Buy an 拳 calligraphy wall scroll here!
Personalize your custom “拳” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “拳” title below...
1. Fist
2. Boxing
4. Dragon Fist
5. Drunken Fist
6. Hung Kuen
7. Kenpo / Kempo / Quan Fa / Chuan Fa
8. Kick-Boxing
10. Monkey Fist
11. Muay Thai
12. Ba Ji Quan
13. Black Tiger Fist
14. Dakenjutsu
15. Hung Ga Kuen
16. Jeet Kune Do
17. Kaio-Ken
18. Neijia Fist
20. Shaolin Chuan / Shao Lin Quan
22. Taekwondo
23. Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan
24. White Crane Fist
25. Wing Chun Fist
26. Wudang Fist
27. Wu Xing Fist
29. Xing Yi Quan
30. Iron Fist
31. Ikken Hissatsu
32. Kajukenbo Slogan
33. Kempo Karate / Law of the Fist Empty Hand
34. Ken Zen Ichi Nyo
35. Law of the Fist Karate / Kempo Karate
36. Nippon Kempo
37. Okinawa Kenpo
39. Tai Chi Chuan Dao / Tai Ji Quan Dao
40. Tai Chi Chuan Fa / Tai Ji Quan Fa
43. Eagle Claw Overturning Fist
44. Five Elements Tai Chi Fist
48. American Kenpo
拳 is the simplest way to express “fist” in Chinese, Japanese Kanji, and old Korean Hanja.
拳擊 is the term used in Chinese to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting.
If you like to strap on your boxing gloves and go a few rounds or are just a fan of boxing, this could make a nice wall scroll for you.
Note that Japanese use the same first character (which means fist) but a different Kanji for the second. Please see our Japanese boxing entry for that version.
拳闘 is the term used in Japanese Kanji to refer to the original Olympic sport of combat and fighting.
This can also be translated as prizefighting.
The first Kanji means fist. The second means fight. So when literally translated, this means “fistfight” (though understood in Japanese as a more refined sport, versus street fighting).
Note: A completely different second character is used in the Chinese word for boxing but a Chinese person would still be able to guess the meaning of these Kanji.
查拳 is the title for the Chaquan, Chāquán, or Cha Quan style of Chinese martial arts.
The meaning is “Inquisitive Fist,” and it falls under the category of the Northern Schools.
Cha Quan features graceful movements and acrobatic stunts (often flying through the air). Many different forms of weapons are used in Cha Quan.
(A legitimate style of Kung Fu)
醉拳 is Drunken Fist, a traditional Chinese martial art/technique of Kung Fu.
It is a northern style of martial art that imitates a drunk person in its movements. Many staggering movements serve to deceive the opponent and keep them off-balance.
Some consider Drunken Fist to be among the more complex styles of martial arts due to the need for robust joints and fingers.
拳法 is a form of martial arts that can be translated in several ways.
Some will call it “fist principles,” “the way of the fist,” or even “law of the fist.” The first character literally means fist. The second can mean law, method, way, principle, or Buddhist teaching.
Kempo is really a potluck of martial arts. Often a combination of Chinese martial arts such as Shaolin Kung Fu with Japanese martial arts such as Karate, Jujutsu (Jujitsu), Aikido, and others. You may see the term “Kempo Karate,” which basically means Karate with other disciplines added. In this way, Kempo becomes an adjective rather than a title or school of martial arts.
These facts will long be argued by various masters and students of Kempo. Even the argument as to whether it should be spelled “kenpo” or “Kempo” ensues at dojos around the world (the correct Romaji should actually be “kenpou” if you precisely follow the rules).
The benefit of Kempo is that the techniques are easier to learn and master than pure Kung Fu (wu shu). Students are often taught basic Karate moves, kicks, and punches before augmenting the basic skills with complex Kung Fu techniques. This allows students of Kempo to achieve a level where they can defend themselves or fight in a relatively short amount of time (a few years rather than a decade or more).
Because the definition of this word is so fluid, I should make some notes here:
1. Purists in Okinawa will claim that “Okinawa Kenpo” or “Ryukyu Hon Kenpo” is the original and true version of this martial art from the old kingdom. It is actually little or no connection between Okinawa Kenpo and the way the word is used elsewhere.
2. In Chinese, where these characters are pronounced “quan fa” (sometimes Romanized as “chuan fa” because the Chinese-pinyin “q” actually sounds like an English “ch” sound), these characters do not hold the connotation of being a mixed martial art. It is simply defined as “the law of the fist.”
3. My Japanese dictionary oddly defines Kenpo as the “Chinese art of self-defense.” I personally don't feel this is the most common way that people perceive the word but just something you should know.
Saruken
猿拳 is the Japanese martial arts title, “Monkey Fist,” referring to Monkey-Style Kung Fu.
猿拳 is very similar to a Chinese term that uses a different first character (the characters for ape and monkey were reversed when Japan borrowed Chinese characters, so this would be “Ape Fist” if a Chinese person read it).
