Lan Shou Quan

Lan Shou Quan or Arresting Hands Kung Fu Style originated in the Shaolin Temple Tradition but is a separate and distinct style of Kung Fu and has a history of over four hundred years.  The integrity of the spirit of Lan Shou make it an extraordinary example of Chinese martial arts.

 The words Lan Shou mean (respectively) ‘that stops’ and ‘hand’. It refers to the power system and approach to combat aimed at stopping the 'enemy where he is'.  It is said that the highest expression in the art of Lan Shou is the development of strength that 'shakes, and pounce,'" which can be used to both reject and throw off an attacker, or to strike and damage internal organs.

 A student of Grandmaster Zhong Bao Qing, Xu Guo Ming (George Xu) has said that compared to other arts, the primary characteristic of Lan Shou is the combination of substance and practicality. ‘The first characteristic of Lan Shou is it is realistic, which means that it is a real fighting technique and includes a sense of practicality and substantiality, … a movement must be practical, and a kick must be a substantial kick. There are no showy postures, no difficult acrobatic movements nor is it necessarily aesthetically pleasing.  The style focuses on qualities such as linearity, clarity, simplicity, and practicality.’   Master Xu said that Lan Shou can express the spirit of the practitioner, whether it be performed with smoothness and grace or resemble a ferocious tiger just released from the cage.

  Grandmaster Qing Zhong Bao                                                                                                                               

  Grandmaster Qing Zhong Bao's manuscript, called The Secret of Lan Shou, describes how to begin a serious workout:  ‘When a beginner starts the practice of Lan Shou Quan they must be scrupulous about every detail of each posture. It must be practiced at a slow pace at the beginning and then the speed should be increased as they acquire control and refinement of movement ... the most important point for an inexperienced practitioner is to do the movements correctly in order to unleash force. Only with a perfect posture can one properly develop the force. ‘
 

     

                                                                                                                                    

Some of the characteristics of Lan Shou are:                                                                                                                                     

• The body is relaxed and soft
• The breath is brought into dantian
• The shoulders are kept loose and low
• The fist is held firmly in place
• The arm that defends moves with the same force as the striking arm
• The head and spine are kept close and aligned
• The body and fist move together simultaneously        

The Lan Shou form taught at Natural Tai Chi Devon is that taught by Master Wu Ji of Shanghai.  Classes include Muscle/Tendon stretching exercises, drills, qigong and form work