Inside Xingyi Wuxingquan 01

Sun Lutang's Wuxingquan

Background of XingYi WuXingQuan

There were Animal-Form before the “invention” of the Wuxingquan (Five-Element-Fist). The Five-Element-Fist is the essence of Xingyiquan which was extracted from the Animal-Form as the basic and core of Xingyiquan.

Ancient Xinyiliuhequan does not have Five-Element-Fist, it has only Animal-Form. When Xinyiliuhequan was passed on to the Dai family at Qi County of Shanxi Province, they took a step further by concentrating all Xinyiliuhequan techniques and thus “created” Wuxingquan and Laosanquan (Old-Three-Fist). Li Luoneng (李洛能, 1807 – 1888), the founder of Xingyiquan, learned from Dai family and established the Xingyiquan of modern day.

Content of XingYi WuXingQuan

Wuxingquan, the Five-Element-Fist, consists of five exercises/drills, each is represented by the force of an element from the Five Classical Chinese Elements, i.e. metal, water, wood, fire and earth. The content of Wuxingquan are as follows:

WuXingQuan (Five-Element-Fist)

Why do we learn PiQuan First?

Almost all martial art systems begin with a straight punch/strike in their teaching, however Xingyiquan begins with Piquan, a downwards palm (or fist in some Xingyiquan styles) strike.

What is the logic behind learning and/or practicing Piquan first?

The reason being a downwards strike is the most natural striking movement to human being. If you are a father or mother or if you have a child in your family, what is the first hitting action of a young child? Yes, a downwards palm strike is the answer. Piquan comes first do fit well with the human nature, which should be the easiest and the most natural skill to be learned and mastered by a practitioner.