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Shaolin ZHon Tong Boxing

History of the Shaolin Zhou Tong Boxing

Zhou Tong (周同 or 周侗 ?-1121 AD) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhou_Tong_(archer)was the legendary teacher of the Chinese national hero Yue Fei (岳飛 1103-1142 AD) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yue_Fei, living during the Song Dynasty (宋朝960-1279 AD). He was known to have taught him mainly archery and horsemanship, but we do not know any real historical written records on fist and kicks fighting techniques transmissions to Yue Fei. Zhou Tong was born in Tongguan (潼關) in Shaanxi province (陝西), and it is traditionally said that he had learned his Shaolin arts with a monk named Tan Zhenfang (譚正芳). It is also transmitted in Chinese folklore that he will have three other students who were legendary heroes of the novel “The Water Margin”; “Jade Unicorn” Lu Junyi (盧俊義), “Leopard” Lin Chong (林冲), and “Tiger fighter” Wu Song (武松).

Zhou Tong is the legendary ancestor of the “Piercing feet” style (戳脚 Chuojiao https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chu%C5%8Dji%C7%8Eo, who developed later in “Piercing feet and rotating fists” Chuojiao fanziquan 戳脚翻子拳), the “Mandarin Duck Legs” (Yuanyuan tui 鴛鴦腿) and the boxing style of Yan　Qing (Yan Qing quan燕青拳 or Mizongquan 迷踪拳). Yan Qing was hypothetically the disciple of Lu Junyi and then Yan Qing quan is supposedly coming from that lineage, while Chuojiao was perhaps taught by Lin Chong and Yuanyuan tui by Wusong or by Lin Chong although they may all be fictional characters there is absolutely no evidence in these claims. For weapons, the “Five steps and Thirteen Spear techniques” (Wubu shisanqiang 五步十三槍) and the “Stick of Zhou Tong” (Zhoutong gun 周同棍) are also supposedly a creation of Zhou Tong. Although whether Zhou Tong had any influence of these styles or not, they are composed of diverse types of positions and theories of fighting. The only similar characteristic of these four styles of kick boxing (Chuojiao, Zhou Tong quantui, Yanqing quan, Yuanyuan tui) is that they all emphasis on leg techniques, thus the Shaolin monks of the Ming dynasty already perhaps referred to their original style of kick boxing as coming from Zhou Tong as their main ancestor.

The real heritage of Zhou Tong himself is supposedly doubtful, however from the Ming dynasty, some of the monks of the Shaolin temple in Henan province (Shaolinsi少林寺) seems to have practiced a method of fighting with the name of Shaolin Zhoutong quantui (少林周同拳腿 or Zhoutui 周腿). Not to be mistaken with the Zhou family boxing (Zhoujia quan周家拳) of Southern China, transmitted by Zhou Long (周龍1891-1919). Literally meaning “The Shaolin fists and legs of Zhou Tong,” this system has been one of the most characteristic and effective of the Shaolin styles, because using many leg techniques and jumps. http://www.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=1237

Shaolin Zhoutong quantui is not practiced in the temple itself nowadays, but it was in earlier times in its earliest forms known as Mizong boxing, before to be transmitted by the warrior-monk Lian Kuo (Lian Kuo Heshang 蓮闊和尚) to the young Cao Yanhai at the beginning of the 20th Century in Hebei province Sunzhuang zi area (河北-孫莊子). The Style of Shaolin Zhou Tong quantui has mainly been developed by Cao Yanhai (曹晏海1903-1939), Li Yunbiao and Gong Chengxiang (龔{鞏}成祥1892-1980)during their staying at the Nanjing Central Martial Arts Institute from 1928, mixing with Tongbeiquan principles, but the system itself is known to have been originally passed down by Sun Tong (孫通 1772-1882). Sun Tong is at the origin of the lineage of Yan Qing boxing (燕青拳), or Mizong boxing (迷踪拳), which contains many forms, but the techniques and methods of Zhou Tong quantui have been pulled up from the system by Cao Yanhai in single techniques. The only secret and complete transmission Cao Yanhai made of this style was together with his friend Gong Chengxiang as Cao died young and had not opened any school on his own. Then Gong at his turn included techniques of Shaolin Fohan boxing in it as it was his own family boxing. Cao Yanhai was an outstanding fighter of a tall size, very good at using his legs, and he was as well one of the students of the Nanjing martial arts school (Nanjing guoshu guan南京國術官) before the Second World War. The Nanjing Martial arts school, known also as the Central Martial arts Institute (Zhongyang guoshu guan中央國術官)https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Guoshu_Institute was founded by Zhang Zhijiang (張之江1882-1966) in 1928, and became the first Chinese Martial arts school of New Era China together with the Jingwu Athletic association of Shanghai (Shanghai Jingwu tiyuhui 上海精武體育會). Cao Yanhai changed the traditional “horse and bow” stances (Gongbu Mabu) of the Mizong Boxing and replaced them with the “unicorn step” (Qilinbu) of Tongbiquan, by keeping only the fighting techniques (sanshou) of Shaolin without any demonstrative purpose. He made also 10 routines of sanshou to be used in fighting by extracting them from the routines of Shaolin Mizong Boxing.

The fists and legs of Zhou Tong, or “Shaolin Zhoutong quantui” include many jumps and kicks as a main particularity of this system. It is composed of long movements and hard punches and kicks, focusing on attacking forward, up and down, and from all sides. It is appropriate especially for young and athletic students, and various exercises are made for practicing jumping skills. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dTpMgBsEBmo

There is a similar style transmitted in Gansu province, Lanzhou city also attributed to Zhou Tong and called “The little original style of the Zhou family” (Zhoujia Xiao mu 周家小母) with the same characteristics of the Shaolin Zhou Tong boxing. It was mainly transmitted by “Great father Zhou” (Zhou Daba周大爸)in Lanzhou at the end of the Qing dynasty, then the style spread after master Wang Fuhan (王富漢) who taught many disciples that system in twelve forms.