Liuhe Boxing
01 · Historical Records
According to historical records, its founding master was Li Fenggang, a martial arts instructor of the late Qing dynasty, and it has been transmitted for more than 200 years to the present. Fujian Liuhe School is a major branch of northern Shaolin martial arts, introduced to Fujian by Li Fenggang, a martial arts instructor of the late Qing dynasty. Its boxing and weapons systems are most widely practiced in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Ningde, with tens of thousands of practitioners; Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and other provinces, as well as a number of overseas countries and regions, also have its transmitters. Since the founding master Li Fenggang, the documented lineage has reached the fifth generation, and there are currently more than 40 active transmission backbones, who publicize the theories of the Liuhe School through publishing books and writing papers, and hold training classes in which masters lead apprentices.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Fujian Liuhe School is rich in content and complete in theory. Its core idea, "six harmonies" (liuhe), is the essence of a method of practicing boxing summed up by ancient masters from long experience in attack and defense. The so-called "six harmonies" refers to "internally training essence, qi, and spirit; externally training hands, eyes, and body". "Essence, qi, and spirit" are the three internal harmonies, and "hands, eyes, and body" the three external harmonies; when internal and external accord, one can begin to practice boxing and defeat opponents — this is the "six harmonies" of skill training. In application there are also "six harmonies": heart and intent in accord, intent and qi in accord, qi and force in accord — these are the three internal harmonies; hands and feet in accord, elbows and knees in accord, shoulders and hips in accord — these are called the three external harmonies. Only when practitioners meet the requirements of the "six harmonies" can they make upper and lower follow each other, look left and right, and use qi to drive force; only then can they ensure that when one part moves, all move, and when one part is still, all are still, with swift and powerful movements and unpredictable changes. The routines of Fujian Liuhe School include boxing, weapons, paired practice, combat techniques, and foundational-skill exercises; it is a boxing style rich in combative techniques. Its boxing routines include Liuhe Boxing, Green Dragon Boxing, and Black Tiger Boxing; its weapons routines include Qiankun Forest-Piercing Double Swords, Counter-Chopping Swords, Phoenix Golden-Wing Saber, Jiuzhou Staff, and Liuhe Spear. Its combat training method is distinctive, laying stress on "conforming to the three powers, fixing the five phases, moving over the seven stars, recounting the eight trigrams, and explaining the nine palaces". Conforming to the three powers refers to heaven, earth, and humanity; fixing the five phases means metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, corresponding to the heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys of the body; moving over the seven stars, recounting the eight trigrams, and explaining the nine palaces all refer to changes in footwork patterns and stances and the methods of training them. It is integrated with traditional Chinese culture; in the course of teaching it has formed the fine qualities of respecting masters and the way, observing courtesy, and keeping trust, and practicing Liuhe School martial arts helps cultivate body and mind and raise accomplishment. At the same time it can strengthen the body and provide self-defense, with strong practical function.
The inner and outer triple harmonies
In application the six harmonies are the inner three of heart, intent, breath and power, and the outer three of hand, elbow and shoulder with foot, knee and hip.
The five-part training maxim
A five-part maxim of combat training: the three powers, the five phases mapped to the organs, and the seven stars, eight trigrams and nine palaces of footwork.
Bare-hand routines
The school's curriculum covers bare-hand, weapon, paired and combat material; its boxing routines include the six-harmony, green dragon and black tiger sets.
Weapon routines
Weapon routines include the heaven-and-earth forest-piercing double swords, the paired chopping sword, phoenix single sabre, nine-province staff and six-harmony spear.
The state of the six harmonies
Only when the six harmonies are met can the practitioner move as one whole, driving power with breath in swift and unpredictable action.
Transmission through the Fujian centre
The Fujian Huaxia Wushu Development Centre serves as the safeguarding body, with the school widespread in the province and abroad.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Fujian Liuhe School is a major branch of northern Shaolin martial arts and one of China's famous schools of boxing. Liuhe School is transmitted in all parts of Fujian Province, being most widely practiced in Fuzhou, Xiamen, Quanzhou, and Ningde; in addition it is widely distributed in Jiangxi, Guangdong, Hainan, and other provinces, and has also spread far to a number of overseas countries and regions.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Fujian Liuhe School relies mainly on master-to-apprentice transmission; its lineage is clear, and since the founding master Li Fenggang the documented genealogy has reached the fifth generation. There are currently more than 40 active transmission backbones. They publicize the theories of the Liuhe School by publishing books and writing papers; at the same time they hold training classes in which masters lead apprentices, actively transmitting and practicing its boxing and weapons routines. At present the project survives in good condition, with tens of thousands of people studying Liuhe School martial arts. Fujian Liuhe School has outstanding characteristics, complete theory, and rich content; it is an important component of traditional Chinese sport and important material for the study of China's boxing styles.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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