“A good defense is a strong offense.”
Duan Quan, or Short-Range Boxing, is one of the oldest styles of Kung Fu that is very popular and practiced in Hebei Province in China.
It is a short-range style of Kung Fu that is created specifically for combat. The founder of this art is unknown except that it evolved more
than four hundred years ago.
Duan Quan is the opposite of Chang Quan or Long Fist Boxing. It differs a great deal in combat skills, generation of power, movements,
and routines. Movements are well connected and fist techniques follow in quick succession often with sudden changes. Unlike the Long
Fist Boxers, practitioners of Duan Quan rarely jump or leap. The Duan Quan fighter moves around to avoid the attack from the opponent
only to appear close to him with multiple counter-attacks.
Low stances and small but quick movements are major features of this style of Kung Fu. The arms and legs are bent slightly. They also
use simple and sudden moves and the techniques are executed smartly wasting no energy. By practicing Duan Quan, one can improve
his physique as well as sharpen his instincts and skills in close-range combats.
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