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The Miraculous Effects of Tai Ji Quan

The Miraculous Effects of Tai Ji Quan
    I was diagnosed as being ill of mammary cancer in October 1998. Right after that I took the amended root cutting surgery. Fifteen days later, I started chemotherapy till March 1999. In February 2000, I was taken bone scanning during callback. A focus was found in right side of ribbing. It was suspected as bone transferring. Then I had to take chemotherapy again. I lost all my hair acutely because of large dosage of medicament. The level of my leukocyte decreased down to 1,000. (The normal level is around 4,000 to 10,000). It was hard and painful to review that experience in chemotherapy. The sharp react occurred to me as dysphasia and naupathia. After 1 got more years of recovery, my hair grew up to two inches. However, it was suspected that there were some problems in uterus while counterchecking. In the beginning of March 2001, I had to take uterus ovariotomy surgery. It was my family, relatives, friends and colleagues' love and helps that encouraged me to pass the difficulty. After a period of therapy and care, I turned over and began to recover. At this moment, I met a Tai Ji Quan master who has got more than twenty years experiences on it. He told me that it would be good for my recovery to practice Tai Ji Quan, especially for the human body's microcirculation and incretion. Tai Ji Quan is a kind of body's internal purifying work. He borrowed me a book" How to Play Tai Ji Quan Well" written by Gu, Liuxin. I read it carefully. Once finished, I was wondering: "Is it true the marvelous effects of Tai Ji? Can Tai Ji Quan draw me back from the edge of the death?" Every body should be scared of the death. No dare of death would just be a spirit pursuing or but no choice. It will be so good to be alive. There are so many things to be experienced. Any beings should have the right and expectation to be alive. I did need a way of practice to assist my recovery. So why not pay a lay, 2001. I started to learn Tai Ji Quan.
    I. At the beginning, I was worried that my arm would be in tumescent. That was because my lymph in oxter was also cut off when I took the galactophore cutting surgery, which might cause the in tumescent because of circumfluence blocking. It was surprised that, after one month's exercise, the dropsy was even relieved. I was beginning to realize that the health is related to fluent Jing Qi, commented from the book. Tai Ji Quan can benefil the circulation system of Jing Luo, blood and lymph. In the practice, the artery will be softly spread, which improves the blood circulating, boosts the oxygen supplying and accelerates lymph's metastasis. So probably it was from the effects of Tai Ji. From then on, I was confident of it and did it everyday without interruption, no matter how bad the weather was. I was becoming full of energy and recover from extremely delicate situation. After one year's practice, I've learnt more than ten sets of Tai Ji by using sword, falchion and fan. There were also some changes of habit of my daily eating. I was even becoming a vegetarian. I felt comfortable with all things in an orderly way. Tai Ji Quan brings forth the thoughts of bi-directional elements, which comprehends me the philosophy and wisdom in Tai Ji.
    I've read some materials of traditional martial art and books of Tai Ji Quan principles, while I tried to understand and put them into my practice. After a few years of efforts, I've improved a lot in varies areas like the method of practicing, the standardization of operations and the understanding on Tai Ji Quan of opening and closing, void and solid, moving and stillness. I also sense the thoughts that consciousness can lead the movement collecting the energy from environment and coordinating by fast and slow, rigid and soft actions transferred.
    The human body's complexity and unlimited varies actions depend on neural cerebra. It's adjusted by exciting or restrain status of nerve. It's well known that Tai Ji Quan can improve one's health and the first effect is on the neural system's training and changing.
     Tai Ji Quan fulfills the thoughts by full meanings of calming and relaxation. It must calm down the nerve of cerebra first. Then the muscle of the whole body, arthrosis and viscus can be relaxed. After that the adjustment function of microcirculation can be orderly. The distinctive soft and slow movement of Tai Ji brings nutriment and oxygen to the cells of each viscera through the terminal of artery system and the initial end of vein system, which build the reticular capillary vessel. The energy of micro-cell will be enabled with the circulation of aorta, which implement the
training of neural system and improve the health.
