Wudang chuan
Encyclopedia
In current-day China, the martial arts are generally classified into two major groups: Wudang (武当拳) and Shaolin
. The Chinese word wǔdāngquán translates as "Wudang fist" or "Wudang boxing." Whereas Shaolin includes many martial art styles, Wudangquan includes only the arts applied with internal power; this typically encompasses T'ai chi ch'uan, Xing-Yi chuan
and Bagua zhang
, but must also include Baji chuan
and Wudang Sword
. Although the name Wudang simply distinguishes the skills, theories and applications of the "internal arts" from those of the Shaolin styles, it falsely suggests these arts originated at the Wudang Mountains
. The name Wudang comes from a popular Chinese legend which incorrectly purports the genesis of Tai chi chuan and Wudang Sword by an immortal, Taoist hermit named Zhang Sanfeng
who lived in the monasteries of Wudang Mountain.
Neijia
is a more broad term used mistakenly in the West as a synonym for the more specific Wǔdāngquán; while neijia encompasses Aikido
and Qigong
, Wǔdāngquán does not.
's 1669 Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan.
Stanley Henning proposes that the Epitaphs identification of the internal martial arts with the Taoism
indigenous to China and of the external martial arts with the foreign Buddhism
of Shaolin—and the Manchu
Qing Dynasty
to which Huang Zongxi was opposed—was an act of political defiance rather than one of technical classification.
In 1676 Huang Zongxi's son, Huang Baijia, who learned martial arts from Wang Zhengnan, compiled the earliest extant manual of internal martial arts, the Nèijiā quánfǎ.
In the late 1800s, Dong Hai Chuan began teaching
Bagua Zhang to a very select group of individuals.
The highly-notable Xing-Yi stylist Liu De Kuan was
among those who learned this special art from Dong.
Liu was a very friendly martial artist who had also
learned T'ai chi ch'uan from Yang Lu-ch'an
. Liu's
friendly nature and experience with the three "internal"
martial arts created an easy forum for discussion
and knowledge-sharing between practitioners
of the these arts.
In 1894, an alliance was created with Cheng Tinghua
taking the lead and representing Bagua Zhang;
Li Cun Yi and Liu Wei Xiang represented Xingyiquan
;
and although Liu De Kuan practiced all three arts,
he represented T'ai chi ch'uan. The alliance grouped
the three arts under the umbrella of "Neijia," and
swore brotherhood among its associates and practitioners.
Cheng Ting Hua was shot and killed by German
soldiers during the Boxer Rebellion
(1900), which
likely strengthened the alliance.
was traveling throughout
Northern China to meet and learn from the best martial artists when he met Wudang Sword
grandmaster Sung Wei-I
in Lia Ning Province; Fu learned Sung's Wudang Sword and fighting forms: Lightning Palm and Rocket Fist. Fu joined General Li Jinglin
's army in 1920. General Li Jinglin had also met Sung Wei-Yi in the early 1900s while garrisoned in Lia Ning Province, and had also learned Sung's Wudang Sword techniques.
In 1925, General Zhang Zhi Jiang began to propagate his belief that martial arts should be used to improve the health of the Chinese people. He suggested the creation of a Central Martial Arts Academy (Central Guoshu Institute
), and was named Director. General Li Jinglin, retired from his military career, was named Vice-Chairman to the Academy. General Li's kung fu advisor was the famous Bajiquan master Li Shuwen.
In 1928, Kuomintang
generals Zhang Zi Jiang, Fung Zu Ziang and Li Jinglin organized two national martial arts tournaments in Beijing & Nanjing respectively; they did so to screen the best martial artists in order to begin populating the Central Martial Arts Academy. The generals separated the participants of the tournament into Shaolin and Wudang. Wudang participants were recognized as having "internal" skills. These participants were generally practitioners of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Xíngyìquán and Bāguàzhǎng. All other participants competed under the classification of Shaolin. Thus, Wudangquan came to encompass Tai Chi, Bagua, Xingyi; Baji from Li Shu Wen; and Wudang Sword from Sung Wei-I and Li Jing Lin. Fu Chen Sung
won the fighting competition in Beijing, and was named head Bāguàzhǎng instructor for all of China.
Circumspectively, this seems to be the historical point when the name Wudang became the prevalent moniker for the internal martial arts across China.
