What is Drunken Fist (Zui Quan)?

You may have heard of ‘Drunken Fist Style’, ‘Drunken Boxing’, or ‘Drunken Fist’ from popular movies and television, like the iconic Drunken Master movies. But were you aware that Drunken Boxing is actually a real, traditional kung fu style with a long, rich history?

In Chinese, Drunken Boxing is called Zui Quan (醉拳). Literally, ‘Zui’ means ‘drunk’, and ‘quan’ means fist, so, drunken fist. Zui Quan is a widely practiced group of styles with loose, natural movements, ideal for evading attacks and using the opponent’s momentum against them. Zui Quan styles are common in many kung fu schools, and while the term ‘Drunken Boxing’ may be the most famous, Zui Quan styles can also include weapons forms and styles, such as staff, straight sword, dao, and more. 

Zui Quan styles imitate drunken behavior, which may seem more showmanship-oriented than practical at first glance to some, however, these styles specialize in misleading the opponent, and getting them to let their guard down in order to create an opening. Characterized by unpredictable and unsteady-looking movement, Zui Quan enables the martial artist to distract their opponent, using feigned vulnerability to give the illusion of being at a disadvantage, allowing them to take control of the situation. 

Rather than being practiced as an independent style, Zui Quan is often practiced as a supplementary style; for example, several traditional Shaolin kung fu forms include Drunken Boxing methods. Practicing Zui Quan forms can be very beneficial to martial artists, as the flexibility and unique defensive and offensive methods found in Zui Quan are formidable both alone and when incorporated into another style. Zui Quan promotes being flexible and remaining grounded, maintaining a solid foundation at all times, while using your opponent’s perceptions against them.

If you are interested in practicing Zui Quan, we recommend making sure you have a solid foundation in kung fu first, as Zui Quan techniques are usually not suitable for beginners. If you are interested in practicing Zui Quan at Zen Shaolin, please let us know at zenshaolinacademy@gmail.com. And remember, in real life, Drunken Masters aren’t actually drunk, only acting as though they are!