     Relaxation first helps the gallium to obtain a rest from the movement. The nerve center can both direct whole apparatus's coordinated actions and train the neural system's flexibility. Thus, although TJQ is kind of slow movement practiced, it's sensitive to fit the changing of environment around. I didn't sleep well previously and had to take hypnotic. After the TJQ training, I can sleep well within the music of TJ. It explained that the status of relaxation and calming would not only the need while playing TJ but also the good way to relax the pallium.
    I was partially hurt of my reaction and memory in my chemotherapy. I suffered the moment that I couldn't remember what I ate in the morning and I couldn't pass the road alone. I was so worded and angered of myself at that time. I felt that I couldn't recover any more while I was just 42. However, after a period of practicing, my memory recovered that I could remember all denominations of TJQ. The knowledge I learned before was recovering also. Besides, it was pleased that my reaction was speeding up too.
    II. The helix circular movement in TJQ can activate the whole body & strengthen muscle contraction, leading muscle with better flexibility, elasticity & evenly growth. It also softly exercises joints by moving in multi-angle and higher extension. By following the muscle movement, it brings the self-massage effect to exercise skeleton & joints that is healthy to the growth of bone and also maintain joints' elasticity. After I took the chemotherapy, the arthrosis of the body was becoming stiffened and aches, especially when the weather changed. I was weak and flaccid when walking. The chemotherapy hurt a lot of my knee joints. It also restrained the marrow. In traditional words: the strength comes from the muscle and might is from the bone. After the practicing of TJ like helix enwinding, fold circumrotating and circle moving, I tried to lead the movement, relax the arthosis and extend the ligament by conscious. All these can strength the elasticity & flexibility, and impenetrate each section of TJ actions. Meanwhile, I managed to make the external and internal 3 sets by following the method aiming at the condoyle. The practice benefits the arthrosis to be well lubricated and fixedness. It also well shares the weight among bones, which strengthen the resistance of skeleton. All above steps coordinate skeleton, arthrosis and muscle & muscle fiber. The movement of muscle can be practiced from shallow to the deep while the muscle will be fleshy and shapely, pliable but strong and stretch. The arthrosis and muscle of the whole body can obtain well-proportioned and soft practice.
     It' s the waist axial based to play TJ. The barycenter of the whole body is at the point of Mingmen on waist, which is also the key point for the body to turn around. It implements to adjust the balance the whole body. In Tai Ji practice, first of ed and low down with the rump bone being pithiness and barycenther being stable down. The waist turns a little, which pulls the muscle of chest and back. This movement also drives the extremity to twist and rotate. The crotch will be needed to loosen up and open from the end part. The arthrosis will be kept bend slightly. The legs will finish the arc movement with the conversation between void and solid. The arthrosis of crotch and knee will lead to the rotation in both forth and reverse direction. The coordination between lees and arms will draw out circles. All above movements will figure out the key to movement completed from the feet through the leg, waist, back and ended at the finger, which is also the reason why whole body skeleton (including arthrosis of crotch and knee) becoming more flexible and stronger. Thus the goal of healthy body can be reached.
    III. During the practice, I improve not only my health, but also my self-restraint. The time when I see the TJ map, I can calm down and go into the situation as Wang Zongyue's words:" TJ has no source to trace but its self is regarded as the source of Yin-Yang. They are separated when moving and united when stopping. It can extend anywhere in different environment". The one consolidated by the human and the environment will keep the balance of Yin-Yang, support the justice & drive out the improbity, and protect the life. I am infatuated with the culture of our traditional martial art. In 2002, I won the second place at Zhengzhou Million Woman's Heath Contest in March 8th Festival. At the same year, I obtained the fifth place of 42 TJ swords, adult team, in Zhengzhou Martial Art Sets Contest. I also gained the reward of Chen' s 56 and 42 in the international annual meeting of TJQ at Jiazuo. I obtained the first grade reward of Chen's TJ fans in National TJ Contest, middle age team. I passed the 5th grade of national Wu-shu and gained the title of Second Level Master.
