“Knowledge is only potential power; actions and knowledge is power.”
Tongbei Quan, or Back-Through Boxing, is also known as Tongbi Quan or Arm-Through Boxing. It is one of the famous styles of Kung
Fu in Northern China. Tongbei Quan was created during the early years of the 10th Century.
Due to its long history, it boasts of various names in different places such as Wuxing, Five-Monkey, and Six-Combinations. Although
they are different in names, they are all based on the same boxing theory and have the same origin. Originally, Tongbei did not refer to a
school of boxing but to a way of exercise.
Tong means to pass through and reach, while Bei means the human back. When Tongbei Quan is practiced, power is generated from the
back to pass through the shoulders and then reach the arms. In this way, heavy blows can be delivered at the arms length to control the
opponent.
Tongbei Quan emphasizes the combination of inner core and outward application. It takes the five elements as its core and back-through
as its application. Movements based on birds and animals such as eagle, crane, monkey, and cats characterize Tongbei Quan.
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