Xing Yi Quan 形意拳
BRIEF HISTORY OF XING YI QUAN
形意拳
Xing Yi Quan 形意拳 has its roots in the
earlier Xin Yi Liu He Quan 心意六合拳, also
called Xin Yi Quan 心意拳.
According to predecessors and authoritative sources, Xin Yi Quan was created
around the end of the Ming and the beginning of the Qing dynasties by Ji
Longfeng 姬龙峰 (also known as Ji Jike
姬际可) of Shanxi
山西 Province (Yong Qi 永济 County).
Xin Yi Quan was based on the principles of the Six Harmonies (Liu He
六合), and manifested in outward forms based
on the Five Elements (Wu Xing 五行) and Ten
Animals (Shi Xing 十形). The mind (Xin
心) ignites the intention (Yi
意), and the intention drives the fist (Quan
拳); hence its name: Xin Yi Liu He Quan
(literally: Mind Intention Six Harmonies Fist).
During the reign of Emperor Kang Xi, Ji Longfeng left Zhong Nan Mountain
终南山 and travelled east, where he transmitted
completely his art to Cao Jiwu 曹继武. In 1693
during the reign of Emperor Kang Xi, Cao Ji Wu topped the imperial military
examinations, and was personally appointed by the emperor as head superintendent
of Jing Yuan 靖远 County in Shaanxi 陕西
Province. Cao Jiwu inherited the entire system. Thereafter, he passed on the
complete system to Dai Longbang 戴龙邦.
As Dai Longbang trained very diligently, he attained a high level in the art,
and added two more animal styles to the original ten animals, thus raising the
system to an even higher level of perfection.
Between the reigns of Dao Guang and Xian Feng Emperors (19th Century), when the
Dai style Xin Yi system spread into Hebei Province to Li Luoneng
李洛能 (also known as Li Feiyu
李飞羽), Xin Yi Quan underwent another
transformation. Li Luoneng, Che Yizhai 车毅斋
and other practitioners probed more rationally into its theories, fist
techniques and skills. In the process, they concluded that "Xin Yi
心意" and "Xing Yi
形意" have the same meaning (that all thoughts
are internal), yet the term "Xing Yi" encompassed both the internal meaning of "Xin
Yi" and also the meaning of external form (Xing 形),
that is, the union of both the internal and the external, and also the oneness
of thought and action. By changing the name to Xing Yi Quan, the meaning of form
being derived by thought (and intention) is more emphasised.
Due to the efforts of Li Luoneng, the newly-named Xing Yi Quan became renowned,
although in essense, Xing Yi Quan has not betrayed the original principles of
the earlier Xin Yi Quan.
As time progresses, as society progresses, Xing Yi practitioners adopted a more
scientific and precise approach to their art, thus enhancing the further
development and promotion of Xing Yi Quan into a popular martial art.
Presently, Xing Yi Quan has become an excellent method of exercise for the
masses. It is hoped that Xing Yi Quan would enjoy worldwide acceptance and
appreciation.
Wu Xing Quan 五行拳 Five Elements Fist
