Tag Archives: Xin Yi Liu He

Xing Yi

Pu扑 – Pouncing Energy

GM Fu Jian Qiao executing Tiger Form

Pu 扑 or to Pounce is an aggressive energy that allows you to encapsulate and overcome your opponent. Like a tiger jumping on their prey this energy is similar in aspect. It is very similar to Pi, or chopping energy but there is more too it. It is curved, circular, to attack and overwhelm. Pu has a light energy to it, the ability to cover ground quickly and envelop your opponent. It is nimble yet aggressive. It overpowers and overwhelms. It is a strong energy but not stiff.

The pounce starts with the legs. The contract–knees bend and ankles flex. The energy lunges forward quickly as you spring forward. You push from the ground firmly through the foot, allow the ting (straight) energy to accelerate through the knees and into the upper body. As you arrive at your opponent you root again with a curve in the legs ready to move again at moments notice. The leap can be long or short, depending on the distance between you and your opponent but It ends close to them. When practicing learning to lengthen your leap is important to strengthen skill and legs. Also with most calisthenic exercises it must be trained to react quickly yet firmly. It must be trained to react in any direction at a moments notice. Agile and swift while returning to root easily.

The energy is curved. It contracts and expands. It loads like a bow and explodes straight like shooting an arrow. It should maintain the basic internal principles of head held high, chin tucked, chest hollowed, buttocks slightly tucked. Qi/Lo and Kai/He principles should be expressed distinctly but with coordination and unity throughout. The body should move as a unit.

While the energy itself is the leap it can lead to powerful strikes. When striking with Pu it is usually expressed through the palms similar to Pi Quan (but doesn’t necessarily have too). It is more complex however. It holds a yuan type body, curved throughout, especially between the elbows. It expresses a wave power, or Bo Lang Jin. While Bo Lang Jin can start Hi or Low, in regards to Pu it starts at the root. It travels up the back and expressed out the arms in a circular type power. It does not burst through a defense or opponent but overwhelms them. If the strike is being blocked it should work to come over the defense and strike the opponent. The opponent should be suppressed, enveloped and confused as the wave is difficult to comprehend.

Training this energy can be accomplished several different ways. Weight training, jump training and calisthenics are simple ways to strengthen tendons and muscles to increase capability. Basic line drills are the most important however. Repeatedly conducting Xing Yi line drills. To begin, start with regular stepping, loading into it and releasing then quickly re-establishing root. Focus on the movement. Work on quickness. From there work towards your gum bu or advancing step. Again focus on the fast movement, cover ground quickly yet always maintain a firm root. Work on covering more and more ground. Have a standard size room and analyze yourself. If it takes you 10 moves to get to the other side work on getting across the same area in 9 moves then 8 moves. Maintaining the principles and using the intent of Pu energy is important though, just don’t leap without reestablishing root or using uncoordinated body movements. Slow and methodical, progress slowly yet with disciplined consistency.

One must always be involved in their training, never let it become idle. You must work to improve different aspects, either individually or several at once. However you best train if you do not use conscious effort little progress can be made!

Stepping Method, Xing Yi

Cǎi 踩 – Step/Tread

GM Fu Jian Qiu practicing Chicken striking and Stepping method.

Stepping methods are just as important as being able to throw a punch or kick. Stepping works your distance, your timing, your ability to get yourself into a superior position. Its something rarely discussed as people just feel they get it, but when thoroughly studied, it can bring your wushu up to a superior level.

Every style has a stepping method. Ba Gua, for instance, emphasizes hooking and swinging step in the beginning but then works on advancing, retreating, dodging, crossing, prostrate and inch steps. Xing Yi emphasizes front step and advancing step methods in the beginning but then works into additional stepping methods like Ao, Yao Shin, and Tui bu. Xing Yi Liu He begins with Ji bu stepping (chicken step) but its stepping methods can be further explored through inch, wedge, passing, quick, front and advancing step. Duliu Tong Bei has 22 different stepping methods that must be mastered!

Now it is important to know the different stepping methods and how to employ them properly. Some styles will slide a flat foot forward but step backwards. They will roll their foot forward or backward. They will leap and hook and twist. Each stepping method has a rhyme and reason for existing depending on the situations. They can be used to explode, to pounce, to coil, to circle, to leap, to sweep, to dodge, to pass behind.

There is usually a commonality amongst most methods: they must be swift, agile, quick, and most importantly, have grabbing power (Root)! Your steps must be stable, natural and poised. Stepping is what drives the system and what establishes the power you will deliver. No strike will be strong and no proper fighting method can be developed without proper stepping.

Now there are many different methods to developing stepping, and I will always recommend drilling the basic methods and steps within each system but perhaps one of my favorite methods is the triangle stepping method. Its simple but develops quick action, angles, and retreat capability. Starting from the central point one will step out at 45 degree angle to their left (if they are a right handed fighter) then they will step step back to the central point and quickly step with their left 45 degrees to their right. This can then be repeated with the rear foot, again alternating between rear 45 degree steps. This will create a slight “bouncing” effect between points but can be modified to be more even, stable, or fluid depending a particular persons style. After this simple method is trained more triangles and angles can be added to further add to a fighters movement method–forming pivot points and a circular pattern around an opponent. Work on driving the front foot forward with the rear foot and reverse method for stepping back. Work on quickly and firmly planting the foot. Work on staying centered yet mobile; able to change direction and angles at will. Work on relaxing as much as possible while still obtaining maximum results of the drive, quickness, and movement. The sky can be the limit on this method as then different footworks can be added and steps, creating passing steps, hooking steps, and twisting steps… all based off a central point and triangle angles.

