|
|
Xiuquan
(fist of the best)
This style was created in 1644 by shaolin monk Faqing. In 1642 for stopping peasant rebellion army, leaded by Li Zicheng, goverment destroyed the dam on Huanghe river, and water flooded eastern part of Henan province. After the flood Faqing came to Kaocheng, and taught martial arts for living.
Faqing taught two students - Xu Jingyu and Zheng Qitian. Xu taught three students - Zhang Zizong, He Beihai and Yuan Tiandu. Later xiuquan was taught inside Zhang family only. So some people think that the creator of xiuquan is Zhang Zizong.
Kaocheng situated near Huanghe and after the floods the town several times was removed. Later Kaocheng county was divided between Lankao county and Mingquan county. Now xiuquan can be found in different villages of Mingquan county - Beiguanxian (the last Kaocheng position), Linqixian (also was a Kaocheng position), Zhuguanxian, Shunhexian and Yanjixian. Style also can be found in another villages (Wangqiaoxian, for example) and counties (Ducheng, for example).
Full name of the style is "xiuping baguaquan" - "fist of eight trigramms, the best and flat". The reason for the name "xiuquan" ("fist of the best"): style was composed from thirteen another styles - paoquan (cannon fist), fohanquan (fist of Buddhist warrior), houquan (monkey fist), jingangquan (diamond fist), feishouquan (fist of flying hands), xiaoyangquan (fist of small yang), ziquan (fist of hyerogliph), xiyangzhang (palm of west sea), erhongquan (second set of hongquan), dahongquan (big set of hongquan), baguaquan (fist of eight trigrams), meihuaquan (fist of meihua plum) and feihuquan (fist of flying tiger). Main set is "xiuquan shisanshi" ("13 forms of xiuquan"), also style contains broadsword-fighting methods and spear-fighting methods. Movements of style are similar to shaolinquan.