What Is Chinese Kung Fu (Gung Fu), Chi Ling Pai, Baguazhang, & Internal Power?

What is Chinese Gung Fu? (Kung Fu)

Today the term Kung Fu (Mandarin) or Gung Fu (Cantonese) has come to represent any martial art that was invented or practiced in China.  The original meaning of the phrase is ‘skill achieved through hard work over time’.  There are literally thousands of gung fu styles. 

Typically, the Yang-tze River (Yellow River) which flows through the middle of China was used to denote the northern from the southern styles.  The styles north of the Yellow River tend to concentrate more on kicking skills and contain high stances with greater agility.  That is due to the wide-open spaces that are available in the north.  However, the styles south of the Yellow River tend to concentrate more on hand skills and close range fighting and contain low stances because there is less room to jump around in the crowded cities.

Since the Communist take over in China most true gung fu is no longer available in the mainland but has instead migrated to other countries such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore and even as far west as America.  What we find mostly in China today is the ‘Wu Shu’, which is an aesthetic and acrobatic art form that is fantastic and pleasing to the eye but usually lacks the combat efficiency of the ‘old school’ gung fu.

What is Baguazhang Gung Fu?

Baguazhang (Bagua / Ba Qua / Pa Kua Chang) means ‘Eight Trigram Palm’ and it is a snake-like internal martial art that was developed in China.  Its forerunners date back thousands of years.  During the mid to late 1800’s, prior to the boxer rebellion (Boxer War), it was practiced by the royal bodyguards (Chinese ‘secret service’) in the palace in Beijing. 

The main practice in Bagua is a peculiar way of walking around a circle that retrains the mind-body-energy to move very efficiently.  After learning how to walk the circle, the student finds that their movement has changed and they are capable of rapid agility and whole body-energy movement.  The result of this greater ‘wholeness’ or concentration is internal power that can be summoned at will and used in any direction.  It is because of the sudden movements and changes that occur in Bagua that it has also come to be known as the 'Art of Change'.

The student of Bagua works to concentrate the chi energy into their arms, especially the palms.  Bagua is the only martial art that gazes through the back of the palms at the opponent.  The result is a psychological effect that shifts the practitioner’s mind into the ‘zone’ making them combat ready and augments the peripheral vision used during combat. 

What is Chi Ling Pai (Chi Lin) Gung Fu?

Chi Ling Pai (Chi Lin) is an Asian-American internal Gung Fu style that also incorporates external aspects.  The late Great Grandmaster Denis R. Decker invented the art.

Grandmaster Decker was an astonishing martial artist and martial arts teacher who studied many styles including Judo, Karate, Kempo/Kenpo, Pai Lum (White Dragon Gung Fu), sword fighting, Kali/Arnis, Jiu jitsu, Aikido, and more.   He devoted his entire life to the martial arts.  Grandmaster Decker would cross train with other martial arts masters always improving upon his own style and abilities, teaching, and sharing his knowledge with others across the United States.

During the 1970’s Grandmaster Decker’s style evolved into a gung fu style he called ‘Chi Ling Pai’.  The style’s symbol is the mythological Asian Chi Lin or Ki Lin, which represents power and transformation.  The art includes circular movements that are expressed as the various animal systems such as Tiger, Crane, Leopard, Snake, Monkey, Eagle, Dragon, Praying Mantis, and so forth, and includes Baguazhang.  

Chi Ling Pai at times resembles Shaolin Gung Fu and at other times Baguazhang, Hsing Yi, Tai Chi Ch’uan, and even Kempo.  For further information on the great art of Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu, please refer to the Chi Lin websites that are listed on our links page.  

Some postures from Chi Ling Pai Gung Fu as demonstrated by Sifu Matt Russo

What is Internal Power?

Until recently, internal power was the highly guarded secret of Chinese Gung Fu and you can trace its roots all the way back to Indian Yoga.  Internal power does not depend on big muscles like a body builder but instead powers the muscles using the life force known as chi, ki, or prana.  Internal power does not tense and constrict the muscles hard, which divides and cuts off the power, but relaxes and expands the muscles, which unites the entire body mass and energy forming one whole unit and produces a flowing 'good' tension that can be felt throughout the entire body.

The internal trains us to sense the opponent and automatically react with the appropriate strategy and techniques without having to stop and think about it.  The internal is very efficient and effective.  The results can be amazing such as the ability to produce very strong punches and kicks with little or no distance and without the need to wind up prior to launching the kick or strike (please click here to view an example online).