Zhang Jianqiang's one move and one style shows the unique charm of Wenshui Long Fist. Photo courtesy of Zhang Jianqiang
"'Hands, eyes, and body steps, and the five elements are one.'" Wenshui Long Fist is not simply and mechanically fiddling with two movements, but the heart, brain, hands, and feet must be followed, and the action can be completed in one go. "Punching is agile and quick to collect, Zhang Jianqiang's one move and one style shows the unique charm of Wenshui Long Fist."
Zhang Jianqiang, 57 years old this year, is a native of Goukou Village, Fengcheng Town, Wenshui County, Lüliang City, Shanxi Province, and the inheritor of the representative project of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Shanxi Province, "Wenshui Changquan", under the tutelage of Zuo Jia Quan, the founder of Zuo Jia Quan, Zuo Changde Chongsun Zuo Lian. Zhang Jianqiang has been learning martial arts since childhood, practicing diligently, from bare hands to instruments, from health maintenance to fighting, and doing his best to pass on the true transmission of the Zuo family.
Zhang Jianqiang has been learning martial arts since childhood, practicing diligently, from bare hands to instruments, from health maintenance to fighting, and doing his best to pass on the true transmission of the Zuo family. Photo courtesy of Zhang Jianqiang
Wenshui Changquan, also known as "Zuo Jia Fist" and "Zuo Jia Quan", is a kind of northern martial arts fist, so the fist was created in the Qing Dynasty famous dart master Zuo Changde named, so far has a history of nearly two hundred years.
Zhang Jianqiang's two older brothers are disciples of Wenshui Changquan, and he was fascinated by boxing from an early age, and when he was seven or eight years old, he followed his brothers and formally studied with his teacher for more than ten years, "After the death of the master, I came to the birthplace of Wenshui Changquan - Xiaoziqu Village, Wenshui Maxi Township, the fourth generation of the inheritor of Wenshui Changquan Zuo Lian as a teacher, and the master is also 92 years old this year. ”
After hundreds of years of inheritance, the "Wenshui Long Fist" once faced the dilemma of being lost. Photo courtesy of Zhang Jianqiang
"For 50 years, I've been practicing boxing almost every day, rain or shine." Zhang Jianqiang said that learning boxing requires talent, and it generally takes more than 10 years to learn it with the help of a master. In the inheritance of successive generations of descendants, Wenshui Changquan has formed a complete system with strict structure. Among them, the "face palm", "bouncing leg" and "tiger head double hook" are called "left family three musts".
Zhang Jianqiang introduced that the left family fist has kicking, pedaling, stepping, stomping, stomping, hooking, sweeping, buckle, swinging, and throwing ten thigh methods, as well as ten major techniques of looking at official hands, picking and punching the heart fist, qiao female sewing needle, pading the knee waist palm, introductory zhenxin, black dog drill crotch, tanuki cat fluttering mouse, Guan Ping seal, ancient tree rooting, and shaking the car.
In order to pass on this skill, Zhang Jianqiang taught more than a dozen apprentices in decades. Photo courtesy of Zhang Jianqiang
"The biggest feature of Wenshui Long Fist is the leg method, and the most classic movements are pedaling and pedaling, which are all needed for darts at that time." Zhang Jianqiang said that the Wenshui long fist method is not good, it is not suitable for performance competitions, and it has been mainly used for physical fitness.
In addition, as an ancient dart board guard, the dart guard needs to bring a good weapon on the road, so Wenshui Long Fist attaches great importance to equipment, and has been handed down to seven or eight kinds of instruments such as knives, guns, swords, sticks, and hooks.
After hundreds of years of inheritance, the "Wenshui Long Fist" once faced the dilemma of being lost. "When I was a child, we had a lot of boxing together in our village, but now there are very few boxing." Zhang Jianqiang said that with the death of many old boxers, young people's interest in boxing is not high, and there is a "fault" in the middle. "In the past, most of the masters of long fist had a dart game and had a source of livelihood, but now there is no income in learning boxing, and long fist has no economic value, and it is inevitable to face a situation of decline."
In order to pass on this skill, Zhang Jianqiang taught more than a dozen apprentices in decades, but few persisted in the end. "Those who practice boxing are like cow hair, and they become like cow horns."
In 2019, with the support of the local government, Zhang Jianqiang renovated the old courtyard at home and changed it into the "Wenshui Long Fist Training Institute", practicing with boxers during the New Year's Festival and agricultural leisure period.
"Practicing boxing has become a part of my life." Zhang Jianqiang said that there are some learners with better basic conditions who are willing to teach them, hoping that Wenshui Changquan can be passed on "originally". (End)
Source: Shanxi News Network