore related to this practice include "All martial arts under heaven originated from Shaolin" and "Shaolin kung fu is the best under heaven," indicating the influence of Shaolin kung fu among martial arts. The name ''Shaolin'' is also used as a brand for the so-called external styles of kung fu. Many styles in southern and northern China use the name Shaolin. History Chinese martial arts before Shaolin Chinese historical records, like ''Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue'', the ''Bibliographies in the Book of the Han Dynasty,'' the ''Records of the Grand Historian,'' and other sources document the existence of martial ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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