Happy Chinese New Year

Wishing Blessings & Success to Everyone in this year of the 2016 Fire Monkey.

An Aid to Postural Assembly of Zhan Zhuang Stances

An Aid to Postural Assembly of Zhan Zhuang Stances

When entering into any Zhan Zhuang posture there are six locations that require a specific action in order to generate the best results. (See Diagram) These locations; the Perineum, the left and right Kua, the left and right Shoulder’s Nest, and the Throat Notch all must be slightly withdrawn or pulled in. The Chinese phrase for this is translated more like ‘pressed’ or ‘pressed in.’ 

In order to know what this should feel like, try a simple experiment. With your left arm hanging at your side, put the fingers of your right hand on your left Shoulder’s Nest and press, that is, push the tissues slightly toward the back. Now inhale and exhale into the upper back and feel how the back muscles respond. Now raise your left arm into ‘Hold The Ball’ posture and repeat the same procedure. The same technique should also be done with each Kua. (Because of their physical location, both Kua can also be done simultaneously.) 

For the throat notch, use a single finger and once you feel the throat withdraw, imagine a light weight on the top of your head that you must push very slightly upward. Be sure to keep the Throat  Notch ‘pressed’ in while you do this.

Finally for the Perineum, simply squeeze and lift the tissue surrounding Huiyin point, CV-1. Be sure to do this softly. Feel free to try each of these locations in any order to gain an understanding of the various feelings. To apply this technique as you assemble your posture for your Zhan Zhuang session, try going from the bottom to the top: Perineum, each Kua, each Shoulder’s Nest and Throat Notch. Once this is inserted into your standing practice, notice how the body and especially the back begin to release and relax in a whole new - deeper way.

Zhan Zhuang - The Hidden Essential of Tai Chi Training

Whether we practice Tai Chi for health or martial arts, the inclusion of Zhan Zhuang (Standing Meditation) at the beginning of our daily training session becomes essential if we are to gain many of the greatest benefits spoken of in the Tai Chi Classics and historical anecdotes.

For health, Zhan Zhuang training initiates the body’s internal healing, strengthening, unification and enhanced Chi flow which is then amplified by proper Tai Chi practice. In this case Zhan Zhuang becomes the Yin to Tai Chi’s Yang. While Tai Chi is often thought of in terms of stillness within movement, Zhan Zhuang may be considered as movement within stillness. Simply put, they are the perfect compliment to one another.

For martial arts, the intimate connection between Zhan Zhuang and Tai Chi is a matter of historical record. Ever wonder about the great accomplishments and stories of the famous martial artists of days gone by? Well, pretty much all their feats of martial prowess and/or radiant health would not have been possible without the inclusion of standing meditation to grow, balance and expand their internal power. That, along with training the form and application techniques 8-10 hours a day, made these famous masters appear almost super-human. 

In his work, ‘The Complete Book of Yiquan,’ Mr. CS Tang a native of Hong Kong, states that even Bruce Lee practiced Zhan Zhuang as part of the Yiquan training he received from the renown master Liang Zipeng. Lee was greatly impressed by among other things, Yiquan’s instantaneous explosive power gained through extensive standing meditation.

Many of the separate benefits of Zhan Zhuang and Tai Chi are quite well known. But how is it that Zhan Zhuang’s influences directly benefit, improve and eventually transform one’s Tai Chi practice?

One of the first elements that improves by daily Zhan Zhuang training that precedes our Tai Chi form practice is our sense of Zhong Ding (Central Equilibrium.) The ability to maintain continuous awareness of our Zhong Ding (which includes the 3 Dan Tiens) throughout the form cannot be overestimated. The Classics say, “...the mind stays with (in) the Dan Tien.”

An important part of the improvement of our Zhong Ding has to do with the opening of the Central Channel. The ability to feel a sense of ‘physical emptiness’ and later the flow of Chi in this area and indeed throughout the entire body leads not only to stronger internal power, but also far better and long-lasting health.

Another element of our Tai Chi form which is also greatly enhanced through Zhan Zhuang training is our sense of whole-body perception and unification; unified movement being one of the basic goals of our form practice. This idea is expressed in the Tai Chi Classics in the phrase, “...one part moves, all parts move.

It is well known that prior to Tai Chi’s opening movement, Chi Shr - Commencement, we stand with our feet parallel at hip or shoulder width with our arms hanging at our sides. In the olden days this posture (Wuji Zhan Zhuang) was maintained for an hour before beginning the form movements. In addition to this Wuji posture, Tai Chi practitioners of yesteryear also maintained the seminal Tai Chi postures of Peng, Lu, Ji, An and Dan Pien. (Single Whip) These postures were generally trained individually, and held for prolonged periods of between 30 min to 1 hr. (Usually one posture per day) The value of holding Tai Chi postures as described above, is truly astronomical in its ability to advance and elevate the quality and power of our overall form.

