Tag Archives: Xing Yi

Xing Yi

Pu扑 – Pouncing Energy

GM Fu Jian Qiao executing Tiger Form

Pu 扑 or to Pounce is an aggressive energy that allows you to encapsulate and overcome your opponent. Like a tiger jumping on their prey this energy is similar in aspect. It is very similar to Pi, or chopping energy but there is more too it. It is curved, circular, to attack and overwhelm. Pu has a light energy to it, the ability to cover ground quickly and envelop your opponent. It is nimble yet aggressive. It overpowers and overwhelms. It is a strong energy but not stiff.

The pounce starts with the legs. The contract–knees bend and ankles flex. The energy lunges forward quickly as you spring forward. You push from the ground firmly through the foot, allow the ting (straight) energy to accelerate through the knees and into the upper body. As you arrive at your opponent you root again with a curve in the legs ready to move again at moments notice. The leap can be long or short, depending on the distance between you and your opponent but It ends close to them. When practicing learning to lengthen your leap is important to strengthen skill and legs. Also with most calisthenic exercises it must be trained to react quickly yet firmly. It must be trained to react in any direction at a moments notice. Agile and swift while returning to root easily.

The energy is curved. It contracts and expands. It loads like a bow and explodes straight like shooting an arrow. It should maintain the basic internal principles of head held high, chin tucked, chest hollowed, buttocks slightly tucked. Qi/Lo and Kai/He principles should be expressed distinctly but with coordination and unity throughout. The body should move as a unit.

While the energy itself is the leap it can lead to powerful strikes. When striking with Pu it is usually expressed through the palms similar to Pi Quan (but doesn’t necessarily have too). It is more complex however. It holds a yuan type body, curved throughout, especially between the elbows. It expresses a wave power, or Bo Lang Jin. While Bo Lang Jin can start Hi or Low, in regards to Pu it starts at the root. It travels up the back and expressed out the arms in a circular type power. It does not burst through a defense or opponent but overwhelms them. If the strike is being blocked it should work to come over the defense and strike the opponent. The opponent should be suppressed, enveloped and confused as the wave is difficult to comprehend.

Training this energy can be accomplished several different ways. Weight training, jump training and calisthenics are simple ways to strengthen tendons and muscles to increase capability. Basic line drills are the most important however. Repeatedly conducting Xing Yi line drills. To begin, start with regular stepping, loading into it and releasing then quickly re-establishing root. Focus on the movement. Work on quickness. From there work towards your gum bu or advancing step. Again focus on the fast movement, cover ground quickly yet always maintain a firm root. Work on covering more and more ground. Have a standard size room and analyze yourself. If it takes you 10 moves to get to the other side work on getting across the same area in 9 moves then 8 moves. Maintaining the principles and using the intent of Pu energy is important though, just don’t leap without reestablishing root or using uncoordinated body movements. Slow and methodical, progress slowly yet with disciplined consistency.

One must always be involved in their training, never let it become idle. You must work to improve different aspects, either individually or several at once. However you best train if you do not use conscious effort little progress can be made!

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!

Stepping Method, Xing Yi

Cǎi 踩 – Step/Tread

GM Fu Jian Qiu practicing Chicken striking and Stepping method.

Stepping methods are just as important as being able to throw a punch or kick. Stepping works your distance, your timing, your ability to get yourself into a superior position. Its something rarely discussed as people just feel they get it, but when thoroughly studied, it can bring your wushu up to a superior level.

Every style has a stepping method. Ba Gua, for instance, emphasizes hooking and swinging step in the beginning but then works on advancing, retreating, dodging, crossing, prostrate and inch steps. Xing Yi emphasizes front step and advancing step methods in the beginning but then works into additional stepping methods like Ao, Yao Shin, and Tui bu. Xing Yi Liu He begins with Ji bu stepping (chicken step) but its stepping methods can be further explored through inch, wedge, passing, quick, front and advancing step. Duliu Tong Bei has 22 different stepping methods that must be mastered!

