Nanquan

Nanquan ( Chinese  南拳 , Pinyin Nánquán  - "southern fist") is a collective term for the Chinese martial arts styles south of the Yangtze River . The northern fighting styles are generally summarized under the term northern direction ( 北 派 , běipài ), or as the “leg of the north” ( 北 腿 , Běitǔi ) the counterpart to the “southern fist” ( 南拳 , Nánquán ).

The first mention of the term Nanquan can be found in the work Jiangnan jinglüe (Brief description of the areas south of the Yangtze River ) by the author Zheng Ruozeng (1505–1580). Filipiak suspects, however, that Zheng Ruozeng did not use this term as a generic term for various southern fighting styles, but referred to a special style. Zheng Ruozeng counted four forms (taolu) of the Nanquan .

Southern styles have certain characteristic features: a variety of hand techniques, short vigorous movements, stable positions with a low center of gravity, few and low leg techniques or the frequent use of battle screams.

The oldest southern styles were mostly kept as a secret by different families. These include, for example, the styles of the Hung , Li and Mo families. Many well-known styles are based on the Shaolin techniques of the 8 animals (monkey, crane, tiger, leopard, bear, horse, praying mantis, snake). In the Hung Gar z. B. Tiger and crane integrated as defining movement characters.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Werner Lind : The Lexicon of Martial Arts. China, Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Vietnam, Thailand, Burma, Indonesia, India, Mongolia, Philippines, Taiwan, etc. Sportverlag, Berlin 1999, ISBN 3-328-00838-1 , ( Edition BSK )
2. ↑ Kang Gewu, Zhongguo wushu shiyong daquan, p. 212
3. ↑ ^{a b} Filipiak, Kai: The Chinese Martial Art - Mirror and Element of Traditional Chinese Culture . Leipziger Universitätsverlag, Leipzig 2001, ISBN 3-935693-23-0 , p. 20 .
4. ↑ Quánfǎ - Budopedia. Retrieved August 2, 2013 . 
5. ↑ Filipiak, Kai: The Chinese Martial Art - Mirror and Element of Traditional Chinese Culture . Leipziger Universitätsverlag, Leipzig 2001, ISBN 3-935693-23-0 , p. 18-19 .
6. ^ Huwei Wushu School Dresden - Nan Quan. (No longer available online.) Formerly in the original ; Retrieved July 29, 2013 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.