Differences between styles of Fujian White Crane

[camotheman]

Hi all, Karate practictioner here, doing some research into different styles of martial arts.

Does anyone have experience in Fujian White Crane and can potentially explain the differences between the main styles of Fujian White Crane? I know that Zonehequan, Minghequan, Shihequan, and Feihequan are the most prevalent styles, but information regarding them and their differences is few and far between.

 

[Shugyosha3]

Michael Calandra Sensei teaches feeding crane. Their first form is Angle Battle which is similar to Sanchin in other Cran styles in that it’s the first they teach. As the name suggests it’s about attacking at an angle. Yong Chun starts with sanchin and has multiple Seisan Kata although only one is name seisan. It’s the oldest branch I believe. Minghequan Crying Crane has a direct relationship to karate. They have Sanchin. It’s a scholars style.

One thing to know is that these are all pretty recent branches the same way so many different styles of karate are pretty recent. White Crane is a concept. To ascend Crane Gate is to learn all the styles- because they’re all one style emphasizing different aspects of combat.

I also strongly believe Wing Chun descends from White Crane because it pulls from the same pool of techniques but probably a late 1700s early 1800s expression of the White Crane concept.

 

[isshinryuronin]

Michael Calandra Sensei teaches feeding crane.

Sensei Calandra is an isshinryu 9th degree under the founder's son, Kichiro Shimabuku and has high ranking in Matayoshi kobudo. He is also well schooled in Chen style taijiquan. I don't know the depth of his crane training or if he has teaching credentials in it but know he has demonstrated some form and technique on Youtube. If he claims to be a feeding crane instructor, I'd believe him. I've never met him but he's a solid TMA guy who has put his training to use on the street as an LEO.

 

[Shugyosha3]

Sensei Calandra is an isshinryu 9th degree under the founder's son, Kichiro Shimabuku and has high ranking in Matayoshi kobudo. He is also well schooled in Chen style taijiquan. I don't know the depth of his crane training or if he has teaching credentials in it but know he has demonstrated some form and technique on Youtube. If he claims to be a feeding crane instructor, I'd believe him. I've never met him but he's a solid TMA guy who has put his training to use on the street as an LEO.

I don’t know if he has menkyo kaiden in feeding crane but also, it’s very karate to learn some white crane and share the knowledge regardless of how much ones knows. We treasure even bits and pieces.

 

[Same Trick43]

I don’t know if he has menkyo kaiden in feeding crane but also, it’s very karate to learn some white crane and share the knowledge regardless of how much ones knows. We treasure even bits and pieces.

Isn’t menkyo kaiden only used by Japanese Koryu schools ?

 

[isshinryuronin]

I don’t know if he has menkyo kaiden in feeding crane

Isn’t menkyo kaiden only used by Japanese Koryu schools ?

Prior to the dan system, the Japanese menkyo system served as a kind of ranking for high level practitioners. There are several levels of menkyo, the kaiden being the highest. Having a kaiden license would usually mean one is a long time, trusted personal student of the master. One need not be kaiden to be a qualified teacher to lower level blackbelts and below.

In Okinawa, the shogo system was and is still used to denote recognition of knowledge and teaching ability: Renshi, kyoshi and hanshi are the three levels from low to high. These are not ranks in themselves and although somewhat connected to rank, exist separate from the dan system.

Some Chinese kung fu styles no doubt have a similar concept, but what it's called I have no idea.

 

[Appledog36]

A master once created a style known as White Crane, as an analogy to teach his students what to do. He had five students, but he didn't give them all the details about the crane. So each student, when he passed down his own idea of what the master had to say, talked about it in a different way. There's a secret to this story. The master taught each student different end-game material so that the only way they would get the complete art is to befriend and share with each other the foundation of Wu De.

In the end, one crane was this, one crane was that, but at least they all were cranes. Very few schools of kung fu can even claim to be all cranes today.

I have met many white crane masters in Taiwan.

 

[Same Trick43]

A master once created a style known as White Crane, as an analogy to teach his students what to do. He had five students, but he didn't give them all the details about the crane. So each student, when he passed down his own idea of what the master had to say, talked about it in a different way. There's a secret to this story. The master taught each student different end-game material so that the only way they would get the complete art is to befriend and share with each other the foundation of Wu De.

In the end, one crane was this, one crane was that, but at least they all were cranes. Very few schools of kung fu can even claim to be all cranes today.

I have met many white crane masters in Taiwan.

In nature there are 15 species of cranes, how many Fujianese wushu styles of crane are there, are they still just 5 ?
Do they share some fundamentals such as the SanZhan form ?

