Hsing-I Chuan was developed
nearly one thousand years ago during the Northern Sung Dynasty in China
and is one of the most famous of the original internal martial arts. Hsing-I
Chuan translates to "form and intention hand" or "body-mind hand". The
figure to the right, taken a few years ago, shows Sifu Mo practicing
Hsing-I.
A distinguishing characteristic of Hsing-I is the application of small circular movements of the wrists, which develops great power.
The basic forms of Hsing-I are based on the five elements, their properties, and their acupuncture meridians:
| Element | Property | Meridian |
| Metal | Splitting | Lungs |
| Water | Drilling | Kidneys |
| Wood | Crushing | Liver |
| Fire | Pounding | Heart |
| Earth | Crossing | Spleen |
| The elements and the properties they stand for change into each other according to the figure to the right. |  |
 |
In a sense, Hsing-I is like a waltz. A waltz has three simple moves, and Hsing-I has five. However, like the waltz, the simple moves of Hsing-I can be combined into thousands of variations, and their applications are countless. There are Linking Forms which explore these variations further. The picture to the left shows Sifu Mo beginning a Linking Form. The picture was taken in November 2002. |
One way of characterising Hsing-I is to contrast it with T'ai Chi. In T'ai Chi, applying the moves of the form involves the giving and receiving of energy with a partner, almost a conversation. Senior student Chris Schiller contrasts this with Hsing-I by saying that in Hsing-I "there is no discussion."
This document is Copyright © 1999, 2000 Philip Mo. This page was last updated (m/d/y) 12/26/02.