CyberKwoon

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Hap pai, Hao chuan, Hok kuen, ... Crane Boxing<P>
Three main styles have that name :<br>
The first one comes from Fujian province and is called Yongchun Baihe
Quan (white crane boxing from Yongchun). It was created by Fang Qiniang,
a woman who observed a crane, during 17th century.<br>
The second also from Fujian is also called Baihe Quan and got 5 substyles
: Feihe, Minghe, Zonghe, Shihe and Suhe. All those He quan use the back
as a motor and have very few kick techniques. It is good to know that
Yang Junming (Yang Jwingming 1946 - ) is teaching a personal synthesis
of Zonghe.<br>
A third style claims to come from Tibet and have 4 substyles : Baihe (same
name, other stuff), xiajia, shizou quan and lama quan. That style is supposed
to come from a monk, Xinglong, who started to teach in the middle of 19th
century in Guangdong province. From there it spread to Western countries.<br>
That "tibetan" Crane boxing uses many hips rotations, many wide
and circular moves and a desynchronization of members.<br><br>

<b>Websites</b> :

The 5 substyles from Fujian white crane is actually substyles from Yongchun Bai He Quan. Yongchun Bai He Quan is the same Fujian White Crane as the other one, but just Yongchun is location specific, made popular by the websites created by Martin Watts.

The original Fujian Bai He was created by Fang Qi Niang (方七娘).
Then branching off into 4 substyles,
Su He, Ming He, Shi He, Fei He.
(Resting Crane, Crying Crane, Eating Crane, Flying Crane)

Some other substyles have evolved from another substyle
For example Zong He (Jumping crane); which evolved out of Resting crane.

ohh....
some info can be found here...

http://www.geocities.com/alaumirm/s_pagina6.htm

and

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fujian_White_Crane

the tibetan white crane was attributed to a lama, but in fact it is a chinese style. I believe the motivations for linking it to tibet were political and an early attempt at marriage and eventual assimilation of tibetan culture into chinese. Which we know took place with the conquering of tibet by China in the late 40's and early 1950's.

But there were much earlier attempts at this end. Tibetan white crane is one of these attempts at making the bridge.

Martial posturing has been a part of tibetan lama practice while in argument for centuries. BUt codified and systematized martial arts are not part of the lama traditions as has been iterated by the Dalai Lama and all rinpoche who are part of that tradition.

don't tell it to an american lama pai guy though. lol. They are apparently convinced that there are tibetan martial arts that are bonafide. In truth, there are dhyana practices, martial posturing while conducting religious argument and a lot of meditative practice similar to zen in scope and content. But martial arts? not really.