Liuhebafa



Note: The art is commonly abbreviated as LHBF, and often referred to by its Cantonese name: Lok Hap Baat Faat

Liuhebafaquan is an internal Chinese martial art. It has been called "Xinyi Liuhebafa" 心意六合八法拳 and is also referred to as "water boxing" due to its principles.

History

The Song Dynasty Taoist sage Chen Tuan is often credited with its origin and development. He was associated with the Huashan Taoist Monastery on Mount Hua in Shaanxi Province.
The Liuhebafa form "Zhú Jī 築基" was taught in the late 1930s in Shanghai and Nanjing by Wu Yihui. It is said he had learned the art from three teachers: Yan Guoxing, Chen Guangdi, and Chen Helu.
Many of Wu Yihui's students had martial arts backgrounds and modified the form to merge it with their own knowledge. This is one of several explanations for its similarities with other martial arts such as Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, T'ai chi and Yiquan.

Six Harmonies and Eight Methods

The Six Harmonies and the Eight Methods are the guiding principles of Liuhebafa that give it its name.

Six Harmonies, 六合

  1. 體合於心 Body and Mind Combine
  2. 心合於意 Mind and Intent Combine
  3. 意合於氣 Intent and Chi Combine
  4. 氣合於神 Chi and Spirit Combine
  5. 神合於動 Spirit and Movement Combine
  6. 動合於空 Movement and Emptiness Combine

    Eight Methods, 八法

  7. 氣 Chi
  8. 骨 Bone
  9. 形 Shape
  10. 隨 Follow
  11. 提 Rise
  12. 還 Return
  13. 勒 Retain
  14. 伏 Conceal
There are other translations and links possible

Forms

The system of Liuhebafa, called Huayue Xiyi Men, as taught by Wu Yihui contains several forms, including bare hand and weapons forms as well as qigong methods.

Hand forms