Tien Shan Pai
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Tien Shan Pai (天山派) is a northern style of Kung-fu which originated in the Tien Shan mountains of northwestern China. At the same time it also contains graceful empty-hand and weapons forms. It stresses rhythm, the demonstration of power accentuated by solid thuds made by the hands, the emitting of power from the entire body, the coordination of the hands and feet as well as blocks and strikes, high kicks and low sweeps, as well as locking and throwing techniques. Tien Shan Pai self-defense is characterized by angular attacks coupled with multiple blocks. If one block fails, the second can cover. Footwork is considered essential to countering attacks. Tien Shan Pai focuses on low and steady steps to the side, along with swift "hidden" steps to trick the opponent. Paired boxing forms and exercises are emphasized for timing and accurate evaluation of distance in reference to a moving, responsive adversary.
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[edit] History
The following is a brief recent history of the Tien Shan Pai style:
The 63rd generation head of Tien Shan Pai Wang Chueh-Jen came from a rich family. His father, Wang Ting Yuen, was a well known kung fu master in Szechuan province. Wang Chueh-Jen first studied from his father before his father hired a master to teach him and his brothers at home. Wang eventually inherited the Tien Shan Pai style from Ho Ta-Sun (also known as Ho Yuen-Ching).
Tien Shan Pai has long been popular in Xinjiang, Gansu and other western provinces; however, it was not well known in eastern China and Taiwan until Wang Chueh-Jen taught there. Through many years of study and teaching, Wang refined a style of combat he called "radar style fighting". Many of his early students competed in leitai tournaments, all giving outstanding performances, with some winning championships. At that time (1955), there were no weight divisions (in 1957 three weight divisions were established) and no protection. The last such tournament without protection was held in Taiwan, Republic of China in 1986.
Wang Chueh-Jen continued to teach Tien Shan Pai until his death in 1990. Huang Chien-Liang, Willy Lin, C.C. Liu, and Tony Lin are a few of Wang's original students who are still active practitioners and teachers of Tien Shan Pai in the United States today.
A student of Wang Chueh-Jen, Willy Lin, travelled two times to Xiangjiang provinces in order to find the temple or any traces of the style; however he did not find any temple or any record about Tien Shan Pai. Lin also contacted the Martial Arts Association of Xiangjian who introduced him to an old martial artist who had always lived in the region where the legend says the temple was located. This person told Lin that he has never heard of a Temple or any Tian Shan Pai style in the region. Nevertheless, Lin did find landmarks that were featured in the legend, though not the Temple itself.
Moreover, when one considers that the Tien Shan mountain range is roughly the size of Nevada (Information on the Tien Shan mountains), it is clear that this would be a lot of space to cover in only two visits. Thus, an excursion such as Lin's would hardly be thorough enough to draw any conclusions, and does not prove (or disprove) anything.
When Grandmaster Lin returned from his 2nd trip to T’ien Shan, Wang asked if Lin had tried to find the temple again. Lin affirmed that he had, but once he told of all he had learned, Wang Jyue Jen never spoke to Lin of this again. Willy Lin retired from teaching, and only began teaching again after the death of Grand Master Wang.
Lin believes it probable that Grand Master Wang gave this name to his personal style. The non-Tien Shan Pai curriculum, also taught and incorperated by Grand Master Wang, includes forms from the Central Martial Arts Academy in Nanjin. During the republican period the Kuomintang opened a school to teach martial arts to its citizens. To this aim the Academy recruited masters from difent styles like: Hsing-I, Baguazhang, Bajiquan, Long Fist, Taijiquan, Shuai Jiao etc.
Grand Master Wang was a student at the Academy, Lin believes that for this reason, it is easy to conclude that he took some of this curriculum along side what he learned as a child and presented it with the "catchy" name of Tien Shan Pai.
