Five Ancestors - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Five Ancestors Fist
五祖拳
Pinyin Pinyin Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into... :	wǔ zǔ quán
Minnan:	ngó chó kûn

This article is about the martial art. For the folklore figures written with the same Chinese characters, see Five Elders
Five Elders
In Southern Chinese folklore, the Five Elders of Shaolin are survivors of the destruction of the Shaolin Monastery by the Qing Dynasty, variously said to have taken place in 1647, in 1674 or in 1732.-The Kung Fu Five Elders:...

.

Five Ancestors Fist is a Southern Chinese martial art

Chinese martial arts

Chinese martial arts, also referred to by the Mandarin Chinese term wushu and popularly as kung fu , are a number of fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common traits, identified as "families" , "sects" or...

that consists of techniques from five different styles:

the breathing methods and iron body
Iron Shirt
Iron Shirt is a form of hard style martial art exercise for protecting the human body from impacts in a fight. This is one of the 72 arts of the Shaolin Temple. Some martial arts are based on the idea that a correctly trained body can withstand more damage than one that is untrained...

of Da mo (達尊拳)
the posture and dynamic power of Luohan
Luohan (martial arts)
Luohan quan , also known as in Japanese, literally means "Arhat boxing". The traditional story of its creation states that it was created by monks in the Shaolin Temple, by observing and imitating the forms and expressions of each Arhat Statue in the temple...

(羅漢拳)
the precision and efficient movement of Emperor Taizu (太祖拳)
the hand techniques and the complementary softness and hardness of Fujian White Crane (白鶴拳)
the agility and footwork of Monkey
Monkey Kung Fu
Monkey Kung Fu, or Monkey Fist , is a Chinese martial art which utilizes ape or monkey-like movements as part of its technique.There are a number of independently developed systems of monkey kung fu...

(猴拳)

Wuzuquan (Five Ancestor Kungfu) also known as Ngo Cho Kun is a southern Shaolin martial arts based on the
techniques of five different styles such as: Baihe, Qitian, Taizu, Luohan and Dazun. There are several versions of Wuzuquan’s history, with some putting the founding of the art around 1300 AD, while other put it as late as the
19th century.

The combination of these five styles and their characteristic techniques were during the creation of the Five Ancestor System, consolidated by a sixth influence; Xuan Nu

Xuan Nu

In Chinese mythology Xuan Nü assisted Huangdi to subdue Chi You by teaching him military strategy. She was a divine fairy....

also known as Hian Loo(玄女拳). 'The Lady in the Green Dress,' who introduced the most deadly of its techniques Dim Mak lethal strikes to the pressure points of the body.

Five Ancestors has been attributed variously to Chua Giok Beng (蔡玉明 -or- 蔡玉鳴) (pinyin

Pinyin

Pinyin is the official system to transcribe Chinese characters into the Roman alphabet in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan. It is also often used to teach Mandarin Chinese and spell Chinese names in foreign publications and used as an input method to enter Chinese characters into...

: Cài Yùmíng) of Jinjiang

Jinjiang

Jinjiang City is a county-level city of Quanzhou Municipality in Fujian. It is located in the southeastern part of the province, on the right or south bank of the Jin River, across from Quanzhou's urban district of Fengze...

near Quanzhou

Quanzhou

Quanzhou is a prefecture-level city in Fujian province, People's Republic of China. It borders all other prefecture-level cities in Fujian but two and faces the Taiwan Strait...

in Fujian

Fujian

' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...

in the second half of the 19th century or to Bái Yùfeng., a famous 13th century Shaolin

Shaolin kung fu

Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery.Of the multitude styles of kung fu and wushu, only some are actually related to Shaolin...

monk of the original Henan

Henan

Henan , is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the central part of the country. Its one-character abbreviation is "豫" , named after Yuzhou , a Han Dynasty state that included parts of Henan...