In addition to the above methods, a more gentle, gradual way to incorporate the Zhan Zhuang element into our Tai Chi form practice is to simply stop and hold the ‘end’ of each posture for between 1 and 3 breaths (or more) before proceeding to the next movement in the form. I highly recommend trying out this method. Because if you do one thing is sure; each posture that is maintained in the manner described will rapidly take on an entirely different - more relaxed, integrated  and ‘open’ feeling than ever before. 

The technique is simple:

Start your set as usual. When you reach the 'end' of a posture - pause - then exhale and inhale. Feel a 'sinking' from the base of skull and the secret spot in the brain (at the intersection of the eyes and ears) all the way under the feet on the exhale. When you inhale again, feel an overall expansion of the entire body from the low Dan Tien out to the extremities which propels you into the next movement. Also, during the suspension of movement feel the body making micro-adjustments in the posture itself. Once you’ve gone through the set or sequence you’ve been training, repeat it again in the way you normally practice and see what differences you feel.

Piano Portrait

Aloha from Maui,

Music and martial arts are intimately related. Listening to (and especially playing) music can help our feeling for, and understanding of, the most sophisticated, complex and diverse timings and rhythms often present in live hand-to-hand combat...

Training Upper Body Spiral Energy in Zhan Zhuang

Aloha, 
Here's a simple exercise to help develop Upper Body Spiral Energy while training Zhan Zhuang.

Inhale - draw tissue 'in & up.' (Scoop)

Exhale - relax tissue 'down & out.' (Release)

Telescope the joints inward (condense) and outward (expand) both vertically and horizontally along the lines of the bones.  --All Micro Movements--

After a dozen rounds or so, notice how lubricated and open your shoulder joints, elbows, wrists and hands are.

THE SPEED OF TAIJIQUAN PRACTICE

Taijiquan can be practiced at a number of speeds, depending upon one’s purposes. Usually for health and vitality a fairly slower speed is optimum. By fairly slow I mean what we usually think of as ‘normal speed’ when we see people practice in a group, in a park, on TV or with their teacher, or even alone. 

Most people think that for Taijiquan to be practiced properly it should be ‘slow, smooth, even and continuous,’ and of course this is correct. This is the basic method and one that even advanced practitioners return to again and again. The reason for this has to do with how Taijiquan practice effects and changes the body. 

Like all methods of Qigong (Taiji is both a Qigong and Nei gong system) the physical motions of the forms create a beneficial elongation of the tissues (muscles, tendons and ligaments.) This has the effect of generating a life changing elasticity which manifests as a strength similar to that of an Olympic swimmer rather than of an Olympic weightlifter. 

Along with the tissues, the arteries and veins of the body are also effected in a similar manner. This increased flexibility goes a long way to improving overall circulation as well as staving off such conditions as hardening of the arteries and the like. In addition to the sinews, arteries and veins, the nervous system is also strongly effected, making the dedicated practitioner generally less reactive to stress. In addition, the opening and closing aspect of the Taiji movements eventually create a gentle massaging action on the internal organs which has the effect of purging toxins and bringing about an overall strengthening. (Recent scientific research from Hong Kong also states - in addition to all the above - ‘these movements also activate all 54 of the body’s hormones.’)

Besides the ‘normal’ speed mentioned above, there is another speed which is also most beneficial for improving health and is slightly faster than ‘normal.’ This speed can be likened to that of a ‘freely flowing river.’ For those seeking ‘radiant health,’ as well as for those desiring martial power, another necessary stage of training is ‘Extreme Slow practice’ where the long form takes a full hour to complete. Finally for dedicated martial artists there are the Fast Speed practices, designed to eventually generate continuous power as well as fluidity. Now let’s look at each of these in a bit more detail.

THE 4 MAJOR SPEEDS

NORMAL SPEED - (Fairly Slow) 

The actual speed of this varies somewhat depending on the teacher(s) we’ve learned from. On one level, what happens is this: doing something slowly, again and again, establishes better and better muscular control. This is similar to how a concert pianist learns and memorizes a piece of complicated music. Practicing the piece over and over establishes absolute muscular control on the physical level and inters this control into the subconscious. Once this has occurred, the pianist can easily play through the music with little if any conscious thought necessary. The same is true of the Taiji form. Seasoned practitioners often describe it as if the form ‘played itself.’ When this happens, our mind is free to remain in the all-important low Dan Tien as the Classics recommend.

FREELY FLOWING RIVER 

This speed is somewhat faster than ‘normal speed’ and even more continuous in the blending of the beginning and end points of each posture and transition. Eventually it becomes difficult to tell precisely where one movement stops and the next one begins. This can also be described as the ‘harmonizing’ of the Yang outgoing movements with the Yin incoming movements and is a most excellent speed to develop and maintain a robust and healthy circulation. The rolling-like feeling of the movements emulate a freely flowing river, rising, falling, turning, twisting, all the time moving effortlessly onward in each moment.

EXTREME SLOW PRACTICE

This is actually far more difficult than it may appear at first. A traditional long form might take a full hour to complete. This old-fashioned method of training allows us to root out even the most subtle glitches in our movements, refine our muscular control to very high levels, as well as greatly deepen our relaxation and whole body linkage and connectivity to the point where everything effortlessly comes and goes from the low Dan Tien. Also, extreme slow speed often provides a far greater opportunity to experience the sensations of energy moving to and from the low Dan Tien and throughout the entire body. 

