Introduction to Sun Style Xingyiquan

 

By 1915, Sun Lu Tang had amassed a great wealth of knowledge on Xingyiquan. He then proceeded to reform xingyiquan referencing to Xi Sui Jing, Yi Jin Jing, and I-Ching, removing the complexities and preserving the essence of the forms. The forms came to be known as Sun Style Xingyiquan. The summarized characteristics of Sun Style Xingyiquan are:

 

1. Simplicity
There are neither blocks or intercepting movements, each step either spirals upwards or downwards. The issuing of power is elastic and penetrative but not obvious.

 

2. Established structure
Sun Style Xingyiquan place great emphasis on the structural alignment of the body, this allows the issuing of power to be focussed while the weight is never equally distributed to increase the agility of the movements.

 

3. Minimum distance and concise movements
The movements of both the upper and lower body pay particular attention to the terms "short, flat, fast," moving in unison through the best possible distance. The elbow protects the ribs, and the hand protects the heart.

 

4. The Unity of Both Inside and Outside of the Body

As an internal martial art, Sun Style Xingyiquan exhibits through the movements of expansion and contraction, opening, and closing, lifting and releasing, every requirement tries to harmonize both inside and outside of the body, leading up to a training of the bones and muscles as well as the mind and soul.