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Study of Covered Forearm Punch in Chen Style Taiji Quan
中華古傳陳式太極拳協會
http://www.kongfu.org
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/vadjra
E-mail:kongfu@tomor.com
Summary
Advisor 李章智
Master Degree Candidate嚴介廷 2006/1/10
Types of Covered Forearm Punch (掩手肱捶)
We roughly classified Covered Forearm Punch (掩手肱捶) into three types: Piercing fist (鑽拳), thrusting fist (拋拳), and combined fist (合拳).
I. Piercing Fist:
The main movement of piercing fist looks like the straight punch in boxing. Please refer to Introduction of Chen Family Taiji Quan (Reference 9), Chen Family Taiji Quan with Illustration (I) (Reference 12), Decoding Chen Style Taiji Quan (Reference 15), and the article by Mr. He Jia-Xiu – Talk about Force Exertion from Covered Forearm Punch (從掩手捶談發勁) for detailed description of the movement.
Masters adopting the piercing fist style have mostly studied the earlier Chen Jia Gou style Taiji Quan, including Du Yu-Ze and his students Wang Jia-Xiang and Li Zhang-Ren in Taiwan, Chen Ji-Fu, Chen Zheng-Lei, and Wang Xi-An in China, and Forty-Two Form Master Li De-Yin.
II. Thrusting Fist:
Force delivery of this style is also from the waist. The force travels from the heels through relaxed waist and released to the end of limbs in form of shooting vibrations. Such presentation of force is also found in other schools of Chinese martial arts such as Tong Bi Quan (通臂拳) and Sun Bing Quan (孫臏拳).
Masters adopting the thrusting style include Gu Liu-Xin, Feng Zhi-Qiang and Chen Xiao-Wang. It is also the main stream style in China.
We have also discovered that masters practicing the thrusting style have mostly studied from Master Chen Fa-Ke. Considering the time and space, it is likely that Master Chen Fa-Ke not only made Taiji Quan famous but also initiated nationwide development of Taiji Quan in China.
III. Combined Fist:
We named it the Combined Fist (合拳) mainly due to that such style features a left hand/right fist combined punch. In this style, left hand in an open form and right hand in a fisted form punch out at once. For detailed movement, please refer to references 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8. From the references, we can see that presentation of the Combined Fist is mainly from the Xin Jia (新架, new frame) system, which is noted by Wang Hai-Zhou (reference 3) as the Po Shang Fist (坡上, hilltop; the single-hand-punch system in the old frame called the Po Xia (坡下, hill-foot) fist). As mentioned in the Thrusting Fist section, force is delivered from the heels, controlled by the waist, and released from the right fist with a combined reverse twist of the right foot; the left hand is in position without twisting for auxiliary purpose and punched out simultaneously with the right fist in a combined force.
From the literatures, we can see that from Masters Chen Xin and Chen Zi-Min to Chen Li-Qing and Fan Chun-Lei, presentation in such style has been more integrally preserved without much variation. Moreover, Taiji Quan from Zhao Bao Township has also been passed down from Du Yuan-Hua to Wang Hai-Zhou, Zhao Zeng-Fu, and Zhang Sui-Sheng in a more intact form; variations are not notable in the movements. Compared to the movement of Chen Jia Gou, slight variations are found (Du Yuan-Hua, Wang Hai-Zhou, and Zhao Zeng-Fu practice right-hand punch aided with left palm), but the general principle and postures are similar.
Among the various styles, the most characteristic should be Wang He-Lin’s Covered Forearm Punch. Although he studied Chen Style Taiji Quan from Master Chen Fa-Ke, he practices the Combined Fist. From this, we roughly deduce two possibilities: 1, Master Chen Fa-Ke taught the Xin Jia (新架, new frame) during the earlier period and 2, Wang He-Lin learned the Combined Fist style from other masters or Chen Xin's Taiji Quan Illustrated. Of course, these are only assumptions; the true event requires further study.
Conclusion
Taiji Quan is deemed as a representation of Chinese culture. It is a school of art fused with philosophies of life and the harmonious ways with the universe and nature, as well as a presentation of martial art and balanced physical training. Most people know the relaxed and soft attitudes and presentation of Taiji Quan, yet the form of Covered Forearm Punch exhibits the unique insight of power and strength. This is also the reason why the form of Covered Forearm Punch is described as “the needle in cotton”. Harmony of ying and yang forms taiji; strength in softness reveals the true talent. In the training of Chen Style Taiji Quan, the Covered Forearm Punch is a very important process of training, for it requires not only accurate presentation of detailed physical movements but also internal qi channeling and mediation. Only integrated achievement forms the finest presentation. A learner must feel the movements, working of muscles and joints, and flow of qi through persistent practice under correct instruction before progress can be made. This study analyzes and compares the movements, internal/external requirements, and applications of the Covered Forearm Punch in Chen Style Taiji Quan with martial arts of other forms, aiming to break the myths of Kungfu novel Taiji Quan and bring the art, the philosophy, and the aesthetics of Chinese martial arts into the lives of people.
