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.

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.