A very important article by Hing Chao from the Hong Kong Wulin series, printed in the 2317 issue of Ming Pao Weekly. This should be read after the article "Southern Boxing". As an aside after reading this it is worth reading the following post in Kung Fu Tea for an alternative point of view.
Summary
Fujian Yong Chun White Crane is an ancient form of Southern Chinese boxing, it has a long history and abundant historical records. In terms of the documents currently available to researchers, the material related to White Crane exceeds that of any other Southern styles. From the boxing manuals one is able to see that White Crane had already formulated a complete system and principles from an early period. In the article “Yong Chun White Crane Boxing – development and revolution”, Master Su Ying Han and Master Li Gang theorize that early White Crane Boxing may only have included sparring. The completed forms emerged out of the research and development of later generations of practitioners.
(Early) White Crane Boxing Method, was a collection of postures, applications and footwork which were practiced individually, the forms were short sequences or simple repetitive movements. As “Fang Qilang’s White Crane 15 Postures” from the “White Crane Spiritual Ancestor True Transmission Method” records : [Falling Shank, Chopping Fist, the Returning Dragon injests the Treasure, the Golden Rooster plays with its Claws, the Black Dragon sweeps the earth, Striking the Maple, the Green Dragon crosses the Road, the North Star kicks the big Dipper, Single headed Tiger, Two Dragons playing with a pearl, grasping hand, the Ghost pulls up an inch, Heart Piercing Palm, the White horse rears its hooves, Child tumbling on the ground] the fifteen postures… these fifteen postures were the earliest seen recorded in any boxing manual.
Like all local martial arts, White Crane never ceased to evolve; although we cannot make a determination as to when the core structure of White Crane was formulated, by the time of Emperors Qianlong (1735-1796) - Jiaqing 嘉慶帝(1796-1820) it was already at a mature stage of development. And by the Jiaqing era, it had developed into one of the most influential styles in Fujian Province. The karate manual 武備志 (Bubishi) preserved in Okinawa is evidence of this.
The Bubishi was transmitted from Fujian to the Ryukyus and is a famous military manual, and its contents include the philosophy of (Shaolin) Buddhist Boxing, (legendary) history and fighting applications, Chinese herbs and applications, secret dim mak or pressure point applications, etc. The Bubishi has been seen as the most precious of the secret transmissions of Ryukyu Karate, with some saying that it is the bible of Okinawan Karate. But as to the period or route that that the Bubishi took to come to Okinawa, this has not been able to be answered until now. Most traditional karate or Bubishi researchers believe, that the manual arrived in Okinawa around 1850. It is likely that the Bubishi had several different editions, and the surviving example is a compilation of several hand written copies. Regardless, the Bubishi had arrived in Okinawa by the middle of the 19th Century, clearly demonstrating that White Crane had already formulated its system at the very latest by the beginning of the 19th Century.
In addition, even though some researchers believe several other Fujianese styles, like Taizu Quan, Luohan Quan were formed earlier than White Crane, [the Ming General Qi Jiguang in the section entitled “The Quick/ Key Points of the Boxing Classic” of his famous work Jixiao Xinshu, has a brief description of Taizu Quan and Monkey Boxing], there is no hard evidence to support this view; these styles do not have a boxing manual or other documents that predate White Crane. Conversely, from the point of view of applications, principles for expression of power (fajin), or forms, from different technical perspectives, Taizu Quan, Hujun Quan, Luohan Quan, Five Ancestor He Yang Quan, all retain the flavor of White Crane and were obviously influenced by it. The simplest example is Taizu Quan: Qijiguang stated : “The Song Founding Emperor (Song Taizu) had a 32 form long fist” but the Taizu Quan preserved in Fujian today is a form of close distance boxing, and its hand techniques are dominated by “Crane Method”. Furthermore the introductory sequence for Taizu - three attacks 三戰 – is almost the same as the basic structure for White Crane’s three attacks 三戰 with few differences.
