What are the Four Great Schools of Ancient Chinese Opera?

Mei Lanfang (1894-1961), born in a Peking Opera family, studied opera at the age of eight and appeared on stage at the age of eleven, specializing in Qingyi (green coat), and also playing the role of Dan (sword and horse). In more than 50 years of stage practice, Mei Lanfang created and developed the singing, recitation, dance, music, costume, make-up and other aspects of the Dan role, forming a unique artistic style, known as the Mei School. He had a deep knowledge of the art, and was a master of both literature and martial arts; he had a beautiful stage style and excellent disguise; his voice was mellow, and his singing voice was graceful and charming, creating a large number of typical images of ancient women with different postures. Mei's masterpieces include The Cosmic Front, The Drunkenness of the Concubine, The Broken Bridge, The Chihuahua, Farewell My Concubine, and Mu Guiying Takes Command. Mei Lanfang has led the Peking Opera Troupe to Japan, the United States and the Soviet Union for many times, and is an opera performer who has spread Chinese opera abroad and enjoys international reputation.

CHENG Yanqiu (1904-1958) studied opera since childhood and played the role of Qingyi under Mei Lanfang. He was courageous to innovate and create in his art, paying attention to phonetics, focusing on the four voices, and pursuing a high degree of combination of "sound, emotion, beauty, and water", and according to the characteristics of his own voice, he created a kind of singing style that was elegant, undulating, staggering, and with a varied tempo, thus forming a unique artistic style, which is known as the "Cheng School" in the world. "Cheng Yanqiu was good at acting in tragedies. Cheng Yanqiu excelled in tragedy, compiling and acting in plays such as "The Tomb of the Mandarin Ducks", "Tears of the Deserted Mountain", "The Sword of Green Frost", "Yingtai's Resistance to Marriage", and "Sinus E's Grievance", most of which were performances of the tragic fates of women in the feudal society.

Shang Xiaoyun (1900-1976) studied in a troupe at an early age and was honored as the "first child actor" at the age of fourteen. He was first trained as a martial arts student, and later changed to play the role of a dan (正旦), and also played the role of a sword and horse dan. He was known as "Shangpai" because of his deep skills, wide and bright voice, and strong singing style. His masterpieces include "The Second Palace", "The Sacrifice of the Pagoda", "Zhaojun's Exodus from the Frontiers", "Liang Hongyu", etc., in which he portrayed a number of women heroes and chivalrous heroines.

Xun Huisheng (1900-1968) studied in the Hebei Opera Class at an early age, and switched to Peking Opera at the age of 19, playing Hua Dan (Flower Dan) and Dagger Dan (Sword and Horse Dan). He was able to draw on the strengths of the Dan role in the opera and melted the Peking Opera's Hua Dan's performance into one, forming a unique artistic style known as the "Xun School". She was good at playing the roles of innocent, lively and gentle women, and was famous for her performances in the plays of Hongniang, Jinyu Nu, Honglou Eryou, Hairpin Phoenix, and Xunununiang

The Four Great Sects--Shaolin Sect

Shaolin is the most extensive, longest-running, and most varied of all the Central Chinese martial arts, and is known as the Shaolin School, with a history of over 20 years. out of the Shaolin Temple on Mt. Songshan in Zhongyue Mountain.

About the origin of the Shaolin school, according to the Northern Song Dynasty "Jingde Chuanluan Deng Lu" and other books, the North and South Dynasties, after the Wei Xiaowen Emperor Dahuo years (477 a 499), the Dharma masters from the Liang north, face the wall of the Shaolin Temple in Songshan Mountain, which lasted for nine years and accomplished the work, then passed the "easy tendon", "wash the marrow" of two scriptures, the creation of the Shaolin martial arts. This statement, for a variety of canonical books, the Tang Dynasty, Li Jing and wrote "Yi Jin Jing preface". But the test of historical facts, but not with history, modern scholars have proved that this is just a legend, known as the first ancestor of Zen Buddhism Dharma also does not have such martial arts.

Historically, in the Dharma before, the Northern Dynasties monasteries have formed the culture of practicing martial arts. The Shaolin Temple in Songshan was built in the 19th year of Taihe (495) by Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei Dynasty, initially for the Western monk Tremendous (also known as Buddha). It was only later that Dharma came to the temple. Although Dharma founded Zen Buddhism, he was not the founder of Shaolin martial arts. In fact, Shaolin Wushu was gradually and spontaneously formed over a long period of practice by the monks.

