Following some discussion around the QuickFist and white crane in class last night.
It’s an important point to note is that although externally the same as the Fujian White crane Form, Master Huang over his Taiji life changed the internal essence of the QuickFist we train to be in harmony with the taiji.
So although externally the same, internally now with quite a different flavour - sometimes we refer to this as Sang Feng QuickFist to acknowledge the founder of Taiji - Chang Sang Feng / Zhang SanFeng.
QuickFist is from Fujian White Crane and called er shi ba means 28 (two tens and eight).
usually called ershiba lohan, meaning "28buddhas" or "28sages" but sometimes shortened to ershiba. We just say QuickFist as it’s the only fast form in our Taiji system.
The names were not universal. different instructors use different names.
from Patrick Kelly’s website -
http://www.patrickkellytaiji.com/TEACHERS/OTHERTEACHERS/xiezhongxian.html
Grandmaster Xie Zhongxian
(1852-1930)
Grandmaster Xie Zhongxian was one of the last great Fujian White Crane masters. Master Huang Xiangxian was sent to him at the age of 14. There he was taught, Chinese Medicine, White Crane gongfu, Confucian Classical philosophy and Daoist Energy Cultivation. Our main source of knowledge about him is from the stories Master Huang Xingxian told of learning under him.
"At one stage Xie Zhongxian lived in a small room over a 'coffin shop'. Chinese coffins have lids made from large slabs of timber and are very heavy. Xie Zhongxian would stand one of these lids against the wall in an unstable position. Each time it fell towards him he would receive it on his forearms, then throw it back against the wall. As a result Master Huang said Xie Zhongxian would sometimes hold his arms outstretched and ask Master Huang to swing on them, but they would not move."
"Once while enjoying a 'smoke' with an Eagle Claw master, Xie Zhongxian refused to accept that one art was necessarily better than another, insisting that it mattered more how well trained the particular fighter was. To prove his point the Eagle Claw master suddenly attacked with a claw to the stomach. Xie Zhongxian drew in his stomach while pulling the man's hand first towards him then round to return the force and throw the Eagle Claw man across the room. While convincing, so close was the claw to his stomach that Xie Zhongxian had his money along with its pocket in the front of his tunic, torn away and scattered across the room."
There is good evidence that Xie Zhongxian was, Ryu Ryu Ko, the teacher of Kanryo Higaonna (1853-1915). Higaonno was the teacher of Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953). Miyagi established the Okinawan and Japanese karate systems.
From Wee Kee Jin’s website
http://dialspace.dial.pipex.com/town/park/yfv90/central/background.htm
Although there are several versions as to how Fujian White Crane originated, they all acknowledge the founder as being a woman by the name of Fang Chee Niang. It is most widely believed that one day while washing her clothes at the river's edge a white crane became overly inquisitive. To discourage the bird Fang Chee Niang attempted to ward it off with a stick. To her surprise the crane did not retreat and effortlessly deflected all her attacks. Over the next few days the crane persisted and the scene repeated itself. She was already an adept in the martial arts, having been taught from an early age by her father Fang Wei Shi (himself a disciple of Shaolin Kung Fu who had fled to Fujian to escape persecution from the Manchu government) and she soon realised the significance of the crane's movements, and so began incorporating them into her training pattern. Over time the Art developed to contain four elements: the Whooping Crane, the Flying Crane, the Eating Crane and the Sleeping Crane. Together they represent the Fujian White Crane System. The Form itself consists of four sets: Pah Pu Lian
Lohan (Monk Fist or sometimes called Quick-Fist)
Hua Pah Pu
Chung Chien (Central Frame)
and includes the eight principles of:Swallowing
Spitting
Floating
Sinking
Springing
Lifting
Bursting
Rebounding Of the well known White Crane Masters of this century, Xie Zhong Xiang is perhaps the most famous. Having learnt from Pan Yu Ba, Xie Zhong Xiang became the first generation master of the Whooping Crane. Master Huang Sheng Shyan learnt Fujian White Crane directly from Xie Zhong Xiang, from the age of 14. After a few years of personal tuition, Huang Sheng Shyan still only in his late teens, was sent by Xie Zhong Xiang to study full-time for two years with his eldest disciple Ch'en Shih Ting. Note: The founder of Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Do - Chojun Miyagi, was the top student of Kanryo Higaonna, who also learnt White Crane from Xie Zhong Xiang. Okinawans also refer to Xie Zhong Xiang as Ryuruko.In 1930 Master Huang went on to train with another famous White Crane exponent P'an Ch'un-Nien, who also began teaching him the use of medicinal herbs, and stimulated an interest in Huang for other Chinese Martial Arts. In pursuit of these Huang Sheng-Shyan moved to Shanghai, where he first began teaching White Crane. He returned to his own village in 1934 at the request of P'an Ch'un-Nien to take part in County competitions. Huang Sheng Shyan not only convincingly won the competition he went on to the finals of the provincials. There he was runner up to Chang Jih-Chang, whom Huang had previously knocked down but drawn with in a preliminary round. Due to his age and success Huang became known in Fujian as "Young Hero", and later played an active role in the war with Japan. The recognition of his fighting abilities quickly earned him the rank of colonel…………..
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