Many custom options...

Tan Paper and Copper Silk Love Wall Scroll
Red Paper and Ivory Silk Love Wall Scroll
Orange Paper Love Scroll
Crazy Blue and Gold Silk Love Scroll


And formats...

Love Vertical Portrait
Love Horizontal Wall Scroll
Love Vertical Portrait

Chuan Fa in Chinese / Japanese...

Buy a Chuan Fa calligraphy wall scroll here!

Personalize your custom “Chuan Fa” project by clicking the button next to your favorite “Chuan Fa” title below...


  1. Kenpo / Kempo / Quan Fa / Chuan Fa

  2. Tai Chi Chuan Fa / Tai Ji Quan Fa

  3. Chuan

  4. Saifa

  5. Shaolin Chang Chuan

  6. Shaolin Chuan / Shao Lin Quan

  7. Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan

  8. Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan

  9. Tai Chi Chuan Dao / Tai Ji Quan Dao

10. Pushing Hands / Tui Sau

11. Muay Thai

12. Woman of Strong Character / Woman Hero

13. Tai Chi / Tai Ji

14. Xing Yi Quan

15. Ba Ji Quan

16. Iron Fist

17. Five Elements Tai Chi Fist

18. Taekwondo

19. Wu Xing Fist


Kenpo / Kempo / Quan Fa / Chuan Fa

 quán fǎ
 kenpou
Kenpo / Kempo / Quan Fa / Chuan Fa Scroll

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.

Tai Chi Chuan Fa / Tai Ji Quan Fa

 tài jí quán fǎ
Tai Chi Chuan Fa / Tai Ji Quan Fa Scroll

太极拳法 literally translates as “Tai Chi Fist Law” though 拳法 is also known in Japanese as “Kempo” which is sometimes read as “boxing” depending on context.

 chuàn
 kushiro
 
Chuan Scroll

This can be a Mandarin Chinese surname that romanizes as Chuan.

The actual meaning of the character is armlet or bracelet.

 sai fa
Saifa Scroll

砕破 is the title “Saifa” written in Japanese Kanji. This literally means “smash and tear.” Like most styles of martial arts, Saifa has origins in China. It was Higashionna that brought Saifa to Okinawa.

Saifa is generally associated with Gōjū-ryū as a title for a kata.


Notes: While Saifa is often written as 砕破, it can also be written 碎破 (just a variation on the first Kanji). Sometimes written in Japanese Katakana as サイハ.

Shaolin Chang Chuan

 shào lín cháng quán
Shaolin Chang Chuan Scroll

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.

Shaolin Chuan / Shao Lin Quan

 shǎo lín quán
Shaolin Chuan / Shao Lin Quan Scroll

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.

Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan

 péng lǚ jǐ àn cǎi liè zhǒu kào
Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan Scroll

Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou, and Kao are the eight fundamentals or forces of Tai Chi Chuan or Taiqiquan.

棚 (Peng) refers to the outward (or upward) expansion of energy.
履 (Lu) is often referred to as “rollback.” Lu is the ability to absorb, yield/deflect incoming force.
擠 (Ji) is often thought of as a “forward press.” However, it is also best described as a “squeezing out of space.”
按 (An) is a downward movement of energy, best translated as “(relaxed) sinking.”
採 (Cai or Tsai) translated as “downward pluck.” Cai is a combination of Lu and An.
列 (Lie or Lieh) is “Split” and is a combination of Peng and Ji.
肘 (Zhou) Elbowing.
靠 (Kao) Shouldering (for when the arms are bound/distance is too close to punch).

Source: https://combativecorner.wordpress.com/2015/12/03/the-8-energies-and-5-movements-of-taijiquan/

Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan

 tài jí quán
 tai kyoku ken
Tai Chi Chuan / Tai Ji Quan Scroll

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).

Tai Chi Chuan Dao / Tai Ji Quan Dao

 tài jí quán dào
Tai Chi Chuan Dao / Tai Ji Quan Dao Scroll

太極拳道 is the common Tai Chi Chuan title with “Dao” (the Way) added to the end.

If you're not sure, I suggest shorter titles such as “Tai Chi Chuan,” or just “Tai Chi.”