    The effects of TJQ to improve the health are confirmed from my practice. Recently I was counterchecked and all my blood's parameters have reached normal level. I look so well that I am not like the person to experience cancer and 2 surgeries. Now I would like to say that I am lucky to meet TJ. It's TJ that save my life. It's TJ that recovers me in such a short time. TJ, succeeded from our ancestor, is so miraculous. After hundreds years history, TJQ has became the treasure and major method for human to recover and improve health The slogan in my practice is: "the miracle can be created with my life by the boat of TJ". The meaning on me is that:" the cancer can't be scared any more when I fight against diseases using my way. I will not only be alive, but also on a high level that I can devote to TJ.
    It's TJQ to give me health and confidence. TJQ originates from China and belongs to the whole world. The fascination of TJ will light the way of human to the bright future.

 

The Gist of Xing Yi Quan

The Gist of Xing Yi Quan
    1. Ding (butting)-Butting the head upward; Butting the tip of tongue against the maxilla; Butting the hands outward to reach the powerful force Managing the above three promises with great power.
    2. Kou (holding tight)-Holding the shoulders tight to reach join forces; Holding the hands and legs fight with eyes observing straight; Holding the teeth tight rather than loose. Managing the above three promises with good morale.
    3. Yuan (keeping full)-Keeping the chest full of energy; Keeping the back full of power like a mountain; Keeping the Hukou (the part between forefinger and thumb) round like a full moon; Managing the above three promises with good skills.
    4. Du (retaining cruel)-Retaining the heart cruel like leopard cats grabing mice; Retaining eyes cruelly sharp like eagles searching hares; Retaining hands cruel like tigers chasing lambs; Managing the above three promises higher speed than others.
    5. Bao (cherishing)-Cherishing vital energy inside "Dan Tian"(the lower part of abdomen) to guarantee the solid foundation; Cherishing heart will to concentrate the attention; Cherishing arms standby in a relaxed way; Managing the above three promises for one's safety.
    6. Chui (drooping)-Drooping vital energy to "Dan Tian" to keep body technique firm;    Drooping arms to reach the genuine craftsmanship; Drooping elbows on the basis of arms;    Managing the above three to realize the nimble actions.
    7. Qu (bending)-Bending arms as the crescent shape; Bending wrists as the crescent shape;    Bending the knees and legs as the crescent shape; Managing the above three to perfect the gestures.
    8. Ting (erect)-Erecting the neck to keep eyes animated; Erecting the knees and legs like the roots attaching the ground; Erecting the body in standby mode; Managing the above three promises for powerful ability.
    Understanding the eight pithy formulas well and practicing the special stances well are the keys to master Xing Yi Quan. The trainees should memorize the valuable rules. Since ones manage the ''three modes of proper stance" after a long period of training, he can build a solid foundation for Xing Yi Quan.
Xing Yi Quan, which bases on Wu Xing Quan with five fundamental fist techniques  Pi(chopping), Beng(flicking), Zuan(drilling), Pao(shelling), Heng(horizontal punching), has the following distinctions:
    I. Internal and External Conformity
    Xing Yi Quan requires six conformities, including internal three conformities and external three conformities. The former three demand the integration of mind and will, the integration of will and vital energy and the integration of vital energy and strength. And the latter three call for the integration of shoulders and hips, the integration of elbows and knees and the integration of hands and feet. To sum up, if someone wants to practice Xing Yi Quan well, he must try to reach the above six conformities, which is to realize the coordination among all parts of one's body, such as the internal and the external, the front and the back, the left and the right. As a result, the trainees can succeed in combining mind and body, internal and external.
    II. Softness and Hardness Conformity
    A master of Xing Yi Quan can control each performance well no matter softly or hard. However, hardness doesn’t mean stiffness, and the softness doesn’t mean weakness. Instead, the hard movement should contain softness while the soft movement should imply hardness. Every move should retain the continuous elasticity to control oneself smoothly and keep oneself forceful at every minute.
    III. Stillness and Movement Conformity
    All things have two sides---stillness and movement, which can not exist without another. Emphasizing stillness only would make the spirit passive and keep one's mind in a restraining situation. But it can help one rest and get rid of exhaustion and tenseness. So movement should imply stillness. Both should coordinate together to start the body as an active whole.
