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An important system in China, this fighting style was developed by members of the Muslim faith. Muslim immigrants have lived in China for over 1000 years and began an especially large in-flow around the Sung Dynasty (960-1279). In China they are known as the "Hui" people. The main Muslim communities centralized around HeNan, HeBei, ShanTung and ShanXi provinces. Though at times powerful and influential in China the Hui people have often been considered "outsiders". As an act of integration, protection and - as some Hui leaders described it - "holy practice" they not only took up the study of Chinese martial arts but excelled. Due to their differences from the typical Chinese population (wearing a white cap, not eating pork, worshipping differently) they were often "caught in the middle" much like European Jewry. As political ping pong balls they soon developed the realization that knowing martial arts was to their advantage. Soon they were developing their own Kung Fu methods, such as 10-road Tan Tui (Spring Leg), and Cha Ch'uan. They not only developed expertise in "individual" Kung Fu but assumed important military ranks often showing exceptional bravery and loyalty to the Emperor. For instance the military expeditions which finally expelled the Mongols from control of China and started the great Ming dynasty were aided by powerful generals such as Chang Yu Chun (creator of the famous Kai Pin Spear Method), Hu Da Hai, Mu Ying, Lan Yu, Feng Sheng and Ding De Xing: each of them a Muslim martial artist. During the Ching dynasty, when the Manchus conquered China, the Hui were so loyal the Manchus never forgave them and after the conquest passed harsh laws restricting their rights to have weapons, congregate, etc. If found violating these laws they were often branded "Hui Zui" or Hui Rebel. Humiliation and suppression was their lot for a long time. Reprinted from a description at Plum Publishing's Website. "Our jia men chang quan system ("Islamic style," named for the the Chinese Muslim ethnic minority community from which it originated) contains three forms, in contrast to other systems with ten or more. The training begins with the tan tui (springing leg). Tan tui very clearly teaches students the fundamental grammar of kung fu movements, postures, techniques, and mindset. It introduces a variety of punches, palm strikes, kicks, and blocks. Repetition of attack/defense combinations and evenness of balance --each movement is practiced on both right and left sides-- are also built into this form, ensuring that students receive a thorough grounding in the essential building blocks of kung fu. Learn one movement, and you probably have learned ten. For example, students work hard to achieve proper alignment and structure in the first movement of tan tui's line one. Later on, they might study sword. Thrust forward with the weapon instead of the bare fist and turn the rear fist into sword fingers: the basic posture is already their old friend. The high block fist or palm placed above and to the front of the head that often accompanies a saber sweep is found in line five of tan tui. And placement of arms in the taiji quan movement called "fen jiao" is practiced in both lines seven and eight. You do not have to relearn anything you struggled to master in chang quan, if you take up weapons or branch out to other styles. In fact, long fist gives students a jump-start into the new training. After tan tui, students progress to the pao quan (cannon fist). This form is long, challenging, and eats up space. It often changes directions and covers lots of ground; the movements themselves are also more complicated and somehow larger, occupying more of the air around our bodies. Where tan tui moves in lines, pao quan movements are more squarish. Movements in the third form, cha quan, are more rounded, curved, and continuous. Many are not as sharply defined as pao quan's. They are ambiguous, complex, and very rich: filled with potential for multiple attacks and defense." Reprinted from an article by Adam Hsu, "Mental Training: Long Fist's Secret Weapon". |
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