Wuzuquan (Five Ancestors Boxing)
五祖拳Southern Chinese style from Quanzhou that combines five fists: Damo, Taizu, Luohan, the monkey fist and the white crane. On China's national heritage list since 2008.
Quick Facts
ChinaCharacter & Origin
Training
Who It Suits
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
Editorial rating on a 0–3 scale, based on how much room each area gets in ordinary training.
Catalogs & Databases for Wuzuquan (Five Ancestors Boxing)
About Wuzuquan (Five Ancestors Boxing)
Wuzuquan, the Five Ancestors Fist, is a southern Chinese style from Quanzhou in Fujian province. According to old manuals cited by China's national list of intangible cultural heritage, it combines five fists: Damo, Taizu, Luohan, Xingzhe, meaning the monkey fist of the pilgrim, and Baihe, the white crane. The style has over two hundred sets and the list describes it as practical and direct. Wikipedia names Cai Yuming, in Hokkien pronunciation Chua Giok Beng, as the founder in the late nineteenth century. We have not been able to document the exact year of origin and the national list does not name a founder. According to Wikipedia the opening set is sanzhan, taken over from Fujian white crane. It is written with the same characters as Okinawan sanchin, but we have not found the identity of the two sets in the sources. Since 2008 Wuzuquan has been on China's national list of intangible cultural heritage under number 803, nominated by the city of Quanzhou. It spread to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The list warns, however, that it is endangered because it is passed on in person and many masters have grown old or died. The representative bearer is Zhou Kunmin from Quanzhou, born in 1945.
History
According to old manuals cited by China's national list of intangible cultural heritage, Wuzuquan includes five fists: Damo, Taizu, Luohan, Xingzhe and Baihe. Xingzhe, the pilgrim, corresponds to the monkey fist and Baihe to the white crane. Wikipedia names Cai Yuming, in Hokkien pronunciation Chua Giok Beng, as the founder and places the origin in the late eighteen-eighties. In 2008 Wuzuquan was inscribed on the national list in the second batch under number 803 and code VI-31 in the category of traditional sports. It was nominated by the city of Quanzhou in Fujian province.
How it differs
The national list says that bearer Zhou Kunmin mastered the features of Wuzuquan's three main schools but does not name them. Besides Wuzuquan, the Chee Kim Thong lineage teaches the internal system Wujiquan, aimed at relaxation, breathing and posture, which must not be confused with it. Okinawan sanchin is written with the same characters as sanzhan, but we have not documented the identity of both sets.
Technique
According to the national list, the style has over two hundred sets and is described as practical and direct. According to Wikipedia, the opening set is sanzhan, meaning three battles, taken from Fujian white crane and taught first. Tradition attributes the body conditioning, the so-called iron body, to Bodhidharma. The Hong Kong intangible heritage inventory lists the South Shaolin Ng Cho Kun, that is Wuzuquan, together with the arm conditioning Tiebigong under number 371.
Training
According to a British school of the Chee Kim Thong lineage, a typical class includes warm-up, stance training, strikes, sets, applications, partner drills, breathing methods, conditioning and a cool-down. We have not found conditioning training and the sanzhan set described in Chinese official sources.
Ranks and progression
We have not found a uniform grading system at the federation or at the state office. A British school of the Chee Kim Thong lineage states that exams assess technique, sets, applications, knowledge, attitude, regularity and etiquette. International tournaments have compulsory sets, which were demonstrated at the opening in Quanzhou in 2024.
Today
The representative bearer on the national list is Zhou Kunmin, born in April 1945 in Quanzhou, author of books on Wuzuquan. The style spread to Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. The national list warns that it is endangered because it is passed on in person and many masters are old or have died. The International South Shaolin Wuzuquan Federation co-organizes tournaments in Quanzhou. Wikipedia states that it was founded in 1989.
Did you know
According to the agency China News Service, Wuzuquan is the most representative style of South Shaolin and the oldest of the seven main Fujian styles. Over six hundred fighters from more than twenty countries and regions took part in the international tournament in Quanzhou, opened on 11 November 2024.
Frequently asked questions
What do the five ancestors in Wuzuquan mean?
The five fists from which the style derives: Damo, Taizu, Luohan, Xingzhe, or the monkey fist, and Baihe, or the white crane.
Is sanzhan the same as Okinawan sanchin?
Both sets are written with the same characters. We have not been able to document their identity in the sources.
Is Wuzuquan protected heritage?
Yes. Since 2008 it has been on China's national list of intangible cultural heritage under number 803 and in the Hong Kong inventory under number 371.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.