Shaolin Kung Fu Styles
Tong
Bei Quan (Back Through Boxing) (01)
The
Shaolin 'Tong Bei Quan' form, which means 'Back Through Boxing',
is a rather difficult form to perform. It consists of low stances,
difficult techniques, and high kicks. It is one of the most famous
Shaolin boxing forms, together with the 'Hong Quan' (Hong Family
Boxing), the 'Pao Quan' (Canon Boxing), the 'Lian Huan Boxing' (Tied
Together Like A Chain), and the 'Luohan Quan' (Buddhist Disciple
Boxing) form.
Tong Bei (Through-Back)
Boxing is known by a number of other names. It is also called Tong
Bi (Through Arm) and Bai Yuan Tong Bei (White Ape Through Back).
Originally Tong Bei didn't refer to a style of boxing but more a
method of training and an approach to power. Many fundamental
forms utilize Tong Bei Jin (Through the Back Power). The famous
form Tan Tui (Spring Leg) of the Muslim system (Cha Chuan) highly
emphasizes Tong Bei Jin.
Legends
concerning the origins of Tong Bei are varied due to its great
age.According to history in the Spring and Autumn time (around 500
b.c.e), there was a famous martial artist named Yuan Gong. He was
old with white hair and white beard and always wore white clothes.
One day he challenged a female master, known as Yueh Nu, and lost
the match. Legend says he became a white ape and ran off into the
forest. Martial Artists have claimed him as the creator of present
day Tong Bei using, as proof, the fact that there is an ape with
unusually long arms known as the Tong Bei Yuan (Through Back Ape).
Many
attribute the creation of the style to Taoist master Bei ShiKou
(also called YiSan) whose Taoist name was Dong Ling Zi but who
also had a nickname of Bai Yuan (White Ape). He is said to have
lived about 2500 years ago. Our first mention of Bai Yuan is
therefore in the Warring States period.
In 1937 Wu
TianHsu wrote a book (shown here) advancing the idea that Tong Bei
was a famous style but now known to most as Tong Bei White Ape
Long Armed Ape style. In the Ching Dynasty, according to Wu, it
was known asTravelling Boxing or Chang Chuan (Long Fist)...
