White Crane Kung Fu
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| Also known as | Pe̍h-ho̍h-kûn |
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| Focus | Striking |
| Country of origin | China |
| Creator | Fāng Qīnián (tradition) |
| Famous practitioners | Lǐ Wénmào Chen Zuozhen Huang Laoyang |
| Parenthood | Ming-era Nanquan |
| Descendant arts | Wing Chun, Southern Praying Mantis, Wuzuquan, Karate (Goju Ryu, Chitō-ryū, Uechi-ryu) |
| Fujian White Crane | |||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 白鶴拳 | ||||||||||||
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| Simplified Chinese | 白鹤拳 | ||||||||||||
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| Alternative Chinese name | |||||||||||||
| Chinese | 永春白鶴拳 | ||||||||||||
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| Transcriptions | |
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| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | báihè quán |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Yale Romanization | baahk hohk kyùhn |
| Jyutping | Baak6 Hok6 Kyun4 |
| Transcriptions | |
|---|---|
| Standard Mandarin | |
| Hanyu Pinyin | yǒngchūn báihè quán |
| Yue: Cantonese | |
| Yale Romanization | wíhng chēun baahk hohk kyùhn |
| Jyutping | Wing5 Ceon1 Baak6 Hok6 Kyun4 |
White Crane Style (in Chinese: 白鶴拳) is a Southern Chinese martial art that originated in Fujian (福建) province. According to oral tradition, the style was developed by Fang Qīniáng (方七娘; Amoy Min Nan: 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. 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 is a type of Shaolin Boxing that imitates characteristics of the Taiwanese Crane. An entire system of fighting was developed from observing the crane's movements, methods of attack and spirit. It is one of the six well-known schools of Shaolin Boxing. The others are based on Tiger, Monkey, Leopard, Snake and Dragon. Additional, lesser-known schools include Dog, Deer and Bear.
Qīniáng and her father lived in Fujian province, where many cranes live. 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 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 of Fujian province.
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Wikipedia