Some Yiquan Questions and Answers (Q&A)

1. Q: In Yiquan training process, you should first in standing post to seek Zheng in still position, and then practice shi li, which is seeking Zheng in slight movements. Next is Zheng in big movements, and seek Zheng in Tui shou under the force of the opponent. Is this correct process?

　

A: The practicing process of Yiquan is like this: Zhanzhuang, shi li, zoubu (fricative step, the basic skills of step method), tui shou, fa li (from fixed to stepping posture). Begin with it and then gradually transfer to free fa li without fixed posture and position.

　

•  Zhan Zhuang - This post is to realize 'jin' in still manner, and 'jin' is also sought under the guidance of mind. 'Zheng' is a traditional term in boxing field, which means mind activity in the body. In the balanced position and in zhanzhuang exercise, your hands first have heavy, swelling and heating feeling, then feel the resistance from stretching forward, pulling back, lifting, pressing down, divide outward and squeezing inward. The hands intend to move but seem unable to move (not in real sense). This sense starts with hands and then spreads all over the body (from slight to actual feeling). It is the so-called 'Zheng'. In the beginning stage of zhanzhang, you should "use the mind instead of force" and relax your body according to the saying "relax but not slack, tense but not stiff". In short, you should "coordinate relax and tense conditions".

　

•  Shi Li - Although you have sought "jin" (resistance from exterior body) in Zhanzhuang, the very slight movement will cause total loss of the resistance. Therefore, you should seek "jin" again in shi li process. There should be mind guidance in the acts, and the main demands are: focused spirit, actual mind, small, slow and continuous movement. After having feeling of resistance, small and slow movements should change to big, quick ones, with the principle of "use the mind instead of force". In short, you should sense the inner "jin", that is, the feeling of resistance.

　

•  Zoubu - (also called fricative steps), Zoubu is shi li in feet and legs, which should be combined with shi li in hands after having the feeling of resistance. You should first advance, withdraw and transfer the directions in line with regulations, and then freely change the hand and step methods to enter the stage of shi li in integral body. The demand is "one movement without stillness, one place of movement spreads to the whole body". You should always "between Zheng and not Zheng".

　

•  Tui Shou - It can also be called Shi li between two persons. When you are under the pressure of the opponent, on one hand, you should keep your force balanced; on the other hand, you are supposed to destroy the balance of the opponent. When forces and stepping positions of both sides constantly change, you can destroy the balance of the opponent or control him, this twinkling moment is "the time to fa li".

　

　

2. Q: What is Exerting Force (Fa Li)?

A: "Fa li" in Yiquan is the short term for bursting force, which requires the sudden explosion of daily-practiced Zheng jin in the shortest possible period. The demand is "exert in no time, stop at once".

　

3. Q: What is the best exercise to help improve skills?

A: Zhan Zhuang is the basic skill in foundations, in which you can constantly enhance the demand (posture and mind). If you find you are weak in force or slow in reaction during the exercise of shi li, tui shou and fa li, you could seek and enhance the inner force through the guidance of mind activity in zhan zhuang. Practice from stillness to movement, then return to stillness, and repeatedly consult the different conditions to continue the exercise with mutual-help. The improving potential will be unlimited in this way.

　

4. Q: How is the practicing process alike?

A: You can add practice with steps and shi li to seek resistance after having sought resistance in zhanzhuang, and then take part in tui shou. The obvious feeling of resistance in shi li practices can be followed by fa li practice, which changes from fixed to non-fixed places, and further to free fa li (in imagination and actual combat with opponent). The even further stage is to practice in real condition, with combined use of punching and exerting force. When you are not in advanced stage, you can limit the places in body that can be attacked, or use protective instruments to avoid injury.

　

5. Q: Can you introduce something about punching to sandbag?

A: It is necessary to take it as a complementary practice. But the sandbag should not be stiff hard, since the hand will be painful by punching forcefully on it. If the sandbag is hard, you will unconsciously exert yourself before punching to it, that tense condition will affect the body, the speed and power to exert force. Therefore, the sandbag should be springy. Your act to punch (i.e. fa li) should follow the right demand and posture, and you should imagine the sandbag as a forceful opponent instead of a dead thing. The spirit you should bring into play is: attack is to attack, withdraw is also to attack. No matter advance or withdraw, step to the left or right, you should act as in actual combat.