The development of Shaolin martial arts. It began with a major event in the Sui and Tang dynasties. In the early years of the Sui Dynasty, the world was in turmoil, Shaolin Temple was robbed by bandits, the monks rose up to resist the enemy, the thieves set fire to the temple. King Li Shimin fought with Emperor Zheng Wang Shichong, and Shaolin monks were invited to help, capturing Wang Renze and forcing Wang Shichong to surrender, which is the famous "Thirteen Stick Monks Saving the King of Tang", and also the historical prototype of the famous movie "Shaolin Temple". Li Shimin after the throne, on the Tuan Zong, Zhi Cao, Hui Chi, good protection, Pu Hui, Ming Song, Ling Xian, Pu Sheng, Zhi Shou, Dao Guang, Zhi Xing, full, Feng 13 people plus reward, Shaolin Temple once again flourished, Shaolin Wushu began to flourish and developed, and gradually become the first martial arts sect in the Central Plains.

Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin is also said to be Shaolin layman ****. From Song to Yuan, Shaolin martial arts had a greater development. In the Yuan Dynasty, the Great Sage King Tathagata taught Shaolin Baton Technique and formed its own sect, and Zen Master Fuyu brought together Shaolin Short Strike, and the characteristics of Shaolin Wushu became more and more prominent, and in the Ming Dynasty, the prestige of Shaolin's "reputation for fighting the world" was formed. Ming jiajing 23 years (1553), shaolin temple organization monks and soldiers to the south of jiangsu against the Japanese, Tianqi five years (1625) set up: "shaolin kanwu monument", become the world's martial arts of the clan. Famous martial arts abominations in the Ming Dynasty, there are Jueyuan Shangren, Xiaoshan monk, Yuekong monk, pain Zen Shangren, etc., and there are Wusu, Zhouyou, Zhou Sen, Hongtuan, Hongji, Hongxin, PuFeng, PuZhen, GuangPao, ZongQing, ZongWei, ZongDai, DaoZong, DaoFa, QingPan, QingYu, TongHa, HyunQing 18 people, all are superb masters of the martial arts. After the Ming Dynasty Shuo, Shaolin martial arts gradually shifted from stick-based to boxing. And absorbed a lot of folk boxing, set the world's martial arts, the formation of the Shaolin School.

Qing dynasty kangxi years (some say is yongzheng), the court had because of shaolin temple hiding anti-ching righteousness "treason" and will be burned, (and strictly prohibit folk practice, shaolin martial arts into the underground state. The Shaolin martial arts went underground, and a group of Shaolin monks who transferred to the Southern Shaolin Temple are said to have founded the Hung Gar Sect. The famous Shaolin monks masters in the Qing Dynasty are Tiezhai, Zhishen, Zhiguo, Tianhong, Zhanju, Wumai, Gulun, Miaoxing, Zhenxiu, Degen and so on.

The Shaolin School is not just the kung fu of the Shaolin Temple, but the entire collection of external kung fu represented by the Shaolin Temple martial arts. On the one hand, the Shaolin monks introduced not

less boxing from the folk, on the other hand, the Shaolin temple also recruited laymen ****, so that Shaolin martial arts spread to the folk, at the same time, Shaolin also founded branch hospitals around the world, since the Sui and Tang dynasties founded the Shaolin temple branch hospital in Fujian Putian JiuLianShan (i.e., the southern Shaolin), the Yuan dynasty FuYu Zen master in the outer Mongolian and the forest (today's former HangAi province of Mongolia, Hala and the forest), the Tianjin Jixian Panshan, ChangAn , Taiyuan, and Luoyang respectively, founded five Shaolin temples, plus Shandong Jiu Ding Lotus Mountain, Taiwan Bafanshe, Sichuan Emei Mountain, a **** is ten Shaolin temples, which spread Shaolin Kung Fu to the whole country. The source of many sects, are greatly related to Shaolin, even the opening legend of Wudang and Emei, there is also the source mountain Shaolin.

Among the branches of the Shaolin Temple, the South Shaolin is the most important. South Shaolin and is the ancestor of the southern boxing, to the five fists as the main boxing, there are dragon boxing practice God, tiger boxing practice bone, leopard boxing practice force, snake boxing practice gas, crane boxing practice essence, said, but also the southern boxing, all the way to break into the Shaolin, the second road Tilu Shaolin, three road Wen Shaolin; four road step Shaolin, five road martial arts Shaolin, the six road Shenhua Shaolin and other routines. (See songshan shaolin temple thirty-three generations of conversion **** shi yongwen "shaolin martial arts general", "martial arts" 1983, issue 7)

Shaolin branch of many schools, there are "three big", "four big door". The "Three Greats" are: the Red Family Shaolin, the Kong Family Shaolin, and the Yu Family Shaolin: the "Four Greats" are: the Great Sage Sect, the Lohan Sect, the Erlang Sect, and the Weishan Sect. Another example is the Six Harmonies, Baji, Split Hanging, Tong Arm, Taizu, Yanqing, Huaquan, Chaquan, Mizong, Power, Mingtang, Sandy Feet, Poking Feet, Ground Trip, Hung Gar, Turning Hands, Monkey's Fist, Praying Mantis, Drunken Fist, Wing Chun and so on, which are also mostly developed out of Shaolin martial arts.

