Liu He Ba Fa (六合八法)

Hua Yue Xin Yi Liu He Ba Fa Quan (Hua mountain heart/mind and intent six harmonies eight methods boxing) is seen as one of the most sophisticated forms of kung fu that for a long time was only taught inside closely guarded circles.  

Liu He Ba Fa is one of the most elusive and refined systems within the Chinese internal martial arts. Long protected as a closed-door system, it is a rare and sophisticated style renowned for its depth, subtlety, and water-like quality of movements.

Often known as Water Boxing, its essence is to become like water itself: soft in one instant, thunderously powerful the next; fluid, adaptable, and formless – able to yield, envelop, spiral, or strike with devastating force.

“Nothing in the world is softer and more supple than water,
Yet when attacking the hard and the strong,
Nothing can surpass it.”
(Tao Te Ching)

These qualities – fluidity, adaptability, subtle power, and the union of heart, mind, and intent – encapsulate the essence of Liu He Ba Fa.

Origins

Liu He Ba Fa is said to have been created by the Taoist sage Chen Tuan (陳摶, c. 871–989 A.D.), also known as Chen Xiyi.

Chen was famed as a philosopher, mathematician, cosmologist and master of internal cultivation. Although sought after by emperors of the turbulent Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, he refused official life, eventually withdrawing to Mount Hua to meditate, study the Classics, and teach those few who could find him.

Chen taught that ‘energy becomes matter and matter returns to energy’ – a principle expressed in what later came to be called the Six Harmonies: body with mind, mind with intent, intent with chi, chi with spirit, spirit with movement, and movement with emptiness.

He is also credited with Tai Chi Ruler work, various qigong and neigong systems, and the earliest foundations of Water Boxing.

Centuries later, at the dawn of the Yuan Dynasty (1279–1368 A.D.), a Taoist named Li Dongfeng is said to have gone on pilgrimage to Mount Hua in search of Chen Tuan’s retreat. After a long search, he saw a strange light on the hillside and discovered a cave containing the master’s writings, among them, detailed descriptions of Liu He Ba Fa.

Li, already a skilled martial artist, dedicated himself to preserving and teaching the art to a small circle of disciples. Following this, Liu He Ba Fa was passed only to a select few. Its secrecy was so strict that, for many, the style became almost mythological.

This changed in the early 20th century when Grandmaster Wu Yihui (1887–1961) began teaching it openly in Shanghai and Nanjing. Wu’s reputation, and the calibre of his students, ensured the spread of Liu He Ba Fa beyond China’s borders. Among these students was the legendary Wang Xiangzhai, creator of Yiquan.

Today, the art has reached the West, but it remains rare, refined, and often misunderstood, with only a small number of dedicated schools teaching it.

Characteristics 

Liu He Ba Fa is often described as an encyclopaedic martial art, containing hundreds of techniques woven into a single continuous form. It is both a method of combat and a system of internal cultivation, combining striking, locking, throwing, evasion, pressure-point work, and profound energetic training.

Its movement is instantly recognisable:fluid yet controlled, spiralling yet grounded, soft but concealing sudden bursts of power.

The style is traditionally taught as one long form, divided into two sections. Some lineages add weapons or supplementary routines, but the heart of the system remains unchanged: a single, flowing, water-like sequence that trains body, mind, intention and spirit.

The form is not a chain of techniques but a living language of movement. Each posture exists only in relation to an opponent and a shifting moment.

Where techniques resemble Tai Chi, Xing Yi or Ba Gua, Liu He Ba Fa subtly alters them, refining angles, timings and intent for higher precision and control. It is an art for practitioners who seek lifelong depth, nuance, and transformation.

The Six Harmonies (六合)

The Six Harmonies describe both the progression of a student’s training and the inner alchemy that unfolds through practice:

1. Body combines with Mind
   Awareness of posture, balance and movement becomes clear and precise.
2. Mind combines with Intent
   Every movement gains purpose and direction; the will becomes focused.
3. Intent combines with Chi
   The practitioner begins to feel and direct internal energy.
4. Chi combines with Spirit (Shen)
   Energy becomes inspired — producing clarity, vitality and presence.
5. Spirit combines with Movement
   The practitioner’s true character flows into the form; technique becomes expression.
6. Movement combines with Emptiness
   Action and awareness merge; separation between self, moment and movement dissolves.

This is the Taoist ideal of returning to the natural state.

The Eight Methods (八法)

The Eight Methods are divided into external and internal principles. They interweave throughout the form and reflect the dual nature of the art: functional combat skill and internal transformation.

External Methods (physical):

1. Rising & falling
2. Moving & stillness
3. Advancing & retreating
4. Opening & closing
5. Yin & yang
6. Empty & full
7. Jumping & bridging
8. Combining the Six Harmonies

Internal Methods (energetic & mental):

1. Chi – the mind leads the chi; intention governs energy
2. Bone – directing chi through the bones, strengthening structure
3. Shape – the form and feeling of each movement shape energy flow
4. Follow – follow the opponent, and follow the flow within
5. Lift – elevate the spine and crown; improve posture and balance
6. Return – cycle, reverse, alternate; return chi to the dan tian
7. Restrain – conserve energy; avoid conflict unless necessary
8. Conceal – hide intention until the moment it is needed

Together, the Six Harmonies and Eight Methods make Liu He Ba Fa not only a martial system but a pathway of personal cultivation, linking body, mind, energy and spirit into a unified whole.