The Tian family's Yin Yang Style of the martial art Bagua Zhang originated in the area around the Ermei and Qingzhen Mountains of Sichuan Province.
History
It was transmitted from the Daoists Bi Yun and Jing Yun during late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. Tian Hui (田廻) was the ninth-generation-continuator and made contributions on revealing, organizing and practicing Bagua Zhang, spreading promoting, and writing books of Yin Yang Bagua Zhang to the public. The works "Python form palms" (蟒形掌) and "Lion form palms" (狮形掌) in Tian family's Yin Yang Bagua Zhang are part of the "Chinese Wushu Literati Archive" series, and included in the "China's Wushu Complete Encyclopedia". Mr. Tian Keyan (田克延), the tenth-generation-continuator, did in-depth research and exploration on the theories and combat techniques and formed a complete theoretical system of teaching.
Features
Tian family's Yin Yang Bagua Zhang is one of three main Bagua Zhang systems in China. It integrates the crane-walking and roc-spanning powers, the soft and hard, uplifting, elegant, impressive and graceful styles.
Tian family's Yin Yang Bagua Zhang is the martial arts styled as twisting, spanning, sitting and lifting. This style integrates offense with defense and combines the internal with the external. The origin of this style occurred when the Chinese ancestors combined the "Book of Changes" (易经) with the Yin Yang truth. Following the Eight Trigrams, they observed the actions of animals and environmental changes. Tian family's Yin Yang Bagua Zhang was created from these observations being studied and practiced over several generation.
The practice routines is divided into eight forms: Python, Lion, Tiger, Bear, Snake, Horse, Monkey and Eagle. "Ba" means eight, "Gua" means form, and "Zhang" means palm. One "Zhang" palm is divided into eight postures. Each posture is divided into three different "Cheng" movements. The total is one hundred and ninety-two Chengs. Each Gua is clearly distinctive. The style of Tian family's Yin Yang Bagua Zhang is integrated with the soft and the hard, powerful and majestic—transmitting China's exquisite traditional culture. Tian family's Yin Yang Bagua Zhang took the meaning of Yin Yang and the Eight Trigrams and applied it to the theories and principles of the palms. The actions of the Yin Yang Bagua Zhang eight forms routine involve the practitioners adjusting the upper, middle and lower sections of their body. The Eight Trigrams are eight different symbols: Qian (乾), Kan (坎), Gen (艮), Zhen (震), Xun (巽), Li (离), Kun (坤), and Dui (兑) which correspond to and form the changing ways of the Yin and Yang and the Bagua. The postures of crane walking and eagle spanning also correspond to the eight directions: East, West, South, North, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast and Southwest of the Yin and Yang and the Eight Trigrams. The movements also mimic the arc in the Yin Yang Fish. There are eight characters, eight directions, eight body sections, eight steps, eight posture palms, eight energies and eight coincidences.
Eight posture-palms
Python Form
The Python Form Palms of Tian's family Yin Yang Bagua Zhang consists of eight postures: "Python writhing through the forest" "Python bending, ground stomping", "Python grabbing, crossing and piercing", "Python wandering, crossing with a single arm" "Python bending, crossing with a crooked arm" "Python writhing and piercing" "Python cleaving, spanning and lashing" "Python writhing, rocking, bending and crossing" Each posture has 3 Chengs and total is 24 Chengs. The Python Form Palms routine is divided into two parts and each part includes four postures. The characteristics of the Python Form Palms: turning waist and spanning arms, integrated with the soft and the hard. It is like a python coming out of a hole and writhing through the forest.
Lion Form
The Lion Form Palms of Tian's family Yin Yang Bagua Zhang consists of eight postures: "Lion turning, spanning and cleaving" "Lion turning, grazing and seizing" "Lion turning, spanning and parrying" "Lion turning, grazing and slicing" "Lion turning, cleaving and flicking" "Lion turning, reeling and flicking", "Lion turning, cloud-reeling and ramming" "Lion turning, reeling and slicing" Each posture has 3 Chengs and total is 24 Chengs. The Lion Form Palms routine is divided into two parts and each part includes four postures. The characteristics of the Lion Form Palms: the movements are smooth, dynamic, powerful. It is like a lion playing with a ball, and intimidation.