Ba Fan Men

  OVERVIEW FORMS AND WEAPONS

Bafanmen is comprised of a few key principles from which the skills are based and then are developed upon. The use of 'Fan' is a basic quality that means to turnover or rotate, but also signifies change. Thus in the attack of Bafan one of the key elements is the attack that can change at will often turnover the opponents defense or offense or completely displacing it.  Bafanquan is solid and exact, its movements are often rapid and sudden with an explosive energy which is taken in a single breath to completion which gives opponents a feeling of not being able to withstand or stop it. Dongbei fanzi is often described as "a string of Chinese Crackers (fireworks)"

The basic practices require of sight, hands, waist, stance/step, hip, elbows, knees and shoulders to be coordinated, flexible and strengthened.  To develop such fundamentals there are many short practices such as yi bu yi quan - One step one strike, yi bu san quan - One Step three strikes. Jiada (high block strike), Shizi Chui (Cross Strike), Ningda (winding-in Strike), Fan tiao (Turnover leap), Ba Da (fling aside strike) and many others. The forms of Bafanquan are in the beginning predominantly consisting of the key basic movements of the style. As an example - Liu Tanggen contains 6 sequences, each sequence has 3 moving gates, each gate has 4 entries, each entry method has 5 hands short striking. This then becomes 18 moving gates, 72 entry methods and 360 techniques.

Bafanquan is extremely combat effective, it relies on fast deceptive methods and with its unique turning methods has very much an aggressive attack focus. Its techniques though chaotic to the observer are very refined and in fact require correct mastery to ensure effectiveness as each slip and rotation must be timed and coordinated to perfection.

EMPTY HAND FORMS

The forms of Bafanquan are not really forms in some stages as much as a set of practice methods, some are individual techniques, others are linked chains of a few and others still are actual sets or forms.

1. Zheng BaFan ( 8 Rotations)

2. Liu Tanggen (6 Sequences)

3. Ba Fanshou (8 Rotating Hands)

4. Ba Lianshou (8 Continuous Hands)

5. Ba Huashou (8 Transforming Hands)

6. ShibaShi (18 Methods - Single parts)

7. Sanshiliu Hesuo (36 Combined Locks)

8. Ba ShanFan (8 Lightning flash Hands)

    8.1. Shibalantui (18 interfering kicks)

    8.2. Heihuquan (Black Tiger Boxing)

    8.3. Lianhuanjiao (Continuous Kicks)

    8.4. Fashouchui (Releasing Hands Strikes)

    8.5. Qibuquan (7 Step Boxing)

    8.6. SibuShi (4 Postures)

    8.7. Babuji (8 Steps Forcing)

    8.8. Meihuapao (Plum Blossom Cannons)

    and others (up to 8.12)

WEAPONS

The key wepons of Bafanquan are the Spear and the broadsword, although a range of different weapons also form part of the style.

Shibalan Dao (18 interfering Broadsword)

Chunqiu Da Dao (Spring Autumn Long handled Broadsword)

XunFeng Dao (Tornado Broadsword)

Da Qi Qiang ( Larger Mysterious Spear)

Xiao Qi Qiang (Small Mysterious Spear)

Liuhe Qiang (Six Harmonies Spear)

Wuhu Duanmen Qiang (5 Tigers breaking gate Spear)

Sanjie Gun (3 Sectional Staff)

Ba Xian Jian (8 Immortals Sword)

Hu Shou Gou (Hook Swords)

and others.

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