Huaquan

Huaquan (zh-st |s=华拳 |t=華拳) is a style of Kung Fu which is believed to have originated in Jining in Shandong Province. It is said that during the Kaiyuan reign of the Tang Dynasty there existed a Mount Hua knight named Cai Mao, who was famous for his prowess in combat and swordplay. Apparently Cai Mao had killed an enemy, a noble of the Chang'an family, and had to go into hiding to escape the family's wrath.

400 years later, Cai's descendants, Cai Tai and Cai Gang, developed his style into the present-day Huaquan. However, it was Cai Wanzhi of Jining that put the finishing touches on Huaquan during the reign of Jaiqing of the Ming dynasty by writing the book "The Secrets of Huaquan". Cai Wanzhi had based the book on the traditional philosophy of combining spirit, breath, and ego.

In the present day, Huaquan is one of the main constituents of the modern "Changquan" (longfist) routines in contemporary Wushu.

It is the style of fighting used by Jet Li's character in the movie "Fist of Legend" to fight Akutagawa.

References

* [http://www.shaolinwolf.com/maguideindex/huaquan.htm Shaolin Wolf]