Eagle Claw
![]() | This article has multiple issues. Please help improve it or discuss these issues on the talk page. (Learn how and when to remove these template messages)
|
![]() Chan Tzi Ching performing a technique | |
Also known as | Eagle Claw, Eagle Fist, Eagle Hand, Ying Kuen, Ying Quan, Ying Sao, Ying Shou |
---|---|
Focus | Chin Na, Pressure point Striking, Grappling, Joint lock |
Country of origin | China |
Creator | Yue Fei (attributed) |
Famous practitioners | Lai Chin Liu Shi Jun Liu Cheng You Chan Tzi Ching / Chen Zizheng Lau Kai Man Chian Jin Man Cynthia Rothrock |
Parenthood | Shaolin kung fu (credited), Chin Na, (later combined by Lai Chin) |
Descendant arts | Yuejiaquan, Xingyiquan |
Olympic sport | No |
Part of a series on |
Chinese martial arts (Wushu) |
---|
![]() |
Eagle Claw (Chinese:
History
[edit]While the details of the history alter according to the teller, with names and places shifting as they tend to do in any oral history, in essence the story of Eagle Claw began in the Shaolin Temple and in Chinese military training, became a family tradition passed on from parent to child for generations and eventually shed its air of secrecy with the advent of public martial arts schools.
Yue Fei
[edit]The creation of the Eagle Claw method is normally attributed to General Yue Fei (1103–1141) who lived at a time of conflict between the Southern Song dynasty and the Jurchen tribes of the Jin dynasty. Despite being literate, young Yue Fei chose the military path because there had never been any tradition of full-fledged Confucian civil service in his family history.[1] However, the Yue family was much too poor to afford military lessons for their son, so the boy's maternal grandfather Yao Dewang hired Chen Guang (陈广) to teach the eleven-year-old how to wield the Chinese spear. Then a local knight errant named Zhou Tong (
None of Yue Fei's biographies mention him learning boxing as a child, but martial researcher Stanley Henning states "[Yue] almost certainly did practice some form of bare handed fighting as a basic foundation for use of weapons."[5] However, he doesn't venture to guess if either of his teachers or someone else taught him boxing. Despite this, many modern day martial arts masters have assigned Zhou Tong this position. For instance, the internalist Yang Jwingming claims Zhou was a scholar who trained at the famed Shaolin temple and later taught Yue other skills beyond archery, such as various forms of internal and external martial arts. Yang believes this later led to Yue's creation of Eagle Claw and xingyi, another style associated with the general.[6] The history that Yang presents does not mention the spearplayer Chen Guang and erroneously casts Zhou as Yue's only teacher.[6] Eagle Claw proponent Leung Shum does this as well and goes so far as to claim Zhou was a full-fledged Shaolin monk who trained Yue Fei inside of the temple itself.[7] Leung believes Zhou taught him "Elephant Style" which the general later expanded to create the "'108 Locking Hands Techniques' or Ying Sao (Eagle Hand)."[8] There is no evidence that Zhou was ever associated with the Shaolin Temple, though.[9]
The general's biographies are also silent about him creating any styles of his own.[10][11] The historian Meir Shahar notes Yue's mention in the second preface of the Sinew-Changing Classic (1624) is what "spurred a wave of allusions to the patriotic hero in later military literature". He continues, "By the eighteenth century, Yue Fei had been credited with the inventions of xingyiquan, and by the nineteenth century the 'Eight Section Brocade' and weapon techniques were attributed to him as well."[12] The Ten Compilations on Cultivating Perfection (Xiuzhen shi-shu) (c. 1300) assigns the creation of the Eight Section Brocade to two of the Eight Immortals, namely Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin.[13]
Shape-Mimicking Fist
[edit]In Chinese, xiang (Chinese:
Xiang Xing Quan is an umbrella term for any martial arts that mimics characteristic/ forms/ movement/ action from anything other than human, and there are more than one school of kungfu practicing imitation boxing. Example of the animal style: Dragon, Tiger, Panther, Snake, Crane style (that falls under Hung Gar) Eagle Style Chin Na, horse, Mantis Boxing and so on.[citation needed]
Shaolin
[edit]According to legend, in the late Ming dynasty Yue Fei's material is said to have made a re-appearance at one of the sister schools of the Shaolin temple. Lai Chin/Liquan Seng (
Qing dynasty
[edit]In 1644 the Ming dynasty was overthrown and replaced by the Qing dynasty. The earliest mention of a traceable lineage of Eagle Claw comes from the Liu Family of Hebei Province.
