The Fu Hok Martial Art
(Fu Hok Kuen Tiger Crane Boxing)

Fu Hok boxing is a form of Chinese martial art that originated in the mid to late 1700's. This time period is known as the golden age of Chinese martial arts. The design of the Fu Hok  is said to be “the final idea” to come out of the Siu Lum (Shaolin) temple. Traditionally the Fu Hok boxing is classified as a southern, short hand, five element, inside circle, pa kua style. Because the Fu Hok developed before the widespread use of firearms in China, it incorporates both empty hand training as well as weapons training.

One of the primary components of any martial art is leverage, accomplishing more with less. Because leverage is of such great importance, the application of geometric constructs  is crucial to efficient movement and power generation. The Fu Hok motions are based upon the square, the circle, the triangle and the spiral. At first glance the Fu Hok postures and movements look awkward and it is hard to imagine how they could ever be used to efficiently defend ones self. After some practice the Fu Hok student begins to realize how amazingly ingenious and effective the Fu Hok geometry actually is. It is a multidimensional art similar in many respects to playing three dimensional chess. The ramifications of one motion are multitude. Over time the Fu Hok student is able to conceptualize the fighting engagement in a multidimensional grid learning to act and respond in several planes at one time.

Working with weapons then is simply an extension of the geometry of the empty hand art. The major difference however is that the additional length of the lever that a weapon provides multiplies the power of the movements exponentially. In many respects, once one has mastered the geometry of the empty hand boxing, one has also mastered the use of the weapons.

Naturally in conjunction with training in the martial arts, the Fu Hok also incorporates mental training and the care and treatment of  injuries or illnesses which may be associated with the process of training. The following paraphrase of Confucius is descriptive of both the geometric and psychological constructs inherent in the Fu Hok boxing system.