Xingyi chuan: A Brief Overview

Xingyi is an ‘internal’ martial style (or more correctly and originally a system in itself) that has its roots firmly in the original Daoist concepts and practices and may well be the oldest of the internal martial methods.

It is thought that Xingyi was developed more for combat skill on the battlefield rather than as an art of self defence, and the inherent direct and assertive nature of its practice supports this view. Some sources say that its basis was originally just three fundamental techniques, although most schools today have embraced the ‘5 fists’ method of its practice, which has its roots in Daoist world view concepts and, later, Chinese medical thought and practice.

Later in its development the skills basis of Xingyi and its combat versatility was enhanced by the integration of animal styles (classically 12) into the system, although these too had deeper Daoist methodology behind their introduction.

One of the great strengths of Xingyi is its system of ‘nei gong’ methods which access and integrate internal structural, functional and energetic connections to produce the dynamic ‘whole body power’ that the internal arts – and Xingyi in particular – are renowned for.

Without the essential nei gong skill Xingyi becomes just a form; a “tiger without its bones” as the old ‘master hands’ say. One of the keys to the practice of Xingyi is to be found in its name: body (xing) mind (yi) as one; integration of form (xing) and intent (yi).

All for one and one for all.