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Fu Chen Sung (Chinese 傅振嵩) (1881-1953) (Pinyin: Fu Zhen Song), or Fu Qiankun 傅乾) was a master of the internal martial arts from Henan. He was a third-generation baguazhang teacher who founded an important style of that art. He was also a soldier and a supporter of Sun Yat-sen.
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Early life
Fu Chen Sung was born in Mapo village, Biyangxian county, in Huaiqing City area, Henan province, China. When he was 16-years old, he joined his village's newly created martial arts school, where he studied under Chia Feng Ming (賈山) (also written in English sometimes as Chia Chi-shan or Jia Feng Meng), a top student of the founder of baguazhang, Grandmaster Dong Haichuan. He also learned from Chen Yanxi (陳延禧) from the nearby Chen village, an 8th generation disciple of Chen family of taijiquan. They taught in a local field. After nine years of training, his teachers encouraged him to move to Beijing to learn more, which he did after he had learned the Tai Chi ball. When he moved to Beijing, he continued his studies of baguazhang with Ma Gui and Cheng Tinghua, both first generation disciples of Dong Haichuan.
In 1900 he moved back to his home village to teach. He became well known in that part of China for defeating, armed with a metal pole, a large gang of bandits who attacked his village. In 1911, Fu Chen-Sung became a caravan guard/body guard in Shantung and Henan at the request of the Kai Kung Hsin Shan Protection Service.
After the Xinhai Revolution of 1911, Fu traveled to Fu Chou, Cheng Chou, as well as Shan Si Province, and beyond. In 1913, Fu was hired by the Revolutionary Army as a martial arts instructor, holding this post for a few years. During those years he met the Wudangquan grandmaster, Sung Wei-I (宋唯一) in Liao Ning Province. He was famous for his "lightning palm" and “rocket fist." Fu learned Wudang sword and Tai chi chuan from him. These elements later became part of Fu’s forms. According to Lin Chao Zhen, Fu created the baguazhang Dragon form and liang yiquan (“yin-yang boxing") after he studied Tai chi chuan with Sung Wei-I.
Military career
In 1920 Fu joined the central army. The then Brigade Commander (later General), Li Jinglin (“Miracle sword" Li) made Fu head of the 100 person strong martial arts company after he demonstrated tiger fist, leopard fist, connected fist, bagua “cyclone", broadsword and bagua “four sided" spear. Li Jinglin had also learned sword from Sung Wei-I, and so he taught Fu further sword techniques. In 1926 the company transferred to Beijing. During a martial arts demonstration “God spear" Li used his famous spear and Fu used his “four faced" bagua spear in a friendly bout. The match ended in a draw. This increased Fu’s fame and both men exchanged their knowledge of spear tactics. Fu Chen Sung was married to Han Kun Ru, who practiced the spear and had a powerful technique. Her father was also a famous kung fu master China.
In Beijing, Fu met Sun Lu-t'ang, Yang Chengfu, and many other skilled practitioners, with whom he exchanged knowledge. This exchange continued when the Zhongyang guoshu guan (Central National Arts Gymnasium) was founded in Nanjing. After heavy competition, Fu Chen Sung was made Chief Instructor of baguazhang, emphasizing in his teachings fast precise footwork and waist strength. It was here that he taught Sun Lu-t'ang the Wudang sword and in exchange, Sun Lu-t'ang taught him the Sun style of Xingyiquan and Tai chi chuan.
In late 1928 or 1929, at General Li Jinglin’s urging, the Central Gymnasium sent Fu south to teach at the Kuang Hsi and Guangzhou provincial school the Liang Kuang Kuo Shu Kuan (the Two Kuang's Martial Arts School.) This school was located in Guangzhou (Canton.) Fu Chen Sung became the school's director. Along with Fu, four others were also sent to the south. They were (probably) Ku Ju-Chang, Wang Shao-Chou, Wan Lai-Sheng, and Li Hsien-Wu. They were all constantly being challenged by southern Chinese martial artists, but always beat all challengers. They thus earned the respectful nickname, the “Five Northern Tigers". Fu Chen-Sung was the only one who remained in Canton, and was the first master to teach northern internal styles like Tai chi chuan and baguazhang in Canton.
In 1937 the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out and the Provincial Martial Arts Academy and the Chin Woo Athletic Association schools were closed down. Fu moved his family further into the countryside for safety, and traveled around the south teaching the Chinese army troops. After the war ended in 1945, Fu began to teach in various schools in Guangzhou province. He supported Sun Yat-sen in his unsuccessful attempt to unify China under a republican form of government. He devoted his life to developing the Fu Style Wudangquan.
In 1953, martial arts exhibitions were held in Canton Cultural Park. Thousands of people packed the park, and crowds of people blocked all entrances. Fu Chen Sung demonstrated the dragon form. After his first demonstration, the cheering crowd called for encores, and Fu returned to perform the form, faster and faster. Of this event, a local newspaper said afterwards “words could not describe the speed with which he moved." This exertion overcame him, and later that night Fu died at the local hospital. This is fitting with the Taoist ideal of being healthy throughout life, then not lingering on to waste away when you get old. He believed in constant innovation and continual improvement. The forms he developed express this, incorporating the most useful and practical principles of other styles, and progress from simple to advanced.
Lineage
Baguazhang
Dong Haichuan developed pa kua after learning circle walking from the Complete Reality Taoist school. Fu spent 8 years learning pa kua from Jia Feng Meng, then 3 years in Beijing learning from Yin Fu's top student Ma Gua, and from Cheng Ting Hua at the same time. All were first generation students of Grandmaster Dong Hai Chuan.
Wudang Sword
Sung Wei-I introduced the sword form to the tai chi chuan system, firstly to Yang Pan-hou, then Li and Fu. From Yang Pan-hou's students it spread to Wu style and back to Chen style. Yang Pan-hou's father, Yang Lu-ch'an, did not use a sword to fight. His favorite weapons were the staff and even his wooden tobacco pipe. Fu taught Sun Lu-t'ang the sword in Nanjing, and in exchange Sun taught him Xingyiquan.
Taijiquan
Fu learned Chen style tai chi chuan as a youth, while simultaneously learning baguazhang. He later learned Sun style tai chi chuan from Sun Lu-t'ang and Yang style tai chi chuan from Yang Chengfu. From all these styles he synthesized his own form, and balanced left and right.
Xingyiquan
Fu learned Xingyiquan from Sun Lu-t'ang in exchange for having taught him the sword in Nanjing.
Bibliography
- Pa Kwa Chang Journal
- Fu Yonghui and Lai Zonghong (translated by Joseph Crandall) Fu Style Dragon Form Eight Trigrams Palms
- Victor Fu’s website, 3rd generation Fu family internal styles.
- Qiang-Ya Liang’s site. Qiang-Ya Liang is one of two last living disciples of Fu Chen Sung.
External links
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