From Marx to Stalin (detail)
Mixed media
310 X 60 X 32 cm
2010
Statement
Xinyi Liu is the oldest of internal arts that was invented by the legendary Yue Fei (1103 – 1142) of the Southern Sung Dynasty. He is more directly connected with Ji Long Feng who flourished in the later 1700's. One of Ji Long Feng's students was Marshall Li who brought the art to the Moslems of China who preserved and developed it for over 300 years. Later, Xinyi appeared in Shanghai first in the Moslem communities but later as an art available to non-Moslems masters beginning in the 1920's. Liu was brought to the U.S. and Europe in the 1980s. There is no single organizational body governing the teaching of the art, and several variant styles exist. Aggressive, seemingly linear movements and explosive power could be used to characterize Liu. This is achieved by coordinating one's body as a single unit and the intense focusing of one's qi, use coordinated movements to generate bursts of power, simultaneously attacking and defending. The training methods allow the student to progress through increasing difficulty in form sequences, timing and fighting strategy.
