Gan Fengchi
Semi-legendary figureSemi-legendary Chinese fighter from the era of the Kangxi and Yongzheng emperors who, with Qiao Sanxiu, learned from the monk Puzhao the style later called Sanhuang Paochui.
Quick Facts
ChinaBiography
Gan Fengchi is a semi-legendary figure linked to the Sanhuang Paochui style (literally Cannon Fist of the Three Emperors), named per the source for the legendary rulers Fu Xi, Shennong and Gonggong. The Chinese Wikipedia says he was born in Jiangning Prefecture in Jiangnan Province (today's Nanjing, Jiangsu) and lived under the emperors Kangxi and Yongzheng. We have not been able to verify his dates of birth and death.
According to the source, he learned the style, which received its present name only later, together with Qiao Sanxiu from the monk Puzhao, who himself studied under a Daoist priest on Mount Emei. According to the source, the two learned in opposite ways: Qiao Sanxiu made soft, flowing movements with outward force the core of the form, Gan Fengchi force and explosiveness released in a soft, yielding movement. The style's technique rests on the shizichi stance (cross fist) and the horse stance with a squat, with force released by the fa jin method.
According to the Chinese Wikipedia, he was famed in youth for courage and lived in Beijing in a high official's house. He made his name by defeating the Jinan fighter Zhang Dayi and a master from Jimo named Ma Yulin. The same source credits him with strength of which it is told that he “broke hard things with his hand and melted lead and tin into water in his fist”, and with a fondness for daoyin, breathing and stretching exercises.
According to the source, the style spread across northern China: Beijing, Hebei, Shandong, Liaoning and Jilin. No present-day students of Gan Fengchi are known, however.