The two major lineages of Wudang Chuan were passed down from Li Jinglin. These lineages went to Fu Chen Sung and Yang Kui-Shan.
(the mother of Donnie Yen
).
Its 9th generation lineage holder was Sung Wei-I
, who was the first non-Taoist to hold the lineage.
Sung passed the lineage to Li Jinglin
(for the 10th).
Li passed the lineage to Yang Kui-Shang (for the 11th), who passed it on to Qian Timing (for the 12th).
The current headmaster of Wudang Dan Pai in China is Ma Jie, who learned his techniques from Daoist master Xuan Dan and from Meng Xiao-Feng. Ma Jie's closed door disciples, Chang Wu-Na and Lu Mei-hui (who are also disciples of Qian Timing) are the current masters of the 13th generation.
At the time Li Jinglin held the lineage, Li and his contingent were learning BaGuaZhang from Fu Zhen Song;
XingYi Quan from Sun Lu Tang; Tai Chi Chuan from Yang ChengFu; Baji Quan from Li Shuwen; and the
Wudang Sword techniques had come from Sung Wei-I.
claims Jin Zitao started learning Wudang Taiyi Wuxing
Boxing from Li Heling at Wudang Mountain in 1929.
The article connotes that from the time of Li's death until
the early 1980s, Jin Zitao was the only person alive
who had knowledge of the secret martial arts of Wudang Mountain.
In 1980, Jin Zitao demonstrated Wudang Taiyi Wuxing
Boxing to the National Wushu Viewing and Emulating
and Communicating Congress in Taiyuan City, Shanxi
Provice. Before that, it had "never been shown before."
The article cites Jin's association with "The Institute
of Wudang Boxing" and the "Journal of Wudang."
According to KungFu Tai Chi Magazine, Zhong Yun Long
went to Wudang Mountain in 1984, and studied under
the 13th generation masters, Guo Gaoyi and Wang Kuangde.
Zhong became the 14th generation lineage holder of the Wudang SanFeng Sect.
The article cites their association with the 'Wudang
Taoist Association."
There does not seem to be any connection between
Jin Zitao and the Wudang SanFeng Sect except
for the fact that they both use the term "Taiyi" as the name
of a form. Both lineages claim to be direct descendants
of Zhang SanFeng, and claim they learned Wudang martial
arts at Wudang Mountain in the 20th century.
Currently, a contingent of Taoist martial art masters claiming lineage to Zhong Yun Long practice and teach Wudang martial arts at Wudang Mountain, which was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization in 1994. These Taoists practice what they call Wudang Wushu or Wudang GongFu, and worship Zhang SanFeng as a deity. The website shows a curriculum of Tai Chi, XingYi, BaGua, QiGong, meditation and LiangYi (Tai Yi Wu Xing Quan), and claims BaGuaZhang originated there. Ironically, these masters and the Fu Family are the only two schools that teach a martial art form called LiangYi.
Shaolin kung fu
Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...
. The Chinese word wǔdāngquán translates as "Wudang fist" or "Wudang boxing." Whereas Shaolin includes many martial art styles, Wudangquan includes only the arts applied with internal power; this typically encompasses T'ai chi ch'uan, Xing-Yi chuan
Xingyiquan
Xingyiquan is one of the major "internal" or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to "Form/Intention Boxing", or "Shape/Will Boxing", and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power...
and Bagua zhang
Baguazhang
Bāguàzhǎng is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being Taijiquan and Xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice...
, but must also include Baji chuan
Bajíquán
Bājíquán is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes. It originated in Hebei Province in Northern China, but is also well-known in other places today, especially Taiwan...
and Wudang Sword
Wudang Sword
Wudang Sword is a body of Chinese straight sword techniques—famous in China—encompassed by the Wudang chuan or internal martial arts.The oldest reputable accounts of Wudang Sword begin with Grandmaster Sung Wei-I around the turn of the 20th century. Sung taught Wudang Sword to Li Jing Lin and a...
. Although the name Wudang simply distinguishes the skills, theories and applications of the "internal arts" from those of the Shaolin styles, it falsely suggests these arts originated at the Wudang Mountains
Wudang Mountains
The Wudang Mountains , also known as Wu Tang Shan or simply Wudang, are a small mountain range in the northwestern part of Hubei Province of People's Republic of China, just to the south of the city of Shiyan.-Geography:...