Now it is important to know the different stepping methods and how to employ them properly. Some styles will slide a flat foot forward but step backwards. They will roll their foot forward or backward. They will leap and hook and twist. Each stepping method has a rhyme and reason for existing depending on the situations. They can be used to explode, to pounce, to coil, to circle, to leap, to sweep, to dodge, to pass behind.

There is usually a commonality amongst most methods: they must be swift, agile, quick, and most importantly, have grabbing power (Root)! Your steps must be stable, natural and poised. Stepping is what drives the system and what establishes the power you will deliver. No strike will be strong and no proper fighting method can be developed without proper stepping.

Now there are many different methods to developing stepping, and I will always recommend drilling the basic methods and steps within each system but perhaps one of my favorite methods is the triangle stepping method. Its simple but develops quick action, angles, and retreat capability. Starting from the central point one will step out at 45 degree angle to their left (if they are a right handed fighter) then they will step step back to the central point and quickly step with their left 45 degrees to their right. This can then be repeated with the rear foot, again alternating between rear 45 degree steps. This will create a slight “bouncing” effect between points but can be modified to be more even, stable, or fluid depending a particular persons style. After this simple method is trained more triangles and angles can be added to further add to a fighters movement method–forming pivot points and a circular pattern around an opponent. Work on driving the front foot forward with the rear foot and reverse method for stepping back. Work on quickly and firmly planting the foot. Work on staying centered yet mobile; able to change direction and angles at will. Work on relaxing as much as possible while still obtaining maximum results of the drive, quickness, and movement. The sky can be the limit on this method as then different footworks can be added and steps, creating passing steps, hooking steps, and twisting steps… all based off a central point and triangle angles.

Overall stepping methods needs to be strong, quick, stable and firm. For a martial artist to create a strong punch or kick they must first have a stable and strong root. This root must be able to move quickly, keenly, and with purpose. It must be able to move forward, backward, side to side–all directions–at the will of the martial artist, to gain the advantage and employ their power optimally. Unsure stepping leads to hesitation in power and advantage; weak steps lead to uncertainty which leads to defeat. Action in martial arts is driven by footwork — anyone can stand still and learn to throw a powerful strike but Masters learn to easily move at an uncanny speed and with a confident will to execute a superior strike!

Push Hands (Tui Shou), Xing Yi

The energy of Shù (束)

Golden Chicken Frames Upward from Xing Yi Shi Er Hong Chui by Master Pei Xi Rong, translated by Joseph Crandall @ http:\\smilingtiger.net.

Shù or binding is a useful technique in martial arts. It incorporates connecting, accepting, leading, and restraining. It is considered one of the 5 yang energies in Xing Yi (and Xin Yi Liu He). Its also seen throughout other internal/external martial arts and is used for defensive purposes.

Well great Sifu I appreciate that info but so what? Why would we not want to constantly be leading into emptiness and using their own energy against them melding Yin and Yang together. Well there are just realities in the fighting world. Transformational energy is an extremely difficult task and while one of the most important tricks in your bag it should not be your only trick. Binding can create an opponent to lose their advantage and get them out of “their game.” It allows you to obtain an your own superior position and follow up with a strike they may not be prepared for. This example can be expertly demonstrated through the chicken form Rooster blocks up to Rooster flicks its feathers. Once you block you grab an opponents wrist and sink down. *Note your arm can slightly wraps around your opponents and your whole body must sink in a fast, firm, and stable manner. This will disrupt the opponent’s energy and momentum. This essentially “binds” them from attacking again at that moment. FYI this can then be followed up with Rooster flicks its feathers by issuing Zhǎn (展) energy and exploding up.

