About T'ian Shan Pai

As a very comprehensive school of martial arts instruction, T'ian Shan Pai interweaves diverse, sometimes antithetical qualities into an action process of total harmony and effectiveness. As such, the school reflects the complementary flux of Yin and Yang.

Indeed, T'ian Shan Pai boxing performances, each alternately displaying the forces of Yin and Yang, are characterized by both hardness and softness and both external and internal qualities.

In addition, T'ien Shan Pai is also characterized by both "long-reach" and "short-reach" techniques; a standard countdown of feint-and-strike (based on the theory of Yin and Yang) to make intelligent assessments of opponents; angular striking; a principle of circular movement and paired boxing.

Yin and Yang

An understanding of the Chinese martial arts in general and T'ien Shan Pai in particular hinges on an understanding of the theory of Yin and Yang.

As presented in the Confucian Book of Changes (I Ching), Yin, the negative or passive forces in the universe, and Yang, the positive or active forces, interact in complementary fashion, yielding and unyielding, giving and taking, darkness and light.

The flux resulting from this interaction of contrasting, antithetical forces creates the total symmetry and harmony of the universe. When applied to the martial arts, the theory of Yin and Yang manifests itself in certain principles of movement (Yin signifying soft, internal qualities, Yang signifying hard, external ones) and may be used to denote specific techniques within a style or an entire school itself, depending on the predominance of hard or soft, internal or external.

"Hardness" and "Softness"

The combination of hard and soft movements in T'ien Shan Pai helps create the flux of Yin and Yang.

Although it is difficult to instantly distinguish hard movements from soft ones, T'ien Shan P'ai instructions use this example to clarify the matter:

An adversary launches an attack of powerful, aggressive strikes which the fighter deflects, diverts or redirects. With his opponent's balance thus upset, the fighter strikes his adversary's vulnerable areas. The fighter's methods of deflecting, diverting or redirecting his adversary's blows manifest softness (Yin) while the powerful aggressive techniques used for inflicting strikes embody hardness (Yang).

The flow from hardness to softness (Yin and Yang) and vice versa facilitates flexibility, adaptability, and instills in the fighter the ability to deal harmoniously with any given combat situation.

"Internal" and "External"

Yin and Yang are also manifested in the internal and external of Yin and Yang aspects of T'ien Shan P'ai.

Strong overt action, prompt attack and swift counterattack characterize external systems (yang). Internal systems (yin), on the other hand, utilize a keen sense of balance and weight shifting, the imperturbable flow of ch'i (energy), concerted breathing, side-tracking and subtle maneuvers.

The Tien Shan P'ai fighter combines these elements, alternating internal and external to suit his purposes, and sometimes taking techniques from both and using them simultaneously. For the most part, however, the flow from one to the other and back, the complementary incorporation of both, reinforce the underlying notion of Yin and Yang and help create an efficient fighter.

The "Long" and The "Short"

Although it teaches both "long-reach" and "short-reach" forms of boxing, T'ien Shan P'ai stresses the use of long-reach techniques. Short-reach techniques, in an atimagest to retain sharper control and swifter power, utilize tight, narrow blocks, strikes and kicks in close approaches to the target.

The T'ien Shan P'ai fighter, using long-range movements, however, favors blocks, strikes and kicks executed at full-arm or full-leg extension. Long-reach practice is based on the principle that a strike is strongest when released at full length and a block, using a fully extended arm, provides the greatest advantage, especially when countering a hit executed with a bent or half-extended limb.

In addition, a boxer using long-reach movements secures more time and opportunity for striking and adjusting his strikes than an opponent limited by short-arm or short leg assaults. Most importantly, mastering long-reach techniques encompasses learning short-reach movements as the former is built on the latter. However, the converse is not necessarily true.

Studying only short-reach techniques imposes a restriction on what might be learned beyond that because it does not include wider ranging executions.

More About T'ian Shan Pai...