Among various styles of Tai Chi, Mian Quan is the most interesting one. It is also called continuous boxing. It is popular among people for its variety of movements and routines, its special methods of attack and defense.

 

Mian Quan or the continuous boxing, which is popular in central Hebei Province, is a northern style of fist play. There is no record of the origin of this style of boxing.

 

It is called continuous boxing because its fist play is continuous and prolonged by soft and supple movements and actions. Luo Chengli, a native of Daqi Village in Boye County of Hebei, is good at six-combination spear play and continuous boxing and was well known for these during the 1930's.  

 

The main feature of Mian Quan or continuous boxing is to gain supremacy by attacking only after the opponent has attacked. It centers on the opponent and the movements change if the opponent changes. It bases movements mainly on defense and launch attacks only after defensive moves. Suppleness turns to hardness once the boxer gains control of the combat and they fight in accordance with the development of the combat. By putting out their hands to meet the opponent they benefit from his forces, forcing the opponent to change from attack to defense and use surprise tricks to beat the opponent before the latter has time to prepare for a new bout. The continuous boxers prefer to defend before attacking and they always try to gain the dominant position by using supple and soft forces. They become hard once they are dominant. This is how hardness and suppleness are combined in the continuous boxing.

 

What's more, movements in the continuous boxing are spread but steady and the basic actions of the body, hands and feet are similar to those of the long-style boxing. The difference lies in the fact that continuous boxers keep their heads upright; their necks straight; their shoulders lower and their chest, waist, hip, back and abdomen relaxed. Their movements are fully extended but steady, supple and continuous.