Eagle Claw

The creation of the Eagle Claw method is normally attributed to General Yue Fei (1103–1141) who lived at a time of conflict between the Southern Song dynasty and the Jurchen tribes of the Jin dynasty. Despite being literate, young Yue Fei chose the military path because there had never been any tradition of full-fledged Confucian civil service in his family history.[1] However, the Yue family was much too poor to afford military lessons for their son, so the boy's maternal grandfather Yao Dewang hired Chen Guang (陈广) to teach the eleven-year-old how to wield the Chinese spear. Then a local knight errant named Zhou Tong (周同) was brought in to continue Yue's military training in archery after he had quickly mastered the spear by the age of thirteen.[2][3][4]

None of Yue Fei's biographies mention him learning boxing as a child, but martial researcher Stanley Henning states "[Yue] almost certainly did practice some form of bare handed fighting as a basic foundation for use of weapons."[5] However, he doesn't venture to guess if either of his teachers or someone else taught him boxing. Despite this, many modern day martial arts masters have assigned Zhou Tong this position. For instance, the internalist Yang Jwingming claims Zhou was a scholar who trained at the famed Shaolin temple and later taught Yue other skills beyond archery, such as various forms of internal and external martial arts. Yang believes this later led to Yue's creation of Eagle Claw and Xingyi, another style associated with the general.[6] The history that Yang presents does not mention the spearplayer Chen Guang and erroneously casts Zhou as Yue's only teacher.[6] Eagle Claw proponent Leung Shum does this as well and goes so far as to claim Zhou was a full-fledged Shaolin monk who trained Yue Fei inside of the temple itself.[7] Leung believes Zhou taught him "Elephant Style" which the general later expanded to create the "'108 Locking Hands Techniques' or Ying Sao (Eagle Hand)."[8] There is no evidence that Zhou was ever associated with the Shaolin Temple, though.[9]

The general's biographies are also silent about him creating any styles of his own.[10][11] The historian Meir Shahar notes Yue's mention in the second preface of the Sinew-Changing Classic (1624) is what "spurred a wave of allusions to the patriotic hero in later military literature". He continues, "By the eighteenth century, Yue Fei had been credited with the inventions of Xingyi Quan, and by the nineteenth century the 'Eight Section Brocade' and weapon techniques were attributed to him as well."[12] The Ten Compilations on Cultivating Perfection (Xiuzhen shi-shu) (c. 1300) assigns the creation of the Eight Section Brocade to two of the Eight Immortals, namely Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin.[13]

In Chinese, pronounced Xiàng (象) means "shape, form, or appearance". 象形拳, Xiang Xing Quan, literally means "Imitation Boxing" or "Shape-Mimicking Fist". It is a fighting technique which emphasizes the imitation of the offensive and defensive actions of a certain animal characteristic or celestial personage. In the relevance of the Ying Zhao Fan Tzi system the Xiang refers to moving or movement within the walking fist routine Xiang Quan Shi Lu

Xiang Xing Quan is an umbrella term for any martial arts that mimics characteristic/ forms/ movement/ action from anything other than human, and there are more than one school of kungfu practicing imitation boxing. Example of the animal style: Dragon, Tiger, Panther, Snake, Crane style (that falls under Hung Gar) Eagle Style Chin Na, horse, Mantis Boxing and so on.

According to legend, in the late Ming dynasty Yue Fei's material is said to have made a re-appearance at one of the sister schools of the Shaolin temple. Lai Chin/Liquan Seng (麗泉僧), an expert in the Bashanfan boxing method, encountered soldiers practicing the hand techniques that was called Yue Shi San Shou (岳家拳). After taking the time to learn and master these skills he undertook the daunting task of assimilating them into his pre-existing Fanziquan sets. Some earlier exponents nicknamed it "Ying Quan/Eagle Fist" due to the numerous grabbing skills present.

In 1644 the Ming dynasty was overthrown and replaced by the Qing dynasty. The earliest mention of a traceable lineage of Eagle Claw comes from the Liu Family of Hebei Province.