 

[Shugyosha3]

In nature there are 15 species of cranes, how many Fujianese wushu styles of crane are there, are they still just 5 ?
Do they share some fundamentals such as the SanZhan form ?

Yes. There isn’t a corresponded style for each species, rather each style focuses more on one aspect than the other. All were inspired by the same incident because they share the same source.

 

[Kung Fu Wang98]

Crane and eagle are similar birds. Both styles look big difference.

 

[Flying Crane]

Yes. There isn’t a corresponded style for each species, rather each style focuses more on one aspect than the other. All were inspired by the same incident because they share the same source.

There are crane species that are not found in Asia at all. These include the crowned cranes of Africa, the blue cranes of Australia, the Whooping cranes of North America, and the sandhill cranes of North America, although I think they get into Siberia on their migration, but I don’t remember for sure. Also some European cranes that I don’t think are found in Asia but I am not sure. Such as the Demoiselle crane.

There are no Chinese crane styles that would have been inspired by those specific species, if the species are not found in Asia.

The black necked crane is found in the remote Tibetan plateau and was the last crane species to be well studied by western science, due to the remoteness. That would be a candidate for the inspiration for Tibetan crane method. I don’t know enough to comment on the Fujian candidates, but it likely doesn’t matter; cranes all share in some similar behaviors that likely were the source of inspiration.

 

[Flying Crane]

Crane and eagle are similar birds. Both styles look big difference.

They are extremely different birds. Their behavior is very different, their body structure as birds is very different. Just because it has feathers and a beak does not mean they are the same. No surprising that eagle claw style looks very different from crane styles.

Golden eagles patrol the crane migration routes through the Himalayas and hunt them as the cranes come over the high passes. The cranes are exhausted and the eagles pounce on them.

 

[Shugyosha3]

There are crane species that are not found in Asia at all. These include the crowned cranes of Africa, the blue cranes of Australia, the Whooping cranes of North America, and the sandhill cranes of North America, although I think they get into Siberia on their migration, but I don’t remember for sure. Also some European cranes that I don’t think are found in Asia but I am not sure. Such as the Demoiselle crane.

There are no Chinese crane styles that would have been inspired by those specific species, if the species are not found in Asia.

The black necked crane is found in the remote Tibetan plateau and was the last crane species to be well studied by western science, due to the remoteness. That would be a candidate for the inspiration for Tibetan crane method. I don’t know enough to comment on the Fujian candidates, but it likely doesn’t matter; cranes all share in some similar behaviors that likely were the source of inspiration.

None of this is relevant to the development of Fujian white crane. From what I understand, crane is a concept/strategy in fight in Fujian that draws on a pool of 300 techniques. All five styles pull from this pool. I consider your white crane completely separate and unrelated for these purposes

 

[Same Trick43]

None of this is relevant to the development of Fujian white crane. From what I understand, crane is a concept/strategy in fight in Fujian that draws on a pool of 300 techniques. All five styles pull from this pool. I consider your white crane completely separate and unrelated for these purposes

Do all the 5 Fujian WC versions share same fundamentals for example the SanZhan form/taolu/kata ?

 

[Kung Fu Wang98]

Do all the 5 Fujian WC versions share same fundamentals for example the SanZhan form/taolu/kata ?

Many years ago, someone in this forum claimed that WC uses "snake engine".

 

[Flying Crane]

None of this is relevant to the development of Fujian white crane. From what I understand, crane is a concept/strategy in fight in Fujian that draws on a pool of 300 techniques. All five styles pull from this pool. I consider your white crane completely separate and unrelated for these purposes

Exactly true. But the fact that there are many different species of crane came into the discussion, so I took a moment to contribute and add context. The Fujian methods are named after behaviors, not species. Flying, calling, feeding, sleeping. That is where inspiration from the crane comes from, not the different species. I only mentioned the black necked crane as a likely candidate for Tibetan crane because that is what lives in that area. But it isn’t called “black-necked crane style.” It is just Tibetan crane. Again, it was behaviors of the animal that inspired the method. And cranes of all species share certain behaviors and habits, so trying to make a species distinction is moot.

 

[Same Trick43]

Many years ago, someone in this forum claimed that WC uses "snake engine".

What was the explanation on it ?

Snake and crane are central to the myth of Zhang Sanfeng creating TJQ, one version of the Zhang Sanfeng myth hails him from Fujian province. Could TJQ’s 13 postures share same origin as the Fujianese(Baihequan/white crane) form ShiSan(13) ?