. The name Wudang comes from a popular Chinese legend which incorrectly purports the genesis of Tai chi chuan and Wudang Sword by an immortal, Taoist hermit named Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng
Zhang Sanfeng was a semi-legendary Chinese Taoist priest who is believed by some to have achieved immortality, said variously to date from either the late Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty or Ming Dynasty. His name is said to have been Zhang Junbao 張君寶 before he became a Taoist.Zhang's legend is that of...
who lived in the monasteries of Wudang Mountain.
Neijia
Neijia
Nèijiā is a term in Chinese martial arts, grouping those styles that practice nèijìng , usually translated as internal martial arts, occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects...
is a more broad term used mistakenly in the West as a synonym for the more specific Wǔdāngquán; while neijia encompasses Aikido
Aikido
is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to...
and Qigong
Qigong
Qigong or chi kung is a practice of aligning breath, movement, and awareness for exercise, healing, and meditation...
, Wǔdāngquán does not.
Qing China
The term neijia and the distinction between internal and external martial arts first appears in Huang ZongxiHuang Zongxi
Huang Zongxi , courtesy name Taichong , was the name of a Chinese naturalist, political theorist, philosopher, and soldier during the latter part of the Ming dynasty into the early part the Qing.-Biography:...
's 1669 Epitaph for Wang Zhengnan.
Stanley Henning proposes that the Epitaphs identification of the internal martial arts with the Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
indigenous to China and of the external martial arts with the foreign Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
of Shaolin—and the Manchu
Manchu
The Manchu people or Man are an ethnic minority of China who originated in Manchuria . During their rise in the 17th century, with the help of the Ming dynasty rebels , they came to power in China and founded the Qing Dynasty, which ruled China until the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, which...
Qing Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
The Qing Dynasty was the last dynasty of China, ruling from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming Dynasty and followed by the Republic of China....
to which Huang Zongxi was opposed—was an act of political defiance rather than one of technical classification.
In 1676 Huang Zongxi's son, Huang Baijia, who learned martial arts from Wang Zhengnan, compiled the earliest extant manual of internal martial arts, the Nèijiā quánfǎ.
In the late 1800s, Dong Hai Chuan began teaching
Bagua Zhang to a very select group of individuals.
The highly-notable Xing-Yi stylist Liu De Kuan was
among those who learned this special art from Dong.
Liu was a very friendly martial artist who had also
learned T'ai chi ch'uan from Yang Lu-ch'an
Yang Lu-ch'an
Yang Lu-ch'an or Yang Luchan, ; also known as Yang Fu-k'ui , born in Kuang-p'ing , was an influential teacher of the soft style martial art t'ai chi ch'uan in China during the second half of the 19th century...
. Liu's
friendly nature and experience with the three "internal"
martial arts created an easy forum for discussion
and knowledge-sharing between practitioners
of the these arts.
In 1894, an alliance was created with Cheng Tinghua
Cheng Tinghua
Cheng Tinghua was a renowned master of Chinese Neijia martial art Bagua Zhang.-Biography:Born in the Cheng family village, Shen County, Hebei , he was the third of four brothers....
taking the lead and representing Bagua Zhang;
Li Cun Yi and Liu Wei Xiang represented Xingyiquan
Xingyiquan
Xingyiquan is one of the major "internal" or Wudang styles of Chinese martial arts. The word translates approximately to "Form/Intention Boxing", or "Shape/Will Boxing", and is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power...
;
and although Liu De Kuan practiced all three arts,
he represented T'ai chi ch'uan. The alliance grouped
the three arts under the umbrella of "Neijia," and
swore brotherhood among its associates and practitioners.
Cheng Ting Hua was shot and killed by German
soldiers during the Boxer Rebellion
Boxer Rebellion
The Boxer Rebellion, also called the Boxer Uprising by some historians or the Righteous Harmony Society Movement in northern China, was a proto-nationalist movement by the "Righteous Harmony Society" , or "Righteous Fists of Harmony" or "Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists" , in China between...
(1900), which
likely strengthened the alliance.
