Today's Kongtong School head: Hua Wuyin
The Kongtong School originated from Mount Kongtong in Pingliang, Gansu Province. It is a component of Daoist culture and is called one of the famous five major martial arts schools of China, together with Shaolin, Wudang, Emei, and Kunlun.
The Kongtong School, which began to flourish from the Tang Dynasty, reached its peak during the late Qing Dynasty. In modern times, it has basically脱离了 (withdrawn from) the vision of ordinary people, so that most people think Kongtong is just an illusory school in Wuxia (martial arts fiction) novels.
In Guangdong during the late Qing Dynasty, martial arts became tools for resisting foreign enemies. The eighth-generation head of Kongtong, Yuan Yifei, and the ninth-generation head, Hu Feizi, both achieved military merits.
Today's Kunlun School head: Zhou Jinsheng
The Kunlun School originated from Mount Kunlun in Qinghai Province, belonging to Daoist martial studies. It is said that the Tweve Disciples of Yuanshi Tianzun (the Jade Pure One) are the Twelve Ancestors of Kunlun. This is almost mythological and naturally not to be believed.
The Kunlun School is located far away in the Western Regions and rarely set foot in the Central Plains. The founding ancestor is long beyond investigation. Later, the Kunlun School produced an extraordinary person rarely seen in a hundred years, who established a prestigious name in the martial arts circles of the Central Plains. From then on, the Kunlun School began to become famous.
Kunlun School disciples include both male and female. Although they believe in Daoism, they mainly use the magic arts of Maoshan Daoist priests. Disciples are permitted to marry and are not prohibited from eating meat.
Today's Qingcheng School head: Liu Suibin
The Qingcheng School originated from Mount Qingcheng in Dujiangyan, Sichuan Province. It belongs to Daoist martial studies and has considerable origins with Emei. The old theory says it is a branch of Emei, but this is now not recognized by the Qingcheng School, which considers itself to have nearly 2000 years of history.
Liu Suibin
The Qingcheng School is divided into three major branches. Daoist martial arts emphasize lightness, elegance, and generosity; Buddhist schools emphasize small-series continuous linking, light stepping as if walking; and martial schools emphasize being skilled at fighting in uneven terrain.
Today's Qingcheng School head: Liu Suibin, Daoist name Xin Xuan, was authorized by Grandmaster Yu Guoxiong as the 36th-generation head of the Qingcheng School.
Today's Emei School head: Master Tongyong
(Image: Master Tongyong)
The Emei School, together with Shaolin and Wudang, constitutes the three great schools of Chinese martial arts. It is also an extremely broad school, especially possessing power in the Southwest region—it can be said to occupy the leading position. The name of the Emei School is derived from Mount Emei, one of the four famous Buddhist mountains. The techniques of the Emei School are between the hardness of Shaolin and the softness of Wudang—both soft and hard, internal and external equally emphasized, using both long and short techniques.
Today's Wudang School head: You Xande
(Image: You Xande)
The Wudang School originated from Mount Wudang in Danjiangkou, Shiyan, Hubei Province. It represents the internal martial arts of the Daoist school. It is said that the founding ancestor is the Daoist Zhang Sanfeng from the late Yuan to early Ming Dynasty. Currently, the historically verifiable internal school ancestor is Zhang Songxi, the founder of the Wudang Songxi School during the middle of the Ming Dynasty.
Today's Wudang School head: You Xande
There are sayings of the Wudang School's two major lineages of the South and the North, and the theory of the eight great branches. The other branch schools of Wudang have numerous gates, difficult to count one by one.
Throughout history, Wudang Mountain has had no overall head abbot, only a Daoist general manager. The Wudang School's techniques emphasize cultivating qi and do not rely on external strength and power. Instead, they focus on the cultivation of internal skill. The initial stage of cultivation progresses slightly slowly, but the further one goes, the faster the progress. Moreover, using the principle of "using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds" and the Daoist principle of emptiness, roundness, and penetration comprehended by Zhang Sanfeng himself, it occupies the highest position among various schools and branches.
Today's Shaolin School head abbot: Shi Yongxin
(Image: Shi Yongxin)
The Shaolin School originated from the Buddhist Zen ancestral temple—Shaolin Temple—under the five-breast milk peaks of Mount Shaoshi, Mount Song, Dengfeng County, Henan Province. The temple was built during the years of the Northern Wei Dynasty, and it has been more than 1500 years since today. It represents the Buddhist external (monastic) martial studies.
Today's Shaolin Temple head abbot: Shi Yongxin
Shaolin monks claim that Shaolin Kung Fu is divinely transmitted, originating from Buddhist belief and religious cultivation. Shaolin is the supreme leader of the Chinese martial arts circles. Shaolin martial arts are even more profound and extensive. It is a martial arts system formed in the Buddhist cultural environment. Shaolin Kung Fu is based on Buddhist divine power belief and fully manifests the wisdom of Buddhist Zen. The scripture storage pavilion collects thirty-six routes of boxing and foot techniques and eighteen types of weapons.