Tongbei Quan is a popular Northern Chinese Martial Art that has a long documented history, and was very influential to the development of many other Northern Kung Fu styles native to Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei provinces such as Bajiquan, Northern Mantis and Fanziquan.
The earliest known documentation of “Tongbei Quan” dates back to the 17th Century in late Ming and early Qing dynasty. The style has produced many key figures in Chinese history such as General Li Yun Biao, the ‘Iron Palm’ soldier who resisted the Sui Army in the late Qing Dynasty; and Ma Ying Tu, the dean of the Central Guoshu (Martial Arts) Institute.
Over the course of the last few centuries, Tongbei Quan styles has developed including several distinct branches such as Bai Yuan, Wu Xing, Houyuan, Er Lang and, Pigua Tongbei to name a few. Although branch has its own distinct characteristics, their roots are all quintesentially “Tongbei” in that they all pay attention to the mechanics of generating power “through the back and arms” to deliver swift and powerful blows.