Ancient Wisdom in a Modern Era
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Liu He Ba Fa Quan
Chinese Water Boxing Style
Liuhebafaquan
Six Harmonies ~ Eight Methods
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and springing energy. The change of energy includes both storing and discharging, while circling around, extending outward andwithdrawing inwardly, making it unpredictable in its methods of attack and defense.
Six Harmonies and Eight Methods
The Six Harmonies and the Eight Methods are the guiding principles of Liuhebafa that give it its name.
Six Harmonies, 六合
1.體合于心 (tǐhéyúxīn) Body and Mind Combine
2.心合于意 (xīnhéyúyì) Mind and Intent Combine
3.意合于氣 (yìhéyúqì) Intent and Chi Combine
4.氣合于神 (qìhéyúshén) Chi and Spirit Combine
5.神合于動 (shénhéyúdòng) Spirit and Movement Combine
6.動合于空 (dònghéyúkōng) Movement and Emptiness Combine
Liuhebafachuan 六合八法拳; Pinyin: liùhébāfǎquán) (literally Six Harmonies Eight Methods Boxing) is a form of internal Chinese martial arts. It has been called "Xinyi Liuhebafa-" 心意六合八法拳 and is also referred to as "Water Boxing" (shuǐ chuán 水拳) due to its principles. The Song Dynasty Taoist sage Chen Tuan (Chén Tuán 陳摶, also known as Chén Xīyí 陳希夷) is often credited with its origin and development. He was associated with the Hua Shan Taoist Monastery on Mount Hua in Shaanxi Province.
Liu He Ba Fa History
According to legend, Liuhe Bafa was created by Chen Xiyi of the Song Dynasty. However, there is very little reference available to prove this claim. It is said that Liuhe Bafa Quan uses the whole body power of Xingyiguan, stances of Baguazhang for transference of energy, and the soft power of Taijiquan for transitions. It has been the opinion that Liu He Ba Fa is based on that these three internal systems of Chinese martial arts and its creation has been falsely credited to Chen Xiyi.
One of the most prevalent teachers of Liu He Ba Fa Quan was Wu Yihui 吳翼翬 (Cantonese Ng Yik Fai) (1887 - 1958). Wu Yihui was a Chinese martial artist and scholar. He was the first person to open teachings and spread the style of liuhebafa in public, and was a prominent fighter and instructor who influenced many of the masters of his generation.
Ancient Wisdom in a Modern Era
Sources: Wikipedia.com, the free encyclopedia
International Liuhebafa Internal Arts Association
Wang Xiang Zhai and Wu Yihui were known to be close friends. When Wu started teaching Liuhebafa Wang instructed 4 of his students to study under Wu. They were: Han Xing Qiao, Zhang Chang Xin, Zhao Dao Xin, and Gao Zhen Dong. These 4 students later became known as the "4 Diamond Warriors" of Yichuan.
In 1932, he became the martial arts instructor at the Shanghai Youth Association teaching Liuhebafa. In 1935, he attended the first martial arts examination. He was appointed to head of education of the Central Martial Arts
Academy by General Zhang Zhi Jiang in 1936, and in the same year attended the second martial arts examination. The next year, when the Japanese war began, he moved with the Central Martial Arts Academy first to Vietnam’s Burma, later settling in Yunnan's Kunming.
The Liuhebafa form "Zhú Jī 築基" was taught in the late 1930s in Shanghai and Nanjing by Wu Yihui. It is said he had learned the art from three teachers: Yan Guoxing, Chen Guangdi, and Chen Helu.
Wu Yihui was originally from Tieling in northeast China, but later lived in Beijing. He was from a scholarly and official family, and a man of good nature who had strong martial art talents. He was also well versed in calligraphy and painting, enjoying social life and travel.
Wu Yihui was born on November 30, 1887. In 1896, began private studies in Henan’s Kaifeng. In 1900, he began learning Liuhebafa, the following year, he entered school in Beijing to continue his studies. That year, he was formally apprenticed to Liuhebafa masters Yan Guo Xing and Chen Guang Di. In 1903, he entered the Beiyang Military School to prepare the first phase. He graduated from Baoding Military Academy in 1907 and was dispatched to the Beiyang Army, where he was appointed to staff officer of the first division. In 1915, he worked in the division of inventory of government industry in Beijing. He became a director of administration and taught literature in a middle school in Kai Feng in 1921. He worked as a teacher and an officer at South Senior High School in Shanghai in 1928, and the following year he was appointed to the Shanghai Xuhui College teaching literature and martial arts.
