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Tongbeiquan (
tngbiqun; literally Spreading
Power from the Back Boxing, as tong means through,
bei means back and quan means st) is a school of
martial arts popular in northern China. Tongbeiquans
basic precepts are Taoist in nature and many of the training methods in Tongbeiquan are similar to those of the
internal styles. In traditional Tongbeiquan training, several parts are included: basic training (stance, arm techniques, leg techniques and conditioning), combinations,
forms training, two-person free sparring, weapons training, and qigong training.
There are other styles, with names that are also pronounced Tongbeiquan, but are written with dierent
1 Exercise and Shen Fa
bei or bi characters (with meanings of preparing,
arm, etc.). Many books about Chinese martial arts confuse those styles with each other. Also there is another
Originally, Tongbei may not have referred to a school of style called Hong Dong Tongbeiquan, which is a local
boxing but to a way of exercise. When the exercises are version of Taijiquan and is therefore a dierent style.
done, power is generated from the back to pass through
the shoulders and then reach the arms. In this way, heavy
blows can be delivered at the arms length to control the
opponent. Tongbeiquan emphasizes the combination of 4 History
inner core and outward application.
8 CONTEMPORARY WUSHU
much more popular than the Shi style. Today the vast
majority of Tongbeiquan practitioners are in Qi style or
its branches. But even when they taught in public, the
masters still withheld some skills. Most masters only
taught high level skills to some disciples in their private
classes. As Qi style became somewhat more popular, a
few forms were created for teaching purposes. Compared
to Qi style, Shi style group still kept the old way. So people sometimes called the Shi style Hei Quan (Black Fist),
and their style is sometimes considered heterodox.
5.1
6.1
Old Qi style
7 Secrecy
Baiyuan Tongbeiquan masters followed the orthodox
Chinese martial art model of keeping their teachings very
secretive. Even other traditional wushu stylists often criticize this group as too conservative. Traditionally, Tongbeiquan instructors usually did not teach in public. Because of this conservatism, it was very dicult to join
the group to study this skill. Tongbeiquan teachers would
teach only behind closed doors. The masters always felt
that the high-level skills should only be passed to morally
upstanding people who must have a good personality, be
smart enough to grasp the principles, as well as be diligent in practice. So all this prevented Tongbeiquan from
having particularly large numbers of practitioners. The
result of this lack of open teaching is seen in the rarity of
the style. However, in recent years many teachers have
become much more open and there are teachers teaching
openly throughout China as well as in the West.
8 Contemporary Wushu
Yi Zi Lian Ji Pao(Continuous cannon strikes of one Tongbei is present in modern wushu as well and is practiced by the contemporary wushu athletes coming out of
word)
the Chinese sports universities (referred to in some wushu
Shi Er Lian Zhu Pao (12 continuous cannon circles and the University faction Xue Yuan Pai who study
strikes). This style does not use single strikes, all the routines in school and learn with performance being
strikes are linked together in sequences.
the key feature).
There are more advanced forms in Shao Qi Pai Tongbeiquan such as 3 Deadly Palms": Palm of Entangling the
Soul, Palm of Hunting the Soul and Palm of Chopping the Soul.
6.2
Shi style
Today, the traditional style is kept alive through the efforts of practitioners throughout northern China, particularly by small groups throughout Beijing, Shandong, and
Liaoning. There are also both groups throughout North
America and Europe. Its contemporary wushu variant
can also be found throughout the caterpillar.
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10.1
10.2
Images
10.3
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