Regardless, Wang Chueh-Jen noted many different teachers as the sources of such styles as Taijiquan and Baguazhang; pointing out that they should not be confused with Tien Shan Pai, which was taught to him by Grand Master Ho Ta-Sun (also known as Ho Yuen-Ching). Though he incorperated various styles into his curriculum, Wang Chueh-Jen maintained, until his death, that Tien Shan Pai was an ancient system.
[edit] Founding Legend
Tien Shan Pai kung fu originated in Xinjiang Province in Northwestern China. Legend has it that it was practiced by monks who lived in a temple nestled among the snow-capped peaks of the Tien Shan mountains.
As the story goes, a young herdsman who was searching for lost animals wandered too far from home. The grasslands he knew so well suddenly looked unfamiliar and he realized he was lost. Noticing an old monk with long white beard approaching nearby, the boy stopped him and asked for directions. When he returned to his village, the boy told his mother about the old monk. She replied he had met Tien Shan Lao Ren, a monk who was noted for his martial arts skills. The mother encouraged her son to find the monk and learn his kung fu secret.
The young boy set out to find the old monk. His quest carried him deep into the mountains. He searched for mile after mile, but could not find the old monk. At the point of physical exhaustion, the young boy stopped at nearby stream to quench his thirst. While kneeling by the stream, he saw the reflection of a beautiful temple nestled in a snow-capped mountain. Sensing he was close, the young boy hastened onwards.
After a long trek into the mountains, the boy finally arrived at the temple. However, his hopes were dashed when the monk refused to accept him as a disciple. They were not permitted to teach outsiders, the monk explained. But instead of going home as they suggested, the boy knelt in the snow outside the temple doors, refusing to leave until the old monk would agree to teach him. On the second morning, he was discovered lying unconscious from the cold and was taken into the temple.
Seeing his determination, the old monk reconsidered. Tien Shan Lao Ren decided to teach the boy, whom he nicknamed Hong Yun (Red Cloud) because of the mist that rose from his bleeding knees when he was discovered outside of the temple. He stayed in the temple until he grew to manhood, and when he left, he eagerly passed on his skill to other dedicated students. Hong Yun Zu Shi, as the first to teach the monks martial artistry to the outside world, is regarded as the founder of Tien Shan Pai.
[edit] Modern Practitioners
Tien Shan Pai is an active style of Kung fu practiced by many in the United States and around the world. Grand Master Huang Chien-Liang resides and still teaches at the primary school in Maryland. Though there were classmates senior to Huang Chien-Liang, none learned as much of the actual Tien Shan Pai curriculum as he did, and only he received the initiatory Taoist disciple name from Wang Chueh-Jen, as well as engraved and painted calligraphic documentation that the lineage was being passed on through him. Images documenting this are available on Huang Chien-Liang's website1. As such, he is regarded as the Grandmaster of the system by those disciples of the 65th Generation, who were inducted as well in the presence of Grand Master Wang Chueh-Jen.
Today most practitioners, of the 65th and 66th Generations of Tien Shan Pai, learn aspects of northern Shaolin kung fu, and Yang style Tai Chi Chuan and in some cases Xingyiquan and Baguazhang as well as traditional Tien Shan Pai.
