Learn Lan shou Quan Style Kung fu

Lan Shou Quan or Arresting Hands Kung Fu Style originated in the Shaolin Temple Tradition but is a separate and distinct style of Kung Fu.

This style has a history of over four hundred years and is renown in the Tianjin Area of China. The bodyguard company run by the Lan Shou boxers was highly regarded and trusted for their strength.

It combines elements of both the Northern Shaolin Style and also some very powerful punching techniques similar to Xing Yi Quan and circular stepping characteristic of Ba Gua Zhang.

Lan Shou Quan is practical, but deep, and has a distinct style and strategy that sets it apart. This art was spread and Championed by Grandmaster Liu Wan Fu and is famous in Northern China.

The strategy of Lan Shou Quan is to use your attacks to intercept the opponents attacks. Thus you use your attack to defeat their attacks. Your attack is also your defense. Lan Shou Quan is also particularly skillful in the area of fast Chin Na or grasping and seizing the opponent. Lan Shou Quan often tries to grab and pull the opponent into a powerful whole body strike. There are fewer kicks, especially high and jumping kicks than in Northern Shaolin. Therefore Lan Shou Quan is more suitable for people who lack leg flexibility. Lan Shou Quan is definitely suitable for people with a larger frame who create devastating power with Lan Shou’s heavy strikes.

The Heart of Lan Shou Quan is spear technique. The Spear is the King of the Weapons because of its length, speed, and power. The spear is relatively easy to learn and cheap because you only need a little metal for the tip. The spear was the most common weapon on ancient Chinese battlefields. If a weapons form does not teach how to counter the long trusts of the spear you have really got a problem. For a real fight against armed opponents especially in open terrain the spear is the most practical weapon to use. If one were to learn only one weapon and their life depended on it spear makes the most sense. Lan Shou Quan spear techniques are also very helpful for developing power in the empty hand techniques. Many of the same movements in the Lan Shou Quan hand forms are also found in the weapons forms. Developing one set of body mechanics that can power both empty hand and weapons techniques is powerful and efficient. Then every form and every drill train the same core mechanics and every form contributes to all the others.

Lan Shou Quan in the tradition of Liu Wan Fu includes a total of seven spear forms. There is the simple Yi character form emphasizing thrusting, blocking, pressing, and twirling. Two intermediate forms and two advanced forms. In addition, Grandmaster Liu Wan Fu also taught two other spear forms.

One was the Six Harmonies Large Spear. This form is performed with a 10 - 12 foot spear and contains 6 lines. Each line contains the favorite techniques of one famous ancient general. This form was designed to train armies and has deep historical significance. This form is not related to Six Harmonies Boxing and neither is it original to Lan Shou Quan. Rather it is a famous form used by several styles in Northern China. These techniques are very practical and were used by professional warriors to stay alive when fighting other professionals.

The other additional spear form was created by Liu Wan Fu himself. Sifu Liu Wan Fu was one of the creators of some of the modern Wu Shu forms. Helping to create modern Wu Shu was politically expedient and allowed him to continue teaching traditional arts. This is the “A” Category Spear Form. To compete in the “A” category an athlete must have one at least one national gold medal. Sifu Liu Wan Fu combined all of his favorite and most difficult or flashiest spear techniques from all of his forms into this form. The modern Wushu form was modified by removing all the power generating spirals and subtle body movements and many of the off angle evasions. The traditional combat version taught by Grandmaster Liu to Sifu Jensen and his other disciples included these movements. The traditional version is called The Ten thousand Victories Spear. This form is very difficult because of its length, complexity, and detailed spear handling. Because most modern Wu Shu players really don’t have a good foundation in stance to stance transitions and using their legs and waist to generate power correctly this form must be especially hard for them. It lacks the excessive running, leaping, and showy but empty flourishes of modern Wu Shu.

Another area of excellence in Lan Shou Quan is Saber skills. Lan Shou Quan has two single Saber forms and two double Saber forms. The single saber forms are the Six Harmonies Saber and the Uplifting Step Saber. The first single saber form known as Uplifting Step is of medium length and is very solid and practical yet also athletic and beautiful. One sequence of a single circular outward step (used to remove the body from the attackers thrust) parry with the saber and simultaneous grab with the free hand follow by a slashing cut or pommel strike that is repeated as a core technique. This movement corresponds to the wheel turning intercept used throughout the hand forms. If the opponent survives this deadly entering attack there are many follow up moves to counter various responses by the opponent.

The Six Harmonies Saber is longer and more advanced than the Uplifitng Step Saber. Six Harmonies Saber also includes many hooks with the pommel and pommel strikes for ultra close range fighting. Both of these forms have many techniques suitable for fighting against the Spear. Six Harmonies Saber also has many fierce neck level horizontal cuts and means to deliver these attacks. Ouch!

The two Double Saber forms are both awesome. They are named Ten Thousand Victories Double Sabers and Thirty Six Hands Double Sabers. They live up to their names especially Ten Thousand Victories. Double Saber forms really challenge and develop a persons coordination. They also really help to coordinate the movements of the feet and hands. These forms are not as athletic as the Northern Shaolin Ground Rolling Double Sabers but they are long and complete forms. Whereas the Northern Shaolin Double Sabers have terrific rolling vertical attack sequences that maintain momentum and aggression. Lan Shou Quan Double Saber techniques have more horizontal cutting. covering blocks, evasive stepping and direction changes.

Liu Wan Fu taught 4 hand Forms. There is a southern lineage of Lan Shou Quan that should be considered a sub branch that contains only three hand forms. The fourth hand form was created by Liu Wan Fu’s Grandfather. This form is a true expression of Lan Shou Quan and explores new combinations and patterns. The hand forms of Lan Shou Quan are long and very practical. They emphasize a core of about a dozen moves that are endlessly combined in different patterns and supplemented by additional practical techniques. The forms are structured like musical symphonies. They contain patterns that are repeated but with variations and new elements that then return to the original pattern. The longest, Lan Shou #2, is 240+ moves and the shortest around 80. An 80 move form is very long for most systems and 240 is really enormous. Needless to say they are a very good workout. They are not as athletic as the Northern Shaolin because they lack all the leaps, jumping kicks, and ground sweeps. However they share a common base of low solid stances that develops incredible leg strength. Both Lan Shou Quan and Northern Shaolin practitioners are very hard to throw or push because of their stance training.

In total Liu Wan Fu had 26+ weapons forms that he taught. Compared with only four hand forms. This system shows a very old structure that really emphasizes the weapons training. Although we don’t have all the weapons. We have quite a few more than listed here and they are all good to awesome in quality.

Sifu Scott Jensen performs the Ten Thousand Victories” Spear Form near the Golden Gate Bridge

Sifu Scott Jensen performs Na or Press a foundation technique found in all Lan Shou Quan Spear Forms

Sifu Scott Jensen performs

Ten Thousand Victories Double Sabers from Lan Shou Quan

Sifu Scott Jensen performs

Ten Thousand Victories Double Sabers from Lan Shou Quan

Sifu Scott Jensen performs

Two Roads Sword from Lan Shou Quan

This clip is a piece of Lan Shou Quan #3. This clip is from about three quarters of the way into the form. It really gives you a feel for some of the more densely packed punching techniques and stance work of Lan Shou. Of course the flying kick is pretty cool too!

Visit these other cool Pages to learn about other Lan Shou Weapons Forms and Hand Forms:

Lan Shou #1

Lan Shou #2

Lan Shou #3

Lan Shou #4

Coiling Dragon Staff

10,000 Victories Spear

10,000 Victories Double Sabers