Hsing-i isn't linear:

[Samurai Jack]

A couple of weeks ago on the Training forum, a few posters made the argument that Hsing-i Chuan was a linear art. I and several others pointed out that although it looks linear, internally, there are quite a few spirals and twistings happening that aren't apparent in the solo forms.

They responded with the opinion that what made Hsing-i linear was the "fact" that stepping patterns "went in a straight line." I put those assumptions in quotes because that's true of only about a third of the footwork when you include the 12 animals.

Anyhow, for the interested, here is a clip of a basic Hsing-i drill using the most "linear" techniques in Hsing-i.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rc89q6urFwI

Perhaps you'll be interested to observe how the tiny twisting and spiralling movements on an internal level can produce big obvious circles when you put another person into the mix.

[Rockwood]

No doubt, Xing Yi is as spiraly as the next art. Take something like Beng Quan. If you use it as a straight punch to the gut, you'd be missing some of the best part of it. The way I learned it, it goes out and returns on an oval shaped arc. Like the wheels on an old steam engine the forearm cycles as it goes in or out. It can help your forearm scrape over or under your opponents limb, and you can also attach to them and drag them around with it. There are many examples of this type of small circle within Xing Yi for sure.

-Jess O

[Buddy]

I suspect xingyi is called linear because it is often mentioned along side baguazhang. But both use luoxuanjin.

Buddy

[Graychuan]

A couple of weeks ago on the Training forum, a few posters made the argument that Hsing-i Chuan was a linear art. I and several others pointed out that although it looks linear, internally, there are quite a few spirals and twistings happening that aren't apparent in the solo forms.


This is consistent with what I have been exposed to as well. In the line that I study the curriculum calls for 3 years of Tai Chi, 3 years of Ba Gua, and 3 years of Hsing Yi then you can choose to specialize in one. My instructor pointed out this same knowledge.

Thanks for sharing!