Chinese Wushu Theory Series one：Wushu Exercise for Life Enhancement

Chinese Wushu Series one：
Wushu Exercise for Life Enhancement

FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS BEIJING

Author by  : Yu Gong Bao

Contents

Introduction                                                                                    1

Basic Principles of Wushu Exercise for Life Enhancement  10

Main Schools of Wushu Exercise for Life Enhancement      14

Instructions for Beginners                                                          20

The Basic Wushu Method Sitting Exercise                              28

The Unique Wushu Method Standing Pole                              33

Yi Jin Jing (Sinew-Transforming Exercise)                              48

Eight-Trigram Internal Exercise                                                  57

Exercise for Opening and Closing of Yin and Yang                69

Introduction

Having developed out of practice, Chinese Wushu

lays stress on the unity of practical and artistic values.

when one observes a Wushu performer, this can be

readlly seen. When practising Wushu, people can not

only experience firsthand the charm of Oriental culture

in the natural, smooth movements and their rich

philosophical connotations, but also improve their

physical fitness.

Physical combat and health building are the two

areas in which Wushu has practical value, hence the

emphasis on combining physical exercise with a

healthy way of life. Of these two aspects, health

building is regarded as the very foundation of Chinese

Wushu.

This

emphasis

on

self-strengthening

represents an essential feature of traditional Chinese

culture.

The saying “Learning the basic exercise goes

before learning fist forms” is a crucial point stressed by

Wushu masters of every generation. The phrase “Onewho learns fist forms without practising the basic

exercise will attain nothing in his lifetime” epitomizes

the experience of countless Wushu practitioners.

Though the various schools of Wushu differ in postural

forms, equipment and styles of movement, they all

emphasize the practice of internal exercise for life

enhancement.

“All exercises conform to one principle,” so goes a

Wushu maxim. Here the one principle refers to thepractice of internal exercise.

Numerous researchers and practitioners have

carried motion o its practic, absoring userus ba and

pro Chinese phillosophy and medicine. This constiutes

the basis of the theory and prats lene sha enertile for

valuable system for preventing and curing disease and

prolonging life

Wushu exercise for life enhancement, also known as

Wushu Qigong or internal Wushu exercise, is a system

that can improve the internal conditions of the human

body, hence benefiting one’s physical and mental

wellbeing and prolonging life. The word internal here

has several meanings. First, it refers to consciousness.

Consciousness is the dominant factor of vital activities,

and its purity is necessary for one’s physical health.

Second, it refers to essence, vital energy and spirit.

These, considered by the theory of life enhancement

to be quintessential and minuscule substances of the

human body, are known as the “three internal

treasures.” (The sun the moon and the stars are known

as the “three external treasures.”) Third, it refers to the

law of one’s life pro cesses, such as the relationshipbetween the internal organs and the growth and

development of each organ.

Wushu Qigong, one of the five major categories of

traditional Chinese Qigong, has intermingled with the

other four-the Buddhist, Daoist (Taoist), Confucian and

medical Qigong. Chinese Qigong as awhole is asystem

of both theory and practice for improving physical

fitness, curing disease, prolonging life and cultivating

the mind, its various schools and exercises having

developed from roots of culture in ancient China. Asone school of Chinese Qigong, Wushu Qigong shares

the features common to the entire system:

(1) Wushu Qigong has widely absorbed ideas

about the constitution of the world and the laws of

motion from ancient Chinese philosophy. It has made

these the theoretical basis for the many philosophical

concepts embodied in its practice.

For instance, gi (vital energy) is considered to be

the source of the constitution of the world and the

material basis of vital activities. Qi can coordinate the

functioning of the various parts of a system; it is

therefore the major factor for the maintenance of

normal activities in the human body and also the focus

of Qigong exercise. In fact, some people have defined

Qigong as “the exercise to process, improve and

cultivate the gi of life”

Tai l is a second theoretical stone in the

foundation of Qigong. Everything has two aspects, yin

and yang, which are both opposed to and united with

each other. Tai Ji refers to the balance and coexistence

of yin and yang. The Tai Ji chart, known as “the

illustration of theFig.

1-1 The Tai i Chart

motion of the world by the ancient Chinese” (Fig, 1-1) was drawn to demonstrate this theory. The black in the chart stands for yin and the white for yang. The yin fish and the yang fish revolve around, chasing each other. a tepresentation of the principle of unceasing motion and change. The coexistence of the two fish in the same circle indicates that the yin and the yang aspects are present in everything A black spot in the white fish and a white one in the black fish stand for the inclusion of yin and yang within each other. This theory has become a major part of Qigong The concept of the Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements represents another ancient Chinese theory on the world system. According to this theory, any system in the world may be divided in terms of “trigrams” on “elements,” with the whole system consisting of eigh trigrams and five elements. The Eight Trigrams are:The Five Elements are metal, wood, water, fire and earth.

The foundation for the theory of the Eight Trigrami was laid in the well-known Chinese classic I Ching (Boo of Changes) The unbroken line “” stands for yang an the broken line “” for yin. Yang and yin lines mix and combine with each other, and three lines form a trigram.There are altogether eight possible combinations, these thus being known as the Eight

Trigrams. In turn, an arrangement of the eight trigrams can have specific implications. (Fig 1-2 shows the spatial relations amon the eight trigrams) A typical arrangement is shown in the Tai Ji chart of the Eight Trigrams (Fig 1-3) On this chart, each trigram in the circle is directly opposite its complementary trigram.

The pairs are called comple mentary because the yin

         and yang lines are reversed Where one trigram has avin line,

its complementary trigram will have a vang

line, and vice versa. It is believed that this arrangement

represents the most stable state of balance; therefore

the regulation of alll systems should conform with it In

addition, the propor tion of yin and yang in each

trigram is indicated by its placement in relation to the

Tai chart at the centr

The system of human body, with its major organs,

can also be categorized in terms of the eight trigrams

(Fig 1-4) Thus evolves the typical Chinese practice of

adjusting Qigong exercise with reference to the interre

Fig.1-2 Spatial Correlations of Eight Trigrams

Fig. 1-3 The Tai i Chart of Eight Trigram