Mother-Son Boxing

崔虎刚Beijing Science and Technology Press · ChinaNov 2019

Rating 3.5
Word count
6.1K words
Chapters
8
ISBN
9787530492994

Tags

Sports Local Martial ArtMartial Arts TextsOrigin ResearchTraditional AestheticsMartial LegacyFolk Customs

Summary

Chinese martial arts have a long history, but their greatest problem is the lack of surviving boxing manuals and, even more, detailed records of their origins and development. Mother-Son Boxing is an exception: Mother-Son Boxing records its origins in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, and this is one of its contributions. A typical reference work introduces it as follows: Mother-Son Boxing is one of the local boxing styles of Hebei. During the reign of the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing dynasty, it was transmitted to Hebei by Lord Zhiyuan Wang of Ling County, Shandong. Today it is mainly practiced in the Gaoyang, Li County, Suning, and Hejian areas of Hebei. Originally there were only six routines, each with three gateways of movement, hence the phrase “the mother gives birth to the gateways.” Each gateway also has twenty short-strike techniques, for a total of three hundred and sixty techniques. Each gateway also has four entry methods, for a total of seventy entry methods, hence the “Mother Gate’s Eighteen Intercepting Legs.” This boxing style excels in leg techniques… Yet the matter is far from so simple

Editor's review

Mother-Son Boxing is a monograph by martial arts researcher Cui Hugang focusing on the little-known “mother-son boxing method” system within traditional Chinese martial arts. This book is not an ordinary compilation of martial arts routines; rather, it delves deeply into a unique lineage in martial arts history—a boxing system that uses the “mother-son” relationship as a metaphor—and explores its technical principles, training system, and cultural connotations. With his customary rigorous method of historical textual research, Cui Hugang combines a large number of folk boxing manuals and oral historical sources to attempt to reconstruct the full picture of this endangered art and to explain the martial philosophy and technical derivation logic behind it: “from the mother comes the son, ceaselessly generating.”

In terms of reading value, the book first fills a gap in research on martial arts historical sources, providing valuable primary materials and a novel perspective for martial arts historians and cultural researchers. Second, the book’s analysis of the Mother-Son Boxing technical system—such as the dependent relationship between basic training (the mother) and adaptive application (the son), and the sequence of training—has profound inspirational significance for modern martial arts practitioners seeking to understand the training thinking and core methodology of traditional martial arts, helping them break out of the trap of merely imitating routines. However, the book is highly academic, and its narrative emphasizes textual research and theoretical analysis; it is not a step-by-step visual teaching guide. Overall, this is a work that requires quiet, careful reading and deep reflection; its value lies in enlightening the mind and connecting history with the present, not in providing immediate techniques for replication.

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Reading tips

  1. It is recommended to read the preface and table of contents first to understand the book’s overall framework and the core definition of “Mother-Son Boxing,” then proceed to close reading of each chapter
  2. While reading, reflect in light of one’s own martial arts training experience to understand how “mother” and “son” are concretely embodied in the techniques
  3. Maintain an open, inquiring attitude toward the historical documents and boxing manuals cited in the book; there is no need to strive to master everything in one reading

About the publisher

Beijing Science and Technology Press China · Founded in 1981

Beijing Science and Technology Press is a science and technology publisher focused on health, medicine, and popular science. Its current collection of 158 titles covers categories such as health, popular science, applied psychology, and medicine, addressing practical subjects like physical training and sports anatomy as well as emotional regulation and psychological healing. Representative titles include You Don't Have to Forgive to Heal, Night Sky Watching, Starting Strength, Burns' Feeling Good, The Female Body: Everything About the Amazing Female Body, Sports Anatomy, Strength Training Programs, and The Schwarzenegger Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding. In terms of authors, works by Pete Walker, Terence Dickinson, Mark Rippetoe, David Burns, and Sheila de Liz are included, while translators Yan Feifei, Zhuang Zhonghua, and Li Zhanjiang have contributed to related titles. Overall, the press balances professional rigor with accessibility for general readers and has developed a clear publishing profile in areas such as fitness training, self-help psychology, and women's health. Public information is limited; this introduction is based on the titles available in the collection.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 出版人语
  3. 导读
  4. 正文一
  5. 正文二
  6. 正文三
  7. 正文四
  8. 正文五

FAQ

Does this book include practical instructional videos or detailed movement illustrations? The book focuses mainly on historical textual research, system theory, and cultural interpretation; it does not primarily take the form of modern instructional videos or step-by-step movement breakdowns. It includes some historical diagrams and textual descriptions, but places greater emphasis on interpreting the principles and lineage of transmission.
What is the background of the author, Cui Hugang? Cui Hugang is a folk martial arts history researcher who has long been devoted to uncovering and organizing martial arts classics, boxing manuals, and oral histories scattered among the people. He has published several works of research on martial arts historical sources and has some influence in the field for his rigorous textual-research style.
Is “Mother-Son Boxing” an independent martial arts sect? According to the view presented in this book, “Mother-Son Boxing” is better understood as a technical system and a philosophy of transmission. It may permeate or be embodied in multiple traditional boxing styles and schools, emphasizing the organic relationship between the foundation (mother) and its derivatives (son), rather than referring specifically to a single school with a clearly organized lineage.

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About the author

崔虎刚 Author

Cui Hugang is an author about whom little public information is currently available; basic details such as his personal life, nationality, and dates of birth and death remain unclear. Judging from the three works held in the collection—Chen-Style Taiji Old Manual Lectures, Mu Zi Quan, and Dan Da Cu Lun—his writing centers on traditional martial arts, covering explanations of Taiji manuals as well as discussions of boxing methods such as Mu Zi Quan and Dan Da, and his works are therefore usually classified under health and sports. Based on the available material, he appears to be a practitioner who organizes and transmits traditional martial arts literature, with a style that emphasizes boxing theory and the interpretation of manuals rather than general popularization. Because verifiable information is scarce, his lineage, career, and social influence cannot be confirmed, and readers can learn about his focus only through the works themselves.