Hua Quan (Flower-style Chuan)

Hua Quan or the flower-style Chuan is a close-range fist play which is said to have been taught by Gan Fengchi of Nanjing in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces during the early Qing Dynasty (1662-1735). The flower-style Chuan starts with a gesture whereby the boxer uses his or her right hand to palm the back of the left clenched fist facing outside. The boxer forms the arms into a circle and draws an arc in a clockwise direction in front of the chest. This was said to mean opposing the Qing Dynasty and rehabilitating the preceding Ming Dynasty.

The flower-style Chuan has 120 forms of Sanshou, 72 holding and strangleholding techniques, 36 leg techniques, 24 stances and 88 falling tricks. It can be viewed as a collection of wrestling and falling methods. A veteran boxer can co-ordinate his up and down, right and left movements and actions without any trouble. As soon as he touches, the opponent is thrown to the ground. The wrestling and falling methods of the flower Chuan can supplement those of the Chinese style of wrestling and can also complement the skills of Chinese hand pushing.