Interested to know more about a specific Chinese system. Pigua or Piqua Chuan

[IMAA]

Does anyone have any good research sites or can anyone give me any Insight on the Chinese art of Pigua or Piqua Chuan? I have just heard of it, but not quite sure exactly its origin or history.

Im also interested in learning all I can about it, for it sounds intersting.....Thanks any help is good help


In the arts
CORY

 

[7starmantis]

I haven't heard much about it, a little bit as Ba Ji Chuan.
I did however find some information from googling it.

7sm

 

[brothershaw]

THe stuff i have read about piqua chaun, and baji, make them both sound like varying degrees or combinations of xing yi and bagua. That is not meant in a derogatory way but the desciptions of the styles, and thier training methods, you should have no problem finding websites detailing both styles, which appear to be less commonly taught than bagua or xing yi.

 

[wingchunner]

tong bei. A very powerful system.

Have a great day.

Martin Yoder

 

[brothershaw]

I didnt know they were known as Tong Bei, I thought that was something completely seperate/ different. Interesting.

 

[wingchunner]

Not our website, but I thought it was pretty informative and explains pi qua quan well.
-Martin

Pi Qua Quan is a style of Northern Shaolin Kungfu. "Pi" means "chop", which is a kungfu technique of striking the arm from top downward and inward,"Qua" means "hang", which is s reverse of "chop", i.e. striking downward but outward, and "Quan" means "kungfu". Pi Qua Quan, therefore, is a comparatively hard style of kungfu using the arms to strike an opponent, and employing long stances.

However,during the Qing Dynasty, Pi Qua Quan which is a hard and long style, was combined with Monkey Style Kungfu, which is just the opposite, i.e. a soft and short style. This combination is known as Da Sing Pi Qua Men. "Da Sing" which means "Great Sage" refers to the Monkey God, and "Men" which literally means "Gate", figuratively refers to a style of kungfu. This kungfu style is very different from Taijiquan. Sifu Chan Sau Choong of Hong Kong is the patriarch of Da Sing Pi Qua Men.

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In Romanized Chinese, "Tong Bei Chuan" is "Tongbeiquan", which means, word by word and as you have rightly mentioned, "Through Back Fist". But Tongbeiquan is better known as Tongbiquan, which literally means "Through Arm Fist" or figuratively Extended Arm Kungfu.

As kungfu terms were passed down orally in the past and as "pi" which means "arm", and "bei" which means "back", sound alike especially in some northern Chinese dialects, Tongbiquan and Tongbeiquan were used interchangeably, often with the exponents not realizing the difference. It was later when the terms were written down that the difference became noticeable. There are a few similar cases in kungfu. For example, the Taijiquan pattern "shan tong bi" is sometimes translated as "Dodge, Extend Arm" and sometimes as "Fan Through Back".

Another reason for the interchangeable use of Tongbiquan and Tongbeiquan lies in the application of force in this kungfu style. A main characteristic of this style is the use of the extended arm, which in Chinese is called "tong bi". The arm is relaxed when first executed but at the pointed of contact at its full extension, the fist is clenched and internal force is challenged to it through the back of the exponent, and this is called "tong bei".

According to legends, Tongbiquan was established during the Warring States period in Chinese history. This was more than 2000 years ago, which means that if the legends were true, Tongbiquan was older than Shaolin Kungfu. But I don't think this was true. It is more likely that Tongbiquan developed much later from Lama Kungfu of Tibet and was much influenced by Shaolin Kungfu.

The early exponents of Tongbiquan drew inspirations from the movments of white apes in the high snowy plateau of Tibet. Tongbiquan is therefore one of the many types of Monkey Style Kungfu. It is special amongst the many Monkey styles because while Monkey Style Kungfu is generally advantageous for the small sized practitioners, Tongbiquan is more advantageous to the bigger sized.

Tongbiquan was popular in north China, and evolved into various branches like White Ape Tongbi, Pi-Qua Tongbi, Five-Movement Tongbi, Praying Mantis Tongbi, and Six-Harmony Tongbi.

 

[BlastU]

^^

haven't heard of pi qua chuan nor tong bei quan, and surprised and not surprise I haven't, my grandpa use to do all that stuff, and knew lots, practiced tai chi quan.

For pi qua quan, is that in cantonese or mandarin? Never heard of someone saying qua as hang..