Taizuquan

Focus on actual offense and defense, like the wind, the shock is like electricity, the front hand is led, the back hand chases, and the two hands are exchanged. The routine moves are rigorous, the footwork is flexible, both rigid and flexible. "The prisoner is like a cat, shaking like a tiger, walking like a dragon, and moving like lightning." It requires one courage, two strengths, three gongs, four qi, five tricks, six changes, seven evils, and eight cruelties. When attacking, "check the situation and observe carefully, rush into the middle door whenever weak, and circumvent a step when encountering a strong front." The hands are connected with each other, up and down, attacking when there is a gap, and making up when there is a gap.

The technique is either offensive or defensive, with style's philosophy indicating that two are interchangeable. The essence of the style is to use enemy's offence as means to control the enemy itself.

According to Wu Bing and Liu Xiangyun the Taizu Boxing method is the quintessential Wuyi (武艺) Shaolin of the Northern School and is also called Taiziquan (太子 拳).[1]

Taizuquan has been associated with Changquan since the time of the Ming Dynasty because Qi Jiguang wrote of the ancient and current Family of Boxing, the peaceful Taizu had thirty-six figures of Long Boxing.[2] Practitioners of this style are found in mainly in Laizhou, Shandong.

During the reign of Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722), Taizuquan was broadcast in the Cangzhou area of Hebei province.

• The bare hand Taolu: Yilu Taizuquan (一路 太祖 拳), Erlu Taizuquan (二路 太祖 拳), Shiba Tang Luohanquan (十八 趟 罗汉拳), Liutuijia (遛 腿 架), Liujiaoshi (遛 脚 式) , Bada Ershi shi (八 打 二十 式), Taizu Changquan (太祖 长拳), Xingbuquan (行 步 拳) and Shier Tang Tantui (十二 趟 弹腿).
• The Taolu with long weapons: Taizugun (太祖 棍), sanjiegun (三节棍), Shaolin gun (少林 棍), shier lian qiang (十二 连 枪), meiuaqiang (梅花 枪), Simen dadao (四 门 大刀), Fangbianchan (方便铲), Shuangshou dai (双手 带).
• The sequences with short weapons: Meihuadao (梅花 刀), Meihua shuanggou (梅花 双钩), wanshengdao (万胜 刀), Yingzhandao (应 战刀), Qinglong jian (青龙 剑), Erlang Jian (二 朗 剑), Shuang yue (双 钺);
• The fighting forms (Duilian: Duida Taizu Gun (对打 太祖 棍), sanjiegun jin qiang (三节棍 进 枪), dandao jin qiang (单刀 进 枪), dadao jin qiang (大刀 进 枪), Zimuchui Duida (子母 锤 对打).

Southern Taizuquan is particularly common in Taiwan. It has as Taolu or characteristic forms:

• Xiao simen (小四門)
• Da simen (大四門)
• Wubu (五步)
• Fei bagua (飛八卦)
• Luohanquan (羅漢拳)

• As forms with weapons: Taizu gun; Meihua dao (梅花 刀); shuangdao; Shier lian qiang (十二 连 枪); Simen dadao (四 门 大刀); Hu Cha (虎 叉, the gallows for tigers); liuxingchui; jiujiebian; Meihua qiang; mao (矛) and dun (盾); fang bian chan (方便铲); Shuangshou dan (双手 带); Meihua shuanggou (梅花 双钩); fang sheng dao (万胜 刀). Like Duilian: duida (對打); gun duida (棍 對打); quan dui dao (拳 對 刀); Hu cha dui dao dun; sanjiegun jin qiang (三节棍 进 枪); dandao jin qiang (单刀 进 枪); dadao jin qiang (大刀 进 枪);
• zimu chui duida (子母 锤 对打) and others

• Tiandihui
• Southern Shaolin Monastery
• Changquan
• Chang Moo Kwan
• List of Chinese martial arts

• Duan Ping 段 平, Zheng Shouzhi 郑守志 and others, Wushu Cidian 武术 词典 Wushu Dictionary, Renmin Tiyu Chubanshe, 2007, ISBN 978-7-5009-3001-3
• Carmona José, De Shaolin à Wudang, les arts martiaux chinois, Gui Trenadiel editeur, ISBN 2-84445-085-7
• Liu Lianyang 刘连 洋, Shandong Laizhou Taizuquan 山东 莱州 太祖 拳, article appeared in the magazine "Jingwu 精 武" at issue 8 of 2006
• Liu Lianyang 刘连 洋, Shandong Taizuquan Xinggong Xinjie 山东 太祖 拳 行 功 心 解, article appeared in the magazine "Jingwu 精 rivista" at issue 8 of 2006
• Zhang Liuqing 张 浏 青, Shaolinsi Taizu Changquan 少林寺 太祖 长拳, Chaohua chubanshe, 1999, ISBN 750540640X
• Wu Bing 武 兵 and Liu Xiangyun 刘向芸, Taizuquan zhu Shanxi de chuancheng 太祖 拳 住 山西 的 传承, article originally appeared in Jingwu magazine in issue 2 of 2008