Liu Shi Jun (劉士俊劉仕俊(1827？-1910) (fl. 19th century) of Xiong County, Baoding City, Hebei is considered the Sijo (founder/ancestor) of the yīng zhuǎ fān zi quán (鷹爪翻子拳). He took up martial arts at an early age and studied under several exponents of Shaolin kungfu, Fanzi, and possibly Chuojiao and Liuhe boxing which were around at the time. Around middle age, he learned Yue Shi San Shouand Fanzi from Fa Cheng - Fa Seng (法成僧)[14] and Dao Ji Seng (道濟僧). He later was appointed as the military arts instructor for one of the barracks in the capital city of Beijing. He taught the troops fist and spear skills. His students were Liu Cheng You (劉成有), Liu Dekuan (劉德寬), Ji Zixiu (纪子修), Xu Liu, Ji De, Li Zhengsheng and others.

Liu Cheng You (劉成有) first learned martial arts from his uncle Liu Dekuan (劉德寬), who had been a student of Liu Shi Jun when stationed in Beijing. He continued his instruction under other prominent martial artist of the region such as "Dong Xianzhou (Ba Shan Fan) and Yang Jingshan nicknamed "flying Legs".[15] He later received advanced training under Liu Shi Jun when he retired to his home village. Liu Chen You turned out to be a very strict teacher and only accepted a few students. The main 2 were Liu Qi Wen (劉啟文) & Chen Zizheng (陳子正). From them the system expanded and became popular when associated with the famous Chin Woo Association. Many of their students became prolific teachers that helped spread the system throughout Asia were: Zhang Zhan Wen (张詹文) Liu Zhi Xiang, Liu Zhan Wu, Lei Peixian, Bao Xi Yong, Chen Go Qing, Guo Cheng Yao, Li Bao Ying,Liu Shu Yan 劉書彦, Liu Fa Meng, Zhang Jung Ting, etc.

The Chin Woo Athletic Association was fronted by the famed martial artist Huo Yuanjia in Shanghai. Its purpose was the dissemination of not only Martial Arts but sports and other educational systems to the public. The Eagle Claw system remained relatively restricted to the Xiong County, Baoding City in Hebei until Chen Zizheng was invited to teach at the Chin Wu.

After initial success with the first School in Shanghai, Chen went to his training brother Liu Qi Wen to offer his students careers as Martial Arts instructors in the Chin Woo Association. In time, Eagle Claw was being taught in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Guandong, Futsan, Singapore, Malaysia etc.

United States:

• Shum Leung 岑亮 (NYC) - Instructor: Ng Wai Nung 吳惠農 (student of Chan Tzi Ching, Lee Pu Yin, and Lau Fat Mang 劉法孟)
• Lily Lau 劉莉莉 (Liu LiLi) (California) - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang 劉法孟 (student of Lau Kai Man)
• Gini Lau 劉曼雲 (Liu Man Yuen)(California) - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang 劉法孟 (student of Lau Kai Man)
• James Lau Chi Kin 劉志堅 (Liu Zhikin) - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang (student of Lau Kai Man)
• Fu Leung - Instructor: God Father & Lau Chi Kin

Brazil:

• Li Wing Kay 李榮基 - Instructor: Lau Fat Mang 劉法孟 (student of Lau Kai Man)
• Chan Kwok Wai 陳國偉 - Instructor: Zhang Zhan Wen 张詹文 (student of Liu Cheng You)

Greece

• Panagiotis Derventis - Instructor: Guo Xianhe 郭宪和 (student of his father Guo Cheng Yao who learned from Chan Tzi Ching)

United Kingdom:

• Julian Dale 道志鸿 - Lineage Instructor Chen Jun Xin 陳俊新 (student of Yin Zhi Jiang 尹志江 & Liu Shu Yan 劉書彦) (Instructor #1: Fu Leung - Instructor #2 Gini Lau)