Elements

[Rook]

I have heard that various strikes or techniques correspond to certain elements. Could someone explain the idea behind this and perhaps give examples of the types of techniques that correspond to each element?

 

[Jade Tigress]

The 5 elements were part of my Sil Lum training. We used Earth, Metal, Wood, Fire, and Water.

Here is the little I know.

If based on a 9 square grid with you being in the center:

Earth - Is solid, grounded (you are within your center square).
Metal - Is forward movement.
Wood - Is backward, retreating movement.
Fire - Is left sided movement. (the heart, being on the left side is the fire of the body).
Water - Is fluid movements and right sided movement.

If based on Lama (Tibetan) style:

Wood - Is linear, straight punches, back and forth movements.
Fire - Is like an upward block and punch.
Earth - Is circular blocks.
Metal - Downward strikes.
Water - Upward strikes. (water is opposite of metal)

The emphasis in Lama was on swinging arms/crossing back and forth. This was something that was touched on in a seminar I attended and also addressed periodically in class.

This is what I have as far as fists..
Wood - Straight punch
Fire - Leaping deer (our term)
Earth - Whipping branch (our term)
Metal - Hammer fist (our term)
Water - Like an upper cut

See this thread. The above quote were my contributions on it. There is a lot of good information on variations and other elements in the thread. But this is an interesting topic that could be discussed further IMO.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Rook

This is a good question but I am currently short of time so I will post more later.

But in Xingyi 5 elements the idea of is that one can element can produce the other, one can neutralize the other and one can destroy the other.

For instance from Jade's post Earth, Metal, Wood, Fire, and Water If attacked with fire respond with water not wood. A bit over simplified but I will explain more later.

 

[Xue Sheng]

First I need to say I do not consider myself much of a Xingyi person since I only have about 2.5 years experience and I have not trained it, beyond standing in San Ti Shi, for about 6 months.

5 elements Xingyiquan looks very straightforward and not all to exciting as compared to other CMA styles such as Shaolin and you can learn the form fairly quickly but to understand it takes a whole lot longer. Also if you see 5 element Xingyi know that the basic idea is to hit with the entire force of you body, think freight train. There is also a whole lot of internal going on.

Based on the 5 elements certain attacks produce other attacks and certain attacks stop certain attacks

Also the practice of 5 elements Xingyi strengthens the associated organs of the body.

Lung = Metal = Piquan (splitting fist)
Kidney = Water = Zuanquan (drilling fist)
Liver = Wood = Bengquan (smashing fist)
Heart = Fire = Paoquan (pounding fist)
Spleen = Earth = Hengquan (crossing fist)

Training piquan strengthens the lungs
Training zuanquan strengthens the kidney
Training bengquan strengthens the liver
Training paoquan strengthens the heart
Training hengquan strengthens the spleen

Metal produces water which produces wood which produces fire which produces earth which produces metal

Metal destroys wood, which destroys earth, which destroys water, which destroys fire, which destroys metal

My understanding of this is very poor but I understand this to mean in Xingyi that if attacked by water respond with earth and you can then change you attack to metal

Also Xingyi uses attack as defense therefore this is why you need to know what elements change into to continue the attack/defense.

Xingyiquan 5-elements

Linking - in slow motion first ad then normal speed second