Shaolin also has a lot of routines, boxing alone, it is said that there are as many as 172 kinds of boxing, there is a small Hung Gar, big Hung Gar, sunrise boxing, Guanchao boxing, Cannon Fist, through the arm, plum blossom boxing, long hammer boxing, tai zu long boxing; black tiger boxing, form of the line, luohan boxing, six boxing, as well as the "seventy-two stunts of shaolin", and so on. Stick, gun, sword is also the Shaolin martial arts of the bulk ", each with dozens of routines, the sword has two hall sword, five hall sword, dragon sword, flying dragon sword, white ape sword, Liu Xuan De double sword, Dharma sword, coiffure sword and so on. There are also dozens of weapons such as Fangtian halberd, three-stranded fork, steel whip, crescent axe, plum blossom crutch, etc., and more than one hundred kinds of loose fighting such as mindfulness handle, tiger pouncing handle, swimming dragon flying step, danfeng chaoyang, cross chaotic handle, Laojun lifting the gourd, immortal picking the eggplant, stealing peaches at the bottom of the leaf, chopping melons at the back of the head, etc., and a variety of techniques such as dismantling the bone method, capturing the method, pointing the point of the secret law, the catapult spectrum, the yi ting jing righteousness, the method of using drugs, and so on.

Shaolin martial arts, legend has it that when Dharma masters see the abominations of sitting meditation, atrophy, difficult to enter the fixed, hindering the Buddha, a closer look at its causes, is due to the weakness of the body due to the realization of the practice of Buddhism must first be physically strong, because of the effect of the birds and animals to create the boxing, therefore, the characteristics of the Shaolin Wushu, the first point that is to regulate the respiratory system, practicing the hundred skeletons, in and out of the agile, rigid and flexible, and in particular to the main just to the main frame of the main attack, and long-handed, to become the main various types of Shaolin wushu, the primary point is to adjust the breathing, practicing all the bones, in and out of agile, rigid and flexible and especially just the main to the main attack The Shaolin martial arts are characterized by a combination of the following: (1) the use of the long hand, (2) the use of the long hand, (3) the use of the long hand, and (4) the use of the long hand.

The relationship between Shaolin Wushu sects and the culture of chivalry is manifested in three aspects.

One of them is that Shaolin's martial arts are so vast and profound that no one can exhaust them, and it is the largest martial arts treasure trove in the world, which is worthy of being the first major school of martial arts, and therefore in the jianghu world, the Shaolin school often acts as the defender of "morality and righteousness", the referee, and the role of the leading sheep. Such as jin yong "no dragon eight" in the shaolin, the world of martial arts to the realm, in the shaolin; yanmen pass before the attack on the liao people of the leading brother, out of the shaolin, the compassionate buddhist law so that the king of the majestic, the sea of blood and hatred to the dust, to dissolve the grudges and sins, lies in the shaolin. Of course, sometimes Shaolin also have to tolerate too much and lead to greed and sniffing, such as the "Dragon Slayer" round true (Cheng Kun) of the evil of the rivers and lakes, and Shaolin's connivance has a lot to do with the fact that they believe that the hearts of the people can be transformed, but do not know that some of the villains is the nature of the change, and so on.

Secondly, the legend of Shaolin's origins has given rise to a number of chivalrous works of literature and art. One of the most famous when pushed by Jet Li starred in the movie, "Shaolin Temple", about the Sui and Tang dynasties, "thirteen stick monks to save the king of the Tang Dynasty" and Shaolin began to develop the legend, about the creation of Shaolin Dharma and successive generations of monks for the pioneering contribution of Shaolin, there are a number of chivalrous works of literature and art to reflect.

Thirdly, Shaolin played an important role in the fight against the Ching Dynasty and the foreign invasion, and Shaolin had its heroic deeds against the Japanese, and in the Ching Dynasty, it was said to be engaged in the secret activities of "fighting against the Ching Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty", which gave rise to the legend of Shaolin's chivalrous culture. The Ming Dynasty's famous anti-Japanese general Yu Dachalao is said to have had a great relationship with Shaolin; the legend of the Hongmen Heaven and Earth Society originated in Shaolin; and the "Fang Shiyu Series" of literary works that resemble Shaolin's laymen **** as their subject matter has appeared, and so on.

