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The Chinese Hui Wushu Legacy
Extracted from The TV Documentary, The Great Hui Wushu
Legacy
PRODUCED BY KUNG-FU MASTER M.J.Li(Ma Li Jien), 2012 LEGENDS OF
KUNGFU WORLD CHAMPION
www.mjlikungfu.com
MUHAMMAD JUNAID CHAFEKER
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
In our Modern Era, Kung-Fu Icons in the form of Bruce Li, Jackie
Chan and Jet Li, have catapulted Wushu onto the
silver-screen, thus continuously keeping the masses from across
the Globe in touch with the age-old tradition of
Kung-Fu, widely classified as The Mother of all Martial Arts
Kung-Fu is translated as energy and Wushu translated
as military arts, the latter of course crystallized as a concept
and way of life during the various rebellions and
revolts initiated by Wushu Warriors rising up against Tyranny.
These warriors were then said to use their wushu in
order to defeat the opposition in actual warfare.
It is a known fact that The Han Chinese have contributed
significantly to the framework of Kung-Fu over the
centuries, however it must be borne in mind that the minority
classes in China have also played their part. Of the
55 minority groups that reside in China, The Hui rank as the
largest and probably the most prominent of them all.
The Hui are classified as Chinese Muslims who reside mostly in
the North with pockets of Hui also found scattered
across the country. Estimations have varied over the years, some
commentators saying this minority class musters
30 million. However on a recent trip to Shanghai in November
2010 to compete at The World Chin-Woo Kung-Fu
Championships, led me to experience my first ever Eid in
Shanghai where well over 7 000 congregants attended
Eid Proceedings at The Mosque.
On the occasion too an opportunity was afforded to me to
interview The Imam of The West Huxi Mosque in
Shanghai. The Imam elaborated on the rich Islamic History that
has been preserved over the centuries. He further
stipulated that according to their estimates, The Chinese Muslim
Population could well be in excess of 150 million.
Whether 30 million or 150 million, one things for sure, The Hui
Minority have ensured that their names, efforts
and contributions be etched in The Chinese Annals of History.
Kung-Fu is probably the most diverse martial arts
framework in existence that calls upon a vast array of forms,
techniques, skills, weapon sets, full contact on
the lei-tei[PLATFORM] and scores of aerial kicks and maneuvers
always guaranteed to appease the onlooker.
Expressive and creative at the very core, Kung-Fu is best
executed and displayed through forms like Shaolin,
Taiji[TAI-CHI], Praying Mantis, Tigers Claw, Eagles Claw,
Drunken Fist, etc. Also the weapon sets, Broad Sword,
Straight Sword, King-Spear, Wushu Whip/Chain, Tri-Sectional
Staff and Chakkas, etc. Kung-Fu and full contact
offers Sanda, Sanshao and the freestyle wrestling and grappling
system of Chiao-Siao. A brief account of the Hui
Muslims in China date back to the 6thCentury. Under the guidance
and leadership of The Prophet Muhammad
(PBUH), Wahab(RA) was sent with an epistle to China , inviting
the Emperor and Common-folk to the unity andbrotherhood of Islam,
who was received well by the Imperial Court and the Masses, the
masses later referring to
him as Sorata.
This contributed towards the first seed of Islam being planted
in China. With the demise of The Prophet
Muhammad(PBUH), under the Khilafah(rulership) of Uthman(RA) and
approximately three decades later he sent
an epistle to China under General Saad Bin Abi Waqqas(RA). When
he arrived there, he had already found an
entity of Islam existing. However the floodgates opened in 751
when The Muslim Empire under The Abbassid
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Family was expanding its territory eastwards and The Tang Empire
of China was expanding its territory westwards.
During the course of that year the two armies locked horns on
the border of Kazakstaan. The Chinese boasting of
three superior generals and renowned martial artists and The
Muslims led by a young man, Ziyad Ibn Salih who
incidently was a brilliant strategist and military general.
Ziyad was able to conjure up such a plan that within a
period of three months the Muslim Army was able to defeat The
Tang Army.
Barely two thousand men remained on the side of The Tang Army
who vacated the battlefield and returned to
the Imperial Court and recounted their defeat to the Emperor.
Shortly thereafter the Muslims travelled to China
regularly and conducted trade with the locals. This regular
journey had become too cumbersome and the Muslim
Traders decided to settle in the North of China. These traders
were from Arab, Persian and Turkish descent. By
settling in the North of China, they married the local Chinese
women. Thus an entity was formed where there
was an amalgamation and fusion of cultures between Arab, Persian
and Turkish Muslims and Han Chinese. This
gave rise to Chinas most prominent minority group, The Hui, who
to this day are Muslims. The Muslims took an
instant liking to a number of aspects part of the Chinese
Culture. Amongst this included the practice of kung-fu as
The Prophet Muhammad(PBUH)encouraged Muslims to keep fit as he
during his lifetime engaged in swimming,
archery, wrestling, spear-play, sword-play and running.
By adapting to the practice of wushu, The Hui Muslims were able
to, in a short space of under 80 years establish
their own independent schools of wushu including the evolution
of their own forms and techniques. It must be
borne in mind that these very forms, ways and techniques are
still in vogue today. Probably the most pronounced
wushu form introduced and evolved by the Hui Muslims is The
Tantui which is literally translated as spring leg
exercises. This framework was introduced by The Hui Muslim
General Cha Shan Mir, known in the Muslim world as
Zamir. The practice and flow of the form sees the practitioner
form all the letters of the Arabic alphabet with the
use of bodily movements or the inclusion of the use of weapon
sets.
The Hui Muslims across China used this form to teach their
children the introduction to wushu and importantly
coupled with this physical activity, it was an inventive way of
teaching the younger generation the nuances of
the Arabic Language too. To this day it still is a common
practice amongst the Hui. This instruction of Tantui took
place in the courtyards of the mosques in China and is still
very much the practice today. Perhaps this imitationin China is a
microcosm of what was prevalent in The Prophet Muhammads Mosque in
Madina, as the courtyard
there was regularly used for sword and spear play contests,
wrestling and archery activities. Kung-Fu and Wushu
Competitions and Demonstrations are also regularly arranged for
amongst The Hui Muslims in China during
Ramadaan, on Eid, Celebration of The Prophet Muhammads Birth,
Celebration of The Islamic New Year, etc.
Tantui aside, The Hui Muslims in China have also been
instrumental in introducing other kungfu/wushu
frameworks, ie, Zha-Chuan, Baji-Chuan, Tongbei, etc. Many of
these Hui Led Frameworks have largely contributed
towards the development of Modern Kungfu at it is today.
Likewise, The Chinese Hui Muslims have also produced
a Galaxy of Wushu/Kungfu Masters renowned for their amazing
skills and prowess, immediate names come
to mind, ie, Li Zicheng, Mao Fu Long, Zheng Shao Fu, Cha Shan
Mir, Wenzhuang, Wang Zi Ping known for his
matchless bravery and courage who was a major component of The
Boxers Rebellion. Most recently, The ChineseHui Muslim Kungfu
Grandmaster, Ma Xianda, a 9thlevel grandmaster of renown has taught
over 10 000 kungfu
students, athletes and champions including teaching
International Kungfu Superstar, Jet Li, Ma Xianda also taught
the entire supporting cast of the movie, Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon, Wudang Kungfu which they used onset.
Hui Muslims who practiced kungfu believed and still do, That God
is Beautiful, and loves beauty thus the belief is
that kungfu/wushu should be taught, practiced, demonstrated and
explained with beauty and expression.
