The routine and short forms of xn y li h qun mentioned in the novel The Superior Men of

Xinjiang and its sequel The Vengeance of Superior Men are described in detail below.
Xn y li h qun is an old Chinese-Muslim martial art. In the West, it is called Ten Animals
Xingyi, Muslim Xingyi, Henan Xingyi, or Six Harmonies Boxing. One of a number of literal
translations of the Chinese name is mind intention six harmonies boxing.
Xn y forms consist of simple movements that are considered easy to learn but very difficult to
master. Each form is performed in a linear manner. At its simplest, a form consists of a standard
starting stance (qn p zhn), striking from right side of the body to the front while walking
continuously (or walking with repeated, brief pauses in gngb) for some distance (e.g., 20
meters), a simple turn, striking from the left side of the body to the front for the return to the
starting position, same simple turn, and the standard finishing movements (t b). Xn y routines
are collections of the simple forms, usually those considered related to one of the ten animals, with
the exception of the important S B Qun routine.
Because of its basic simplicity, xn y requires exceptional boldness to use effectively in real
combat.
The six harmonies consist of three external harmonies and three internal harmonies. The external
harmonies are hands with feet, shoulders with hips, and elbows with knees; and the internal
harmonies are heart with intention, intention with q, and q with power. The attributes of the ten
animals that xn y practitioners strive to emulate are the bravery of a bear, fierceness of a tiger,
feistiness of a chicken, swooping power of a sparrow hawk, grasp of an eagle, flexibility of a
snake, speed of a swallow, jumping and stamping of a horse, agility and leaping of a monkey, and
coiling of a dragon.
***
From May 1996 to May 2000, I was a student of the eighth level xn y master L Zn S in
Shanghai, and on 21 November 1998 my friend Jarek Szymanski and I became disciples of Master
Li. Mr Szymanskis website [www.chinafrominside.com/ma/index.html] is the best source of
information about this style. Several short videos of Master Li performing S B Qun (posted by
someone else) are available on YouTube.
***
Abbreviations and terms used in the descriptions:
CW = clockwise
CCW = counter clockwise
LLF = left leg forward
RLF = right leg forward
gngb = bow step, with (for example) LLF and bent and right leg behind and straight (but not
stiff)
j b = chicken step, with (for example) LLF in a deep crouch with upper left leg nearly parallel to
the ground and right knee nearly touching left calf

Available in a variety of digital formats as well as print.

Xn Y Li H Qun
Routine and forms:

S B Qun To L (Four grasps boxing routine). For a description, click here.

J B (Chicken step). For a description and applications, click here.
Sh T Xn (Snake spitting tongue). For a description and applications, click here.
Yng Du Ch (Eagle trembling wing). For a description and applications, click here.
B Shu (Blocking/grabbing hand). For a description and applications, click here.
M Xng Chng Qun (Horse form rushing fist). For a description and applications, click here.
Dn B (Single grasp). For a description and applications, click here.
Xio T B (Little collapsing grasp). For a description and applications, click
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