Northern Eagle Claw Kung Fu ( Ying Zhao Fan Zi Men) has a long and proud history. It is a combination of two styles: Fan Zi (Tumbling Boxing) and Yue Shi San Shou (Yue Family Free Hands). It is said to have been created in the Sung Dynasty around the year 1150 by the famous patriot and general Yue Fei (1103 – 41) (Ngok Fat in Cantonese). He was born in YunHe Village, TangYin county, Xianghou and became not only an expert in martial arts but an exceptional scholar. He is said to have created “108 Locking Hands” techniques of joint control and throws developed a high degree.

Yue Fei was truly a hero of China. Almost single-handedly repulsing Mongol invasions that threatened the Southern Sung (the Han people had already ceded the capital to the North to them), he was regarded with jealousy at court from his victories. As history records he was poisoned and his army dispersed. But historical records come to the rescue again as another famous general Chi Ji Guang mentions Eagle Claw and another style Ba Shan Fan (same as Fan Tzi) in one of the surviving martial records. At this time Fan Tzi is considered one of the best Kung Fu styles. There is a noteworthy mention in Chi’s book of the “Clutch of the Eagle King.”

An Eagle Claw manual on the 50 roads.

It probably wasn’t until the Mind dynasty that Li Quan, a martial arts expert at the end of the Ming Dynasty took his specialty ,Fan Tzi style, (a form of Northern Long Fist much like Shaolin but with even more emphasis on acrobat motions such as tumbling) and combined with with the then-famous style, Yue Shih San Shou (one name of Eagle Claw at the time). This combination: Yuan Fei’s 108 Locking techniques, the Yue Style Kung Fu and Fan Tzi became collectively known as Ying Jiao Fan Tzi (Eagle Claw Tumbling Boxing).

NOTE: There is an unsubstantiated alternate story that Li Quan lived in the Sung and actually taught Yue Fei a nine technique style that he developed INTO Yue Shi.

A next important event occurs in the Ching Dynasty when Liu Shi Jun (1644-1711) crops up.

Of course it not only incorporated fist sets but weapons work such as spear, sword, saber, staff, hook blades, daggers and Da Dao (Big Knife generally known as the Kuan Knife) and in some branches the Yue Hammers.

There are at present a number of grand masters in this style. Lily Lau started studying with her father who died when she ten years old. She worked with some of his disciples and is presently considered the senior member of the Lau family branch out of Hong Kong where Lau Fat Man finally passed away. Leung Fu is considered at present the Grandmaster out of Malaysia, another branch of the lineage. Many people believe and have even written that the only real Eagle Claw is outside China and in the U.S. at present but there are indications that Yue Style Branch is still extant in the mainland.

ATTRIBUTES OF EAGLE CLAW

Eagle Claw is a very complete system of Kung Fu. Highly refined it is practical in the fighting sense as well as an integrated method of health promotion. The many forms of Eagle Claw are graceful often utilizing very agile movements requiring gymnastic skills, great flexibility and a high level of coordination. The style’s famous signature is the bent finger position with thumb and digits tucked to resemble the shape of its namesake. Joint locks, pressure points, twisting movements and throws are cleverly combined with the more common movements of strikes and kicks typical of Long Fist Kung Fu. Eagle Claw stylists are often quite familiar with at least the externally available acupressure points of the human body. Strike are performed in a loose, snapping style but grabbing and joint attacking movements are often done with force and authority.

Over all Eagle Claw is a beautiful and fascinating style

FORMS

Eagle Claw is said to contain at least 25 fist forms, over 25 weapon forms, over 25 partner forms, 108 locking techniques.

Some of the more important hand forms include:

Lien Chuan (Connected Fist- the primary form)
Fu Hu Chuan (Control the Tiger)
Hong Chuan
Shi Lu Xing Quan (10 Road Moving Fist)
Wu Shi Lu Lian Quan (50 Road Continuous Fist)
Eight Step Thrusting
Eight Face Five Section Fist
Swallow Fist
Five Flower
Canon fist
Soft Fist
Arhat Fist (LuoHan)
Sae Lhok Kune, Eagle Claw 46 Fist (created by Lau Fat Man)
Chiu Lao Tang (Eagle Claw Drunken Set specialty of Lau Fat Man)

WEAPONS
Staff
Saber
Sword
Spear
Double Sabers
Hammers
Three-Part Sick
Double Swords
Big Knife
Double Daggers
Steel Whip
Twin Headed Spear
Cane

Partner Weapons include
Single Saber vs. Spear
Double Saber vs. Spear
Short Staff vs. Long Staff
Empty Hands vs. Double Daggers
Kwan Dao vs. Spear
Saber and Crutch vs. Spear

Eagle Claw DVDs of interest