Pushing Hands / Tui Sau

 tuī shǒu
Pushing Hands / Tui Sau Scroll

推手 is the martial arts title “Pushing Hands.”

推手 is the title for two-person training routines practiced in internal Chinese martial arts such as Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), Liuhebafa, Chuan Fa, and Yiquan.

The first character means “pushing.”
The second character means “hand” (or “hands”).

This term can be romanized as “Tui Sau,” “Tui Sao,” or from Mandarin, “Tui Shou.”

If you are looking for this term, chances are, you already know the meaning within the context of Tai Chi and other martial arts.

 tài quán
Muay Thai Scroll

泰拳 is the Chinese title for “Muay Thai.”

This literally means “Thai Fist” and is pronounced like “Tai Chuan” in Chinese.

Woman of Strong Character / Woman Hero

 nǚ jié
 joketsu
Woman of Strong Character / Woman Hero Scroll

女傑 can mean brave woman, heroine, lady of character, distinguished woman, outstanding woman, and sometimes prominent woman.

Some people might use this to give a title to women like Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, Queen Elizabeth the First, Joan of Arc, Mulan Fa, Yevdokiya Nikolayevna Zavaliy, Harriet Tubman, Anne Frank, Clara Barton, and Jane Eyre.

I use it for a woman like Araceli Segarra (the first woman from Spain to climb Mt. Everest) and gave one of my daughters the middle name of Araceli.

Tai Chi / Tai Ji

 tài jí
 taikyoku
Tai Chi / Tai Ji Scroll

太極 is the shortened title for Tai Chi Chuan or Tai Ji Quan that is sometimes used in Western countries.

Basically just removing the last character which means fist. I don't recommend this two-character selection because it's not really a word without the third character in Japanese and Chinese.

Xing Yi Quan

Style of Martial Arts

 xíng yì quán
 ke i ken
Xing Yi Quan Scroll

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.

 bā jí quán
 hakkyo ku ken
Ba Ji Quan Scroll

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.

Iron Fist

Tie Quan / Tieh Chuan

 tiě quán
 tekken
Iron Fist Scroll

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.


鉄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.

Five Elements Tai Chi Fist

 wǔ xíng tài jí quán
 go gyou tai kyoku ken
Five Elements Tai Chi Fist Scroll

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.

 tái quán dào
 te kon do
Taekwondo Scroll

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. Taekwondo Hangul Characters

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.

Wu Xing Fist

Five Forms Fist of Kung Fu

 wǔ xíng quán
 gokeiken
Wu Xing Fist Scroll

五形拳 is “Wu Xing Fist” or “Five Form Fist.”

The forms refer to Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Crane, and Leopard.

This term is used in Kung Fu, and is recognized by both Chinese and Japanese practitioners of martial arts.


The following table may be helpful for those studying Chinese or Japanese...

Title CharactersRomaji (Romanized Japanese)Various forms of Romanized Chinese
Kenpo
Kempo
Quan Fa
Chuan Fa
拳法kenpou / kenpoquán fǎ / quan2 fa3 / quan fa / quanfach`üan fa / chüanfa / chüan fa
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
Chuan
kushirochuàn / chuan4 / chuanch`uan / chuan
Saifa砕破sai fa / saifa
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
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
Fundamental Principles of Tai Chi Chuan棚履擠按採列肘靠
棚履挤按采列肘靠
péng lǚ jǐ àn cǎi liè zhǒu kào
peng2 lv3 ji3 an4 cai3 lie4 zhou3 kao4
peng lv ji an cai lie zhou kao
penglvjiancailiezhoukao
p`eng lü chi an ts`ai lieh chou k`ao
peng lü chi an tsai lieh chou kao
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
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
Pushing Hands
Tui Sau
推手tuī shǒu / tui1 shou3 / tui shou / tuishout`ui shou / tuishou / tui shou
Muay Thai泰拳tài quán / tai4 quan2 / tai quan / taiquant`ai ch`üan / taichüan / tai chüan
Woman of Strong Character
Woman Hero
女傑
女杰
joketsunǚ jié / nv3 jie2 / nv jie / nvjienü chieh / nüchieh
Tai Chi
Tai Ji
太極
太极
taikyokutài jí / tai4 ji2 / tai ji / taijit`ai chi / taichi / tai chi
Xing Yi Quan形意拳ke i ken / keikenxíng yì quán
xing2 yi4 quan2
xing yi quan
xingyiquan
hsing i ch`üan
hsingichüan
hsing i 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
Iron Fist鐵拳
铁拳 / 鉄拳
tekken / tekentiě quán / tie3 quan2 / tie quan / tiequant`ieh ch`üan / tiehchüan / tieh chüan
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
Taekwondo跆拳道te kon do / tekondotái quán dào
tai2 quan2 dao4
tai quan dao
taiquandao
t`ai ch`üan tao
taichüantao
tai chüan tao
Wu Xing Fist五形拳gokeikenwǔ xíng quán
wu3 xing2 quan2
wu xing quan
wuxingquan
wu hsing ch`üan
wuhsingchüan
wu hsing chüan
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.