　

6. Q: What is the simple basic way to practice between two people?

A: Party A should place the waists on that of Party B, and use relatively small force (but in a quick way) to suddenly press down Party B's hands. Party A's act points to the body of Party B above the chest (but never touch B's body). Party B should react swiftly and follow Party A's movement (i.e. follow the touching point of both parties). After the skilled exercise, Party A can separate a little B's arms to each side, pointing to the front. A can also separate the arms by one hand and point forward with the other hand, or press down the arms by one hand and point forward with the other hand. The movements of both hands can change freely and the up-down place of hands should alternate. The skilled exercise can be followed by fa li in practice. Single arm can also do the above-mentioned acts.

　

7. Q: Can you say something about apparatus practice?

A: The staff and sword should only be practiced after you have relatively high command of boxing skill. "Jin" in boxing field is also required to bring into the apparatus in Yiquan, with the same demand "exert in no time, stop at once". If you have no corresponding foundation in boxing skill, it is hard to learn the apparatus skill well. The reason is these two skills are interlinked.

　

8. Q: What does the feeling of resistance indicate?

 A: If you feel resistance around the body, that indicates the first step of seeking arguing force.

　

9. Q: What are main points of actual combat?

A: The most important thing in actual combat is stepping method. There should be some distance between two sides before the contact, so if you cannot approach the opponent, your power will find no way to play force. In the movements of both sides, it is crucial for you to seize advantageous place and force the opponent to be in passive position. You should take your way in one step, directly rushing to the vertical place with the opponent's gravity center so that he/she cannot resist. You can either advance by stepping forward or by drawing back (also including side attack and push forward to destroy the balance of the opponent temporarily). That's what the boxing masters point out: "the feet act takes up 70% and hands 30% in combat". In short, it is called "seize the place". "Feet" means "steps" and the standing place instead of kicking with the feet. It includes the coordination of hands, body and steps, which equals the so-called saying "one act arrives, all have arrived". For example, in a football game, the ball passed from the back is not satisfactory in the place, thus you have to create conditions and make use of loophole place of the opponent at this time. There is little time to make the decision, so all you could depend on is your practical experience and good skills. All in all, if you rely on your subjective idea instead of practical experience, the result will not be satisfactory, just as a joke said by Master Wang Xiangzhai: "the doctor wrote out a prescription and then waits the patient".

　

10. Q: How could I practice with limited spare time?

A: If you are busy at work with little time to practice, you can adopt the method of "combine parts into the whole" in shi li, zoubu and others, but not zhanzhuang. You can grasp a few minutes to practice with focused but not tense spirit. Sometimes you can even practice casually, without much intention, and it is also an active rest for your body and spirit. To boxing method, it is important to practice it at any convenient time. The long period of practice will lead to obvious effect, or at least deepen your understanding and sharpen your reaction to the boxing skills. Master Wang Xiangzhai said, "no time to practice, any time to practice"; "never forget to practice and improve".

　

11. Q: To my understanding, the feeling of resistance should be light at first, then become more and more intense, so that the imagined target is also heavier and heavier. The hands seem pressing a light ball at first, and the ball is becoming too heavy to push. Am I right?

A: You are right in understanding resistance.

　

12. Q: While in zhanzhuang, there are slight vibration all over the body, is it the natural or intentional reaction?

A: The slight vibration (squirm) all over the body in zhanzhuang is changing from natural to artificial effect. While in standing post (especially in pingbu zhuang, with separated feet and heels in a line), you can feel the slight vibration in calves, and then in thighs, waist, belly, chest and other places. If not control the vibration, it will develop to larger extent and influence the whole body, heels even lift and fall down to knock the ground. Even though the vibrating for dozes of minutes, you will not feel tired; on the contrary, you are really relaxed. When this phenomenon lasts for over ten days, you can practice "fu'an fa" in Yang Sheng Zhuang. Imagine you are standing erect in water and the hands are holding a wood board down below. If you have buoyant feeling in body when pressing the board, you can stop pressing it, but while the body seems to sink, you should resume pressing act. Until the buoyant and sink feeling are totally controlled by mind, you can control the strong vibration to the extent that others cannot notice it from outside. However, the muscles inside the body keep vibrating. The smaller the act is, the quicker the frequency becomes. We can quote the saying of boxing predecessor here: "Big vibration is inferior to small one, and small one is still inferior to stillness. The vibration of stillness is just the unceasing act". In practice, you should check if there are motionless or slowly vibrating muscles. If so, you can guide them with mind and they will definitely vibrate in longer period.

　

13. Q: Compared your motion with that of Mr. Han, I find that you use more body places, for instance, you use more treading force in back foot; Mr. Han keeps back feet crooked for most of time and doesn't use twisting force of ankles. Is it true that everybody will use different body place to seek "Zheng Jin" in Yiquan?

