Chang Chuan

Original of Chang Chuan

Chang Chuan, also know as Long Chuan or Tai Zhu Chuan, is one of the classic Shaolin Kung Fu Styles. It is said that Chang Chuan was created by Zhao Kuang Yin, who was known as Song Tai Zhu, the first emperor of Song Dynasty (960-1279).

As Zhao Kuan Yin once learned Kung Fu in the Shaolin Temple, and was renowned for his staff-fighting skills during the wars. People called the Kung Fu style he taught as “Zhang Chuan”, which had the meaning of “the fist style taught by the emperor or leader”. And later, the fist style was graduately called Chang Chuan, while “Chang” means long and often in Chinese language, and also indicates the Kung Fu style has long reach and wide influence, or the Kung Fu should be practiced often.

There are a lot of people practicing this Kung Fu style and the influence of it spreads and eventually reach to the Shaolin Temple. In Saolin Kung Fu, it was called Chang Chuan or Tai Zhu Chuan.

As for the famous martial artists and their styles, whether past or present, there is the thirty-two moves style Chang Chuan from Sung Tai Zhu, also called Tai Zhu Chang Chuan.

Characteristics of Chang Chuan

Main Characteristics: far-reaching; wide-sweeping strikes

Chang Chuan focuses on extending the body. It requires the movements’ distance, order be simple and concise. The hand and food movements and technique is very important.

Combat techniques of Chang Chuan:

1. Acupuncture points striking techniques

2. Standard direct combat techniques

3. Throwing or grappling moves

4. Seizing or lock holding techniques.

Eight Major Stance of Chang Chuan

Ma Bu (horse sitting stance)

Gong Bu, or Deng Shan Shi （Mountain Climbing stance）

Fu Hu Shi (Tiger-subduing stance)

Zuo Pan Shi (sitting cross-legged stance)

Du Li Shi (One-leg-standing stance)

Xu Bu (empty stance)