Fujian White Crane
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| 白鶴拳 | |
| Fujian White Crane | |
|---|---|
| Pinyin: | Bái Hè Quán |
| Minnan: | Peh8 Hoh8 Kun5 |
| Literally | "white crane fist" |
- This article is about the Fujian style of White Crane. For the Tibetan style, see Lama (martial art).
Fujian White Crane is a martial art which its traditions attribute to a woman named Fāng Qīniáng (方七娘; Minnan: hng1 chhit1 nia5).
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[edit] The legend of the White Crane
The Fāng family lived in Fujian, a province of China, in a place where there were many cranes.
Qīniáng's father knew the Southern Chinese martial arts and taught them to his daughter.
One day, while Qīniáng was doing her chores, a crane alighted nearby.
Qīniáng tried to scare the bird off using a stick and the skills she 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 this time blocked with the claws of its feet.
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 movements of cranes and combined these movements with the martial arts she learned from her father, creating the White Crane style of Fujian Province.
[edit] Branches
Over time White Crane branched off into several styles:
| Chinese | Pinyin | Minnan | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sleeping Crane Fist | 宿鶴拳 | sù hè quán | siok1 hoh8 kun5 | also known as Jumping, Ancestral, or Vibrating Crane |
| Crying Crane Fist | 鳴鶴拳 | míng hè quán | beng5 hoh8 kun5 | |
| Eating Crane Fist | 食鶴拳 | shí hè quán | chiah8 hoh8 kun5 | also known as Morning Crane |
| Flying Crane Fist | 飛鶴拳 | fēi hè quán | hui1 hoh8 kun5 | a brasilian style |
[edit] History
The Ancestral Crane master Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming dates the creation of Fujian White Crane to c. 1700.
According to the traditions of the Lee family branch of Flying Crane, Fāng Qīniáng was born in the mid-18th century.
According to its traditions, the lineage of the Ong Gong Shr Wushuguan in the town of Yǒngchūn (永春; Minnan: eng2 chhun1) in the prefecture of Quanzhou in Fujian Province was established when Fāng Qīniáng taught its founders during the reign of the Ming emperor Jiāzhèng (嘉政). However, there was no Ming emperor Jiāzhèng (嘉政); there was a Ming emperor Jiājìng (嘉靖), who ruled from 1521 to 1566.
Lǐ Wénmào (李文茂), a historically verifiable opera performer and leader in the 1854–1855 Red Turban Rebellion in Foshan, is said to have practiced the Yǒngchūn style of White Crane.
[edit] Influence
Fujian White Crane is one of the constituent styles of Five Ancestors.
Five Ancestors as well as various styles of Karate, notably Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu, obtained the routine San Chian from Fujian White Crane. San Chian is best known by the Japanese pronunciation of its name: Sanchin.