[edit] Curriculum Taught At Tien Shan Pai Schools
Listed below are the forms and techniques taught by Huang Chien-Liang and his students as part of the Tien Shan Pai curriculum[1]
1st Degree Black Sash
o White Sash - Grade 6
+ Chu Ji Quan (Primary Fist)
+ Xiao Wu Hua (Little Martial Flower)
+ San-Da 1, 2, 2A
o Orange Sash - Grade 5
+ Chu Ji Quan Dui Lian (Primary Fist Two Man Set)
+ Long Quan (Dragon Fist)
+ San-Da 3, 3A, 4
o Green Sash - Grade 4
+ Mei Hua Quan (Plum Flower Fist)
+ Pan Long Bien Gan (Coiling Dragon Whip)
+ San-Da 5, 6
o Blue Sash - Grade 3
+ Zhong Ji Quan (Intermediate Fist)
+ Mei Hua Dan Dao (Plum Flower Broadsword)
+ San-Da 2B, 7
o Purple Sash - Grade 2
+ Luo Han Quan (Lo Han Boxing)
+ Bai Mei Gun (White Eyebrow Long Staff)
+ San-Da 3B, 8
o Brown Sash - Grade 1
+ Mei Hua Lian Huan Tui (Plum Flower Kick Combination)
+ Ba Ji Quan (Eight Ultimate Boxing)
+ Yan Xing Jian (Swallowtail Straightsword)
+ Zhong Ji Quan Dui Lian (Intermediate Fist Two Man Set)
+ Yuan Yang Pu (Mandarin Duck)
+ San-Da 9, 10
2nd Degree Black Sash
o Tian Shan Qiang Fa (Tien Shan Spear)
o Xiao Hu Yan (Little Tiger Swallow)
o Tu Ji (Sudden Attack)
o Tuan Pang Dui Pi (Short Staff Two Man Set)
o Dan Dao Dui Qiang (Broadsword vs. Spear)
o Mei Hua Shuang Jian (Plum Flower Double Straightsword)
3rd Degree Black Sash
o Jiu Jie Bian (Nine Section Whip)
o Chin Na Two Man Set
o Dan Dao Dui Pi (Broadsword vs. Broadsword)
o Cha Tui (Crossing Leg)
o Bai Ma Xia Shan (White Horse Descends Mountain)
4th Degree Black Sash
o Xiao Hong Quan (Little Red Boxing)
o Hou Quan (Monkey Boxing)
o Da Dao Dui Dan Dao (Big Knife vs. Broadsword)
o San Jie Gun (Tri-Sectional Staff)
o Mei Hua Shuang Dao (Plum Flower Double Broadsword)
o Pan Long Gun Xing Qiang (Coiling Dragon Long Staff vs. Spear)
5th Degree Black Sash
o Yi Bu Lian Huan Yuan Yang Jiao (Mandarin Kick Combination)
o Zui Quan (Drunken Fist)
o Hu Tou Shuang Guo (Tiger Head Double Hook)
o Shuang Dao Po Hua Qiang (Double Broadsword vs. Flower Spear)
o Chan Ma Dao Dui Qiang (Horse Knife vs. Spear)
Additional Curriculum Elements:
Empty Hand Forms
o Sun Bin Quan (Sun Ping Boxing)
o Di Gong Quan (Ground Style)
o Tang Rang Quan (Praying Mantis)
o Cha Chuan
Weapons Forms
o Chun Chiu Da Dao (Spring Autumn Big Knife)
o San Cai Jian (Three Power Straightsword)
o Chi Meng Jian
o Chuang Shin Jian
o Tian Gan Bao Sang (Fan)
o Zou Xian Fei Chui (Flying Steel Ball)
o Shuang Tou Qiang (Double Head Spear)
o Li Hua Shuang Jian (Pear Flower Twin Straightsword)
o Shuang Huan (Double Ring)
o Pu Di Jin Gun Tang Shuang Dao (Ground Brocade Double Broadsword)
o Shuang Bi Shou (Double Dagger)
Tai Chi Chuan[2] Hsing I Chuan[3] Pa Kua Chang[4] Shuai Chiao Tao Meditation
