In reality - you really only need to know a single routine. - as long as it addresses the 4 ranges of combat.
Courtesy of Sifu Eric Hargrove
(Sifu Kisu edit)
"Ten Routine Spring Leg"
particularly its positions, skills and exertion of force, which helped me
greatly to further replenish and raise my skills. Due to the instructions given
by the famous masters and through twenty-odd years' practice of my own
while serving the Shaanxi Provincial Wushu Team as a coach, I have realized
that the
"Ten Routine Spring Leg" requires a solid technique with focused
force exertion and rhythmic body coordination. It is a comprehensive
traditional boxing which consists of body work, steps, handwork and foot-
work, together with exertion of force, used either in attacking or in defense.
Indebted to my teachers for their earnest instructions and because of the
persistent practice for several decades by my own, I have accomplished
certain results, which I am writing in this book for reference for the Wushu
lovers.
The Resume of the "Ten
Routine Spring Leg
The "Ten Routine Spring Leg" is a traditional Chinese martial art with a
long history. It was originally one of five major sections in the Northern
school: In ancient China, many pugilists were specialized in this skill, which
spread Far and wide all over China, particularly in Henan, Hebei, Shangung
and Shaanxi provinces, as well as in some overseas lands.
The "Ten Routine Spring Leg" is one of the most favourite sports of the
Hui nationality in our country. As a Chinese Wushu proverb goes:
"From Beijing to Nanjing, the best players of Spring Leg come from the Islam (Hui religion)."
Therefore, some people call it "Huihui Spring Leg"
The founder of the "Ten Routine Spring Leg" was Chashangyir, used to be called
Chamir (1568-1644), a Hui native of Xinjiang, Northwest China in the Ming
Dynasty (1368-1644 AD.).
In the prime of his life, it happened to be the years when the Chinese coast in the Fukien and Zhejiang provinces was harassed by the Japanese pirates. The rulers of the Ming Dynasty massed their troops to resist the enemy. Chamir joined the army and went down to
the south. But as the transport at that time was so poor the troops had to
walk such a long way to the southeast in very harsh conditions. While
climbing mountains and crossing rivers, Chamir contracted bad colds and
was laid up before he could reach the front. He was left behind to
recuperate in a mountain village in Guanxian County, Shangtung Province.
After a few months' treatment he was fully recovered. It was autumn, just
the time when the local peasants finished their harvest and started practising
riding and shooting on their threshing ground. Having seen this, Chamir said
to himself: the village people had looked after me, a stranger from afar, with
meticulous care, shouldn't I do something useful to repay their kindness?
Thereupon, he taught the villagers the "Spring Leg"
and the "Ten Routine Boxing", which had been devised and performed by himself for many years.
These skills were warmly welcomed by the country folk. Thereafter, more
and more people learned this boxing and it spread far and side. Later,
people named the "Ten Routine Boxing" as "Chaquan"',
taking the tirs character "Cha" in Chamir's name. The boxing originally consisted of 28
routines which were put in alphabetical order, according to the Arabic
language which were then commonly used by the Hui nationality. Later, the
28 routines were synthesized into "Ten Routine Spring Leg". So this is the
origin of the "Chaquan" and "Ten Routine Spring Leg"
and it also explains why the birthplace of the "Ten Routine Spring Leg" is Guanxian County, Liaocheng, Shangtung Province.