The author in the 2308th issue of Ming Pao weekly, in the article Southern Close Distance Boxing – A Summary stated, in the past two hundred years, White Crane not only led the development of martial arts in Fujian and the surrounding areas, but its influence extended to Taiwan, Japan and its southern influence extended to Guangdong. It was Fujian’s most influential and most widely transmitted style. White Crane has lineages in Fuzhou, Yong Chun, Quanzhou and Zhangzhou. According to the research of lineage holder Master Li Gang, as White Crane had its most dynamic development in Yong Chun County, and as many of the representative masters came from there, people naturally placed the words Yong Chun and White Crane together to become Yong Chun White Crane or even Yong Chun Boxing. Please see “The History of the Development of Yong Chun White Crane Boxing” in the Journal of Chinese Martial Studies No. 3, 2010 Summer.
As Yong Chun White Crane underwent several generations of transmission and promotion to become the most widely practiced style in Fujian Province, it could not avoid evolving and developing. A few masters, who had a strong power and technical foundation and had unique insights into White Crane Boxing, through compiling their own practical fighting experience, would undergo an arduous process of inner cultivation, would achieve certain revelations. They would innovate upon the structure of White Crane boxing, thus developing their own style and idiosyncrasies, forming their own system and a new school.
During the period of the Emperors Qianlong or Jiaqing, the third or fourth generation lineage holder Mistress Wumei, innovated upon the broad and powerful foundation of White Crane, and transmitted this new style of boxing to Yan Yongchun (Yim Wing Chun), and this style was widely popularized by Yim Wing Chun and her husband Liang Bo Shou. People called this new style taught by Yim Wing Chun, “Wing Chun Boxing”, which is the style now popularly recognized worldwide as the Cantonese Wing Chun.
After Yong Chun White Crane became popular in Fuzhou and the northern counties, four different sub styles with their own flavor derived from the original style – Flying, Calling, Nesting, Feeding - with many complex sequences, principles and applications, these became the Fuzhou White Crane System.
As to the relationship between Fujian White Crane, Cantonese Wing Chun and Yong Chun, I will allow Master Li Gang to make the following elaboration below, without adding my own opinions. But I do wish to add that from boxing principles to applications, White Crane's influence penetrated deep into the neighboring counties of Meizhou and Chaozhou in Guangdong and interacted and exchanged with the local styles there. The Chinese Guoshu Association advisor Yeh Yong Nian did some research on the relationship between White Crane and Southern Mantis, and discovered that although White Crane and Southern Mantis were markedly different on the surface, with the prior emphasizing softness while the latter emphasizes hardness – in actuality their internal content, including the high level gongfa or power training principles, has many areas of similarity. I hope to elaborate on this in later issues and will remain silent on it for now.
The Origin Story of the Crane Method
Most people trace the birth of White Crane to the story where Fang Qilang watches the Crane. At present, the White Crane Lineage holders and researchers believe that Fang Qilang and her father Fang Zhong (Fang Zhang Guang) are not only legendary or iconic figures but really existed in history. The White Crane creation story has several versions, the ones I have heard number no less than ten. Most of them relate the story where “Fang Qilang watches the Crane dancing in the temple and creates the boxing style.” However, there are some versions which state that it is not Fang Qilang who created the style but her father Fang Zhong.