Shaolin is the origin of the Chinese martial arts, and also plays an important role in the culture of chivalry.

The Four Great Sects - Wudang Sect

Wudang is the sect of internal martial arts.

According to Huang Zongxi's "Epitaph of Wang Zhengnan" in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, the Wudang School was founded by Zhang Sanfeng of the Song Dynasty. It is said that Zhang Sanfeng was a danshi (Taoist priest) of Wudang Mountain in the Northern Song Dynasty, Emperor Huizong called him to the capital, the road encountered thieves, the dream of Emperor Yuan taught him boxing, and the next day Zhang Sanfeng killed more than a hundred of the thieves alone, and then founded the Neijia School of Boxing.

And some legends say that Zhang Sanfeng originated from Shaolin, proficient in the Shaolin essence of the five fist eighteen styles, will be integrated in the ten cotton long fist, change the fighting method for the enemy defense method, the style of the style is then very different from the Shaolin, and therefore unique, the creation of Wudang sect; also known as the Neijia. Ten years of success, reputation, and passed out Taiji, Xingyi, Bagua and other branches. Jin Yong's martial arts novel "leaning on the sky to slay dragons" to write about the Wudang school, will use this statement, said Zhang Sanfeng real name Zhang Junbao, for Shaolin fireman head monk Jue Yuan's disciples, master and disciple for violating the ban on unauthorized study of martial arts in the Shaolin, was kicked out, and later he was based on the Shaolin method of work and adaptations, and then created the Wudang school.

About the historical Zhang Sanfeng, his real name is Zhang Quanyi, also known as Zhang Junbao, Sanfeng is his Taoist name, and because of his lack of grooming, he is also known as the Ragged Taoist. Regarding the age of his life, there are different accounts, some call him a Song, some call him a Jin, and some say he was a Yuan or Ming. Probably because he was very famous in Taoist legends, he was raised as the grandmaster of the Wudang School. This kind of statement, obviously just the Wudang school in order to deify themselves, not the historical reality.

The official circulation of the Wudang School began around the Ming Dynasty. Although Wudang Mountain began to build Taoist temples in the Tang Dynasty, the real golden age was in the Ming Dynasty. Ming Emperor Zhu Di ascended to the throne, respected Wudang Taoism, mobilized 300,000 people; spent 13 years, in the Wudang Mountain built 33 complexes, known as the eight palaces, two views, 36 nunneries, seventy-two rock temples, twelve ancestral temples, twelve pavilions, thirty-nine bridges, etc., stretching for 140 miles, the architectural pattern of the scriptures on the story of the true martial arts, designed by the Ministry of Public Works and become. To date, Wudang Mountain Zixiao official main hall beams still have Daming Yongle eleven years (1413), twelve years of the Holy King Royal Edict of the words built. On the wall of the Three Heavenly Gates, there are four big characters of "A Pillar in the Sky", which is spectacular. On the top of Tianzhu Peak, Taihe Palace, also known as the Golden Palace, enshrines a gilt-copper statue of Zhang Sanfeng. The golden age of Wudang Taoism began at this time, and Wudang's martial arts sects, too, arose during this golden age.

According to the epitaph of Wang Zhengnan, the earliest recorded teaching of Neijiaquan is the Shaanxi Wang Zong, Wang Zong Chuan Wenzhou Chenzhou Tong, to the hands of Zhang Songxi, Zhang Songxi, was born in Wenzhou around the first year of Zhengde (1506), and died in Yuping, Guizhou, around the first year of Tichang of Ming Guangzong (1620). Zhang Songxi claimed to have received the authenticity of Zhang Sanfeng and was the third generation of the Wudang School. He later traveled to the rivers and monkeys, and then got the Emei true transmission, the creation of the Wudang Songxi school of internal martial arts, Wudang school since then the fame of the great shock. Legend has it that there were 70 Shaolin monks in admiration of the name and disobedience, door-to-door challenge, Song Xi sat with his arms folded and remained motionless, a monk suddenly jumped up from mid-air, performing a chain of legs, wanting to break his qigong with Shaolin's best skills. Song Xi is still calm and quiet, only in the Shaolin monk attack will come in a split second, slightly sideways and raise his hand, Shaolin monk will be like a kite with broken strings suddenly lost momentum, flew out of the window, landed under the tall building. Since then Wudang boxing, no one is not convinced.

After Zhang Songxi, the Wudang school is full of talent. A large number of martial arts masters were produced.

