Originating in the 17th century Tong Bei Quan, meaning ‘Spreading Power from the Back Boxing’, as Tong means ‘through’, Bei means ‘back’ and Quan means ‘fist’, is a school of martial arts popular in northern China. Many of it’s power and techniques come from the back, through the shoulders, through the arms, and finally from the fist or hands.
Tong Bei Quan’s basic principles are Taoist in nature and many of the training methods are similar to those of the internal styles.
In traditional Tong Bei Quan training the following areas are covered in the syllabus: basic training (stances, arm techniques, leg techniques and conditioning), combinations, forms training, two-person free sparring, weapons training, and qigong training.
The style comprises a number of different ways of delivering force through the hands that include boring or twisting movements as well as heavy pounding blows.
There are two main styles of Tong Bei Quan: the ‘father’ style is the traditional system that emphasizes power, movement, development, discipline, and secrecy; and it is taught in a covert type way. The ‘young’ style is a Wushu performance based art often taught in the Chinese Sports Universities.
References and sources for this Tong Bei Quan Article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tongbeiquan
The Way of the Warrior: Martial Arts and Fighting Styles from Around the World 15 Sept 2008
by Chris Crudelli
