Ba Fa, or Eight Methods, is a
Chinese martial art
Chinese martial arts, often called by the umbrella terms kung fu (; ), kuoshu () or wushu (), are multiple fighting styles that have developed over the centuries in Greater China. These fighting styles are often classified according to common ...
developed by Li De Mao () during the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...
. He combined the techniques of
Fanziquan (),
Paochui (),
Tantui (),
Tongbeiquan
Tongbeiquan (通背拳 ''tōngbèiquán''; literally "Spreading Power from the Back Boxing", as ''tong'' means "through," ''bei'' means "back" and ''quan'' means "fist") is a school of martial arts popular in northern China, known for engaging o ...
() and
Xingyiquan
Xing Yi Quan is classified as one of the internal styles of Chinese martial arts. The name of the art translates approximately to "Form-Intention Fist", or "Shape-Will Fist".
Xing Yi is characterized by aggressive, seemingly linear movements ...
() into a new style based on the theory of eight methods (). The eight methods are: outer trap, inner trap and stab, flick, support, shake, chop and reel. () This style includes both single forms, pair training, as well as weapon training such as spear, saber and sword. Eight Methods Big Spear (Da Qiang, 大枪), also known as the Big Pole, is a specialty of this style. This technique first appeared in 1906, just before the Revolution of 1911. It combines the methods of the Yue-family spear (), Pear-flower Spear () and Liuhe Spear () with principles of the eight methods. It is also designed to work on foot or on horseback.
Ba Fa Quan is popular in regions such as
Shanxi (),
Datong (), Inner Mongolia (
Nei Menggu ) and
Yuencheng City.
[Wu Bin, Li xingdong and Yu Gongbao(1992), "Essentials of Chinese Wushu", Foreign Language Press, Beijin, ]
References
{{Reflist
Chinese martial arts