Fang Zhang Guang, from Li Shui County, Chuzhou Magistracy, Zhejiang Country came from a rich family and had the character of a knight errant, and loved the martial arts, and mingled with heroes across the land. Whenever he heard of a fighter with the goods or a Master he would go to study under them. He practiced from dawn to dusk, and there was no technique that he was not proficient at, his mind was fleet and his hands were nimble, and the variations on his techniques came seemingly from the heavens. He reckoned himself to be unsurpassed under heaven. One day, an old man came to visit him, and then began to discuss the arts. Zhang Guang then showed off everything that he had learned in sequence as he had learned it. The old man praised his skills saying, “This is very fine, very fine, but you have not reached the level where your jing has sunk into your tendons and your bones, to provide a strong, pure and mysterious power.” If he did not mind, he would like to test him. Zhang Guang happily crossed hands with him, and in doing so his hands and feet seemingly lost all control. As a result he asked the old man to stay so that he could become his disciple. Thus old man would come to teach him during the night and leave with the dawn, [and he did know from whence he came]. After teaching the techniques, and training the various parts of Zhang Guang's body, when he had taught what he had wished to impart, the old man would bid Zhang Guang good bye and go home. However every dawn, after the old man had left, Zhang Guang found the front door to be still tightly bolted. Zhang Guang began to feel that this was strange, and made a note to find out the reason for this. One morning, he arose early and waited for old man. To his surprise, the old man transformed into a crane in front of the curtain [where he was hiding] and taking off into the air, flew away. Having surreptitiously seen this Zhang Guang stated : “This is our revered ancestor, I believe this to be a true transmission.” As a result of this he increased his practice time several fold, and his art became increasingly refined.
From “The Secrets of Fujian White Crane” by Li Zai Ying
The White Crane creation story has several points worth noting, first it is different from other Southern styles, as the White Crane story in its many versions does not make an reference to the burning of the Shaolin temple as a determining factor in its origin. The only exception is the version related by Master Liu Gu from the Feeding Crane School in Taiwan. This version was edited by Mr. Su Yu Chang in 2005. As this is a recent version, it probably was influenced by other legends of the Southern Shaolin Temple. Although Fang Zhong had studied the Shaolin Boxing style, the White Crane style arose spontaneously and was not influenced by other styles. This speaks to Fujian White Crane’s independence and innovation, which is amply supported by White Crane’s applications and principles.
The second, is that the place of origin for White Crane is a temple. From the research of Li Gang and Su Ying Han, White Crane was created at a place called Bai Lian Temple in Funing Zhou. According to Master Liu Gu of Taiwan, Fang Qilang’s temple was called Sha Lian Temple and was located in Fuzhou. Master Li’s version places it in Fang Zhang Guang’s home in Lishiu County in Chuzhou. Although the three places of origin are different, if one looks carefully Funing Zhou is located in the North East of Fujian, and is very close to Zhejiang, and Chuzhou is the southernmost magistracy in Zhejiang and borders with Fujian. So even though the oral records state different places of origin to a certain extent they are not in conflict, but give us a strong historical indication that the origin of White Crane was in an area located between Zhejiang and Fujian.
Thirdly, the gongfa of White Crane was derived from Shaolin Boxing, and was based on the Luohan (Arhat), or Damo (Bodhidharma) forms of popular boxing. “The Boxing Method of Uncle Li Shu of Yong Chun” has the following :
One - Master Bodhidharma teaches the method, two - Taizu teaches the postures, Three - Xingzhe [the Wanderer] teaches the Way, and Four - the Arhat teaches the practice. Whenever Taizu teaches the forty two postures, with a single fist and a lone hand, one is unrivalled under heave.
This passage is not easy to understand, According to Su Ying Han’s explanation of “Taizu” (literally “Greatest Ancestor”), this is White Crane lineage holders referring to Fang Zhang Guang. From this explanation, this has nothing to do with Song Taizu (the founding Emperor of the Song Dynasty). The above simply refers to the founding ancestor Fang Zhang Guang teaching the postures, or another way of saying the movements of White Crane passed down by him. The Arhat teaches the practice just refers to the practice under the [Shaolin] boxing method. In another section of his boxing manual Master Li mentions :
The first ancestor Bodhidharma states: Taizu teaches the postures, Xingzhe teaches the Way [Dao], the Arhat expresses the body, The White Crane Master teaches that the hardness co-ordinates with the softness - the principle of the eight hardnesses and the 24 softnesses. The single fist issues forth alone, one is unrivalled under heaven.
