Hsing-I Chuan

"This art was originally called Hsin-I [heart-mind directed movements] and then the named changed to Hsing-I [form will] and also Liuhebu [six direction steps.] The original form did not have Twelve Animal forms, nor did it have a theory of mutual promotion or restraint among the Five Elements. The Five elements represent five forms of force, not methods or routines of boxing. Metal refers to the strength of the bones and muscles and is hard. Wood is the force that is like the supporting shape of a tree. Water is the force which is like the surging ocean penetrating everything. Fire refers to the force which burns and explodes. Earth refers to the force which is a solid, heavy, composite force." - Wang, Xiang Zhai

The ancient origins of Hsing-i Chuan are unknown. The creation of the art is traditionally attributed to the famous general Yue Fei (1103-1141). Let's briefly look at an accurate historical survey of Yue Fei's life because so much misinformation is repeated about him, especially in martial arts circles.

According to Ray Huang in China, A Macrohistory  Yue Fei was a "...junior officer who rose up from the ranks to become the most outstanding general of the Sung dynasty. He led a force comprised of peasants, reformed bandits or brigands, and conscripted local populaces, to successfully fight against the Jurched Chin. The Jurched Chin, a semi nomadic Tungusic speaking people, [proto-Manchus], invaded from the north and drove the Sung to the south. Yu Fei defeated their cavalry with infantry tactics using massed spears and shields. At age thirty-nine he had gained wide popular support and was perceived to be as much of a threat to the Sung court as to the Jurched Chin.

He died in 1141 imprisoned on a charge of insubordination trumped up by intrigue in the royal court between the Emperor, Chao Gou and the Prime Minister Chin Gui. During the Juched's original push southward, fifteen years earlier, they had taken the capital of Kaifeng and captured Chao Gou's mother. The Emperor sacrificed Yue Fei in a peace settlement with the Jurched Jin that returned his mother. Twenty years after his death Yue Fei was rehabilitated by the Southern Sung court. He was raised to a position of folk hero second only to Kuan Yu."  paraphrased from Huang

The Chinese have always venerated fallen heroes and tend to credit them with great deeds and breakthroughs in the arts or sciences. Being a beloved historical figure and warrior, Yue Fei is credited with the creation of several systems of martial arts. There is, however, not much historical evidence to support the claim that he had anything to do with the creation of the art of Hsing-i Chuan.

The art has had a long association with the Chinese military [Yunnan consecutive step boxing, a Hsing-I derived form, was taught as hand to hand training during the Republic era to Chinese recruits. Smith] Hsing-i also has a long history of being associated with spear experts. The spear was the infantry weapon for centuries in China and was used in duels through the 1800's. There was a pre-existing style practiced at Shaolin called Hsin-I that may have been a predecessor to the modern art.  Fish

Chi Lung-Feng of Shan Xi is credited with creating Hsing-I Chuan He claimed to have learned Hsing-I from a Taoist hermit living in the hills outside present day Hong Kong in the late 1600's. According to author Ken Fish, "Chi was well versed in military martial arts, especially spear, and had studied at Shaolin. He was active near the end of the Ming Dynasty (ended 1644) and was a master of spear fighting." Chi Lung-Feng created a style of weaponless combat based on his expertise with the spear and his study of fighting cocks. He referred to his art as Liu He, The Six Harmonies.

Chi Lung-Feng taught Kao Chi Wu for twelve years and then Kao entered the Imperial Martial Examinations and placed first. [this was the most prestigious honor one could possibly win as a martial artist in Dynastic China] Kao's high profile martial status brought fame to the art. He then passed on the art to two brothers, Dai Long Bang and Dai Lin Bang. Dai Long Bang further developed the art and the written classics of the style are attributed to him and dated from the late1700's. The Dai family mansion with enclosed courtyard still exists.

Dai Long Bang in turn transmitted the art to its most famous exponent, the renowned Li Luo Neng also known as Li, Nen Jang; he was nicknamed "Divine Fist Li." Li Luo Neng taught his art in his native Shan Xi Province and also taught a great number of students in Hebei Province. The art's association with bodyguards started with Li and continues to the present. He is recognized as one of the greatest Chinese boxers of all time. Since the 1700's Hsing-I has been associated with bodyguards and protection services for goods traveling on the Silk Road and throughout China. Li became the hero of kung-fu novels for generations to come and his exploits became greatly exaggerated but he was a great master and historical figure.

Much like the founding fathers of Tai-Chi and Pa Kua, Li's system was huge in content and would be passed down in pieces to different individuals instead of intact to just one person. His art also included many more and different weapons than Tai-Chi or Pa Kua with an emphasis on the spear and straight sword. Li taught the next two great masters of Hsing-i Chuan Kuo, Yun Shen and Sung Chih Jung.