Liu Shi Jun and Liu Cheng You
[edit]Liu Shi Jun (
Liu Cheng You (
Chin Woo Athletic Association
[edit]The Chin Woo Athletic Association was fronted by the famed martial artist Huo Yuanjia in Shanghai. Its purpose was the dissemination of not only Martial Arts but sports and other educational systems to the public. The Eagle Claw system remained relatively restricted to the Xiong County, Baoding City in Hebei until Chen Zizheng was invited to teach at the Chin Wu.
After initial success with the first School in Shanghai, Chen went to his training brother Liu Qi Wen to offer his students careers as Martial Arts instructors in the Chin Woo Association. In time, Eagle Claw was being taught in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guandong, Futsan, Singapore, Malaysia etc.
Lineages
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/7c/Eagle_Claw_Kung_Fu_Claw_Position.jpg/220px-Eagle_Claw_Kung_Fu_Claw_Position.jpg)
There are 3 main Eagle Claw lineages known that most teachers/schools can trace their style to.
- Liu Qiwen (
劉 啟文 ) (Lau Kai Man) - Chen Zizheng (
陳 子 正 ) (Chan Tzi Ching) - Zhang Zhan Wen (张詹
文 ) (Chian Jin Man)
Lineages outside Asia
[edit]United States:
- Shum Leung 岑亮 (NYC) - Instructor: Ng Wai Nung
吳 惠 農 (student of Chan Tzi Ching, Lee Pu Yin, and Lau Fat Mang劉 法 孟 ) - Lily Lau
劉 莉莉 (Liu LiLi) (California) - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang劉 法 孟 (student of Lau Kai Man) - Gini Lau
劉 曼雲 (Liu Man Yuen)(California) - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang劉 法 孟 (student of Lau Kai Man) - James Lau Chi Kin
劉 志 堅 (Liu Zhikin) - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang (student of Lau Kai Man) - Fu Leung - Instructor: God Father & Lau Chi Kin
Brazil:
- Li Wing Kay
李 榮 基 - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang劉 法 孟 (student of Lau Kai Man) - Chan Kwok Wai
陳 國 偉 - Instructor: Zhang Zhan Wen 张詹文 (student of Liu Cheng You)
Greece
- Panagiotis Derventis - Instructor: Guo Xianhe
郭 宪和 (student of his father Guo Cheng Yao who learned from Chan Tzi Ching)
United Kingdom:
- Julian Dale
道志 鸿 - Lineage Instructor Chen Jun Xin陳 俊 新 (student of Yin Zhi Jiang尹 志 江 & Liu Shu Yan劉 書 彦) (Instructor #1: Fu Leung - Instructor #2 Gini Lau)
Training
[edit]How the Eagle Claw system is taught varies between each teacher's skill and experiences. What is consistent of an Eagle Claw Master is their knowledge of the 3 core Hand sets of the style and the Spear.
- Xíng Quán (
行 拳 ) is known as the "Walking Fist." This set consists of ten to twelve rows of techniques representative of what is today known as Shaolin Fanziquan. - Lián Quán (
連 拳 ) is known as the "Linking Fist." A very important set consisting of 50 short lines/rows repetitive techniques on both the left side and right side, in that it not only provides the exponent with an encyclopedic base of the various seizing, grappling and joint-locks of qinna, but it also incorporates various Qigong skills as well. Based on Older Fanzi Routines that were combined and restructured by the Eagle Claw King Chen Zi Zheng. Most have nicknamed this set the "Dictionary of Eagle Claw" due to the content containing probably 90% of the style's skills and techniques taught within 50 Rows. - Yuè Shì Sàn Shǒu (
岳 氏 散 手 ; Yue Clan Free Hand) (aka Yī Bǎi Ling Bā Qín Ná一 百 零 八 擒 拿 – 108 Seizing Grabbing techniques) is considered the "heart" of the Eagle Claw system. It is believed to be the original material passed down by the style's legendary founder Yue Fei. This material has 108 different categories of skills/techniques that are trained to a level of perfection with partners. One thing to remember is that each sequence is only an example of that category which contains numerous variations and offshoots.
Other Hand Forms:
Sì Liù Quán (
Bā Bù Liánhuán Quán (
Shàolín Chuí (
Wǔ Hǔ Quán (
Wǔ Huā Bào (
Liùhé Quán (
Bā Bù Chuí (
Tài zǔ Quán (
Dà Xióng Quán (
Xiǎo Xióng Quán (
Dà Mián Zhǎng (
Xiǎo Mián Zhǎng (
Dà Bā Miàn (
Xiǎo Bā Miàn (
Yàn Háng Quán (
Qián Liū Shì (
Méihuā Quán (
Luóhàn Quán (
Zuì Liù Tǎng (
etc...
