Xingyi Quan – Introduction
(Written by Guoyong Di, Translated by Byron Jacobs)
Xingyi Quan, is one of the most well-known styles of traditional Chinese Wushu. Xingyi Quan, Bagua Zhang and Taiji Quan are generally categorized as Nei Jia Quan (Internal Styles).Xingyi Quan evolved from Xinyi Liuhe Quan. After 1856, Li Luoneng from Hebei province became famous for creating and spreading Xingyi Quan. The style’s principles are to extract meaning from the form that is to not simply imitate the shape but to draw the intent from it. With that, Xingyi Quan is a style that meaning, intent and movement have to be unified.
Xingyi Quan improves one’s health and strengthens your body and its functions, develops self defence and combat ability, pays great attention to internal strength and spirit development, and improves ones personality overall. The techniques of Xingyi Quan are simple and incorporate whole body power which develops skill quickly, which is highly effective for self defence. These merits have made Xingyi Quan one of the most popular styles of Chinese Wushu today.
The theory of Xingyi Quan is derived from traditional Chinese culture of Yin and Yang and the five elements, to elaborate on the law of motion in the five element techniques, and uses the twelve animal forms and characteristics which result in practical attack and defence techniques.
Xingyi Quan uses Santishi post standing as its basic training, and the five elements fist techniques of Piquan (Splitting Fist), Zuanquan (Drilling Fist), Bengquan (Crushing Fist), Paoquan (Cannon Fist) and Hengquan (Crossing Fist) as the core techniques or mother fists. The Twelve Animals include Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Water Lizard, Rooster, Swallow, Sparrow Hawk, Tai Bird, Snake, Eagle and Bear.
The core principles of Xingyi Quan are “The elbows do not leave the ribs ; The hands do not leave the centre;” the hands extend and retract tightly” ; “Twisting, turning, back and forth” ; “Rising drilling, sinking overturning”.
“When advancing the front foot steps first, when retreating the rear foot steps first ; when advancing the back foot follows closely, when retreating the front foot must follow” ; “Stepping like a plough toiling the earth，placing the feet as if a rooted tree" ; “The footwork is fast and stable”
“The hand and foot arrive at the same time, the trinities in harmony, internal and external six harmonies, display the characteristic of co-ordinated unity.”
In Xingyi Quan, there are three deep goals: train the essence to transform the energy; train the energy to transform the spirit; train the spirit to transform to emptiness.