    IV. Hands and Feet Conformity
    The conformity of hands and feet means the collaboration of hands and feet. On the practicing occasion, hands should move following the feet while the feet should move following the hands accordingly. And the head should guide the body move while the body should lead the head stir. According to the Quan Jing, in order to master the genuine methods, both hands and feet must be in use. Practicing the "three modes of proper stance" and the five fundamental techniques of Xing Yi Quan is helpful for one to keep fit, maintain healthy, practice muscles and protect oneself. In details:
    1.  Trainings help your mind quick and make your movement nimble. And you can shape a better body build and become graceful, reaching the ability that lying like a strong bow, sitting like vigorous pines, moving fast like the wind.
    2.  Trainings develop your firm will to face and overcome the difficulties, and fosters the good morality, sentiment, temperament, manner and so on, which makes you reach a quite and peaceful state.
    3.  Trainings regulate your whole body, including your muscles and bones, limbs and organs, acupuncture channels and acupuncture points, nerve system and so forth, which helps you handle and utilize the energy and helps your blood flowing smoothly. Thanks to the practices, one can own a good health with fewer diseases.
     4.  Trainings play an auxiliary role in medical treatment for rheumatism, pulmonary tuberculosis, heart diseases, chronic hepatitis, chronic nephritis, neurasthenia, backache and leg ache and so forth. For instance, practicing Xing Yi Quan can inspire the neurasthenia in spirit and strength. And the rheumatism can be provided with better resistance from illnesses.
     The "three modes of proper stance" and the five fundamental fist techniques of Xing Yi Quan are outstanding in the effect on curing diseases. I have seen some patients release their pain by practicing Xing Yi Quan.
     They reach a common sense during the trainings that "A weak body suffers a lot from illnesses; training should be started early and kept long; with the experience of good health basing on practicing, you would like to go on from then on." Because of the differences among people in living condition, social experience, life style and diet as well as they are in varied physiques, comprehension abilities, duration of trainings and instructions, each trainee will benefit to different degrees. As long as one follows the right direction of the coach, manage the keys and keep practicing without postponing, he will enjoy a happy and healthy life with the help of Xing Yi Quan.

The Development of Folk Kung-fu

The Development of Folk Kung-fu
    Chinese Kung-fu, with a long history, was mentioned by the famous works, such as "Shi Jing" (the Book of Songs), "Guanzi", "Xunzi" and so on more than two thousand years ago. Kung-fu resulted from the social situation at the ancient time. The ancient society was in disorder and low productivity with all kinds of contradictions, conflicts and wars. Then, because fist fighting was suitable for short distance fight and it was relatively easy to practice, various methods of fist fighting developed fast as well as other martial arts with weapons like broadsword, spear, sword, cudgel and so forth. From then on, there were more and more schools arising in the society. Some schools can be further divided into several branches. Spreading here and there, Chinese folk Kung-fu develops and has formed the particular system.
     Chinese folk Kung-fu has an extensive knowledge and profound scholarship. According to the statistic, there are close to 300 fist fighting methods. And different methods have their own focuses, developments and directions. Take Tai Ji Quan for example, at the foundation period, the purpose and aim were to attack with skills in order to stick up for the clan members' existence and development by protecting home from invasion. At the very beginning of learning Tai Ji Quan, trainees should practice twining, gluing and following as their core lesson to manage the special chand methods ("Da Shou"). They should foster the sensitiveness of the skin touching feeling and the inside reacting feeling, which complies with the mechanics principles. Thus, the Kung-fu skills are scientific and systematic. In the next studying process, the comprehensive skills of Ti (kicking), Da (hitting), Na (seizing) and Die (tumbling) are aggressive and hazardous, which is valuable for advancing energy, patience, speed and sensitive skills. The requirement is on the line with Tai Ji Quan's principle: hardness and softness moving in harmony; diverse things incorporating together; movements coordinating according to the enemy' s; encountering opponents and defeating them; using different methods to dissolve different movements; learning and mastering the keys are time consuming.
    When we are talking about the development of Chinese folk Kung-fu, we cannot make any judgment about Chinese folk Kung-fu, based on only some individual phenomena within one period or school only. Otherwise, the outcome cannot escape the limitation and narrowness. Instead, we should discuss the topic based on the history and districts comprehensively and objectively.
