| Bak Fu Pai | | | | how the spirit harmonizes with intention, how |
| According to legend, Fung Do Duk, the founder of | | | | intention harmonizes with physical energy, and |
| the system, was one of the few monks to | | | | how physical energy harmonizes with strength. |
| escape with his martial-arts knowledge from the | | | | These six harmonies must work together in order |
| brutal burning of the southern Shaolin temple in | | | | to deliver the most effective strikes. |
| 1723. While meditating on Emei Mountain, he was | | | | Bak Mei |
| visited by a goddess on a golden throne. She | | | | The system is said to have been developed by a |
| demonstrated a set of meditations called "fae | | | | Shaolin monk nicknamed Bak Mei, meaning "white |
| fung sunn gung," which were said to greatly | | | | eyebrow." Some practitioners, however, claim he |
| benefit the health of mankind, but also warned | | | | was a traitor to the Shaolin temple and worked |
| the monk that, because the exercises and | | | | as a spy for the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), an |
| meditations were heaven-sent, he had to choose | | | | allegiance that resulted in the burning down of the |
| who he taught them to with great care. | | | | temple and Bak Mei's subsequent escape. |
| Consequently, a tradition of secrecy has always | | | | Some animosity remains among kung fu stylists |
| surrounded the art. | | | | to this day, and some teachers refuse to teach |
| Bak fu pai as it is taught today includes a number | | | | Shaolin arts to students who have previously |
| of southern-style Chinese punches and kicks, | | | | trained in bak mei. |
| including the "reverse punch." Low shin kicks and | | | | Powerful principles |
| knee kicks are a commonly employed tactic and, | | | | This important and powerful system is |
| alongside the study of meditation and nutrition, | | | | characterized by close-contact, aggressive, |
| "iron-palm" practices are widespread. The most | | | | explosive punches and blocks that are often |
| spectacular iron-palm strike is the coconut break, | | | | thrown in decisive combinations. Hand movements |
| in which, after a number of years of iron-palm | | | | whip, cut, and poke, and practitioners exhale hard |
| practice, practitioners are able to smash coconuts | | | | when throwing punches. |
| with the fist or the back of the hand-a clean | | | | At its core the system is a close-range fighting |
| break indicates good, solid iron-palm technique. | | | | art founded on four principles: to float, to sink, to |
| Liu He | | | | swallow, and to split. These power principles refer |
| The guiding principle of this art is the belief that | | | | directly to the forward, sideways, and |
| the received impact of a strike or a force is far | | | | up-and-down motions of movement, and in |
| greater when the body is working as a | | | | particular the delivery, or splitting, of power and |
| harmonious unit. There are two elements to this | | | | the swallowing, or absorption, of force. Further |
| martial art-the external and the internal, both of | | | | important fighting techniques used within the |
| which have three harmonies, or combinations. | | | | system are sinking, springing, thrusting and |
| "San wai he" (the external harmonies), refer to | | | | neutralizing. |
| the coordination between hips and shoulders, | | | | The style has been fictionalize popular Hong Kong |
| knees and elbows, and feet and hands. | | | | movies such The Shaolin Heroes or Shaolin Yir |
| If the maximum amount of power is to be | | | | Xiong (1980) and more recently by the character |
| delivered by the strike, all parts of the body and | | | | Pai Mei, as played by Gordon Liu, in the Hollywood |
| mind must act in complete harmony with each | | | | film Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004). |
| other. "San nei he" (the internal aspects) relate to | | | | |