Xinyiquan and xingyiquan
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Today some people in the internal arts are fond of saying "use no strength, let the qi move your body." Reality check! I'm sorry folks, if your body is moving you are utilizing muscles and strength. Don't let them get away with that "it's the qi" dodge. Whenever anyone tells me "it's the qi" or "use the qi" my mind translates it to mean "I don't really know what I'm talking about so I will say something very nonspecific and people will think I am an expert." The top level Xing Yi and Ba Gua instructors that I have met in mainland China and Taiwan rarely ever even use the word qi when they are teaching beginners. But here in "new age" America we find that word everywhere and there are people who will believe anything is possible as long as they are told "the qi" is doing it. It is amazing to me how otherwise intelligent individuals will suspend all rational thought and common sense when someone mentions the word qi. Yes. I do believe in qi. However, I believe it is not something to be worshiped or sought after as "the ultimate goal" and it is not something that is magical or mystical. Proper internal martial arts training facilitates strong, full, and balanced qi in the body. This certainly helps the practitioner's "internal power." However, if the proper alignments, proper use of refined strength, proper body coordination and timing of the body movements, and correct, natural and efficient use of the body in conjunction with the mind and the breath are not trained correctly, the practitioner who is worried about obtaining "qi power" is dreaming. If those other things are in place, the qi will naturally be there, if they are not, you are out of luck. "Proper use of strength" in the internal martial arts means that the strength is not "clumsy." In executing any movement, if the practitioner is utilizing muscles that are not directly involved in that movement, if the breathing is not coordinated with that movement, or if the mind is not fully involved in that movement, then the movement is "clumsy." The classics of internal boxing all warn the practitioner against the use of "clumsy force." Nei gong training teaches the individual how to use the body strength in the most natural and efficient manner so that it is not "clumsy." Simple repetitive exercises which teach the practitioner to coordinate mind, body and breath are all that is required in nei gong. It doesn't need to get any fancier or more sophisticated than that. Wild visualizations exercises which tell you to "imagine the energy of your large intestines connecting with your lungs, moving out your middle dan tian, wrapping around your body four times counterclockwise and then sucking back in to your body through your third eye" are not going to get you ver far in the internal martial arts. In my opinion, in the context of obtaining martial arts skill, it is simply mental masturbation. Sure you might get a little "qi buzz" happening, but this kind of qi development is usually not very functional in martial arts. Additionally, forced movement of energy in the body through strong mental visualization is potentially very dangerous. The majority of the overly complex nei gong and qi gong which people are practicing today is coming from what I call "fad" qi gong books written by individuals who are appealing to the overly intellectual Western mind and overly lazy Western body by promising better health through mental gymnastics. I can't believe the number of phone calls and letters that I get from people that are overly concerned about things such as "connecting the governing and conception vessels" (Ren Mai and Due Mai) through meditation so that their "microcosmic orbit" or "small heavenly cycle" will be "complete." First of all, if your Ren Mai and Du Mai are not connected, you are probably dead. Secondly, if you are concerned about increasing the full and balanced flow of qi in these meridians, you should not be sitting in a chair and trying to do it with your mind. Correct movement combined with simple imagery and gentle breathing will do it for you in a simple, progressive, and safe manner. In the book Shen Gong written by Wang Lian Yi, the son of the famous Xing Yi Quan master and Chinese Medical doctor Wang Ji Wu, (1891 - 1991, see photo on page 10, Pa Kua Chang Journal Vol. 4, No. 3), it says: "If the qi circulation in the Ren and Du meridians is strong, the "Small Heavenly Cycle" is open and there are great benefits to health, including increased metabolic activity, increased resistance to disease, increased powers of recover from illness and leading to a long and healthy life. While qi circulation in the Ren and Du meridians is a vital part of maintaining health, Wang Ji Wu felt that the beginner should not try and force the qi to flow through strong intention. His advice was to practice the exercises with a relaxed mind and the intention focused on the dan tian. After the qi has gathered in the dan tian, it will find its own way in the "Small Heavenly Cycle" through the gentle coaxing of the physical movements." All of the good teachers that I have been exposed to have the same advice for beginners. Don't force things with the mind that can be accomplished just as easily, fully, and safely, with gentle concentration and simple body movements. Through experience I have learned that they are correct. I myself practiced those "fad" methods for years. While I did indeed feel some partial benefits from these practices, the results were not nearly as great, or as functional, as the results I obtained through the practice of much simpler methods. Personally, I found that physical movement in coordination with the breath and very simple mental imagery was far more practical and beneficial. In the chapter on Nei Gong in the Written Transmissions of Xing Yi Quan it states: "If the dan tian is lacking, the ai will not be sufficient. With insufficient qi, power will be inadequate. The five elements and the twelve forms will be empty. In this state, in defense one will be as a city surrounded by a dry moat, in attack, one will be like a strong soldier with a weak horse. One must practice Xing Yi