The importance of binding in internal martial arts is in the game-changing effect of disrupting your opponent and providing an advantage to yourself. The energy must be quick, strong, and rooted. The whole body must be incorporated. Shù primarily works in the linear up and down pathways (yet there are always circles within the linear). Connecting to the opponent is also important. Whether delivering a strike or intercepting one a fundamental principle in any IMA system is connecting and understanding their energy. Then one can use many different principles to bind an opponent. One can lead an opponent to emptiness or one can pluck and jerk an opponent. Another key is the move must get your opponent close to you. Why close? Because your are contracting your energy. Internally binding shrinks and gathers. You must put the energy into the joints and store it. This will enable an effective binding as you become strong like a tree or steel. Joints must be aligned, the body must be upright, the dan tian sunken, and the root must be firm. If executed correctly it cannot be broken or moved.

Now this energy must be practiced. Santi training or any gathering practice is beneficial to this type of training. Actually conducting standing training that exercises the muscles in this position is most beneficial though. It will be tense at first and most martial artists will only be able to hold positions like this for short periods. You will train low positions with arms close to your body. The energy will be focuses inward and sunken. Overtime the tension will ease as muscles learn to “relax” in this flexed position. Its also key to keep the joints properly aligned and “stacked” on each other. Your three sections will be connected and combined. Without the properly alignment and connection the muscles will not have a frame to relax into and injuries can occur. You will also not maximize the capability of this position to make it unbreakable and truly strong. Now its also key to remember to practice releasing and expansion methods or your body will become too “tight” and will not be able to issue energy properly. This can be saved for a later lesson though 😉

Neijia, Xing Yi

What is Guo 裹?

Master Liu demonstrating Guo Zi Quan from his article, “Xing Yi Quan Ba Zi Gong,” Wu Long Magazine, 1984.3 #30, translated by Joseph Crandall, Smiling Tiger Martial Arts.

The importance of being having whole body power in Internal Martial Arts cannot be understated. To have Fa Li (power) one must have Guo 裹. Most IMA individuals understand Guo in terms of wrapping Jin. It’s a horizontal energy (oversimplified term, all directions are present to ensure centeredness) used for defense and offense. It takes an opponents incoming energy and wraps around it, cutting it off or better yet absorbing it to re-issue.

Great Sifu you defined Guo, so what? Why is it important?

Guo can be fundamental to absorbing and issuing. All fighting arts look to “suck” in their opponent and take advantage of the position. Blocking is easy but true masters in their chosen art can off-balance their opponent, using their opponent’s strikes and aggressiveness to their advantage. It is circular, coiling, redirecting. You must connect with your opponent, overturn and coil around it, lead it into emptiness. It allows you to gain the upper hand or superior position for the attack. It allows you to gather energy in your joints to release quick and sharply like an arrow.

Some masters will talk of Guo at a deeper level. They will associate Guo with connection and togetherness. The wrapping methods of Guo require the practitioner to connect the Sānjié (三節) or three sections through coordinated movement. The wrapping methods need to be coordinated in the legs to root and absorb, the waist to maintain centeredness and twist as the arms to overturn and accept, and the head to be upright to allow for the energy to sink and gather. When all of this is coordinated it will maximize the effectiveness of your Jin. Now as you get older this Jin will be harder to accomplish as joints and aches will get in the way of coordination. This is one reason to remain soft and supple; to ensure things can connect smoothly and work in harmony. If you do not practice consistently and work towards song/suppleness you will become “scattered.” This will show in your wushu and is something you want to delay in old age as long as possible. Discipline, consistency, hard work — the mantra of the wise, the mantra of wushu experts who can obtain and maintain Guo well into their old age!

Neijia

Duì Bá Lì (对拔力)

Duì bá lì, translated as pulling force, is one principle that applies to all Martial Arts, but is especially important within Internal Martial Arts.  This force can be better understood as equal and opposite force.    Newton’s third law is a powerful player in martial arts.  To exert a force one must also exert an equal force in the opposite direction.  One cannot escape physics.

