The David Brent Wolfe Dictionary of

Chinese Martial Art Terms

When possible, terms are given in Mandarin (Hanyu) pinyin spelling. The older spelling of the Wade Giles method is used when it is the more commonly known version. For some terms the most common version is given in Cantonese.

- P -

• Pai may mean family, fire, or white depending on the actual character used.
• Pai means to swat.
• Pai he quan means White crane fist. It is a Southern Chinese martial art style of Shaolin ancestry.
• Pai jarn, (Cantonese), is a Wing Chun term meaning hacking elbow.
• Pai kiu is the Chow gar term for slicing bridge.
• Pai zhang means to tap with the palm.
• Pak mei is the name of the white eyebrow style of Chinese martial arts.
• Pak sau, (Cantonese), is a Wing Chun term meaning slap hand block.
• Pan means to seize and pull or to drag down.
• Pan means the guard of a weapon handle.
• Pan gai noon is a Chinese martial style from Fukien Province. It is the source of the Uechi-Ryu karate style.
• Pang lu ji an means to push, stroke, squeeze, and press.
• Pao means cannon or slash. It is used to mean cannon punch or pounding fist.
• Pao means throwing or swaying. It is one of the basic straight sword techniques of Taiji quan.
• Pao quan means cannon fist. It is the name of an empty handed routine in the Zha quan martial arts system.
• Pa qua zhang means eight trigrams palm. It is a Northern Chinese martial art style. It is based on walking around a circle using circular motions for defense and offense.
• Pe ho is the Fukienese term meaning White Crane. It is a Chinese martial art style based on using the arms in the manner of a crane's wings and beak. It has divided into several sub-styles including: Feeding Crane and Singing Crane. A version of this style was one of the ancestors of the Ngo Cho, five ancestors, style.
• Pek is the Chow gar term for chop.
• Pek Kwar means Axe Fist. This Chinese martial art style was founded by Ma Chai Ho.
• Peng means to ward off or recede.
• Peng means to touch.
• Pi means chop or split. Pi normally means a quick, downward cutting strike. However, in Piqua zhang sytle, it can also describe raising and out-flinging motions made by the arms. Pi is the name of one of the thirteen basic Taiji quan broadsword techniques. It is also the name of one of the basic straight sword techniques of Taiji quan.
• Pie means to twist.
• Pieng Me Chien means Even Stance Tension. It is an empty handed routine of the Ngo Cho, five ancestor, style.
• Pie shen quan means twist body fist or more commonly striking down by twisting the body obliquely. It is a technique in the Chen family style Taiji quan routine called old frame first set, Lao jia yi lu.
• Pi jian means to cut with a sword.
• Ping kuen is a Shaolin Fut gar term meaning flat fist. (1)
• Pi quan means to cut with a fist.
• Piqua quan means axe hitch fist. Tradition has it dating from the Ming Dynasty period in Hebei province. The modern version dates to 1928 at the National Wushu Institute in Nanjing.
• Piqua zhang means axe hitch palm. It is a northern Chinese palm style of martial art originating in Cang county of Hebei Province.
• Pin kiu is the Chow gar term for parallel bridge.
• Pit sau is a Shaolin Fut gar term meaning carving hand. (1)
• Pi zhang means chopping or splitting palm strike. It is a fundamental palm technique in the Yin Fu lineage of Ba qua zhang.
• Poon Lung Guen means Coiling Dragon Form. It is a double ended staff routine in the Choy Li Fut style. Double ended means that both ends of the pole are used in thrusting and hitting. The hands are held in the middle third of the staff with the thumbs towards each other.
• Po pai jeung, (Cantonese), is a Wing Chun term meaning double elbows.
• Por means to disperse.
• Pu bu means drop stance.
• Pung ma is a Shaolin Fut gar term meaning level horse stance. (1)
• Pun sau is a Shaolin Fut gar term meaning slapping hand. (1)
• Pwo kuen is a Shaolin Fut gar term meaning exploding fist. (1)

Sources of information

1. Suggested by Mrs. Jay Acdan in an email dated 13 March 2004.