Right Intensity, Right Time

練功講究火候

Training is particular about the crucial moment

一日練一日功，一日不練百日空

A day spoil for a day training, a hundred empty days for a day without training

If there is an old method definitively lost in modern times, it is the idea of a crucial moment in training, basically having to do the right effort at the right moment. Indeed, modern training not practised on a 24/7 basis and not focusing on deeply transforming one’s body, such method has become obsolete. The timing issue is very similar to forging a sword, when and how are crucial, hence the use of 煉 instead of 練 in some texts regarding training.

And There Was Light

追形逐影，光若彿彷

Chasing after shapes and pursuing shadows, a light as if resembling seemingly

追 chase (or run) after; pursue

形 form; shape

逐 pursue; chase; one by one

影 shadow; reflection; vague impression

光 light; ray; brightness; naked; nothing left

若 as if, like

彿 seemingly

彷 seemingly,: resembling

Definitely one of its hardest to understand statements, the second part meaning being obscure for the least. A first understanding coming to mind is, of course, the necessity to be fast. But the text is also about method, how to address the search of knowledge. Indeed one shall first find answers in the shape, then understand what is more and more hidden or obscure to finally reach real knowledge or Enlightenment.

The Way you Move

先看一步走，后看一出手

First watching the steps, then looking at the hand movements

With 26 bones, 33 joints and more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments, the foot is a complex machine often overlooked in training. 

Many a Little Makes a Mickle

一日練一日功，一日不練十日空

A day spoil for a day training, ten empty days for a day without training

藕斷絲連

The lotus root snaps but its fibres don't break

An old saying states that Taoists avoid violent exercises. This is often confused with intense exercises. Violence actually refers to something too harsh for one’s body and/or health.

Drastic Changes

杳之若日，偏如滕兔

Dark then like the sun, slant like a surging rabbit

杳 distant and out of sight, gloomy; dim; dusky, dark and quiet, disappear, remote and out of sight, obscure, dark, mysterious, deep.

之 "then" (之 knows multiple uses as a particle, in some cases with no particular meaning. Translating it by "then" is just to avoid not mentioning it), up to. 

若 as if, like if, assuming, similar.

日sun.

偏 slanting, leaning.

如 like, as if, such as.

滕 to surge, water bursting forth.

兔 rabbit.

This phrase is a typical example of a totally obscure text when one has not been given any clue to decipher such sentences. To understand what seems not only a total paradox but also two statements which do not seem to have any connection, one has to remember that change was the cornerstone of old practices. Indeed "Martial without change, a waste of the study of the Art"*. 

Ride Like the Wind

髮舌齒指

Hairs, tongue, teeth and fingers.

The “leisure for all ages” repurposing of ancient martial arts practices has brought to light a cornerstone of internal practices often overlooked before because, training teenagers, performance and endurance seemed quite similar. Still, if youth and a body growth which could be influenced towards heavy duties made teenager training look like searching for performance, the actual aim for internal schools was endurance and the rule was never to stretch one’s body over its limits, only to reach just below the breaking point.

A Gentle Hare

行礼文靜如處女，開拳一動如脫兔

As gentle and quiet as a virgin when one salutes, like a fleeing hare when opening the fists* as soon as one moves.

One shall never be seen as a threat outside fighting.

Overload

铁杵成针

To grind an iron bar down to a fine needle

集腋成裘

Many a little makes a mickle (many hairs make a fur coat)

The use of weights in old practices is often a misunderstood issue. Indeed, it is often considered as either good or bad. Old practices were all about method, which means most of the time neither a total inclusion, nor exclusion, of any exercise. It was a question of opportunity, so of when, how and why. The first question to be answered was why one would use weight in training, then would come the when was it opportune and how to train with them. Since training was primarily customised for children and teenagers, whose body would transform very quickly, the opportunity to use weights in training would come very fast. Hence, as far as teenagers were concerned, weights were almost from the beginning a part of their training. Unfortunately, going from children professionally trained to leisurely adult changes totally the equation. Therefore, it may be interesting to describe how adults shall face the weight issue.