They are: Ye Jimei, Wu Kunshan, Zhou Yunquan, Shan Sinan, Jinyan Zhenshi, Sun Jijie Contemplation, Li Tianmu, Xu Daiyue, Yu Shizhong, Wu Qilang, Chen Maohong, Lu Shaoqi, Dong Fuyi, Xia Zhixi, Chai Yuanming, Yao Shimen, Monk's Ear, and Abominable Tail, among others.

The gong methods of the Wudang School are characterized by strong tendons and bones and lucky gong. Emphasis on internal cultivation, the emphasis on quietness, softness, shortness, longness, slow to hit fast, with the intention of luck, qi to transport the body, favoring the yin and soft, the main breathing, with short hands, Wudang Kung Fu is not the main offense, however, also can not be easily violated. Offenders will be immediately servants.

The strategy of the Wudang method of warfare is: all wrestling with its points, dead points, dizzy points, dumb points, all as the bronze man figure method. (Wang Zhengnan epitaph) Its general requirements are included in the "six road ten duanjin". "Six Roads", the song is:

Yutong God arm is the highest, the door is locked to turn Yingmeng, immortal standing up towards the sky, spreading out to hold the moon is not forgiven, raise the whip around the people difficult to get to, the brake cone rushed captive two wings shake. The "Ten Brocade" song for:

Standing up to sit on the mountain tiger, back to the urgent step three chase, set up double knife convergence step, rolling hacking in and out of the three back, split the cross urgent three chase, set up the knife hacking back to the camp, the New Fist crushed the momentum of the step as in the beginning, the rolling hacking back to the original way, into the step Tow with the forward, rolling hacking back to the beginning of the flying step, the golden chicken stand alone tightly climb the bow, the horse sitting on the four flat two to look at.

Wudang gong method, pay attention to "practice hand of thirty-five, practice step of eighteen", there are the so-called seventy-two drop, thirty-five palm, six eighteen law, twelve words, the five words of the heart.

The Wudang school of boxing sets, there are taijiquan, wujiquan, harrier in the long fist, ape blending ambush boxing, six steps scattered hand, Wudang Taiyi five elements boxing. Wudang School of internal martial arts, there is the "Marrow Cleansing Golden Scripture" six styles (golden lion hair, phoenix nodding, the wind swinging lotus leaves, the left wrapped around the gold wire, the right wrapped around the gold wire, the knife splits the Huashan), and so on. Wudang school equipment, the first Wudang town treasure Wudang sword, but also the white rainbow sword, Taiji sword, Liuhe gun, Liuhe knife, Songxi stick and so on. Wudang school formation, in martial arts novels, often mentioned in the nine palace gossip formation, three talent sword formation.

Shaolin comes from Buddhism, with the color of Tianzhu culture. Wudang from the Xuanmen Taoism, China on the color is extremely strong. Shaolin Kung Fu contains the Buddhist principle of compassion. Wudang Kung Fu originates from Taoism, Lao Zi speaks of "one" and "Tao", Zhuang Zi speaks of "wide mo of the wild" and "free travel". "so that the Wudang Kung Fu has a strong imaginary color and aesthetic connotation, the performance of moves is also very poetic, such as the following moves, it is very graphic, rich in aesthetic appeal: the wind iron fan, abandonment of the first, Shun Zi cast wells, the red haze through the sun, the dark clouds to cover the moon, apes and monkeys to offer the fruit, the Immortal Palm, redemption to embrace the moon, the Iron Gate door willows, the willows through the fish, the belly full of pain, a mention of the gold, the joy of the push window, Shun Liao Yang, messy hemp, swallow lifting cheeks, tiger holding the head, and so on. Another example is the Wudang Pure Yang Boxing technique:

Wind blowing lotus, swaying left and right, flying clouds and flowing water, wearing even constantly, stepping on the elbow, luck and nourishment, slow strength and fast fighting, ring set of eight methods.

Here on the one hand is the inner work of the heart, on the one hand is the visualization of the posture of the body, lotus, wind, running water, flying clouds, as if one wanted to see the Wudang Taoist realm of the air and the spirit of the clear immortal; moves of the left and right swing, continuous, and as if to make people think of the "one life, two, two, three, three, three, everything" of the Tao of the mysterious, and thought of The power of nature at the beginning of the heavens and the earth was chaotic.

The branches of Wudang are Songxi School, Huaihe School, Divine Sword School, Yisong School, Longmen School, Gongjia Southern School, etc., and there are Xuanwu School, Northern Taiji School, etc. As for Taijiquan and Xingyi, they are the most popular martial arts in the world, and the most popular in the world. As for Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, etc., because they are from Taoism, people often put them into the Wudang school, and some people think they are self-contained system.

