Duan Quan
Duan Quan, also known as short-style boxing, is a form of kung fu practiced primarily in the Hebei Province of China.
A highly-dynamic and combat-oriented martial art, Duan Quan focuses on short and compact routines, low stances, and quick movements. Students are taught to be highly mobile, in order to keep the opponent disoriented and unable to attack.
Practiced for centuries, but extremely rare today, Duan (Short) Quan (Boxing) is also known as MianZhangquan or Mianzhang Duanda (Cotton Palm Short Strikes). It is a combat orientated method from the Northern Hebei Province of China and is characterised by short simple sequences/routines and skillful close and long range approaches. The style originated in the Ming Dynasty and was developed in the Qing Dynasty.
Duanquan is the indigenous art of Gaoyang county in Hebei province and was practiced in the past by many families such as Yu, Zhou and Zhang in the county. Today the skill has reached the 9th and 10th generation from the Master that passed the skill to the Gaoyang county.
The key principles of Duanquan are found on the principles of close range powerful strikes and that the hands and body move in unison where required.