Republic of China
Around 1912, the third-generation BaGua master Fu Chen SungFu Chen Sung
Fu Chen Sung , or Fu Qiankun was a grandmaster of Wudangquan martial arts. He was best known as one of the famed "Five Northern Tigers," and a third-generation master of Baguazhang who founded Fu Style Baguazhang...
was traveling throughout
Northern China to meet and learn from the best martial artists when he met Wudang Sword
Wudang Sword
Wudang Sword is a body of Chinese straight sword techniques—famous in China—encompassed by the Wudang chuan or internal martial arts.The oldest reputable accounts of Wudang Sword begin with Grandmaster Sung Wei-I around the turn of the 20th century. Sung taught Wudang Sword to Li Jing Lin and a...
grandmaster Sung Wei-I
Sung Wei-I
Sung Wei Yi was born in Lia Ning Province in 1855. He was the Grandmaster of the Wudang Sword.He introduced the sword to both Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan and Yang-style tai chi chuan; he taught theWudang Sword to General Li Jinglin and Fu Chen Sung....
in Lia Ning Province; Fu learned Sung's Wudang Sword and fighting forms: Lightning Palm and Rocket Fist. Fu joined General Li Jinglin
Li Jinglin
Li Jinglin Li Jinglin (also known as Li Fangchen) Li Jinglin (also known as Li Fangchen) ((李景林, 1885 - 1931) was a deputy inspector-general and later army general for the Fengtian clique during the Chinese warlord era. He hailed from Zaoqiang County, Hebei province, China. After his military...
's army in 1920. General Li Jinglin had also met Sung Wei-Yi in the early 1900s while garrisoned in Lia Ning Province, and had also learned Sung's Wudang Sword techniques.
In 1925, General Zhang Zhi Jiang began to propagate his belief that martial arts should be used to improve the health of the Chinese people. He suggested the creation of a Central Martial Arts Academy (Central Guoshu Institute
Central Guoshu Institute
The Central Guoshu Institute was established in Nanjing by the Kuomintang government of the Republic of China in 1928 for the propagation of Chinese martial arts, and was an important center of martial arts during the Nanjing decade.Guoshu "national art" was...
), and was named Director. General Li Jinglin, retired from his military career, was named Vice-Chairman to the Academy. General Li's kung fu advisor was the famous Bajiquan master Li Shuwen.
In 1928, Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
generals Zhang Zi Jiang, Fung Zu Ziang and Li Jinglin organized two national martial arts tournaments in Beijing & Nanjing respectively; they did so to screen the best martial artists in order to begin populating the Central Martial Arts Academy. The generals separated the participants of the tournament into Shaolin and Wudang. Wudang participants were recognized as having "internal" skills. These participants were generally practitioners of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, Xíngyìquán and Bāguàzhǎng. All other participants competed under the classification of Shaolin. Thus, Wudangquan came to encompass Tai Chi, Bagua, Xingyi; Baji from Li Shu Wen; and Wudang Sword from Sung Wei-I and Li Jing Lin. Fu Chen Sung
Fu Chen Sung
Fu Chen Sung , or Fu Qiankun was a grandmaster of Wudangquan martial arts. He was best known as one of the famed "Five Northern Tigers," and a third-generation master of Baguazhang who founded Fu Style Baguazhang...
won the fighting competition in Beijing, and was named head Bāguàzhǎng instructor for all of China.
Circumspectively, this seems to be the historical point when the name Wudang became the prevalent moniker for the internal martial arts across China.
The two major lineages of Wudang Chuan were passed down from Li Jinglin. These lineages went to Fu Chen Sung and Yang Kui-Shan.
Fu Style Wudang Quan
Fu Chen Sung (Fu ZhenSong) worked the rest of his life to develop Fu Style Wudang Fist. The system included exercises, empty hand and weapons sets in Tai Chi, BaGua, Hsing-Yi—and Fu Chen Sung's well-documented, signature forms: Liang-Yi Chuan, Dragon Palm BaGuaZhang and Dragon Palm BaGua Push hands (most of which he created in the 1940s); the famous but extremely rare Wudang Sword techniques were embodied in Fu's progression of Tai Chi Sword, to Seven Star Sword, to Bagua Cyclone Broadsword, and finally, Flying Dragon Bagua Sword forms. In his lifetime, Fu had many notable students, including General Sun Pao Gung and Lin Chao Zhen. Fu's oldest son, Fu Wing Fay (Fu Yong Hui), became Fu's prodigal son. Wing Fay grew up among many of the greatest martial artists in the Golden Era of Martial Arts in China. Wing Fay learned well from his father and the other great masters. Wing Fay practiced hard, and began developing Fu Style Wudang Fist even more. Wing Fay had two top students: his son, (Victor) Fu Sheng Long, and Bow Sim MarkBow Sim Mark
Bow-sim Mark is a martial arts master who lives in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.-Training:Mark is originally from Guangzhou, China. She began studying martial arts at elementary school, training seriously in high school and then at Wu Shu training schools, specialising in T'ai chi ch'uan and...