In short, Wudang, like Shaolin, was initially a regional order of multiple styles, but later went far beyond the geographical scope, Wudang school is not just in the Wudang Mountains, just as Shaolin is not just in the Shaolin Temple, which represents a large number of similar characteristics, such as the main static, the main soft, from the Xuanmen Taoist martial arts movement of the sects, a wide range of concepts.

The Four Great Sects--Emei Sect

The Emei Sect, together with Shaolin and Wudang***, is one of the three great sects of martial arts in the Middle Kingdom, and is also a very wide-ranging sect, which is especially powerful in the southwest, and can be said to be the only one.

The name of Emei sect is Emei Mountain, one of the four famous Buddhist mountains, which is different from the "Emei Mountain" of the Hongmen Tien-Di Association, and the "Emei Mountain" of the Hongmen is a mountain hall out of fiction, and Emei sect is a place name, which is the name of a place.

From the Ming Dynasty, there are records of the Emei School, Tang Shunzhi (1507-1560, that is, the second year of Zhengde to the thirty-ninth year of the Jiajing reign) of the Jingchuan Mr. Wenji, there is a "Emei Taoist boxing song:

Suddenly, the vertical hair of a foot, cliffs and rocks into the cracks of the shock of the sand away.

The starry-eyed girl threw her shuttle, and the young and beautiful Yaji demon turned over his sleeve.

They are the only ones who can point to the sun and stop it, and they are the only ones who can see through the eye of a needle.

There are no bones in the waist, and there are hands all over the body.

The rest of the game is over, the nose is silent and the spirit is guarded.

The Taoist's changes were unpredictable, and he jumped onto the futon like a puppet.

Truly "quiet as a virgin, moving like a rabbit", swift and miraculous, changes in all directions, no wonder to cause the poet's great excitement.

On the origin of the Emei School, according to the Emei School's boxing record:

The ancestor was originally a Taoist nun, and then entered the Buddhist sect. ...... is the time, the division of good skills, good research of various boxing, the anxiety of various boxing complicated, no consensus, the women's defense, many different, so explore the fist of each intention) another way to create not take over the boxing, unique, ......

Accumulation of thirteen years, to reach the Dacheng, beside the **** Xi, called the Jade Lady boxing, fellow acclaim, called the day Emei boxing, after **** to Emei Mountain, occasionally harmonized with its sound, began to say Emei, the beginning of the name of this boxing is not yet also, I'm afraid that you do not know, for you to Zhi, the division of this and the world is not a struggle, entertaining the body can be carried out, the threat of can be carried out, Xi pass the name. (According to Meng Xianchao "Emei boxing (above)", "martial arts" 1986, No. 4).

It can be seen that Emei was initially a martial arts school created by a woman, the beginning was called the Jade Maiden Boxing, and then because of the ancestor of the people of the Buddhist sect, but also to call the woman "moth-eyebrows" and the Buddhist holy land of the "Emei Mountain" in the double meaning of the name.

The Emei School of Kung Fu is between Shaolin's masculine and Wudang's feminine, and is also soft and rigid, with internal and external weights, and using both short and long. Both offense and defense into the boxing scripture: "fist does not take over, the gun does not walk in circles, the sword does not tail, square is Emei." "Transform all laws into one law, and break all laws with one law." In short, it is weak over strong, true and false and use, standing in the woman's position to blend the southern boxing, Shaolin, Wudang and other long.

From the religious origins, Emei also monks and Taoism, but mainly Taoist nuns. In martial arts novels, jin yong, "leaning on the sky to slay the dragon," said Guo Jing's youngest daughter, Guo Xiang, because of the heart of adoration for Yang, and respect for the love of Yang and the little dragon lady, so the clouds travel the world, so as to relieve the block in the chest. After the opportunity to listen to Jue Yuan read Chung "Nine Suns Sutra", the creation of Emei School, later passed to the extermination of the master, its **** Ji Xiaofu, Zhou Zhiruo, etc., are all Taoist nuns, in addition, Emei School of many moves, but also has a female color, such as boxing in the side of the flower, slanting insertion of a branch of the plum, the skirt in the leg, step on the Lotus, etc., and such as the sword in the Wuji waving the brush, Suo female duster, the Xizi wash the face of the Vietnmaiden, etc., hairpin in the method of the In the hairpin technique, such as "Closing the Moon and Shy Flowers" and "Sinking Fish and Falling Wild Goose", all of them are completely women's postures. Another example is the Emei School's famous weapon, the Emei Thorn, also known as the Jade Lady's Hairpin, which is also a variation of the woman's hairpin.