Dictionary

Lookup Chuan Fa in my Japanese & Chinese Dictionary


Successful Chinese Character and Japanese Kanji calligraphy searches within the last few hours...

AamariAaravAbderrahimAbsalomAdamAdenAdieAdityaAdonayAdrielAhmadAhsanAidaAikidoAimanAiraAironeAjayAkbarAkiraAlexanderAliaAlijahAliyaAliyahAloraAlways and ForeverAlyaAlyaziaAmanAmelieAmiraAmmarAmraAnaliAngelinaAnishAnishaAnjaliAnjiAnnabelleAnuragAphroditeArchieAreebAresAriaArloArmanArminAronArshadAsherAshikAshrafAsimAstroAthenaAtticusAvalynnAyanBarshaBartholomewBartolomeBaxterBe Like Water My FriendBenaBenevolent HeartBenjaminBertramBetter to Be Happy Than RichBeverleyBibleBlack Dragon NinjitsuBlairBlakeBlessed by GodBlessingsBrandonBreeBrendaBros Before HoesBrother and Sister BondBruce LeeBrynnBudoBudokanBujinCaidenCaineCamilleCampbellCarlaCarlottaCassandraCassieCelineCerysChanningCharismaCharmaineChavezChieChinese TeaCletusCobraCodyCollinsCompassionCorinneCosetteCourageCurious InquisitiveDakotaDallasDanielaDaraDariaDark AngelDayanDeath Before DishonorDeath Before DishonourDeborahDejanDelilahDennisDestinyDeterminationDevynDickDivineDivine BlessingDominicDragonDragon FistDrakeDrewDylonEduardoEhsanEkaterinaElenaElianElianaEliasElielElijahEliseElizaElliaEllieElvisEmmaEricErwinEshanEstoniaEternal EnergyEternal PeaceEthanEven Monkeys Fall from TreesEverything Happens for a ReasonEvil Cause Evil ResultFaizFarhanFear No EvilFilipeFinnleyFire DragonFlower in the Mirror Moon on WaterForgive Me of My SinsFortune Favors the BoldFortune Favors the BraveFoysalFranziskaFreedomFreyaFuabiFujiGabrielGabrielaGaneshGautamGigiGilesGiuliaGloriaGolden DragonGood HealthGuest BookGypsyHabibHadiHaikelHakurei ReimuHamanHamptonHanaHannaHappiness in the Afterlife

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.


A nice Chinese calligraphy wall scroll

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.

A professional Chinese Calligrapher

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.

Trying to learn Chinese calligrapher - a futile effort

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.

A high-ranked Chinese master calligrapher that I met in Zhongwei

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.

Some people may refer to this entry as Chuan Fa Kanji, Chuan Fa Characters, Chuan Fa in Mandarin Chinese, Chuan Fa Characters, Chuan Fa in Chinese Writing, Chuan Fa in Japanese Writing, Chuan Fa in Asian Writing, Chuan Fa Ideograms, Chinese Chuan Fa symbols, Chuan Fa Hieroglyphics, Chuan Fa Glyphs, Chuan Fa in Chinese Letters, Chuan Fa Hanzi, Chuan Fa in Japanese Kanji, Chuan Fa Pictograms, Chuan Fa in the Chinese Written-Language, or Chuan Fa in the Japanese Written-Language.

96 people have searched for Chuan Fa in Chinese or Japanese in the past year.
Chuan Fa was last searched for by someone else on Jun 29th, 2025