Xingyiquan
形意拳| Focus | Internal mechanics (neijia), Striking, Takedowns |
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| Hardness | Both hard and soft, depending on application |
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| Country of origin | China |
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| Creator | Yue Fei, circa 12th century (attributed as the legendary founder). Li Luoneng, 19th century (founder of modern xingyiquan). |
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| Famous practitioners | See under Famous practitioners |
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| Parenthood | The historical origins of this martial art are disputed (see Lineage chart) and remain unclear. Modern xingyi originated from Dai Clan's liuhe xinyiquan, was heavily influenced by military spear techniques, and was possibly also affected and shaped by other styles as well. |
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| Olympic sport | No |
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| Xingyiquan |
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| Chinese | 形意拳 |
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| Literal meaning | form-thought-fist |
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形意拳, Xingyiquan Xíngyìquán, or Xingyi, 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.
Historically and technically related martial arts include Dai-style xinyi liuhequan, liuhe xinyiquan, and yiquan.
