Shanghai kicks back

By Liao Fangzhou Source:Global Times Published: 2014-9-22 18:03:01

The city has its own unique martial arts movements


Chen Daoqing, a third-generation practitioner of Mian Quan, leads students practicing moves at Shanghai Kunming Primary School, while another practitioner Xia Fadu walks around correcting individuals. Photo: Liao Fangzhou/GT



While Shaolin in Henan Province and Wudang in Hubei Province are the best-known branches of Chinese martial arts, Shanghai has its own unique and thriving martial arts scene.

Chin Woo is the most famous and the oldest martial art found in the city - in 1910, revolutionary activist Chen Qimei and a few martial arts protagonists launched Chin Woo at Wangjiazhai, Zhabei district. After 1949, Chin Woo began to cater to the public and provide martial arts training alongside other activities.

Today, Chin Woo has 13 training centers and martial art programs at more than 100 primary and middle schools in Shanghai. A research center has been established to study martial arts theory, collate archival material and write textbooks, to protect and preserve this local and national intangible culture heritage.

While Chin Woo is a household name, there are lesser-known martial arts that are still developing - like Mian Quan. Mian Quan (literally cotton fist), as it is today, is a martial arts that concentrates on kicking, punching and blocking. It evolved from a form of combat which Meng Guangyin, a biaoshi (armed bodyguard), brought to Shanghai around 1920. One of Meng's earliest disciples, a Shanghai local, Sun Fuhai, became his major protagonist. He started teaching in his own house on Lanzhou Road in Yangpu district, which he called Languifang, and adapted the style. Today he is recognized as the founder of the Shanghai form of Mian Quan, and today his 57-year-old grandson and third-generation heir, Sun Hongxi, is the third president of the official form.

Very secretive

Sun Fuhai taught Mian Quan to groups of men who worked at manual labor, like stevedores from the ports, to enhance physical well-being and strength. He told these disciples they could never pass on their knowledge. "It was very secretive. He taught people he knew well and kept it within a small network, and they practiced indoors. This meant Mian Quan has remained a somewhat obscure martial art," Sun Hongxi said.

The later generations of Mian Quan devotees had a different opinion. After the government launched its famous "the entire nation keeps fit" promotion in the 1990s, they were spurred on and decided it would be a good idea to introduce the art of Mian Quan to more people.

Though the current heirs are more open about spreading Mian Quan, they are just as strict as the founders when they admit beginners to train as practitioners and the start of every master-disciple relationship is marked by a special ceremony.

"To become a Mian Quan practitioner, one has to meet demanding criteria. Before a master decides to accept a new pupil, he assesses him for three months examining his morals, the reasons why he is seeking to learn martial arts, his dedication and physical strength," Sun Hongxi told the Global Times. "We take this very seriously because it is a social responsibility to only teach the right people."

Xia Fadu and Chen Daoqing are third-generation practitioners. Xia Fadu used to be a factory worker who studied Mian Quan to make his body more flexible and avoid injuries from hard labor, and Chen Daoqing studied with his father, who was a disciple of Sun Fuhai.

Young disciples

Younger disciples have been drawn to Mian Quan for different reasons. Luo Hengchen, a 30-something man who grew up watching martial art television shows and films, had a long-term fascination with martial arts and searched for genuine masters. Not long before he finished his postgraduate studies in Shanghai six years ago, he found Sun Hongxi and became a practitioner.

These official practitioners learn and practice in Sun's home on Lanzhou Road where Sun Fuhai first taught Mian Quan. It is now called the Languifang Club, and serves as the headquarters of the martial art. It holds regular training sessions on Saturday, and accommodates visiting practitioners when they come to learn, practice and ask for advise - they usually stay for a week at a time.

The trained Mian Quan practitioners do not ask for money from their students. "We do it simply because we love it," Xia said.

Luo told the Global Times that the relationship between a master and a pupil in martial arts is like that of father and son. "There are a lot of emotional connections - it is not an exchange of money and expertise," Luo said.

Apart from these official practitioners there are what Sun Hongxi called "students" - learners who don't go through the strict assessments but just pick up the basics of Mian Quan. Sun Hongxi believes that by accepting students and opening Mian Quan up, the popularity of the martial art has reached a historical peak - nowadays, there are thousands of students and practitioners in Shanghai alone, and more in other provinces, from neighboring Zhejiang to far-flung Qinghai.

