Martial arts of Zhou Tong
Various martial arts have been attributed to or associated with Zhou Tong, the archery teacher of the Song dynasty general Yue Fei.
Some of these skills range from mastery of the bow, double swords and Chinese spear to that of Wudang hard qigong, Chuojiao boxing and even magical X-ray eyes.
Practitioners of Eagle Claw, Chuojiao and Xingyi commonly include him within their lineage history because of his association with Yue Fei, the supposed progenitor of these styles.
He is also linked to Northern Praying Mantis boxing through his fictional students, the Water Margin bandits Lin Chong and Yan Qing, the adopted son of Lu Junyi.
Another source makes the bold assumption that he was "known as the greatest of grand-masters of all times in the history of Chinese martial arts and has many disciples who scattered across the country to teach the martial arts and all the culture involved in its knowledge, such as calligraphy, painting, poetry, chess..."[3] Yang Jwing Ming, author of Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na: instructor's Manual for all Martial Styles, states Zhou Tong taught Yue Fei "a complete system involving barehand combat, weapons, military tactics, horsemenship, archery, and other related subjects.
[5] Sinologist Hellmut Wilhelm theorized that Yue Fei purposely patterned his life after famous Chinese heroes from dynasties past.
Although his literacy afforded him the chance to become a scholar, which was a position held in much higher regard than the common soldiery during the Song, Yue chose the military path because there had never been any tradition of civil service in his family.
Therefore, he had no reason to study the Confucian classics in order to surpass the accomplishments of his ancestors or to raise his family's social status to the next level.
His fourth-generation ancestor, Yue Huan (Chinese: 岳涣), had served as a functionary on the lowest rung of the government ladder, but he was never a full-fledged member of the civil service rank.
When he became a general he used what he learned from Zhou Tong to train his troops, and they became renowned for their skill and discipline.”[9] According to a moral tale called “Yue Fei Studies the Archery” in You Er Hua Bao (Chinese: 幼儿画报 – “Children's Pictorial”) Magazine, a Chinese magazine tailored for children ages two through seven, Zhou taught Yue Fei the skill of the “far-sighted person”, which involved staring at the morning sunrise, to improve his eyesight for archery.
"[10] The book Qigong Empowerment: A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, Wushu Energy Cultivation reads, “Yue Fei began learning martial arts in his early childhood from Zhou Tong, mastering many martial arts systems and all 18 primary weapons.” [12] Zhou Tong is usually represented as a master of the Chinese spear through his association with Yue Fei, who, according to legend, created Xingyi boxing from the movements of this weapon.
In the Water Margin's 9th chapter entitled “Chai Jin Keeps Open House For All Bold Men, Lin Chong Defeats Instructor Hong in a Bout with Staves”, it reads, “Chai Jin said to the man, whom he called Arms instructor Hong: ‘This is Arms instructor Lin who teaches the art of spears and staves in the Eastern Capital's Imperial Guards.’”[15] Meeting Zhou Tong by Chance reads, “The steel blades of [Zhou Tong's] double swords shone as bright as snow in his hands.
Chuojiao is an external northern Chinese boxing style famous for its deceptive footwork and wide array of kicking techniques.
[17][18] According to the book Jiuzhuan Lianhuan Yuanyangtui (Chinese: 九转连环鸳鸯腿), practitioners of "Nine Ring Mandarin Duck Chuojiao" consider Zhou Tong their founder.
[19] Chuojiao is alternatively known as the "Water Margin Outlaw style" and Yuānyāng Tuǐ (Chinese: 鴛鴦腿 - "Mandarin Duck Leg").
[15] One Northern Praying Mantis manual mentions Lin Chong as the thirteenth master (out of eighteen) invited to Shaolin to teach his "'Mandarin ducks' kicking technique".
[21] This links together Zhou Tong's historical and folklore students Yue Fei, Wu Song and Lin Chong and Chuojiao and Mantis fist boxing.
[22] Eagle Claw is an external northern Chinese boxing style known for its powerful gripping techniques, Qinna joint-locking, pressure point strikes, and acrobatic leaping.
The external style, because it was learn more easily, and because it had immediately practiced techniques, mad Yue's troops successful in battle.”[23] Popular legend states Zhou Tong taught a joint-locking style known as “Elephant” to Yue Fei, who then expanded it to create the Yībǎi Lingbā Qínná (Chinese: 一百零八擒拿 – “108 Seize-Grab”) fighting-techniques, 108 being a recurring mystical number in Chinese culture.
Known as the '108 Locking Hand Techniques' or Ying Sao (Eagle Hand), the system consisted primarily of handwork, varying from simple blocking and punching to more complicated grappling, emphasizing the use of grabbing, locking, and pressure point strikes ... Enraged by their leader's tragic demise, Ngok Fei's soldiers left the service of the King [of China].
In time, the system found its way back to its roots – the Shaolin Monastery where Ngok Fei had studied with Jow Tong years before.
"[2] Hard Qigong is any set of internal and external preparatory exercises created in pre-modern China to drastically toughen a practitioner's body to deflect or absorb an opponent's attack without serious injury.
[30] Zhou Tong is said to be linked to a series of these exercises according to thirteenth generation lineage Tai He ("Great Harmony") Wudangquan Master Fan Keping (Chinese: 范克平), a collector of rare Kung fu manuals.
[32] Other styles include the Hǔ Xiào Jīn Zhōng Zhào (Chinese: 虎啸金钟罩 – “Tiger Shouting Golden Bell Exercise"), Tie Bu Shan ("Five Phoenix Iron Shirt Work") and the Wu Feng Qi Ming Gui Xi Su ("Five Phoenix Combined Shouting Tortoise Resting Method").
During the Ming dynasty, Daoist priest Deng Kun Lun (Chinese: 邓坤伦) is fabled to have learned the set and later published a book in 1426 called Dà Sòng Quān Nèi Dì Yī Gāo Shǒu Zhōu Tóng Zhēn Chuán Hǔ Xiào Jīn Zhōng Zhào Fú Qì Liàn Xíng Mì Shù (Chinese: 大宋圈内第一高手周侗真传虎啸金钟罩服气炼形秘术 - “Great Song Circle Internal Sequence First Zhou Tong True Line Tiger Shouting Golden Bell Exercise Build Secret Technique”).
Wang could tell “...his bones and physiognomy indicated that [Cai] was fit for [eventual] transcendence.”[36] Zhou Tong can be linked to numerous other styles through his historical and folklore students.
[41] The Abbot recorded all of the techniques in a manual called the Mishou (Chinese: 祕手 – “Secret Hands”) and later passed it onto the Taoist priest Shen Xiao.
This manual supposedly disappeared until the Qianlong reign era when it was published under the name Luohan Xing Gong Duan Da Tuo Pu (Chinese: 罗汉行功短打 - Arhat exercising merit short strike illustrated manuscripts).
Lin Chong and Yan Qing come from the Water Margin and Emperor Taizu (#1), Han Tong (#2), Zhang En (#3) and Huai De (#11) come from the Fei Long Quan Zhuan (Chinese: 飞龙全传 – “The Complete Flying Dragon Biography”).
One legend attributes the style to the Song dynasty when Yue Fei supposedly created linear fist attacks based upon the “thrusting” motions of the Chinese spear.
