The following is a translation from
the Wu Shu Records of the famous Cang County, home of many great martial
practitioners. This tells one story of a Cang resident and how he
came to learn the Hua Shan style.
Hua Mountain Boxing, is one of
China's five big WuShu mainstays. From early it was said that Shaolin,
Wu Dang, Hua Shan, E Mei, Kun Lun produced the gold of China's Wu
Shu. Hua Shan, the western great mountain Hua, is a place for many
who give up common earthly life and retire to cultivate their moral
character. They spend many years practicing the art of integrating
their temperaments and cultivate their bodies. They practice for many
years, the integrated system of discipline, health and self defense
called Hua Shan Boxing that has made the Hua region famous.
According to legend, in ancient
times there was a Tao Shi (Taoist leader), with a religious name of
Hui Zhi (Wisdom), who in his later years left Hua Shan to wander everywhere
under Heaven. He knew, by way of a younger sister, her husband's family
by the name of Chen. He learned that his little sister had a son,
and was pleasantly surprised, to see that his nephew was clever, quick
witted and knew the rules of propriety. He taught his skills to the
seven year old.
Living just outside the city gate
in Qing County (now Qing Zhou township), Zhou Yong Liang - also called
Zhou Xiao Long - practiced martial arts continuously from 8 years
of age. In 1974 , at 16, he was employed at Cang Zhou fertilizer factory
as a temporary worker, looking after the in-plant railway station
commodities. Early each and after work, he spent his time in hard
practice. At that time, there at the fertilizer factory, was a man
engaged in an assignment for China Chemical Engineering Head Office
#13. This construction company's senior worker Chen Feng Qi, was stationed
in a temporary shed very near where Zhou would practice. He would
usually watch Zhou doing martial arts. Then one day, Chen smiling
at Zhou ,said, "Your practice really has some problems." Zhou realized
Chen was an expert and addressed him as "teacher", desiring Chen to
start teaching him skills immediately. Still smiling, Chen refused.
He claimed not to understand the fine details of the art. Zhou, however,
kept asking for more instruction. Each day, Chen and his wife had
lunch together, the Chen home attracting many workers from the operation.
When the building assignment was completed there was a celebration,
and Zhou presented Chen with a gift. But, as before, Chen refrained
from calling Zhou a disciple. One day, during stifling summer heat,
Chen awoke from a nap, his wife said to him, "Little Dragon spent
the midday fanning you (while you slept), go ahead and teach some
of your art to the boy." Chen then felt an emotional attachment to
Zhou. He told Zhou, his family name was Chen and he was a Shanxi person.
Also that he was a disciple of Hua Shan Boxing. He would truthfully
show him the basis of the boxing style but Zhou must not tell others
the family secrets. He saw Zhou was sincere, then he "broke" the family
secrets open, and showed Zhou Hua Shan Boxing, completely and openly.
Zhou practiced the Hua Fist, assiduously
obeying his instructor, without telling anyone. Chen was an unexpectedly
brilliant coach, and taught his follower many skills. Zhou eventually
obtained the "1984 Lun Zhou District Martial Arts Sports Meet" in
boxing First Place in empty handed Boxing and Second Place in weapons.
Hua Shan Style's fundamental boxing
forms is comprised of thirteen roads. Hua Shan has a 12 section form
which synthesizes the important points of self defense, the transitions
of Yin and Yang and a "Nine Word code" of practical Chin Nah transformations
and counters.
Hua Shan Boxing puts great emphasis
on the use of : shoulder, back, arm, elbow, fist, claw, palm, hips,
leg, knee and foot; 11 aspects of basic practice. It contains 32 arts,
72 methods and 62 exercises. The practice of Hua Boxing pays particular
attention to the laws of the 12 traditional two-hour periods of the
day; the movement of the "winds" (environmental factors), the human
body's Qi, Blood cycles, moving through their specific anatomical
"roads" during practice. The Hua Shan boxing manual states, "Practice
boxing like a boat floating on water, flowing along for a thousand
miles, avoiding the barbaric style of practicing martial arts which
leads to disorders of the body and body".
It's Chin Nah methods and footwork
is based on Taoism's Yin Yang symbol, containing 36 techniques and
36 counters all together.
Hua Shan also pays attention to
using inch energy (cun jing), moving internal energy, and creating
internal strength for fighting.
Copyright
2005 Plum Publications
