Shao Bei Quan is composed of several ancient styles of martial arts which were combined over time, finally coming together in it's current form in the mid Qing dynasty.


The fighting methods of the system are generally broken into four categories Duan Da (Short Striking), Chang Quan (Long Fist), Po Na (Breaking & Seizing), and Qiao Dun Shu Gong (Skillful evasion methods) (Methods of evading attacks and capture attempts and group fighting strategies). Within these four categories there are many sub-divisions. They also include many other types of ancient training methods rarely seen today such as, extensive conditioning and special skill methods, Nei Gong methods, and "Clever skills" which include use of varied training apparatus such as poles, ropes, nets, bridges, chains, stakes, etc. These are often setup in "obstacle course" fashion and used in a variety of ways for conditioning, locomotion, and combat training with and without weapons.

Shao Bei is often referred to as a Shaolin style (or more accuratelly just "Buddhist temple boxing") however it's earliest components come from martial practitioners of the Linji sect. The earliest methods are attributed to a 3rd generation lay disciple of the linji sect living at the end of the Tang dynasty and are referred to as the "Duan Da Loose Methods". Other methods came from various other places, including several more monks from the Linji sect in various temples.

The other main source was Shaolin methods (The Linji monk who created the Po Na methods came from Shaolin before going to Wutai Shan after Xueting Fuyu's expulsion of non Caodong monks) (Also methods from Bai Yufeng were later used by another monk in Jiangsu when formulating the Dian Gang Quan / Pointing Hard Boxing, methods).

The Rou Hua Quan forms trace back to a late Ming/Early Qing Dynasty monk in Shandong who combined Zhang Songshi's Wudang Neijia Quan Methods with Shaolin methods.

In the mid Qing dynasty most of these methods were inherited by a monk of the Linji sect who had been collecting the various martial arts and training methods created at Shaolin and other monasteries.

He passed these on to his Buddhist disciple who created the Ba Bu Duan Da (Eight Section Short Striking) sets. He was friends with two other masters who exchanged their techniques with him. One was the inheritor of the Po Na methods created in the early Yuan by the Linji sect Shaolin monk on Wuati Shan. The other was the inheritor of the Rou Hua Quan (Soft Transformation Boxing) created by the monk in Shandong who combined Zhang Songxi's Neijia with Shaolin methods.
All of these methods were passed through six generations of monks before being inherited by Zhao Guolun who passed them on to Zhang Rongshi who began to teach the style openly in the1960's.

No.1: Shaobei boxing essence 2DVDs
No.2: Shaobei Qigong gun
No.3: less North 24 short boxing
No.4: eight steps of less northern Yin
No.5: less North linked legs
No.6: less North Point boxing
No.7: less North soft boxing
No.8: Shaobei Zen forest boxing 2DVDs
No.9: short fight at less north point
No.10: less North soft short hit
No.11: short north door opening
No.12: less North 18 broken
No.13: Shaobei Yijin classic
No.14: less North Eight Dharma knives
No.15: Shaobei group front sword
No.16: Shaobei sword dagger
No.17: Shaobei short staff
No.18: shanbaton, Shaobei Town
No.19: less north three front Yue
No.20: Shaobei Kaishan axe
No.21: Shaobei rope dart
No.22: Shaobei Liuhe gun
No.23: less North slightly child stick
No.24: less North hand protection double hook