猴拳 literally means what you think, it's the “Monkey Fist” school of Kung Fu. A style that mimics the punches and movements of monkeys and apes.
Becoming popular during the Qing Dynasty, this style can trace its origins back to as early as the Song Dynasty. Some of the romance and popularity of this style comes from the novel “Journey to the West” which features the Monkey King and his fighting skills.
This novel and martial arts style has spawned a stream of Hong Kong movies featuring the Monkey King and other Kung Fu style variations such as “Drunken Monkey” and “Monkey Stealing Peaches” (a technique of disabling your opponent by grabbing and yanking on his testicles).
Note: This kind of makes sense in Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji but probably unknown by all Koreans and Japanese except those who have an interest in this form of Kung Fu.
八極拳 is “Ba Ji Quan” or “Eight Extremes Fist.”
Some also translate this as “Eight Extremities Fist,” though I don't feel that's accurate.
八極拳 (Bājíquán) is a Chinese martial art that features explosive, short-range power and is famous for its elbow strikes. It originated in the Hebei Province in Northern China but spread to Taiwan and other places.
The full title is 開門八極拳 (Kāimén Bājíquán), which means Open-Door Bajiquan.
Other romanizations include: BaJiQuan, Pa Chi Ch`üan, or Pa Chi Chuan.
In Japan, this is known as Hakkyokuken.
This can be translated literally as “Praying Mantis Fist.”
螳螂拳 is sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis after its place of origin. It was created by Wang Lang and was named after the praying mantis, an insect, the aggressiveness of which inspired the style.
Shaolin records document that Wang Lang was one of the 18 masters gathered by the Shaolin Abbot Fu Ju, which dates him and Northern Praying Mantis style to the Song Dynasty (960-1279 A.D.).
The fact that the word “Northern” is used in the English title has more to do with where this style came from (Shandong is in northern China), but “north” is absent from this Chinese title.
Note: 螳螂拳 is also a title in Japanese - however, only a Japanese person who practices or is familiar with the “Praying Mantis Fist” style would recognize it.
少林拳 is the title of the martial art (style of Kung Fu) that is taught to the monks and students in the Shaolin Buddhist Monastery.
The addition of Chuan or Quan, which means fist is what signifies that you are talking about this school or form of martial arts.
跆拳道 is one of the most widespread types of martial arts in the world as well as being an Olympic sport. Taekwondo was born in Korea with influences of Chinese and Japanese styles combined with traditional Korean combat skills. Some will define it as the “Korean art of empty-handed self-defense.”
In the simplest translation, the first character means “kick,” the second character can mean either “fist” or “punching,” and the third means “way” or “method.” Altogether, you could say this is the “Kick Punch Method.” When heard or read in various Asian languages, all will automatically think of this famous Korean martial art. It is written the same in Japanese Kanji, Chinese, and Korean Hanja characters - so the appearance of the characters is universal. However, you should note that there is another way to write this in modern Korean Hangul characters, which looks like the image to the right.
We suggest the original Korean Hanja (Chinese characters) for a wall scroll, but if you need the Hangul version, you must use master calligrapher Cao Bin: Order Taekwondo in Korean Hangul
Note: Taekwondo is sometimes Romanized as Tae-Kwondo, Tae Kwon Do, Taekwon-do, Taegwondo, Tae Gweon Do, Tai Kwon Do, Taikwondo, Taekwando, Tae Kwan Do and in Chinese Taiquandao, Tai Quan Dao, Taichuando, or Tai Chuan Tao.
太極拳 is the famous Taoist meditation and martial art exercise. The direct translation of these characters would be something like “grand ultimate fist,” but that does not quite hit the mark for what this title really means.
An early-morning walk through any city in China near a park or an open area will yield a view of Chinese people practicing this ancient technique.
A typical scene is an old man of no less than 80 years on this earth, with a wispy white beard and perhaps a sword in one hand. He makes slow moves that are impossibly smooth. He is steady-footed and always in balance. For him, time is meaningless and proper form, and technique is far more important than speed.
For the younger generation, faster moves may look impressive and seem smooth to the casual observer. But more discipline and mental strength are needed to create perfectly smooth moves in virtual slow motion.
Note: There are two ways to Romanize these Chinese characters, as seen in the title above. The pronunciation and actual characters are the same in Chinese. If you really used English sounds/words to pronounce this, it would be something like “tie jee chew-on” (make the “chew-on” one flowing syllable).
詠春拳 is the title for the “Wing Chun” school of martial arts but with the addition of the character for “fist” at the end. So this is “Wing Chun Fist” or literally “Singing Spring Fist.”
There are lots of alternate Cantonese romanizations for this, such as “Wing Chun Kuen,” “Wing Tsun Cheun,” “Eng Chun Pai,” and “Wing Ceon Kyun.” The characters are the same; just the lack of a standard Cantonese romanization means that people make up their own based on what they think it sounds like.
Five Forms Fist of Kung Fu
五祖拳 is a martial arts concept (or school) known as Five Ancestors' Fist.