Wang Xiang Zhai, the creator of Yiquan, made a public statement regarding Wu Yihui in 1928 saying, "I have traveled across the country in research, engaging over a thousand people in martial combat, there have been only 2.5 people I could not defeat, namely Hunan's Xie Tie Fu, Fujian's Fang Yi Zhuang and Shanghai's Wu Yihui."
In 1944, he was appointed commissioner of the natural resources committee, as well as the chief of the factory's military security brigade. He taught Liuhebafa in Shanghai in 1945. In 1947, he was appointed head of the natural resources committee of the Tianjin Iron and Steel Factory, as well as the machine factory manager. He became an associate instructor at the National Martial Arts Instructor Training Institute in 1949. He also became the chairman of the martial arts assembly. In 1951, he taught Liuhebafa to the workers' union club of the Shanghai Electricity Company. In 1957, he was appointed by Mayor Chen Yi to the Shanghai Literature and History Institute as the first librarian.
Wu Yihui died on March 29, 1958 at his home in Shanghai.
Note: As a Chinese custom, some add 3 years onto the age of the departed to show longevity. It is for this reason that some records incorrectly show that Wu passed away in 1961, even though his family confirmed that it was indeed 1958.
Teacher Wu taught thousands of students over the years. His top students include Zhang Changxin, Zhao Daoxin, He Fusheng, Chen Yiren, Liang zipeng, Han Jiao, Zhang Wen-Guang and Jiang Hao Quan.
Many of Wu Yihui's students had martial arts backgrounds and modified the form to merge it with their own knowledge. This is one of several explanations for its similarities with other martial arts such as Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Taichi and Yiquan.
Characteristics of Liuhe Bafa
Liuhe Bafa or Huayue Xinyi Liuhe Bafaquan as it is often referred to, is a complex and highly stylistic internal form of martial arts. The movements are steady and smooth, while alternating between fast and slow. The energies expressed include hard and soft
energy, spinning energy, rotating energy, whipping energy, pinning energy, hooking energy, sinking energy, shaking energy,
Eight Methods, 八法
1.氣 (qì) Chi
2.骨 (gǔ) Bone
3.形 (xíng) Shape
4.隨 (suí) Follow
5.提 (tí) Rise
6.還 (huán) Return
7.勒 (lè) Retain
8.伏 (fú) Conceal
Liuhebafa Forms
The system of Liuhebafa, called Huayue Xiyi Men, as taught by Wu Yi Hui contains several forms (套路 taòlù), including bare hand and weapons forms as well as Qigong methods.
Hand forms
三盤十二勢 Sān Pán Shí Èr Shì - 3 Divisions, 12 Spirits (1.Dragon, 2.Phoenix, 3.Tiger, 4.Crane, 5.Leopard, 6.Ape, 7.Bear, 8.Goose, 9.Snake, 10.Hawk, 11.Roc, 12.Kylin)
築基 Zhú Jī - Discovering the Foundations
呂紅八勢 Lǚ Hóng Bā Shì - 8 Essences of Lǚ Hóng's Fist
龍虎戰 Lóng Hǔ Zhàn - Dragon and Tiger Fighting
螫龍遊 Zhē Lóng Yóu - Coiled Dragon Swimming
螫龍拳 Zhē Lóng Quán - Coiled Dragon Fist
Weapon forms
心意棍 Xīn Yì Gùn - Heart of Intent Staff
露花刀 Lù Huā Dāo - Dew Mist Broadsword
玉川劍 Yù Chuān Jiàn - Jade River Straight Sword
Internal exercises
韋佗功 Wéi Tuó Gōng - Standing meditation
太陽功 Tài Yáng Gōng - Solar Meditation
一杰混元功 Yī Jié Hún Yuán Gōng - Primary Definitive Force
先天座 Xiān Tiān Zuò - Pre-Heaven Meditation
三盤推手 Sān Pán Tuī Shǒu - 3 Divisions Push Hands
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