Shen Long Xingyi Quan is a unique style of xingyi. While its five phases (also translated from Mandarin as the five elements) and twelve animal forms are recognizable when compared to orthodox styles, the Shen Long system is distinguished by its heavy influence from Gao Bagua, emphasis on martial realism and the non-xingyi foundational aspects of its curriculum.
The Shen Long system of martial arts is a complete method of physical culture. The core of the system is an eclectic xingyi curriculum that includes all of the classic components that xingyi is known for. Here we find the practice of the wuxing, Wuxing Lianhuan, bashi, the twelve animals, Za Shi Shui and An Shen Pao, along with San Shou and weapons forms. However, the system has been elaborated over the past seventy years by several generations of masters as it was brought first from northern China to Taiwan and then to North America.
The teachers in our lineage each responded to the challenges and opportunities they faced and gathered material to improve the system. Zhang Junfang in Tianjin was among the first generation that benefited from being taught xingyi and bagua simultaneously. The influence of this cross training can easily be seen in the Shen Long expression of the five elements and the twelve animals, many of which are unique to the Shen Long system.
In Taiwan, first Hung Yishang then Hsu Hong-Chi adapted the method to be able to effectively teach in a modern urban setting. Exercises were adopted from many sources like Southern White Crane, judo, aikido, and Chinese opera, and used to prepare the student’s body and were taught in incremental steps. Basic forms, some inspired by Gao Bagua post heaven linear methods and some from various shaolin schools, were incorporated to give students a broad foundation in boxing styles, methods and techniques.
Finally, when Vince Black began teaching students in America, he organized the material from Taiwan into distinct exercise sets in three levels, added material gleaned from his own extensive research, and created many of the two person drills that form an important part of the system.
Each of these teachers very carefully, thoughtfully and respectfully added to the system they had received and were able to improve on the teaching method while not polluting and degrading the original transmission. The result is a very complete method of physical culture with a wide breadth of training techniques and styles that are incredibly sophisticated and modern while remaining completely rooted in traditional thinking and mindset.
