Wujiquan and Luohan Ru Yi Quan |
Note: Parts of these systems have been taught to a limited number of individuals of the Chee Kim Thong Lineage, but they were taught in their entirety to Dr Alan Tinnion on a personal direct basis by Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong who felt him worthy of preserving and teaching them in their unaltered, accurate forms. The transmission of the two systems took place over a number of years. Wujiquan (Chinese (無極拳): Pinyin: Wujiquan; Wade-Giles: Wu Chi Chuan): ‘Ultimate Void Boxing’: A Rare and Secret Ultimate Void Boxing Skill, and Mother Art of Taijiquan; from Wuji comes Tai-ji The Wujiquan System is composed of 36 ‘Characters’: 18 kinds of natural climatic phenomena, and 18 of Qi applications. One of the rarest of traditional Shaolin Boxing systems, Wujiquan is also one of the purest of traditional Chinese soft-internal boxing systems(Neijia): being taught to very few in its entirety and only after years of rigorous training and testing for aptitude; it never became widely known, which meant that unlike the better known, Taijiquan, there was no opportunity for the system to undergo the experimentation and mixing with other systems and arts which during recent centuries led to the variety of styles which characterize Taijiquan. Wujiquan’s origins are ancient, belonging to the age of the renowned legendary Chinese physician, Hua Tuo (c 208), or even earlier times. As its name and the names of its individual 36 Characters indicate, it is derived from ancient Chinese, Daoist and pre-Daoist (shamanic ancient Chinese) concepts such as Yin-Yang, and also from natural climatic phenomena. The name of its creator(s) is unknown, but it is understood to have been originally taught at and included amongst the ancient systems taught at the Shaolin Temple (Songshan, Henan Province, China) from its early centuries until at least as late as the era of the Sino-Japanese Conflict (1937–1945). The authority for the assertion of the ancient origins and teaching within the original historical Shaolin Temple System from very early times is derived from one of the last Abbots of the Putian, Nan Pu Tuo (also formerly known as ‘Quanlin Yuan’), Southern Shaolin Temple (Fujian Province). The Abbot of this historic temple, the Very Reverend Yik Cha’an Cha’an Sze taught this system (and Luohan Ru Yi Quan, and 18 Arhat Boxing) over the course of 3 years to his disciple, Grandmaster Chee Kim Thong (c 1920–2001) prior to the fall of the temple and invasion of Fujian by the Japanese – Grandmaster Chee gave the system the nickname of ‘Shaolin Tai-Ji’. Luohan Ru Yi Quan [ Hanyu Pinyin ]: literally ‘Luohan “As You Wish” Fist.’ This set altogether has 108 different hand techniques, and includes the Dazun 9 Yang Gong, Wuji Gong, Tai Ji Gong, and Wuxing. A rare and secret high-level Shaolin martial art: it should not be confused with the much better known Eighteen Lohan [or Arhat ] Boxing System. The system is also known by the names, ‘Printing the Red Palm [Push attack],’ and ‘The Old Man Set’ (an informal name for the system known within the Chee Kim Thong Nan Shaolin lineage). The origins of the Luohan Ru Yi Quan system are unknown, but certainly date from an early period of the Shaolin Temple’s martial arts history. As with all of the Shaolin martial arts, and in particular the highest level ones such as Wujiquan, it has a spiritual meditation development purpose separate to its martial applications. In comparison to the predominantly ‘yin’ characteristics of Wujiquan, Luohan Ru Yi Quan is more robustly ‘yang’ in its fundamental dynamics and visual impact. It is known as ‘The Old Man Set,’ ‘As You Wish Fist,’ and ‘Printing The Red Palm,’ because it contains mastery of techniques which only the most gifted Shaolin gong fu masters and traditional Shaolin fighting monks of old attained after a lifetime of patient study and exceptional success in fighting application. With this level of gong fu reached, the Luohan Ru Yi System enabled its practitioners to use techniques, to ‘push through’ any form of attack, and defeat or kill the challenger. |
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