Seen From Present Phenomenon of Yiquan to Essence

Yiquan, once called Dachengquan, was founded by Mr. Wang Xiangzhai in 1940s. Later, it was perfected and systemized in both theory and practice by Mr. Yao Zongxun, who combined the distillate of Chinese and foreign martial arts together. Through the development of over half a century, there is a large number of people openly imparting and learning Yiquan at present. The phenomenon shows this martial art boasts high vitality, which is above criticism for its popularization. However, seen from the phenomenon of Yiquan to the essence, it is very difficult for us to tell the good from the bad. For the sake of personal benefits, some people even want to gain fame by rewriting history, deceiving public and cheating people.
Yiquan has already stepped from China to the whole globe now. In the world, many Yiquan fans learn diligently and perseveringly in order to achieve their dream of Martial art. Yet it is unfortunate that they are not learning real Yiquan. Many teachers themselves didn’t take scientific and systematic training, but still openly teach students with distorted postures and movements and wrongly understood theory, which led to the misunderstanding that Yiquan merely has an unwarranted fame after many students learn fake Yiquan.

 Then how to see through the present phenomenon of Yiquan and get its essence? You should follow three points:

 Firstly, to know Yiquan with a materialistic attitude

During the recent years, there have been some mysterious sayings in the circle of Yiquan, such as “shooting with qi distantly”, “hitting people through air”, “supernatural ability”, etc. There are also some people advocating “18 combat methods”, “36 methods” and some other so-called unique skills. All of these are against the essence of Yiquan. Yiquan is a practical and realistic science. From the beginning of its foundation, it has always excluded the superstitious dreg and been guided by the scientific theory. Mr. Wang Xiangzhai once said, those who don’t know Yiquan well think others don’t know either, so they use the mysterious sayings to cheat people. However, the mysterious sayings are very ridiculous because of their superficial discrimination and appreciation. Mr. Yao Zongxun also mentioned that there appears some antiscientific propaganda, such as “supernatural boxing”, “human body’s resistance to swords and guns”, “hitting people through a wall”, etc. This is an evil phenomenon, which will disappear in the near future and the vitality only lies in the scientific training. He also insisted that Yiquan has excluded any superstitious dreg and guided by the scientific theory since the foundation. In the development history of Yiquan, even Mr. Wang Xiangzhai and Mr. Yao Chengguang cannot “shoot with qi distantly” or “hit people through air”, let alone “supernatural ability”. As to “18 combat methods”, “36 methods” and other so-called “unique skills”, they are e1ven more ridiculous. As is well known, the essence of martial arts is that one posture can become thousands of postures, and thousands of postures can return to one essential posture. So when we mention the method of Yiquan, we are referring to the essence and principle, which focuses on the whole body instead of a part of body, and referring to the training method of how to exert the instinct of human being, but not unilateral or partial movement. Mr. Wang Xiangzhai once angrily said, isn’t it the way of learning martial arts through forms caused the deterioration of the essence of martial arts? These words are exactly the criticism to the mystification of Yiquan. The reason why there are mysterious sayings and so-called unique skills in the realm of Yiquan is that the propagators didn’t know Yiquan well because of lacking of scientific and systematic training, thus have to use mysteriousness to cover their sciolism and to show off their unfathomableness. Yet they turn to be only talkers and cannot bear real fighting.

Yiquan is a kind of science. We must treat it modestly, honestly and seriously, simultaneously against either anxiousness and impatience, or fogyism and mysteriousness. Meanwhile Yiquan fans shouldn’t be blind to follow the trend. On the contrary, we should exert our enthusiasm to know Yiquan objectively with materialistic attitude. Only combining scientific and systematic practice with theoretical study can we make real progress.

Secondly, use scientific and systematic method to learn Yiquan

Just as the famous saying goes, those who are good at calligraphy lead the tip of pen with their intention while those who do well in painting have panorama on their mind, which serves as a perfect indication of the leading role of “yi” (intention) in any practice. The same goes true in martial arts for the saying “Intention commands strength”. Physiologically, any body movement results from the muscles’ expansion and contraction on bones under the control of the neurotic system. Hence, the mental control is of primary importance. That is why Yiquan put so much emphasis on the training of intention. Therefore, intention is the soul of martial arts, and the higher level of mental movement, the better capability of physical fighting. Nowadays, however, many Yiquan practicers emphasize too much on intention while neglecting the correct and proper postures, which are the carrier of the “soul”. Martial art with only intention but no correct and rigorous posture is nothing but the castle in the air and cannot be practical in real fighting. There are also those, who only pay attentions to the coordination of posture without correct guidance of intention, talking about so-called “ the connecting and expanding of whole framework”, etc. This way, although can produce firm Zhanzhuang but also can counteract the neurotic system from receiving stimulus, will result in inflexible strength as time goes by, which will seriously affect the effect in the real fighting.

