SWORDDUELING.COM

From http://www.plumpub.com/info/knotebook/boxxingyi.htm (where I buy most of my martial arts DVDs).

Xing Yi spends a lot of time on structural issues often considered quite advanced in other styles. Part of Xing Yi’s overall flavor and strength as a martial art is its reliance on the idea of STRONG SHAPES, that is postural formation which do a great deal of martial work just by the nature of their structure. In this general area Xing Yi starts with an excellent posture appropriate for both Chi Kung and martial training, namely the SAN TI formation.

SAN TI (which means Three Powers, those being Heaven, Earth and Mankind) is a stance with 60 per cent of the weight on the back leg, the front hand lightly extended and the rear hand pulling back toward the Tan Tien. This posture contains a series of animal shapes which act as reminders of general Xing Yi postural principles.

CHICKEN LEG = One firmly planted and the other lighter.
BEAR SHOULDERS = Shoulders rounded but stretched with energy.
EAGLE CLAWS = Fingers throbbing with power.
TIGER EMBRACE = Arms folded and enlivened with potential energy.

Other postural considerations include pressing the head upward, the tongue forward and
the arms forward. Strengthening the shoulders, extremities and teeth. Rounding the back, breast and Tiger Mouth (space between thumb and index finger). Sinking the Ch’I, shoulders and elbows. Curving the knees, shoulders and elbows.
Straightening the neck, spine and joints.
Embracing the chest with the arms, the navel with the ch’I and the body with courage.

Xing Yi also incorporates the famous and fundamental Six Harmonies idea of Chinese Kung Fu. These are simple correspondences that
are useful for proper body alignment and power generation.

SIX OUTSIDE HARMONIES
Shoulder to Hip
Elbow to Knee
Hand to Foot

SIX INSIDE HARMONIES
Heart to Mind
Mind to Ch’i
Ch’i to Strength

Another guide line for Xing Yi practice is San Dian or Three Points. This suggests that nose, fist and foot are always on line with one another. The body and Ch’I interplay subtlely in Xing Yi as the texts say when the body sinks the ch’I rises and vice versa.

I’ve been getting interseted in Capoeira as something that fits it well between stand-up striking and on the ground-grappling. Many moves are about low ducks, dodges, and other things that put you on the ground, that burst out as powerful kicks, frequently delivered with one or both hands on the ground. It also is a bit like breakdancing and I love dancing!

This is why capoeira is a bit week compared to other arts – it is all big “unpredictable” moves that are pretty predictable when you see somebody busting out a ginga.

This guy has alot of instructional videos on specific techniques.

We really like Sifu Rudy around here. I’ve personally been into the Crushing Fist in Xinyi recently, working on the step as done by Akuzawa here. But check this out, which expands the scope of the step. Like a Wing Chun chain punch while advancing like a train. See the words around 244-300 about the relation between the hips and hands and the explanation of the “chicken step” at 430-500, which I found fascinating.

Here is some more that lets the 5 element fists be well seen.

0. Choose encumbered/funneled terrain. 1. Shock and halt. 2. Scare/Destroy command/Turn fight to flight 3. Decimate disorganized forces.