Yes. In the Bubishi for instance there is a list of Karate forms that still have extant variations in Chinese forms such as Crane, Dog, Monk.... And Lion. Among the forms considered part of Lion Boxing are Seishan (Hangetsu) and Jutte.
What about White Lion Boxing?
We believe that the person who brought these forms back to Okinawa was Sokon Matsumura whose most notable kata was Passai. Noted researcher Akio Kinjo has pointed out that Bassai has similarities with Lion Boxing and the name Passai could in the Fukien dialect mean White Lion.
What about in mainland Japan?
In the Nagasaki area (the part of Japan most linked with Okinawa and most accessible to and from Fukien, China) the old system of Jujutsu was Hakuda - meaning White Hand.
What Chinese forms are related to White Lion Boxing?
One of the most closely related is Baji Quan. Just as in Karate there are the forms Bassai Dai and Bassai Sho, in this art there are the forms Baji Da and Baji Xiao.
What is this art characterised by?
Baji Quan is characterised by powerful stomping actions - much like Bassai Dai. We should also note that the art was originally called Bazi Quan. Much closer to Bassai.
What other arts are related to this style?
The Wutang arts are related to it. Bagua Zhang was developed from Bazi Quan via an art called Bagua Quan. It is interesting to note this syllable "gua" is seen in Okinawa in the version of Bassai called "Patsai Guwa".
What are the meanings of these arts' names?
The syllable "Ba" in Bagua and Baji is said to mean "eight" and in Okinawa "Batsu" is said to mean "remove an obstruction" (similar to Nukitsu). But they are also hononyms of White. In various dialects Pai, Haku, Baku. In Japan B becomes H when preceeded by another syllable. For instance a Harai becomes a Gedan Barai.
Look at the similarities of these words:
- Baji Quan (Eight Extremes Fist) Chinese
- Bazi Quan (Rake Fist) Chinese
Compare with: Bassai Quan
- Hakuda (White Hand) Japanese
- alternatively Shubaku (White Hand) Japanese
Note the syllables "Ba" and "Da"
Compare with: Bassai Dai
- Pakua (Eight Trigrams) Chinese
Compare with Patsai Guwa (version of Bassai)
So what is the theory behind this art?
We propose that the original art of Bazi Quan was called White Lion Boxing and from this art developed the following styles:
- Hakuda (White Hand) in Japan
- Bazi Quan (White Lion Boxing) in Fukien
- Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigram Palm) in China
- Bazi Quan was also integral to the development of Taiji Quan and Hsing-I Quan.
Sokon Matsumura learnt these forms from a mysterious Chinese master called Iwah.
It is interesting to note that the founder of Bagua Zhang whose name was Dong Hai Chuan was the perfect age to be this mysterious man. But what are the chances of this? Well consider that Dong Hai Chuan was the bodyguard to the Chinese royal family and Matsumura was the bodyguard to the Okinawan royal family, we'd say they'd be natural counterparts.
- Dong Hai Chuan (b1797), creator of Bagua Zhang and employee of Prince Yu
- Sokon Matsumura (b1798), creator of Bassai Kata and employee of King Sho Hashi
Could it be that Dong taught Bazi Quan (later Bagua Zhang) to Matsumura which became the basis for Bassai?