中華古傳陳式太極拳協會
http://www.kongfu.org
http://www.wretch.cc/blog/vadjra
E-mail:kongfu@tomor.com
Summary
Advisor 李章智
Master Degree Candidate嚴介廷 2006/1/10
Types of Covered Forearm Punch (掩手肱捶)
We roughly classified Covered Forearm Punch (掩手肱捶) into three types: Piercing fist (鑽拳), thrusting fist (拋拳), and combined fist (合拳).
I. Piercing Fist:
The main movement of piercing fist looks like the straight punch in boxing. Please refer to Introduction of Chen Family Taiji Quan (Reference 9), Chen Family Taiji Quan with Illustration (I) (Reference 12), Decoding Chen Style Taiji Quan (Reference 15), and the article by Mr. He Jia-Xiu – Talk about Force Exertion from Covered Forearm Punch (從掩手捶談發勁) for detailed description of the movement.
Masters adopting the piercing fist style have mostly studied the earlier Chen Jia Gou style Taiji Quan, including Du Yu-Ze and his students Wang Jia-Xiang and Li Zhang-Ren in Taiwan, Chen Ji-Fu, Chen Zheng-Lei, and Wang Xi-An in China, and Forty-Two Form Master Li De-Yin.
II. Thrusting Fist:
Force delivery of this style is also from the waist. The force travels from the heels through relaxed waist and released to the end of limbs in form of shooting vibrations. Such presentation of force is also found in other schools of Chinese martial arts such as Tong Bi Quan (通臂拳) and Sun Bing Quan (孫臏拳).
Masters adopting the thrusting style include Gu Liu-Xin, Feng Zhi-Qiang and Chen Xiao-Wang. It is also the main stream style in China.
We have also discovered that masters practicing the thrusting style have mostly studied from Master Chen Fa-Ke. Considering the time and space, it is likely that Master Chen Fa-Ke not only made Taiji Quan famous but also initiated nationwide development of Taiji Quan in China.
III. Combined Fist:
We named it the Combined Fist (合拳) mainly due to that such style features a left hand/right fist combined punch. In this style, left hand in an open form and right hand in a fisted form punch out at once. For detailed movement, please refer to references 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 8. From the references, we can see that presentation of the Combined Fist is mainly from the Xin Jia (新架, new frame) system, which is noted by Wang Hai-Zhou (reference 3) as the Po Shang Fist (坡上, hilltop; the single-hand-punch system in the old frame called the Po Xia (坡下, hill-foot) fist). As mentioned in the Thrusting Fist section, force is delivered from the heels, controlled by the waist, and released from the right fist with a combined reverse twist of the right foot; the left hand is in position without twisting for auxiliary purpose and punched out simultaneously with the right fist in a combined force.
From the literatures, we can see that from Masters Chen Xin and Chen Zi-Min to Chen Li-Qing and Fan Chun-Lei, presentation in such style has been more integrally preserved without much variation. Moreover, Taiji Quan from Zhao Bao Township has also been passed down from Du Yuan-Hua to Wang Hai-Zhou, Zhao Zeng-Fu, and Zhang Sui-Sheng in a more intact form; variations are not notable in the movements. Compared to the movement of Chen Jia Gou, slight variations are found (Du Yuan-Hua, Wang Hai-Zhou, and Zhao Zeng-Fu practice right-hand punch aided with left palm), but the general principle and postures are similar.
Among the various styles, the most characteristic should be Wang He-Lin’s Covered Forearm Punch. Although he studied Chen Style Taiji Quan from Master Chen Fa-Ke, he practices the Combined Fist. From this, we roughly deduce two possibilities: 1, Master Chen Fa-Ke taught the Xin Jia (新架, new frame) during the earlier period and 2, Wang He-Lin learned the Combined Fist style from other masters or Chen Xin's Taiji Quan Illustrated. Of course, these are only assumptions; the true event requires further study.
Conclusion
Taiji Quan is deemed as a representation of Chinese culture. It is a school of art fused with philosophies of life and the harmonious ways with the universe and nature, as well as a presentation of martial art and balanced physical training. Most people know the relaxed and soft attitudes and presentation of Taiji Quan, yet the form of Covered Forearm Punch exhibits the unique insight of power and strength. This is also the reason why the form of Covered Forearm Punch is described as “the needle in cotton”. Harmony of ying and yang forms taiji; strength in softness reveals the true talent. In the training of Chen Style Taiji Quan, the Covered Forearm Punch is a very important process of training, for it requires not only accurate presentation of detailed physical movements but also internal qi channeling and mediation. Only integrated achievement forms the finest presentation. A learner must feel the movements, working of muscles and joints, and flow of qi through persistent practice under correct instruction before progress can be made. This study analyzes and compares the movements, internal/external requirements, and applications of the Covered Forearm Punch in Chen Style Taiji Quan with martial arts of other forms, aiming to break the myths of Kungfu novel Taiji Quan and bring the art, the philosophy, and the aesthetics of Chinese martial arts into the lives of people.
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