WUDANG KUNG FU

Wudang Kung Fu is a special martial arts form that enjoys a parallel position with Shaolin Kung Fu in the Chinese Kung Fu field. Therefore comes the popular saying “In the North, pay respect to Shaoling Kung Fu; While in the South, give honor to Wudang Kung Fu.” Currently we are able to find these arts of the Zhang Sanfeng tradition being passed down through the teachings at the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - www.wtkfa.org

It is widely understood that the founder of Wudang Kung Fu was a local Taoist called Zhang Sanfeng. The historical recordings differ much in different books and the following below carries some different information:

1. Zhang Sanfeng was a popular boxing player in Song Dynasty. Also he was an alchemist in Mount Wudang.
2. Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist, was born in Yi State of Liaoing Province. Once in a time stayed in Mount Wudang and much recordings concerning him remained in many books in the Ming Dynasty.

These are recordings contained in the book Source of Words. It is really a very complicated problem when in a one book two Zhang Sanfengs came out in different time periods, one in the Song Dynasty and another in the Ming Dynasty. Is it possible that they meant the same person or did the one in Song Dynasty live a very long life till the Ming Dynasty? Yet, in consideration with the following factors as the same religion, the same practicing place, the same Kung Fu arts they practiced and the same fame for themselves, together with traditional Chinese name-giving customs, the historians in China still cannot give a convincing conclusion as to the details of Zhang Sanfeng’s personal information.

Other recordings concerning Zhang Sanfeng and his Kung Fu master history may have to be related to Huang Zongxi, who was one famous Chinese thinker and historian in late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. In his books History Files In Song- and Yuan Dynasty, History Files In Ming Dynasty and History Files Of Scholars In Ming Dynasty, he held the view many times that Zhang Sanfeng was a famous Kung Fu master in Song Dynasty. One manuscript handed down by Li Yifan-- who was a Wu-style Taiji boxer –- also carried such a message as “Taiji boxing originated from Zhang Sanfeng in the Song Dynasty.” Therefore, in today’s Kung Fu circles many martial artists generally regard Zhag Sanfeng as the founder of both Taiji boxing and Wudang Kung Fu in the Song Dynasty.

It is a general viewpoint circulating in Kung Fu circles that Taiji boxing originated from Inner Alchemy Kung Fu created by Zhang Sanfeng. One book found in the China State Library called Taiji Masters Lineage has the following message: “Sir Zhang Sanfeng, surname Zhang, first name Sanfeng, went to Mount Zhongnan when he was 61 years old. There he chanced to meet an Immortal Wizard called Dragon Fire who later transferred his knowledge regarding Inner Alchemy to him after seeing that he was a competent practitioner.”

Later Zhang Sanfeng traveled a lot to famous resorts in the south of China and finally settled down in Mount Wudang. Then ordering his disciples Qiu Yuanqing to stay in Five Dragon Temple, Lu Qiuyun in Southen Cave, Liu Guquan in Purple Heaven Palace, Zhang Sanfeng constructed a house in the place where Immortal Encountering Palace now stands. Cultivating his True Self for as long as nine years, Zhang Sanfeng finally succeeded in achieving Tao. People called him an Immortal who could exercise unimaginable power to restrain the bad and promote the good, and transform all corporeal things into different forms as he wished.

All the universe turned to become one thing, resting in the palm of his hand.

Later, Zhang Sanfeng taught one set of boxing forms to Zhang Songxi and Zhang Cuisan, which was the very original form of Taiji boxing. Because there are only thirteen forms people called it Thirteen-Form Taiji Boxing. Among these 13 forms, stretching out, stamping, squeezing, chopping downward, picking up, changing place, using elbow, leaning against symbolize separately the Eight Trigrams, while moving forward, retreating backward, watching to the left, turning to the right and staying in the center indicate separately the five elements.