As the ancient books of the people were mostly hand copies, and that there were no diacritical marks or punctuation, it is very easy to make mistakes when reading the texts. If we compare the two passages above, we find that the content, including the sequence of the words to be almost identical, and come from the same source. [ ] Luckily Master Li’s hand copy is not the only one extant. According to Master Su, he has seen at least two other hand copies, which are identical to Master Li’s. The original name of the boxing manual was “The Art of Taoyuan (Peach Spring) Boxing” 《桃源拳術》, and according to Master Su’s research it dates from the middle part of the Qing Period, from the reigns of Qianlong and Jiaqing and was authored by the fifth generation lineage holder Xiao Bo Shi.
I believe that “The Art of Taoyuan Boxing” should date earlier than “The Boxing Method transmitted by Uncle Zheng Li of Yong Chun”《永春鄭禮叔教傳拳法》, to the extent that a portion of the latter comes directly from “Taoyuan Boxing”. From the flow of the words, the passage above in “The Art of Taoyuan Boxing : A record of learning boxing from the Ancestors” is much smoother. Analyzing the passage further, the Taizu Boxing of the Ming Period had thirty two postures, but we have not heard of a twenty four posture Taizu Boxing. Extrapolating from the many styles of Southern Boxing, many movements utilize both fists or both palms at the same time, like White Crane’s classic technique Zhao Yang Shou, so it is hard to imagine techniques “taught by Taizu” where “a single fist issues forth.” On the contrary, “a single fist issues forth” seems to be a boxing concept, to use the whole body’s force to concentrate at a single point. “The Arhat expresses the body” compared to “the Arhat teaches the practice” is even more revelatory, implying that the original shape of White Crane comes from the postures and forms of “Luohan” boxing. Feeding Crane Master Liang Gu states that White Crane Boxing “combines the White Crane method into the 18 Arhat Hand” and the Bubishi which was transmitted to the Ryukyus preserves both the Buddhist Boxing and White Crane Boxing.
The relationship between Luohan Quan and White Crane needs further study, but most materials tell us that both these forms of boxing existed alongside one another in Fujian and the Ryukyus and there definitely must have been a mutual influence upon each other.
Fourth, the formation of White Crane boxing has a relationship with the worship of the Crane Spirit. First of all, almost all the creation myths center upon the Fang Qilang watching the crane in the temple. One version even anthropomorphizes the crane into a “Crane Spirit.” Thus one can see that there is a definite relationship between the popular temple culture and religious beliefs. Master Su states that “latter generations created stories regarding the worship of the White Crane and its divinity”. My interpretation is that Crane worship is the inspiration for White Crane boxing, and is the core of the origins of White Crane boxing and not a later accretion.
Fifth, the emergence of White Crane Boxing was a great breakthough in Fujian martial arts. This kind of “Seemingly hard but not hard, seemingly soft but not soft” martial principle, had not been seen by anyone before and can be said to break open the source spring for Southern “internal martial arts”. We can only bow our heads in respect to Fang Zhong and his original kung fu brother, the Yong Chun Master Yan Qi Yan.
Many of the White Crane origin stories make mention of the duel between “Shaolin Master” Yan Qi Yan and Fang Qilang. Combining several popular versions, Master Li Gang writes in his “The History of the Development of Yong Chun White Crane Boxing”:
Yan Qi Yan was excitable and quick to temper, and thought highly of himself, he thought that as Qilang was a woman, even though her kung fu was refined she would find it difficult to overcome his own raw power, so he invited Qilang to spar, and Qilang happily agreed. Following this she lifted one hand and stood with both feet in a wide horizontal stance, waiting for her opponent to attack, Qi Yan used a single whip qinna technique with his left hand, and Qilang turned her body, defusing the attack, and entered with her index finger and Qiyan collapsed to the ground and leaving him admitting complete defeat. He said to [his student] Tseng Si, I have only learned some coarse and superficial kungfu and have not been able to reach the refined and spiritual levels, and asked him to study with them with the utmost sincerity, and he begged Qilang to take Tseng Si as her disciple, and teach him the most refined Kungfu.
