Xin Yi Liu He Quan’s Nei Gong Practicing Method
     Xin Yi (minding and intending) Liu He (six harmonies) Quan (boxing), also referred to as Xin Yi Quan in the Kung-fu circle, was in vogue in Shanxi province more than one thousand years ago, and had been passed down with definite references for about 300 years. Its nature could be characterized as being both ancient and of primitive simplicity. Being ancient refers to the long history of its development while primitive simplicity lies in the simple and pragmatic method the Chinese ancient people applied. What they had done showed an original understanding in martial arts. According to the analysis on the techniques of the Quan, the practicing methods passed down could vividly reflect the way how people thought in the past and to what extent they knew about nature. Judging from a modern eye on the various living environments several hundreds years ago, use know more the method in practicing the Quan and the way in preserving human health were rather primitive, natural and simple. Apart from these, the influence of Chinese Taoism also permeated through other practicing methods, such as the separate and step-by-step practicing method, which stresses reposing the mind, calming the body and nourishing vigor, in order to get over exhaustion and maintain physical strength after the intense exercise, and Nei Gong Practicing Method (internal skills of energy cultivation) that aims at building a strong body. We will introduce later what the writer of this article has been practicing for ages as well.
      One of the Nei Gong Practicing Methods originated from Shanxi Province is Mo-Mo-Jin (rubbing-and-stroking movement). Its practicing method is based on the theory of Chinese traditional medicine talking about the circulation of vital energy. When appropriate body movements coordinate with inner breathing and conscious breathing coordinates with vibrating movements in the abdomen deliberately, metabolism would be enhanced, inner vigor would be nourished and breath would grow stronger.
     The practicing of Xin Yi Liu He Quan is usually be started with the posture like a standing monkey (or squating monkey). It requires serious and timely Nei Gong practicing. The beginning of the Squating Monkey Posture as a most important step is to hold the breath down to your Dan Tian (an acupoint in your navel) while keep mind on guard around it. To begin with, you must inhale through the abdomen to your Dan Tian and exhale through the lung at will. Meanwhile in your imagination, you must carry your breathing to the second supervisory artery named Ren and Du. When the new mixed breathing comes out from the second supervisory artery, you Should circulate it to your Dan Tia again. Then your body and limbs can move in spiral circle. When it comes to an end of section or a phase of fierce attack, the circulation of his breathing would be led by your will coming to arouse strength, forming a series of coordinated fighting movements at a stretch. Hence, the Nei Gong Practicing Method plays an important role in cumulating strength in practicing Xin Yi Liu He Quan. When it is supposed to be used for regime, you can skip the intense steps in cumulating strength, and turn to exercise breathing and will at a much slower pace. This is the traditional regime descended from our forefathers more than a thousand years ago. It is quite beneficial to one's health indeed due to the slow movements coordinated with Jing Luo (or channels and collaterals) Movements.
    In this section, the Nei Gong practicing method of Xin Yi Liu He Quan is referred to as Mo-Mo-Jin. This is because the abdomen movements, vibrating movements and the movements in holding one's breathing down to his Dan Tian sharing some resemblance between "rub" and "stroke", hence it gets the name.

 

Wang Zhi, a Pursuer in Practicing Tai Ji Quan Kung-fu
    Wang Zhi could be addressed as an influential person in Tai Ji Quan community, in Ma'anshan, Anhui province. He has been pursuing Tai Ji Quan (shadow boxing) Kung-fu and trying his best to popularize the Quan over there. In December, 2004, he successfully held a competition targeting mostly for the spreading of Chen's Tai Ji Quan following the poetry festival on the state level in Maanshan. I got to know him during the Chen Style Tai Ji competition.
     He had great enthusiasm in explaining Tai Ji when we were talking about the topic concerning the Quan. His understanding is profound. He addressed that Tai Ji Quan is an art which possesses the most traditional characteristics of the Chinese nation. Its profoundness and prevalence of the world's civilization is incomparable. No other traditional culture can match its impact. Tai Ji Quan contains not only the practical attacking techniques, body building methods, but also the traditional philosophical thoughts, ranging from Lao Zi to Zhu Xi, from Zhou Yi to Li Xue (the study of reason). Literal words are quoted in the explaining of its Kung-fu practice, bringing out the best of each other. Tai Ji Quan fully reflects the intelligence of our ancestors. At present, even if language barriers might be a problem, Tai Ji Quan practitioners are visible anywhere over the whole world.