Shape, Vapours and Spirit

布形候氣，與神俱往

Deploying the body and awaiting the arrival of vapours, entirely bound for the spirit

布 to spread, to deploy, to disseminate, to dispose, to arrange, cotton cloth

形 form, shape, body

候 to await, to attend, to wait upon, to inquire after, to serve (by extension, in 伺候)

氣 vapours

與 used to introduce 神 the recipient of the action, with, to follow, to assist

神 spirit

俱 all, entirely, without exception

往 in the direction of, towards, bound for, to go

From a basic understanding, such statement can be expanded or modified to decipher even more out of it.

Twists and Locks

無力優力

Without force is the better force

直而不直，曲而不曲

Straight but not straight, curved but not curved

三節九段，三弓九曲

The three parts and the nine sections, the three arches and the nine curves

Straightness with a body as lax as possible is just the first step of training. Indeed, as it has been described in the previous post, one has to change his/her body to make it supple enough to be able to work with fascia elasticity instead of muscle contraction. Once the body is transformed enough, one can go a step further and learn how to tense it. If intent and using the cross and the six directions principles has also been described before, the ultimate roundness through the locks is supposed to tense the body automatically. Still, one shall not put the cart before the horse, enough flexibility has to be achieved to be able to contemplate the locks trainings, otherwise not only it will not work, but it will also end up harming one's body. To achieve the locks, one has first to go from straightness to roundness, working on twist and the six directions. Then, when enough extra flexibility has been gained, locks will be about using it to tense up through particular angles.

Back to Square One

内外合一，形神兼备

Internal and external combine into one, having both shape and spirit

The body is the container, the spirit the content.

Suppleness is in the Details

二曰左偏臥，頭枕左足尖，左手搬左足跟，右換如之*

Second, on the left side, the head lying on the extremity of the left foot, the left hand pulling the left heel, then doing exactly the same on the right side

Most of the trainings to improve fascia elasticity were originally meant for teenagers, if not very young kids, quite violent and/or intense in order to take the advantage of their very flexible body and influence their growth. Since grown-ups and/or leisure practice cannot reach such intensity without surely harming the body, the issue is how to adapt old trainings and one's objectives in order to still be able to improve elasticity and connectivity.

A Question of Size, a Question of Time

筋道不舒長，欲伸而筋不能伸*

When the fascias channels are constrained and short, one cannot stretch at will

手屈而不伸者，其病在筋**

He whose hands are bent and not extending, its illness is in the fascias

To furthermore understand what is sought for in the search of straightness, and even elasticity more generally, it may be interesting to explain furthermore the first quote, from the Fascias Change Canons, more known as the YìJīn Jīng. Indeed, it contains a few keys to understand what is sought for when working with fascias. As it has been mentioned in a previous post, martial enigmas always hold more than one meaning (hence, the above translation of the first quote was meant to illustrate a former post). Then, from a basic understanding, one can try to expand certain characters.

Heavy and Penetrating

錘槊之勇不可敌

One cannot match the fierceness of the mace and the long spear

Training heavy, fighting light; training long, fighting short.

Acrobatic Die

未学功夫，先学跌打

Before studying skills one shall study acrobatics

One shall keep in mind, as it was reminded in Standing, that old schools used to be for professionals, their usual students were teenager, if not kids, whose body could be transformed very quickly. Hence, the extreme flexibility required of martists described in the quote was something so obvious that the reasons behind it and part of their training methods have been lost in our modern leisurely times.

Training acrobatics was a way to improve one's elasticity as well as reconnect all the fascia lines, allowing more freedom and smoothness in one's moves. It was also a means for the losing battle against ageing and gravity. Nowadays, students being most of the time adults and the heavy stretching exercises often demoted from their status of basics to useless acrobatics, it may be necessary to remind what were some of their former goals and how can we get back some key points in our trainings without having to aim for an acrobatic flexibility.