Describing Fang Qilang and Yan Qi Yan’s duel, this passage makes mention of the special phrase of “softness overcoming hardness, having the weak beating the strong”. According to White Crane’s traditions, the early development of White Crane in Fujian was through the efforts of Zeng Si before it became widely accepted. From a culturally symbolic analysis of the text, the duel between Fang Qi Lang and Yan Qi Yan has a moral and instructional subtext, and can be seen as a fork in in the development of Fujian martial arts, from this point forth it emphasizes that White Crane has a leading position in Fujian.
The Early Social Background to White Crane
As all cultural phenomena, White Crane had an intimate relationship with its prevailing environment, its formation was heavily influenced by the Fukienese society at the time. Conversely, White Crane is also a conduit for us to understand Qing Era Fujian Society. On the other hand, when discussing the background to White Crane’s early development, we have to ask a question related to chronology: In which period was White Crane formed?
The study of White Crane is currently a hot topic in the study of Southern martial arts, whether it on the mainland or in Taiwan, there are many researchers writing papers on this topic. However, the focus is rarely put on the origin of White Crane. Most practitioners accept the theory put forward by Li Gang or Su Ying Han regarding its origin in the Shunzhi period. As we have not as yet been able to find any historical evidence of the existence of Fang Zhong or Fang Qilang, from an academic perspective we can only view them as popular martial arts legends (or symbolic figures).
The existence of the Okinawan Bubishi has been a great help to White Crane historical research. The Bubishi was transmitted to the Ryukyus around 1850, its contents include a great deal of material relating to White Crane, from this we can see that the development of White Crane was already mature in the early 19thcentury. This points accords with Li Gang and Su Ying Han’s theory that White Crane reached its zenith during the Qing Jiaqing period. According to White Crane traditions, from the end of the Qianlong period to the beginning of the Jiaqing period, White Crane had already reached the fifth or sixth generation. Most surviving manuals can be traced back to this period. According to Su Ying Han’s theory, the author of the “Taoyuan Boxing” is the fifth generation master Xiao Bo Shi and the book was written in the middle of the Qianjia period, “The Vital Principles - related in person” was written by the 5thgeneration practitioner Zhen Qiao during the Qianglong period; “The True Method transmitted by the White Crane Spiritual Ancestor” was written during the Qianlong period, etc.
If we assume that twenty to twenty five years makes up a generation, 5 to 6 generations represents about a hundred to a hundred and fifty years. The difference between a martial arts lineage and a family lineage is that the generation span of the former can be quite wide. In the Qing period, from acceptance as a disciple to opening one’s own school and teaching students, if a student is intelligent and has a good marital arts foundation, a fast learner would take would be about ten years, or it may have be even faster. However sometimes, a master finding a disciple “depended on luck”, some masters never found their disciple and some only found their disciple in old age. The intervening period could last many decades. Counting this way we can take 50 years as the lower limit and 150 years as the upper limit, if White Crane had reached the fifth or sixth generation in 1820, then the earliest date for the origin of White Crane is 1670 and the latest is 1770. 1670 is during the reign of the Emperor Kangxi, with the death of the Emperor Shunzhi only nine years before. 1770 is during the height of the Emperor Qianlong’s reign. My personal view is that if White Crane truly was in its 5th or 6thgeneration in 1820, then its formation is either during the early or middle part of the nineteenth century, which would be time from the end of the Kangxi Period to the Yongzheng period. So according to my provisional theory, the core principles and techniques were developed during the early to middle Qing period, and this awaits further research.
Fang Zhang Guang : A refugee from the Ming Dynasty?
