once attained, it serves to complete mastery of the art of Wuzu Quan. The practitioner will come to understand the harmony of hardness and softness, internal and external, and the theory and principles of Tai]l as the Grand Ultimate. Characteristics One of the primary characteristics of Five Ancestors is its reliance on the Sam Chien (literally "three battles":三戦) stance and the corresponding hand form of the same name, which it obtained from Fujian White Crane. The "three battles" refer primarily to the three stages of Wuzu practitioners can achieve: combat preparation, combat tactic and combat strategy; all of which must be mastered in order to attained a good level. "Three Battles" has multi-faceted meaning: conceptual, physical, and spiritual. Sam Chien can also be said to allow development of the eight Five Ancestor principles and so, is considered the most important form in the style. Indeed, it is said that this form contains all the principles of the Five Ancestors system. Thus it is the first form taught to junior students, so that they may explore the essential points of Five Ancestors from the start of their training. With the practitioner's progress in understanding the essence of Sam Chien, all of their movements are immediately improved as a consequence. Thus, it is a strong adage believed by senior/master level practitioners that, without the most basic essential understanding of Sam Chien, all of the fighting forms are rendered as much less effective. Fighting forms are relatively uncomplicated, but have a heavy reliance on one's Sam Chien evolving understanding. Thus, Sam Chien keeps being practised even by those who are very senior in the arts: "Since the beginning learning Sam Chien. Until pass away keeps learning Sam Chien." The writer here can't emphasize enough that junior practitioners see how important it is to keep training Sam Chien while progressing to learn different forms at the same time. It looks and feels boring, but without it a Wuzuquan practitioner is nothing. Although the exact method depends on the school, Five Ancestors is known for its large variety of power generational methods. Due to the distinct character of each ancestor, these methods change depending on the power required. Some schools teach tension forms that develop power, of which there are about ten, and fist forms that train technique, of which there are dozens. Others stress a relaxed body, instead seeking maximum transmission of the relevant