The Emei School of martial arts has the so-called "twelve piles of dynamic power" - heaven, earth, heart, dragon, crane, wind, cloud, big, small, ghost, and the underworld; and there are also the so-called "six specializations of static work There are also the so-called "six specialties of Jing Gong" - Tiger Step, Heavy Punch, Shrinking Ground, Hanging Capsule, Finger Points, and Nirvana; and there are the "three major instruments" - Sword, Hairpin (Emei Thorn), and Needle (Concealed Weapon). Emei school of stunts, including not only the thirty-six astral finger pointing method, and Emei sword method, the sword song cloud (according to Dong Rujun "Emei sword technique seven strokes", "martial arts" 1992, No. 5)

Jade female vegetative heart wonderful into the God, the remnants of the rainbow a style of the world, the body as a stunning warbler through the willows, the sword as a soul does not leave the person. The enemy only need half a hand, even if it is the Yue female also lost their souls. Emei school of sword and hairpin method, beautiful posture and full of power, but also Emei's stunts.

Branches of the Emei school, according to the early Qing Dynasty "Emei boxing spectrum", said:

A tree with five flowers, five flowers and eight leaves to help, bright Emei moon, light full of the world. "Five flowers" is divided from the geographical point of view of the five branches:

One, Huangling faction, said to flow from Shaanxi; two, point easy faction, to the east of Fuling point easy hole and named; three, Qingcheng faction, to the east of the Taoist resort Qingcheng Mountain named; four, Tiefo faction (Yunding faction), the north of the Sichuan Province is more prevalent; five, the Qingniu faction. It is named after Mount Qingniu in Fengdu, east Sichuan. The "Eight Leaves" are the eight schools that are divided from the perspective of the style of fighting:

One, the Shengmen, is said to have been passed down from the Shaolin abominations, hence the name. Also known as "Shenmen". Characterized by cleverness, speed, spirit, movement, such as rats in the shape of a sinking ship, alias "sinking ship door".

Second, Yuemen, said to be transmitted by Yue Fei, characterized by short piles, the technique does not draw a circle not fist.

Three, Zhao door, said to be Zhao Kuangyin transmission, drawing on the Shaolin School of too cursed long fist (also said to be Zhao Kuangyin transmission) and other boxing, characterized by high pile. And because of the practice of red fist, called "red door".

Four, Dumen, to the legend of Zhuge Liang's eight "Dumen" and named, a boxing method is said to be transmitted to the natural door Du Guanyin. Characterized by a tight blockade, good at defense.

Fifth, Hongmen, said to be Ming Tai Cursed Hongwu years and named, practicing big and small Hong Quan, characterized by strong.

Sixth, the door, also known as "Silkworm closed door", "winding closed door", thirty-six closed hand like a silk worm spitting silk, continuous, tightly sealed the enemy, so that it can not be used.

Seven, the word door, also known as the "wisdom door", because of the closing position into a word-shaped and named, characterized by a high pile of long hands, ups and downs.

Eight, will door, also known as the "wisdom door", represented by the Divine Fist,, the teacher is concerned about the view of the silent image, recite the mantra, rather mysterious.

The general characteristic of Emei School is that it is also strong and soft, like a jade tree, which is one of the most beautiful postures among all martial arts. A poem praising the Emei School says (see Meng Xianchao's "Further Discussion of the Emei School of Boxing," Martial Arts, 1987, No. 4):

The art is amazingly chivalrous, with a thousand years of striking techniques that are the same as those of the ancient and modern worlds.

Can open a new banner of the mystery theory, realize the Zen mechanism to abandon the old work.

The false body of the Jade Maiden is real, and the true meaning of Emei is not empty.

All the schools should return to the past, and the wonderful place is in the middle.

While it is not the best in the world, it may as well be a style of its own.

The four schools - Nanquan

Nanquan is a general term for a large class of fists popular in the south since the Ming Dynasty. Nanquan is said to have originated from the South Shaolin, and gradually formed an independent boxing system in the Ming Dynasty. The general characteristics of Nanquan are stable step, fist just, potential strong, less jumping, more short punches, good plagiarism hand, to sound, gas repair force.

There are many kinds of Nanquan, such as the Shaolin bridge hand, Fujian, five ancestral fists, Crane Fist, Luohan Fist, Guangxi's Zhoujia Fist, Dragon Fist, small Zedai, Zhejiang's Hongjia Fist. Black Tiger Fist, King Kong Fist. Hongmenquan, Yumenquan, Kongmenquan in Hubei, Wujiaquan, Hongjiaquan, Xuejiaquan in Hunan.