Quan diligently everyday. Sitting in meditation trying to become immortal will not cultivate the dan tian. All of the nei gong I have been taught in mainland China and Taiwan by individuals who I would consider top rate martial artist was very simple, practical, and effective. Again, simple repetitive movements combined with simple imagery and executed in coordination with the breath is the most effective way to practice. In Ba Gua Zhang much of the nei gong work is accomplished through nei gong exercises which are similar to things like the ba duan jin (eight section brocade) however they have more of a Ba Gua twisting and turning flavor. There are also other basic hand and body movement exercises and the circle walking practice while holding the "eight mother palms," which are included in the nei gong training. Every Ba Gua system I have encountered has their version of the eight mother palms. These palms are also sometimes called the qi gong palms, the nei gong palms, the "inner palms," or "the basic palms," but the practice is the same. The student walks the circle while holding static upper body postures and executing simple directional changes. Concentration is placed on maintaining a stable dan tian, the breathing is smooth, continuous, and natural, and there is a simple mental image associated with each of the eight palms and the transitions between the palms. This practice is the core of nei gong in Ba Gua. Qi Gong Qi Gong training consists of breath control, simple visualization, meditation, and nonspecific body movement techniques and exercises for various purposes including increased circulation of qi and blood to the distal points of the extremities, increased vital capacity, increased mental focus, and increased whole body strength. These methods typically consisted of very straight-forward exercises designed to strengthen the body internally and increase mental focus. These exercises and techniques are a far cry from the "new age" qi gong of today which consists of a mixed bag of incomplete practices from various disciplins stirred up in a pot of mysticism and esoteria and promising results of "qi power" and "spiritual enlightenment." The qi gong which the internal martial artists practicied was simple and the results where obtained gradually. Simple practice and gradual development in qi gong insures a safe practice. Any qi gong practice which promises quick results is probably dangerous. Much of the "quick results" qi gong which is written about and practiced today was taught in China to soldiers in time of war. Obviously in war time it was necessary for the soldiers to be trained quickly. It was also no concern of the people training the soldiers whether or not the soldiers developed side effects from the training years down the road or died at a young age as a result of the training. The war was now and the soldiers had to be strong and tough now. Unfortunately, after the war the surviving soldiers went home and taught these methods in their home villages. Lineages where formed and so we are left with these dangerous practices today. In many cases the damage done by bad qi gong will not show up for many years and so people did not usually connect the illness with the qi gong. Practices such as "Iron Shirt," "Iron Palm," and hanging weights from the testicles are the very worst of the practices which fall into this category. Much of the "dangerous" qi gong methods mentioned above which were taught in war time originated in places like the Shaolin temple. In the temple the monks who practiced these methods did not take the same risks as the soldiers because they had time to develop these practices slowly and gradually and they led a lifestyle which was conductive to this kind of development. Their meditation practices, diet, daily schedule, and herbal supplements all served to keep the body in balance while performing these exercises. When these practices were separated from the monastic lifestyle, and thus practiced incompletely, they became dangerous and while producing quick results, they were very harmful in the long run. Other qi gong methods, from both the Daoist and Buddhist traditions, underwent a similar transformation when they were taken from the temples and taught to the general public. More times than not the transmission was incomplete and when the practice was separated from the lifestyle of a monk, it became potentially dangerous. Good qi gong practice is very simple and the results are obtained gradually. Mixing the Ingredients Even if a Ba Gua teacher is teaching elements of all of the above training methods, it still may not come together to form what I would call a "complete system." What is listed above could be analogous to ingredients required to prepare food. If you were to possess all of the ingredients to make a certain food, but did not know how to mix the ingredients appropriately, how to prepare and cook the ingredients, and how to add the spices, you could not prepare the food properly. Martial arts training is similar. Just because a teacher has a grand list of exercises, forms, and training methods does not mean he has a system. There are a great many teachers of Ba Gua in the United States today who have a hodgepodge of forms and exercises from various systems and sources and they do not really know how to put them together to train students effectively. They have a lot of ingredients, but no recipe.
