Tag Archives: Intent

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!

Neijia, Push Hands (Tui Shou)

聽 Tīng and 懂 Dǒng Jin: Listening and Understanding Energy

These two jings are very important within IMA and all Martial Arts in general, internal stylists just specifically emphasize it.

Ting Jin is an easy Jin to discuss but truly takes time and dedication to understand and “get.” Listening Jin is based on touch with any part of your body (almost everyone begins this by learning to listen with their forearms and hands). You adhere-stick (Zhan nian – discussed in the last blog post linked here) to your opponent and learn to feel their “energy” and movement. When will they move? Through listening Jin it will be revealed to you.

Dong Jin is the next logical progression. Once you can “feel” their energy you must be able to understand it. Now you must answer, “How will they move.” Will they attack or defend? Will they move forward or backward? Understanding Jin can be used in offense or defense. Is their energy hard, is it coming at you? Or is is soft, are they deflecting or parrying your strike? Now you must also do this while you are attacking or defending. Whether you throw the kick or punch or defend against it the Jin must always be present to know what your opponent will do and/or how they will react.

Why do we train these Jin’s? To understand and overcome our opponent. “Well Sifu I will just overcome them with my superior offense! You know what they say… the best defense is a solid offense!” I cannot argue that having a solid offense is great but to reach the higher levels of fighting defense integrated with offense is the true key. Understanding your opponent and making the fight look effortless is truly amazing to watch. To react before they even seem to move makes it seem like your skills are on a level that seem mysterious. All martial arts have/discuss this skill as it gives you an edge– Boxers call it a sixth sense, IMA calls it having spiritual power. It’s not magical, its engrained. Discipline and repetition, putting one’s self in countless scenarios(compliant and non-compliant). Your body must be empty yet alert. It must be honed, trained. You “connect” with someone you will instantly be able to react with the techniques and skills you have attained. The confrontation will become a sort of dance, you will constantly be attacking and defending, becoming substantial and insubstantial. You must effortlessly move back and forth with your opponent, being empty and full interchangeably. You must never getting out of distance that you cannot “listen” to their energy while at the same time putting yourself in a superior position, usually at an angle or body alignment that allows for instant defense/offense. One does not truly hone these skills through countless hours of forms and basics (but they are foundational and there are reasons this is done as well 😉 you must take that leap of faith and train these skills against partners.

A majority of people train these concepts through push hands. Push hands is a great exercise that I love to participate in but it’s limited in function. Advancing to restricted or freestyle push hands helps and I recommend as well but still limits capability. To get those skills that truly seem superior and appear mysterious I believe one must spar. Compliant at first through partner drills, as soon as you connect with your opponent “feel” their movement and understand how to counter. Blocking is easy but actually paying attention to their energy and body movement will give you the results you desire. Its about being present constantly (all wushu training is!). Once you have gone through a series of drills and feel comfortable begin non-compliant training. Have them randomly throw a punch or kick. Connect, feel, understand, react. From there multiple techniques and then free fighting. It’s a long road (years of dedicated practice to truly understand) with many many bumps and bruises. There will be times you feel like you are not “getting it,” there will be times like you are starting over, but if you strive through it the end goal is well worth it!

8 Methods, Liu He Ba Fa

Liu He Ba Fa 8 Methods — 7th Method: Withhold

GM Wu Yi Hui holding the first standing post posture (1 of 8) from the form: working on stillness and centeredness

The 7th Method is Withhold (le勒). “Still, settle, guard humbly (jing ding shou xu 静定守虚).”   Very cryptic yet very powerful to higher level martial artists.  The ability to read a persons intent is a powerful tool but even more powerful would be to hide your intent from the reader, making you a quagmire and someone very difficult to deal with.  You must learn relaxation, quieting the mind, returning to your center, guarding your intentions — ultimately working towards emptiness.  A fighter with bravado can be a great thing to watch, he or she is exciting and engaged.  Yet It is even better to watch someone truly calm through the whole experience.  Someone who cannot be hit or beaten.  Someone in control of themselves and the entire situation.  They do not lash out in anger or excitement, they are swift, fluid, adaptable — untouchable.  Its beautiful and rare to see.

How do you begin to find your center, settle, and withhold?  You learn to relax (song), quiet the mind, listen inward, and control yourself.  You must learn to temper the seven emotions (anger, fear, joy, grief, anxiety, pensiveness, fright) and fight off the six desires (touch, taste, see, smell, hear, passion) If you learn to control /limit them you learn to control yourself. You will be able to restrain and quiet the spirit. You will find peace and stillness.  From there you will settle and allow things to come to you.  Your emptiness will calm your mind, allowing it to accept ideas and energy and giving it the ability to react without hesitation.  You will be humble yet will have a sense about you.

Internally once you learn control, restraint, and stillness you will open up blood flow and energy ways.  Your mind will be at ease.  Your muscles will relax.  Your heart will calm (you only have so many heart beats and the ability to lengthen those out creates health and longevity).  Blood and energy will be able to penetrate organs and pathways with more ease.  You will have no stress; you will fight off disease; and ultimately you glow with a health beyond your years.

6 Harmonies, Liu He Ba Fa

Liu He Ba Fa 6 Harmonies: 3rd Harmony — Combine Intention with Qi

GM Wu Yi Hui – 20. Water Flows down the High Mountain

3rd Harmony: Combine your Intent and your Qi yi he yu qi意合于气

 

You have worked hard and you understand the movements internally and externally.  You have started to develop Nèiwài wéi yītǐ (内外为一体)!  Now the hard work comes in.  That intention must drive your internal energy throughout the form.  You must combine the inside with the outside and make it one.  Without your Qi there will be no true strength.  Now you may have some physical strength applied but that is not the intent with internal martial arts.  Physical strength can be strong but is considered a dead or stiff energy.  You need to develop that lively power; a person needs to relax their physical body, align it properly, and use internal principles to create Li (力).  Physical strength can decline quickly in older age (modern medicine and greater understanding of physical training has helped extend this to some extent though) but internal strength can stay with a person to the end of your days if properly maintained and practiced.  To be 90 years old but move like your 30 and hit like your 20 is possible.  It takes true dedication and understanding but yet still attainable.  It starts with this harmony.

Now a person must truly start to practice and dedicate themselves.  You have to make your energy abundant through diligent practice.  This can be accomplished in a myriad of ways, either through the form, zhan zhuang, silent meditation, other internal arts etc.  However the more you practice the one form (Liu He Ba Fa in this instance) and engrain the energy with it the better it will be.  Qi must be driven throughout your body; your 4 extremities filled evenly.  Your lower dan tian will become full and hard like a rock.  Once you have put the energy into thebank (so to speak) you can then withdrawal it, focus it throughout the form, and demonstrate true internal strength.  Once your internal energy combines with your external movements you will have true Fa li and your form will look relaxed yet very powerful.