The Eight Methods and Five Quicknesses in Traditional Long Fist

Traditional Chan Quan – Long Fist, has certain requisites that serve guideposts for developing skills. The Eight Methods refer to the chief technical aspects that must be developed and refined. They play a strong role in guiding martial practice. It is through their practice and understanding that one can blend the external with the internal qualities of Chinese martial arts.

Ba Fa ((八法) – The Eight Methods are:

Shou Fa (手法) – Method of the Hands
Yan Fa (眼法)– Method of the Eyes
Shen Fa (身法) – Method of the Body/Posture
Bu Fa (步法) – Method of the Steps
Jing Shen (精神)– Spirit
Qi (氣) – Breath or Vital Energy
Li (力) – Strength and Power
Gong (功) – Skills

The first four are external methods; the last four are internal methods.

Shou Fa, Yan Fa, Shen Fa, and Bu Fa are the External Methods.
Jing Shen, Qi, Li, and Gong are the Internal Methods.

In Chinese, these are usually written in five plus five characters to achieve the mnemonics effect.

A set of analogies exists for the Eight Methods in the form of a rhyme:

Quan Ru Liu Xing, Yan Si Dian (拳如流星,眼似電)
Yao Ru She Xing, Bu Sai Zhan (腰如蛇行, 步賽粘)
Jing Yao Chong Pei, Qi Yao Chen (精要充沛,氣要沉)
Li Yao Shun Da, Gong Yi Chun (力要順達,功宜純) 

The following is a more detailed explanation of the methods in action.

Quan Ru Liu Xing – Fists like a shooting star. This implies that the actions of the fists are as fast as a shooting star that appears and disappears suddenly and leaves no trace. Strike speedily without telegraphing your movements.

Yan Si Dian – Eyes like electricity. This means that the eyes must be alert and quick to catch the opponent’s movements. The stare should also serve to deter the opponent’s intent; your stare should pierce your opponent’s heart.

Yao Ru She Xing – Waist like a snake. The body/waist moves like a slithering snake and leads the arm or leg action smoothly and appropriately.

Bu Sai Zhan – Steps should be light and stable, firm and mobile, fast and yet rooted to the ground. Proper stepping will give fluidity and speed to your movements and aid in the delivery of power.

Jing Yao Chong Pei – The spirit is full like a raging river. Have the attitude of an angry tiger, imposing but without reflecting it in facial gestures.

Qi Yao Chen – The breath must sink deeply to the Dan Tian (田丹). Martial arts movements are dynamic and complex and require controlled breathing to sustain endurance and to be able to make coordinated movements.

Li Yao Shun Da – Power must flow smoothly to the extremities. This means avoiding rigidity that will hinder power from reaching the desired part of the limbs in a full or timely manner.

Gong Yi Chun – Skills must be complete; all the preceding methods must be integrated so that your skill is full. Only by adhering to daily training and perseverance can one improve and refine martial skill. 

Wu Kuai (五快)– The Five Quicknesses

Wu Kuai, the Five Quicknesses, refer to aspects of speed that are essential attributes in combat. While some of these attributes have been touched on in the discussion of the Eight Methods, they will be expanded here.

The Five Quicknesses are: Quick Eyes, Quick Heart/Mind, Quick Hands and Legs, Quick Steps, and Quick Body.

Yan Kuai (眼快) – Quick Eyes

In vision science, the term “saccades” refers to rapid, ballistic movements of the eyes. These rapid movements allow for quick scanning of your opponent’s strikes, kicks, and footwork. Quick eyes allow fighters to follow the opponent’s movements and rapidly shift focus to different critical areas of the opponent’s body.

In Chinese martial arts, Men (門) – Gates, refers to different areas of the body. Some styles use Sz Men (四門) – Four Gates, while other styles use Liu Men (六門) – Six Gates. The gates are essentially the dividing lines between upper right and left, and lower right and left. In the case of the Six Gates, middle right and middle left are included. Be aware of these gates in order to know where to defend and where to attack.

The gates are used both defensively and offensively. Defensively you must quickly determine which gate is being attacked and with what weapon. For example, is it a strike or a kick? Offensively you look for opening to exploit. Quick scanning is necessary to monitor attacks and mount an effective defense. This does not mean that your eyes roam wildly. Scanning requires the use of peripheral vision. You must train to see every part of the opponent’s body without losing focus on the shoulder area. No strike, kick, or feint is possible without the shoulders moving. Know where to defend and where to attack.

