Cha Quan
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Summary
Editor's review
As an editor, I believe the book's greatest value lies in its systematic and authoritative nature. The author, Li Jingyue, is himself a inheritor of Cha Quan with decades of practice and teaching experience; the content is not a simple listing of movements but a complete body of knowledge integrating lineage, embodied philosophy, and practical insights. The technical explanations combine modern sports anatomy with traditional Chinese medicine meridian theory, so that readers can grasp both the external essentials of movement and the internal principles of power generation. The cultural chapters explore, from the perspectives of folklore and history, the role of Cha Quan in the social changes of modern China, giving the martial art a humanistic depth beyond combat.
Particularly noteworthy is the book's multidimensional examination of the character "Cha" in Cha Quan—covering the theory of its origin in the surname "Cha," the functional interpretation of "cha" as "to examine/verify," and its connection to the exchange networks of Hui martial arts culture. Such rigorous scholarship is rare in martial arts publications. For modern readers, the book's discussions of questions such as "how traditional martial arts can adapt to modern training systems" and "the relationship between forms and actual combat" are especially illuminating. Although some classical terminology requires time to digest, the author lowers the barrier to understanding through extensive analogies and case studies. Overall, this is an excellent work balancing depth of transmission with effectiveness of outreach; its value extends beyond the martial arts field and makes it an important reference for studying Chinese body culture and the development of folk sports.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Learners interested in traditional martial arts, especially northern boxing systems
- Scholars engaged in research on sports history and folk culture
- Instructors seeking a systematic understanding of the complete Cha Quan system
- Practitioners looking to integrate traditional culture with modern fitness methods
Not a good fit for
- Pure pragmatists expecting quick self-defense tricks
- Readers interested only in legendary stories in the style of martial arts fiction
Reading tips
- It is recommended to read Chapter One, on origins and textual research, first to establish a historical framework before moving on to the technical chapters
- When practicing, use the book's diagrams alongside video materials (if companion resources are available) for cross-reference
- Pay attention to the glossary in the appendix, which helps in understanding specialized traditional martial arts vocabulary
About the publisher
Shanghai Jiao Tong University Press is an academic publisher that gives equal weight to science and technology and the humanities, with titles spanning biography, documentary literature, popular science, cultural studies, artificial intelligence, and social culture. Representative books in the collection range from spaceflight memoirs such as Carrying Fire to the Moon: My Lunar Journey to historical investigations like Evidence: Uncovering 172 Comfort Stations in Shanghai, as well as academic works including Qian Xuesen's Lectures on Physical Mechanics: Collector's Edition, Tang Dynasty Extraterritorial Astronomy, and Eyewitness to the Tokyo Trial. Authors represented include Michael Collins, Qian Xuesen, Su Zhiliang, Wang Meng, and Pai Hsien-yung. The press emphasizes a combination of scientific spirit and humanistic concern, balancing scholarly editions with general reading. Public information is limited, so this profile focuses on the publishing directions reflected in the books held in the collection.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 内容提要
- 本书编委会
- 中华武术会黄兆强会长简介
- Brief Introduction to the President of China Wushu Associati
- 前言
- 第一章 查拳在上海的传承与发展
- 上海中华武术会简介
- 查拳简介
- 第二章 查拳的传承者
- 于右任
- 吴志青
- 王一亭
- 杨鸿修
- 王占坤
- 马金镖
- 王子平
- 王凤章
- 冯祥瑞
- 胡汉平
- 冯如龙
- 李景杰
- 李金德
- 李景月
- 第三章 十路查拳图解
- 第一路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第二路 （演练者：李金德）
- 第三路 （演练者：李景月）
- 第四路 （演练者：李景月）
- 第五路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第六路 （演练者：李景月）
- 第七路 （演练者：马余器）
- 第八路 （演练者：李金德）
- 第九路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第十路 （演练者：李金德）
- 第四章 十路弹腿图解
- 第一路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第二路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第三路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第四路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第五路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第六路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第七路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第八路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第九路 （演练者：李景杰）
- 第十路 （演练者：李景杰）
FAQ
Can someone with no martial arts background understand this book?
Has the content been verified by modern science?
What distinguishes this book from other Cha Quan teaching materials?
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About the author
Li Jingyue: currently, public information is limited, and details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name cannot be confirmed. According to the holdings, only one work is listed under Li Jingyue, namely Cha Quan, which is categorized under culture. Cha Quan is a well-known style of traditional Chinese martial arts belonging to the long-fist system; it emphasizes expansive movements and clear rhythm, combines combat techniques with fitness value, and has a relatively broad base of transmission among the people. It can therefore be inferred that the author's focus is likely related to traditional Chinese martial arts and the cultural heritage connected with it. Because more reliable material on the author's background and writing experience is lacking, this text does not speculate further about Li Jingyue's life; it only briefly introduces the subject matter of the surviving work, so that readers may gain a glimpse of this author's contribution to writing on martial arts culture.
Public information about Li Jinde is limited; all that is known is that the author has one work, Cha Quan, classified under culture. Cha Quan is a traditional Chinese martial art passed down among the people and an important part of martial arts culture, emphasizing coordination of hand, eye, body, method and step, and well-regulated transitions between movements. Choosing this subject suggests the author is concerned with documenting and spreading traditional martial arts, and the writing is likely informative in nature, aimed at general readers interested in martial arts culture. Since reliable records of birth and death dates, native place and professional background are unavailable, no further account of the author's life or lineage can be given. On the available evidence, Li Jinde's work offers Chinese readers accessible material for understanding Cha Quan, and its value lies more in the cultural significance of the subject than in the author's personal reputation. Readers may treat it as a window onto traditional martial arts and read it alongside other sources.
Li Jingjie is an author for whom public information is currently limited, and whose biographical details remain incomplete. One work is known under his name, Cha Quan, classified under culture. From the available clues, the author focuses on Cha Quan, a traditional Chinese martial art with a wide folk following and a distinctive technical system and cultural significance. The work centers on Cha Quan and may address its principles, movement essentials, or cultural background, with a writing approach that tends toward recording and introducing traditional martial arts knowledge. It should suit readers interested in martial arts culture. Because no reliable account of the author's personal experience, identity, or academic background has been found, a fuller judgment of his overall writing style is difficult, and only the thematic orientation shown in this work can be noted.