     Wang Zhi is one of the students of Jiang Jiajun, an apprentice and successor of Master Hong Junsheng. About 30 years ago, Wang adjusted himself in learning Chen Style Tai Ji Quan transferred from Yang Style. Initially, he learned Tai Ji Quan, Dao (falchion), Jian (sword) and Tui Shou (pushing hands) from Xu Guicheng, then Tai Ji Quan techniques, from Feng Zhiqiang, and finally, he has learned systematized traditional Chen Style Tai Ji Dao, Jian, Tui Shou and Tai Ji Da Qiang (thirteen Qiang) from Master Jiang Jiajun till now.
     Wang Zhi has been getting advanced greatly both in theory and in practice due to his hard practicing and work for many years. He has been able to identify the coordination of "Li (strength)" and "Qiao (skills)", Song (relaxed) and Yuan (circumvolving in various circles) in playing the Quan. He once said, it is a long process from practicing to obtaining skills, and then to Chang (long distance), Duan (short distance), Leng (poise), Jie (defense), Jin (vigor). It is a change from Zuo Sbu (being familiar with all the Tai Ji movements) to Dong Jin (understanding the strength) then to Shen Ming (mastering Tai Ji Kung-fu supernaturally). In passing through the three stages, no one can skip any of them. Teaching his apprentices the Quan, he often said that playing Peng should be soft and empty reaching every tip of your fingers while Song should be held onto your toe. He considers that practicing Tai Ji Quan is somewhat like filling water to a water cask. The more the water, the more sufficient Qi accumulates. When Qi is sufficient enough, you would get Wai Li (the outer strength) to burst out in a flash. Sending your Li is like a wheel rolling either to approach or to withdraw as well. If you could Fa Jin (sending your force out) so, the effect will be like a wheel hitting an object, if you do Rou Hua (having your strength soft), there will be no trace to find where it has been done. It will be miraculously natural.
     When we were talking about Tai Ji Shi San Shi (thirteen movements), he said that "Ding (holding on)." is the fundamentality while "Peng" is the base. Nothing is existing in Ba Fa but Chan Si Jin (the vigor and forces screwing to be close and around). The motion of Chan Si is prior to any other actions. Be swift while you are withholding your strength. The second you are touching your opponent, the second you leave. All motions should be finished as soon as possible, with neither disruption nor hesitation, neither blocking nor stopping. Full but light concentration is required. When you are practicing the Quan, your Yi (minding and intending) should be neither overloaded, nor unattained. The Quan gestures can't be up and down frequently. Being up too high, your Qi would be uplifted much, too low, your knees might be hurt. One should be poised when he is practicing Tui Shou. His Qi should be hold well balanced. His strength will be in circulation as long as his body is perceived in one as a whole.
     In the modem years, science is highly-advanced, nation's traditional art still prevails its enthralling charm. There are lots people devoting themselves all their lives in pursuing the art plus its wonderful charm. They would beat their chest if a stele is damaged or a piece of porcelain is broken, they would commit suicide if a school of traditional technique is lost. Wang Zhi is one of those people. All friends of Wang Zhi know well his mania for calligraphy, collection, and especially Tai Ji Quan. Whenever he goes out, he would visit any or all the curio markets. Whenever he has been in such market, he would buy some porcelain, jade, calligraphy and painting, or other miscellaneous antiques. At present, he's a member of Anhui Calligraphy Association. He has been practicing the Quan every morning, and studying calligraphy every evening. He knows a lot about Zhen, Cao, Li, Zuan (various styles of calligraphy). What is more admired is his persistent pursuing Tai Ji Quan. As he has been often traveling due to his work requirements, he has often gotten some opportunities to interview Tai Ji masters all over the country leaving his traces in Beijing, Shanghai, He'nan and other places. From Yang Style to Wu Style and then to Chen Style, he has experienced hardships to reach such far. Emerged from Kung-fu players, he possesses the elegance of a scholar even he had been an soldiery in the army before.
