Introduction: “Styles” are not a very important concept in Hsing-I. This is because Hsing-I is based upon a fairly finite set of basic principles, so to a certain extent one is either doing Hsing-I or not, irrespective of style. In the Yongquan Association’s Hsing-I for example, we combine together three different styles or branches of the Hsing-I family tree into one, and experience virtually no difficulty in doing so. Some of these common principles, such as the famous “Chicken Leg” footwork, are found in few other martial arts, and so serve to maintain a clear distinction between Hsing-I and other arts. In manifestation and range of teaching and practice methods, however, Hsing-I can be an extensive discipline in which different groups specialise in different aspects. This, combined with the influence of more popular arts like Tai Chi Chuan and the inevitable "branding" of styles so that one group can be compared to or promoted over others, has led to people talking in terms of styles of Hsing-I. The following list gives some of the more common style names used today.

Che Style was founded by Che Ti Zhai (a.k.a. Che Yong Hong), and is one of the Shanxi styles.

Dai Style was founded by Dai Lin Bang and Dai Long Bang.

Guo Style is the style descended from Guo Yun Shen. Once “Hebei Style” and “Guo Style” were synonymous, but not today. The Yongquan Association’s Hsing-I is inherited from three different branches of the Guo Style.

Hebei Style means different things to different people. Firstly, the original Hebei Style was founded by Guo Yun Shen and his teacher Master Li Neng Ran, but it has subsequently split into several branches that are often dissimilar in outward appearance. Secondly, it is a collective name for the styles practiced or originating in Hebei province. Thirdly, modern Wushu practitioners in China are unfortunately heard to refer to their so-called “Hsing I forms” as Hebei Style. The range of use of the term “Hebei Style” today means it is almost impossible to make generalised comments about it. Real Hebei style is characterised by its emphasis on the use of the piercing “dark jin” combative power - the inability of Modern Wushu practitioners to produce this jin serves as a useful point of distinction.

Henan style was founded by Ma Xue Li, and now refers collectively to the styles of Henan province. It is within this style that the term Hsin-I, as opposed to Hsing-I is more widely used.

Ji style founded by Ji Long Feng (a.k.a. Ji Ji Ke) is the progenitor style of most of the well known styles taught today.

Kuoshu - the national martial arts of Taiwan, which include Hsing-I.

Luoyang Style is another name for the Ma style.

Lushan Style is another name for the Mai style.

Ma Style was founded by Ma Xing, and is one of the Henan styles.

Mai Style was founded by Zhang Zhi Cheng, and is one of the Henan styles.

Modern Wushu - alleged “Hsing-I forms" are practiced within modern wushu.

Old Hebei Style is a term used by some practitioners of the Hebei branches in order to distance themselves from Modern Wushu (which makes unfortunate claims about doing “Hebei Style”). This is simply because the Hsing-I in Modern Wushu is of such poor quality (to the extent that many dispute that it is Hsing-I at all).

Shanxi style is a collective name for the several styles taught or originating in Shanxi province.

Song style was founded by Song Shi Pong, and is one of the Shanxi styles.

Sun style founded by Sun Lu Tang, better known as the founder of Sun style Tai Chi.

Yi Chuan or Da Cheng Chuan is a derivative of Hsing I and some other martial arts.

Yue Chia Chuan - a synonym for Yue Fei Chuan.

Yue Fei Chuan (in tradition) founded by Marshall Yue Fei. A name given to the original style (whatever it was). The name is also given to several diverse styles of martial arts in modern China and in Chinese communities elsewhere that are substantially different both from Hsing-I and from each other. The commonality that is seen between Hsing-I styles today is probably as much the result of the innovations of Master Ji Long Feng during the late 1600s as of those precursor arts that he learned, and may in some respects explain the differences between Hsing-I and modern arts that have some type of genuine pedigree from the original Yue Fei Chuan. Since everyone is now an equal, and very long, distance in time from the source it is impossible to know for sure what the original Yue Fei Chuan was like.