From these specific sayings there came the name of Thirteen-Form Taiji boxing. Based upon the Yin- and Yang-Qi theory and aimed at regulating operation of the inner organs according to five-element theory, TaiChi boxing incorporates many soft movements imitating cats, birds, snakes and monkeys, thus gaining the effects of soothing the inner mental state, harmonizing the operation of the inner viscera, and strengthening the immune system. Taichi boxing developed very quickly among general people and later different branches came out to develop into different forms after long-term evolution. Nowadays, Chen-style, Yang-style, Wu-Style, Sun-style Taichi boxing are the common styles.

In fact, Taichi boxing originated from Inner Alchemy practice. Such key movement points to the basic concepts of: lowering Qi into Dantian, squaring shoulder, standing spine upright are just as same as the requirements for Inner Alchemy. Nowadays, people begin to forget the common relationship and often treat Taichi boxing as a separate entity from Inner Alchemy. This is totally wrong.

After hundreds of years of development, Wudang Kung Fu has incorporated much useful information from ancient Kung Fu defence and offence theory, from the theory of I Ching, from the practice of achieving stillness and emptiness widely adopted in Inner Alchemy, and thus forming its own special features as summarizing the essentials, detouring to reach the core, nourishing Qi, concentrating attention, getting free of any frivolousness and rigidity. Currently we can find such skills still being passed down to this day at the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - www.wtkfa.org - located on the top of sacred Mount Wudang near the famous Purple Heaven Palace and directed by 14th Generation Direct Inheritor of the Zhang Sanfeng tradition.

Accordingly, Wudang Kung Fu seems more to aspire for the full inner strength, the tremendous harmonization between hardness and softness, the ever-changing position adapted for different circumstances.

Today the Wudang Taoism Association, Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA - www.wtkfa.org , Wudang Taoist Culture Center and other organizations have published more than 30 schools of Wudang boxing forms, 18 schools of Wudang weapon forms, and 9 schools of Inner Qigong practice forms. Among them the popular are as follows below:

Wudang Taiyi Five Element Boxing
Wudang Pure-Yang Boxing
Yin Yang Ba Gua Chang
Wudang Sword
Wudang Original Taichi Boxing
Taihe Boxing
Zhaobao Taichi Boxing
Wudang Heavenly-Gate Qigong
Wudang Moon-Watching Qigong
Wudang Southern School

Another source says this about Wudang Styles:
"The most typical Wudang style is 'Wudang Tayi Wuxing Qinpu' (Grapples and Atacks of Five Pre-elements and The Great One from Wudang mountains), also called 'Wudangquan' (Fist of Wudang Mountains). This style was created by Taoist Zhang Shouxing at the end of XV century. This style has 23 forms, training is separated to training of the steps and training of the hands, there exist 35 methods of using the hands and 18 methods of moving. Style use snake-like moving (S-form moving), force going along the spiral.

Other well-known Wudang styles are:
Kongmenquan. (Fist of the Gate of Emptiness)
Yumenquan. (Fist of the Gate of Fish)
Jiugong Shibatui. (18 legs of 9 Palaces) emphasizes kicking techniques
Udangpai, which also includes 'Wujiquan'. (Fist of Boundlessness)
Yaozi Changquan. (Long Fist of the Hawk)
Yuanzhou Fudiquan. (Fist of Rubbing Monkey, Hidden Near the Ground)
Liubu Sanshou. (Combat Methods of 6 Steps).
Wudang Jian. (Wudang methods of using straight sword). Sword was usual attribute of Taoist monk, was used during religious ceremonies, so it is not strange that sword was also used for fighting."

Wudang Kung Fu is an excellent cultural heritage for all the people of the world. Nowadays, more and more people get involved in the campaign to promote this art form and are making efforts to promote its healthy development. Every year, many famous Kung Fu masters and Qigong masters come to ShiYan City to pay respect to holy Mount Wudang and exchange their experience and skills.

Currently much activity and exchange of Wudang Kung Fu knowledge is taking place at the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA on top of sacred Mount Wudang. www.wtkfa.org

Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy welcomes all interested students with various levels of experience. Come to sacred Mount Wudang and experience the treasure of Taoist Arts being taught at the Wudang Taoist Kung Fu Academy - WTKFA.