A: "Zheng jin" in Yiquan is to bring the force out of body into play as comprehensive as possible. Everybody has different style of exercise, thus how much force can they bring into play certainly varies. As for fa li by treading ground with feet, Form and Mind boxing principle has already revealed the gist---"information all relies on treading of back foot", which means the relation between acting and reacting forces.

　

14. Q: While practicing fa li by punching, is it true that speed up the shi li motion with loose condition, and finally seek arguing force in integral body (tense feeling in body) when punching to the target?

A: The demands of fa li practice:

•  Adopt fixed posture.

•  You can abruptly exert force in the same condition with shi li practice. The above two kinds of fa li are in "as if loose but not loose" condition, that is to say, abruptly throw out the inner feelings of resistance and heaviness sought by hands. Therefore, there is a part of force in hands before fa li, but only takes up 30%-40% of total force.

•  Before fa li, try your best to relax your body. Then imagine the opponent is coming to attack you, and you should violently exert force.

The common principle of fa li is " exert in no time, stop at once ".

　

15. Q: Can I punch to the hung cotton ball to practice fa li and boxing movements? While punching, is it right to move it or keep it still? Should I use all the force to finally clench the fists? Can this exercise improve my judgment of the distance to target?

A: Punching to cotton ball has below objectives. (1)accurate punch; (2)coordinated action of integral body; (3)the mastering of fa li time, which means the right time and force to tighten the fist and body while contacting the target. Once contact, exert force at once. Besides, you should circle the cotton ball to punch it, advancing or withdrawing or evading, but don't punch it flying far. You'd better punch it to slightly movement, or farther intentionally so that you can practice pursuing and withdrawing to punch. Your steps should be natural and flexible instead of stiff and inert. When punches arrive, feet arrive; when body arrives, force arrives. It has been mentioned by predecessors as "One factor arrives, all arrive".

　

16. Q: The demand for arguing force is motionless appearance. Is it true that the degree of tenseness is low at the beginning, and becomes higher and higher with the increase of practicing time?

A: Beginners of arguing force are required to use mind instead of actual force, so they are permitted to move in appearance as long as there are inner force feeling. To further the process, your force should arrive together with mind, and the arguing force gradually increases until it cannot be led move and pushed out. The process of interchange of loose and tense feeling can be slow and short. There is a saying to sum up, "loose or tense, appropriate state is the necessity; false and real, but they are interlinked".

　

17. Q: The most crucial point in arguing force is the upward-downward force. How could its mind activity be arranged?

A: Master Wang Xiangzhai once said, "the pivot of loose or tense condition lies in upward and downward direction". The specific methods are as follows: in zhanzhuang, imagine a spring obliquely connecting the back of your neck (below the ears) and the place under the tip of front foot. Dingxin (center of head top) is pointing upward, and the neck slightly leans backward. Having sought this jin, imagine another spring is connecting between dingxin and the bottom place of heel of back foot. Then the center of head top is pointing upward, and the back foot is pressing down, both with mind. As for the exercise in motion, such as fricative steps, your tip of front foot should touch the ground, and the head is leaning upward in back direction to argue with the foot tip. The force is same whether in advancing or withdrawing step. Having grasped the feeling, you can go on with arguing force between dingxin and back foot after touching the ground with foot tip. Then you can seek the arguing force in free steps. It is the most basic exercise in fa li of Yiquan, which is summed by the saying "information relies totally on treading of back foot".

 

18. Q: One of my schoolmates has some Qigong foundation, and recently he has practiced relatively low Yang Sheng Zhuang for a period, feeling the moving air inside the body. Is it having something to do with boxing skill? Is it the right feeling of advanced practitioners? Master Wang wrote an article on practicing breath in "Yiquan Right Path" and mentioned "Zhoutian secret of success". Will you give me some instructions on this?

A: Your friend apparently has been influenced by Qigong in practicing Yiquan. Most practitioners feel the warmth from underneath the feet in zhan zhuang, and it gradually spreads to the whole body. Jingqi (spirit) spreads to the whole body little by little (quoted from Shaolin Boxing Treasured Book), instead of in straight lines. In breathing naturally, your body is like a hollow leather bag, swelling and shrinking with the inhaling and exhaling of the air. Mr. Wang did research to Qigong in early years, but in middle age, he found it has more disadvantages to people's health. "Yiquan Right Path" was his early work, which indeed included some different sayings with later ones.

　

19. Q: You just said the body is like a hollow leather bag, swelling and shrinking with the breath. Should I inhale the air and it swells and exhales and it shrinks? If I have no such feeling, should I imagine it?