Most of these students learn from third-generation practitioners (most of whom are the children of second-generation practitioners, the pupils of Sun Fuhai) and fourth-generation official practitioners. They learn their art at city parks, like Fuxing Park and Yangpu Park. Xia said this was basically a free service.

According to Sun Hongxi, the students in the park sessions come from all walks of life - businessmen, government officials and university lecturers and students can all be found there. The students age from 16 to 50-something and most are between 30 and 40.

School program

Mian Quan's youngest students are in primary schools. After Mian Quan was declared a city-level intangible culture heritage in 2011, the Yangpu district government proposed establishing an on-campus Mian Quan learning center. Kunming Primary School was interested and became the first school in the city with a Mian Quan program.

At Kunming Primary School, pupils from grade one to grade three can learn Mian Quan. "There are a large number of applications but we have very few masters. We choose 20 or 30 pupils and they form a Mian Quan team and practice at the school gym for one hour a week," said Zhou Yanjun, the school principal.

On a Wednesday morning when the Global Times visited, boys and girls in traditional gold and red costumes followed Chen Daoqing's moves carefully, while Xia Fadu walked around correcting their stances. Following Kunming Primary School, Qiqihaer Road No.1 Elementary School, Xuchang Road No.5 Primary School, Kunming Middle School, and the Middle School Attached to the Teacher Training College of Yangpu District have also introduced Mian Quan training.

"When it comes to protecting and preserving Mian Quan and cultivating followers we need to take a broad view. By introducing children to Mian Quan, they will influence those around them and more people will learn about Mian Quan and about China's traditional martial arts culture," Sun Hongxi said. "As that population multiplies, other people will take up Mian Quan to keep people fit as well as its cultural worth."

The school programs are free. Sun Hongxi told the Global Times that he does not ask for rewards from his students, but is glad that the Shanghai government has rewarded Mian Quan by independently funding the publication of the first-ever book on the martial art, which Sun Hongxi called "a crucial step in passing down the heritage."

The book, which the government has spent 160,000 yuan ($25,920) on, focuses on the history of Mian Quan and basic movements. This year Mian Quan was named a national intangible culture heritage, and with this, Sun Hongxi looks forward to a national funding that will lead to the publication of a second book illustrating different moves and styles for different ages.

Another emerging martial art is Xing Yi Quan, which master Chu Guiting brought to Shanghai when he moved from Nanjing in 1949. He taught Xing Yi Quan at Fuxing Park, and then his pupils carried it on. One of his best pupils, Yan Chengde, is now the president of this martial art's body.

Like Mian Quan, Xing Yi Quan is now taught to both official practitioners and students. Yan has taught at the park from 7:30 am to 9 am every day for nearly 10 years, and has 30-plus official practitioners and over 1,000 students.

The practitioners started as students - they pay 600 yuan for training every three months. On weekdays the participants are predominantly retired people while on weekends enthusiasts of different ages practice together. Expats have been drawn to this martial art - Singaporeans, Brits and Italians are among Yan's students.

After a student studies with Yan for six months they can apply for an apprenticeship, and Yan will accept or reject them after assessing their morals, intentions and dedication to Xing Yi Quan. Of his 30 or so practitioners seven are women and most are aged in their 30s.

In love

Wu Jie, a middle-aged consultant, is one of Yan's practitioners and has been doing this for 10 years. He said as an office worker he suffered from having to sit for long hours but after trying Xing Yi Quan at the park he fell in love with it.

"I felt more refreshed after a Xing Yi Quan session than any other physical exercise. I feel at ease and I would feel very uncomfortable if I skipped Xing Yi Quan for just one day," Wu said.

According to Wu, most devotees of Xing Yi Quan encounter a period during their training where it seems difficult and purposeless. "My own came after a year of study and it certainly felt frustrating. But I carried on and practiced every day anyway," said Wu. "After a few months I broke through the bottleneck and now after every session I feel renewed."

The Xing Yi Quan practitioners plan to publish its own book about the martial art which will include detailed pictures of the movements.



Posted in: Society, Metro Shanghai, City Panorama

blog comments powered by Disqus