Drunken Boxing, or
Zui Quan is not really a system, but a
style of southern
Kung Fu. There are many forms, such as
Drunken
Monkey (based on the Monkey form),
Eight Immortals
(probably the
most popular form),
Five Drunken Animals (based on the Five
Animals form) and various weapon forms, such as
Drunken
staff.
The basic principle behind the form is to exhaust, annoy and confuse
the opponent with erratic and seemingly unstable movements (in short,
the practitioner very much behaves like a drunk). The drunken boxer
staggers and falls while at the same time releases powerful blows,
and feigns defence while attacking at the same time. This of course
requires a lot of alertness and coordination, but legend has it
that the master who invented the form actually performed better after
having a drink.
There are counters and attacks for all ranges and heights. The boxer
mostly holds his hands in a cup-form and there are a lot of positions
that looks like he's preparing for a toast.
The style was made popular in the west through movies like Drunken
Master, Drunken Master 2 (both starring Jackie Chan) and Shaolin
Temple (starring Jet Li).