China’s drunken masters are fully sober as they try to revive an ancient form of martial arts
- Shanghai-based fighter Liu Xuliang says there are about 1,000 people in China who practise ‘zui quan’, or drunken boxing
- The art form makes the protagonists appear drunk but they are, in fact, in control, with Liu inspired by Jackie Chan’s ‘Drunken Master’ films
Liu Xuliang lunges menacingly as if spoiling for a fight after too many drinks. But he is in fact stone-cold sober and an expert in an ancient Chinese martial art known as drunken boxing.
There are no precise figures but Liu estimates that excluding those in martial-arts schools, about 1,000 people in China practise zui quan, better known as drunken or drunkard’s boxing.
The 24-year-old, a full-time martial artist, crouches down, pauses, then springs up, twisting and twirling in the air.
In motions which appear haphazard but are actually perfectly controlled, Liu then staggers backwards and leans all the way back before collapsing, motionless and with his arms splayed.
“A drunken boxing practitioner is like a drunkard but actually he’s very sober,” said Liu.