Dog kung fu
A southern Chinese style specializing in ground fighting.
Dog Kung Fu, also known as Gǒuquán (狗拳) or Dìshùquán (地术拳), is a southern Chinese martial art from Fujian province. It specializes in takedowns, Chin Na, and ground fighting, often employing techniques from an inferior position, and also includes Iron Shirt and Iron Palm methods along with specialized leaping. Its creation is traditionally credited to a Buddhist nun who developed the style for self-defense during her travels.
Quick Facts
- Focus
- Striking, Grappling
- Country
- China
- Parenthood
- Iron Shirt; Iron Palm
- Descendant arts
- Ditangquan
Facts from the source article.
Origins
One legend holds that Dog Kung Fu originated at the White Lotus temple in Fujian Province, where nuns who had previously lived secular lives resided. Because women of that era were often subjected to foot binding, standing physical exertion was difficult, so the nuns devised a fighting system usable from the ground to defend against bandits and wild animals. During the Qing Dynasty's destruction of temples, a nun named Si Yue left White Lotus Temple and traveled north. She fell ill in the Yongtai region near Fuzhou and was cared for by the Chen Family; in gratitude, she taught their son, Chen Biao, Gouquan, which the family kept secret for generations. Another legend claims the famous Fong Sai-Yuk mastered Dishuquan and passed it to monks at Zhuyuansi Temple, later transmitted through generations until monk Hui Kai taught Zheng Yishan.
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