The similarities between [Goju Ryu, Uechi Ryu and Ryuei Ryu) is obvious, more than suggestinga common root of origin which is believed to be a derivative form of Pa Kua and
Shaolin Temple boxing.' Okinawan Karate by Mark Bishop
According to Mr. Akio Kinjo, a karate researcher, the name [of the Goju Ryu kata] SAIFA is
derived from "Sai", a Chinese word meaning a LION. In the kata of Saifa, there is a double
knuckle strike, which resembles a lion's paws. K Yamada
BASSAI is related to Leopard and LION BOXING forms. Akio Kinjo, Karate researcher and master of Jukendo
Katsumi Murakami, a direct student of such luminaries as Choshin Chibana (Shorin-ryu),
Motokatsu Inoue (Ryukyu Kobujutsu), Juhatsu Kyoda (Toíon-ryu) and many others..... says
that some parts remind him of the Wuxing Quan (Five Elements Fist) form of Xingyi Quan
Joe Swift, Classical Fighting Arts
Of all the Goju-ryu kaishu kata to be passed down, only Saifa appears to have retained it's original pronunciation in Fujian dialect. In 1936 Goju-ryu founder Miyagi Chojun wrote "Ryukyu Kenpo Toudi Enkaku Gaiyou" (an Outline of the History of Ryukyu Toudi). In it we can find a section entitled "Kenpo Torai ni tsuite" (On the origin of Kenpo) in which Miyagi Chojun names several styles of boxing including: Tiger, Snake, Dog, Crane and Lion boxing. Among the Southern Shaolin system in Fuzhou exists a family of boxing systems aptly labeled as "Lion boxing" (Jap. Shishi Kenpo). These include, among others, Lion Form boxing, Golden Lion boxing and Lion boxing. Not surprisingly, several elements of Lion boxing can be specifically seen in Saifa such as the double hiraken strike and mawashi uke The double hiraken strike, according to Kinjo and Tokashiki, represents the pouncing and pulling action of the a lion's front paws pulling down it's prey, while the mawashi uke, although often thought of as the mouth of tiger, can also be interpreted as the mouth of the lion as well. Finally, the many stomping actions contained within Saifa are meant to represent the powerful steps of the lion.
Joe Swift & Mario McKenna, Classical Fighting Arts
If you are seized from behind by a thug, the most exquisite technique is the lion method in which you can repel an opponent and deliver a mortal blow using the ferocity of the lion. In karate, people think that only the use of the limbs of the human body constitutes an offensive or defensive technique. When secret technique is studied thoroughly, an individual does not limit himself to the use of only the limbs. The whole body, especially the head has the greatest power to thrust against an opponent. For example, when the opponent seizes you from behind momentarily sink your ki (vital energy) to the tanden (lower abdomen). Drop your hips, and thrust them back. At the same time take one step forward with your right foot and raise both your arms. At that moment, open your mouth and thrust your head backwards from the right into the thug's face. In this instance the head is used to attack and has become a secret technique. When using the head to attack to the front, close the mouth, and when attacking to the rear, open the mouth. At the same time exhale from the tanden, and strike to produce an exquisite technique. Although there are many different techniques when being seized from the rear, the lion method is the only method in which to repel and opponent and deliver a mortal blow.
Kanken 'Oyodamari' Toyama
There is an extant Chinese fighting system called Ba-Ji Quan. Its precursor was Bazi Quan.
BaJi Quan originates from the DongNan town of Cang county, HeiBei province, in the area of Meng village, about bout 40 km from the city, traditionally called "The nest of BaJi", this area is the old home of PiGuaQuan as well.
The Grandmaster of Baji Quan (www.bajimen.com) believes that the style comes from the BaZi fist and staff that was recorded in the "JiXiaoXinShu" ("New Book of Effective Techniques"), where it was written: "Among the fist families of old and new...Yang family spear methods and BaZi fist and staff, are the famous families of the day."
From its ancient and simplistic favour, as well as the focus on lance and long staff training, we can estimate its date of creation to be around the beginning of Ming dynasty ( 1368 AD ); It also has strong connections to the military arts of the era. As regards who the originator of Ba-Ji was or even when it was first practiced it is very difficult to say, but according to the old texts a man named Wu Zhong (nicknamed Hong Sheng 1712-1802), also the founder of Ba Men Chuan (eight doors style) in North China, started to practise Wushu when he was eight.
One night Wu Zhong was practising Wushu in the courtyard and an old man suddenly jumped from the roof and stood in front of him, laughed at him and said he was not practising properly. Wu Zhong asked who he was but the old man didn't answer and started to do some kung-fu. Wu Zhong had never in his life seen such techniques so he asked the old man to sit down and tell him what he was doing. Wu Zhong asked him what style was he doing, the old man said it was 'Ba-Ji Chuan' (Eight Directional Boxing).
