The system was created by an unknown martial arts exponent who while walking along a riverbank was disturbed by the commotion of two cranes locked in battle. He observed the way they used their wings and beaks for defence and attack, and from these observations, modified and adapted the crane techniques into a fighting system.

Shaolin Wuzuquan uses the Yinyang Baihequan School of White Crane techniques (one of four known in traditional Chinese martial arts). The unpredictability of the flapping of the Cranes’ wings is highly dangerous transformed into fighting application.