WuSung, I wouldn’t call you a geek or nerdy, I would call you “interested” instead. The One was an entertaining movie to watch Hsing I and Pak Gua as the fighting styles. But what made me enjoy the movie over all was how they displayed little of Hsing I history in it. And that history can be the seen when Jet Li was practicing his Hsing I in his jail cell. Jet Li was displaying the half step smashing fist that was developed by Gou Yun Shen.

Here’s the history on Gou and his punch from the pages from the book of “Xing Yi Quan Xue – The Study of Form-Mind Boxing” by Sun Lu Tang, page 14.

Gou Yun Shen spent 3 years in prison for a death crime sentence when he was a bounty hunter. Being that the crime was in self defense and that he was a rare talent in the martial arts, they did not consider executing him.

While he was serving his sentence in prison, Gou was manacled, but however, continued to practice his Hsing Yi Quan. When he finished his sentence, he came out with higher skills then from when he entered.

While in prison, he had developed what became known as ban bu beng quan (half step smashing fist) and became so famous for the power he developed with that special punch that people said that his “half step smashing fist could beat all under heaven.”

If you are really interested in learning Hsing I Quan, I suggest buying that book.

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"There is no loss, but one loss and that is the loss of the knowledge and understanding of one's self; not as who we are, but what we are."