According to the book “The Formation of Yong Chun White Crane, development and [change]”, Fang Zhong (Fang Zhang Guang) and Fang Qilang were refugees from the Ming Dynasty. As to this point the author Su Ying Han has no doubt:
At the end of the Ming period, the refugee Fang Zhong, original residence “Zhejiang Province, Chuzhou Magistracy, a resident of Lishui county” was born in the middle of the reign of the Emperor Wanli (1573-1620). During the fifth month of the second year of the Qing Emperor Shunzhi (1645), the Qing troops entered Nanjing, [the Prince of Fu was murdered by Song Hung Guang], the Prince of Lu created an independent state on the coast of Zhejiang near Shaoxing, controlling the Eastern part of Zhejiang; and at the same time Huang Dao Zhou, Zheng Zi Lung and others … placed the Prince of Tang on the throne as emperor in Fujian. Its founding capital was Fuzhou and founding period was named Lungwu; in the sixth month of the third year of Shunzhi, the Prince of Lu fled overseas and died due to political infighting…the infighting of the Prince of Tang erupted in front of the Qing troops. At this time Zhejiang was a war zone…Fang Zhong…in order to avoid the flames of war (the legend that he took part in Koxinga’s troops which fought to restore the Ming Dynasty requires further research), moved south to Fujian province to Funing magistracy.
In the period between the Ming and the Qing, Fujian was the place where the Ming Government had its last stand, After Koxinga’s father had surrendered to the Qing troops, he moved his base to Jinmen, and continued to lead armed resistance against the Qing troops. The recovery of Taiwan by the Qing only took place after the death of Koxinga due to illness, in the twenty second year of Kangxi (1683). Fujian was the focal point of resistance to the Qing Dynasty, and the emotions of its people against the Qing were naturally ran higher than in other locations. In order to place an embargo on the contact between the overseas resistance led by the Cheng family, the Emperor Kangxi started to institute the policy of “Shifting of the Border of the Coastal Areas”, declaring that any area within 50 Li of the shore, was to become a restricted zone and forced the people living within this area to move inland. “The order to move the border” was undoubtedly a policy to strengthen the foundations of the new political order, breaking the communication between the anti-Qing group and the internal areas. However this led to disaster like effects on the populace who were forced to move, especially in the densely populated Fujian and Guangdong areas. Even though the “Interdiction Order” was rescinded in 1669, the heavily affected coastal populace never forgot this event until the end of the Qing Dynasty, and hated the Kangxi Emperor who was responsible for this policy deep into their bones.
According to the White Crane legend, Fang Zhang Guang is from Chuzhou in Zhejiang province, and later moved to Fujian. Su Ying Han theorises that he was a refugee from the Ming Dynasty, and this is very possible. From a geographical perspective, Fujian and Zhejian and connected; in addition it is a trend in Chinese history, that in the many instances where the northern minority tribes invade the central plains, this results in a large migration of people from North to South. Also Zhejiang was where the Ming Dynasty troop maneuvers were the most active, and this was the area where popular martial arts were most vibrant. The famous generals such as Qi Jiquang, Yu Dao You, also led large military training exercises in Zhejiang. For Qi jiguang, Zhejiang troops made up the bulk of his forces. Thus we believe that the migration form Zhejiang to Fujian included many of these local martial artists like Fang Zhong.
In the extant White Crane boxing manuals, a portion of the martial arts postures have names that are the same as those that Qi Jiguang included in the 32 postures of his “Boxing Manual”. The most classical movement of White Crane “Chao Yang Shou” is also mentioned in the “Boxing Manual.” In addition early White Crane manuals like “The True Method transmitted by the White Crane Spiritual Ancestor” has records of movements such as “The Golden Rooster stands on one leg” and “The Single Whip Fighting Method”, and these movements are also recorded in the 32 postures. The same nomenclature cannot prove that there is any relationship between early White Crane with “the Boxing Manual”. These names originated with from popular culture, Qi Jiguang also investigated Ming era popular martial arts, and compiled the most classical and useful applications into the “Boxing Manual”. However it is worth noticing that some of the movements of White Crane are the same as in the “Boxing Manual”, the actual techniques and contents are quite different.
