Actually, it’s both!
By now, just about everyone has heard about or seen the Mulan movies. Mulan is a legend that’s been popular throughout Asia for hundreds of years. While the legend most likely came to be during the 4th Century CE, the original “The Poem of Mulan” dates to the 6th Century CE. The tale has been retold and embellished (as legends tend to be) many times throughout the centuries, and many movies have been made depicting Mulan’s character. At one point, the surname Hua (meaning flower) was added to the male name Mulan. And while whether Mulan was a real person or not has never been verified, the legend has encouraged countless women to come forward and actually fight for their cause.
The Mulan Quan (quan meaning “fist”) martial arts form was created by Shanghai’s Madam Ying Mei Feng. It is is derived from Hua Chia Quan, an ancient and nearly extinct form. Ying Mei Feng was impressed with and inspired by Hua Jia Boxing, which incorporates Qigong’s breathing and Yin-Yan theory. She researched Tai Chi Boxing principles, Qigong and Chinese martial arts for ten years before she published her Gongfu martial arts form for women. In 1998, she named her martial arts form Mulan Quan after her childhood hero, although it is pretty obvious that it is not based on Hua Mulan’s own fighting style.
People are attracted to Mulan Quan’s beautiful, graceful, ballet-like movements, which provide a means of self-defense and personal improvement. It encourages strength, while building confidence, and many women who practice Mulan Quan not only find themselves more relaxed, stronger and more flexible, they also become fit and trim. And even though Mulan Quan promotes feminine power and strength, it is also a great form for men. Just as the Yin Yang represents a balance of complementary and opposing aspects, men and women must share both Yin and Yang aspects in order to achieve health and harmony.
Like Tai Chi, Mulan Quan movements are generated or initiated at the waist (Dantian) level, with the extremities expressing and following. The movements assist Qi in flowing through the body, while the turning, rotating, stretching, and bending at the Dantian stimulates circulation (both cardiovascular and pulmonary), strengthens and supports the back, and increases stability. Subsequently, Mulan Quan is recommended for many chronic illnesses and medical problems, and has become very popular in China, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and more recently, the United States. Unfortunately, there are a limited number of qualified instructors in the world today.
This is a form that needs to be seen to be appreciated. There are many good examples of Mulan Quan forms on YouTube.
In Part II, we will take a closer look at the different Mulan Quan forms: Basic Short Form, Long Form, Sword Styles, and Fan Styles.
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