Tiger Lady, Expanding Characters

急著，目光閃急，如線穿空，劍貫重甲，清利而直銳也*

He who are fast (the eyes), a fast shiny gaze, as a line piercing the sky, a sword piercing a heavy armour, sharply, thoroughly and incisive.

眼要毒,心要狠

The eyes must be fierce, the heart ruthless.

At least three characters may be expanded: 之, 奪 and 懼. Indeed, since 之 originally meant "to come out", one can wonder what rule then applies to what comes in. 奪 and 懼 are interesting because while not being the most common way to express their respective intended meaning they both contain the radical 隹. It seems then that they may have been chosen for such purpose.

One for Essence

不怕千招會，就怕一招精

Do not fear the thousand moves skilful, fear the perfect one 

Old practices are about changes, not multiplicity.

Tiger Lady, Lady Meets Tiger

In a Feminine and Masculine principles (Yin and Yang) relation, there are always connections with the Feminine and the Masculine and one principle also always exists inside the other one. Lady is obviously the Feminine while tiger the Masculine. In this particular case, it is mainly dealing with the issue of check and balance as well as being able to instantly switch from one state to another. Therefore, as ladylike one would look, it will still be a spirited and unpredictable one who would fiercely preserve her integrity. Furthermore, using the absence of empathy will be one of the way to calmly endure insults, threats and bulling. As far as the tiger is concerned, as wild and insane one would behave, self-control and vigilance would remain. Furthermore, as the oxymoron method dictates, the more fierce, cruel and insane one was outside the more calm, smiling and mild one had to be inside.

Tiger Lady, Fierce Tiger

武本無德，有德也空 

(See just below)

"The martial is by essence without virtue, any virtue would be in vain" is an old saying pointing out the ruthlessness of combat.

Tiger Lady, a Nice Lady

見之似好婦，奪之似懼虎

見 to appear to be something

之 "then" (之 has multiple uses as a particle, in some cases with no particular meaning. Translating it by "then" is just to avoid not mentioning it), to come out.

似 like (something, someone)

好  good, beautiful (so nice which can mean both). 

婦 women, delicate, to serve

奪 take by force, seize

懼 fear, dread, to threaten

虎 tiger.

From Head to Toe

练功先练桩，大鼎增力量

One shall first train pillars when training skills, upside-down adds strength

Training pillars to first fix one's posture.

Full and Keeping One's Cool

內實精神，外示安儀。

內 inside, inner part, internal

實 full

精 essence

神 spirit

精神 vitality

外 outer, external

示 show

安 peaceful, at ease, undisturbed

儀 appearance, bearing

Don't Open the Door!

開門閉戶，陰衰陽興。

開 to open

門 door(s), outer door(s)

閉 to close

戶 door, inner door

陰 Feminine principle

衰 to decline, to become weak

陽 Masculine principle

興 to prosper, to flourish 

Changing Doors

One of the eldest texts known describing the martial arts theory is called "The Lady of Yue Talks About Fencing", a passage from the historical records called "Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue" written by Zhao Ye (?-around 83 A.C.). Later literary works inspired by this lady fencer figure, such as the one of the famous Hong-Kong writer Jin Yong called "Sword of the Yue Maiden" has made this passage quite famous, more than the one about archery that follows a few paragraphs later. Indeed, introducing a lady fencer in a male chauvinistic society which forbade teaching girls because they would marry into another family and having her teacher being an ape, a white gibbon, cannot but struck one's imagination.

Roots

打拳不遛腿，必是冒失鬼

Training boxing without strolling with the legs, certainly a reckless person.

Or

Training boxing without stopping on the legs, certainly a reckless person.

Legs and up to the waist are the roots, the essential part of training.