    History refers to the several thousand years from primitive time to the modem time.
    Kung-fu has experienced periods of foundation, development, climax, recession, redevelopment, another climax and another recession... District element means the different understanding and awareness of the Kung-fu held by people, resulted from the various social status, living environment and other factors at the same time. Take the feudal society for example, leaders would use their political power to assemble the skillful Kung-fu masters to strengthen their leadership in a wide scale. On the other hand, the people would make use of the Kung-fu knowledge to resist oppress and protect their lives, wealth and safety as well as their families'. On this depressing occasion, people had to manage some Kung-fu skills for survival. Otherwise, they would be in the destiny of being bullied, humiliated and even killed. Therefore, all genres of Chinese folk Kung-fu are passed on from generation to generation because of the tough social situation. However, the essence of Kung-fu is changing in accordance with the social advancement.
     Society is changing, resulting in the changes of Kung-fu. The traditional Tai Ji Quan requires heavy exercises, mass energy expenditure and difficult skills, which is outdated to the modern society. So the Kung-fu deliverers have to develop the new aims and direction of the arts and create the slogan, "What is the purpose for practicing Kung-fu? A healthy and lasting life". This is also the transition from Kung-fu for fight to that for health. And for the recent one hundred years, Tai Ji Quan has changed a lot, maintaining the traditional part and developing the creative part, and different schools have been founded to satisfy different demands of different people. As a result, Tai Ji Quan can be accepted by people all over the world.
     With the analysis on the development of Tai Ji Quan, we can get some information of developing feature and direction of Kung-fu.

The Aim and ethics of kung-fu-----A Speech for the Anniversary

The Aim and ethics of kung-fu-----A Speech for the Anniversary
    Chee Kim Thong (a famous Wu Zu Quan master, the founder of Malaysian Body-Building Exercises Union, the chairman of the International Wu Zu Quan Organization)
     Now there is a misunderstanding among us generally called Kung-fu experts, i.e. when we talk about the aim of learning Kung-fu, simply to strengthen the body or to use Kung-fu to fight and help others is the very goal of studying Kung-fu. In fact, it mistakenly takes the effect as the cause, although it sounds great. If we do not study the cause but only the effect at the beginning of practice, it is practical and useful neither, nor distracting our attention and hindering us to go forward.
     The most important for any Kung-fu practitioner to do is to build a healthy body, eliminate such diseases as disorder and illness in his spirit and heart. It is quite need for us at the very beginning to build a good moral character, and to be courteous by restraining ourselves whenever facing any trouble or infuriation whatever. In other words, to improve our skill level and to conquest the enemy is by our ethics. First of all, it is also quite necessary for one to build a peaceful mind himself and try to do his best from using Kung-fu practically.
     By analyzing the structure of Chinese characters as pictograph, we should better understand what the character of “µ(ethics)” implies, and better help us grasp its real meaning well. For example: “Two ‘¸ê’ plus one ‘½ð’ is ‘Ç®’.” And “‘¸ê’ plus ‘Ö¹’ is ‘Îä.’ The implication of money has been known well by the public, but the implication of Kung-fu has still been understood only by a few people.
     Stopping Fighting' the meaning of this two Chinese characters is stopping fighting in the world. It is concerned with our purpose. There are two ways to stop fighting: One is that we stop fighting first, calm down ourselves and think about the ethics. This is called the ethics of Kung-fu. The other is to stop others' fighting. This requires us to do our best to mediate the dispute and prevent the fight to happen. The second way expresses ethics while we are using Kung-fu.
     The Kung-fu practitioner particularly needs to know the two ways well, treating others with consideration, abide by the law as well as all the right principles and keep your honesty first everywhere. Liu Zongyuan, a famous writer in Tang Dynasty, said, "One doesn't know how to treat others as his friends, but insists on doing something at his own strong will and behavior merely depending on some advantage, he will surly be responsible for what he did." This saying is still useful for us, and I hope my posterity can take it seriously. If one abandons his behavior and pursues some material enjoyments, sooner or later, he will lose his good will and perseverance. Without right will and ethics, one is not a Kung-fu lover but a desperado.