Mention of the style first appeared in writing during the Ming dynasty in "Chi Hsiao Hsing Shu" by General Chi, a treatise on military strategy. Prior to that it was a family art passed down by the royal Ching family while ruling China. It has a long history of relationship to the Imperial house and its bodyguards.
Ba means eight. The syllable Ji can mean 'Direction', it can also mean Pole, which by Taoist cosmology can refer to something being "poles apart" (think of the North Pole and South Pole as Yin and Yang) it can also refer to the "Supreme Ultimate Ridgepole" at the centre of the universe which connects Heaven, Earth and Man. In this context Yin and Yang are refered to as Tai Ji (Supreme Ultimate Ridgepole) which is also the name of a famous martial art, Tai Ji Quan (Tai Chi Chuan).
Baji or Ba Chi also has a rather less glamourous hononym which is Bazi which means "rake". There is obviously a distinction between a pole that comprises a rake and the pole that the cosmos revolves around!
Ironically one of the most famous masters of the art also fought with a spear - that other kind of pole. When the surviving art of Baji Quan is taught in Japan it is referred to as hakkyokuken.
There is, however another translation of Bazi.
Ba/Ha/Pa Can mean White
Zi/Shi/Sai/Rai Can mean Lion
Bazi therefore can mean White Lion.
At this stage it does not matter to us whether we accept the translation "Eight Poles Boxing" or "White Lion Boxing" but we should observe the symbolism of the pole in question. It can be something as common as a rake or maybe a spear, it can mean polar directions, or it can mean a theoretical ridgepole.
Master Su Yu Chang believes Bazi Quan is actually one of the oldest of all Chinese martial arts. He writes:
One of the oldest systems of marital arts, dating back 5000 years to the Huang Di Dynasty, Pachi Chuan was first documented under the name Pa Men Shiong Chuan (The Eight Bear Gates Style). The reason for using "Bear" was simply because of the armor they wore. In those days the militant's armor was made of dried and hardened animal skins. The higher up the rank, the tougher and heavier the animal skin armor was. The highest rank used bearskin. This practically impenetrable (for the weapons of the times) armor, was also very heavy, making very limited mobility. For this reason Pachi Chuan was developed to be a very martial and efficient system, projecting explosive energy in a direct path much like a cannon. In Pachi Chuan, the student focuses not on deflecting the opponent's blows, but rather on penetrating his attack to overwhelm him. This system is so powerful that during the Ching dynasty it was the official system of the Emperor's Court. Thus "Eight" referring to the number of guards who would escort the Emperor at all times.
Pachi Chuan is a very physically demanding style, utilizing the idea of 100% of available force in every technique.
Differing from its sub-style, Hsing-I Chuan, Pachi Chuan works with several different kinds of energy projections (Chin). These are Spiral Energy, Crossing Energy, Falling Energy, Explosive Energy and Penetrating Energy. Apart from using the Five Basic Energies (Wushing Chi), in the Pachi Chuan system the student learns how to project each one, or a combination of the different "Chins", thus creating a vast amount of attack possibilities.
Hsing-I Chuan or "mind boxing" was created by a famous General of the Sung Dynasty, Yueh Fei, about 1500 years ago. Having learned Pachi Chuan himself he wanted to teach his troops this powerful sytle. Realising that the movements of Pachi Chuan were not designed for armies of solidiers with heavy armor, General Yueh modified the techniques to better fit his men. This way he created Hsing-I Chuan. With a foundation in Pachi Chuan, this system became direct, powerful and elegant in its simplicity. The basics of this style were developed by using the five elements and twelve animals.
