Yanqing Men 燕青門 is one of the greatest systems of Northern Chinese Martial Arts. Unfortunately due to its difficulty in training, the bravery of its practitioners (many died in battle as they would join local militia, resistant and military forces) and the development of modern distractions, the methods of Yanqing Men continue to become extinct.
拳名八极者，乃取拳中八大招之出手起脚无所不用其极也。行拳必内存八意，外具八形，劲发八面，八意者，警、慌、狠、毒、猛、烈、神、急也。八开者，即龙、虎、熊、猴、燕、犬、鹰、鹑也。八面者，八方也。内存八意方可先机制胜，外具八形始堪进退。应敌身体中正，劲发八面，不偏一隅，方能稳重厚实健立而博人。八意、八形、劲发八面均以“极”字为宗旨，此拳名之所由来也。本拳又名开门子拳者，盖取应敌进招均不离硬开之意也。
所谓内劲，是指通过形意桩功（三体式）套路的演练而获得一种能随意识转换方向、变化大小与强弱的一种力，因为这种力的运转特点是隐蔽于内而不显于外，故名“内劲”，例如同行们常讲的“气沉丹田”、“气冲百合”、“迈步如生根”等等，都是指“内气”而言。“内劲”的锻炼，贵在以意识来引导动作，以呼吸来配合力的蓄发，从而提高驾驭全身肌肉张弛的机能和以气催力的能力。
In our Xingyi Quan, when you first begin there are two very important things to learn: the mother posture (母式) and the mother fist (母拳).…