(the mother of Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen
Donnie Yen is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film director and producer, action choreographer, and world wushu tournament medalist...
).
Wudang Dan Pai
According to T'ai Chi Magazine, volume 29, no. 1, the Yang Kui-Shan lineage of Wudang Dan Pai claims direct descent of Zhang SanFeng.Its 9th generation lineage holder was Sung Wei-I
Sung Wei-I
Sung Wei Yi was born in Lia Ning Province in 1855. He was the Grandmaster of the Wudang Sword.He introduced the sword to both Chen-style t'ai chi ch'uan and Yang-style tai chi chuan; he taught theWudang Sword to General Li Jinglin and Fu Chen Sung....
, who was the first non-Taoist to hold the lineage.
Sung passed the lineage to Li Jinglin
Li Jinglin
Li Jinglin Li Jinglin (also known as Li Fangchen) Li Jinglin (also known as Li Fangchen) ((李景林, 1885 - 1931) was a deputy inspector-general and later army general for the Fengtian clique during the Chinese warlord era. He hailed from Zaoqiang County, Hebei province, China. After his military...
(for the 10th).
Li passed the lineage to Yang Kui-Shang (for the 11th), who passed it on to Qian Timing (for the 12th).
The current headmaster of Wudang Dan Pai in China is Ma Jie, who learned his techniques from Daoist master Xuan Dan and from Meng Xiao-Feng. Ma Jie's closed door disciples, Chang Wu-Na and Lu Mei-hui (who are also disciples of Qian Timing) are the current masters of the 13th generation.
At the time Li Jinglin held the lineage, Li and his contingent were learning BaGuaZhang from Fu Zhen Song;
XingYi Quan from Sun Lu Tang; Tai Chi Chuan from Yang ChengFu; Baji Quan from Li Shuwen; and the
Wudang Sword techniques had come from Sung Wei-I.
Wudang Taiyi Boxing
According to T'ai Chi Magazine, volume 30, no. 1, Yang Qunliclaims Jin Zitao started learning Wudang Taiyi Wuxing
Boxing from Li Heling at Wudang Mountain in 1929.
The article connotes that from the time of Li's death until
the early 1980s, Jin Zitao was the only person alive
who had knowledge of the secret martial arts of Wudang Mountain.
In 1980, Jin Zitao demonstrated Wudang Taiyi Wuxing
Boxing to the National Wushu Viewing and Emulating
and Communicating Congress in Taiyuan City, Shanxi
Provice. Before that, it had "never been shown before."
The article cites Jin's association with "The Institute
of Wudang Boxing" and the "Journal of Wudang."
According to KungFu Tai Chi Magazine, Zhong Yun Long
went to Wudang Mountain in 1984, and studied under
the 13th generation masters, Guo Gaoyi and Wang Kuangde.
Zhong became the 14th generation lineage holder of the Wudang SanFeng Sect.
The article cites their association with the 'Wudang
Taoist Association."
There does not seem to be any connection between
Jin Zitao and the Wudang SanFeng Sect except
for the fact that they both use the term "Taiyi" as the name
of a form. Both lineages claim to be direct descendants
of Zhang SanFeng, and claim they learned Wudang martial
arts at Wudang Mountain in the 20th century.
Currently, a contingent of Taoist martial art masters claiming lineage to Zhong Yun Long practice and teach Wudang martial arts at Wudang Mountain, which was named a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization in 1994. These Taoists practice what they call Wudang Wushu or Wudang GongFu, and worship Zhang SanFeng as a deity. The website shows a curriculum of Tai Chi, XingYi, BaGua, QiGong, meditation and LiangYi (Tai Yi Wu Xing Quan), and claims BaGuaZhang originated there. Ironically, these masters and the Fu Family are the only two schools that teach a martial art form called LiangYi.