Shaolin Jingang Bashi - influential

[Sal Canzonieri]

This training routine, the Shaolin Ba Shi (8 postures) along with the Shaolin Dan Shi (single postures) is a foundational set in Qing dynasty era Shaolin Quan.

At some point during the 1800s, these Shaolin sets reached the Hebei area and became a major influence on not only the Ba Fan Men style, but also Xing Yi, Bagua Zhang, and Baji Quan, all styles that were very well known in Hebei at that time.
Many great past masters of these Hebei styles learned Shaolin Bashi in their youth.

(according to one Baji lineage, their Jingang Bashi can be traced back to "Shaolin inner-courtyard fist" (少林内院拳法). A Shaolin monk taught the art to Shi Yushan （石玉山）who later became the head of Tianjin's eleventh Guoshu Guan (national Martial Arts Association). one of Shi Yushan's disciples was Tianjin's Tian Jinzhong（田金钟）, who later studied with Baji Quan master Wu xiufeng（吴秀峰）. Tian Jinzhong merged the two arts together.)

Also, there is a historical connection to Ba Gua Zhang, as the Jingang Bashi was incorporated by 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, who was a famous Ba Fan Shan master in Hebei.

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

Over time, the movements were changed as they merged in with the local Hebei styles.

Video, here's two videos of the hard to find Shaolin versions, first one from the famous Shi Degen lineage (of Zhu Tianxi today), and the second one from Liu Xian Rui:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DS5ISjT1XqU (Shaolin Jingang Bashi 少林 金剛八式 - Shi Degen lineage)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XO85ewT6Ik (少林 金剛八式 by Lin Xian Rui 林宪瑞)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VB7n94_WT2s (Shaolin Dan Shi 少林 單式 Single Pattern by Lin Xian Rui 林宪瑞)

Observe how it changed within Baji lineages, like playing "telephone", it appears Baji Quan mixed together the Ba Shi and Dan Shi material to create their own version of Ba Shi in the following videos:

Ma style Baji Quan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uGSS7sEzQVc (Baji Quan Ba Shi)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GPu1L96_gnw rows 1-4 (譚吉堂(Tan Jitang)演練金剛八式(Jin Gang Ba Shi)第1-4式 )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FfrjzcMmZN8 rows 5-8 (continued).

Huo style Baji Quan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwCq01tS_JA (霍氏八極拳金剛八式1～4)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpUlT_bGZfU (霍氏八極拳金剛八式5～8)

Tian style Baji Quan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxlXhZQZ2Wk (Xiang Long - all by Zhou jingxuan)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6MU2rWbfSM (Fu Hu)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUdJUcT1ysg (Long na)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEsVzLjSfl0 (Cheng chui)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvd5p-55iM0 (Tan Ma Zhang)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ne7VwOGcYc (Pi Shan)

Qiang & Huo style Baji comparisons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkJPWVzLFII (金剛八式－霍式圏捶・虎抱　強式虎抱)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiOlVbErTHU (金剛八式－霍式降龍・伏虎)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5sJmyEnzlM4 (金剛八式－強式劈 山伏虎)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhGRt-YT1Os (金剛八式－霍式衝捶・川掌)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBb5R81XSeQ (金剛八式－強式探馬掌・霍式探馬掌)



Also:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vv8WyjYXEI0 (Xingyi Quan's version of Jingang Bashi, look carefully you'll see the Shaolin Bashi inside it)

Looking for video of Ba Shan Fan style Jingang Bashi set!

[Tainan Mantis]

Thanks for posting those. I had seen some of them. Sme of those moves look like right out of Mantis.

Do you think this could be Lu Hong's Ba Xia in the General Qi Quan Jing book?

"lu hong ba xia sui gang"

The Shaolin version Quan Jing Quan Fa Bei Yao has a difference of one character making it

"Lu Hong ba xia zhi gang"

Thus making more sense to me,

"The hard techniques of Lu Hong are hard (unyielding)"

I have always suspected that this all ties into Mantis' 'ba gang.' But have never been able to make a clear connection, since I mostly have nothing but the word 8 to go on and the fact that some moves look like Mantis.

[Sal Canzonieri]

Thanks for posting those. I had seen some of them. Sme of those moves look like right out of Mantis.

Do you think this could be Lu Hong's Ba Xia in the General Qi Quan Jing book?

"lu hong ba xia sui gang"

The Shaolin version Quan Jing Quan Fa Bei Yao has a difference of one character making it

"Lu Hong ba xia zhi gang"

Thus making more sense to me,

"The hard techniques of Lu Hong are hard (unyielding)"

I have always suspected that this all ties into Mantis' 'ba gang.' But have never been able to make a clear connection, since I mostly have nothing but the word 8 to go on and the fact that some moves look like Mantis.

The reason that they look like Mantis is because the Shaolin Jingang Bashi is the training drills for most Shaolin material, and it was built from Taizu Chang Quan and Tongbi Quan (of which both are the "father and mother of Tanglang").

A lot of the Jingang Bashi is also found in Yue Jia Duanda Chui (General Yue Fei's Close strike hammers), which reached from Shaolin to the area in Shandong province where Tanglang eventually emerged from.

[Sal Canzonieri]

Thanks for posting those. I had seen some of them. Sme of those moves look like right out of Mantis.

Do you think this could be Lu Hong's Ba Xia in the General Qi Quan Jing book?

"lu hong ba xia sui gang"

The Shaolin version Quan Jing Quan Fa Bei Yao has a difference of one character making it

"Lu Hong ba xia zhi gang"

Thus making more sense to me,

"The hard techniques of Lu Hong are hard (unyielding)"

I have always suspected that this all ties into Mantis' 'ba gang.' But have never been able to make a clear connection, since I mostly have nothing but the word 8 to go on and the fact that some moves look like Mantis.

Hmm, also it could be about Ba Fan Shan, which was from Shandong province originally before it went to Hebei.
Eight Flashing