Yin Yang Bapan Zhang (Yin Yang Eight Basins Palms) is a type of martial art usually classified as a branch of Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigram Palm). From its interesting name you may know some thing about the characteristic of it.
Yin Yang Bapan Zhang (Yin Yang Eight Basins Palms) is a type of martial art usually classified as a branch of Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigram Palm). From its interesting name you may know some thing about the characteristic of it.
History of Yin Yang Bapan Zhang
This art was passed in nineteenth century by Dong Linmeng in Henan Province to his three disciples: Xue Yonghe, Li Zhenqing and Dong Hanqing (said to be another name of Dong Haichuan). Li Zhenqing (ab.1830-1900; native of Ba County in Hebei Province) learnt the art about 1850 and in the 1870s brought it to his hometown.
Liu Baozhen (1870-1944) originally studied Chuojiao Fanzi boxing (a martial art famous for kicking techniques) from Ma and Zhang. Later he became Li Zhenqing's first disciple to study Yin Yang Bapan Zhang, but then he began his Bagua Zhang studies under Dong Haichuan. Today Liu's lineage is represented by Guo Zhenya, whose father, Guo Mengshen, was Liu Baozhen's disciple.
There are eight basic, primary postures in Bapan Zhang called "Eight Big Postures" (Ba Da Shi): 1.Horse Riding Posture (Jia Ma Shi), 2.Overturning Eagle Posture (Ying Fan Shi), 3.Piercing Palm Posture (Chuan Zhang Shi), 4.Walking Posture (Zi Xing Shi), 5.Earth Basin Posture (Di Pan Shi), 6.Moving Like A Dragon Posture (Long Xing Shi), 7.Jumping Monkey Posture (Hou Zong Shi), 8.Passing Through Forest Posture (Chuan Lin Shi); besides, there are also seven secondary postures related to each of primary ones. These secondary postures are called "Small Postures" (Xiao Shi). Altogether there are sixty four empty hand movements. Apart from empty hand routines there are also weapon sequences, of which most famous are: Four Feet Two Inches Eight Coils Broadsword (Si Chi Er Cun Bapan Dao) and Double Headed Snake Spear (Shuang Tou She Qiang).
Features of Yin Yang Bapan Zhang
The strength of Bapan Zhang mainly lies at the hands and the feet of the Bapan
Zhang boxer. According to "Yin Exits Yang Enters" principle the hand that moves out is turned upwards, while the falling hand is turned downwards or slightly slants. Bapan Zhang practitioners usually use Supporting Palm to strike and very rarely use Falling Hand.
In Bapan Zhang, footwork is called Yin Yang Toes out Toes. Yin Yang Bapan Zhang practitioners do not use popular Mud Wading Steps but so-called "Little Steps"composed of Bai Bu and Kou Bu. Each step contains several powers, of which Lifting (Ti), Stepping on (Cai), Hooking (Gou), Sweeping (Gua), Kicking (Ti, Chuai) are the most important ones.