A good teacher with a complete system will be able to show the student how to practice each exercise and form, be able to explain why each exercise is being practiced, how it fits into the overall picture, and where it is leading to next. Additionally, the teacher will also know how to vary the program from one student to the next in order to fit each student's individual needs based on age, sex, coordination, experience, strength, build, constitution, health concerns, etc. Not ever student can be taught the same way. Every complete martial arts method has a systematic program and each teacher knows how to vary that program to bring out the best in each student. Conclusion In order to raise the level of Ba Gua practiced in the United States, I feel that it is important for students to strive to learn a complete Ba Gua system. Let's put an end to the fragmentation that has occurred over the last 70 or 80 years. This is the only way this art will continue to grow and flourish. Ba Gua is not "a form," it is a system. If you are teaching Ba Gua, you know whether or not you have a complete system. If you are teaching fragments, complete your training. Eat some humble pie and search out an instructor who has a complete method so you can fill in your own missing pieces and pass a complete art along to your students. More than one Ba Gua "teacher" in this country is out there teaching Ba Gua forms to students that they picked up from video tapes, weekend seminars, or a two week trip to China. This typically occurs with teachers who have been trained in one system, like Shaolin Tai Ji, or Xing Yi and have students that also want to learn Ba Gua. In order to keep their students, they quickly run out and buy a video or take a seminar and then teach what they learned the next week. It is sad, but it is not an uncommon occurrence. Again, if you are a martial arts teacher and want to teach Ba Gua, spend some time really learning Ba Gua yourself before trying to teach it to someone else. Learn Ba Gua as Ba Gua, don't learn a Ba Gua form and then try to guess how all of the moves are used based on your knowledge of Tai Ji, Xing Yi, or Shaolin. You will not get it right. If you are a student, take a hard look at what you are being taught and decide whether or not it has everything you are looking for in a martial art. Ask your teacher to explain his system and how each of the components fit together. Use common sense. Do not be fooled by explanations that sounds too general, promises of results that sound unrealistic, or training that seems too easy. Good Ba Gua training is extremely difficult. If you feel your teacher is a good martial artist and you would like to obtain his skill level, ask your teacher about his background and how he was trained. If he talks about how his teacher made him walk the circle for hours in a low posture and made him repeat simple form movements everyday for months before he would be given the next section of a form, then he should be teaching you that way. Otherwise, you are probably never going to be as good as he is. Use common sense. Don't allow a teacher to "sell you," let him convince you through your own progress. Don't let a teacher tell you that you have to practice for ten years to get internal power. A student that practices hard should develop a good deal of power within the first year or two of training. It will take years to further refine that power, however, if you have been studying Ba Gua for two or three years and haven't already greatly improved your internal power, something is missing. Editor's (Dan Miller) Note: I realize that this two part article has in some ways been quite negative and will probably upset some people. What I have expressed here are my personal opinions based on my experiences. If others have opposing opinions based on their experiences, that is fine, they are entitled to them and I respect each person's individual opinion. If you feel like expressing your opinion to our readers, write to me and I will gladly print it. As a journalist I feel that if I "sugar coated" everything I wrote so that I would not upset anyone, I would not be doing my job. I feel it is my duty to conduct my research as thoroughly as possible and then to express my honest opinion based on that research. I do not ask that everyone see things my way, I only ask that readers consider what is said. Again, I feel it is a writer's job to get people thinking, not to make everyone feel good about themselves. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A TEACHER - by ken fish A posting earlier this month ("real deal") has generated quite a bit of email to me regarding teachers in the States. The gentleman who initiated the post mentioned a quote from an article I'd written some years ago, "Kung Fu Comes to America". In the article I'd said that in my opinion there were fewer than a dozen highly skilled teachers of traditional Chinese martial arts in the States teaching openly to non-Chinese. This was Chinese martial arts in general, much less xingyi or bagua. To put this into context, allow me to set forth what I believe a good, traditional Chinese martial arts teacher should be capable of. First, lineage doesn't necessarily count. While the fact that a teacher comes from a particular lineage indicates that he or she might have had access to a set of skills which are a known quantity, it says little about the teachers own skill, his or her level of understanding of combat application, body mechanics, power generation, and training methods. It also says little about the teacher's ability to communicate clearly and train others. A good teacher should be able to clearly and plainly explain movements and concepts without resorting to mystical explanations (eg "qi"). A sign of a good teacher is one who takes the time to correct the students alignment and can demonstrate the difference in application between good and poor alignment. The teacher should allow the students to touch the teacher's body while the teacher demonstrates, so that the student can understand where the force is being generated - what muscles are being used, and in what sequence. Applications should not have to depend on the cooperation of the opponent - too often I see students who are accustomed to punching and leaving their arm out while their teacher demonstrates numerous counters. One doesn't need skill to beat on an outstretched arm. Training should be from the ground up, with the understanding that each system has its own requirements for stance work. Techniques learned without a stable yet mobile base are not kung fu. Conversely, while each system has its own requirements, all kung fu systems generally emphasize to a greater or lesser degree the same mechanical alignments - hip and shoulder in the same vertical plane, shoulder blades retracted, center line of the knees aligned with the center line of the foot and so on. Americans and Europeans have to some degree been brainwashed into believing