YuanYi QuanFa

Original Intent Boxing

Martial Arts ~ Self Defence 

YuanYi  QuanFa

I’ve been training in Chinese Martial Arts for over forty years and teaching for over thirty years. I teach a syncretic martial art, training starts with basic Shaolin Kung Fu to establish basic fitness, coordination and balance. Once that is done training moves on to the core aspects of Hebei style XingYiQuan combined with the Hong Kong ‘Wudang’ lineage of Wu Style TaiJiQuan. You can see in the linked ‘Lineage Chart’ that there is a connection between these two schools via the YiQuan style that is derived from XingYiQuan.

Self Defence

Most people study martial arts, at least in part to develop some skills and confidence in self defence. Please follow this link for a few comments and clarifications on this subject.

The Hong Kong Wudang Tai Chi School is famous for its effective Nei Gong (Internal Strength Training - body conditioning), it has this in common with XingYi and YiQuan schools, due, in part, to their shared heritage. I call this combined system YuanYi QuanFa (Original Intent Boxing). I use the phrase “original intent” because I want to cut away superfluous aspects of training and just focus on what is needed, for good health and effective self defence.

I’ve devised a concise training  process that gives a clear structure to training. The structure enables anyone to progress as quickly as they feel comfortable. As mentioned above, classes initially focus on building  core martial skills, these are derived from Southern Shaolin often referred to as Kung Fu and the development of the fitness and flexibility required, this will include learning Dao Yin (Daoist Yoga).  

Once a core level of Shaolin Kung Fu skills; balance, coordination and flexibility have been acquired, you will have a good foundation to  move onto the study of XingYiQuan. For many people this is as far as they wish to go, XingYiQuan is a deep and complex system. If however you wish to explore further  you can progress onto TaiJiQuan. 

TaiJIQuan is a complex and rewarding area of study and includes a wide range of activities in a traditional curriculum. These include, push hands, martial application, special body conditioning, traditional weapons and martial applications. Follow the link above for further information on both XingYiQuan and TaiJiQuan.

Please note, I do not offer a class for young children. If you have a child under  fourteen with an interest in martial arts I strongly recommend Judo. Judo at most levels does not include kicks and punches, this makes it ideal for younger children whose emotional immaturity could result in unfortunate consequences if they should resort to kicking and punching, particularly in a modern school environment. A few other reasons that Judo is ideal is that it is a very hands on activity right from the start so its a great way to build confidence and burn up energy, additionally the British Judo Association has great coaches with a lot of experience in training young children. 

Unfortunately there are many people teaching Tai Chi who have done nothing more than a short course themselves, often they're actually part of a franchise. Yes these days franchises don't just supply burgers and coffee! It's important that you get quality instruction to gain the real benefits that Tai Chi can provide. I can provide the full traditional Tai Chi Syllabus including Weapons, Dao Yin and Nei Gong. 

The Martial Art of XingYi on the other hand is comparatively rare, so rare that many people claiming to teach it appear to have taught themselves from videos! XingYi focuses on the study of relatively few techniques which are developed to a high level. With a heavy focus on the development of YI (will) and strong structure through Zhan Zhuang (post standing).

You can read a little more about XingYi here and TaiJi here.