Chuojiao
01 · Historical Records
Chuojiao is a northern school of boxing, historically circulating under names such as "zhiziquan," "jingangchui," "tangzitui" and "jiufan yuanyangtui"; its methods attach the greatest importance to leg work, hence the sayings "the hands are two gate leaves — it is the legs that strike the opponent" and "hands strike for three parts, feet kick for seven." During the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty, Feng Keshan taught disciples and passed on the art in the Raoyang area; through the practice, enrichment and refinement of several generations, a fairly systematic Raoyang chuojiao school took shape. It later divided into civil (wen) and martial (wu) tangzi styles; Raoyang chuojiao belongs to the martial style, emphasizing practical combat and prizing nothing flowery, and is practiced in Hebei, Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning and elsewhere.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Chuojiao is one of the traditional martial-arts schools with a long history, practiced in Hebei Province, Beijing, Tianjin and Liaoning Province. Historically, chuojiao was known by such names as "zhiziquan," "jingangchui," "tangzitui" and "jiufan yuanyangtui." Chuojiao originated at Shaolin, was founded in the Song dynasty, took shape in the Ming dynasty and flourished in the Qing dynasty. Chuojiao is divided into two tangzi styles, civil (wen) and martial (wu). Raoyang chuojiao belongs to the martial style: it emphasizes practical combat, its movements run through the whole body, its power is coordinated, and its techniques contain nothing flowery. Its set routines include the qiqiang bagua sabre, Chunqiu great sabre, thirteen kicks, nine zhi strikes, jingangchui, eighteen leg blocks, thirteen-point acupoint striking and thirteen unique skills. Its weapons include the wuhu duanmen spear, pointed-steel spear, liuhe spear, sancai sword, single-sabre with crutch, ground-lying sabre and double-headed snake staff. Raoyang chuojiao gives equal weight to fist and foot techniques; in performing the routines it emphasizes flinging the head and thrusting the shoulders and twisting the waist and cutting the hips, requiring the hand's force to issue from the spine and the foot's power to be delivered from the hips, with emphasis on force and hard skill. Every advancing move begins by turning the body sideways and slipping in; with the waist and hips twisted, the shoulder moves first, then the elbow, and only then is the hand released, so that the series of movements — twisting the waist, rotating the hips, flinging the head and thrusting the shoulders — converges into a powerful centrifugal force. Veteran masters vividly liken this kind of power to "twisted-dough-twist force" or "pellet-drum force." The boxing sayings "the hands are two gate leaves — it is the legs that strike the opponent," "hands strike for three parts, feet kick for seven" and "if the upper limbs do not arrive, what use are the legs?" indicate the body-method requirement of being centered, upright and nimble, governed by the waist and supported by the shoulders and hips. The hand issues from the spine and the foot is delivered from the hips; both rely on the waist and the shoulders and hips. The boxing saying "once you see the buttocks drop, you know chuojiao has arrived" refers to the various backward kicking methods of chuojiao, such as the jiufan yuanyangtui (also called the "rear dingchang kick"), rear outside-swing kick, rear heel kick and rear upward-sweep kick. The leg method requires the body's center of gravity to settle on the supporting foot, with the striking leg coming down in a reverse poke, landing on the ball of the foot with the heel raised, so that the two legs form a "ding" (T-shaped) configuration. For this reason the fixed posture of chuojiao is called "chuoding." Raoyang chuojiao has compact movements, simple hand techniques and low, small stances, making it easy to attack and easy to defend; it is fierce and powerful, fully embodying the coordination of fist and foot. Its leg techniques and concepts of attack and defense embody the practicality and wisdom of traditional Chinese martial arts.
Thirteen kicks, nine branches and the diamond hammer
The representative sets of Raoyang stamping-foot boxing, alongside spear-sabre, great sabre and eighteen intercepting legs.
The nine-turn mandarin-duck leg
The backward kicking family of the style, in which the striking leg stamps down on its forefoot and the heel lifts.
The chu ding stance
The settled posture after a kick, weight on the support leg and the striking leg stamped down to form a T with the feet.
The wringing and rattle-drum forces
The two images old masters use for the style's force, wringing the waist and turning the hips so shoulder, elbow and hand arrive in sequence.
Five-tiger gate-breaking spear and twin-headed snake
The weapons of Raoyang stamping-foot boxing, spears, swords, single sabre with crutch and the twin-headed snake.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
During the Jiaqing reign of the Qing dynasty, Feng Keshan taught disciples and transmitted chuojiao in the Raoyang area of Hebei; through the continuous practice, enrichment and refinement of several generations, a fairly systematic Raoyang chuojiao lineage gradually took shape, historically known as the "Raoyang Chuojiao School." Since then Raoyang chuojiao has circulated in the Hengshui area of Hebei Province, and is especially popular in Beiguanzhuang Village, Wodi Village, Beizhangbao Village and Beishan Village of Raoyang County, Hengshui.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Chuojiao is transmitted from master to apprentice and within families, and is also passed on in a living, spontaneous way among folk groups in many places. Protecting and inheriting chuojiao is of practical significance for enriching and developing Chinese martial arts and promoting the cause of martial-arts culture.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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