that groveling and debasing oneself is a part of the traditional teacher student relationship. While that may be the message which comes across in some movies and television programs, nothing could be further from the truth in Taiwan and China. Those teachers who verbally and physically abuse their students do so because of their own psychological problems, those students who put up with it do so because they have either placed a higher value on learning than on their own self worth, or because of other personality pathologies of their own. A friend of mine once noted that the monks didn't take in orphaned/abandoned/abused children merely out of compassion. They took them in because these were the most easily molded, as they would tend to desire a strong parental figure, and wish to avenge the wrongs of the world, when the real issues were within. Many teachers in the states use an authoritarian approach to hide their own shortcomings, both in skill and socially. A good teacher, if they are still physically capable (ie if age and body still permit) should be able to demonstrate the techniques themselves. Most of the teachers I learned from insisted on demonstrating and practicing with the students. They also insisted on the students feeling the techniques demonstrated upon them by the teacher so that they might better understand the force and mechanics behind the techniques. For those of you who care to read a far more eloquent and detailed article on this topic, Mr. Dan Miller wrote a very good one in the final issue of his Ba Gua Journal. CLASSICS THREE POINTS The tip of the nose, the tip of the front hand's index finger and the tip of the front foot must all be on the same vertical plane. These are the Three External Coordinations. When the lead hand is in a fist with the palm heart facing up, the pinky should line up directly in front of the nose. FOUR EXTREMITIES The four extremities are the tongue, teeth, nails and hair. Tongue is the flesh extremity Teeth are the bone extremity Nails are the sinew extremity Hair is the blood extremity Qi is the main source of Jing, and Jing occurs when qi is manifested in these four extremities. In order to fill up the qi and make it abundant, the qi must be able to reach the ends of these four extremities. Only then can the qi reach everywhere in the body and energize the entire physical body to its maximum for fighting. It is believed that the tongue is closely related to the muscles. If the tongue is curved upward to touch the roof of the mouth, it will close the circuit between the Conception (Ren) and Governing (Du) meridians and allow the qi to circulate freely. This also allows qi to be built up. If you let this qi sink to and accumulate in the Dan Tien below your navel, it will energize the muscles to a very high level. The higher energy level will also raise your spirit of vitality and make you braver. In order to make the qi reach the hair, which is the extremity of the blood, you must first have plenty of oxygen to energize the blood to a higher state. Blood cells are the carriers of qi and oxygen. When blood cells are raised to a higher energy level, the qi will reach the hair. The old translation say that the four extremities must be equal and strong. Then your normal behavior can be changed and you will be able to strike fear into your opponent. Like a tiger's hatred and dragon's fearsome power, the qi will issue following a sound in conjunction with the raising hand. FIVE ANIMALS Long Shen - "Dragon Body" Ji Tui - "Chicken Leg" Ying Zhao - "Eagle Claw" Xiong Bang - "Bear Shoulders" Hu Bao Tou - "Tiger's Head Embrace" These are known as the five body methods of Xingyiquan. The original song contained a sixth method of "thunder" ... Body has six forms Chicken leg and Dragon body Bear's shoulders and eagle claws Tiger's embrace and sound of thunder. Thunder was later dropped because the "sound of thunder involves commonness." Grandmaster Guo Yun Shen was found of this one and used it often. One could see he would ... his incredible half-step Beng Quan probably sounded like thunder cracking the ground when he struck. Dragon Body - this imaginary beast is common in Chinese fables and folklore. The dragon could fly high, riding the mists, contracting and twisting it's body like a snake through the clouds. Xingyi places high importance on this for every transitional movement in the art should embody the spirit of the dragon, expanding and contracting, striking out with mystical prowess. Chicken Leg - this is one of the most basic fundamentals of the art of Xingyiquan. A chicken can run very quickly and stop suddenly, keeping it's weight on one leg, ready to peck. Xingyi's five elements all encompass this theory by stepping forward onto one leg before it issues it's strike much like a chicken does. By mastering this, you can advance, retreat, turn and change forms very quickly because the weight is always ready to transfer. Eagle Claw - while the hands are relaxed and held in gentle curves when in transitional movements, when striking, they must become like the fearless bird of prey's attacking talons, digging and grasping with an iron grip. This is especially seen in the beginning movement of Pi Quan when the hands draw down towards the Dan Tian. This is also very important in Xingyi, for many of the art's applications consist of grabbing with one hand while simultaneously striking with the other. Bear Shoulders - bears are large animals that can can generate a great deal of power from their great rounded shoulders. The Xingyi practitioner must mimic this to obtain maximum power in his art. By rounding the shoulders and hollowing the chest, the body actually "gets behind" the arms and hands, so when you strike, the power doesn't come from the arms, but from the whole body. Tiger's Head Embrace - the tiger is a very regal beast. They are powerful and strong animals that exude the finest and most fearsome aspects of nature. In Xingyi, the head must be held erect and slightly back, but spiritually, it must also capture the imposing manner of the tiger, letting it's blank cunning show in your eyes and it's ability to pounce suddenly from motionless in your limbs. SIX HARMONIES |