What is Hsing Ch'uan?
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Hsing-I Ch'uan (Xing Yi Quan) is based on the Chinese philosophy of the five elements (part of weekend classes)
Hsing-I offers a great health exercise which is related to oriental medicine. It is without complex and lengthy forms. Compared to T'ai-Chi Ch'uan it is really quite simple & so can be learnt quickly. It can be practiced in small spaces. The benefits of Hsing-I lay in repetition - conditioning. Though there are several forms the system is fully contained with five basic movements collectively called Wu Xing. The creation of Hsing-I Ch'uan is traditionally attributed to the famous Song Dynasty general Yue Fei (B1103 Henan Province) - an unlikely postulation. Some say that it pre-dates T'ai Chi. The earliest written records of it can be traced to the 18th century. It was first known as Xin Yi Liuhe Quan (Heart Mind Six Harmonies Boxing). There are three main schools, Shanxi, Hebei & Henan, we practice the Hebei school. The term 'Hsing-I Ch'uan' means 'mind form method'. The mind governs and leads the movement of the body. The forms are characterised by short, efficient & quick movements. Like all the internal arts Hsing-I cultivates and employs power of the whole body which is released in one action. A particular trait of Hsing-I is simultaneous attack and defence. Hsing-I Ch'uan looks deceptively simple and can be very tricky to master. The demands on foot work and weight management are particularly exacting. I have found practicing Hsing-I Ch'uan a very good companion to T'ai Chi Ch'uan, it is particularly useful for helping to manage the error of 'waving your hands about' so often the blight of the T'ai Chi player. The Hand Forms of Hsing-I Ch'uan: In this school of Hsing-I there are the five 'element' forms (common to all Hsing-I), the twelve animal forms and five forms combining the elements & animals. Then partner & weapon forms. The Five Element forms: 1. Pi Chuan (Metal) Splitting fist 2. Zuan Chuan (Water) Drilling fist 3. Beng Chuan (Wood) Crushing fist 4. Pao Chuan (Fire) Pounding fist 5. Heng Chuan (Earth) Crossing fist The 12 animal forms: Tiger // Horse // Crocodile // Chicken // Hawk // Eagle // Bear // Snake // Goshawk // Swallow // Dragon // Monkey There are five standard 'combination' forms (with very loose translations):
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