abstract
| - Pigua quan is a style of Chinese martial arts that features explosive, long-range sweeping actions that generate speed through the hips and arms, to produce powerful strikes, with the intent of confusing the opponent with constant motion. The style is named from the movement of the hands during an offensive; the downward movement of the hand is referred to as ‘pi’, while the upward movement is referred to as 'gua'. As the name suggests, pigua quan is the circular motion of the hand, much like a windmill. A fist is seldom used; instead, much of the offensive comes from the hands relaxed with fingers extended, being used in a manner resembling a whip. The moves are smooth and flexible, yet the offenses are sharp and heavy, that demand a great degree of flexibility from the practitioner. Sometimes accused of being an impractical martial art because of the exaggerated nature of its open moves, pigua quan’s value lies in its simplicity and its ease to master. It is sometimes taught alongside baji quan, and the two forms are thought to have been a single art before diverging some centuries ago.
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