Shaolin Kung Fu Combat Styles: 17. emperor's long-range form (太祖长拳: taizu chang quan)

instructor: monk De Yang
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- combat strategy:

the long-range style teaches "softness" in fighting, specially against a group of opponents. its main tactics are:

tactic 29 - "watch fires from other side of the river (隔岸观火)": avoid opponent's attack range. if his move is effective at close/long range, confront him at a far/close range.

tactic 30 - "fleeing is the best plan (走为上策)": (specially against a group of opponents) keep distance to avoid being caught or surrounded. the best way to keep distance is retreating.

tactic 31 - "lure the tiger leave the mountain (调虎离山)": instead of forcing the opponent, lure him. for example, to lure him to a direction, force him to the opposite, he naturally opposes and so moves to your planned direction.

tactic 32 - "to catch, let off (欲擒故纵)": instead of opposing, follow opponent's move. then, at a proper moment, complete his force and deflect it against himself.

these involve a harmony of 'soft & hard' short- and long-range moves. against a group of opponents, keep distance by retreating and do long-range sweeping moves to avoid being caught or surrounded and to tackle multiple opponents at the same time. lure individuals leave the group, cooperate with their moves, and then turn them against themselves.
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- history:

Song dynasty (960-1279):
Zhao Kuangyin (赵匡胤), the first emperor of the Song dynasty, had previously studied at Shaolin temple in his youth for a short period. after becoming the emperor, in 961 AD, he commissioned monk Fu Ju (福居), the chief of martial monks of Shaolin temple, to improve and standardize Shaolin kung fu styles. Fu Ju invited famous martial experts from various areas and Zhao Kuangyin also sent the famous army generals into the gathering. after a few years of work, they combined their knowledge with Shaolin kung fu and compiled the best styles they could. the first style they compiled was Zhao Kuangyin's main martial style, which was later named the 'grand emperor's long style (taizu chang quan)' in his honor. older Shaolin styles and these new styles were officially recorded into a book named 'Shaolin Kung Fu Manual (少林拳谱)' which was kept in the library of Shaolin temple and updated generation after generation.
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- note: there are various other forms and styles named 'taizu quan' or 'chang quan' in Chinese kung fu, and they are historically and technically different from Shaolin chang quan. these are just different styles with similar names.
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