The special characteristics of White Crane culture and the special social background of Fujian
Apart from attacking methods, some of White Crane’s other special characteristics deserve our attention. First the origin story and its core principles are intimately related to the White Crane. China had the cultural phenomenon of worshipping a White Crane Spirit from an early period, and the ancients imagined that Lao zi was accompanied by a White Crane, or even rode upon a White Crane spirit, and in the early days the literati even raised White Cranes as pets. In the Ming Period, the appreciation of white cranes had become an art in itself, followed with the emergence of the “Forms of Crane Classic”. The Crane was a symbol of longevity in ancient times and symbolized the heart nourishing the [essence] in Daoism.
In the China’s Cultural History, from the time of the Sung Dynasty with the emergence of Neo-Confucianism, following the setting up of many schools by Zhu Xi and his disciples in Jiangxi and Fujian, that made these two provinces into the center of Neo-Confucian learning. Simply put, Li Xue or Neo-Confucianism was the product of the co-mingling of Daoism, Confucianism and Buddhism, and under the auspices of Neo Confucianism’s “Emphasis on Stillness”, Daoism’s concept of “Nourishing the Essence” became an important part of the culture of the educated classes. The artist Fu Shan, 傅山 (1607-1684) a refugee from the Ming dynasty had as one of the representative works of his later years, “The Image of the Crane’s Nest Hall” 《鶴棲堂圖》, which shows the love of the Crane by the educated classes of the late Ming and early Qing. Also worth noticing is that the worship of the “White Crane Spiritual Teacher” was the custom of many of the Qing era secret societies, especially Hung Men (The Heaven and Earth Association). To a certain extent the Crane became a symbol of Han Culture, and was a totem for those who wished to overthrow the Qing.
As the most representative of the Southern Internal arts, I believe the birth of White Crane boxing was not incidental. The philosopher, Huang Zong Xi 黃宗羲 (1610-1695) who was also a refugee of the Ming like Fu Shan, first mentioned internal boxing in his work “The Epitaph for Wang Zheng Nan” in 1669. Many scholars believe that the internal arts appeared when the Han people were under being heavily oppressed by the military and political power of the Northern tribes, and were forced to reassess their cultural identity. One part of this was the internalization of Han Culture, demonstrated in the emergence of martial arts principles such as “using the soft to overcome the hard”, “using the stillness to overcome movement”, which had a direct relationship with the social background and cultural migration, and was a basic automatic response and adjustment in response to the gross assault on the native civilization. From the Qing era hand copies we can see that White Crane has a lot of common points with the ascendant Northern “internal martial arts”, and early White crane placed great emphasis on the cultivation of health and the proper method of breathing.
Finally, in the Ming-Qing era there was a special trend that was popular in the Fujian region – the popularity of the masculinity. This trend to differing extents influenced the development of different cultural phenomena, including what a part of body culture – popular martial arts. From the perspective of the big wave of cultural history, the essence of Han culture giving rise to “internalization” was an important factor in the rise of the popularity of masculinity. In response to this point the appearance of the “Comb Hair Master” of White Crane is the best explanation of this. This is very similar to the contributions that the tailor Zhang Song Xi had to “internal martial arts”
Searching for the trail of the Crane Spirit
White Crane is one of the most representative old marital arts of Southern China. Its formation was influenced by the special social history and cultural background of Fujian. To a certain extent, we can even say that White Crane was a microcosm of Qing era culture. Even though the surviving written documents relating to early White Crane are not numerous, from the origin story of White Crane, the body culture and humanist spirit expressed by it, we can understand certain cultural phenomena of the Fujian of that time – such as the worship of the Crane Spirit, the “internalization” of Han Culture under the influence of Neo Confucianism, etc.
In addition Fujian is located at the southern tip of the Jiangnan region. In the historical migrations in China from north to south, a large number of Jiangnan people migrated from Jiangsu and Zhejiang or from even further afield to Fujian.
