A Bit Of A Stretch

練形者，又名曰展筋脫骨
He who trains the shape, also called spreading out the fascias and the bones coming off1.

Flexibility has been researched for over 100 years. Its track record is unimpressive, particularly when viewed in light of other components of physical fitness. Flexibility lacks predictive and concurrent validity value with meaningful health and performance outcomes. Consequently, it should be retired as a major component of fitness2.

Open societies in our times suffer from a never-ending flow of information on any and all subjects and coming from virtually anybody with a computer who decides to write on something. Adding the marketing, political and other agendas people tend to push through information, the result is more confusion or a return to just one’s own beliefs, even though they are totally false. Old oral transmission was all about self-discovery, which meant information was scarce and shared only when time was ripe.

Hopefully Back

 Finally having a bit time to write again. Unfortunately, only in English for the time being and just on two subjects, stretching and organs training in internal arts.

Sturdy Structure

拳怕少壯

The fist fears the young and robust¹

膂力過人

An outstanding backbone strength²

打拳壯筋骨

Training strengthens fascias and bones.

刀越磨越亮，體越練越壯

The more is polished a knife the brighter it is, the more is trained a body the stronger it is.

冬養骨，夏伸筋

Winter to grow bones, summer to extend the fascias

The need to first transform the body, stressing on fascias and bones, which has already been described in length in this blog, is the basis of the external training of internal practices. 

Strong and Experienced Youth

拳怕少壯, 棍怕老郎

The fist fears the young and vigorous, the stick the old gentleman.

身體力行

A body acts according to physical strengths¹.

讀萬卷書不如行萬里路

It's better to walk thousands of miles than to read thousands of books².

An old martial saying states that experience itself represents half, if not more, of the value of a warrior.

Worlds Apart

拳怕少壯, 棍怕老郎

The fist fears the young and vigorous, the stick the old gentleman.

若能棍，則各利器之法，從此得矣¹

As skilled with the stick, then the method for each sharp weapon is henceforth obtained.

赤手空拳

Unarmed and defenceless (empty hands and empty fists)

The first meaning brought by such a saying is, of course, that boxing and fighting with weapons are actually very different.

Studying Old Sayings

理是功能之本，法是功能之基
Theory is the essence of capacity, method its foundation

一層功，一層理
A level of mastery, a level of theory




Before starting with the first one, just a few points to be clarified :

Grinding

難得糊塗

Ignorance is bliss.

字字要咬出汁漿來

Every character must be chewed until its juice is out.

With still no time to do the necessary research and write long posts came the opportunity to experience a method used by old practices described in the second quote.

Six Month Break

No new post for six months, sorry. You can still contact me by email.

Wishing all the best to my readers in the meantime.

Wondering Taoist

Bamboo

武藝不學不通，雜技不練不精

Martial art skills cannot be understood if not studied, acrobatics are not outstanding if not practised.

勢如破竹

A posture totally like a bamboo¹.

Though a new realm, bamboo naturally follows what was achieved in the locks, starting to learn how to tense the whole body through fascias and muscle relaxation. Therefore, where one had to soften one’s body in straight and round, bamboo is all about hardening it, nonetheless by means of relaxation. Still, bamboo training is also finding means to enhance the spine flexibility as well as to reach deeper fascia webs. Finally, such training deals with ways to improve one’s grip and the flow of vapours.