Kuo,Yun Shen [Devine Crushing Fist] arrived in Beijing sometime after Yang, Lu Shan and Tung, Hai Chuan [ca. 1860-1870]. Kuo Yun-Shen's given name was Yu-Sheng. He was born in Hebei Province. He was short and powerful, and he had very strong chi. He fought many Lei Tai matches and no one could stand against his use of Peng Chuan. He was known throughout China as Kuo of the Half-Stepped Crushing-Fist. Li, Nan Jang's other very famous student was Sung Chih Jung and he was taught a different method than Kuo.  Kuo Yun-shen was said to represent the hard and Sung the soft in Li Nan jang's Hsing-i style.  Li, Jen Zhou

In a challenge match Kuo's opponent died and Kuo was shackled and put in solitary for three years. This was a direct attempt to take away his kung-fu because of the political connections of his opponent's family. The risk was understood by both parties in a serious challenge match and participants were not usually imprisoned as a result. To put Kuo in shackles and solitary confinement was an attempt by the authorities to break him. Kuo came out stronger than ever, having developed his own method of applying energy through the shapes of the Hsing-I postures and striking with both fists at the same time in Pi Chuan and Pao Chuan. Kuo practiced the Tiger form with his arms shackled and developed his "Tiger Striking Fist" by combining the flavor of the two handed Tiger strike into his other strikes.  Patterson   He also made extensive use of the half step and follow step. Great emphasis was placed on the ability to generate power with the whole body and focus it into one pulse that is released in a sudden burst that blasted through the opponent's energy body. Lei , Xiao Ping

After this event Kuo never struck opponents full force and would frequently demonstrate by placing the back of his left hand on the other person's shoulder and then striking the palm of his own hand with his Peng Chuan. In his later years he wrote a book called An Explanation of Hsing-I Chuan in which he explained his unique method of using the chi of each pair of acupuncture channels with the five forms and the five Shen.  Lei, Xiao Ping

Kuo, Yun Shen passed on his art to Wang Fu Yuan, Liu Chi Lan and Sun Lu Tang, among others. Liu Chi Lan passed on the art to the most famous practitioners of this century, including Li Cun Yi and Chang Chao Tung.

Sung Chih Jung also wrote a book entitled The Classic of Intemal kung-Fu. Hsing-I equates to the fusion of the five elements in Taoist meditation formulas. Sung became discouraged in his later years because he decided that kung-fu was not a true means to attain enlightenment. In his later years Sung went to Wu T'ai mountain in Shan Xi province to become a Buddhist monk. From that time on he would never discuss martial arts.
 

Hsing-I Theory

The Six harmonies refer to the Three Internal Harmonies, the heart harmonizes with the intent; the intent harmonizes with the chi; the chi harmonizes with the physical strength, and the Three External Harmonies: the shoulders coordinate with the hips; the elbows coordinate with the knees; the hands coordinate with the feet. The practitioner's internal processes harmonize and coordinate the external movement, unifying the person as a whole into the most powerful state possible.

The five elements theory is derived from ancient Chinese cosmology and has been applied to many disciplines. The elements are associated with the body's innate intelligence that the Chinese called the Shen. This is the inborn intelligence that tells the body to sweat when it is hot and shiver when it is cold. It makes the chi flow through the channels in an ordered manner. The Chinese visualized the Shen as spirits who controlled the flow of chi in the channels associated with each of the five Zhang fu organs as follows. Today we would call this unsleeping watcher who regulates the bodily functions the autonomic nervous system.

In Hsing-I practice each Shen is given a shape, or walking movement. The beginner form is Wu Hsing Chuan which corresponds in movement to the Smelting the Five Agents meditation formula.

The Five Shen form starts with Pi Chuan, splitting relates to the Lungs. Its element is metal and its virtue is strength and beauty. The negative aspect is anxiety. It continues with Peng Chuan, crushing relates to the Liver. It is the Wood element and its virtue is kindness. Its negative aspect is anger. Next is Pao Chuan, pounding relates to the heart. The Heart's element is fire and its positive virtue is love. Its negative aspect is hatred. Pounding transforms into Heng chuan, crossing relates to the Spleen. The Spleen's element is earth and its virtue is trust. Its negative aspect is faithlessness.  The form then turns with Tsuan chuan, drilling is related to the Kidney energy. The kidney jing is considered the root of the chi of the body in Chinese medicine. Being the Water element the kidneys have water's ancient wisdom. Its negative virtue is fear. The Wu Hsing form continues by walking through the same sequence in the opposite direction.

 The second form was called Hsing-i and combines the Five Fists with the animal forms. This is the firm that the modern art takes its name from. This form differs from school to school and the advanced student is encouraged to make it their own by being creative in combining the forms.

References:

Hsing-I Journal- Mike Patterson

Ken Fish article on the origins of Hsing-i

Chinese sources-

Chen, Pan Ling's Hsing-I Chuan by Lei, Xiao Ping- translation Chen

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