Gravity and the Circle

界是功能之限

Realm is the threshold of capacity.

Gravity, like breathing, is a constant in our lives. For those who are studying old practices, it is, as far as training is concerned, the perfect example of how virtuous and vicious circles will shape training and fundamentally change it. In this case, it is very simple. As long as we grow, up till maturity, the influence of gravity is positive. It makes our body stronger and exercices will tend to use at its best this opportunity. Once we become grownups, it is reversed; gravity slowly impedes us on all and any level.

Women And Breathing

理是功能之本，法是功能之基

The intrinsic order is the essence of capability, method is the base of capability.

女子无丹田，炼炁在膻中

Women don’t have a Cinnabar Field, training vapours is in the mediastinum.

男子之命在丹田。丹田者，生丹之真土也；女命在乳房。乳房者，田气之木精也。

Men’s life resides in the Cinnabar Field. The Cinnabar Field, this is the real soil which gives birth to the Cinnabar; Women’s life resides in the breasts. The breasts, those are the real wooden essential liquids of the field of vapours¹.

To understand fully old methods, one has to take into consideration three things: they are, intrinsically, very versatile. Hence, most of the time, they are not governed by rigid rules or principles; they customise training according to each and everyone, there isn’t, apart from some basis, a standard training to be followed. This starts, of course, by recognising and taking into account the obvious difference between men and women and then between all distinct kinds and shapes of bodies; Finally, they come from various traditions that may address or express the same issue in diverse ways, especially because they are meant to be an oral transmission. All this is unfortunately a far cry from most of the training in internal styles nowadays. 

Where Is My Weapon?

槍扎一條線，棍掃一大片

The spear binds a line, the staff sweeps a large area¹.

劍走青，刀走黑

The sword goes green, the sabre black².

青龍偃月刀：劈、砍、撩、掛、斬、抹、截、攔、挑、刺

Green dragon crescent moon sabre: hack, slash, lift up, hang, chop, strike out, intercept, block, pick, stab.

Since pretty early in history, martial arts circles in China were linked to a lot of practices, from the pure battlefield ones to hunting (the bow), physical strength (weight lifting with the famous tripod cauldron), spiritual search (lots of martial arts have such a claim. Let’s also remember that among the six arts taught by Confucius two were the chariot and the bow), ceremonial (dance³ and the bow), competitive (tripod cauldron lifting, wrestling and, again, the bow), protection (militias and escorts) and so on… In times of constant war or great insecurity, almost everybody knew how to handle a weapon, in times of peace, some martial practices became pure entertainment⁴, in times of unrest some practices were constricted to the elite, in times of peace sometimes the establishment looked down on martial skills⁵.