The first character means five.
The second means ancestor, forefather, or grandparents.
The third means fist.
The ancestors referred to by this title and whose attributes contribute to this style are as follows:
1. Grace of the White Crane.
2. Agility of the Monkey.
3. Precision and skill of Emperor Taizu (great mythical ancestor).
4. Power of Luohan (Buddhist arhat).
5. Breath of Damo (founder of Buddhism, or the first Buddha).
Style of Martial Arts
形意拳 is the title for the Xingyiquan style/form of Chinese martial arts involving explosive linear movements.
Some translate this as “shape-of-the-mind fist.”
While pronunciation has never changed in Chinese, the old romanization was “Hsing I Chuan.” This romanization for 形意拳 is still used in Taiwan.
This term is used in some Japanese martial arts circles where it's romanized from Japanese as keīken, keiiken, or keiken.
Tie Quan / Tieh Chuan
鐵拳 is a common theme used by various schools of martial arts.
鐵 means “iron” but, in some cases, can mean “indisputable.”
拳 means fist.
Some schools use the older/Taiwanese way to Romanize the iron fist, so you may have seen it spelled “Tieh Chuan” instead of “Tie Quan.” Neither way is technically incorrect.
Note that in Mandarin, the first part of the first character sounds like the English word “tea,” blending into a soft “-eh” sound. The second character sounds a lot like “chew on” but as if it is one syllable.
After WWII in Japan, the Kanji for iron was simplified. This new Kanji form is shown to the right. If you want this modern Japanese version, please click on the Kanji to the right, instead of the button above. The characters shown to the left would still be considered the old or ancient Japanese version of this title.
拳法功夫 is the Japanese slogan associated with Kajukenbo.
There is no way to write Kajukenbo in Japanese (as the “ka” for karate cannot be separated from the “kara” character it is supposed to represent - among a few other language issues). This slogan which reads, “fist law, kung fu” is often written on banners and patches for Kajukenbo clubs or dojos.
空手拳法 is the Kanji title for Kempo Karate.
The first two characters mean “karate” - technically they express “empty hand.”
The last two express “fist law” which is Romanized from Japanese as “Kenpo” or “Kempo.”
That “empty hand” translation can be understood better when you grasp the idea that karate is a martial art without weapons (other than the weapons organic to your body, such as your foot, hand, fist, etc). When you practice karate, you do so with empty hands (no weapons).
Note: There is also an antiquated way to write karate. It has the same pronunciation but a different first character which means “Tang” as in the Tang Dynasty. Some dojos use that form - let us know if you need that alternate form, and we'll add it.
拳禪一如 is a Japanese phrase that is often translated as “train both body and spirit.”
Here's the breakdown of the words in this phrase:
拳 means fist.
禅 is zen, which means meditation.
一如 is a word that means “to be just like,” “oneness,” “true nature,” or “true character.”
So to get to the translation of “train both body and spirit,” you must understand that “fist” is representing “body” and the idea of meditation is representing “mind.”
I have to say, this is not how I would translate this. To me, it's really about training with your mind and remembering that meditation is a huge part of training, not just your fist. As the Shaolin Buddhist monks show us, meditation is just as important as physical training in martial arts.
The first two characters mean “fist law” which is Romanized from Japanese as “Kenpo” or “Kempo.”
The last two are a secondary way to express “karate.”
Notes:
The more common way to express “karate” is literally “empty hand” (meaning “without weapons in your hand”). This version would be translated literally as “Tang hand” (as in the Tang Dynasty) or “China hand” (sometimes “Tang” means “China” in Japanese). Even though the character for “Tang” is used instead of “empty,” it's still pronounced “kara-te” in Japanese.
拳法唐手 is not commonly used in China - so please consider it to be a Japanese-only title.
Many Japanese people will say the last two Kanji are the old and antiquated way of saying Karate. This fact does not stop this title from existing, as these four characters are often seen in Kenpo / Kempo Dojos around the western world.
少林長拳 is a combination of two titles. The first two characters mean little forest, as in the little forest of the Shaolin monks (shao lin = little forest). The second two characters mean “long fist.”
This title is specific to a particular technique - if you are studying Shaolin Chang Chuan, then you are already aware of all the ramifications.
蒼軒跆拳道 is the title “Chang Hon Taekwon-Do” written in old Korean Hanja.
This literally means “Pale Blue Kick Fist/Punch Way.”
The rather awkward official romanization is “cang heon tae gweon do.”
Occasionally, you will see the first Hanja character written as 苍 instead of 蒼. it’s just a different way to write the same character. If you want 苍 instead of 蒼, just let me know.
鷹爪翻子拳 is the title of a Chinese martial arts style known as “Ying Zhua Fan Zi Quan” or “Eagle Claw Overturning Fist.”
This style was derived from a combination of 鷹爪派 (Eagle Claw School) and 子母拳 (Son-Mother Fist). The title “son-mother” may seem odd, but it refers to a fist or punches seemingly coming out of another fist or punch. In modern times, 子母彈 is a title for “cluster bomb” (bombs coming out of another bomb).
