Tag Archives: 9 joints 5 hearts

Neijia, Xing Yi

Jue 决. Bursting/Exploding

The energy of bursting or exploding with your strike is always an exciting feeling. It makes you feel alive, powerful. Its one of the easiest jings to discuss but the intricacies of this energy is what makes it truly special.

What are these subtleties of this Jing? It involves the funneled connection of all parts working together to maximize the potential power. Like water breaking through the dam, its power is channeled through a specific point, exploding through and past in a gush of raw power. Bursting comes from inside. It starts at the Dan tian. What does that mean though? It’s the center of you equilibrium, its where all movement should start and end. Without a stable platform the energy can be easily dispersed or unconnected. From your center you can move energy anywhere and if you practice you can move this energy anywhere very quickly.

Yet to move quickly you need to bring your legs and root with you. They will follow your center, pushing off then re-rooting where you intend to go. It issue a force that explodes one must have the concept of due ba li within all parts of their body. At the exact moment the strike is delivered a slight sinking energy should be issued to root and allow the equal and opposite energy to extend out their arm or leg. Can when issue energy without this sink? Sure but you will find the power just not quite as strong (but depending on the fighter could still be extremely strong), a piece missing from the puzzle so to speak.

One also must be lifting upward or Ti (or Chui-suspending, many descriptions for it). Neither leaning in either direction (or any of the 6 honestly) and center maintained. You must “hang around your bones” and be stable. If one leans its creates a slight energy draw towards that direction. Is that necessarily a bad thing? No not necessarily, if one leans forward you will direct the energy that way but you may find yourself using more Li (strength) than Jing (power) as it will be slightly slower, not as sharp. When you center is off your power can be disrupted and dispersed more easily. You will not be as quick in any direction, dedicated but limited in a way.

To truly burst your energy your joints must be connected and coordinated. Starting at the foot and going up the leg, twisting through the waist, up the back and through the shoulder to arm to fist takes practice. You must relax, allowing the pulse to freely move through the body and not bind up at some joint. Many people talk of 9 joints or 5 joints or 3 bows or 5 bows: these terms all while independent of eachother hold many similar concepts together, most importantly is the coordination of the body to shoot the power out like an arrow. It must have Ting, or straightness, your joints compact together and explode together.

The energy must come through the shoulder and arm through the fist to a point beyond (Same for a kick as well). It must feel like your sending your strike to penetrate through your target! Use your intent and focus. Yi or intent is highly emphasized in internal martial arts but is discussed in any fighting realm. Whether you figure it imaginary or something greater, the idea of striking through your target adds effects. It causes you to slightly lengthen, to load and unload slightly greater, to move slightly faster and more coordinated. All these effects, while potentially small, can add up and create effects well beyond an unfocused strike.

Here is the other catch on Yi and intent. Your mind most be totally focused on that event. It must brain all its energy into it and leave nothing behind. An amazingly focused mind brings that much more coordination and power. Like an unfocused workout, you just don’t move as well, lift as much, fight as hard. It’s a catalyst to greater effect and truly needed in a fight. The mind must obviously be ready to move into the next event and not be stagnant but it MUST be focused. Note: some people will talk lofty ideals of no mind and connection to nothingness, these are very viable concepts in internal martial arts but are not something typical applied to this. This leads into much deeper debates on ideals that are not necessarily wrong but will bleed over into other concepts.

Internal arts looks to maximize the use of the mind and body, this includes how it strikes. It looks to harmonize the strong and soft, the energy coming in and going out, it looks to move with coordination, it looks to move with power and energy. Any small piece out of alignment or not focused in that moment take away from the whole. You can do 10,000 punches or kicks everyday but without focus, intent, consistency in effort, your power will be limited. Your power will not develop over time as effectively and it will not truly explode through at a level that would be discussed for years to come!

8 Methods, Liu He Ba Fa

Liu He Ba 8 Methods– 2nd Method: Bone

Da Mo aka Bodhidharma, transmitter of Buddhism to China and creator of Yi Jin Jing and Xi Sui Jing

The second method is Bone: gu骨.  Its states Bone power collects internally– gu jing nei lian (骨劲内敛).   On the basic level this method is associated with proper movement and alignment of structure.  Head up, chin in, back straight, your joints aligned and working in harmony.  If one part moves everything moves; if one part is still it is all still.  Many internal martial arts talk about 3 tips, 3 external harmonies, 9 joints, 3 hearts and within some Liu He Ba Fa lineages masters talk of the 9 joints and 5 hearts.  The intent of all these ideas are the same.  To move in a coordinated manner to create maximum force in the most effective manner.  Whether moving fast, slow, soft, or hard all effort must be made with all parts of the body in the correction direction.  If you hand falls but your  foot does not its incomplete.  If your foot falls but your hand does not the same inefficiency happens.  Everything must be coordinated.  Some internal arts fall with a flat foot during certain movements and others use a heel to toe effect.  In the end if your dan tians (upper, middle, lower) are in line and your hands and feet, knees and elbows, shoulders and kua move in unison you will find the harmony in your body. These harmonies can also be broken down farther into sections like shoulder, elbow, wrist and farther still into wrist, palm, and finger.  The more micro you can make it and feel it connected the more connection you will potentially make.  Some Liu He Ba Fa move their body in total unison while others follow more of a water principle and have a wave like effect among their joints.  I will not say one way is more correct than the other as long as in the end they work towards such jins as Hua Jin, Lou Shan Jin, and other energy expressions.

Yet there are deeper levels as well. Some sources talk of bone marrow as a source of Qi production due to the fact your first treasure (Jing) is used in TCM to make bone marrow. It is said when you are born your marrow is full, as one ages Yuan (pre-natal) Qi and Yuan Jing are gradually consumed and depleted.  So one must return to their origin and nourish the marrow.   Even Qigong sets are conducted with this process of renewing and rejuvenating bone marrow — i.e.  Marrow washing (usually associated with muscle/tendon changing qigong).  If your Qi is abundant it will naturally fill your bones and will be identified with a person having strong teeth.  Back in the turn of the century, masters with their Si Shou filled could tear metal with their teeth; something not readily seen now-a-days.  It helps to conduct Qi Gong or Liu He Ba Fa  with an inward intent at some point in your training, towards your bones and dan tian.  Working on condensing and expanding your qi with your breath.  The movement of Qi into the bones will strengthen them, rejuvenate them, and help rid your body of potential disease and illness.