Baiyuan Tongbei Quan.
July 24, 2009
The full name of the original Tongbei Quan is Baiyuan Tongbei Quan. Baiyuan means white ape.
There is a famous story about the white ape. According to the story, in the Spring and Autumn time (500 BC), there was a famous martial artist named Yuan Gong. He was old with white hair and white beard and always wore white clothes. One day he challenged another master but lost the fight. Then he became a white ape and ran away to the forest. So people also call him Baiyuan Laoren (Laoren
means old man).
Many people believed he was an immortal ape and always taught his skill in secret. He was respected in Chinese martial arts society. Tong means unobstructed, open, pass through, joined up, or connect something together; bei means arms or back. Tongbei means both arms and back connect together so that the arm can be longer, internal force can be passed through smoothly, and qi can be developed to the hands.
One kind of ape in China is called Tongbei Yuan which has very long arms (much longer than normal apes).
