Kung Fu ‘long fist’
Shaolin Longfist Kung Fu ultimately owes its origin to the ancient battlefields of northern China. The same notions of hitting, stabbing, sweeping and cutting etc. distance were extensively systematized and codified at Bei Shaolin Si, the Northern or ‘Grandfather’ Shaolin Temple for more than 150 years, before its first open display at the beginning of the Tang dynasty,
The heyday of Chinese culture from the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) to date owes its existence to Shaolin Temple’s support of the future Emperor Li Shi-Min, whose far-sighted generalship recalls long-range thinking of Shaolin. General Zhao Kuang-Yin, who established the Sung Dynasty (960-1279 CE) credited as the founder of Northern Shaolin Longfist Kung Fu, was similarly trained at Shaolin.
Kung Fu Forms
Forms, predetermined sets of interconnected Kung Fu moves, embodying certain themes or particular aspects of your main style, are an essential aspect of Kung Fu training. Ranging in length from under 30 to over 300 moves, the Forms become more sophisticated, advanced and demanding as Students progress with an entire Kung Fu Contest Section dedicated to Form Competition.
It is sometimes described as the ‘Spirit of Kung Fu’. The repeated interpretation of the forms imprints the students’ technique with the fundamentals of the parents’ style. Requiring the recovery of long sequences and their precise physical performance, Forms are also renowned for invigorating the mind and sharpening the intellect, whether people are in school, college, work, or retirement. Through the practice of the Form, coordination and balance are acquired, kicks, blocks and hand strikes are ‘polished’, speed, endurance and flexibility are improved and the body, mind and breath are brought together until they work. as one. Northern Shaolin Longfist forms generally embody the extended circular motions, power, and athleticism that typify the style.
Lien Bu Chuan/’Sequence of continuous steps’
Developed around 1910 by Huo Yuen-Jia (mostly played by Jet Li in ‘Fearless’) at the Chin Woo (‘Pure Spirit’) Association in Shanghai. Lien Bu Chuan’s upright postures show his affinity with the Crane. He emphasizes fighting on the move (albeit in a straight line), sometimes against multiple opponents. The success of the form led to its adoption by the Nanjing Central Kuoshu Institute for Chinese Army Kung Fu training purposes. The opening and closing salutes reveal their Northern Shaolin origins, representing the Northerners’ custom of tying and untying their long robes before and after Kung Fu practice, while the movements in between are filled with kicks, punches and applications. of Qin Na.
Gung Li Chuan/ power training sequence
Gung Li Chuan, also known as ‘Power Training Sequence’, as Lien Bu Chuan, a basic training form in Huo Yuen-Jia’s Chin Woo Association, was similarly selected by Chinese military authorities for training purposes. military. However, the Form was created by Chao Lian (1657 – 1748) during the early part of the Qing dynasty. The deep poses of Gung Li Chuan help build lower body strength and endurance:
“Zuo fu mian, Heu hu tuo xin, Xia da zai hu xi qian.”
“Sweep the left face, the black tiger steals the heart, double fists strike down to stop the knee.”
So goes verse 3 of ‘The Northern Song of Gung Li Chuan’, which describes movements 5-8 of this classic flowing ‘Long Fist’ form. Aside from its dynamic strength and endurance-enhancing qualities, and a certain aesthetic appeal, Gung Li Chuan also has healing and health-promoting properties and is conducive to longevity.
filmography
Many films have depicted Huo Yuen-Jia’s untimely death and the way his senior student, Chen Zhen, avenged it, including: Bruce Lee’s ‘Fist of Fury’ (1972); Jet Li’s ‘Fist of Legend’ (1994) and ‘Fearless’ (2006); and ‘Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen’ (2010) starring Donnie Yen, currently in release.