Originally posted by Chiduce
I'am not fimiliar with the O Mei/Emei style of Kung Fu; yet there is (O Mei Baguazhang/Swimming Body Bagua) In Humility; Chiduce!
E-Mei Shan (Shan=Mountain) is one of the nine great sacred mountains of China. Others include the Daoist Mountains Wudang Shan, Heng Shan, Hua Shan, Song Shan, Tai Shan, and the Buddhist mountains Jiu Hua Shan, Pu Tuo Shan, Wu Tai Shan.
E-Mei is located in Sichuan province (also known in the West as Szechwan). Though E-Mei Shan is primarily a Buddhist mountain, with many great monasteries, it also has some daoist (taoist) monasteries as well. E-Mei was one of the most traveled areas of the great Wuxia (martial arts Knights) of ChinaÂ’s past. Many various forms of Wugong (martial arts) have been practiced in its history. E-Mei is famous for blending the Neigong (internal) systems with the Waigong (external) systems, thus creating the different forms of E-Mei boxing.
I believe it’s important that people in the West begin to know that there is much more to Chinese Wugong then just the southern systems and Shaolin, and as a martial historian I hope to do this. Shaolin was NOT the birthplace of martial arts! There were martial arts in China before Shaolin, and there were martial arts in China during the great periods of Shaolin that had no connection at all to the Shaolin systems, i.e. Wudang. Systems that were/are incredibly sophisticated. In China, the Shaolin systems are considered Waigong, or hard/external systems, and any internal aspects were “borrowed” from other styles. Thus, Shaolin isn’t considered the greatest, it is just one of many great systems of Wugong.
Take a look at the systems of Wudang (or also known as Wu-Tang). Some say itÂ’s the birth place of Taijiquan (The Great Ultimate Fist).
First mentions about wudang styles can be found during the documents of XVI century, when Zhang Songxi found "neijiaquan" (fist of inner family) and opposed it to Shaolin style.
The most typical wudang style is wudang tayi wuxing qinpu (grapples and atacks of Five Praelements and The Great One from Wudang mountains), also called wudangquan (fist of Wudang mountains). This style was created by daoist Zhang Shouxing at the end of 15th century. This style has 23 forms, training is separated to training of the steps and training of the hands, there exist 35 methods of using the hands and 18 methods of moving. Style use snake-like moving (S-form moving), force going along the spiral.
Another well-known wudang styles are kongmenquan (Fist of the Gate of Emptiness), yumenquan (Fist of the Gate of Fish). Jiugong shibatui (18 legs of 9 palaces) emphasizes kicking techniques. Wudangpai also includes wujiquan (Fist of Boundlessness), yaozi changquan (Long Fist of the Hawk), yuanzhou fudiquan (Fist of rubbing Monkey, hidden near the ground), liubu sanshou (Combat Methods of 6 Steps).
Yet another very popular system is wudang jian (Wudang methods of using straight sword). Sword was usual attribute of taoist monk, was used during religious ceremonies, so it is not strange that sword was also used for fighting.
There is wealth of information and martial styles not yet seen in the West. This is changing though, as more people immigrate from Mainland China, as apposed to most of the immigrates from the past who primarily came from Fujian province, Guangdong (Canton) province or Hong Kong.
Sanxiawuyi
:asian:
The Kenpo Exchange
