The
traditional Chinese Wushu that Nia Kwang Pugilistic Association
practices and promotes is called Zhong Wai Zhou Jia. At the time
of its inception, the particular style of Wushu was labeled, having
the head of Hong, tail of Cai. It was labeled because the essential
technique incorporated with the muscular and mighty movements of
Hong Jia Wushu, the swift footwork of Cai Jia Wushu, making it a
very effective form of self-defense with emphasis on simultaneous
attack and defense.
The origin of Zhou Jia Wushu system, started with Grandmaster Zhou
Long, born in 1890, Guang Dong Province Xin Hui Village, Sha Fu,
China. With his creative thinking, he had contributed to Zhou Jia
Wushu¡¯s emergence in the 1920¡¯s. That was a dominant force for nearly
half a century in Guang Dong Province.
Grandmaster Zhou Long came from a big family of ten. He was the
fifth elder son in the family, with four younger brothers. The sixth
Zhou Xie, the eighth and ninth are twins, Zhou Biao and Zhou Hai,
the last was Zhou Tian. Young Zhou Long had great interest in Wushu.
Therefore, he tried to absorb all he could learn from his uncle
Zhou Geng (Zhou Hong) who practiced Hong Jia Wushu and he ended
up being the best among the brothers. With permission from his parent
and uncle, Zhou Long was introduced to study and learn Cai Jia Wushu
under Master Cai Jiu Kong disciple of the Famous Cia Jia Wushu Expert,
Grandmaster Cai Jiu Yi. Having some basic knowledge of Hong Jia
Wushu, it took Zhou Long only a few years to master the Cai Jia
Wushu.
In the year 1910, because of family hardship, he left home for Kuala
Lumpur in Malaysia to seek employment. Coincidentally, Zhou Long
met an Abbot, Reverend Hong Yi who took Zhou Long as his disciple
to study his Bei Pai Wushu (practice by the people in the northern
part of China, specialized in kicking, jumping and leg movements).
Reverend Hong Yi advised Zhou Long to blend all the three styles
together in order to perfect a style to suit him better.
In the year 1915, Zhou Long returned to China, participated in a
tournament and became the Chief Trainer of the army of Warlord General
He Fu Qiao. Zhou Long sent for his brothers to assist him in the
training of the soldiers. In 1917, Grandmaster Zhou Long set up
his first school at his hometown (Xin Hui) and named it ¡°ZHOU REN
YI TANG¡±. Together with the help of his brothers, Grandmaster Zhou
Long pooled all their learning¡¯s together and a new form of Wushu
was born. As the surname of the five brothers is¡°Zhou¡±, they decided
to name his new style of Wushu ¡°Zhou Jia Quan¡± (Zhou Family Style).
Not forgetting his root and the Masters that had taught him Wushu,
Grandmaster Zhou Long often told his students that his form of Wushu
was ¡°Hong Tou Cai Wei¡± (Hong Head and Cai Tail), Hong style first
and then Cai Style, but of equal terms.
With countless effort and united spirit in spreading this new style
of Wushu, popularity grew. The five brothers were honored and labeled
as the ¡°Five Tigers of ZhouJia¡± (Zhou Family). Just as Grand Master
ZhouLong was at the peak of his career, he caught a cold. Thinking
that he was strong and healthy, he paid no attention to his illness.
Coupled with pressure from his work, Grand Master¡¯s health deteriorated
rapidly. In fact, Grandmaster ZhouLong had contacted pneumonia.
He was beyond medical help and passed away at the age of 29, in
1919.
After the death of Grandmaster ZhouLong, the Wushu School was disorganized.
A family meeting was called and Grandmaster ZhouBiao was elected
as the new leader. Grandmaster ZhouBiao resigned his post from the
army and started promoting ZhouJia Wushu. Within a year, he set
up 14 ZhouJia Wushu schools around China.
In 1936, ZhouJia Wushu School was invited to Hong Kong to participate
in a Wushu Festival for the celebration of the Coronation of King
George VI of England. With this great opportunity to promote ZhouJia
Wushu, Grandmaster ZhouBiao led a team of friends and students to
Hong Kong. The demonstration was well received and it was setup
in Kowloon, Hong Kong to promote ZhouJia Wushu. Grandmaster ZhouBiao
was also invited by the Garment and Medical Merchant Association
to be their Wushu trainer during his stay in Hong Kong.
During the same year, Grandmaster ZhouBiao renamed the school in
Hong Kong to Zhongwai ZhouJia (meaning Outside China Zhou School).
As it was the first school to be set up outside China, Grandmaster
ZhouBiao liked to differentiate the origin.
Grandmaster ZhouBiao returned to China, China was facing the start
of the Second World War and the Rise of the Communist Party. Af6ter
much consideration and planning, the Zhou family migrated to Hong
Kong in 1949.
In Hong Kong, Grandmaster ZhouBiao rented a place near the Harbor
and was engaged by the Fishery Port Association to be their Chief
Trainer, teaching all its members, comprising of fellow fisherman
and workers.
Grandmaster ZhouTian also set up a school at busy Huang DaXian District,
Hong Kong.
ZhouJia Wushu was then modified to practical self defense and body
conditioning with a wide new range of hand and weapons, it was taught
to the students together with the traditional Lion Dancing.n
th March 1961, Grandmaster ZhouBiao
passed away after short illness.
ZhongWai ZhouJia Wushu may have only a short history but today,
there are schools or associations in China, Hong Kong, South East
Asia, America, England and Western Europe promoting and spreading
ZhongWai ZhouJia Wushu.
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