Tai Ji Quan Master Wu Wenban

Tai Ji Quan Master Wu Wenban
    Destined to Learn Kung-Fu
    Mr. Wu Wenhan, styling himself Run Zhang, also call himself Liyang oldster. He was born in the 1920s , at Nanhe Town in Xingtai region, where Kung-fu such as Mei Hua Quan and Er Lang Quan was very popular. His grandfather actively took part in the one-year "anti-foreigner" movement at that time with his Kung-fu. His farther was a famous Mei Hua Quan boxer. Edificated by his family, Mr. Wu Wenhan began to learn and practise Kung-fu. He learnt Tai Ji Quan from Mr. Li Shengduan-a Muslim Tai Ji Quan magnate in Xingtai. From the popular fictions in the 1930s such as Stolen Boxing and Twelve Treasure Escort, he showed great respect to the Kung-fu masters like Yang Luchan. Apart from his teacher Li Shengduan, he visited almost all the Tai Ji Quan masters in Xingtai and Yongnian for advice. He was once instructed by some renowned masters such as Li Xiangyuan, Fan Shupu and Han Qinxian. Wu cleverly applied the comparative study technique to practising Tai Ji Quan, and consciously summed up and compared different schools of Chinese boxing, practice and teaching methods, which played an important role for his Tai Ji Quan research later.
    Orientation of Tai Ji Quan Study After Many Great Sufferings
    From 1949 to 1979, Wu underwent many sufferings and turned his life orientation several times. He once carried out Chinese literature study for nearly 10 years. He learnt to repair bicycles and shoes as a profession. He acted as a driver for some time. At last, he turned to study traditional Chinese medicine, and cured many patients. However, he gave up the traditional Chinese medicine after 1979, and took up his former career to study Tai Ji Quan with great concentration. Wu took cognizance of the potential social value of Tai Ji Quan during his study, and even successfully looked ahead to the potential international foreground of Tai Ji Quan. Whether or not useful for the nation and society becomes the cardinal principle for him to make a choice in study.
Not Became a Boxer But Kung-fu Researcher
    After retired, he studied Tai Ji Quan with great concentration and published a number of academic articles which sorted up his study results. With the historical dating research technique, he studied the occurrence and evolution of Tai Ji Quan in different political, economic and cultural backgrounds. He put the Tai Ji Quan to an academic height once again after two great Tai Ji Quan researchers-Mr. Xu Zhen and Mr. Tang Hao, and becomes an influential researcher and scholar of Tai Ji Quan. At the same time, he timely set forth important theories in terms of culture, philosophy and social science in allusion to connecting Tai Ji Quan with metaphysics and mysticism.
    Opposing Personality Cult and Apotheosis
In Wu's opinion, academic research cannot be separated with practice, and mystification and mysticism are disreputable. Academic research unbenefitial to practice will be washed outby history. Against some feudal appellations and organizations, he seriously expounded the origin and argument of some historical issues. He explicitly put it, difference in genre means difference in understanding of theory and different way of practising. He strongly opposes personal fetishism and apotheosis.
Exclusion of Faction in Talent Cultivation
    In Tai Ji Quan practice, though teaching was not Wu's original intention, he began to cultivate talent of "Wu" school of Tai Ji Quan by coincidence. He is quite different from others in teaching Tai Ji Quan. He is not confined by the old genre in narrow sense. He treats his own and other's disciples equally without discrimination. In recent years, Wu even more wakes up to the significance of talent cultivation. He believes that the primary cause for flourishing of "Yang" and "Chen" schools of Tai Ji Quan is talent issue. Where there are more talents, there are more practitioners, and vise versa, which could form a good circulation.
   Mr. Wu is a man of tremendous promise. Studying and workign for the revival and development of the State and nation is his lifetime pursuance. But the most respected thing for the aged scholar is that he could see how the land lies and do everything at his power in different historical periods. His research results in Tai Ji Quan, his successful experience in teaching and his encyclopedical knowledge influence many young people with ideal and gumption, and direct them on the way to study Tai Ji Quan and other academic fields for the benefit of the country.
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