Xingyiquan in the context of "Yiquan"

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⭐ Core Definition: Xingyiquan

Xingyiquan (Chinese: 形意拳; pinyin: xíngyìquán), also known as xingyi (Chinese: 形意; pinyin: xíngyì), is a style of internal Chinese martial arts. The word approximately translates to "Form-Intention Fist", or "Shape-Will Fist".

The style is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements, and explosive power most often applied from a short range. A practitioner of xingyi uses coordinated movements to generate bursts of power intended to overwhelm the opponent, simultaneously attacking and defending. Methods vary from school to school but always include bare-handed fighting (mostly in single movements/combinations and sometimes in forms) and using weapons with similar body mechanics to those in bare-handed intense fighting. Movement and body mechanics in the art were heavily influenced by the practice of using staves and spears.

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👉 Xingyiquan in the context of Yiquan

Yiquan (Chinese: 意拳; pinyin: yìquán), also known as dachengquan (Chinese: 大成拳; pinyin: dàchéngquán), is a Chinese martial art founded by the xingyiquan master Wang Xiangzhai. () means "intent" (but not intention), while quán () means "boxing."

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Xingyiquan in the context of Zhan zhuang

Zhan zhuang (simplified Chinese: 站桩; traditional Chinese: 站樁; pinyin: zhàn zhuāng; lit. 'standing [like a] post') is a training method often practiced by students of neijia (internal kung fu), such as yiquan, xingyiquan, baguazhang and tai chi. Zhan zhuang is sometimes translated Standing-on-stake, Standing Qigong, Standing Like a Tree, Post-standing, Pile-standing, or Pylon Standing.

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Xingyiquan in the context of Five Animals

In Chinese martial arts, there are fighting styles that are modeled after animals.

In Southern styles, especially those associated with Guangdong and Fujian provinces, there are five traditional animal styles known as Ng Ying Kung Fu (Chinese: 五形功夫) Chinese: 五形; pinyin: wǔ xíng; lit. 'Five Forms')—Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake, and Dragon. The five animal martial arts styles supposedly originated from the Henan Shaolin Temple, which is north of the Yangtze River, even though imagery of these particular five animals as a distinct set (i.e. in the absence of other animals such as the horse or the monkey as in tai chi or xingyiquan) is either rare in Northern Shaolin martial arts—and Northern Chinese martial arts in general—or recent (cf. wǔxíngbāfǎquán; 五形八法拳; "Five Form Eight Method Fist"). An alternate selection which is also widely used is the crane, the tiger, the monkey, the snake, and the mantis.

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Xingyiquan in the context of Internal martial arts

Neijia (內家) is the collective name for the internal Chinese martial arts. It relates to those martial arts occupied with spiritual, mental or qi-related aspects, as opposed to an "external" approach focused on physiological aspects. The distinction dates to the 17th century, but its modern application is due to publications by Sun Lutang, dating to the period of 1915 to 1928. Neijin is developed by using neigong or "internal changes", contrasted with waigong (; wàigōng) or "external exercises" .

Wudangquan is a more specific grouping of internal martial arts named for their association in popular Chinese legend with the Taoist monasteries of the Wudang Mountains in Hubei province. These styles were enumerated by Sun Lutang as tai chi, xingyiquan and baguazhang, but most also include bajiquan and the legendary Wudang Sword.

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Xingyiquan in the context of Baguazhang

Baguazhang (Chinese: 八卦掌; pinyin: bā guà zhǎng; Wade–Giles: pa-kua chang) is one of the three main Chinese martial arts of the Wudang school, the other two being tai chi and xingyiquan. It is more broadly grouped as an internal practice (or neijia). Baguazhang literally means "eight trigram palm", referring to the bagua "trigrams" of the Yijing, one of the canons of Daoism.

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