Description

White Crane style (in Chinese: 白鶴拳) is a Southern Chinese martial art that originated in the Fujian (福建) province. According to oral tradition, the style was developed by Fang Qīniáng (方七娘; Amoy Min Nan: Hng Chhit-niâ), a female martial artist. It is associated with traditional fighting techniques, including long range, but is most similar to close-quarter or hand-to-hand combat.[1] It is most recognizable by the way a fighter imitates a bird’s pecking or flapping of wings. While some white crane styles make use of a variety of traditional weapons, others have discontinued the use of weaponry.[2]Fujian White Crane is a type of Shaolin Boxing imitating characteristics of the Taiwanese Crane. An entire system of fighting was developed from observing the crane’s movements, methods of attack, and spirit. It is one of the six well-known schools of Shaolin Boxing, the others being based on Tiger, Monkey, Leopard, Snake and Dragon. Additional, lesser-known schools include Dog, Deer, Bear, and others.The Legend Of The White Crane .Qīniáng and her father lived in Fujian province, China, where many cranes live. Qīniáng’s father knew the Southern Chinese Martial Arts and taught them to his daughter. One day, while Qīniáng was doing her chores, a crane landed nearby. Qīniáng tried to scare the bird off using a stick and the skills she had learned from her father, but whatever she did, the crane would counter. Qīniáng tried to hit the crane on the head, but the bird moved its head out of the way and blocked the stick with its wings. Qīniáng tried to hit the crane’s wings, but the crane stepped to the side and blocked the stick with its claws. Qīniáng tried to poke the crane’s body, but the crane dodged backwards and struck the stick with its beak. From then on, Qīniáng carefully studied the crane’s movements. She combined these movements with techniques learned from her father, ultimately creating the White Crane style of Fujian province.There are many versions of this legend. In some of them, the crane does not block a stick but it evades and counters it. The point of the style is to emphasize evasion and attack an opponent’s vulnerabilities instead of using physical strength. Since it has been created by a female, White crane fighting elements are especially popular in women’s self-defense training because the movements do not require extreme strength, being more likely to imitate the delicate pecking motion associated with this fighting style.[3][citation needed] Popular karate bunkai (breakdown) of white crane katas like hakutsuru stress vital point striking or kyusho.