Xin Kuai (心快) – Quick Heart/Mind 

Xin – Heart/Mind represents the emotional center, and in combat it is often associated with the concept of Wu Xin (無心) – No-mind, which does not mean to be mindless. Rather, it is a mind that rests in serenity and tranquility. It is this emotional stillness that allows for a quick mind.

Cultivating stillness of mind requires training the breath or Qi (氣). Breathing in Chinese Qi Gong and martial arts is closely associated with emotions. Master your breathing and you will master your emotions.

Daoists have the concept of “mind like a mirror,” which originates from the ancient Chinese text, the Zhuang Zi (莊子). It states: “The perfected man uses his mind as a mirror – going after nothing, welcoming nothing, responding but not storing. Thus, he is able to overcome things without injury.”

Another analogy, “still water,” also derives from the Zhuang Zi: “Men do not mirror themselves in running water – they mirror themselves in still water. Only what is still can still the stillness of other things.” 

“Mind like a mirror” and “still water” embody the ability to remain steadfast. This allows for rapid processing, cognitive flexibility, and swift decision-making, components that are necessary to cope efficiently with a violent encounter without being perturbed.

The cultivation of “no-mind” is why warriors once went into seclusion. This is the hardest of all quicknesses to achieve.

Shou Kaui (手快) – Quick Hands and Tui Kuai (腿快) – Quick Legs

Traditionally, only the term Shou Kaui – Quick Hands is used, but this principle also implies the legs. Therefore, I have added Tui Kuai – Quick Legs. Quick Hands and Quick Legs refer not only to striking and kicking but to all methods of using the upper and lower limbs.

Achieving maximum speed with your techniques requires the attributes mentioned above, Quick Eyes and a Quick Mind, but also the ability to be loose.

Looseness in Chinese martial arts is called Song (鬆), which only denotes a state of relaxation. I prefer the term Fang Song (放鬆), which incorporates the ideas of “release” and “looseness.”In other words, release and let go of tension, both mental and physical.

We see this looseness being practiced by sprinters before a race, when we see the shaking of the arms and legs. We see it in fighters gesturing light punches. And we also see how this looseness is coupled with long deep breaths.

All actions, strikes or kicks, employ agonist and antagonist muscles. An agonist muscle is called the primary mover, and the antagonist is the opposing muscle. These muscles are paired to facilitate movement and to guard the joints from being injured.

The biceps and triceps, the quads and hamstrings, are just two examples that are key in striking and kicking. In punching, the primary mover or agonist muscles are the triceps, which are used to allow extension of the arm. The biceps relax and lengthen to allow the elbow to straighten. If the biceps are engaged, punches will lack speed and in turn will lack power. In kicking, the agonist muscles are primarily the quadriceps, which contract to extend the knee. Simultaneously, the hamstrings, which are the antagonist muscles, relax and elongate to prevent overextension of the knee joint and maintain stability. Tension in the hamstrings while kicking is the main cause of hamstring pulls and tears.

Fang Song, releasing and letting go, teaches us to use only the correct muscles in any given actions. This promotes speed and helps generate power.

Bu Kuai (步快) – Quick Steps

Quick Steps refers to footwork. No matter how quick your eyes, punches and kicks, if your footwork is slow and sluggish you will not be able to get into and out of the fray.

The saying, Bu Da Bu Ling, Bu Xiao Bu Wen (步大不灵, 步小不稳), means “Big Stances are not Fast, Small Stances are not Stable.” This idiom is self-explanatory. A big stance will hinder speed of movement while a stance that is too upright will lack stability. Learning to space the feet correctly, and bend the knees properly, will ensure that you have a stance that is both mobile and stable.

Traditional Tao Lu (套路) – Gong Fu Forms, while training movements and building strong legs, do little to develop the type of footwork that you need in actual sparring or real fighting, where dexterity and speed are required. 

Big stances will hinder movements and make for clumsy kicking. A big stance also shortens your strikes. Small stances that are too upright are vulnerable to kicks and takedowns. You must find the right balance and keep your weight on the balls of your feet and your toes so that you can move swiftly.

Shen Kuai (身快) – Quick Body

Shen Kuai represents the coordinated effort of synchronizing, Quick Eyes, Quick Mind, Quick Hands and Feet, and Quick Footwork.

A Quick Body not only manifests the ability to rapidly recognize, process, and react spontaneously to a situation, but also to adapt quickly as the situation changes. This requires a dexterous, agile, and loose body coupled with an alert mind and sharp eyesight that result in the explosive movements of strikes and kicks, and fast evasive actions.

Shen Kuai is the comprehensive synchronization of the trunk and limbs enabling us to generate Fa Jin (發勁), the sudden discharge of explosive power.