Shaolin Temple in the North of China to whom Five Animals style and Hóngquán (洪拳) have also been attributed. The Cai (Chua) branch also calls themselves He Yang Pai (鹤阳派), a tribute to Cai's teacher.

Practitioners of the Bái Yùfeng lineage also credit the influence of the Xuan Nu

Xuan Nu

In Chinese mythology Xuan Nü assisted Huangdi to subdue Chi You by teaching him military strategy. She was a divine fairy....

(玄女拳) system, with its emphasis on flowing movements and humility, for refining the art of Five Ancestors.

One of the primary characteristics of Five Ancestors is its reliance on the Sanchin

Sanchin

is a kata of Southern Chinese origin that is considered to be the core of several styles, the most well-known being the Goju Ryu and Uechi Ryu styles of Karate as well as the Chinese martial arts of Fujian White Crane, Five Ancestors, Pangai-noon and the Tiger-Crane Combination style associated...

|Sam Chian|San Zhan(literally "three battles":三戦) stance and the corresponding hand form of the same name, which it obtained from Fujian White Crane. The "three battles" refer primarily to the three stages of Wuzu practitioners can achieve: combat preparation, combat tactic and combat strategy; all of which must be mastered in order to attained a good level. "Three Battles" has multi-faceted meaning: conceptual, physical, and spiritual.

Sam Chian can also be said to allow development of the eight Five Ancestor principles and so, is considered the most important form in the style. Indeed, it is said that this form contains all the principles of the Five Ancestors system. Thus it is the first form taught to junior students, so that they may explore the essential points of Five Ancestors from the start of their training.

Although the exact method depends on the school, Five Ancestors is known for its large variety of power generational methods. Due to the distinct character of each ancestor, these methods change depending on the power required. Some schools teach tension forms that develop power, of which there are about ten, and fist forms that train technique, of which there are dozens. Others stress a relaxed body, instead seeking maximum transmission of the relevant jin.

On top of this are miscellaneous hand forms, two-man forms (also known as form-drill) that may or may not include sticking hands, and forms for a comprehensive arsenal of weapons including rice bowl and chopsticks, umbrellas, even opium pipes.

Over the decades masters have added to this list introducing material they considered relevant to the time.

Five Ancestors is now taught in China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

, Malaysia, Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

, Indonesia

Indonesia

Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...

, Singapore

Singapore

Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...

, Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

, the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

, Norway

Norway

Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...

, Sweden

Sweden

, the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, Denmark

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

and Spain

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

Governance

The peak international body for the Wuzuquan system is the International South Shaolin Wuzuquan Federation, which was established in 1989. The twelfth and current President of the Federation is Master James Chee of Australia, who took over from Master John Graham of the United States in November 2011. The Federation convenes annually in Quanzhou, China with discussions held regarding the preservation of the art.

Ranking System

An internationally-recognized ranking system for Wuzuquan practitioners was established at the 2010 International Shaolin Wuzuquan Federation conference, in Quanzhou China. A ten level (duan) system was agreed upon for the most senior grades, and mirrors the equivalent systems used in karate (dan) and taekwondo. The 10th duan is recognised as the highest level, whilst the 1st duan is the lowest.

The first group of 10th duan Wuzuquan practitioners to be formally recognized includes both living and deceased masters. These 10th duan practitioners include Chee Kim Thong (Malaysia), Yap Ching Hai (Malaysia), Kim Han (United Kingdom), James Chee (Australia), Lu Qing Hui (Philippines), Hsu Nai Jing (Singapore), Chen Hung (Philippines), Su Zai Fu (Quanzhou), Zhi Yuan Li (Philippines), Shan Fa (Taiwan), Huang Qing Jiang (Quanzhou), Lu Si Ming (Philippines), Hong Dun Geng (Hong Kong).
Master John Graham of the United States was awarded the rank of 10th duan at the 2011 International Shaolin Wuzuquan Federation conference.

Governance

Ranking System

External links

See also