五行太極拳 is a certain school or style of Tai Chi (Taiji).
The characters literally mean “Five Elements Tai Chi Fist.”
Notes:
In Taiwan, it would be Romanized as “Wu Hsing Tai Chi Chuan” - see the standard Mandarin method above in the gray box (used in mainland China and the official Romanization used by the Library of Congress).
The last three characters are sometimes translated as “Grand Ultimate Fist,” so the whole thing can be “Five Elements Grand Ultimate Fist” if you wish.
I have not confirmed the use of this title in Korean but if it is used, it's probably only by martial arts enthusiasts. The pronunciation is correct, as shown above for Korean.
少林寺拳法 is a specific type of martial art in Japan that claims origins in the Kung Fu practiced in the original Shaolin Monastery of China.
The first three characters mean “Shaolin Monastery,” and you might notice the Japanese is pronounced in a very similar way. The reason is, many words were “borrowed” from the original Chinese when Japan did not have a written language and simply absorbed Chinese characters into their language around the 5th century. When a Japanese word did not exist, the Chinese pronunciation was often absorbed as well as the written form.
The last two characters mean “fist law” or “method of the fist.” It has long been argued as to whether the Japanese for these characters should be Romanized as “kempo” or “kenpo.” The official method should be “kenpou” but it's common to drop the “u” that comes after the “o.”
I imagine if you are looking for this title, you already know what it means, so the above is simply extra information that a student of Shorinji Kempo might want to know.
松巖跆拳道 is the title Songahm Taekwondo.
If you want this written in Korean Hangul instead of Hanja, click on the Hangul characters below the Korean flag above.
Note, Songahm is usually written in Hanja as 松巖. However, in Traditional Chinese, it would be 鬆巖, and in modern Japanese, it can be 松岩 (but not known in this context - I think it's a small train station and place in Japan).
Technically, all of these can also be Korean Hanja so that you might see these variations in use. If you need a version other than 松巖, just let me know when you order.
跆拳道精神 means “Taekwondo Spirit” or “The Spirit of Taekwondo.”
跆拳道精神 is the title of General Choi's calligraphy often referred to as “The Tenets of Taekwon-do.”
アメリカン拳法 is the most common name for American Kenpo or American Kempo in Japanese.
You may also see this as アメリカ拳法 (dropping the “ン” or “N” sound from American) or 米国拳法 (uses the older Japanese name for America as “Rice Country” along with Kenpō).
Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Katakana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.
四拳波羅蜜大光明 is “shiken haramitsu daikōmyō,” a famous Japanese Buddhist mantra.
四拳 = shi-ken = four fists (many translate this as “four hearts”).
波羅蜜 = ha-ra-mitsu = A loanword representing pāramitā, or entrance into Nirvana. Awkwardly, it also means jackfruit.
大光明 = dai-kou-myo = big/great light bright (great bright light).
Shiken represents four hearts:
1. The Merciful Heart - Love and caring for all living things.
2. The Sincere Heart - Pursues righteousness, or the right path - sincerely trying to do what is right.
3. The Attuned Heart - Knows that nature and fate have their ways, and thus stay in tune with the universe.
4. The Dedicated Heart - Steadfast on the chosen path to the end.
The school of hard knocks
挨一拳得一招挨十拳變諸葛 is a Chinese proverb that literally translates as: Receive one blow, [and one] learns a lesson; Receive ten blows, [and one] becomes a great Zhuge [Liang].
You must first understand that a man named Zhuge Liang was one of the great strategists and philosophers in Chinese history. He's known as a man of great wisdom.
Figuratively, this phrase means:
One can learn much from failure or “hard knocks.”
跆拳道精神禮義廉耻忍耐克己百折不屈 is General Choi's writing that is often called “The Tenets of Taekwon-do.”
The actual title would be translated as “Taekwondo Spirit” or “The Spirit of Taekwondo.” It was originally written in Korean Hanja (Chinese characters used in Korea for about 1600 years).
General Choi's original calligraphy is shown to the right. Your custom calligraphy will be unique, and not an exact match, as each calligrapher has their own style.Traditional Korean Hanja | Modern Korean Hangul | Pronunciation | English |
跆拳道精神 | 태권도정신 | tae gweon do jeong sin | Taekwondo Spirit |
禮儀 | 예의 | ye yi | Courtesy / Etiquette / Propriety / Decorum / Formality |
廉耻 | 염치 | yeom ci | Integrity / Sense of Honor |
忍耐 | 인내 | in nae | Patience / Perseverance / Endurance |
克己 | 극기 | geug gi | Self-Control / Self-Denial / Self-Abnegation |
百折不屈 | 백절불굴 | baeg jeor bur gur | Indomitable Spirit (Undaunted even after repeated attacks from the opponent) |
Note that the pronunciation is the official version now used in South Korea. However, it is different than what you may be used to. For instance, “Taekwon-do” is “tae gweon do.” This new romanization is supposed to be closer to actual Korean pronunciation. |
A customer asked me to split these Wing Chun maxims into two parts, so he could order a couplet.
