Fuzhou Ox Boxing

Niu Fa "Ox Methods"
Demonstrated by Yang Da'le
Yang Da'le began learning martial arts from his father as a child while growing up in Minqing county Fuzhou. As a teenager he attended a sports school and became an avid practitioner of San Da.
He soon became one of the top competitors on a national level. However in a championship fight his arm was badly broken by a kick. After x-rays were taken it was found that the joint in his shoulder had been fractured as well. Because of the injuries he was forced to quite competing in San Da.
Returning home he returned to his roots and began to once again focus on practicing traditional arts. Eventually he opened a school which became known for producing high level San Da fighters
Today he teaches a few students the traditional style of Fuzhou Niu Fa while still remaining a top San Da coach. One unique aspect of his San Da program is his incorporation of techniques from traditional martial arts, in particular Niu Fa, which he found to be of use in competition.
Niu Fa is a rare folk art found in Fuzhou's Yongtai county.
Little in the way of concrete facts are known about the origins or history of this style. However it is regarded by locals as being one of the oldest methods of boxing in the region.
Local mythology attributes this style's origins to famous 11th century Daoist and Fuzhou native Zhang Ciguan.
Zhang is immortalized in southern Daoism as the deity Fa Zhu Zhen Jun also known as Fa Zhu Gong, and he is considered to be the founder of the "Black Head School" of Lu Shan Daoism.
Zhang Ciguan was born in Yongtai and according to local legends spent his youth herding cows on Fanghu mountain. He is said to have developed the Niu Fa style while watching bulls fighting during his time as a cowherd.
Among various local styles sometimes attributed to him, Niu Fa and Hou Fa are most prominently associated with Zhang*.
According to local oral tradition a young man name Cai Jishan who had run away from his native home in Sanming prefecture learned Niu Fa "Ox Method" boxing as well as Shi Fa "Lion Method" boxing from a monk at the Fanghu Yan temple in Yongtai during the 16th century.
He would then go on to found his own system of boxing after settling in Baisha village located next to the Fanghu Cliff Temple. This style was named after it's founder and called Jishan Quan by the villagers. During the 18th century a man named Li Yuanzhu from a neighboring village would learn
Jishan Quan and combine those methods with movements inspired by tigers, thus founding Hu Zun Quan, one of Fuzhou's most popular and widespread boxing systems.
The verifiable history of Niu Fa / Niu Quan can only be traced to the later part of the Qing dynasty.
Today Niu Fa has become a relatively rare style. Some Niu Fa forms are preserved in at least one village in Yongtai county and at least during the last 2 decades of the 20th century there was still some Niu Fa practiced in Gutian county in Ningde prefecture. Although the best known lineage of Niu Fa today traces to the late master Guo Kongxi. Born into a highly regarded martial family from the Cangshan district of Fuzhou city, Guo Kongxi inherited a number of old and rare styles such as the Tiger Shape Boxing lineage of the famous master Zhou Zihe, the Xun Fa "Mud Crab Method" Niu Fa "Ox Boxing", Ji Fa "Rooster Boxing" as well as various other local arts.
Niu (Oxen / Cows / Water Buffalo) are associated with great strength in Chinese martial culture.
As such Niu Fa emphasizes strength training and the use of various types of stone and metal weights and heavy weapons. It's methods are known for being forceful and "using hardness to defeat hardness" favoring hard strike, body slams, and grabbing and throwing down the opponent.
The Niu Fa system contains a number of boxing forms. The core form of the system is San Jian "Three Arrows" followed by "Four Gates" as well as more advanced forms like "Two Oxen Show Horns" and "Young Ox Leaps Railing".
The system also contains various weapons including things like Zhang'er long pole, Langxian bamboo branch pole, Bandeng wooden bench, Biandan carrying pole, and the Hao Zhu Zhen "Heroic Boar's Needle" (similar to the Emei Ci).
*Fujian folklore attributes many local boxing styles to various local deities and ancient historical figures, especially deified ancient historical figures.
There is no evidence of Zhang Ciguan having practiced martial arts much less founded systems still practiced to this day.

[@The-Travel-Man]

It must be a very rare style, it almost reminds me of Mantis. Very nice!

[@vonclap]

Not aware of OX boxing, thanks for the education

[@dinardoworldwide]

Cool drill!

[@wayaoh997]

Finally a routine for one of my astrological signs!!!🙏🏻🐮🐮🐮