Pigua Quan
(Pi Gua Zhang - chopping and hanging fist, Pikua, axe-hitch boxing, tongbei pigua quan - through preparing chopping-hanging fist, pi gua - put on the armor, momian - mop one's face, splitting deflecting palm style, piguazhang - shop-hanging palm, drape-hanging fist, armor wearing boxing) History Pigua Quan was once known as “armor wearing boxing”. From the book, A New Essay on Wushu Arts, General Qi Jiguang in the Ming Dynasty, this type of boxing was described as being practised while wearing armor. He used the words such as "Pi gua heng quan" and "Pao jiazi qiang bu pi gua" as descriptions for this type of martial art. Near the end of the Ching dynasty some people consider pigua quan to be a sub style of tongbei quan (fist of throwing power through arms, ape’s back and fore-lims boxing) and some books called this style "pigua tongbei". Pigua quan is often studied in conjunction with another style – baji quan (eight extreme boxing). The history and origin of a kung fu style is generally attributed to one person or one location. For baji and pigua, the original founder can generally be attributed to Wu Zhong, a Chinese Muslim from Mong Village, Cang County, Hebei Province. Wu has initially learned the two styles from two Daoist monks Lai and Pi in 1727. Wu then taught his style to his daugther Wu Rong. She is considered to be the second-generation master of this style. She married and taught her martial art to her husband. Her husband and her taught their style as two separate systems: baji and pigua. They only taught pigua quan to her students in the Luo Tong village and the baji style was taught only at Mong village. By the end of Ching dynasty this style was popular in Yanshan, Cang and Nanpi counties of Hebei province. Pan Wenxue was first credited with teaching pigua quan and tongbei quan in Yanshan (Yanshan school civil and military sciences) and Cang. His successors in Yanshan were Li Yunbiao and Xiao Hecheng; after Li and Xiao there were Huang Linbiao and Yu Baolin. The main proponents after Huang and Yu were Ma Fengtu, Ma Yingtu (1898-1956) and Huang Senting (1831-1907). Their teachings of tongbei pigua quan were focused on the ideas that in the rules of using fists and the practice of forms (i.e. outer shapes), one must understand penetration, strength of the body and in the application of techniques by focusing on the spirit. The reputation of both baji and pigua was firmly established but the two styles remained separated until Li Shu Wen (1864-1934) of Zhang Sha village, Cang County recombined the two styles. Li Shu Wen is considered to be the sixth generation of masters after the founder Wu Zhing. Li Shu Wen was taught Bajiquan by Jin Dai Sheng of the Mong Village and Piquazhang by Huang Si Hai of the Luo Tong Village. Li Shu Wen then reunited the two styles by training his future students in both systems. At the beginnings of the 1900’s, Pigua continued to spread north until it reached the Beijing-Tianjing region. The "Zhonghua wushi hui" ("Association of Chinese warriors") was established in Tianjing (1927). Pigua quan became one of the main subject in its program of teaching and spread throughout the northern regions of China. Wang Jing-xiang and Tian Jin-zhong are considered to be the major proponent of this style at that area at the time. In 1928, the Central guoshu institute was established in Nanjing. Ma Yingtu, and Guo Changsheng (1866-1967) of Hebei, was invited to be the principle instructors. They combined pigua quan, bajiquan, fanziquan and chuojiao into a new 24-form Tongbei. This new form is now one of the more popular styles that are still being practice today and is still considered to be in the pigua style. Li Shu Wen was also a great promoter of this style. He made a reputation throughout China earning the name the “God of Spear” because of his superb combat skills with the spear. His students also achieved considerable fame including many generals and famous martial artists of the time. His first student, Hue Dian Ge, was a bodyguard to Fu Yi , the last Emperor of China. Another student, Li Chen Wu was one of Chairman Mao Ze Dong’s bodyguard. Li’s last closed door disciple was Liu Yun Qiao (1909-1992), who he taught for ten years before his death. Liu trained the personal guards of president Chan Kai-Chek as well as the guards of the following presidents of Taiwan. He later established the Wu-Tang organization and has many students in the west including Adam Hsu (CA), Yang Shu Ton (OH), Su Yu Chang (NY), Ng Choong Fah (Malaysia), Kurt Wong (Alaska) and many others. Many of those students are now teaching both baji and pigua. Physical characteristics of pigua quan
Figure 1. Typical movements of pigua quan.
1) Execution of this style requires accuracy, fluency, agility, continuity, speed, power, dexterity, excellence, subtlety and uniqueness. These properties are required for single moves, combination of moves or for entire routines.
2) Pigua quan movements are wide and circular with big opening and big closing. The waist is employed as the center of motion, and the action of the torso, arms, and palm integrated with motion of the body. Thus, Pigua quan usually appears to contain large opening and closing movements. Long-range attacks allow you to react almost immediately at the first sign of attack. The training is focus on penetrating and dominating your opponent. Figure 1 is good illustration of the feeling and action of a pigua quan attack – with the pi and gua being used simultaneously.
3) Pigua quan teaches primarily palm strikes. Striking with the front of the palm is called pi, or hacking, splitting; striking with the back of the palm is called gua, or hanging. These two types of palm strikes are used in an alternating and continuous manner like the turning of a wheel.
Figure 2. Pigua quan movements.
4) The jings taught in piqua are long and continuous but also incorporating the contrasting feelings of soft and hard. In the long and continuous motion, the dantien area is used as the "controlling center" for the store and the release of jings. Thus although the power generated in piguazhang appears to be soft and round, a tremendous explosive force is actually hidden within it. The energy is concentrated in the waist and then is transmitted rapidly to the arms and legs. Figure 2 illustrates one particular sequence of pigua quan where this concept can be applied.