FASTER AND FASTEST SPEEDS

‘Faster speed’ is often described as involving smooth, rapidly flowing movements combined with Fa Jin releases. Once this method is accomplished and we are comfortable with it, there is a still faster method which some have termed the ‘Flag-Waving’ method. This method utilizes the rebound from the Fa Jin issuing of each movement to generate the next movement and Fa Jin release. (Issue-rebound, issue- rebound, etc.) The final result is a fully applied solo Taiji fighting form with appropriate power in each movement as it might actually be used against a serious opponent. In appearance, the practitioner almost seems to ‘bounce’ from one small-frame movement to the next. An entire long form might take only about 10 minutes or so.

Finally, it is important to know that each speed we choose to practice at will generate a unique feeling. Each of these different feelings are correct for their particular speed. Some of these feelings are only slightly different from ‘normal speed’ practice, while others differ quite radically. But despite these differences, each method will be found to adhere to the essential, universal Taiji principles. 

LETTING GO DURING ZHAN ZHUANG AND TAIJIQUAN MARTIAL PRACTICE

At a certain point in one’s training the ability to ‘let go’ becomes paramount. The idea of letting go functions on multiple levels - physical, mental and ‘psychic.’ So what does it actually mean to ‘let go?’ On the most basic physical level this refers to the ability to relax and release our muscles and sinews which creates a more ideal alignment of the bones. This is absolutely necessary for deep rooting, both in Zhan Zhuang and Taijiquan. 

Therefore, ‘letting go’ allows for the possibility of better integration and whole-body unification, the combination of which leads to improved ‘circulation’ of blood, fluids and vital energy, and this in turn leads to better overall health.

On Taijiquan’s martial side, the ability to ‘let go’ is a basic requirement for accepting, diverting and rooting the opponent’s force at contact. This speaks of the inherent ‘AN’ or sinking energy implicit in Taiji’s premiere movement - Liu or Rollback.

In order to truly ‘let go,’ the physical, emotional and mental aspects must function simultaneously and in concert. So, physically we learn to relax and release our muscles, tendons and ligaments. When the sinews (tendons & ligaments) become involved, this leads to the deepening of one’s root and the ability to ground a powerful incoming force.  In terms of meditation his means relaxing as much as possible and ‘trusting’ the Earth to hold us up. For martial arts this refers to the ability to let go of our Yang or outer frame and trust the integrity of our inner or Yin frame. This Yin frame is first experienced during Zhan Zhuang training and later in the Taijiquan form and finally during application. 

The emotional and mental aspects of ‘letting go’ are interlinked, meaning, emotions can trigger thought patterns and certain thought patterns can definitely trigger emotions. What we’re looking for in terms of the emotions is an evenness and balance, a non-reactive state rather than an absence of emotion per se. Instead we seek emotional neutrality, like when a placid lake appears like a mirror. While within this emotionally neutral state, it becomes possible to read a person’s or an opponent’s true emotional intention like an open book. 

For the mind, what we want at first is a gentle calmness and a slowing of thought, but eventually this becomes what has been termed ‘mind of no mind.’ This ‘mind of no mind’ is actually an optimal state for both the meditative aspect as well as the martial. For meditation we can perceive and become aware of things without the mind’s judgement. And in regards to Taiji martial arts, this ‘mind of no mind’ state is optimal for success in combat. When centered in this state we are able to act or react instantly at a speed that can actually be faster than the speed of thought.

In order to achieve this state our ‘letting go’ must also involve what some call the ‘psychic’ element. The psychic aspect actually encompasses and eventually governs all the other aspects. In terms of the meditative element, it begins with the willingness to accept ourselves exactly as we are, right where we are, with no judgements or preconceived notions. Heaven is above, the Earth below and we, man or woman are in between. For the martial element, we must go even further. Instead of fearing an opponent’s attack, we must instead learn to ‘welcome’ it. This is all a matter of tension, or in this case, the lack of it. Therefore the stronger the Yang energy of an attack, the more Yin we must initially become to deal with it. This method is grounded in the Taoist principle that states, “The Yang energy is finite, while the Yin energy is infinite.”

Now you might ask, how does all this become possible? The answer lies primarily in the transformation of the nerves and the human nervous system which generally results from extensive Zhan Zhuang training and also after a decade or more of dedicated Taijiquan practice. Once this is accomplished we no longer react to circumstances like average people do. Instead we find ourselves centered and alert - ready to deal with a situation without having our natural adrenal reaction get in the way. This is not only supremely useful in combat but also in our daily life.

DEVELOPING SHORT THROW JIN

Aloha, here’s a simple exercise that helps develop Short Throw Jin. (The ability to hit with full power at a very short distance from the opponent.) Short Throw strikes are used to generate Penetration power. (Where the force goes deep into the opponent’s body and then explodes. They are also used for Tien Hsueh - Spot Hitting. (Attacking vital points to disrupt or shut down the opponent’s body.)