It thought this was a good idea, so it's been added here.
Be sure to order both part 1 and part 2 together. They need to be a matched set. It will be incomplete as a single wall scroll. Also, each wall scroll is handmade, so if you order them separately, weeks or months apart, they will vary a little by length, shade of paper, etc.
Wing Chun Kuen Kuit
This text is the chant or poem of Wing Chun.
I call it a “chant” because it was meant to be a somewhat rhythmic poem to help practitioners memorize many aspects of Wing Chun.
You will see this referred to as “Wing Chun Kuem Kuit.” This Cantonese romanization is popular in the west (and there is no official way to romanize Cantonese, so many variations exist). In Mandarin, it would be, “Yong Chun Quan Jue.” The last character (kuit or kyut from Cantonese, jue or chüeh from Mandarin) kind of means “secrets of the art.” It's a short way to write 口訣, meaning “mnemonic chant” or “rhyme for remembering.”
In the west (especially in the military), we often use acronyms to remember things. There are no initials to make acronyms in Chinese, so in ancient times, chants like this are used to remember vast amounts of information.
I will presume you already know the meaning of the 10 maxims, so I will skip that to keep this calligraphy entry from getting too large.
Some think 练拳者必记 is the title but that just says, “(When) training (the) fist, people should remember:.” Therefore, I've not included that in the calligraphy. However, you can put a note in the special instructions if you want it added.
Note: On a traditional calligraphy wall scroll, the characters will be written in vertical columns, starting from the right, and proceeding left.
Note: This is an except and variation from a huge 口訣. These 10 maxims are used extensively in Wing Chun training, and you’ll find them all over the internet. Just know there is a much longer version out there, along with several variations and excepts like this one. If you know of, or want a different version, just contact me, and I will add it for you.
Below are some entries from our dictionary that may match your 拳 search...
Characters If shown, 2nd row is Simp. Chinese |
Pronunciation Romanization |
Simple Dictionary Definition |
拳 see styles |
quán quan2 ch`üan chüan kobushi こぶし |
More info & calligraphy: Fistfist; (male given name) Tsuyoshi |
拳擊 拳击 see styles |
quán jī quan2 ji1 ch`üan chi chüan chi |
More info & calligraphy: Boxing |
拳斗 see styles |
kento けんと |
More info & calligraphy: Boxing |
拳法 see styles |
quán fǎ quan2 fa3 ch`üan fa chüan fa kenpou / kenpo けんぽう |
More info & calligraphy: Kenpo / Kempo / Quan Fa / Chuan Fa(1) Chinese martial arts; kung fu; wushu; quanfa; (2) kenpō (martial arts); kempo |
拳闘 see styles |
kentou / kento けんとう |
More info & calligraphy: Boxing |
查拳 see styles |
chá quán cha2 quan2 ch`a ch`üan cha chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Chaquan / Cha Quan |
泰拳 see styles |
tài quán tai4 quan2 t`ai ch`üan tai chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Muay Thai |
猴拳 see styles |
hóu quán hou2 quan2 hou ch`üan hou chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Monkey Fist |
猿拳 see styles |
saruken さるけん |
More info & calligraphy: Monkey Fist |
酔拳 see styles |
suiken すいけん |
More info & calligraphy: Drunken Fist |
鐵拳 铁拳 see styles |
tiě quán tie3 quan2 t`ieh ch`üan tieh chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Iron Fist |
長拳 长拳 see styles |
cháng quán chang2 quan2 ch`ang ch`üan chang chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Changquan / Long Fist |
五形拳 see styles |
gokeiken / gokeken ごけいけん |
More info & calligraphy: Wu Xing Fist |
五祖拳 see styles |
wǔ zǔ quán wu3 zu3 quan2 wu tsu ch`üan wu tsu chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Five Ancestors Fist |
八極拳 八极拳 see styles |