In Yiquan, “yi” is the command of spirit borrowing while “quan” is the outside form of movement. Martial art is the perfect combination of mind and body. Without body movement, mind is just castle in the air; meanwhile without the guide of mind, body movement is only purposeless movement. Hence, intention and posture are an interdependent whole that cannot be divided. It is the correct intention conducting combined with intrinsic posture that form the right way of Yiquan training and it goes counter to the principle of Yiquan to overemphasize or neglect either side.

 “Scientific, systematic, intrinsic and standardized” is the teaching and learning principle that Yiquan always follows. To learn Yiquan, we should advocate scientific and theoretical method, systematic training procedure, strict teaching attitude and correct postures, presenting to students the whole theoretical and technological system gradually, from the easy and outside to the difficult and inside, thus making them learn Yiquan clearly and orderly with correct movement patterns and conditional response.

Physiologically, to grasp a sport skill is to establish correct conditional response, which requires a healthy and comprehensive neurotic system. Only when you make use of the right way to strengthen conditional response, improve the function of neurotic system, automatic the movement and form the correct movement patterns can you really grasp the skill. Thus, we must follow the principle of  “Scientific and systematic, intrinsic and standardized”, otherwise, one can easily go astray by forming wrong movement patterns and conditional response. Yiquan advocates comprehensive developing principle, thinking that basic skills such as, Zhanzhuang, Shili and Fali, are all ways to pursue and grasp Hunyuanli in different conditions. Therefore, spirit borrowing and intention conducting and should be conducted simultaneously. After gaining some basis, the training for real fighting should be put on agenda to improve students’ responding capability, and to grasp Hunyuanli in varying conditions. Meanwhile, it is necessary to exercise running, skipping ropes and Fali to improve physical qualities such as stamina, speed and coordination.
 
All in all, Yiquan attaches great importance to real fighting. Any training should center on real fighting, and the improvement of which in turn comes from the amelioration of neurotic system function, the growth of mental and physical health quality and the automation of combat strategy. Hence, we must follow the scientific and systematic training method and combine these three aspects organically to improve the overall quality comprehensively. There is no short cut in learning Yiquan. If any, that must be the right method + the guidance of experienced teacher + one’s intelligence and diligence and plenty real fighting experience. None of these aspects can be omitted or there is no difference with just paying lip service.

Thirdly, allow innovation in developing Yiquan

The key to academic study lies in innovation and development, without which academic study will be inactive and lifeless. Just as Mr. Wang Xiangzhai once said, it is unwise to follow the beaten track and cling to the dated ideas in the academic study, and what is important is to observe and create.  However, it needs to be clear that the innovation mentioned above is the animate one based on tradition rather than the speed-oriented achievement or unorthodox creation. Therefore, we should open minds to other kinds of martial arts and absorb their essence instead of limiting to a narrow view, when we learn Yiquan. When Mr. Wang Xiangzhai found boxing is very practical and scientific, he absorbed the essence with great courage. Later, Mr. Yao Zongxun introduced the training method and instruments of western fighting into the training of Yiquan and improved the technological system of it. At that time, there were mixed opinions towards this. In fact, both innovation and development progress by giving up the old and taking in the new. The reality also proves that it is wise of Mr. Yao Zongxun to do this. The introduction of punch mitts and sandbag can help strengthen the adaptability when fist hits upon human body; the protective gears and fight glove can protect one and his rival from hurt effectively, so that one can exert forceful hitting and experience real fighting without hurting his rival, which greatly enriches the training system of Yiquan and improves the training effect. Undoubtedly, it is another revolutionary progress in Chinese martial arts.

What is sad is that when western fighting researchers are studying how to use more scientific training method, some so-called “big shots” in China are still advocating “muscles and bonds training’. The so-called “muscles and bonds training” is Mr. Wang Xiangzhai’s immature opinion in his early period. When the “spirit borrowing and intention conducting” combined with physical movement become the core of the training, the “muscles and bonds training” has finished its task and become bygones. Mr. Wang Xiangzhai did not mention the old opinion any more during his late period. “There is no limit in martial arts, how comes the saying of final achievements?” Any established martial artist devoted all his life to the persistent exploration, absorption and discarding so as to improve his own martial art system. The understanding of martial arts is different from the early, middle until the late period. It can be said that the opinion of his late years is the most mature “works”. At present there are still some people who cling to the immature works of Mr. Wang Xiangzhai’s early period and believe in and talking about them insistently. In fact, they do not know the history and development of Yiquan, nor do they know the essence of Yiquan. Admittedly, the “muscles and bonds training” did exist for a time, yet it only indicates that it matched the features of the social environment in which the martial arts exist then. However, society is developing, during which process it inevitably will discard those that do not fit its inside law. And the same goes true for the martial arts. The result will be easily predicted if we armed with knives and spears on today’s arena of high technology saying that it is the treasure passed down by ancestors. Hence, the key to martial arts lies in innovation and development so as to keep with the features of time.

Now, with the great support by relative departments of the state, the competition rules for Yiquan pushing hands and combat fighting have been published. A series of contests have also been held successfully, which is a milestone for Yiquan to step towards profession. It is believed that in the near future, Yiquan will participate in the international fighting stage in the name of China’s practical martial art.