Flower Fist

Flower Fist, also known as "Hua Quan", is neither a flower nor a substance; it is a flower but not a flower. The score reads: "Flowers cannot be found in the ring; skillfully striking the chain is imperceptible." It is also said: "The flower fist is not a dance of Yin and Yang; it alternates between speed and stubbornness, concealing the real and the illusory. When the fingers strike, it guards the left and right; when advancing or retreating, it protects the central hall." The theory of boxing states: "When one strikes, it is like a hundred flowers blooming at once, dazzling the eyes and causing confusion." The boxing techniques are proficient within while the spirit is exerted outside. In both offense and defense, the techniques involve the interplay of contention, length, rolling, turning, and sealing and striking. The skillful strikes are linked in a chain, while the hard strikes should be both firm and gentle. The beginning and the end should be connected, and all directions should be flexible. You strike your own, I strike mine. Water, fire, and wind should penetrate without any holes. The opening and closing should be appropriate, with movement and stillness alternating. The force, vitality, unity, tightness, and continuity should be maintained, and the movements should be flexible and diverse. Action: Composed and simple, tight and complete. Strike: Quick and agile, with a swift and continuous play. Force: Full and vigorous, with a harmonious blend of hardness and softness. Fixedness: Consistency of form and spirit, quick and impatient. Internal strength: The mind and qi are in harmony, and the qi sinks to the dantian. Flower Fist has the characteristics of long fist, which is fast and powerful with a distinct rhythm. It also has a unique style of being firm yet gentle, combining form and spirit, as hard as iron and as soft as cotton, with a body like a willow and arms like whips. The Flower Fist technique requires "Five musts and Four Demands" : The five musts are: first, the tendons must be long; second, the qi must be abundant; third, the force must be vigorous; fourth, the roots must be solid; fifth, the body must be intact. The four pursuits: First, the body movement should be like a swimming dragon; second, the footwork should be as fast as the wind; third, the technique should be like shuttling; fourth, the eye movement should be like lightning. Flower Fist content: 1. Basic skills: (Detailed content omitted) Including various waist exercises, leg exercises, and arm exercises. Two Basic Exercises: (Detailed content omitted) Training methods for shaping various hand and step postures. A variety of training methods for changing techniques and footwork. A flexible and diverse training method for eye and body movements. Training methods for falling, throwing, rolling, tumbling and hitting. The training method for the practical skills and strength of martial arts and Sanshou. The training method for the internal force strain of the bag shaking slide rod. Iii. Pole Exercises (techniques omitted) include two major categories: health-preserving exercises and practical poles. Iv. Rehearsal and Beating Skills: (Details omitted) Rehearsal and beating are divided into two types: small exercises and large exercises. Minor exercises: Self-exercise with bare hands and equipment exercises all over the body. Grand percussion: A full-body strike with the aid of external force, using bare hands and equipment. There are two types of pole exercises: fixed poles and active poles. Five Routines: (Explanations omitted) Unarmed: A total of over forty sets. Twenty-four Forms, Thirty-Six Hands, Five Elements Fist, Linked Fist, Five Short Strikes. The five major boxing styles are: Zhan Shou, Hu Ben, Fen Shou, Tan Zhang and Xing Quan. Equipment: A total of over forty sets of beginner, intermediate and advanced knives, swords, sticks and spears. Short weapon: Dagger: Judge's pen. Long equipment: large spear, convenient shovel, bull head shovel, big crutch. Double weapons: two knives, two swords, two hooks, two spears, two halberds, two crutches. Soft weapons: Nine-section whip, three-section staff. Sparring practice: A total of over twenty sets of double and triple sparring punches. Bare-handed practice with equipment, practice with equipment against equipment. From "Zhongding International Wushu Network"