The Fujian White crane style is a southern Chinese fighting style with roots in the Fujian province. This particular martial art uses deep stances, complex hand movements, and its best used while in close proximity to your opponent. The White Crane martial art imitates the movement of a pecking Crane , and is a style of Shaolin Boxing. It’s based on the Crane’s movements, spirit, and fighting skills. In another form, called the Flying Crane , the art utilizes long-range techniques as well as close hand to hand combat skills that look like a Crane flapping its wings. Other styles use traditional weapons, while others have discarded weapons altogether.
The Fujian White Crane , like other Chinese martial arts, is deeply rooted in legend. And like Wing Chun, the legend claims the art was invented by a woman.
The Legend of Qiniang Fang
The legend says the Fang family resided in Fujian province, and lived among a large population of cranes . Qiniang Fang’s father taught her the Southern Chinese martial arts. One day, while she was doing chores, a crane began to bother her. She tried scaring the crane away with a stick, and the martial art skills learned from her father. Regardless of her efforts, the Crane countered all her attacks. She attempted to strike the Crane on its head, but the bird bobbed, dodged her attack, and blocked her stick with its wings. She then attempted to strike the Crane’s wings, but it moved to the side, and blocked her attack with its feet. She tried stabbing its body with the stick, but the Crane lunged backwards, and blocked her attack with its beak. Legend says, from that moment on, she meticulously studied the Crane’s movements, and joined them with the martial art skills learned from her father. In the end, she’d created the Fujian White Crane martial art.
Great for Women’s Self Defense
The main objective of the White Crane fighting styles is to give smaller opponents a fighting chance. Instead of focusing on strength, it teaches you how to evade and attack the key openings your opponent offers during the battle. The White Crane is rather popular these days. It’s used quite a bit in female self-defense courses, because women are able to imitate the graceful pecking movements of a Crane better than large men.
The White Crane is broken down into five styles:
1. Sleeping Crane Fist
2. Crying Crane Fist
3. Feeding Crane Fist
4. Flying Crane Fist
5. Shaking Crane Fist
The styles all involve powerful and low stances to give stability. This provides you with an explosive spring while maneuvering. Practitioners train you to generate power by using your torso and arms to keep stable. Your arms and shoulders move smoothly, fast, and freely while you switch between offensive and defensive postures. Your hands and wrists are taught to move with graceful, yet lethal skill.
The Bottom Line
Rather woman or man, old or young, the White Crane martial art is a great choice for those small in stature. It will allow you to defend yourself with grace and precision, no matter the size of your opponent. All you have to do is look up your local White Crane dojo, hit the mat, and learn to fight with graceful elegance like the ancient Chinese Crane .
