Moslem's wushu

In 1219 when after capturing China Chingiz-khan went to the west many arabians and persians became moved to China. Such people were called "semu" ("men with colored eyes"), they had less rights than mongolian but more than chinese. In official documents of Yuan dynasty they were called "huihui". Moved on the east moslem infantrymen and artillerymen in 1275, due to order of founder of Yuan dynasty "in all places entered in communities of border inhabitants", became peasants. From these people, arabian immigrants came to China on ships during Tang and Song dynasties, and chinese men converted to islam formed "huizu" nation ("moslems").

Huizu lived on state lands only. Conditions of living were bad, there were many rebellions. It is known that when Zhu Yuanzhang overthrew Yuan dynasty, many of his soldiers and officers were moslems. Most known of them were generals Chang Yuchun and Hu Dahai. At the end of Ming dynasty there was Ma Shouying in Shaanxi province. His nickname was "lao huihui" ("old moslem"), and nickname of his detachment was "lao huihui ying" ("batallion of old moslem"). They went through battles to North-West and joined to Cao Wangli's rebellion.

During Qing dynasty moslems were under a great supression, and there were rebellion after rebellion.

During more than seven hundred years huizu was indissoluble connected with wushu. They considered wushu as self-defence and as holy action, stimulated moslem's spirit.

Moslems are wide spread in China. During many years they exchanged martial arts with hanzu, took good sides. It is hard to say which styles of wushu are moslem styles. Below are styles popular among all the huizu.


1. Tantui

2. Chaquan

3. Liuhequan

4. Stick fighting, also known as Ali's stick. North-Western art of stick fighting includes one-head stick of mother and son and two-heads stick-stripe.

5. Pole of Sha family and spear of Ma family. These styles are mentioned in the general Qi Jiguang's "New book of notes about achivements" (Ming dynasty). Now there are no specialists of these styles.

6. Huihui shiba zhou

7. Qishi

8. Tongbeiquan

9. Piguaquan

10. Bajiquan

11. Xinyiliuhequan (fist of heart, mind and six coordinations), a brunch of xingyiquan (southern version, from Henan province). Main part - "10 big forms" and "4 cock's grasps". According to legends this style is transferred from moslem wushu master Ma Zhuangtu, who lived during Qing dynasty. Now this style is popular among moslems of Shanxi and Ningxia.

12. Art of sword jian. It is said that in the past there were such a sets as "Suleiman's sword" and "Koran's sword"