A: The body is indeed swelling while inhaling the air, and shrinking while exhaling the air in zhan zhuang. This feeling is easy to possess. You can lie on the bed facing upward, with naturally stretched limbs and relaxed spirit. Your mind should be focused and the frequency of breath slower, then imagine the breeze is blowing around you and all the hairs of yours swing with it. Repeat for a few times and you will definitely feel it.

　

20. Q: "The underbelly should be always round", does it mean the breath of underbelly? Does the underbelly swell while exhaling the air?

A: "The underbelly should be always round" means that even in motion, you should keep the pit of the heart slightly withdrawing and underbelly round and relaxed. The breath should remain natural, neither be lifted nor pressed down. In appearance, the underbelly should keep the central place, that is, the gravity center in motion. The breath should be instantly through the underbelly in the twinkling moment of fa li. Shi Sheng method could be applied here.

　

21. Q: This is my understanding of arguing force, and would you please modify it for me?

In the beginning stage , arguing forces in each part of the body should be constructed first, such as that between back neck and front foot, between back hip and front knee, between front hand and back neck, between front hand and back hand, and between the body and surrounding. Besides, there should be arguing force between front hand, front knee and a point a few or dozes of chi before the body. In practice, the back neck should push upward to the back, and the gravity center of upper body should slightly lean backward on the back leg, thus the back hip has the arguing force with fixed front knee. The lifting of back neck also leads to arguing force between back neck and front foot. The backward movement of back hip leads to the motion of back hand, thus generating the arguing force between back hand and front hand. The comprehensive motion of arguing force should be slow (first slow, and quicker and quicker after mastery, and later the fundamental feeling is: loose equals tense, and vice versa. Am I right?). The muscles of both hands should be relaxed, and gradually intensify with the back shift of gravity center. Is it the slightly tense feeling instead of high-degree tenseness? The gravity center of body begins moving forward slowly after it reaching the extreme back point, and the muscles also relax little by little. Is there the upward-downward arguing force between the head and back foot before the shift? The distance of shifting back and forth of gravity center should be small, better invisible from appearance. Is it true that before fa li, the feeling is tense and becomes loose after fa li?

　

A: To answer your question of practicing process of arguing force, I would like to introduce the process of seeking "jin" which I adopted years ago for your reference.

•  Front hand, the point in front of you (several chi in distance), and your back neck should be on a straight line. The main motion lies in Ling (pushing upward force), and stop at once after the arguing force appears.

(The movements should be slow, with slight force and actual mind activity)

•  Add the arguing force between front hand and back hand.

•  Add the arguing force between back neck and front foot.

•  There are also arguing forces between back hip and front knee joint (arguing forward to slightly downward direction), and between two joints of knees.

  Furthermore, there are arguing forces between joints of two ankles, between shoulders and hips, between hands and feet, all in straight or oblique lines. Mr. Wang once said that "there is no place having no arguing force".

"Center" in "argue for a common center" refers to up-and-down condition. "Argue" is to use mind to sense the arguing force in slow motion at first, and then argue (in quick motion) immediately when the mind arrives. The speed could be either quick or slow; the state could be either loose or tense. The tenseness may exist in loose state, and vice versa. "Loose or tense, Zheng is the necessity" sums it up, and "Zheng" means an appropriate state.

  You are right to say "before fa li of Yiquan, the feeling is tense and becomes loose after fa li". But this tenseness is not absolute, to what extent should it be? You should flexibly make use of it according to different mind activity. The principle is "Loose instead of lax, tense instead of still", so please boldly seek it regardless of strict conventions. What you have also mentioned in the letter are also correct, but needs some changes in the future advanced stage. The principles, however, remain unchanged.

　

22. Q: What is the meaning of "Push 30% and Hold 70%"?

A: According to my understanding, the inward holding force should be larger than outward pushing force in zhanzhuang exercise, and the proportion is 70% to 30%. The pushing and holding forces are used together to be ready to exert, but not exert. (Han Xingqiao) not certain, sometimes totally inward, and sometimes wholly outward.

 

23. Q: To me, the most difficult thing in Yiquan is how to handle the tenseness properly. At first, the feeling should be very loose, but it turns out irrational when I exert myself in hou tian qi. But when I feel some resistance, I wound easily exert too much force and the feeling becomes too tense, so that the changing rate of tenseness and force becomes too slow. Do you agree? Can you give me advice on how to overcome this problem?