Now  duì bá lì can be described in a few different scenarios:

  1. It’s the equal and opposite force when striking
  2. It’s the concept of the left side accepting energy and the equal and opposite force exerting out the right side (or vice versa)

The first example is the easiest to understand.  Lets take Beng Quan from Xing Yi for example.  When a person executes the strike the fist comes forward but at the same time the should blade goes back.  This creates a dynamic tension and if executed in a quick and coordinated manner will allow you to express a sharp energy (Jin) at the opponent.   It feels like you are “stretching” in both directions and expanding to its limits. Like the spring coiling and uncoiling, the uncoil is reinforced through the opposite energy, making it quicker, sharper, harder.  Now any combat sport does this and great fighters develop sharp quick punches because they naturally learn to align, sink, and create that dynamic tension (among other talents).  The great thing about internal arts is that it is focused on and constantly conditioned.  To focus on that pulling/pushing force and learning to expand it is exciting and can create a powerful strike.  Another training mechanism is narrowing the focus down to the cun jin level (1 inch power).  This focus further emphasizes the dynamic tension down to the miniscule and can create what some consider miraculous results.

GM Fu Jian Qu executing Beng Quan

In many lineages one must focus on “lengthening” the arm by creating a bigger separation between shoulder and back–thus creating a larger equal yet opposite energy.  Great martial artists like Dong Hai Chuan and Zhang San Fen were said to have abnormally long arms (among other characteristics).  Now though its not impossible for someone to be born this way, most likely their arms were of normal length (as seen through most pictures of them).   Yet when they fought they were able to reach out and create that shoulder/back separation–lengthening their arms and giving the appearance of it being abnormal.

The second example involves has similar concepts of equal and opposite energies but involves the whole body.  When a person strikes you it is blocked and through positioning, timing, and connecting its accepted, followed, and diverted.  At the same time you strike them using the built up energy you have gathered from their attack.  Definitely easier written then done. Now what are you really learning to do?  You must learn position, relaxation, root, balance, whole body connection, muscle/tendon micro-movements/compression/expansion etc…  As a boxer I could play “patty-cake” by slapping someone’s punches down all day and then reacting with my own strike making it look almost simultaneous (and in a sense is still duì bá lì).  Blocking and striking (jìn gōng dài de), while difficult in its own right, is still shallow when compared to the full potential of this skill.  By accepting their force and “nullifying” their strike while at the same time using their energy to compress your tendons/muscles then quickly expanding it and striking while they are still off-balance (aka not ready to receive a strike in return) is truly impressive.  Now consider that this must be accomplished over and over again, in seamless rhythm–energies constantly changing and adapting in harmony without interruption until your opponent is defeated.  A very daunting task indeed!!!  It takes hours of training your body with forms,   partner training, compliant sparring, non-compliant sparring (the same style), non-compliant sparring (different styles).  Like any skill one must work towards it becoming natural (thus leading into the ideals of hua jin) learning to respond to different scenarios which can only be accomplished through disciplined, focused repetition and training.

Overall duì bá lì is an overarching concept in IMA (and all other MA for that matter).  It involves several different training mechanisms, time, dedication, and patience.  One must condition the body into working for this strength and when you have truly attained it your skills seem miraculous and infinite.

6 Harmonies, Liu He Ba Fa

Liu He Ba Fa 6 Harmonies: 5th Harmony — Combine Your Shen and Your Movement (Action)

The 5th Harmony is Combine  Shen and Movement (Action)

shen he yu dong神合于动

Have you ever had the hairs on the back of your neck stand-up?  Did you feel uncomfortable or anxious.  It’s a reflex within the body that few can explain.  One explanation Daoist like to use is its an experience with Shen or spirit.  You perceive something or feel something is bad or good yet there are no verbal or visual stimuli to truly backup this feeling.  Now if one can develop this action and harmonize with it, it can truly expand your mindfulness of the world.

You have re-ignited that fire and have raised your spirit to your upper dan tian.  The Shen follows the qi and spreads throughout your body, raising awareness and vitality.  You become…different.

