Does anyone here practice yi quan?

[23rdwave]

I study Han Shi Yi Quan in Sacramento, California with Martin Wong. Martin is a former student of Sam Tam (yi quan) and Henry Look (guang ping yang taiji, hsing i, ba gua). I studied taiji and hsing i with Henry until I came to Martin 16 months ago.

Here are some videos of what we do.

How do you train your yi quan?

Nick

 

[greytowhite]

Awesome! I always wanted to train with those guys when I was in Sacramento but taking the bus from North Natomas just wasn't feasible. The open push hands group at McKinley Park on Sundays would probably appreciate someone from your group, it's mainly taiji guys who are exploring the more martial aspects of the art but there was also a judoka and a wing chun player there as well the few times I was able to participate. My Chen taiji teacher gave me a few postures "from Yiquan" but I'd say that it wasn't at all like what I've talked with Yiquan practitioners about when it comes to their practice. Although the taiji zhuang was very interesting and I don't know why he didn't just have me do more of that.

Standing practice and single movements in the xingyi I'm learning now is obviously important considering the gains I've made in neijin in the few short months I've been learning. Does the Sacramento group do any "second course" AKA traditional forms material? Hopefully I can make it up north again for a visit in the next few months.

 

[Xue Sheng]

There are Yiquan people here, although I am a Taiji guy who use to be a Xingyi guy. I had a little taste of Yiquan about a month ago with Wang Rengang and I have to say I was rather impressed, so much so that if I lived closer to Wang Rengang's school I would have been there a month already.

Also had a chance to talk with a couple of rather knowledgeable Yiquan people a few weeks ago and I have to say the style just keeps impressing me. It got me standing in Zhan Zhuang again and looking at wuxingquan a little differently too.

 

[greytowhite]

Han Family Yiquan in Sacramento, California


I am visiting the Sacramento, CA area this week and Taste of Death was kind enough to invite me to come play. I was given ample opportunity to explore what they were working on in partner testing and in solo development. The gua/dang/LDT focus was interesting to return to after 2 years of putting work in on Kenny Gong’s rib opening focused xingyi. I had a lot of fun and was allowed some time to compare and contrast methods and strategies from each side. It’s interesting to see an almost completely form free expression mixed with Liuhebafa in some instances. There was a more advanced partner exercise that looked almost exactly like the LHBF opening movement from my perspective. The mechanics involved were very intuitive and it was immediately applicable to the solo lessons as well as partner work.

I wish I had more time to spend here in Northern California. Perhaps the next trip I will have more time. We talked a lot about Zhong Xin Dao AKA I Liq Chuan being of a very similar approach with some focus on forms. Overall, I hope to come visit this group again after some more time put in with my teacher Lloyd Day.

 

[greytowhite]

According to my old teacher - Yiquan is not the REAL xingyi - time for a new teacher LOL.

 

[mograph]

According to my old teacher - Yiquan is not the REAL xingyi - time for a new teacher LOL.

Heh ... yeah. They can coexist quite nicely. In fact, I think that Yiquan and any decent MA can coexist quite well.

 

[greytowhite]

Aye - I think the Yiquan I played with recently was a far more effective tool than the last year of my training - sad but true. Some teachers get stuck on external appearance. What we were doing was very interesting - it was a "fingers and toes pull the center - the posture release the jin" - very much dependent on external posture being "just right." The Yiquan gave me a bunch of stuff to work on to develop this "fingertip" focus. I'm going to talk with a different instructor today and see if we can start some local classes.