Jiang Hao-Quan Chinese Martial Arts Institute
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A Comparison Of Characteristics Between Yin Style Baguazhang And Cheng Style Baguazhang
(The source of this information is the Pa Kua Chang Journal Vol. 3, No 2 Jan/Feb 1993)
It would be difficult to say exactly what Cheng Ting-Hua learned from Tung Hai-Ch'uan and in what manner he was taught. After Tungs death, Cheng systematized what he learned from Tung and added to it based on his personal experience and the knowledge he gained through interaction with other martial artists. He taught and popularized what is now called Cheng Style “swimming body” Pa Kua Chang.
Although Cheng style Pa Kua Chang employs many different palm shapes, it relies on the “Dragon-Claw” Palm as its basic palm. It is commonly known that Cheng style Pa Kua employs the dragon-claw palm while Yin Fu style utilizes the “ox-tongue” palm shape as its basic palm. It is naive to assume that these palms shapes were the only ones employed by these two masters because each of them utilized a great variety of palm techniques. Why then are these palms associated with these two styles of Pa Kua? Kao I-Sheng style Pa Kua Chang instructor Lo Te-Shu of Taipei, Taiwan, explains that these palms are called “dragon-claw” and “ox-tongue” because of the manner in which they are employed. Because Cheng and Yin Fu came from diverse martial arts backgrounds and because their physical characteristics were different, their approach to Pa Kua Chang usage was also different. Examining how Cheng Ting-Hua and Yin Fu approached martial arts combat and how these two different palms are employed will give one insights into the major differences between the two styles and thus let one understand why these two masters Pa Kua styles are associated with these two palm shapes.
Cheng Ting-Hua was a man of average height and build and had a strong background in Pao Ting “fast” wrestling. With this background, we can assume that Cheng was adept at moving quickly into close range and applying grabbing and throwing techniques prior to studying Pa Kua Chang. The “dragon kua” of Tungs Pa Kua method made the most use of the techniques that Cheng would have already been good at and thus it seems logical that Tung would train Cheng in this Pa Kua style. In Chinese Mythology, the dragon has short, strong arms which are quick and appear suddenly out of the clouds. The dragon-claw techniques are employed at close range, the arms twist, turn, coil, move and change quickly while grabbing and pulling the opponent off balance to set up for a throw or trike. In Pa Kua Chang the action of the hands and arms are connected to the body and thus when employing the dragon-claw techniques, the practitioners body will also turn, twist, and move quickly. These characteristics of Chengs Pa Kua are what earned it the name “swimming body.”
Yin Fu was a thin man with small hands who had a background in Lohan Shaolin before studying Pa Kua Chang. While Chengs dragon-claw palm was open and thus ideal for grabbing and his swimming body techniques were used to move in close and throw the opponent, Yin's ox-tongue palm was used for sticking, deflecting, and striking. As an ox's tongue sticks to what it is licking, Yin's palms would adhere to an opponents force, deflect it, and then strike. While Cheng liked to apply heng, or crossing force, in throwing, Yin liked to deflect and apply chuan chang, or piercing palm. While Cheng liked to use circular movements to control the opponent and bring him off balance by grabbing and applying contracting power (tun ching), Yin Fu's application of force was quick, springy and explosive and the hands moved in straight lines. While Chengs movements tended to be long and round, Yin's were short and quick.
Cheng Ting-Huas Pa Kua footwork was in line with his grabbing and throwing methods. He mostly employed kou pu and pai pu to hook and trap the opponents feet and legs and was fond of stepping in deep between the opponents legs. His footwork was designed to help him close with the opponent. Because Yin Fu was best and adhering, deflecting and striking, his footwork was much more evasive than Chengs. Yin employed side-to-side stepping, and/or pivoting to avoid an attack and then stepped straight in at an angle which exposed the opponents vulnerability. This is evident when we study how Yin Fu style practitioners train today. For each of the basic sections of their form, they employ a different type of foot method. Whereas Cheng liked to close with the enemy and trap his legs, Yin Fu was more fond of kicking the opponents legs.
When examining the body posture of the two styles, we can also note differences. In general, Yin Fu style Pa Kua practitioners tend to have a very "closed" body. The stance is narrow and the arms are held along the body's centerline to provide a very protected and closed target area. To further close the body, the Yin Fu stylists will bend forward at the hips and hollow the chest by rounding the shoulders. The spine remains straight, however, the body is bent forward at the hips. The Cheng style practitioners tend to have a more open body posture with the spine vertical and a more expanded chest.
This comparison highlights the methods employed most often by these masters in order to give you a general feeling for the predominant characteristics of the two different styles.