bā jí quán ba1 ji2 quan2 pa chi ch`üan pa chi chüan hakkyokuken はっきょくけん |
More info & calligraphy: Ba Ji Quanbajiquan (Chinese martial art) |
内家拳 see styles |
naikaken ないかけん |
More info & calligraphy: Neijia Fist |
太極拳 太极拳 see styles |
tài jí quán tai4 ji2 quan2 t`ai chi ch`üan tai chi chüan taikyokuken たいきょくけん |
More info & calligraphy: Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan{MA} grand ultimate fist; Tai Chi Chuan |
少林拳 see styles |
shourinken / shorinken しょうりんけん |
More info & calligraphy: Shaolin Chuan / Shao Lin Quan |
形意拳 see styles |
xíng yì quán xing2 yi4 quan2 hsing i ch`üan hsing i chüan keiiken / keken けいいけん |
More info & calligraphy: Xing Yi Quan{MA} shape-of-the-mind fist; Hsing I Chuan |
截拳道 see styles |
jié quán dào jie2 quan2 dao4 chieh ch`üan tao chieh chüan tao jiikundoo / jikundoo ジークンドー |
More info & calligraphy: Jeet Kune Do{MA} Jeet Kune Do; Way of the Intercepting Fist (martial art founded by Bruce Lee) |
白鶴拳 白鹤拳 see styles |
bái hè quán bai2 he4 quan2 pai ho ch`üan pai ho chüan |
More info & calligraphy: White Crane Fist |
螳螂拳 see styles |
tourouken / toroken とうろうけん |
More info & calligraphy: Northern Praying Mantis |
詠春拳 咏春拳 see styles |
yǒng chūn quán yong3 chun1 quan2 yung ch`un ch`üan yung chun chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Wing Chun Fist |
跆拳道 see styles |
tái quán dào tai2 quan2 dao4 t`ai ch`üan tao tai chüan tao tekondoo; tekondo テコンドー; テコンド |
More info & calligraphy: Taekwondo(kana only) taekwondo (kor:); tae kwon do |
黑虎拳 see styles |
hēi hǔ quán hei1 hu3 quan2 hei hu ch`üan hei hu chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Black Tiger Fist |
日本拳法 see styles |
nipponkenpou; nihonkenpou / nipponkenpo; nihonkenpo にっぽんけんぽう; にほんけんぽう |
More info & calligraphy: Nippon Kempo |
少林寺拳法 see styles |
shourinjikenpou / shorinjikenpo しょうりんじけんぽう |
More info & calligraphy: Shorinji Kempo / Kenpo |
鷹爪翻子拳 鹰爪翻子拳 see styles |
yīng zhuǎ fān zi quán ying1 zhua3 fan1 zi5 quan2 ying chua fan tzu ch`üan ying chua fan tzu chüan |
More info & calligraphy: Eagle Claw Overturning Fist |
両拳 see styles |
ryouken / ryoken りょうけん |
both fists |
侍拳 see styles |
jigen じげん |
(female given name) Jigen |
The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...
Title | Characters | Romaji (Romanized Japanese) | Various forms of Romanized Chinese | |
Fist | 拳 | kobushi | quán / quan2 / quan | ch`üan / chüan |
Boxing | 拳擊 拳击 | quán jī / quan2 ji1 / quan ji / quanji | ch`üan chi / chüanchi / chüan chi | |
Boxing | 拳闘 拳斗 | ken tou / kentou / ken to | ||
Chaquan Cha Quan | 查拳 | chá quán / cha2 quan2 / cha quan / chaquan | ch`a ch`üan / chachüan / cha chüan | |
Dragon Fist | 龍拳 龙拳 | lóng quán long2 quan2 long quan longquan | lung ch`üan lungchüan lung chüan |
|
Drunken Fist | 醉拳 | suiken | zuì quán / zui4 quan2 / zui quan / zuiquan | tsui ch`üan / tsuichüan / tsui chüan |
Drunken Fist | 酔拳 | suiken | ||
Hung Kuen | 洪拳 | hóng quán hong2 quan2 hong quan hongquan | hung ch`üan hungchüan hung chüan |
|
Kenpo Kempo Quan Fa Chuan Fa | 拳法 | kenpou / kenpo | quán fǎ / quan2 fa3 / quan fa / quanfa | ch`üan fa / chüanfa / chüan fa |
Kick-Boxing | 踢拳 | tī quán / ti1 quan2 / ti quan / tiquan | t`i ch`üan / tichüan / ti chüan | |
Changquan Long Fist | 長拳 长拳 | cháng quán chang2 quan2 chang quan changquan | ch`ang ch`üan changchüan chang chüan |
|
Monkey Fist | 猿拳 | saruken | ||
Monkey Fist | 猴拳 | hóu quán / hou2 quan2 / hou quan / houquan | hou ch`üan / houchüan / hou chüan | |
Muay Thai | 泰拳 | tài quán / tai4 quan2 / tai quan / taiquan | t`ai ch`üan / taichüan / tai chüan | |
Ba Ji Quan | 八極拳 八极拳 | hakkyo ku ken hakkyokuken hakyo ku ken | bā jí quán ba1 ji2 quan2 ba ji quan bajiquan | pa chi ch`üan pachichüan pa chi chüan |
Black Tiger Fist | 黑虎拳 | hēi hǔ quán hei1 hu3 quan2 hei hu quan heihuquan | hei hu ch`üan heihuchüan hei hu chüan |
