A linear martial art emphasizing explosive power, direct attacks, and the use of the mind to control the body's movements.
Xingyi, or Xingyi Quan, is a martial art that emphasizes direct, linear movements and explosive power. It focuses on imitating the movements and characteristics of various animals, such as the dragon, tiger, and eagle. Xingyi is known for its simplicity and efficient strikes.
Xingyi came to be well-known as a martial arts style after it's creation by Li Luoneng in 1856. Xingyi means to imitate the shape (Xing in Chinese) while fully understand the meaning (Yi in Chinese). It pays much attention to the combination of both inner and outer exercise. Xingyi uses the YinYang and the five elements (Wuxing) theory of Chinese traditional culture to describe the movement regulations. It selects the typical movements from twelve animals (dragon, tiger, monkey, horse, tortoise, chicken, swallow, harrier, snake, camel, eagles, and bear) and combines them with the movements of martial arts forming the twelve basic styles of Xingyi.
