Related arts
Xingyiquan (hsing-i ch'uan)
Where t'ai chi circles and baguazhang spirals, xingyiquan goes straight in. It is the most direct of the three classic internal arts, and practising it alongside t'ai chi can be a revelation.
Form and intention
Wikipedia's article on xingyiquan describes it as a style of internal Chinese martial arts whose name translates approximately as "Form-Intention Fist" or "Shape-Will Fist". It characterises the style as aggressive, seemingly linear and explosive, with power usually applied at short range, and it notes that its body mechanics were heavily influenced by the use of staves and spears.
The name hints at the art's core idea. The body's outward form follows the mind's intention, and intention and movement should arrive at the same instant. There is no wind-up. A xingyi practitioner advances with small, fast steps and strikes as the weight arrives, so that the whole body is behind every movement.
Disputed origins
As with most Chinese martial arts, the history is tangled. The same article records that legend credits the Song dynasty general Yue Fei with creating the art, that this attribution is disputed, and that the earliest written records trace to the eighteenth century. Modern xingyi, it says, developed from an earlier family art and was probably shaped by other styles as well. It is a familiar pattern: a legendary founder, a documented family tradition, and a modern art assembled by later teachers.
The five elements
At the centre of many xingyi curricula are the Five Elements, also called the Five Fists or Five Phases. Wikipedia's xingyiquan article notes that they relate to Taoist cosmology even though the names do not correspond literally to the cosmological terms. Each is a single, simple movement practised in a line, back and forth, over and over:
- Splitting, a rising and falling chop of the palm.
- Drilling, an upward, twisting punch.
- Crushing, a straight, level punch.
- Pounding, a punch that drives forward while the other arm blocks upward.
- Crossing, a sideways, arcing strike that cuts across the line.
Beginners may spend a long time on these five movements alone. Their simplicity is deceptive: getting the whole body to move behind a single strike, step after step, is the whole art in miniature.
The animal forms
Many branches, the article explains, add a set of animal forms, commonly twelve, each drawing on the character of a creature such as the tiger, dragon, monkey, horse or eagle. These are not imitations in the theatrical sense but studies of particular qualities: the tiger's pounce, the monkey's agility, the horse's forward drive. Some lineages also use a stage of standing practice before the Five Elements, building the stable, connected posture on which everything else depends.
How it complements t'ai chi and bagua
The three internal arts are often taught together, and Wikipedia's article on neijia notes that Sun Lutang named them as the internal group. Each fills gaps in the others.
- T'ai chi trains sensitivity, yielding and a rooted, relaxed body.
- Baguazhang trains turning, changing direction and moving around an opponent; see walking the circle.
- Xingyiquan trains directness, commitment and the release of power along a line.
A t'ai chi student who practises some xingyi often finds that their pushing hands becomes more decisive, and that their form gains a clearer sense of purpose. A xingyi student who practises t'ai chi often finds more softness and patience. Sun Lutang's own style of t'ai chi, described on the page about comparing styles, shows what happens when all three are blended.
What training feels like
A first xingyi class often surprises t'ai chi students. The pace is quicker, the steps shorter and more decisive, and the same movement is repeated many times up and down the room rather than woven into a long sequence. The emphasis is on alignment: the front hand, front foot and nose lining up, the rear leg driving, the body arriving as one. Beneath the directness, the internal principles are the same as in t'ai chi: relaxation, rooting and whole-body connection.
Starting xingyi
- Learn the basic standing posture and stepping pattern before the fists.
- Practise each element slowly, then at moderate speed, keeping the rear leg and waist involved.
- Keep stances at a comfortable height; the forward drive can load the front knee. See knees and joints.
- Practise in a line long enough to take several steps without turning.