In the transition from the Ming to the Qing, Fujian became the last stronghold of the refugees from the Ming and center of culture and resistance to the Qing. From one earthshattering regime change after another, the South became a refuge for immigrants from the defeated dynasty, and Fujian became an important location for the transmission of traditional culture. Ming Era Zhejiang was the most developed area for martial arts, and the refugees to Fujian from Zhejiang should have included local martial artists like Fang Zhong. He took the marital arts of Zhejiang to northern Fujian, and then he transmitted it to Yong Chun, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, and even further afield. The line of transmission is basically in accord with the traditions of White Crane and written records. A portion of the records state that Fang Zhong was originally from Zhejiang, and was a refugee of the Ming, so White Crane was an evolution from a basis of the northern form of Shaolin boxing. Master Li Gang’s surviving White Crane system includes the “double broadsword” which was once notorious during the Ming Dynasty, which was a result of the experience of General Yu Dayou fighting Japanese pirates during the time of the Emperor Wanli, incorporating what was learned into Chinese martial arts.
In addition, being situated on the coast, Fuzhou and Quanzhou onced played an important role in the maritime trade, and Fuzhou was in ancient times a designated port for trade with the Ryukyus. And so Fujian was a location for the transmission of Chinese culture to the outside world, and deeply influenced the Ryukus and even the cultural development of the Japanese homeland. From ancient times, the marital arts of the Ryukyus and Japan were always influenced by China. By the Qing Dynasty, Fuzhou was the sole designated port for trade with the Ryukyus, and during the reign of Kangxi a “Ryukyu Hall” was set up to entertain visiting students from the Ryukyus. Conversely, China also had a portion of emigrant s to the Ryukyus. Even from the early days of the Emperor Hongwu (1368-1398) of the Ming, there were “the 36 families (surnames) from Fujian” who had relocated to Naha, to aid the learning and recognition of Han Culture in the Ryukyu kingdom. Amongst them we think that there were those that knew the martial arts. Scholars believe that the Bibushi of Karate was brought over by these Chinese nationals at this time.
Regardless, White Crane holds a very important place in East Asian martial arts. Karate was called “Tang / Chinese Hand” in its early days, and the deepest influence was that of White Crane. In the four most important schools of Karate, Shito Ryu and Goju Ryu were deeply influenced by White Crane, their core “Three Attacks” is unmistakably from White Crane. The Karate world has openly acknowledged its relationship with Fujian White Crane, Shotokan and Wado Ryu do not have such a direct relationship with White Crane, and do not train the three attacks, but they retain many of the high level Chinese sets such as “Ji’on 慈恩” “Jutte 十手” and “Suparinpei / Haikuhachiho ”, etc.
Apart from this, during the Qing Dynasty White Crane also spread to Guangdong, and influenced the development of Guangdong martial arts in recent history. As Guangdong is connected to Fujian, the Hakka were perhaps the earliest to come into contact with White Crane, so Meizhou and Dongjiang martial arts have preserved relatively complete forms and principles of White Crane, even though Hakka martial arts have their own system and flavor. The Yong Chun, Wing Chun and White Crane that we are familiar with are all of the same system, and from principles and applications are basically the same. It is difficult to trace their interaction in the great wave of history, but that they derive from the same source should be undeniable.
Until the Republican era of the early twentieth Century, the flying, calling, nesting, and feeding branches of White Crane followed the movement of peoples to Taiwan. Today Taiwan is the location with the earliest development and most numerous in terms of its practitioners in the White Crane world.
Looking back, White Crane whether in its birthplace of Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Ryukyus, Japan has almost vanished. In order to find the White Crane that is closest to its original form, inconceivably we have to look to Hong Kong. Nowadays, Master Li Gang is its only and last remaining lineage holder. While mainstream culture promotes a superficial “kungfu” in martial arts movies, we have overlooked the most valuable and culturally rich ancient eastern martial arts. White Crane is one of these.
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