Dear Fellow Members of Neijia List:
Attached is a refurbished and more polished attempt at the Core Principles FAQ. I submit it for discussion and consideration and flame-testing. :^)
In working on this FAQ, I was trying to constantly defend what was said in several ways:
Masters: Would this list get any argument from the masters I know?
Newbies: Would this list help a just-joining list-member get off to a good start?
Current Members: Could I ultimately pursuade a current member that I was sticking to the lowest common denominator? [The *toughest* one!! :^) ]
Anyway, I expect changes will be made. Please remember that *nothing* is perfect and I tried with all the good intentions..... but it's in the Hands of Chan, now (Terry Chan).
Best Regards,
Mike Sigman
Below is a list of various skills and attributes that are considered part of "good" Taiji, Xingyi, Bagua, DaChengQuan, etc. The list will be questioned, challenged, and added to by the members of the Neijia Mailing List. We will try to keep a consensus cross-check by having various members socially call-on other members if and when they do any travelling. *All* of this is open to questioning and modification.
Terry Chan [[ twchan@dante.lbl.gov ]] is the arbitor of this list; discussion of addition, deletion, correctness, should include Terry, because he will make the final decision from this point on (remember, *nothing* is set in stone until Terry says so).
Also: The point of this list is to establish the *core* attributes of the internal, not to make a list of all *possible* attributes of the internal martial arts. This listing should show the commonality of the internal martial arts through the BODY REQUI REMENTS section, with the different styles branching out from there.
The various developments of BODY REQUIREMENTS are part of what differentiates the skills of each individual "internal" martial art; the ways these skills are used in strategy and application is the other main area that delineates the various styles.
The idea is not to exclude anyone's style-related practices, as long as the practices don't develop *away* from the core attributes ... e.g., muscle tension exercises which lead away from relaxed whole-body strength. Since this sort of thing will inevita ble lead to discussion, our cross-check (personal visit) approach should help.
Preliminary: SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES FOR GOOD INTERNAL MARTIAL ARTS
If a skilled internal martial arts teacher offers his forearm to be pushed upon, it will seem that he is "immovable" .... yet the teacher will still be so flexible that he can easily wiggle his knees, hips, rotate his shoulders, etc. Often, when asking h ow the teacher is doing this seemingly impossible feat, he will reply, "Qi." [Or "Ki" or "Ch'i", etc.].
In this mailing list, it may be simpler for us to recognize a few things up front about this kind of feat, thereby allowing us to simplify our concepts and language, which will in turn allow us to devote more time to easier learning.
First of all, even though the concept of "Qi" is intrinsically bound up in the feat mentioned above, the teacher is actually connecting his relaxed body in such a way as to make the push go into the ground. He could similarly have built a path from his r ibcage to the ground, from his shoulder to the ground, etc. He can also build any of these paths from the ground *toward* someone in order to strike them with the solidity of the ground.
This "ground-path" is called a jing, which could mean a number of things.. "refined strength", "force vector", "skill", etc. So the words "jing," "Qi", "ground-strength", etc., are often used to mean the same thing. Since this ground-strength is the ba sis for the "ward-off" of Taiji, it is often called "peng-jing", but it has many more sophisticated usages than just ward-off, not only in Taiji, but also in Bagua, Xingyi, I-Chuan, etc. Those many topics and variations are part of the discussion of the Neijia mailing list.
The "ground-strength" is used in expansive or "opening" movements..... as these movements reach their limits, whether they are expansive limits or twisting limits, the body tissues get stretched to the point where they begin a natural movement in the othe r way. This is the beginning of "closing" movements. A constant cycle from open to close is a natural part of the movements of the internal martial arts.
When "closing", the connections throughout the body are optimally trained to work as one unit. The musculature, fascia, tendons, ligaments, skin, etc., become a sheathing which powers the "closing" cycle of the motion.
In the "internal" martial arts, the retraining of the body to use these skills is probably the most difficult hurdle to cross. The re-patterning of our musculature to sustain this unique motion and use of the ground-strength and whole-body is time consum ing. Relaxation is critical to the retraining of the body.
In retraining the body to use these skills, the area of the abdomen and lower back acquire a different role in relation to actual strength-usage. The abdominal and lower-torso musculature roles change dramatically in this process, hence the "Tan Tien" ar ea becomes a discussion not only in the theories of "Qi", but also in the study of "internal strength" in the physical sense.
Different "internal" martial arts may use these skills to varying degrees... this will generally denote to what extent a martial style is called "internal." Within a style, different practitioners have different controls of these abilities... this will d enerally denote whether one uses "internal" or "external" strength. For instance, a given practitioner may know *all* of the Bagua (Taiji, Xingyi, Aikido, etc.) forms and applications and yet have never gained the use of the internal strength skills. Te chnically, such a practitioner does not do internal martial arts.
It's easy to see that many, many complexities can grow from these basics which link all of the "internal" styles. The developments in the different styles and subsets is a matter of discussion and interest on this mailing list.
Listed below are the bare-bones "Lowest Common Denominators" which link *ALL* of the internal martial arts. Again, this list is always open to revision and suggested change... you are part of this list, and your input is always solicited.
BODY REQUIREMENTS:
1. *Relaxed* ability to propagate and use the "ground-strength" (peng strength, Ki strength, "Qi", etc.) [[references, Kuo LienYing, Jou Tsung Hwa, Cheng Man Cheng, et al); along with the postures which support this skill.
2. Relaxed *Whole Body Connection* and the postures which support this.
BASIC POWERS AND ABILITIES:
1. *OPENING POWER* Fa-Jing, Short-power, Tsuan-chuan & Pao-chuan (xingyi), Shaking power, Shuddering power, Vibrating power, etc. The ability to store and release power with the body or with a weapon manipulated by the body, in a direction up and outward from the ground.
Anecdotal Examples: a. Yang LuChan "pats" attacking Shaolin monk's fist, sending him 6 feet away. b. Kuo Yun Shen (Xingyi) is able to place fist against opponent and knock him out. c. further examples........
2. *CLOSING POWER* Lu-jing, Pi-chuan (xingyi), Cold-power, etc. The ability to store and release power with the body (and gravity) or with a weapon manipulated by the body, in a direction downward or inward toward the ground.
Anecdotal Examples: a. Chen FaKe breaks floor in hotel while doing stomp from form. b. Cheng Man Cheng pushes opponent's feet through floor during encounter. c. Yang Pan Hou breaks grip of contender in encounter where sleeve torn.
3. QI. Qi is a broad term which can mean many things, e.g., air, movement, intrinsic power of the body, energy from food, the basal power of the universe, the ground-vector strength, etc., etc. For the sake of discussion in the physical maneuverin gs of the "internal" martial arts, it is simpler to say that most references to "Qi" will be to the motions involving peng-jing and whole body closing, or "Qi" will refer to the etheric side of Qi.
The etheric side of Qi, whether "circulated" or "emitted" or "stored", etc., is considered a very real aspect of these discussions. Currently, a separate FAQ is being considered to deal with the subject.
BASIC STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES: See FAQs (in process) of the individual internal martial arts.
Qigongs: Circulatory, Emitted, Conditioning, Cleansing. (FAQ under consideration)
Held or Slow Postures: Building up Peng & Connection & Etheric Qi.
Health Aspects: Strength, TCM qi flow, balance/motor coordination/..
neutralizing: See under "Techniques."
crossing power: See under "Techniques."
Go with the Ki: See under "Techniques."
Unsubstantiated Claims: Not Common to All Styles: (FAQ in Progress)