Drunken boxing is not a single martial art with an established lineage and hierarchy but rather a group of loosely related kung fu styles. In this respect drunken boxing could also be understood as a phenomenon within kung fu. Furthermore, drunken boxing rarely appears as a complete and independent system but rather as an advanced feature within a broader system. A martial art may include a few drunken boxing techniques, one or more drunken boxing
forms, a complementary drunken boxing fighting tactic, or a more developed drunken boxing sub-system. A great variety of kung fu schools have drunken styles, but the two major schools are the Buddhist and Taoist styles:
Buddhist style Creation of the Buddhist style of Drunken boxing is attributed to Shaolin temple. At the beginning of the
Tang dynasty (618–907 AD), 13 monks from the
Shaolin temple intervened in a great war to help
Li Shimin against rebel forces. The role of the monks was prominent so Li Shimin, as the next emperor, appreciated the monks' help and bestowed on them officialdom, land, and wealth. In ceremony of the victory, he sent the temple a gift of meat and wine. Because of the emperor's permission, the monks could abandon the Buddhist rule of not consuming meat and wine. This happened around 621 AD and since then, some Shaolin monks have consumed wine. According to some, the drunken style was first introduced in the
Song dynasty (960–1279 AD). It is said that a famous martial artist named Liu Qizan accidentally killed a person and sought refuge in Shaolin to avoid trial and to repent. Despite his monastic vows he still continued drinking wine. This was not tolerable by the monks, and they wanted to expel him from the temple. When completely drunk after consuming a huge amount of wine, Liu defied and beat the monks, some say more than 30 of them. The abbot, after seeing this, praised Liu's skill. This drunken style of combat was adopted from him by the monks and refined over the generations. a drunken luohan sways to the sides with disorderly steps. As with other
Shaolin styles, Shaolin drunken boxing is not a complete stand-alone system itself, but it consists of a few barehanded and weapon forms which together with other forms and styles comprise the whole system of Shaolin quan. Every lineage of Shaolin monks may have one or two barehanded and one or a few weapon forms of drunken boxing. The main weapon is the drunken staff, but other weapons such as the drunken sword are also practiced. Though the technical contents are almost the same, the drunken forms of varying lineages are different and their historical sources are mostly unclear.
Taoist style The Taoist style of drunken boxing imitates the characters of the "Drunken
Eight Immortals" (), which are a group of legendary immortals in
Chinese mythology. First described in the
Yuan dynasty, they were probably named after the
Eight Immortal Scholars of the Han. Most of them are said to have been born in the
Tang or
Song dynasty. They are revered by Taoists and are also a popular element in the secular
Chinese culture. In drunken kung fu the eight immortals are used as martial
archetypes, or as eight sub-styles of drunken kung fu. Each immortal has his or her own strategy and mindset. This style is a complete system itself comprising eight forms, each representing one of the eight immortal characters: •
Lü Dongbin, the leader of the Eight Immortals with a sword on his back that dispels evil spirits, swaying back and forth to trick the enemy, the drunk with internal strength. •
Li Tieguai, Li the Cripple walks with an iron cane, feigns the weakness of having just one leg to win the fight with one powerful leg. •
Han Zhongli, the strongest immortal, carries a large cauldron of wine, tackles the enemies with strength. •
Lan Caihe, sexually ambiguous, carries a bamboo basket, attacking the enemies with swaying waist, mostly feminine postures. •
Zhang Guolao, old man Zhang, donkey rider, with his entertaining postures on the donkey, and his donkey's lethal swift double kicks. •
Cao Guojiu, the youngest immortal, a clever, controlled fighter, locks and breaks the joints (), attacks the deadly soft parts of the enemy body (). •
Han Xiangzi, flute-playing immortal, denying and countering enemy attacks with powerful wrists. •
He Xian'gu, Miss He, flirting with the enemy to cover her short-range attacks, evading enemy attacks with a twisting body. These elements combine to form a complete fighting art. This style also has several weapon forms. The main weapon is the drunken sword, but other weapons such as the staff are also used.
Other styles ====
Southern fist ==== • Some
Hung Ga lineages include one set of drunken boxing.
Wong Fei-hung's unique status as a
culture hero along with his numerous depictions in popular culture were influential in disseminating drunken boxing into public consciousness. • Some
Choy Li Fut lineages include one set of drunken boxing. •
Hak Fu Mun includes one set of drunken boxing. • There is a Southern style of kung fu called eight drunken immortals boxing. ====
Northern fist ==== • The most popular form of drunken fist practiced today is probably the modern
Wushu taolu called drunken fist. Wushu taolu are based on traditional kung fu taolu. Wushu differs from traditional kung fu in its emphasis on visual aesthetics, as opposed to combative effectiveness, and in its pedagogic structure. Wushu drunken fist is generally more acrobatic and dramatized than traditional drunken boxing, with the player visually mimicking a drunkard. Many references to drunken boxing in popular culture resemble Wushu drunken boxing. •
Bayingquan may incorporate the most extensive drunken component (called wine/alcohol fist) in existing traditional kung fu, with a developed training curriculum, weapons, movement and fighting theory, etc., making it a virtually stand-alone style. •
Eagle Claw includes one set of drunken boxing. • Some Qi Xing
Tanglang Quan lineages include at least one set of drunken boxing. •
Fu Zhensong system includes an eight drunken immortals
staff set. There are Northern and Southern versions of
drunken monkey boxing, which is related to drunken boxing. == Technique ==