|
Dakenjutsu | 打拳術 | da ken jutsu dakenjutsu | ||
Hung Ga Kuen | 洪家拳 | hóng jiā quán hong2 jia1 quan2 hong jia quan hongjiaquan | hung chia ch`üan hungchiachüan hung chia chüan |
|
Jeet Kune Do | 截拳道 | sekken dou / sekkendou / seken do | jié quán dào jie2 quan2 dao4 jie quan dao jiequandao | chieh ch`üan tao chiehchüantao chieh chüan tao |
Kaio-Ken | 界王拳 | kai ou ken / kaiouken / kai o ken | jiè wáng quán jie4 wang2 quan2 jie wang quan jiewangquan | chieh wang ch`üan chiehwangchüan chieh wang chüan |
Kaio-Ken | 界王拳 | kai ou ken / kaiouken / kai o ken | jiè wáng quán jie4 wang2 quan2 jie wang quan jiewangquan | chieh wang ch`üan chiehwangchüan chieh wang chüan |
Neijia Fist | 内家拳 | naikaken | nèi jiā quán nei4 jia1 quan2 nei jia quan neijiaquan | nei chia ch`üan neichiachüan nei chia chüan |
Northern Praying Mantis | 螳螂拳 | tou rou ken tourouken to ro ken | táng láng quán tang2 lang2 quan2 tang lang quan tanglangquan | t`ang lang ch`üan tanglangchüan tang lang chüan |
Shaolin Chuan Shao Lin Quan | 少林拳 | shǎo lín quán shao3 lin2 quan2 shao lin quan shaolinquan | shao lin ch`üan shaolinchüan shao lin chüan |
|
Southern Kingdom Fist | 南國拳 南国拳 | nán guó quán nan2 guo2 quan2 nan guo quan nanguoquan | nan kuo ch`üan nankuochüan nan kuo chüan |
|
Taekwondo | 跆拳道 | te kon do / tekondo | tái quán dào tai2 quan2 dao4 tai quan dao taiquandao | t`ai ch`üan tao taichüantao tai chüan tao |
Tai Chi Chuan Tai Ji Quan | 太極拳 太极拳 | tai kyoku ken taikyokuken | tài jí quán tai4 ji2 quan2 tai ji quan taijiquan | t`ai chi ch`üan taichichüan tai chi chüan |
White Crane Fist | 白鶴拳 白鹤拳 | bái hè quán bai2 he4 quan2 bai he quan baihequan | pai ho ch`üan paihochüan pai ho chüan |
|
Wing Chun Fist | 詠春拳 咏春拳 | yǒng chūn quán yong3 chun1 quan2 yong chun quan yongchunquan | yung ch`un ch`üan yungchunchüan yung chun chüan |
|
Wudang Fist | 武當拳 武当拳 | wǔ dāng quán wu3 dang1 quan2 wu dang quan wudangquan | wu tang ch`üan wutangchüan wu tang chüan |
|
Wu Xing Fist | 五形拳 | gokeiken | wǔ xíng quán wu3 xing2 quan2 wu xing quan wuxingquan | wu hsing ch`üan wuhsingchüan wu hsing chüan |
Five Ancestors Fist | 五祖拳 | wǔ zǔ quán wu3 zu3 quan2 wu zu quan wuzuquan | wu tsu ch`üan wutsuchüan wu tsu chüan |
|
Xing Yi Quan | 形意拳 | ke i ken / keiken | xíng yì quán xing2 yi4 quan2 xing yi quan xingyiquan | hsing i ch`üan hsingichüan hsing i chüan |
Iron Fist | 鐵拳 铁拳 / 鉄拳 | tekken / teken | tiě quán / tie3 quan2 / tie quan / tiequan | t`ieh ch`üan / tiehchüan / tieh chüan |
Ikken Hissatsu | 一拳必殺 | ikken hissatsu ikkenhissatsu iken hisatsu | ||
Kajukenbo Slogan | 拳法功夫 | kenpo kunfu kenpokunfu | ||
Kempo Karate Law of the Fist Empty Hand | 空手拳法 | kara te ken pou karatekenpou kara te ken po | kōng shǒu quán fǎ kong1 shou3 quan2 fa3 kong shou quan fa kongshouquanfa | k`ung shou ch`üan fa kungshouchüanfa kung shou chüan fa |
Ken Zen Ichi Nyo | 拳禪一如 拳禅一如 | ken zen ichi nyo kenzenichinyo | ||
Law of the Fist Karate Kempo Karate | 拳法唐手 | ken pou kara te kenpoukarate ken po kara te | quán fǎ táng shǒu quan2 fa3 tang2 shou3 quan fa tang shou quanfatangshou | ch`üan fa t`ang shou chüanfatangshou chüan fa tang shou |
Nippon Kempo | 日本拳法 | nippon kenpou / nihon kenpou nipon kenpo / nihon kenpo | ||
Okinawa Kenpo | 沖縄拳法 | okinawa kenpou okinawakenpou okinawa kenpo | ||
Shaolin Chang Chuan | 少林長拳 少林长拳 | shào lín cháng quán shao4 lin2 chang2 quan2 shao lin chang quan shaolinchangquan | shao lin ch`ang ch`üan shaolinchangchüan shao lin chang chüan |
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Tai Chi Chuan Dao Tai Ji Quan Dao | 太極拳道 太极拳道 | tài jí quán dào tai4 ji2 quan2 dao4 tai ji quan dao taijiquandao | t`ai chi ch`üan tao taichichüantao tai chi chüan tao |
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Tai Chi Chuan Fa Tai Ji Quan Fa | 太極拳法 太极拳法 | tài jí quán fǎ tai4 ji2 quan2 fa3 tai ji quan fa taijiquanfa | t`ai chi ch`üan fa taichichüanfa tai chi chüan fa |