The representative of the southern boxing is Guangdong Nanquan, Guangdong Nanquan is represented by the "five great masters", they are:

One, Hongquan. Hong Quan originated in Shaolin Temple, rumored to be created by Hong Xiguan, Hong Xiguan was originally a tea merchant in Zhangzhou, Fujian Province, after the creation of boxing to the South Shaolin Hongmen five ancestors, Hong Quan was later introduced into Guangdong, including the five elements of boxing (gold boxing, clamping wood boxing, water wave boxing, rocket boxing, land boxing) and ten shaped boxing (Dragon Boxing, Snake Boxing, Tiger Boxing, Leopard Boxing, Crane Boxing, Lion Boxing, Elephant Boxing, Horse Boxing, Monkey Boxing, Piao Boxing and other top ten hieroglyphic boxing), the famous masters of the past generations are Hong Wending, Lu Yacai, Juegu Zenji. Tie Qiao San, Lin Fucheng, Huang Tai, Huang Fei Hong, Lin Shirong, etc., is the largest faction of the southern boxing.

Two, Liu boxing. It is said to be created by Liu San-eye, but also said to be created by the lower four provinces Liu Sheng or Liu Qingshan, circulated in the Leizhou Peninsula.

Three, Cai Quan. Created by Cai Boda and Cai Jiu Yi, monks of Shaolin Temple in Fuzhou, Fujian Province, it was later spread in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province and other places, including the Cross Fist, the Great Luck Sky, the Small Luck Sky, the Heavenly Wild Goose, the Willow Shattered Plum, and the Two-Yi and Four Elephant Fist, and so on.

Four, Li Quan. Legend has it that it was created by Li Sekai, a monk of the Southern Shaolin Temple in Fujian, and taught by Li Youshan, a native of Xinhui, Guangdong. It is said to have been created by Li Yinghui of Huizhou, Guangdong. Li Quan is popular in Zhongshan, Heyuan, Gaozhou, Longchuan, Guangzhou and other places in Guangdong.

Fifth, Mo fist. Legend has it that it was created by Zen Master Zhi Shan of the Southern Shaolin in Fujian Province; it is said that it was created by Mo Dash, and then passed on to Mo Qingjiao (one says Mo Qingjiao). Circulated in the Pearl River Delta area.

Most of the five famous kung fu styles came from the Southern Shaolin in Fujian Province. It is more or less related to the Hung Men Heaven and Earth Society, which is not only a martial arts sect, but also an extremely active jianghu faction.

In addition to the five famous fists, the Guangdong Southern Boxing has Cai Li Fo Boxing (founded by Xinhui Chen Xiang, who studied under Chen Yuan Gu, Li You Shan and Shaolin Monk Cai Fu, a synthesis of Caijiaquan, Lijiaquan, the essence of the three schools of boxing, so the name of the Cai Li Fo Boxing), Tiger and Crane Twin Shaped Boxing (Nanhai Lin Shirong synthesized Hung Gar, created by the Buddha Boxing, also known as "Hung Gar, Buddha, Tail "), Wing Chun (Fujian Yan Wing Chun Yan Sanniang created, said the Zen Master to the good into the Guangzhou Guangxiao Temple), Chivalrous Fist (Chivalrous Li Beard from Sichuan Emei Mountain into Guangzhou), White Eyebrow Fist (Emei Mountain, Sichuan, White Eyebrow Taoist into Guangzhou), the Buddhist fist (from the Buddha's door), practice step boxing, practice hand boxing, Diaojiajiao, Yuejiajiao, Zhujiajiao, Kunlun Fist, Nanzhi Fist, Ruquan, and so on.

Nanquan has developed unique southern characteristics along the coasts of Guangdong and Fujian, especially since the Qing Dynasty, when it began with "fighting against the Qing Dynasty and restoring the Ming Dynasty" and ended with "chivalry and righteousness", and has played an important role in martial arts novels and movies, such as Fujian Nan Shaolin. For example, the Southern Shaolin in Fujian Province was said to be an anti-Qing base camp, where the children of the Hung Clan and the chivalrous heroes of the Three Mountains and Five Mountains were assembled. When the Qing soldiers burned down the Southern Shaolin, Hong Xiguan came to Guangzhou and lived in seclusion in the Big Buddha Temple, where he opened a martial arts school with the monk Fo Yuan***. Another example is Fang Shiyu, Guangdong "Shaolin ten tigers" second person (the first for Hong Xiguan), his mother Miao Cuihua is "Shaolin five old" in the Miao Xian's daughter, "a generation of female chivalry". Fang Shiyu became the "Shaolin Little Hero", "Ten Thousand Years of Youth", "Fang Shiyu three visits to the Wudang Mountain", "Qianlong tour of Jiangnan" and many other works of chivalry and culture of the main character, the late Qing Dynasty Nanquan appeared in the "Ten Tigers of Guangdong", which the third Tieqiao three, the fifth Su Kilil, but also many chivalrous cultural works of the main character.