Deciphering Martial Arts Poems

理是功能之本，法是功能之基

Theory is the essence of capability, method its foundation

皆由渡水不知津，登山不識徑*

All because they cross waters without knowing the ford, climb a mountain without the knowledge of the path

As it was already mentioned in Method, old practices favourite method of teaching was through enigmas to be solved by the students, the best ones having more than one level of understanding. Since most of the teaching were done through oral transmission at the beginning, it may be interesting to first have a brief introduction of the oral ones. Still, with the emergence of the boxing manuals, 拳譜, roughly starting at the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and the decline of old martial arts practices, the main work nowadays remains in deciphering those texts.

Spirited Heart

心平氣和*

A peaceful heart for harmonised vapours

藏所藏：心藏神，肺藏魄，肝藏魂，脾藏意，腎藏志，是謂五藏所藏**

What storages store: the heart stores the spirit, the lungs store the corporeal soul, the liver stores the immortal soul, the spleen stores the intention, the kidneys store the will, this is what is called "what the five storages store".

Training differentiates the spirit methods, 神法, from the heart methods, 心法.

Three Methods, One Art

拳講三術，技，醫，藝術

Boxing emphasise on three methods: skills, medicine and art.

Skills for fighting.

In And Out

食氣者必謂吹呴呼吸，吐故納新也*

Who nourishes himself/herself from vapours has to be called the blowing and yawning breathing, spitting out the stale and receiving the fresh.

其息深深。真人之息以踵，眾人之息以喉**

Their breathing came deep and silently. The breathing of the true man comes from his heels, while men generally breathe from their throats. 

得胎息者，能不以鼻口噓吸***

Who obtains the fetal breathing can, without his/her nose or mouth, slowly breathe out and in.

Inhaling and exhaling, it is also a question of order. Internal breathing tends to reverse it, as the Chinese word for breathing, 呼吸, literally means exhaling and inhaling.

Antidotes

陰陽接而變化起

The Feminine and Masculine joins, initiating changes*

是故誌意隨天地，緩急仿陰陽**

It is keeping intentionally in mind that intention shall follow Heaven and Earth, in priority imitating the Feminine and the Masculine 

所以必因射助陽選士者，所以扶助微弱而抑其強，和調陰陽，戒不虞也***

Then certainly because the best and brightest shoot to reinforce the Masculine, then helping the feeble while containing its strength, harmonising the Feminine and the Masculine, thus preventing the unexpected.

Any exercice, even if done perfectly, an anyway impossible feat, will still bear some armful effects on one's body, spirit...

炁, Taoist Propaganda

董仲君者，臨淮人也。服炁煉形，二百余歲不老。

Mr. Dong Zhong, someone from the Huai river surroundings. Taking vapours and refining his body, still young when more than two hundred years old.*

炁 is a synonym of 氣(气) sometimes used by taoists and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Back to the Centre

磨轉千遭臍不動

The millstone turns a thousand times, its pivot remains still

練藝不練腰終究藝不高

Training the art without training the waist, in the end it's a waste*

三盤一軸

One axle for three plates

The waist moves first.

Style

把勢、把勢，全憑架式。没有架式，不算把勢

Martial arts, martial arts, it is all a question of posture. No posture, no real training.

把勢 is an old way to say training martial arts.

Short Heartless Steel

肘不離肋，手不離心，起如鋼銼，落如鋼竿

The elbows do not leave the ribs, the hands do not leave the heart, raising like a steel file, dropping like an steel pole

Training long, using short.

A Connected Neck

龜縮頸，耕牛之力

The tortoise pull back its neck, the power of the ploughing ox

頂要懸

The crown of the head is suspended

A connected neck improves direction and balance.

Flexible Lower Back

坐胯，轉腰，圈襠步

Sitting the hips, twisting the waist, rounded crotch step

襠胯宜提緊，須玩兑澤之情*
Crotch and hips shall lift and keep tight, having to play in the swamp of passions 

Wiggling one's bum is the flexibility needed in one's lower backbone.

Greenish Black And Blackish Green

劍走青，刀走黑

The sword goes green, the sabre black.

Green because of the homophony with the character for light.