It is very likely that as you search your way through the minefield of information that is available in the field of Taijiquan, Qigong and Chinese Martial Arts that you will have encountered differing conventions on how words are written and spelt. Don’t let these things disturb or upset you, they are simpler that you may first imagine.
Understanding Chinese Martial Arts Terminology: Essentially the Chinese language, which is depicted in images or characters which have their origins in representing the things they refer to in pictorial images, proved difficult for non-Chinese to understand. Initially the convention was the “Wade-Gillis” system but subsequently we (the non-Chinese) have adopted the “Pinyin” systerm which adopts a less phonetic approach but is closer to how the native Chinese speaker would say the various words.
Understanding Chinese Martial Arts Terminology
Below is a basic table which outlines the three systems of representing the various terms of Chinese Martial Arts along with some key relative subjects:
Pinyin Wade-Giles English
Baguaquan Pa Kua Ch’uan 8-Diagrams Boxing
Baguazhang Pa Kua Chang 8-Diagrams Palms
Baihequan Pai Ho Ch’uan White Crane Boxing
Baimeiquan Pai Mei Ch’uan White Eyebrow Boxing
Beihouquan Pei Hou Ch’uan Northern Monkey Boxing
Beiquan Pei Ch’uan Northern Boxing
Cailifoquan Ts’ai Li Fo Ch’uan Choi Lee Fut Boxing
Cangquan Ts’ang Ch’uan Hidden Boxing
Chanquan Ch’ang Ch’uan Long Boxing
Chaquan Ch’a Ch’uan Insert Boxing
Chaquan Ch’a Ch’uan Cha Boxing, Crossing Boxing
Chengpai Baguazhang Ch’en P’ai Pa Kua Chen Style Baguazhang
Chengshi Baguazhang Ch’en Shih Pa Kua Chen Style Baguazhang
Chenshi Jianghua Ch’en Shih Chiang Simplified Chen Style
Chenshi Laojia Ch’en Shih Lao Chia Old-Frame Chen
Chenshi Xinjia Ch’en Shih Hsin New-Frame Chen
Dachengquan Ta Ch’en Ch’uan Great Achievement Boxing
Damo Tamo Bodhidharma
Dao Tao The Way
Daodejing Tao Te Ching The Class Way of Virtue
Daojiao Tao Chiao Daoism
Dashenquan Ta Shen Ch’uan Great Monkey Boxing
Duanquan Tuan Ch’uan Short Boxing
Emeishan E Mei Shan Emei Mountain
Feihequan Fei Ho Ch’uan Flying Crane Boxing
Fohanquan Fo Han Ch’uan Buddhist Monk Boxing
Fujian Fukien Fujian Province
Fushi Taijiquan Fu Shih T’ai Chi Fu Style Taijiquan
Fuzhou Fuchou Capital of Fuijan Province
Gongfu Kung Fu Work, Accomplishment
Gouquan Kou Ch’uan Dog Boxing
Guangdong Kuantong Guangdong Province
Guangzhou Kuangchou Canton
Guoshu Kui Shu National Art
Hebeipai Xingyiquan Ho Pei P’ai Hsing I Hebei Style Form-Will Boxing
Heihuquan Hei Hu Ch’uan Black Tiger Boxing
Jiequandao Ch’eh Ch’uan Tao Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist)
Jiulong Chiulung 9 Dragons, Kowloon
Lao Zi Loa Tsu Lao Tse (Author of the Daodejing)
Liuhe Bafaquan Lie Ho Pa Fa Ch’uan 6 Harmonies- 8 Methods Boxing
Longxingquan Lung Hsing Ch’uan Dragon Boxing
Luohanquan Luo Han Ch’uan Arhat (Monk) Boxing
Meihuaquan Mei Hua Ch’uan Plum Blossom Boxing
Mizongquan Mi Tsung Ch’uan Secret founder Boxing
Nanquan Nan Ch’uan Southern Boxing
Neijia Nei Ch’a Internal School, Internal Arts
Pangxiequan P’ang Hsieh Ch’uan Crab Boxing
Qigong Ch’i Kung Energy work/Exercise
Qinna Ch’in Na Grappling, Capture
Qixing Tanglangquan Ch’i Hsing T’ang 7-Stars (Praying) Mantis
Quan Ch’uan Fist/Boxing
Quanfa Ch’uan Fa Fist Way
Quanshu Ch’uan Shu Fist Art
Shuaijiao Shuai Chiao Wrestling
Sunshi Taijiquan Sun Shih T’ai Chi Sun Style Taijiquan
Taijiquan T’ai Chi Ch’uan Grand Ultimate Boxing
Tanglangquan T’ang Lang Ch’uan (Praying) Mantis Boxing
Waijia Wai Chia External School, External Arts
Wudangshan Wu Tang Shan Wudang Mountain
Wugong Wu Kung War Work, Martial Work
Wushi Taijiquan Wu Shih T’ai Chi Wu Style Taijiquan
Wushu Wu Shu War Art, Martial Art
Wuyi Wu I Martial Art Skill
Xianggang Hsiang Kang Fragrant Harbor, Hong Kong
Xingyiquan Hsing I Ch’uan Element-Will Boxing
Xinyiquan Hsin I Ch’uan Heart-Will Boxing
Yangshi Taijiquan Yang Shih T’ai Chi Yang Style Taijiquan
Yijing I Ching Book of Changes (Zhouyi)
Yingxingquan Ying Hsing Ch’uan Eagle Boxing
Yingzhao Fanziquan Ying Chao Fan Tzu Eagle-Talon Continuous Attack Boxing
Yiquan I Ch’uan Mind Boxing, Will Boxing
Yongchunquan Yung Ch’un Ch’uan Eternal Spring Boxing, Wing Chun
Zhongguo Chung Kuo Central Kingdom, China
Zhonghua Chung Hua China
Zhouyi Chou I Book of Changes (Yijing)
Zirangquan Tzu Jang Ch’uan Natural Boxing
Zuibaxianquan Tsui Pa Hsien Drunken 8 Immortals Boxing
Zuiquan Tsui Ch’uan Drunken Boxing
Author: Ronnie Robinson
Images: Ronnie Robinson