Our style of Chinese Kung Fu (Wu Shu) is thought to be categorized by General Yueh Fei. The numbered fighting system , Northern Longfist 1-10 are a Northern style of Kung Fu. These movements are taught to beginners as a base or foundation for learning more advanced techniques. Each set develops a different set of skills such as Cannon Boxing for basic punching, blocking and kicking. Each set also teaches a concept of fighting such as 5, Grabbing and Chin na. Once a student has learned all 10 sets they have the basic skills to learn the advanced forms and weapons training. Here are some of the forms from our Northern System:
Eagle Claw, Praying Mantis, Drunken Boxing to name a few.
Yueh Jia Quan or, Yueh Jia Quan Kung Fu has a long and interesting history. Over 850 years old, the system is one of the oldest styles of Chinese unarmed combat to have survived the test of time and to have found its way into our modern world. Originally developed by General Yueh Fei, a very famous Chinese military leader of the Sung dynasty, the style has changed very little since its inception all those years ago.
As a young boy, Yueh Fei's father died and his mother tattooed on his back with the words loosely translated 'Serve your country with the utmost diligence.' We do not fully understand his mother's reasons for this but Yueh Fei embraced these words fully. Yueh Fei had been trained in the so–called noble arts - Reading, writing, history, horse riding, archery and the sword as well as being schooled in a 'divine-boxing' style by his teacher, Zhou Tong.
Influenced by other martial systems of the day, as well as his own incredible creative ability, Yueh Fei was able to construct a system of straightforward lethality upon which his troops were thoroughly schooled. Later on the General further expanded the concepts of this original style to create the basic foundations of what is now known as Hsing–I Chuan (mind and form boxing).
Yueh Fei's battlefield experience led him to develop a system of empty-hand fighting designed primarily for close-quarters combat. The art of Yueh Jia Quan Kung Fu was designed to complement his already highly trained troops, and with this in mind, the art would hopefully take already competent martial artists to a higher plane. Yueh Jia Quan Kung Fu was developed to make his soldier's better killers it was not invented or intended for self–defence. Thus, the art of Yueh Fei teachers it's student's to strike to the vital areas of an opponent and to gain the maximum power associated with an individual technique by the correct usage of body momentum and dynamics.
An image of Yueh Fei's tattoo being applied by Yueh Fei's mother -
image taken at Yueh Fei's mausoleum, Hangzhou China, 2003
Here is a link to a more indepth history of General Yueh Fei
http://groups.msn.com/NeiWaiChiaKungFu/march03.msnw