Frequently asked questions

Xing Yi in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset

Xing Yi

What is the difference between Xing Yi, Xingyiquan, Hsing-I and Hsing-I Chuan?

There is no difference - these are just different ways of romanising the same word in Chinese. The “-quan” or “-chuan” ending is applied to most Chinese martial arts, although it is little used by practitioners as the word “Xing Yi” does not occur in any other context in Chinese and therefore does not require distinction in the same way that “Tai Chi” (a philosophical and religious concept) requires distinction from “Tai Chi Chuan” (a martial art).

What is the difference between Xing Yi (Hsing-I) and Xin Yi (Hsin-I)

Whether there is a difference or not is a matter of debate. Some hold that they are distinct branches of the art, while others hold that any branch of the art can legitimately use either name. The meaning of both names is closely interrelated, though not literally the same. The Yi bit is the same in both cases, while the character Xin is the base of the character Yi. Xing superficially means "shape", though it has deeper levels of meaning. Both names were given to the art by the same person, Master Ji Long Feng. At Oxford Xing Yi we treat the two terms as interchangable, legitimate names for the art that we practice, though we favour Xing Yi as it has a broader context.