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Tongbeiquan
(Fist of spreading power from the back)
Character "tong" means "through", character "bei" means "back", character "quan" means "fist". Hence the name of the style can be translated as "fist of spreading power from the back". There exist another styles, which names are spelled as "tongbei", but are written with another "bei" character ("preparing", "arm" etc). Many books about chinese martial arts confuse those styles whith each other. Also there exists "hongdong tongbeiquan", which is local version of taijiquan and, therefore, is different style.
Legend says that this style was created during "Fighting Kingdoms" period (VI-III centuries B.C.). According to the legend, there lived a man named Yuan Gong. Once he challenged another master, but lost, was transformed to the white monkey and flew to the forest. By this reason he received nickname "Baiyuan laoren" ("Old man - white monkey"). It is the reason why this style is called baiyuan tongbeiquan.
According to another legend, this style was created by daoist Chen Tuan (?-989), who lived during Song dynasty.
Modern history of tongbeiquan usually starts from Qi Xian, habitant of Zhejiang province. In the beginning of XIX century he studied from daoist Lu Yunqing. His som Qi Taichang moved to Beijing, reformed the teaching of his father and created a new version of the style. Hence there exist "laoqipai" ("version of old Qi") and "laoqipai" ("version of young Qi").
Another Lu Yunqing's student was Shi Husheng. He also created his own version of tongbeiquan.
Qi Taichang's version is based on continuous using of the five kinds of palm strikes. Each kind of strike is correlated with one of the five pra-elements (earth, metall, water, tree, fire), hence "version of the young Qi" also is often called as wuxing tongbeiquan ("tongbeiquan of five pra-elements").
There are exist six basic sets: "Dapeng zhangyi" ("Big eagle spreads its wings"), "Qixing huaji" ("Changing of forms and transformations of strikes"), "Yuanhou chudong" ("Monkey go out from the cave"), "Yuanhou rudog" ("Monkey come in the cave"), "Yizi lianjipao" ("Continuous cannon strikes of "one" character"), "Shier lianzhupao" ("12 continuous cannon strikes"). This style doesn't use single strikes, all strikes usually are linked together in sequences. There are exist "three deadly palms": "palm of entangling the soul", "palm of hunting the soul" and "palm of chopping the soul".
Basic training in Qi version is based on 108 single methods, sometimes called "chai quan" ("divided fists"). Basic training in Shi version is based on 24 forms, sometimes called "lian quan" ("linked fists"). Version of Qi family is widespreaded and has many additional sets; version of Shi family is not so well-known, hence sometimes this version is called "hei quan" ("black fist").