A: You asked a good question, which revealed your improvement on academic understanding as well as the practical skills. Only a practitioner on certain high level can ask this core question. "Tenseness" is the core of all sports activities as well as social things. When to loosen? When to tense? To what degrees? All should depend on the specific conditions. Zhao pan, a scholar in Qing dynasty, wrote in the second line of a couplet in the temple of Marquis Wu (Zhuge Liang). He wrote, "Looseness and tenseness will both fail to meet the demand if the situation is not be considered; Let's ponder deeply to the way of governing Country Shu". The contemporary Chinese leaders also made the remark, "the right path of being adept with both pen and sword is to handle properly the relation between looseness and tenseness". The profound knowledge in these remarks is hard to be well explained. A Yiquan principle makes it clear, "loose but not lax, tense but not stiff". "tense" means the state that with force, but not over-exerted. "Stiff" means the over-exerted force, which makes resistance to hinder the smooth running of force. As for the degree of resistance, it comes from imagination. You can imagine practicing in "loose" condition, or in half "loose" half "tense" condition, or in "tense" condition. To seek force in repeatedly changing tenseness, and finally achieve the state "as if loose but not actually". Tenseness should exist in looseness, and vice versa, but all should be under the mind control.

　

24. Q: I found it hard to exert force while pushing hands (tui shou) with my friend. I conclude it is because the lack of practice that I can't seize the right time to exert force while the directions, forces and places of both sides are constantly changing. Besides, I also fail to master arguing force, so that the preparation time for fa li is too long. How can I solve the problem?

A: You should always keep balance in tui shou (i.e. the force cannot lean to only one side). While being pressed by the other Party's force, you should put half oblique surface on the touching point, so that part of his/her force will come to noting and the force can swerve. You could use the following ways to destroy the attack of the other side: changing the mind and direction of forces; motion of steps and body, either in forward-backward or left-right directions; raise or lower the gravity center. Meanwhile, you can make use of these changes to attack the opponent, and exert force when you have controlled him/her (in line with the feeling of touching point and the place of the opponent) in passive (stiff) situation. Wrong judgments are hard to avoid in practice, but don't be excessively cautious, because only through failures can you gradually understand the fast changing of force in profound way.

　

25. Q: The usual speed of steps in practice is normal, but it needs to be very fast from distance away to enter the scope of the opponent. Is there any special practice directly for this?

A: In our basic training, steps should be slow and even in order to seek resistance. After having feeling of resistance (in advancing or withdrawing way), you should intensify the mind activity to enhance the resistance. Then you can shift the weight of resistance, thus making the sought force powerful and flexible. You were right to say the speed should be as fast as possible in entering the opponent's scope, but it is only the relative speed. The key distance is one and a half step from the opponent. While we are changing steps unceasingly, our opponent is also moving without stop, so we should find out the loose space and improper place of his/hers to suddenly insert steps. The basic training is based on fricative steps: (1) standing in fricative steps, (2) the support leg is still, and front leg slightly extends forward, (3) extends forward for about 30 cm, and like sliding, put heel first on the ground. And then back leg follows.

　

26. Q: Which post is better to seek the resistance, Yang Sheng Zhuang or Hunyuan Zhuang?

A: To seek the resistance, jiji zhuang is relatively explicit, simple and efficient. But in Yang Sheng Zhuang, you can also seek resistance, such as " Yao fa", "Xuan fa", but they seek slight and free resistance. It is the advanced exercise in further stage.

 

27. Q: The arguing force in upward-downward way mainly includes the forces between back neck and front foot, and between head top and back foot. Should the central part of body join this force? In the standing posture (5) of jianshen zhuang, you said the body should lean backward in downward direction, thus generating arguing force with the front. Does "straight post" refer to the upward-downward arguing force of the spine?

A: The stress of upward-downward arguing force lies on the force between front foot and neck, back foot and head top. But each part of the body should also join in, with the emphasis, "shoulders feel like shouldering a load, hands feel like carrying a basket" (in mind). What Yang Sheng Zhuang (5) said is to say that each finger seems connecting with a spring, and while the body leans backward in downward direction, fingers should pull the springs to keep balance, and seek arguing force. Straight post is upward-downward arguing force, but with very slight demand.

　

28. Q: You said that before exerting force forward, one should first pull the force backward. Do you want to take the body as a bow? Because of upward-downward force, a strong bowstring is formed. When the body is bumping backward, it certainly will bounce back. Is it true that when the imagined spring has more elastic force, the exerted force will become stronger?

A: You are right. To make use of upward-downward force to form the first main spring, and through it, imagine another several springs (in upward-downward, front-back, left-right directions). The inside is arguing with outside as well as inside, thus achieving the state in which "no place is not arguing".

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All rights reserved. Yao Chengguang, Beijing Zongxun Wuguan,Beijing Institue of YiQuan