Fujian White Crane


White Crane Style is a Southern Chinese martial art that originated in Yongchun County, Fujian province. According to oral tradition, the style was developed by Fang Qiniang, a female martial artist. It is associated with traditional fighting techniques, including long range, but is most similar to close-quarter or hand-to-hand combat. It is most recognizable by the way the fighter imitates a bird's pecking or flapping of wings. While some white crane styles make use of traditional weapons, others have discontinued the use of weaponry.
Fujian White Crane is descends in part from Shaolin Boxing and imitates characteristics of the white Crane. This system is separate though related to ol Lohan.The entire system of fighting was developed from observing the crane's movements, methods of attack and spirit. Crane movements do exist in southern shaolin but the relation is unclear at best.

The legend of the white crane

Qīniáng and her father lived in Yongchun County, Fujian province, where many cranes live. Qīniáng's father knew the Southern Chinese Martial Arts and taught them to his daughter. One day, while Qīniáng was doing her chores, a crane landed nearby. Qīniáng tried to scare the bird off using a stick and the skills she had learned from her father, but whatever she did, the crane would counter. Qīniáng tried to hit the crane on the head, but the bird moved its head out of the way and blocked the stick with its wings. Qīniáng tried to hit the crane's wings, but the crane stepped to the side and blocked the stick with its claws. Qīniáng tried to poke the crane's body, but the crane dodged backwards and struck the stick with its beak. From then on, Qīniáng carefully studied the crane's movements. She combined these movements with techniques learned from her father, ultimately creating the White Crane Style.
There are many versions of this legend. In some the crane does not block a stick, but evades and counters it. The point of the style is to emphasize evasion and attack an opponent's vulnerabilities instead of using physical strength. Since it was created by a woman, White Crane fighting elements are especially popular in women's self-defense training because the movements do not require great strength. They more closely imitate the delicate pecking motion associated with this fighting style. Popular karate bunkai of white crane katas like hakutsuru stress vital point striking or kyusho.

Branches

From the original Yǒngchūn White Crane style, five additional styles branched off over time:
ChinesePinyinMinnan
Sleeping Crane Fist宿鶴拳sù hè quánsiok4 hoh8 kun5also known as Jumping, or Ancestral Crane
Crying Crane Fist鳴鶴拳míng hè quánbeng5 hoh8 kun5also known as Calling, Whooping, or Shouting Crane
Eating Crane Fist食鹤拳shí hè quánchiah8 hoh8 kun5also known as Morning Crane
Flying Crane Fist飛鶴拳fēi hè quánhui1 hoh8 kun5aka fei hok kuen
Shaking Crane Fist縱鶴拳zòng hè quánhui1 hoh8 kun5aka jun hok kuen

History

According to the traditions of the Lee family branch of Flying Crane, Fāng Qīniáng was born in the mid-17th century. She learned kung fu form her father, a lay shaolin disciple. One day she saw a huge crane and attacked it with a stick. As she was unable to defeat it, she realized the crane had come to teach her, and developed her own unique techniques from the experience. She had four principal students who later developed four main branches of Fujian White Crane: Eating, Crying, Sleeping, and Flying. Many systems evolved from each of the four original types of White Crane. At least in the Flying Crane tradition, Fang never married, had children or a husband. Rather, she retired in Bai he an and taught martial arts.
According to the yong chun bai he tradition, the Ong Gong Shr Wushuguan was established in the town of Yongchun, prefecture of Quanzhou, Fujian province, when its founders were taught by Fang Qiniang during the reign of the Jiajing Emperor of the Ming dynasty.
Pingyang White Crane was created by Fāng Qī Niáng during Shunzhi period during the Qing dynasty. During Jiaqing period, this kongfu spread to Pingyang city.
Yongchun-style White Crane was created by Fāng Qī Niáng during KangXi period during the Qing dynasty.
Li Wenmao, an opera performer and leader of the 1854-1856 Red Turban Rebellion in Foshan, is said to have practiced the Yǒngchūn style of White Crane.
The Xu-Xi Dao style of White Crane as taught by Chen Zhuozhen was derived from Zhong-Ho 'Springing Crane', and was developed in Taiwan by Huang Laoyang in the 1950s.

Yongchun White Crane in China

The lineage of The Weng Gong Ci Gym in Yongchun County is:
The lineage of Feeding Crane in Taiwan is:
Fujian White Crane is one of the constituent styles of Five Ancestors, who, in addition to the various styles of Karate, use the routine "San Chian" from Fujian White Crane. San Chian is best known by the Japanese pronunciation of its name, Sanchin.