Within Chinese Wushu there is a division between the internal and external styles and within the internal branch there are three main styles. Most people are familiar with Taiji Quan and many are also familiar with Bagua Zhang. But Xing Yi Quan is not as well known outside of Asia even though it predates the other two internal styles.

The meaning of the name

Xing Yi Quan is translated as "Form and Meaning Boxing". It has also gone by the names Xinyi Quan ("Free-Mind Boxing"), Xinyi Liuhe Quan ("Free-Mind Six-Combination Boxing") and Liuhe Quan ("Six-Combination Boxing"). There are two beliefs as to the meaning of the name Xing Yi ("Form and Meaning"). The first is that this style combines the mental and physical aspects of the form. The second is that the style is an interpretation of the meaning of different animal movements.

The original name of Xing Yi Quan was Xinyi Liuhe Quan ("Free-Mind Six-Combination Boxing"). It was called this because of the 6 harmonies that the practitioner needed to coordinate. Three internal harmonies consisted of the heart harmonizing with the intent, intent harmonizing with the Qi (internal energy) and the Qi harmonizing with the physical body. The three external harmonies consisted of the shoulders coordinating with the hips, the elbows coordinating with the knees and the hands coordinating with the feet. This emphasis on mind-body harmony is still prevelant in today's Xing Yi Quan.

The History of Xing Yi Quan

The exact details of Xing Yi Quan's origins are unknown. There are some who attribute Xing Yi Quan's creation to Yue Fei (1103 - 1141), a famous general of the Sung Dynasty. However, the first reliable historical records refers to a practitioner named Ji Jike (1602 - 1683), also known as Ji Longfeng, of Shanxi Province. During Ji Jike's travels to Henan Province he passed his art on to Zeng Jiwu. The style was subsequently passed on to Ma Xueli in Henan Province and Dai Longbang in Shanxi Province.

Today there are three main regional styles of Xing Yi Quan. Shanxi style is compact, delicate and forceful, the Henan style is powerful and vigorous and the Hebei style stresses balance, sturdiness and relaxed postures.

Characteristics of Xing Yi Quan

Within the forms of Xing Yi Quan the Shanxi and Hebei styles both use three postures of the body, five major movements (axing, bursting, penetrating, hurling and traversing) and imitations of 12 animals (dragon, tiger, monkey, horse, turtle, chicken, hawk, swallow, snake, owl, eagle and bear). The Henan style differs in that it imitates just 10 animals (dragon, tiger, chicken, eagle, snake, horse, cat, monkey, hawk and swallow).

However, even though there are elements of animal imitation in the form, don't expect the practitioner of Xing Yi Quan to jump around like a monkey and soar like a hawk. The forms themselves are very rooted and stable with quick bursts of energy following each other in a succession of strikes. It's a very direct, linear style with emphasis on application. This is why it is so appropriate for Yulaw's character -- a man with a singular purpose in life: to become The One.

Credits: http://www.jetli.com