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White Crane Kempo | 白鶴拳法 白鹤拳法 | hakka ku ken pou hakkakukenpou haka ku ken po | ||
Ch'ang Hon Taekwondo | 蒼軒跆拳道 苍轩跆拳道 | |||
Eagle Claw Overturning Fist | 鷹爪翻子拳 鹰爪翻子拳 | yīng zhuǎ fān zi quán ying1 zhua3 fan1 zi5 quan2 ying zhua fan zi quan yingzhuafanziquan | ying chua fan tzu ch`üan yingchuafantzuchüan ying chua fan tzu chüan |
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Five Elements Tai Chi Fist | 五行太極拳 五行太极拳 | go gyou tai kyoku ken gogyoutaikyokuken go gyo tai kyoku ken | wǔ xíng tài jí quán wu3 xing2 tai4 ji2 quan2 wu xing tai ji quan wuxingtaijiquan | wu hsing t`ai chi ch`üan wuhsingtaichichüan wu hsing tai chi chüan |
Shorinji Kempo Kenpo | 少林寺拳法 | shourinji kenpou shourinjikenpou shorinji kenpo | shào lín sì quán fǎ shao4 lin2 si4 quan2 fa3 shao lin si quan fa shaolinsiquanfa | shao lin ssu ch`üan fa shaolinssuchüanfa shao lin ssu chüan fa |
Songahm Taekwondo | 松巖跆拳道 | sōng yán tái quán dào song1 yan2 tai2 quan2 dao4 song yan tai quan dao songyantaiquandao | sung yen t`ai ch`üan tao sungyentaichüantao sung yen tai chüan tao |
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Spirit of Taekwondo | 跆拳道精神 | te kon do sei shin tekondoseishin | tái quán dào jīng shen tai2 quan2 dao4 jing1 shen2 tai quan dao jing shen taiquandaojingshen | t`ai ch`üan tao ching shen taichüantaochingshen tai chüan tao ching shen |
American Kenpo | アメリカン拳法 | amerikan kenpou amerikankenpou amerikan kenpo | ||
Shiken Haramitsu Daikomyo | 四拳波羅蜜大光明 | shi ken ha ra mitsu dai kou myou shi ken ha ra mitsu dai ko myo | ||
Wisdom from Hard Knocks | 挨一拳得一招挨十拳變諸葛 挨一拳得一招挨十拳变诸葛 | ái yī quán dé yī zhāo ái shí quán biàn zhū gě ai2 yi1 quan2 de2 yi1 zhao1 ai2 shi2 quan2 bian4 zhu1 ge3 ai yi quan de yi zhao ai shi quan bian zhu ge | ai i ch`üan te i chao ai shih ch`üan pien chu ko ai i chüan te i chao ai shih chüan pien chu ko |
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Taekwondo Tenets Spirit of Taekwon-do | 跆拳道精神禮義廉耻忍耐克己百折不屈 跆拳道精神礼义廉耻忍耐克己百折不屈 | tái quán dào jīng shén lǐ yì lián chǐ rěn nài kè jǐ bǎi zhé bù qū tai2 quan2 dao4 jing1 shen2 li3 yi4 lian2 chi3 ren3 nai4 ke4 ji3 bai3 zhe2 bu4 qu1 tai quan dao jing shen li yi lian chi ren nai ke ji bai zhe bu qu | t`ai ch`üan tao ching shen li i lien ch`ih jen nai k`o chi pai che pu ch`ü tai chüan tao ching shen li i lien chih jen nai ko chi pai che pu chü |
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Wing Chun Fist Maxims (Part 2) | 步步追形點點朝午以形補手敗形不敗馬腰馬一致心意合一拳由心發動法無形活人練活死功夫 步步追形点点朝午以形补手败形不败马腰马一致心意合一拳由心发动法无形活人练活死功夫 | |||
Wing Chun Fist Maxims | 有手黐手無手問手來留區送甩手直沖怕打終歸打貪打終被打粘連迫攻絕不放鬆來力瀉力借力出擊步步追形點點朝午以形補手敗形不敗馬腰馬一致心意合一拳由心發動法無形活人練活死功夫 有手黐手无手问手来留区送甩手直冲怕打终归打贪打终被打粘连迫攻绝不放松来力泻力借力出击步步追形点点朝午以形补手败形不败马腰马一致心意合一拳由心发动法无形活人练活死功夫 | |||
In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line. In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese. |
Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...
All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.
When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.
Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!
When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.
The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"
single-character wall scroll.
We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.
Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.
Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.
There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.
Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.
The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over 6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt such a feat.
Check out my lists of Japanese Kanji Calligraphy Wall Scrolls and Old Korean Hanja Calligraphy Wall Scrolls.