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Last updated - 01/16/2008
(The source of this information is the Pa Kua Chang Journal Vol. 3, No 2 Jan/Feb 1993)
It would be difficult to say exactly what Cheng Ting-Hua learned from Tung Hai-Ch'uan and in what manner he was taught. After Tungs death, Cheng systematized what he learned from Tung and added to it based on his personal experience and the knowledge he gained through interaction with other martial artists. He taught and popularized what is now called Cheng Style “swimming body” Pa Kua Chang.
Although Cheng style Pa Kua Chang employs many different palm shapes, it relies on the “Dragon-Claw” Palm as its basic palm. It is commonly known that Cheng style Pa Kua employs the dragon-claw palm while Yin Fu style utilizes the “ox-tongue” palm shape as its basic palm. It is naive to assume that these palms shapes were the only ones employed by these two masters because each of them utilized a great variety of palm techniques. Why then are these palms associated with these two styles of Pa Kua? Kao I-Sheng style Pa Kua Chang instructor Lo Te-Shu of Taipei, Taiwan, explains that these palms are called “dragon-claw” and “ox-tongue” because of the manner in which they are employed. Because Cheng and Yin Fu came from diverse martial arts backgrounds and because their physical characteristics were different, their approach to Pa Kua Chang usage was also different. Examining how Cheng Ting-Hua and Yin Fu approached martial arts combat and how these two different palms are employed will give one insights into the major differences between the two styles and thus let one understand why these two masters Pa Kua styles are associated with these two palm shapes.
Cheng Ting-Hua was a man of average height and build and had a strong background in Pao Ting “fast” wrestling. With this background, we can assume that Cheng was adept at moving quickly into close range and applying grabbing and throwing techniques prior to studying Pa Kua Chang. The “dragon kua” of Tungs Pa Kua method made the most use of the techniques that Cheng would have already been good at and thus it seems logical that Tung would train Cheng in this Pa Kua style. In Chinese Mythology, the dragon has short, strong arms which are quick and appear suddenly out of the clouds. The dragon-claw techniques are employed at close range, the arms twist, turn, coil, move and change quickly while grabbing and pulling the opponent off balance to set up for a throw or trike. In Pa Kua Chang the action of the hands and arms are connected to the body and thus when employing the dragon-claw techniques, the practitioners body will also turn, twist, and move quickly. These characteristics of Chengs Pa Kua are what earned it the name “swimming body.”
Yin Fu was a thin man with small hands who had a background in Lohan Shaolin before studying Pa Kua Chang. While Chengs dragon-claw palm was open and thus ideal for grabbing and his swimming body techniques were used to move in close and throw the opponent, Yin's ox-tongue palm was used for sticking, deflecting, and striking. As an ox's tongue sticks to what it is licking, Yin's palms would adhere to an opponents force, deflect it, and then strike. While Cheng liked to apply heng, or crossing force, in throwing, Yin liked to deflect and apply chuan chang, or piercing palm. While Cheng liked to use circular movements to control the opponent and bring him off balance by grabbing and applying contracting power (tun ching), Yin Fu's application of force was quick, springy and explosive and the hands moved in straight lines. While Chengs movements tended to be long and round, Yin's were short and quick.
Cheng Ting-Huas Pa Kua footwork was in line with his grabbing and throwing methods. He mostly employed kou pu and pai pu to hook and trap the opponents feet and legs and was fond of stepping in deep between the opponents legs. His footwork was designed to help him close with the opponent. Because Yin Fu was best and adhering, deflecting and striking, his footwork was much more evasive than Chengs. Yin employed side-to-side stepping, and/or pivoting to avoid an attack and then stepped straight in at an angle which exposed the opponents vulnerability. This is evident when we study how Yin Fu style practitioners train today. For each of the basic sections of their form, they employ a different type of foot method. Whereas Cheng liked to close with the enemy and trap his legs, Yin Fu was more fond of kicking the opponents legs.
When examining the body posture of the two styles, we can also note differences. In general, Yin Fu style Pa Kua practitioners tend to have a very "closed" body. The stance is narrow and the arms are held along the body's centerline to provide a very protected and closed target area. To further close the body, the Yin Fu stylists will bend forward at the hips and hollow the chest by rounding the shoulders. The spine remains straight, however, the body is bent forward at the hips. The Cheng style practitioners tend to have a more open body posture with the spine vertical and a more expanded chest.
This comparison highlights the methods employed most often by these masters in order to give you a general feeling for the predominant characteristics of the two different styles.
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Click to subscribe to Jiang_Hao-Quan_Chinese_Martial_Arts
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