Is there a Division Between Southern and Northern Kung Fu?
Posted: July 23, 2008 at 8:39 pm | Tags: Differences between Southern and Northern Kung Fu, Northern Kung Fu, Southern Kung Fu
A Perspective of Division
Find a Northern or Southern Kung Fu Class
Classification is one of the ways the human mind breaks things down so that it can rationalize and understand it. For instance, stereotypes are a mind’s form of classifying the different types of people for a broader understanding. Not all of these classifications may have a negative connotation, such as stereotypes, and the divisions and classifications of martial arts is one of the many positive ones.
The many martial arts are like the Spanish language. It is spoken all over the world and is essentially the same. However, each country and each nationality has their own unique way of approaching the language. Furthermore, there are many differences within that country or nation. So even though they all speak the Spanish language, it is very different from country to country. The same goes for martial arts. All martial arts are martial arts. However, each martial art is reflective of the country it came from, the people who created it, and what it was used for. Every martial art approaches the art from a different vantage point. They are all speaking the “language” of martial arts, but each “dialect” has its own unique and valid place. Gongfu, Taiji, Qigong and many other martial arts come out of China. I speak on these three because this is the background I am most familiar with. It would be improper for me to write this small dissertation on Okinawa’s Karate, Korea’s Tae Kwon Do, Japan’s many Jitsus, or any other martial heritage. Within Gongfu, Taiji and Qigong there are hundreds of divisions, schools and philosophies. Gongfu alone has seemingly thousands of different styles and approaches. For this essay, we will discuss the divisions seen in Gongfu and the primary differences among them as well as why they are fickle and unimportant on the grander scale.
The two divisions most dominant in the Gongfu world are those of Northern and Southern and between Traditional and Modern. Within these two sets of divisions, thousands of different styles are represented. The differences are apparent in their forms, or taolu, as well as the language used within their school. But the most significant factor in what defines what the style is called, is the instructor.
This article can not do justice to explain nor list all of the differences between the different styles or schools of Chinese martial arts. It merely serves to give a brief overview of the varied and incredible amount of information on the subject.
As far as taolu is concerned, every style of Chinese martial arts practice a system of forms and routines which have helped pass down the legacy of the style and the uniqueness of the practice. These forms are the essence of the style and by watching a student or teacher perform the taolu, a discerning eye should not have trouble identifying from what region the martial art comes from. For instance, at competitions, spectators will often be able to point out a Northern taolu or a Southern taolu by simply watching the routine and the differences between Traditional taolu and Modern taolu are almost as easy to spot. Northern taolu are said to have long and low stances with high kicks, extravagant jumps and circling movements. A Southern taolu may be identified by its used of breathing and sounds as well as its shorter stances with multi-directional facings and movements. All these things are so trivial in identifying a style because every practitioner has their own unique way of presenting a taolu and practicing a routine.
Northern styles are also defined by coming out of the Northern regions of China and Southern coming from the Southern regions. The dividing line between north and south is disputed, but between the famous Yellow River and the Yangtze River is a good balanced location to set this “line.” Since Cantonese is spoken much more widely in the South of China, many Southern schools use Cantonese as their dominant language and the names of techniques and forms are Cantonese. Although Mandarin is the standard language of China, many in the South use Cantonese which is a dialect from Guangzhou, and so many Southern Chinese speak both Cantonese and Mandarin. Even though there are different dialects, the writing is the same with only different pronunciations. So even though two different Chinese martial arts may teach the same thing, they perhaps pronounce it differently. In the instance of Northern, in Mandarin it is pronounced Gongfu and in Cantonese as Kung Fu. They both are written the same in Chinese, but the pronunciation is different. This often creates much confusion for students and their parents looking into different schools and styles.
Nearly all Southern tradition schools use Cantonese. However, many schools which claim to be Northern use Cantonese. This has everything to do with the teacher and the lineage of the style. In the instance of Northern Eagle Claw as Taught by Lilly Lau, that lineage uses Cantonese because the family came out of the South of China. This style was developed in the South with taolu based on “Northern” techniques and another style based in the North. So while the style uses Cantonese and has a lineage which reaches back into the Southern region, the style is a Northern style because of its martial heritage.
Another method many masters and teachers approach the categorization of Chinese martial arts is to break them into either Traditional or Modern. Wushu is a popular subject for argument on the difference between new and old and it is a prime example of what many call “Modern.” Literally defined as “military arts” or “martial art,” Wushu technically covers every martial art in China, however, the use of the term Wushu became popular with the faster and more extravagant practice of Gongfu and Taiji Quan. This new practice began after the Cultural Revolution under Mao Ze Dong and was based off of Mao’s fear of martial practitioners rebelling. He then permitted Wushu to be practiced so long as it met the criteria to remove certain aspects of the art. Thus, Wushu became the practice of “flowery fists” and “embroidered kicks” as an old Chinese proverb jokes. Now we see Wushu used in movies because it is fast, super-elongated, and very technically sound. There are many governing rules to the competition of Wushu and thus it is a very standardized practice. There is a set curriculum of taolu and points are warded for minor, allowed, changes within a taolu to make it more difficult. These rules are known as nandu which is defined as “difficult system.” Nandu makes it simple to judge competitions and the quality of an instructor as they allow a clearer vision of skill and expertise in the field of Wushu.
Jet Li is one of the foremost practitioners and demonstrators of Wushu as he was the only person to ever win the National Wushu Champion medal five times in a row. The martial art Jet Li presents in the movies he stars in is this Wushu which Mao allowed. It is about presenting all of your skill in jumps, stances and agility. Traditional martial arts present themselves in a different manner. The focus of Traditional practice may or may not be to showcase a skill or technique. It is for this reason that many “Traditionalists” criticize Wushu teachers or practitioners. They are too concerned with loosing credibility for the work they do because it is neither as “flashy” nor “extravagant” as Wushu.
One of the paradoxes within this “system” is Shaolin Chan Quan from Shaolin temple. Shaolin temple lies in the Henan Province in what we’ve already identified as Northern region. However, Shaolin Chan Quan is not defined in one simple set of ideals or traditions. Shaolin Chan Quan is a fusion of many martial heritages from all over China. From Southern and Northern as well as Traditional and Modern, Shaolin is made up of them all. As a boiling pot for martial arts since its creation over 1500 years ago, Shaolin temple can be described as a form of America; a place of mixture and a culturally diverse place filled with traditions from all over. So in many taolu practiced at Shaolin temple, stances can be either high or low, kicks are moderate or extravagant, or jumps may or may not be used. Shaolin Chan Quan, and all martial arts for that matter, is defined only by your own personal experience. If you take a Shaolin Chan Quan class, your experience and opinion is what it is and that is indefinable. Dividing styles into Northern or Southern and Traditional or Modern is and obscure idea. Everyone should try as much as they can and find what is right for them. I encourage everyone to define for themselves what something is or is not. In Chan Buddhism, there is no plus and no minus…There is no Northern and no Southern…No Traditional and no Modern. Find out for yourself; try a class.