What does one do with this? They must begin to focus back outward.  This whole time your have closed your senses inward and felt what was going on inside your body.  Your spirit radiates through you and shows through your eyes.  This is where internal martial arts becomes something even greater.  You send your spirit to every fiber of your body.  You combine it with every movement, every thought; coordinating action with detail with awareness.  The movements will become your own and become instantaneous.    You will begin to perceive things differently.  Your form will be look powerful as your movements begin to radiate feelings and energy yet be soft and have the ability to adapt at will.  It becomes instant and instinctive.

Li Nengran, the famous Xing Yi master, was called “Magic Fist Li” was able to develop his Shen to this level.  He defeated all challengers and his opponents often said they could not see when his hands struck outward.  Li had developed his Gong Fu to a level where he perceived on a different level.  He could instantaneously feel his opponents intention and move his hands to counter or strike, overcoming the will of his opponents every time.  It was said he could close his eyes and understand exactly where people and things were at.  He was truly gifted and his gong fu was special amongst even the greatest.  Why?  Because he systematically built to this level, not skipping or rushing anything.  He had constant dedication and focused effort and a true understanding of the Dao and his body.   He dedicated every effort, every thought, and every move to get to this level–something few can truly fathom and achieve in this day and age.

6 Harmonies, Liu He Ba Fa

Liu He Ba Fa 6 Harmonies: 2nd Harmony– Heart (mind) Combines With Your Intention

2nd Harmony: Combine your Heart (Mind) with your Intention – xin he yu yi心合于意

Focus is important, but more importantly what are you focusing on?  Are you focusing on your day at work, your family, or the task at hand!   It takes 200 days of consistent practice to learn the external movements properly (according to some experts).  What does that movement really mean though?   What is happening both inside and out?   This understanding takes MUCH longer.  The intention of each movement  needs to be thoroughly understood to apply the correct energies and applications.  Without the focus your mind can be pulled away, causing hesitation, inconsistences, and ultimately bad habits.  You need to be fully in the moment of what you are doing and where you are at.  Without it you are mindlessly doing an external form (which can still get a person physical benefits but does not reach the full potential of the art).

 

Also this is where 10,000 repetitions can truly compound.  With intention– with focus, it will engrain in a person’s inner conscious;  it has the potential to become second nature.  To fully open to the intention of each movement; to open to the energy and animalistic nature (yes there are 12 animals within this art) of it has profound results.   You become one with the form and the form becomes one with you.  Liu He Ba Fa has many variants among the main form but if you look deeply into that practitioners inner intent you can see if they have the essence of it.  Are certain moves fierce like a tiger, does it coil like a dragon, and deeper still do they demonstrate the 8 methods such as follow and return.  If their intention and focus is engrained in them, they will display these principles thus demonstrate Liu He Ba Fa.

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[16] The Issuing of Your Whole Body Reaches to Every Hair.

Ahh, the last principle and probably one of the most important of all.  To truly  reach a level within internal martial arts and kung fu it requires mastery beyond kicking, punching, applications, or even building a Dan Tian.  To have been a real master of internal martial arts back at the turn of the century a person had to demonstrate the capability to fill their 4 antennas or extremities (Si Shou). When your Qi is abundant, has filled your organs and Dan Tian, it will naturally express through your 4 extremities.  One such extremity is connected to your hair through your blood.  Energy attaches to your blood and follows it.  Once your blood and Qi are thoroughly connected you will feel enlivened.  You will tingle with sensations and even the lightest of touch may send your senses off the radar.  The first step of to all of this though is opening your microcosmic orbit (discussed in principle 2).  Once your gates are open and you can quickly send your energy to your headtop you will feel a tingle in your hairs.  That is natural and good – you are filling things up!  Eventually you want to make that energy shoot up and pop your hair up on your head.  Masters of old were able to wear a hat and pop it off with a thought!   Hey and  added benefit it slows down the greying process of your hair and helps male pattern baldness!

