There are times when it is good if you have some skills of martial arts because sometimes you will have to defend yourself in case of an emergency. Fujian White Crane is one of the various martial art skills ever created in this world. This style of martial art skills was originally taught by a Chinese female during the traditional era and can be considered as one of the most precious lessons we have in martial arts.
Fang Qiniang
Fujian White Crane was developed by the martial arts legend - Fang Xi Qiniang between 1840 and 1860, the exact dates are unknown. Due to the death of the mother of the Fang family, they decided to move to the Fujian Province, to a town called Quanzhou (pictured right), which is located on the south of China. This then became the exact spot where the Fujian White Crane had originated from. The Fang whose father (Fang Li xiang) was a martial artist had managed to give all he knew about martial art skills to his beloved daughter, who was then known as Fang Qiniang. It was she, who later introduced the style to the public.
One day, when she was only seventeen years old, her father died in order to defend her honor from unwelcome suitors. Since then, Qiniang had vowed revenge and had made up her mind to join the temple and then she became a nun. Qiniang, who had been born in the mid eighteenth century, was one day practicing her martial art skills when all of a sudden a crane came from nowhere to approach her. What she actually had in mind at that moment was to drive the crane away by using her martial art skills and making use of a stick but to her surprise, all the things she did were just in vain.
She first tried to hit its head but the crane was quick enough to move its head out of the way so as to avoid being hit by Qiniang. The creature even tried to block Qiniang’s stick with its wings. If she tried to hit it on the wings, the crane would just step aside and tried to block her using the claws it had on its feet. Yet, if she attempted to poke its body, the crane would dodge backwards and tried to strike the stick with its beak.
Watching the crane, Qiniang then realized that it would turn to be a good and useful thing if she could learn the movements performed by the creature and combine its movements with her martial art skills. Then there came what we now know as Fujian White Crane martial art style which involves deep-rooted stances, hand techniques complicated performance and close range fighting ability.
As time passed by, the style has been developed into several branches by some other people. A man who was known as Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming, had managed to create the Sleeping Crane Fist style in c. 1700. The style was also called as Jumping Crane style, Ancestral, or even Vibrating Crane style. And though there was no Ming Emperor Jiazheng at that time, it was said that the Ong Gong Shr Wushuguan lineage in the town of Yongchun which was located in the prefecture of Quanzhou in the province of Fujian, was established at the same time when Fang Qiniang taught its founders during the reign of the Ming Emperor Jiazheng. The actual emperor at that time was really Ming Emperor Jiazing, who ruled from 1521 to 1566.
There was also an opera performer and leader at the time (1854 – 1855) who resided in Red Turban Rebellion located in Fushan who was known or said to have practiced the Yongchun White Crane style. The person was then known as Li Wenmao. Fujian White Crane had been included as one of the constituent styles by the Five Ancestors, who also did this for Japanese notably Karate styles, which are Goju-Ryu and Uechi-Ryu. The Five Ancestors also obtained San Chian routine from this style that was originally created by Qiniang.
In a movie that was once produced in 1984, called “The Karate Kid”, the star Daniel performed a kicking crane style in fighting his opponent in order to win a martial arts tournament. Besides the Sleeping Crane Fist style, the White Crane has also branched into Crying Crane Fist. Then later on came the Eating Crane Fist, which was also known as Morning Crane; the Flying Crane Fist came afterwards. What Fang Qiniang had taught, combined the tiger stance, which provided a strong base for the more flamboyant hand techniques of the crane.