5) Some proponents suggest this style has the animal characteristics of the gibbon (monkey) and the eagle with its long arms and swooping action. Such description can be attributed to pikua’s similarity to tongbei. Figure 2 shows such characteristics. The movement uses long arm swings of the gibbon as well as a low stance that elicits the image of an eagle perching and ready for striking.
6) Salient features of this style include: abrupt starts and stops, powerful axing and hitching, straightening arms, holding arms and connecting wrists, straightening waist and hips, restraining chest and protruding back, standing high and creeping low, lowering shoulders and breathing deep.
Figure 3. Typical attack and defense of pigua quan.
7) Eighteen key concepts include: gune ("to roll"), lei ("to link"), pi ("hacking" impacts), gua ("to hook"), zhan ("to chop off"), ce ("to be discharged"),can ("to cut"), cai ("to break"), liu ("to seize or catch"), bin ("to reject), shen ("to draw out"), show ("to collect", "to return"), liu ("to catch", "to grope"), tan ("feel"), tanyi ("spring", impact by a nose of a leg), ca ("to brad, "drive in"), lei ("thump") and men ("onslaught"). Those concepts are often exhibited simultaneously within the same technique. Figure 3 represents typical attack and defense postures that demonstrate the concepts of gune, tan, liu and liu.
Different practioners will emphases different aspects pigua quan but the execution of a technique from this style is unmistakable.
Pigua quan methods
1) Pi fa - methods of chopping. Starting from the waist and used as axis, the upper body turns left and right, both arms attack continuously like rain. It is necessary that arms were moved in vertical plane. Body movements were co-coordinated with the movement of the wrists. Movement of the arm is coordinate with the movement of the legs. The body does not turn towards the front when the waist is turning but when body turns then the waist doesn't turn.
2) Gua fa - methods of hanging
3) Shuai fa - methods of throwing arms (tan - wheep)
4) Lun fa - methods of waving with the arms
5) Zhan (wipe), bin (throw away), zhan (cut up).
Pigua quan forces
1) Pigua jing - force of chopping and hanging.
2) Gunle jing - force of rolling limitation.
3) Tuntu jing - force of "swallowing" and "spitting out".
4) Lulu jing - force of rattled wheel
Piqua quan fighting strategy
1) The attack range is long with attacks using the palm and wide deep stances.
2) Specific techniques are use depending on the direction of attack. A hanging movement is effective if the opponent is striking from above. A throwing movement is preferred if the attack is from below. A parrying movement is used when the attack is from the side. A dragging movement is executed for a frontal attack. Hanging, throwing, parrying and dragging movements used palm as the weapon. Figure 4 is an example of piqua fighting strategy. This is part of a two man fighting form. The defender first parries a punch and moves in at the same time. The attacker retreats but counter attacks with a punch. The defender blocks the punch with a deflection followed by a strong counter attack with a palm strike. The defender moves aggressively forward to destroy the attacker’s initiative.
Figure 4. Application of pigua quan.
3) Piqua quan concentrates on combining complementary movements. For example, the pitching stance is executed slowly but the fist blows are delivered quickly.
Pigua quan training system
1) Traditional rule for training: "slowly build the framework, quickly followed by fists, then concentrate on the methods". The stance and movements must be performed accurately. Figure 5 shows a typical stance training of the system. The training focus then shifts from accuracy to fluency, to agility and then to continuity. Figure 6 illustrates some of the footwork of this style.
Figure 5. Typical stance of pigua quan.
The student learns how to quickly, with the proper weight distribution and the correct speed and distance. Finally, the training will develop speed, power, dexterity, excellence, subtlety and uniqueness. Those concepts are first applied to the basic exercises, then to different solo forms and finally followed by the applications of the forms. The training then continues with different weapon sets to increase power and provide a complete self-defense program. Training weapons requires a firm foundation since the weapons is considered to be a natural extension of the hand.
Figure 6. Pigua quan step training.
2) Basic exercises
Shier da tangzi - 12 big sets of exercises. These are single set of exercises that includes stretching and warm up prior to any form practice.
Da jiazi - big framework. This is a series of movements high-lighting the basic concepts of this style. For example, a series of moves focusing on the actions of pi and gua.
3) Basic sets
Yapmon Piguaquan – Introduction to chopping and hanging fist (30 moves)
Piguaquan #2 – Second form (52 moves)
Qinglongquan (qinlunquan ) - Fist of clear dragon, large form (24 moves).
Gua quan – Hanging fist (25 moves)
Taishuquan - high elegant fist
Feihuquan (pheihuquan) - fist of flying tiger
4) Additional sets
Liutuishi - form of flowing legs
Liutui jiazi - prop of flowing legs
Tongbei shilu tantui - 10 routines of tongbei tantui (lower leg kicking)
5) Weapon sets
Qiqiang - amazing spear. As expected, spears are a specialty for pigua practioner.
Liuhe daqiang - big spear of six co-ordinations
Pigua dao - pigua broadsword (See Figure 7)
Pigua shuang dao - twin pigua broadswords
Tongbei xiaojian - tongbei straight sword
6) Small set
Qishisan jian - 73 straight swords
Lanmenjue - stake, bared the gate
Wushiwu tu (55 schemes) or wushiwu gun (55 staff)
Bashiba gun - 88 staff forms
Fengmo gun - Staff of a madman
Sanjiegun - three-section staff
Fengtou gou - hook "head of phoenix"
7) Emphasis in different regions and different styles.
Gansu Province
Axe-hitch, blue dragon, flying tiger, Taishu, Dajiazi Quan (big frame boxing) and conceptions of throwing power and techniques of using biangan (handle of wheep - some kind of short pole)
Cangzhou
Slow and fast axe-hitch, blue dragon, flying tiger, and cannon boxing.
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