Various
fist displays is an important part of
Chinese martial arts. When
learning Chinese martial arts, these displays will be a major component of the course. The words below will introduce one of these them, which is named Pigua Quan.
General introduction
Pigua Quan or
axe-hitch boxing was known in ancient times as armor wearing boxing. In different regions of China, the content of
Pigua Quan will be different. The
axe-hitch boxing which is popular in Gansu province consists of axe-hitch, blue dragon, flying tiger, taishu and daJiaziquan (big frame boxing ) while the popular version in Cangzhou is made up of axe-hitch, blue dragon, slow and fast axe-hitch and cannon boxing.
Pigua Quan was developed 300 years ago in Hebei Province in northern China. It may have originated as part of one style with Bajiquan which then became divided somehow into two separate arts.
Features of Pigua Quan
The features of the axe-hitch boxing include abrupt starts and stops, powerful axing and hitching, straightening arms, holding arms and connecting wrists, twisting waist and hips, restraining chest and protruding back, standing high and creeping low, closing knees and clawing feet to the ground, lowering shoulders and breathing deep, as well as continuity of movements. Different styles of axe-hitch boxing, however, have different stresses in execution.
Be it single moves, combinations of moves, or the entire routine, the axe-hitch boxing requires a learning process which ranges from simplicity to complexity. In the first place, the stance and execution of movements must be accurate and standard. The emphasis then goes from accuracy to fluency, to agility and continuity, and then to speed, power, dexterity, excellence, subtlety and uniqueness.
Pigua Quan also concentrates on combinations of movements which are complementary to one another and is known for its slowness in pitching stances but its swiftness in delivering fist blows and its subtle use of tricks. The execution of moves and tricks involves tumbling; strangle holding, axing, hitching, chopping, unhitching, scissoring, picking, brushing, discarding, stretching, withdrawing, probing, feeling, flicking, hammering and beating.