The Curriculum taught originally by Master Willy Lin in Taiwan while being the assistant and chief instructor of Grand Master Wang is:
Tian Shang Shi Er Tui 天山十二腿 Tien Sun Twelve Legs, Tien Sun Doce Piernas Zou Xian Fei Chuei 走線飛鎚 Flying Steel Ball, Bola de Acero Voladora Duan Da Er Shi Si Shi 短打二十四式 Primary Fist, Puño Primario Mei Hua Quan 梅花拳 Plum Flower Fist, Puño Flor de Ciruela Long Quan 龍拳 Dragon Fist, Puño Dragón Ba Ji Quan 八極拳 Eight Boxing Maneuvers, Puño de Ocho Direcciones Biao Bu Lian Huan Yuen Yiang Tui 禦步連環鴛鴦腿 Kick Combination, Combinación de Patadas Chu Ji Quan 初級拳 Original Primary Fist, Puño Primario Original Bai Mei Gun Fa 白眉棍法 White Eyebrow Long Staff, Bastón Largo Mei Hua Dan Dao 梅花單刀 Plum Flower Broadsword, Espada Ancha Flor de Ciruela Zong Ji Quan 宗級拳 Secondary Fist, Puño Secundario Wu Ying Sheng Gou 無影神鉤 Divine Hook Swords, Espadas con Gancho Yan Xing Jian 燕形劍 Swallow Bird Straight Sword, Espada Recta Tai Ji Quan 太極拳 Grand Ultimate Boxing, Boxeo Supremo Último Tai Ji Quan Duei Lian 太極拳對練 Tai Chi Two Man Set, Boxeo Supremo Último con Compañero Tai Ji Tue Shou 太極推手 Tai Chi Pushing Hands, Manos Empujantes Chu Ji Quan Dui Lian 初級拳對練 Primary Fist Two Man Set, Puño Secundario con Compañero Yuen Yang Pu 鴛鴦譜 Mandarin Duck, Pato Mandarin Tian Shan Qiang Fa 天山槍法 Tian Sun Spear, Lanza Tian Sun Pan Long Bian Gan 盤龍鞭桿 Coiling Dragon Whip, Látigo de Dragón
Da Dao Pi Dan Dao 大刀劈單劍 Big Knife vs. Broadsword, Cuchillo Gigante contra Espada Ancha Ba Gua Zhang 八卦掌 Pa Kua Fei Cha 飛叉 Flying Fork, Tenedor Volante Suai Jiao Ying Yong Fa 摔跤應用法 Chinese Wrestling, Lucha China Xiao Hong Quan 小紅拳 Little Red Boxing, Boxeo de Rojo Pequeño San Cai Jian 三才劍 Straight Sword, Espada Recta Chun Qui Da Dao 春秋大刀 Spring Autumn Big Knife, Primavera Otoño Cuchillo Gigante Zong Ji Quan Dui Lian 宗級拳對練 Secondary Fist 2 Man Set, Puño Secundario con Compañero Xing Yi Dui Lian 形意對練 Hsing Yi 2 Man Set, Hsing Yi con Compañero Hu Wei San Jie Gun 虎尾三節棍 Tiger Tail Tri-Sectional Staff, Cola de Tigre Bastón de Tres Secciones Lu Xing Gun Dui Pi 旅行棍對劈 Short Staff vs. Short Staff, Bastón Corto vs. Bastón Corto Da Dao Po Hua Qiang 大刀破花槍 Big Knife vs. Spear, Cuchillo Gigante vs. Lanza Shuang Ji Jian 雙擊 劍 Straight Sword 2 Man Set, Espada Recta con Compañero Tu Ji 突擊 Tiger and Dragon Fight, Pelea Tigre y Dragón o Ataque Súbito Pu Di Jing Gun Tang Shuang Dao 鋪地錦滾堂雙刀 Rolling Floor Double Broad Sword, Sable Doble Shuang Dao Dui Kang 雙刀對砍 Broadsword vs. Broad Sword, Sable Ancho vs. Sable Ancho Shuang Dao Po Hua Qiang 雙刀破花槍 Double Broadsword vs. Spear, Sable Doble vs. Lanza Li Hua Shuang Jian 梨花雙劍 Pear Flower Twin Straight Swords, Flor de Pera Doble Espada Recta Sa Shi Lui Qin Na Shou 三十六擒拿手 36 Grappling Applications, 36 Aplicaciones de Chin Na Man Jiang Hong 滿江紅 All Rivers Red, Todos los Ríos Rojos