Once you have the microcosmic orbit you work on the macrocosmic orbit.  This is where your energy flows through your arms and legs.  This is when you can get the energy to every part of your body.  When all your meridians are full and energy courses through your body you will feel it in every hair.  My friend once talked to Master Yun Yin Sen (Liu He Ba Fa master in Shanghai).  Master Yun demo’d his ability to raise and lower his arm hair at will.  Now this wont fend off a dozen armed men (or even a single one really),  but it demonstrates his abundance of energy and filling of his Si Shou and thus demonstrates his mastery and dedication to neijia arts.

As with some of these principles there lies a deeper meaning.  Sure its great to be alive with energy but it’s a trap!  There is another level that one should aspire to.  You must allow that qi and shen to mix and convert.  This is the level (as discussed in several posts already) that will allow you to sense others without touch and feel.  By expressing Shen at every hair you will have reached a level that can predict and act before your opponent, sense intentions, find meaning.  Can you read someone’s mind?  No, but by sensing the energy in their movement you are in sense doing so as you can react at a subconscious level, immediate and faster than anything they can fathom.

You must be able to connect your inner and outer together.  The energy and spirit must flow with the strength of a surging river throughout your body with the ability to move like the wind at will, swirling and alive.  All of the previous steps get you to this finality, to this doorway of mastery.  Its not an easy process but through hard work and dedication; you will have obtained what few have and will have a peace only few know.

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[3] Spirit courses through your spine.

Oh the spirit!  A level many enjoy talking about but few actually reach.  Shen or Spirit is a more esoteric level and dives into the stranger side of internal martial arts.  Some discuss Shen as your vigor, emotions, or hormones, but I believe they miss the mark.   The classics talk of very few people attaining such a great feat,  Masters like Li Nang Ren (Xing Yi), Dong Hai Chuan (Ba Gua), and Yang Lu Chuan (Tai Chi) were said to obtain such a level through diligent practice, concentrated effort, and humble ability.    Shen must be produced and nourished through our intention of raising Qi into the Upper Dan Tian.  This is where the magic will happen.  Now to accomplish such a feat a person needs to follow the protocol and work first to convert essence (jing) into Qi and store their Qi.  Once they have accumulated Qi in your lower Dan Tian and 5 organs (throughout your body); you can work towards developing your Qi into Shen and bringing it into your Upper Dan Tian through the Du meridian (GV vessel).

Now a person might ask me, “Sifu, can’t I just go right to Shen development?”

“NO!”  Without the proper buildup and accumulation of resources your Shen will be weak and frail, incapable of the abilities an internal martial artist truly desires.

Once your Shen is strong and vibrant your eyes will shine and your mind will be clear.  From here the deeper levels of joining the void can be explored in which you will know and see all things, thus allowing your movement to become without  intention and demonstrating uncanny abilities.

I will leave you with this final excerpt from Sun Lu Tang’s book “AUTHENTIC EXPLANATIONS OF MARTIAL ARTS CONCEPTS” (Translated by Paul Brennan in 2013) about Li Nang Ren:

“In the same county was a certain man who came top in the imperial military exams. His body was strong and he was an extraordinary man, also an expert in boxing arts. With Li he was simple and friendly, but of Li’s martial art he was secretly unconvinced. He always wanted to challenge others, but when he was on such friendly terms, he was too shy to say so. One day they were conversing in a room, talking and laughing like everything was normal. But he began to decide to test Li after all, and with the intention of catching him totally unprepared.

When he acted, he took advantage of the unexpectedness of it, sneaking up behind Li to clutch him and forcefully lift him up. And as he extended a hand, his body was already soaring diagonally upward, his head went into the ceiling, and then he fell back down with both feet standing on the ground rather than falling down.

He suspected Li of sorcery, but Li informed him: “It’s not sorcery, it’s just that at the highest level the boxing art is a spiritual skill. As it is unperceived, it seems miraculous and beyond your comprehension.” From that point, his contemporaries dubbed him “Magic Boxing” Li Nengran.”