Kung Fu Styles

The following kung fu styles are those which we teach at the Home of Arts. The Kung Fu classes at The Home of Arts will be focused on the styles of Meihua quan, Shaolin quan, Bagua zhang or Sanda. The Tai Chi classes will cover the styles of Tai Chi Yang, Tai Chi Chen or Bagua zhang.

MEIHUA QUAN

Meihua quan (“Plum Blossom Fist”) is an ancient style of Chinese boxing which existed as early as the Shang Dynasty (1600BC- 1046BC). According to a legend its boxing style is based on the Kunlun school and belongs to “Buddhist sect and Daoist schools”.

For thousands of years Meihua quan had been practiced as a secret martial art in tightly knit organizations, maintaining the internal unity. That had brought fine traditions and outstanding skills to the Masters of the past. Knowledge has been passed on to present day masters’ and currently Meihua quan is characterized by a family like atmosphere where practitioners of different level consistently help each other to improve on their levels.

The training methods are comprehensive and efficient. The study of Meihua quan consists of two parts: the theoretic field and the martial field. The theory is derived from ancient scriptures and documents which have been handed down from generation to generation. It is closely connected with the essence of Daoist, Buddhist and Confucian doctrines as well as the principles of “The Book of Changes”. The knowledge and practice of this all four religions – philosophical traditions bring wholeness and harmony in humans essence (jing), internal energy (chi) and spirit (shen).

SHAOLIN KUNG FU

Shaolin quan is one of the oldest and most famous martial arts. Shaolin kung fu was gradually developed in the Buddhist Shaolin temple in 495 AD in Songshan (mountain Song), Henan province, China.

There are many legends and theories about the roots of the Shaolin Kung fu. In one of the stories, the first monk to preach Buddhism there supposedly was the Indian monk Boddhabharda( Batuo). He had few very talented Chinese disciples who left important marks in the Shaolin Kung fu history. After Batuo another Indian monk, Bodhidarma (Damo), came to Shaolin in 527 AD.The myth says that after arriving in Shaoli , Damo sat in meditation for nine years in a cave near the monastery. The fruit of his meditation was the origination of the Zen (Chen) Buddhism. True or not, it is a fact that he left behind two books: “Marrow Clensing Scripture ” and ” Muscle Changing Scripture “. After Damo ,the concept of martial art and Buddhism became the same.

The external training and the internal work ( qigong ) were integrated. Shaolin Kung fu has more than hundreds of existing styles. Every style has one or few routines and every routine teaches new methods of fighting and improving health conditions. To learn a complete system, Shaolin monks master a number of each styles. Shaolin kung fu includes fist forms, animal imitative forms, combat training, various weapon forms as well as the famous drunken style. All forms have their practical applications in the martial use.

Shaolin Kung fu focuses on the flexibility, stamina, conditioning and hard and soft qigong. It develops the strength of the body as well as the resistance of the will power. The study of Shaolin quan is methodological and gradual, which makes it beneficial for everyone who seeks to learn Kung fu.

Tai Chi (Taijiquan)

Tai Chi is an internal style which integrates Yin and Yang, the theory of the five elements and has its roots in the Taoism. The movements are soft, gentle and relaxed while still managing to remain strong and steady. Forms have many defensive applications that use soft movements to defeat hard movements. The study of Taijiquan primarily involves three aspects: health, meditation and martial arts.

Tai Chi’s health training concentrates on relieving the physical stress on the body and mind. It can help lower blood pressure and improve/cure many chronic illnesses. Taijiquan is a meditation by itself- ” Meditation in Action”. The training concentrates on teaching you to have a clear and peaceful mind while still being aware of the surroundings and the external world around you.

Taijiquan’s martial art training focuses on internal power and redirecting the opposing hard force throughout soft, sinking power for self-defense. While practicing Tai Chi the mind should remain calm, the breath -natural, the movements steady and fluent.

BAGUA ZHANG

Bagua zhang translating to ‘eight trigram palm’ is a combination of attack and defensive moves while incoperating Neigong (internal kungfu)

Different from other kungfu styles, it uses palms instead of fists for attack. Early records suggest that Bagua zhang is a mixture of martial arts from rural china combined with Taoist circles. The main characteristics are strikes, joint locking, throws and distinctly evasive circular footwork. Inside all these movements Bagua uses many skillful tricks. The evasive circular footwork in Bagua is one of its most distinctive characteristics and a very important aspect, it is used to confuse an opponent and is effective in helping fight several attackers. The custom of practicing Bagua zhang are valuing strong spirit, courage and personal loyalty.

Weapons used in Bagua zhang are mostly very distinctive being easily concealed such as the crescent shaped deer horn knives and scholar pens or extremely large such as the Bagua sword and Bagua broadsword

HARD AND SOFT QI GONG (CHI KUNG)

Qi Gong translates to ‘Life energy’. Qi gong is split into two parts; internal also known as Soft Qi gong and external also known as Hard Qi gong, both involve three parts, breathing, posture (moving or still) and mental focus. It is traditionally viewed as a practice to cultivate and balance Qi which protects us from ill health and ageing. When external and internal Qi gong are used together they can assist masters achieve unbelievable things like balancing on sharp ends of spears or breaking marble with only a finger.

Internal or Soft Qi gong is practiced to improve your Qi which is believed to make you healthier and energizes your body and mind. There are many forms of Qi gong such as, yijingjing, bauanjing, and wuqixin. Some of the health benefits these forms provide are improving your blood circulation, organ cleansing, bone marrow cleansing and generally helping to prevent sickness and promote life longevity.

Qigong is now practiced in China and throughout the world as a form of exercise as well as by others to be an alternative to medicine or meditation. It can help with stress reduction, energizing your body and mind and also helping you to reach a higher realm of awareness.

1. INTERNAL/SOFT

2. EXTERNAL/HARD

External or hard Qi gong is practiced to physically strengthen the body and help condition the bones, this helps in preparing your body for fights and withstanding force. You can condition every part of your body, hands, arms, head, legs, fingertips etc. Some exercises used to achieve this are headstands, handstands on your fingertips, slapping your skin which can also help with circulation and being hit or kicked all over your body among many more techniques. It is also believed that this helps you to be more immune to sickness as through conditioning you hit many acupuncture points.