Shaolin Jingang Bashi

[Sal Canzonieri]

少林金刚八 Shaolin Jingang Bashi

一降龙、Xiang Long - Subdue Dragon
二伏虎、Pu Hu - Beat Tiger
三分心掌、Fen Xin Zhang - Divide Heart Palm
四穿捶、Chuan CHui - Piercing Hammer
五盖捶、Gai Chui - Covering Hammer
六野马掌、Ye Ma Zhang - Wild Horse Palm
七捧肘推山、Peng Zhou Tui Shan - Hold Elbow Push Mountain
八单凤掌。Dan Feng Zhang - Single Wind Palm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS5ISjT1XqU

The very important Shaolin Jingang Bashi 金剛八式 = Vajra or Diamond Warrior set. This set later influenced other styles. A rare video of the full version of the Shaolin Jingang Ba Shi. (This set is also practiced by Shaolin style master Zhu Tian Xi, who was a student of Shaolin master Shi Degen.)

Obviously, there is a relationship with the Ba Ji Quan style, as some branches also practice Jingang Bashi set, which is very similar to this one.

Also, there is a historical connection to Ba Gua, as the Jingang Bashi was incorporated by Chuojiao Fanzi (in its original form of Ba Fan Shan), and Ba Gua founder Dong Hai Chuan had studied Ba Fan Shan and Jingang Bashi in his youth from his elder cousin, a famous Ba Fan Shan master in Hebei.

[RenDaHai]

Hi sal,

Unfortunately I can't watch the video as I am in China and YouYube is banned...

Jin Gang Ba Shi is a relatively popular name in Chinese wushu. I would not be surprised if there are many unrelated styles of the same name. Jin Gang can be translated as anything from Diamond, or Divine Thunderbolt to Buddhist Guardian or Golden Warrior. It is the Chinese version of the Indian word Vajra which is the strange little diamond shaped lightening bolt that many Indian deities hold. Typically it refers to the Buddhist guardian warriors you find huge statues of at any temple. Any style with a connection to Buddhism will use the word Jingang frequently in the names of its techniques. Shaolin has many many sets which are referred to as Jingang quan, one substyle I am aware of has 10 forms.

Ba shi means 8 techniques however it doesn't refer to 8 specific techniques but rather 8 categories of techniques, I.e striking, blocking, capturing, sweeping etc. 8 being the lucky number in Chinese means a great many styles will have a form or several called Ba Shi Quan, or xiao Ba Shi.

From Shaolin I have seen many Jin Gang quans, but Only One Jin Gang Ba Shi, I never studied it but I have the form Jing Hua Ba Shi, another form from the same family. Jingang Ba shi is also referred to as San Fa quan (shou fa, tui fa, qin na fa).
The shaolin form uses mainly techniques from shaolins 12 road tan tui (so i would not be surprised if Zhu Tian Xi practices it, don't think he would have learned this set from Degen Da Shi though). The shaolin form is very practical, doesn't look like a typical set, lots of obvious qin na moves, ends in zuo shan as usual though.

However i Cant think there would be a video of this set on you tube. Can anyone describe the first few moves of the set, and the footwork (since i can't watch it)?

There are many other styles I have heard of called Jingang ba shi, usually a variant style of Xingyi and Baji. Almost every big style of kungfu will have one set called Ba shi quan, or xiao Ba shi. I know of another style called shaolinjingangbashi but that is the name of the overall style, not just a single set. It is not so closely related to shaolin, it is another baji variant. Its distance from shaolin must be in the hundreds of years.

The most famous shaolin jingang quan is one practiced by Zhang shi jie (white robes, also does a good luohan, prob on youtube). THis has some distant relation to Baji also. Again not practiced inside shaolin temple recently.

[Sal Canzonieri]

I posted the video on Youtube, it is from my archives, it was filmed at Shaolin.
It's from Shi Degen's lineage.
He did indeed teach this set to Zhu Tian Xi and to others.

[mawali]

Actually, I see more of xingyi in the form and perhaps piquazhang!

[Sal Canzonieri]

Actually, I see more of xingyi in the form and perhaps piquazhang!

Yes, you should, all five elements are there, and three movements also seen in Tongbei and Piguazhang (which shows there Ba Ji Quan has been influenced by this set).

Shaolin has been doing the Five Elements since a few hundred years way before Xingyi Quan. There is even a Shaolin Five Elements set that is similar to the Xingyi Quan Five Elements Linking Form set.

Five elements are contained in Rou Quan nei gong sets, so they are very old then.

Don't forget that Ji Long Feng visited Shaolin a few times and they documented his visits there with a book of his martial arts. He introduced them to his Six Harmony Spear, which they were in awe of, and to some Tongbei that he had learned at Qianzhai Temple.