ShaoLin Quan

Shaolin Quan is an alternate name of traditional Chang Quan. It refers to a style which spread throughout China and is now regarded as one of the major components of Chang Quan. Its main skills are striking, kicking, kicking, throwing and manipulating. Its style can be summed as fast, hard, agile and simple.

Fast--The movements should be quick. As the Shaolin sayings go, "The fist has form, but the strike seems formless," and "The movements are like the wind, and as agile as a monkeys's."

Hard---Movement should be strong, but not stiff and inflexible.

Agile---Movements should never be predictable, but full of unexpected, yet smooth changes. Movements should not be obvious to the opponent in order to put him off guard and baffle him by feigning attacks. At the same time, movements should be nimble, not heavy and stiff. As the saying goes: "Elegant as a cat, fierce as a tiger, moving like a dragon, and standing fast as a nail."

Simple---Movements should be simple, without a complicated pattern of postures. A Shaolin Quan saying says,"The fist strikes along a line, straight to the target." Rising, descending, advancing, retreating, turning back and moving sideways should be powerful and simple, excuted along one line and within the distance of two or three paces.

Shaolin Quan has spread widely. There are more than 300 Shaolin Quan routines practiced in China today. Among these are Dahong Quan(Great Red boxing); XiaoHong Quan(Lesser Red boxing); LuoHan Quan; QingLong ChuHai Quan(Dragon-raising from the sea boxing); ChaoYang Quan(Turn to the Sun boxing) and many others.