Hsing Yi Question

[l@zylee]

I am about to embark on my first Hsing Yi lesson this Sunday. All I know about it so far is that it is an internal art but faster than Tai Chi. A couple of questions for you.

I already study Wing chun and Yang Style Tai Chi. Will I just be learning the form like I do mainly @ my Tai Chi lessons or will it be more like my Wing Chun lessons i.e. forms, applications, drills etc.

Cheers

Lee

[brassmonkey]

noone here will be able to answer your question unless they know your teacher specifically

[l@zylee]

Ok, Maybe I worded it wrong. Basically what I am asking is:

Is Hsing Yi very similar to Ta'i Chi? I know its faster but is it just one long form or not?

Thanks again

Lee

[brassmonkey]

"Is Hsing Yi very similar to Ta'i Chi? I know its faster but is it just one long form or not?"

ok I see your asking about the form, well it all depends on the families of Tai Chi and Hsing I. *Lol* your getting a lil closer to a real answer.

If your simply looking for a change of speed in form since you rely on your Wing Chun for fighting just practice that at different speeds would be my advice.

[l@zylee]

If your simply looking for a change of speed in form since you rely on your Wing Chun for fighting just practice that at different speeds would be my advice.

Thanks for your reply, no I am just exploring the internal arts, my Sifu teaches both Wing Chun and Tai Chi, from a self defense point of view I love my Wing Chun, but what I most enjoy is doing my Tai Chi and Qigong in the early morning. I recently watched a program on cable about the Wudang School in China and they were practising Hsing Yi which I thought looked great and since I have found out that its an internal art I am off to a club about 20 miles away to have a go. Just thought i'd try to find out more about it.

Cheers

Lee

[brassmonkey]

"Just thought i'd try to find out more about it."

cool. Here's a couple sites for some reading:

www.hsing-i.com

www.chinafrominside.com

www.emptyflower.com

good luck

[foolinthedeck]

from the wing chun perspective, mine at least. xing yi seems like wing chuns internal uncle. also from my experience, its closer to wing chun than taiji.

i think 'faster' misses it, its not faster than taiji but it is more direct, uses the centreline and triangulation more, is more violent and combat orientated.

my other understanding of xing yi is that you have to perform techniques hundreds of times or more, i hear that it can be boring... you dont do a series in a form, you just do a particular move hundreds of times a day until the power develops... I'd recommend cartmell and millars xing yi nei gong.

[Syd]

I guess I'm just curious as to why anyone would begin learning an art they know nothing about and had not researched well before hand.

[[Censored]]

Hsing Yi has forms, same as everyone else.

[l@zylee]

I guess I'm just curious as to why anyone would begin learning an art they know nothing about and had not researched well before hand.

Oh, are you now, well firstly I have and continue to research Hsing Yi and and other internal martial arts. For years now I have travelled 20 miles once a week for one to one tuition with my teacher. Since starting to learn Yang Style Tai Chi from him I have developed a keen interest in other arts it has come to my attention that close to my current school there is a club that teaches Hsing Yi so I'm going to take a look, whats wrong with that!...............jeez. If i don't like it and its not for me I'll leave.

Hsing Yi has forms, same as everyone else.

Not quite sure how you mean that but I'd kinda guessed Hsing Yi has forms derrrr, with it being described to me as internal I just wondered if it was --one long form a la Tai Chi-- or a series of forms are involved like Gung Fu styles.....Hope I don't have to explain all of the above again.

Thank for the few informative replies.

Lee

[backbreaker]

From what I've seen of xingyi and wing chun, xingyi has more angles in it's stances, more changing footwork and stances, positioning your body at different angles, and a strategy of collecting energy first and then attacking aggresvely the opponent instantly. I hardly know anything about wing chun but from what I've seen it has the hips mainly forward facing the opponent square with the whole front of your body facing the opponent and then attack him alot running forward. Maybe, I don't know

[foolinthedeck]

backbreaker:
your analysis of the two has accuracy, however, all depends on the individual and depth of knowledge.

when people have studied wing chun for many years, the description you gave for xing yi becomes extremely accurate for wing chun.

thats my perspective and its not the only one.

[Daredevil]

While it is entirely true that without knowing the teacher it is very hard to answer the question in much detail, but I can try to be more helpful regarding some of Xingyi's basics.

The core of the system is the santishi, the basic stance, and the Five Element Fists, which are basically very short forms. It's safe to say these (should) will be emphasized heavily.

Re: Forms -- following the basics, there are other, longer forms as well.

[Thundermudd]

XY and Taiji are way different in my opinion. There are a few energetic principles that are similar, but not that many. I have heard it described as:
Taiji is pretty
Xing Yi is NASTY.
If you study wing chun then it may help you w/ Xing Yi more than Taiji, but I dont study WC so I dont know.
I do know that after prac. Taiji for a while and then learning the 5 elements in xy all I could say was wow. I think that xy is easier to apply than taiji. Not much silk realing; just beng chuan all the way baby!

[backbreaker]

The idea of the 3 harmonies of the elbow/knees , shoulders/hips , bai hui/ huiyin , as well as harmonies of body mind and breath, and also the yi leads the qi which leads the body, and similar ideas are contained in both xingyi and taiji , so they seem related to me. Taiji can be nasty also