Wudang Kungfu

Wudang Kungfu is one special internal martial arts form in China and enjoys the parallel position with Shaolin Kungfu in Chinese Kungfu field. Therefore comes the popular saying "In the north respects paid to Shaoling Kungfu; yet in the south honor should be given to Wudang Kungfu."

It is widely heard that the founder of Wudang Kungfu 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 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 books in Ming Dynasty...

These are recordings carried with book Source of Words. It is really a very complicated problem when in a one book two Zhang Sanfengs came out in different time, one in Song Dynasty and another in Ming Dynasty. Is it possible that they meant the same person or did the one in Song Dynasty live a very long life till Ming Dynasty? Yet, in consideration with the following factors as the same religion, the same practicing place, the same Kungfu 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 Kungfu 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 Kungfu master in Song Dynasty. One manuscript handed down by Li Yifan—who was Wu-style Tai Chi Chuan bearer—also carried such message as "Tai Chi Chuan originated from Zhang Sanfeng in Song Dynasty."Therefore, in today's Kungfu circle many martial artists generally regard Zhag Sanfeng as the founder of both Tai Chi Chuan and Wudang Kungfu in Song Dynasty.

It is a general viewpoint circulating in Kungfu arena that Tai Chi Chuan originated from inter Kungfu created by Zhang Sanfeng. One collect book with China State Library called Tai Chi Masters Lineage has the following messages as "Sir Zhang Sanfeng, surname Zhang, first name Sanfeng, went to Mount Zhongnan when he was 61 years old. There he chanced to meet one immortal called Dragon Fire who late transferred his knowledge regarding inner alchemy to him after knowing he was a competent practitioner."

Later Zhang Sanfeng traveled a lot to famous resorts in the south and finally settled down in Mount Wudang. Then ordering disciple Qiu Yuanqing to stay in Five Dragon House, Lu Qiuyun in Southen Cave, Liu Guquan in Purple Heaven Palace, Zhang Sanfeng constructed a house in the place where Immortal Encountering Palace now stays. Cultivating true self for as long as nine years, Zhang Sanfeng finally succeeded in achieving Tao. People called him an immortal who can excise unimaginable power to restrain the bad and promote the good, and transform all corporeal things into different forms as the he wished to do. All the universe turns to become one thing staying in his hand waiting for him to deal with.

Later, Zhang Sanfeng taught one set of boxing forms to Zhang Songxi and Zhang Cuisan, which was the very original form of Tai Chi Chuan. Because there are only thirteen forms people called it Thirteen-Form Tai Chi Chuan. 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 Tai Chi Chuan. Based upon the Yin-Qi and Yang-Qi theory and aimed at regulating operation of the inner organs according to five-element theory, Tai Chi Chuan incorporates many soft movements imitating cats, birds, snakes and monkeys, thus gaining the effects of soothing the inner mental state, harmonize the operation of inner viscera, strengthening the immune system, etc. Tai Chi Chuan 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 Tai Chi Chuan compete to present themselves.

In fact, Tai Chi Chuan originated from inner alchemy. Such key movement points as lowering Qi into Dantian, squaring shoulder, standing spine upright are just as same as the requirements for inner alchemy. Nowadays, people begin to forget their relationship and often treat Tai Chi Chuan as a separate entity. That is totally wrong.

Chinese people prefer to use former experience and tend to know the lineage for anything in a long run. Yes, under such circumstances, the consecutiveness and unification gained an important position. Yet, in the same time, qualitative changes often gained no enough attention. Therefore, regardless it is Shaoling School, Wudang School, or it is DaMo, Zhang Sanfeng, people should go to the very root after getting rid of the superficial phenomena. Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of inner Kungfu, stayed there in history as a flying flag. Just under the direction of this flying flag Wudang Kungfu began to develop and gradually became rich in contents and looked mysterious from outside after many Kungfu masters' hard working and donation. After hundreds years of development, Wudang Kungfu incorporated much useful nutrition form ancient Kungfu 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. Accordingly, Wudang Kungfu seems more to aspire for the full inner strength, the tremendous harmonization between hardness and softness, the ever-changing position adapted for different circumstances.

As of today, Wudang Taoism Association and other organizations had published more than 30 schools of Wudang boxing forms, 18 schools of Wudang weapon forms, 9 schools inner Qigong practice forms. Among them the popular are as following below: Wudang Taiyi Five Element Chuan, Wudang Pure-Yang Chuan, Yin Yang Ba Gua Chuan, Wudang Sword, Wudang Original Tai Chi Chuan, Taihe Chuan, Zhaobao Tai Chi Chuan, Wudang Heavenly-Gate Qigong, Wudang Moon-Watching Qigong, Wudang Southern School, etc.

Wudanf Kungfu is excellent cultural heritage for Chinese people. Nowadays, more and more people get involved in the campaign to treasuring this art form and making efforts to promote its healthy development. Every year, many famous Kungfu masters, Qigong masters come to ShiYan City to pay respect to Mount Wudang and exchange their experience and skills.

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