Zui Quan

Zui Quan (Traditional and Simplified Chinese: 醉拳; pinyin: Zuì Quán) is literally Drunken Fist, also known as Drunken Boxing or Drunkard's Boxing) is a concept in traditional Chinese martial arts, as well as a classification of modern Wushu forms. Zui Quan is sometimes called Zuijiuquan (Chinese: 醉酒拳; pinyin: zhìjiǔquán, literally "Drunken Alcohol Fist").

Concept

Zui Quan is a category of techniques, forms and fighting philosophy that appear to imitate a drunkard's movements.^[1] The postures are created by momentum and weight of the body, and imitation is generally through staggering and certain type of fluidity in the movements. It is considered to be among the most difficult wushu styles to learn due to the need for powerful joints and fingers. While in fiction practitioners of Zui Quan are often portrayed as being actually intoxicated, Zui Quan techniques are highly acrobatic and skilled and require a great degree of balance and coordination, such that any person attempting to perform any Zui Quan techniques while intoxicated would be likely to injure themselves.^[2]

Style

Even though the style seems irregular and off balance it takes the utmost balance to be successful. To excel one must be relaxed and flow with ease from technique to technique. Swaying, drinking, and falling are used to throw off opponents. When the opponent thinks the drunken boxer is vulnerable he is usually well balanced and ready to strike. When swigging a wine cup the practitioner is really practicing grabbing and striking techniques. The waist movements trick opponents into attacking sometimes even falling over. Falls can be used to avoid attacks but also to pin attackers to the ground while vital points are targeted.^[3]

Zui Quan within Chinese martial arts

Many traditional Chinese martial arts utilize drunken techniques and fighting philosophy within forms and techniques. For example:

• Some lineages of Choi Lei Fut contain "drunken" forms. Choi Lei Fut drunken technique teaches feints, explosive power generation, swaying motions and various other distraction techniques.^[4][5]

• Monkey Kung Fu contains a variation of monkey style called "Drunken Monkey" which involves "a lot of throat, eye and groin strikes as well as tumbling and falling techniques. It incorporates a lot of false steps to give the appearance of defenseless and uses a lot of off-balance strikes. The practitioner waddles, takes very faltering steps and sometimes fall to the ground and lies prone while waiting the opponent to approach at which time a devastating attack is launched at the knees or groin areas of the opponent."

• Performance Wushu contains several exhibition forms known as "drunken" forms, but which bear no actual connection to the forms found in traditional Chinese martial arts.^[2]

• Most lineages of Hung Gar and Hung Fut contain drunken forms.

Zui Quan in mixed and non-Chinese styles

Shaolin-Do teaches drunken forms beginning at the first degree blackbelt level.^[6]

Media appearances

Zui Quan received mainstream media attention outside of China after the premiere of the Jackie Chan film Drunken Master in 1978. There are sequels. Drunken Fist's legendary style and execution is featured in many books, movies, comics, games and television shows.

References

External links

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