The last story is perhaps the best know. Chen Wan-Ting (?-1719) was a general who lived in the state of Ho Nan, in the town of Chen Chia Kuo. He was well versed in Kung Fu, both popular and military. He was also knowledgable about Taoist meditation, the I Ching, and self-healing ways of Chinese medicine. One of his guards, Chan Hua
(1644-1722), had studied Hsing I since early in his childhood and was also a warrior, fighting against the government of the Ming Dynasty. Chang Hua left him and worked instead for Chen Wang-Ting. Chang Hua was extremely fast, as fast as a horse. While hunting with his master one day, a white rabbit appeared. Chen Wang- Ting wanted to hunt it with his bow and arrow, but his grandson pleaded for him not to kill it but to give it to him instead. The grandfather remarked that the rabbit was too fast to be caught, but Chang Hua ran after it and caught it promplty. With elements of Hsing-I introduced by Chuang Hua, Cheng Wang-Ting created Tai Chi Chuan. Some say that Hsing-I was one of the origins of Tai Chi Chuan, in fact Cheng Wang-Ting wrote a secret book of Tai Chi Chuan that also included Hsing-I Chuan.
Technical characteristics of Bazi Quan
Ba-Ji is a very powerful, aggressive and effective fighting art, but this side of the style has usually been kept secret or taught to very few people. In Taiwan for example, fighting Ba-Ji is practised by the presidential guards and various special security agents. Most of the movements in the single Ba-Ji form are performed in a very sudden, violent, and explosive manner.
There is a strong unleashing of force followed by immediate relaxation ready for the next action. Like Chen style Tai Chi, Ba-Ji also utilises 'Chan Si Jing' or 'silk reeling energy' where power coils through the body and is released in a sudden burst of energy, short but strong.
The punch starts from a low crouching position and spirals up into the final left punch, arm slightly bent, with a simultaneous right shoulder and elbow strike. The breathing is combined with the technique and a sort of 'hng' sound is produced in the throat on completion. There is also a slight sinking forward and down of the upper body.
The Ba-Ji form is done fast and aggressively with occasional slow and relaxed movements. There are frequent jumping and twisting techniques and sudden attacks and retreats.
One of the main distinguishing characteristics of Ba-Ji is its fast attacks followed by sudden withdrawing movements.
There are no high kicks; just simple practical low front kicks, low leg attacks and foot sweeps, knee strikes, and stamps to the ankle, knee, or foot. There are several types of punch but the hand techniques tend to be mainly palm attacks, open-hand chops, finger strikes, grabs, blocks, and various locks and holds.
Conclusions:
Bazi Quan Fist and Staff and Yang Family Fist and Staff were considered to be the premier fighting arts in China.
Bazi Quan came to be called Baji, whereas the art of the Yang Family (ie Yang style Tai Chi) came to be known as Taiji.
Stylistically both Bazi Quan and Taiji Quan use "silk reeling" explosive energy and both use the Taoist imagery of the Yin Yang, the Eight Trigrams and the Supreme Ultimate Ridgepole. Both also seem to be derived from Spear Fighting.
Hsing-I was considered a sub-style of Bazi Quan.
Lion Method in Fujian (from the Han Wei Wu Shu Newsletter)
Shi Fa (Lion Method), also called Jin Shi (Golden Lion) is from Northern part of Fujian originated from the Lianjiang areas but practiced mainly in the Yongfu areas (Fuzhou, Yongtai, Changle, Lianjiang etc) .Although it is practiced with an emphasis on both Gang (go) and Rou (ju) (Hard and Soft), it actually is more of a Hard explosive power type of art. The Wei Family of Lianjiang are considered the keepers of the style currently and the style is not very well known outside of the general Fuzhou districts. There are 6 empty hand forms in the style such as Sanzhan (3 Battles), Jinshi Sanjiao (3 Angles), Sanshixiwuhu (3 lions play with 5 Tigers), Shizi xiqiu (Lion Plays ball), Jinshixiwohu (Lion plays with sleeping tiger), ShuangShi (Double Lions 2 man set) etc