Liu He Ba Fa
- one of the oldest Internal Martial Art forms
Image of Chen Bo or Chen Xiyi
Liu He Ba Fa (六合八法) also called Six Harmonies Eight Methods, water boxing, Temple Style Tai Chi, or Hua Yue (the mountain with which it is associated) is a form of internal Chinese martial arts. (The art is commonly abbreviated as LHBF, and often referred to by its Cantonese name: Lok Hap Baat Faat
Its principles are associated with a ‘water’ exercise method said to pre-date the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The legendary Daoist sage Chen Tuan 陈搏 (or Chen Po, Chen Xi Yi, Chen Hsi I) (871 – 989) is credited with its origin and development. He was associated with the Hua Shan Daoist Monastery, located on Mount Hua in the Shanxi Province Its counterpart rival is the Daoist Temple founded in the Wudang Mountains.
The Liu He Ba Fa form was taught by Wu Yihui 吴翼翚 (1887-1961) in the late nineteen thirties in Shanghai and Nanjing. It is said he had learned the art in three variants taught by three teachers: Yan Guoxing 阎国兴 and Chen Guangdi 陈光第 from the province of Henan, and Chen Helu 陈鹤侣 from Beijing. Wu Yihui combined these three variants to teach collectively with additional exercises.
Many of Wu Yihui’s students had martial arts backgrounds and modified the form to merge it with their own knowledge. Therefore, the modern form has elements of other martial arts such as Xingyi Quan, Baguazhang, Taiji Quan and Yi Quan.
Below is a simplified lineage chart of people who have contributed to the development of Liu He Ba Fa and passed it on to Master Yun:
Chen Tuan → Li Dongfeng → Song Yuantong → Chen Guandi
Yan Guoxing}
Chen Helu
→ Wu Yihui → Zhang Changxin
Liang Qizhong } → Yun Yinsen
Lu Guiyao六合
Six Harmonies一、体合于心
Body harmonizes with the Mind
二、心合于意
Mind harmonizes with the Yi (intent)
三、意合于气
Yi harmonizes with the Qi
四、气合于神
Qi harmonizes with the Shen (spirit)
五、神合于动
Shen harmonizes with the Motion
六、动合于空
Motion harmonizes with Emptiness八法
Eight Methods一气、行气集神
Qi (Move Qi concentrate Shen)
二骨、骨劲内敛
Bone (Draw strength into the bone)
三形、象形模仿
Form (Imitate animal form)
四随、圆通策应
Follow (Freely adapt to any situation)
五提、顶悬虚空
Lift (Top of the head floats in the empty sky)
六还、往来返复
Return (Shifting back and forth)
七勒、定静守虚
Halt (Maintain stillness attending to the Void)
八伏、隐现藏机
Hide (Secretly show the hidden Intent)
Liu He Ba Fa Master Yun Yinsen
BIOGRAPHY
MASTER YUN YINSEN 恽银森 (1934 –), is a native of the city of Shanghai, China. He started practicing internal martial arts with the Yang Style Taiji in his early forties. Since 1980, he studied with Zhang Changxin in Six Harmonies Eight Methods or Liu He Ba Fa and Yi Quan Zhan Zhuang (Standing Pose). Zhang Changxin was one of the top students of Wu Yihui, founder of the Liu He Ba Fa form. In 1982, he studied Yi Chuan Zhan Zhuang with Han Xinqiao and furthered his study of Liu He Ba Fa with two other famous masters: Lu Guiyao and Liang Qizhong. In 1992, he became Deputy Secretary General of the Anhui Province Six Harmonies Eight Methods Association. In 1997, he received the National Sports Association second degree master’s certificate. Since 1997, he has been invited to performances and lectures internationally. He was invited to Russia in 1999, to London in 2002 and 2003 and he taught the Taichi Summer Camp in La Honda USA in 2006 and 2007. In 2006, Master Yun became Member of WACIMA (Worldwide Association for Chinese Internal Martial Arts) and was appointed Head Coach of Liu He Ba Fa. Master Yun, now in his seventies, is still very active with teaching and promoting this ancient art nationally and internationally.
Liu He Ba Fa PDF Brochure
Liu He Ba Fa Brochure
The brochure information was compiled and translated by Liping Julia Zhu www.qidragon.com
Edited by Jaime Cobb, graphic layout by Catherine Nakamura
in June 2008 USA
Youtube Video of Master Yun Yinsen doing Liu He Ba Fa Part 1
Youtube Video of Master Yun Yinsen doing Liu He Ba Fa Part 2
Master Yun’s Drills at Youtube
Informal Youtube Video of Liping doing Liu He Ba Fa in Golden Gate Park
Currently Qi Dragon is not offering classes on Liu He Ba Fa.
