Chinese Muslims of the past regarded martial arts as a means of bringing the inner Jihad into a tangible technique

for self-development, and in spite of undergoing many transformations, its truest form apparently uses the physical world to unify the mind, spirit and body. Read our guide for more facts and information

China is regarded as the place where the earliest form of martial arts originated about !"" years ago. Martial art consists of many fighting systems, with a distinct set of techniques for each system. #hile the e$ternal style that is characteristic of Chinese martial arts focuses on muscular power and agility to develop physical prowess, the internal style focuses on the spirit and energy flow to develop the soul. %he internal style uses slow movements, with proper coordination of the body parts and controlled breathing, with more emphasis laid on the philosophical aspect of martial arts.

The origin of Chinese Muslim martial arts &uring the '"th century, many (ersians and )rabs developed trade ties with China and settled there, some among the general population and some among the believers* communities. %he +ui people comprise five million Muslims in China, and have contributed much to the art with their tough and courageous spirit. Muslim generals of the ',th century played a vital role in the formation of the Ming dynasty. Consequently, Muslim martial arts contributed to perfect the indigenous arts of the Chinese nation.

Tan Tui

%an %ui is otherwise called the -springing leg*, recogni.ed universally as a Muslim style. /t consists of a set of repititive, stretched out moves, performed along a trac0 of several segments called -roads.* 1riginally it was divided into ten roads, and later tougher roads were split to form twelve roads. %an %ui, which became the earliest recogni.ed sets in 2ung 3u, can even be regarded as a forerunner of the standard forms of today*s #ushu. /t is said that Cha4hagmir, who was called Chamir, devised the technique which is 0nown as Cha Chuan or the Cha 3ist, named after the first syllable in his name. %an %ui originally consisted of 5 routines, corresponding to the letters of the )rabic alphabet.

Most of the movements in %an %ui consist of direct punches and 0ic0s, with a seemingly mechanical posture. #ide punches of the technique, called yo0e punches, are based on the Chinese medical practices for stretching and strengthening the prime points of the body. %he focus is to strengthen the abdominal muscles, and it encourages the 2ung 3u students to identify the highest range of motion.

The Wushu Muslim styles %he +ui leaders called on the people to practice #ushu, interpreted as a holy practice in the determined effort for survival along with self-improvement. /t is an age-old fluid martial art technique, based on swift 0ic0s and 6umps. Muslim styles apply Muslim principles as in Chaquan, 7ishiquan and 8inyiliuhequan, focusing on physical s0ills to render well-being and discipline.

Legacy of Muslim Kung Fu Muslim masters have undergone continual training, strenuously venturing towards perfection in the physical and spiritual aspects of life. Muslim 2ung 3u is renowned for its e$cellence in combat and philosophy. /slam has a '9""-year chrolonogy in China, and masters have emphasi.ed on the saying that a strong man is not the one who throws others in wrestling, but the one who can control himself in anger. %his wisdom is referred to as -+i0mah*, and Muslim masters have encouraged self-development by cultivating the inner energy called -Chi*.

+armony between the internal and e$ternal forms of 2ung 3u has enabled masters to hold on to the original faith, with e$tensive effort or -/6tihad* in creating martial arts that are based on the indigenous aspects of the /slamic ethics and creed. +ui spiritual leaders call it a holy practice, under the name -Jiao-men*, which means sect-fighting. /t was meant to foster tolerance among the youth and taught within the Mosque premises, but later spread out with -Muslim 3ist* technique gaining popularity.

Bajiquan :a6iquan, which means -eight e$treme fists* is characteri.ed by e$plosive actions on a short-range, and is well-0nown for its style of elbow stri0es. /t is associated with %ai6iquan, rather than 4haolin. %his system of martial art consists of dangerous stamping and weight modifications, besides its own unique technique for harnessing power. /t is not an e$clusive +ui technique, though renowned +ui practioners adhere to the style even today.

Zhaquan ;haquan is a martial art form that is predominant in China, especially in +enan and 4handong. /t comprises elegant and e$tended movements, characteri.ed by acrobatic actions and use of several weapons. %he training consists of ten lines of %an %ui, ten forms of ;haquan and several curriculam forms with various styles. ;hang, <ang and =i are the three divisions of ;haquan practiced in 4handong. %hough the style is prevalent among Chinese Muslims, it is becoming famous among non-Muslim people of China as well.

Qishiquan 7ishiquan, meaning -the seven warriors*, memoriali.es /slam*s seven imams namely, )li ibn )bi %alib, , +assan /bn )li, +usayn /bn )li, )li ;ayn al )bidin, Jafar as 4adiq, Muhammed al :aqir and /smail bin Jafar according to the 4hia belief. /t was then modified to represent seven forms. %hough it was practiced by +enan Muslims initially, it was eventually adopted in 4han$i too. %he sets of this martial art technique are built from seven basic postures as indicated by the name, but are becoming a rare art as very few people still adhere to it.

Huihui Shi a Zhou +uihui 4hiba ;hou in Chinese refers to -+ui elbow eighteen style*. %hough this martial art technique was thought to be forgotten, a teacher named Ju 2ui, who 0new the style was sought by researchers in the year '>?". :orn to a +ui family at +ebei in '55@, he began

learning martial arts from the age of si$, and spent '? years learning '> types of martial arts.

!inyiliuhequan 8inyiliuhequan, which means -Mind, /ntention and 4i$ +armonies 3ist*, was developed in the province of +enan. %he Chinese Muslims of +enan had preserved the style, which is said to have originated in the province of 4han$i by Ji =ongfeng. %he &ai family transmitted the art to =i =uonent, who altered the style to resemble the contemporary 8ingyi, which is prevalent in +ebei and 4han$i. %he practice methods are limited, and the style uses close range actions li0e shoulder-stri0es. 1f its two branches namely, =ushan and =uoyang, the latter is still popular only in +ui communities.

"iguaquan (iguaquan, meaning -chopping and hanging fist*, is said to have its origin in Meng Aillage of +ebei (rovince and was founded by a Chinese Muslim named #u ;hong. +e learned the styles from %aoist mon0s and taught them to his daughter, who is regarded as the second-generation leader of the style. 4he passed on the teaching to her husband, and both of them used two distinct systems namely, ba6i and pigua, to teach their styles. %he swinging and chopping methods have been adopted in contemporary #ushu art forms.

S#or$ fighting Ma +ong0ui, the Muslim Beneral used &adao swords for combat while training with troops, and his soldiers indulged in sword dances during &adao training. Ma ;hongying, another Muslim Beneral engaged his troops in shadow fencing in their practice session, and in the :attle of %utung, swords were used to storm Russian machine gun posts.

Chinese Muslim martial arts, stimulated much by the 7ing &ynasty persecutions, were prevalent in particular areas li0e the province of +ebei. Cpitomi.ed with different )rabic names, the effectiveness of these arts became popular in China, owing to their ubiquitous presence. %he Muslim interpretation of 2ung 3u prevailed among other styles, and was practiced by 4haolin mon0s and 7uanshu schools.