Qiang/Cheung (枪) -Spear is the primary Weapon associated with the Eagle Claw Style. There is no consensus as to what the original spear routine was as numerous diverse sets exist in the different branches. It is felt that there were mainly loose skills that one would practice singularly then against an opponent. Legend tells us that Yue Fei's was called Lì Quán Qiāng (沥泉枪; Trickling Fountain Spear) which is still taught as part of the Yuèjiā (
Various sets and routines that exist(ed) are:
Sān Bù Qiāng (
Liùhé Qiāng (
Méihuā Qiāng (
Luóhàn Qiāng (
Shàolín Qiāng (
Líhuā Qiāng (
Liánhuán Qiāng (
Liùhé Dà Qiāng (
etc...
And with these single person routines there exist numerous partner sets that are paired against the spear: Empty Hands, Saber, Spear, Guandao, Three-Sectional Staff, Daggers and straight sword, etc.
Other Weapon Forms:
Pole Forms:
Qí méi gùn (
Qí mén gùn (
Single Saber Forms:
Méihuā dāndāo (
Liánhuán dāndāo (
Liùhé dāndāo (
Wǔ hóu dāndāo (
Double Saber Forms:
Méihuā shuāng dāo (
Xuěpiàn shuāng dāo (
De tǎng shuāng dāo (
Sword Forms:
Dà liánhuán jiàn (
Xiǎo liánhuán jiàn (
Pole Cleaver Forms:
Chūnqiū dàdāo* (
Sì mén dàdāo (
etc.。
* Dadao translates literally as great blade. It refers to a pole-blade, pole-cleaver, or sword-staff; otherwise known as a glaive, voulge, guisarme, or falchion in English.
** Tài (
References
[edit]- ^ Wilhelm, Hellmut. "From Myth to Myth: The Case of Yueh Fei’s biography," in Confucian Personalities, ed. Arthur Wright and Denis Twitchett. Stanford studies in the civilizations of eastern Asia. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press, 1962, p. 149
- ^ Qian, Ru Wen (钱汝雯). Biography of Song Yue, Prince of E (
宋 岳 鄂王年 ), 1924 - ^ Kaplan, Edward Harold. Yueh Fei and the founding of the Southern Sung. Thesis (Ph. D.) -- University of Iowa, 1970. Ann Arbor: University Microfilms International, 1970., p. 13
- ^
周 同 is the historical variant of Zhou's name.周 侗 is a variant often appearing in forms of fiction and martial arts manuals (Hsia, C.T. C. T. Hsia on Chinese Literature. Columbia University Press, 2004, pp. 448-449, footnote #31). - ^ Henning, Stanley E., M.A. "Chinese General Yue Fei: Martial Arts Facts, Tales and Mysteries". Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Vol. 15 #4, 2006, pp. 30-35, p. 32
- ^ a b Liang, Shou-Yu and Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. Xingyiquan: Theory, Applications, Fighting Tactics and Spirit. Boston: YMAA Publication Center, 2002, pp. 15-16
- ^ Leung, Shum and Jeanne Chin. The Secrets of Eagle Claw Kung Fu: Ying Jow Pai. Tuttle martial arts. Boston: Tuttle Pub, 2001, p. 13 https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Secrets_of_Eagle_Claw_Kung_fu.html?id=DBsfcUGZTcYC
- ^ Leung: p. 15
- ^ Kaplan: pp. 10-12
- ^ Yue, Ke (
岳 柯). Jin Tuo Xu Pian (金 佗续编), 1234 - Chapter 28, pg. 16 - ^ Tuotuo. Song Shi. [Er shi wu shi, 20]. [Beijing?]: Zhonghua shu ju, 1999
- ^ Shahar, Meir. The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2008, p. 168
- ^ Shahar, The Shaolin Monastery, p. 160
- ^ Fa Seng is recognized as a lineage holder of Bashanfan under Li Gongran.
- ^ Dong Xianzhou was the classmate of Facheng under Li Gongran and cousin to Bagua founder Dong Hai Chuan
External links
[edit]- History of Fanzi/Bashanfan. Satirio.com. Accessed 2/26/2010.
- History of Ying Men Quan. Satirio.com. Accessed 2/26/2010.