Overall stepping methods needs to be strong, quick, stable and firm. For a martial artist to create a strong punch or kick they must first have a stable and strong root. This root must be able to move quickly, keenly, and with purpose. It must be able to move forward, backward, side to side–all directions–at the will of the martial artist, to gain the advantage and employ their power optimally. Unsure stepping leads to hesitation in power and advantage; weak steps lead to uncertainty which leads to defeat. Action in martial arts is driven by footwork — anyone can stand still and learn to throw a powerful strike but Masters learn to easily move at an uncanny speed and with a confident will to execute a superior strike!

Neijia, Xing Yi

What is Guo 裹?

Master Liu demonstrating Guo Zi Quan from his article, “Xing Yi Quan Ba Zi Gong,” Wu Long Magazine, 1984.3 #30, translated by Joseph Crandall, Smiling Tiger Martial Arts.

The importance of being having whole body power in Internal Martial Arts cannot be understated. To have Fa Li (power) one must have Guo 裹. Most IMA individuals understand Guo in terms of wrapping Jin. It’s a horizontal energy (oversimplified term, all directions are present to ensure centeredness) used for defense and offense. It takes an opponents incoming energy and wraps around it, cutting it off or better yet absorbing it to re-issue.

Great Sifu you defined Guo, so what? Why is it important?

Guo can be fundamental to absorbing and issuing. All fighting arts look to “suck” in their opponent and take advantage of the position. Blocking is easy but true masters in their chosen art can off-balance their opponent, using their opponent’s strikes and aggressiveness to their advantage. It is circular, coiling, redirecting. You must connect with your opponent, overturn and coil around it, lead it into emptiness. It allows you to gain the upper hand or superior position for the attack. It allows you to gather energy in your joints to release quick and sharply like an arrow.

Some masters will talk of Guo at a deeper level. They will associate Guo with connection and togetherness. The wrapping methods of Guo require the practitioner to connect the Sānjié (三節) or three sections through coordinated movement. The wrapping methods need to be coordinated in the legs to root and absorb, the waist to maintain centeredness and twist as the arms to overturn and accept, and the head to be upright to allow for the energy to sink and gather. When all of this is coordinated it will maximize the effectiveness of your Jin. Now as you get older this Jin will be harder to accomplish as joints and aches will get in the way of coordination. This is one reason to remain soft and supple; to ensure things can connect smoothly and work in harmony. If you do not practice consistently and work towards song/suppleness you will become “scattered.” This will show in your wushu and is something you want to delay in old age as long as possible. Discipline, consistency, hard work — the mantra of the wise, the mantra of wushu experts who can obtain and maintain Guo well into their old age!

6 Harmonies, Liu He Ba Fa

Liu He Ba Fa 6 Harmonies: 1st Harmony – Body Combines with your Heart (mind)

Chen Tuan, Creator of Liu He Ba Fa

1st Harmony:  Combine your body with your heart (mind) –ti he yu xin体合于心

Your heart is wild–it can be courageous or scared; it can be scattered or focused.  It can be many things.  The heart (your wild thoughts) must be trained and honed.  This is accomplished through training and dedication.  With Liu He Ba Fa its accomplished by conducting the form and focusing this movement with your heart (mind).   Even though delayed, giving your mind action gives it purpose and training.  You train every muscle with the form and engrain it into you.  Every muscle, tendon, ligament works in alignment and in total unison in action.  The force of such a movement can be outstanding (Force =Mass X Acceleration).  By getting every fiber of your being behind your action it creates a tremendous amount of power.  But to do so requires an immense amount of training.  The old saying by Bruce Lee is I don’t fear a man you does 10,000 different kicks but I fear a man who has done one kick 10,000 times.  Michael Gladwell, in his book, Outliers, is quoted that studies show a similar number in a fact of hours, 10,000, is what is needed to perfect a technique.  Without concentrated dedication to your practice and constant effort, only average gains may be made.

Once engrained it will become subconscious and work towards the instantaneous.  These efforts can be hindered though if you do not train your mind to relax and be calm.  To accept things and understand them.  This, in turn, will relax your body and give its ability to react more quickly, more succinctly.  Fa Song is a great ability.   It is not lazy relaxation, where you become “noodly” and disconnected.  It’s a relaxation that creates harmony throughout your body that allows for your body to feel and adapt.  This starts with your ability for your mind to relax, to let go of the troubles of the day and have the ability to focus on the task at hand.   To feel inside and outside your body the event and work towards totality with it.  With harmony one: through focused movement , proper relaxed alignment, and continued effort, both on the inside and out,  great gains can be made to make the form apart of you.