Yingzhao Quan: Eagle Claw Boxing

		Yingzhao Quan or the eagle claw boxing is a traditional animal-imitating style of fist play that incorporates the movements, tricks and methods of the eagle. It is a mixture of the Yue-style boxing and the school of tumbling boxing. It is also called Yingzhao Fanzi Quan ( eagle claw tumbling boxing ). Because boxers form their hands into the shape of an eagle's claw, their style came to be called Yingzhao Quan. The traditional routines of the eagle claw boxing are said to have been created by Song Dynasty General Yue Fei. Li Quan, a monk of the Ming Dynasty, mastered the essentials of the Yue-style boxing before combining the eagle claw and tumble boxing to form eagle claw tumbling boxing. Li taught the style to Monk Fa Cheng who later passed it on to Liu Shijun of Xiongxian County in Hebei Province. Liu Shijun, born in a poor family, used to sell fluecured tobacco for a living but he was deeply fond of martial arts. One day, when out selling tobacco till late, he stayed at a small inn. As he practised his martial arts by himself, Monk Fa Cheng who happened to be staying at the same inn, was woken up by the sounds of Liu's movements and actions. After he completed his exercises, the monk told Liu that his routines were good for maintaining health but not for fighting enemies. Liu, annoyed by the monk's remarks, asked Fa Cheng to fight with him. The two fought a practice bout. Eager to win, Liu unleashed three attacks in a row but all were easily warded off by the monk. As he launched his fourth attack Monk Fa Cheng used the eagle claw trick to catch Liu's wrist. Although he tried all he could, Liu could not shake off the monk's hand. Fa Cheng then touched an acupoint on Liu's back and Liu felt sourness and numbness spread throughout his body and fell to the ground. Realizing the monk was excellent at martial arts, Liu begged the monk to teach him. He followed Fa Cheng and learnt the eagle claw boxing and its secrets. Three years later Liu left his master to travel alone and spent the rest of his life studying the art of fist plays and teaching youngster. Liu Shijun served as martial arts instructor at the barracks of imperial guards in Bejing during the Qing Dynasty and taught the eagle claw boxing to Liu Dekuan, Ji San, Ji Si and nephew Liu Chengyou. Liu Chengyou passed it on to his sister's grandson Chen Zizheng who went to teach the art in northeast China, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The eagle claw boxing features simple but powerful moves. When moving, the boxer attacks relentlessy and looks formidable, but when standing still, he looks like an eagle awaiting the chance to pounce on rabbits. The northern-style eagle claw boxing features comfortably spared movements which are aesthetically pleasing while the southern-style features delicate but spectacular acrobatic tricks.


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