Hong Yi Hsiang student

[.Q.]

Found this randomly. It's different from what I'm used to but I kind of like it anyway.

[cerebus]

Basically the same Wu Hsing Lienhuan and Ji Hsing that I learned, though with a rather different "flavor" to the way he does them, like he's "posing" the forms rather than "training" them. Don't recognize the staff set at all though.

[I-mon]

I like!

[Ian C. Kuzushi]

Hey Troy,

Do you practice at that same height? I could see fighting at that height, but have seen it trained a bit lower (same thing goes for the kung fu I learned and practice).

-Ian C

[Bao]

A very different flavor from what I am used to see. Liked the performance very much. Thanks for sharing.

[GrahamB]

When he does his horse stance he looks very Chen-Taiji like - I wouldn't be surprised if he also practices Chen Taiji. In fact, in a certain light he could pass for Mo_Ling!

[cerebus]

Hey Troy,

Do you practice at that same height? I could see fighting at that height, but have seen it trained a bit lower (same thing goes for the kung fu I learned and practice).

-Ian C

No, he was much higher in his postures than what I learned for training forms. Yeah, higher postures for fighting, but lower postures for training.

[jonathan.bluestein]

He's an Israeli, and his name is Abi Moriya. Studied with Hong during Hong's last 3 years alive, I think. Also studied extensively since with other students of Hong. I think he studied the most with Luo Dexiu, though I'm not sure how much. I'm pretty certain he does Luo's Bagua as well. He went to study with Hong after he saw him on Way of the Warrior. Previously I think he studied Lao Hu Quan with a local teacher. Has since also been practicing Escrima, and is a Tuina doctor. The staff form he does is not from Hong Yixiang - he learned his weapons forms from another Taiwanese teacher, Peng Han-ping 彭韩萍. This is his youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/DreamyEyedChild

[Wanderingdragon]

Can't decide if its his height or is something missing. He seems connected but it just doesn't seem to flow. Looks as throw all power is generated by movement, but only forced by the legs, the upper body seems absent in the power generation other than coordinated movement. That is my befuddlement, maybe his open and close is so subtle that I cannot detect it do to his height, I'm pretty sure if he were to actually noticeably opening and closing, or showing the spinal wave, I'd be sitting here calling it over exaggerated. Again if you can't touch it you can't know it.

[TeaSerpent]

It's substantially different from what my teacher learned from him. The forms are recognizable, but then again it's XingYi so the forms from any school are still going to have major similarities.
I'm thinking that the staff is his own mixture of forms. It has sections of Hong's staff form throughout it, but mixed with another form. Although I know there was some teacher in Taiwan who was teaching his own version of the same staff form Hong taught, but it was about twice as long and seemed to just be that form mixed with another. However I can't remember that teachers name?

[taiwandeutscher]

Thanks, Jonathan, very interesting YT channel, with teacher Peng, who died in a motorbike accident much too early. Met him once, was amazing!

[Andy_S]

One does not often say this about HsingI, but this chap has a very elegant style. Nice. His applications are also solid: Check out his seminar at the Wingate Institute.

(And if you are interested in 20th century warriors - and I use that in the literal term, Wingate was psychologically far more a warrior than a soldier - and in some very unconventional operations, look up Wingate, who was a fascinating character, not to mention a whack eccentric and utter badass. He KIA when his plane was shot down behind Japanese lines in Burma 1944, so kudos to the Israeli SF for keeping his memory alive on the grounds that - JB correct me if I am wrong - Wingate led Jewish commandos against the Arabs in the 1930s. But I digress.)

RE: Posing not training forms
Interesting observation. A LOT of Hebei HsingI seems not to fajin, whereas Shanxi seems to. Not sure why this should be so...though one could say the same for Taiji, too. (ie Chen customarily does, the rest don't.)

RE: Looks like Mo-ling
Dunno about Mo-ling, but to my eye, a lot of HsingI and Bagua looks very similar to Chen Taiji. These styles' "rise-fall-drill-overturn" are essentially the same motion as the silk reeling of Chen.

Thanks for posting, Q.

[Bao]

RE: Posing not training forms
Interesting observation. A LOT of Hebei HsingI seems not to fajin, whereas Shanxi seems to. Not sure why this should be so...though one could say the same for Taiji, too. (ie Chen customarily does, the rest don't.)

Yes, many Hebei stylists goes from external expression to internalizing, or not showing external power expression. In IMA, the internal movements are more important than external. So when you have learned power expression, it's better to focus on refining your body mechanics, both for even better power and for health aspects. Many Hebei stylists share the same view on the internal aspects as many tai chi styles. Probably Sun Lutang has had some influence on much Hebei XY.

a lot of HsingI and Bagua looks very similar to Chen Taiji. These styles' "rise-fall-drill-overturn" are essentially the same motion as the silk reeling of Chen.

IME, twisting movement is important for both connecting together and make full use of spine, scapula and limb. Imo, practicing twisting energy is the same as drawing strength from the spine. Personally, I don't really care about how different styles practice it, trying to internalise it or expressing it, it's all good.

[jonathan.bluestein]

LOL Andy, you seem to know more about that Wingate guy than I do ^_^ The institute named after him is a sports institute situated in central Israel. It is famous because it hosts a lot of sports activities and courses, and is where many Israeli Olympic athletes train. I had my gym instructors course there.

As for Abi's Xing Yi - in terms of quality, I wouldn't know. His XYQ is VERY different to what I practice, in terms of the shenfa and many of the applications. I can only say that by having seen him perform a few times and by the stories I've heard, he does real fighting; though in an interview with him that I've read he seemed to suggest that nowadays he leans more towards pacifism and does not like teaching the martial arts with a strong martial orientation. Several of Abi's students have opened their own classes over the years. I met Abi a few times over the years and tried making friends with him, but I found he was a difficult guy to talk to, which is a shame. He is good friend with my former Karate teacher and I've heard good things about him.

Hebei vs. Shanxi - I dunno. I practice both, mostly Hebei. Both use a lot of fa jin when moving rapidly. I think people tend to old back in front of the camera. The way I was taught, one should be able to use fa jin with every movement - even those that don't usually require it. I am of the opinion that most people who do XYQ and don't practice a lot of ZZ and slow training are incapable of using good fa jin, and doing so with every movement. I have found that the usefulness of being able to issue fa jin from difficult positions reveals itself mostly when sparring with grapplers.

[kenneth fish]

A good reference for what the Chicken form as taught by Master Zhang Junfeng should look like. (Hong learned initially from Master Zhang).