      His practice of Tai Ji Quan has entered the stage of theoretic research. Grasping the essence of Tai Ji Quan Master Hong Junsheng's theory, Wang Zhi has been getting inspired a lot through his real practices. He often encourages himself by Master Hong Junsheng's character in practicing the Quan. He evaluates the art of Quan to let more people understand the Kung-fu theory of "the level of ung-fu is measured by one's character".
     Whenever he talks about Tai Ji Quan with other trangers, he always addresses himself as an amateur. While someone said anything about Kung-fu in modern years, he would always response objectively what the Kung-fu people nowadays possess can't be compared with the ancient people's. From time to time, he has warned his students that there's no end in learning Kung-fu. The different schools all have their unique characteristics respectively. There are many masters in every school. If one can learn the merits of all the schools, he is able to improve his Kung-fu a lot.
     Wang Zhi perceives that Tai Ji Quan is a blue-chip kind of Chinese traditional masterpieces. He has been studying its theory as long as he has practiced the Quan for many years. He has gotten the elite of Tai Ji theory inherited from Master Hong in more understanding. He has usually encouraged himself with Master Hong's character in his embedded understanding, measuring the Quan and in his life. In his opinion, Tai Ji Quan should be popularized to serve all human beings. The saying that "one's character decides his Kung-fu level" should be understood and encouraged in more crowds for the continuance of this pearl of nation's traditional arts.

 

The true Tai Ji Quan Kung-fu could be applied both in a very slow way as well as in a flash
    Due to his advocacy of Chinese traditional Kung-fu from childhood, Master Jiang Jiajun hoped to practice the martial arts, but the reason why his studied it is surely different from those at the age, idleness, and desire to keep fit for longevity. He regards Tai Ji Quan as a means to exercise Chinese traditional Kung-fu in order to master it thoroughly. For the need to master skills of both attacks and defenses, and ways of Fa Jin, certainly he should often practice how to focus on and send out all his strength.
     The speed of Jiang Jiajun's fist fighting is swirl in a flash. Besides, he focuses his own strength on expelling it with an overall match through wrapping movements, namely Chan Si Jin. It is indeed erudite for Chan Si Jin training, and how to get the skill deserves a careful study, that is, one should wrap his opponent with strength being sent out to the right person. Generally, the ones who have seen Jiang's fist would distinguish it from other "great masters" owing to different learning methods and motives. Master Jiang is poles apart from many other people running Tai Ji Quan business nowadays.
Jiang Jiajun has his own understanding of how to send out the fist, the palm and strength in practicing Tai Ji Quan (shadow boxing):
Fa Jin (expelling the strength) in playing Tai Ji Quan is practiced by stance keeping. Through long-term training, one gradually produces the soft but not looses his strength which is generally known as Nei Jin (interior strength). In Chen Style Tai Ji Quan, it is called Chan Si Jin (silk-reeling strength), whereas it is Chou Si Jin (silk-drawing strength) by name in Yang Style. No matter which name it has, the way to practice it is exercises of Song Yuan (flexible joints and circular wraps) step by step.
     Fa Jing of the Quan is more rapid than exceptionally powerful, without trace at all. Master Chen Xin said, "a hand is stretched out, turning into a immediately adhering to others." Master Hong Junsheng said, "Fa Jin flashes like lightning, as sudden as a thunderbolt."
     Tai Ji Quan, practiced by martial arts masters, has the same process of sending out fists and palms with Fa Jin same, as other Chinese boxing. Moreover, it's not just the exercises of so-called serial shadow boxing stunts, since they don't practice martial arts skills, Many people performing Tai Ji Quan cannot understand that the Quan, as one style of Chinese traditional Kung-fu, is basically of no difference from other schools. Their only comprehension of the Quan is to emphasize movements of Ban (stepping forward), Lan (blocking), Chui (fist), etc., and to misunderstand that one with less strength is able to hit the other who is more energetic. Actually such kind of people are treating it a game rather than martial arts. In fighting, you lacked the strength while your opponent is strong and skilful, how could you win ? I have met with such many ones that simply performed the Quan instead of using it. The performance reflects a kind of vigorous art of human body as calisthenics, differentiating from that as martial arts in essence. Therefore, it also demonstrates that the sport of Quan for fitness is no the real Tai Ji Quan.
    As a matter of fact, the senior Tai Ji masters have mentioned in compendiums of Quan that “Xu Jin (storing the strength) is like drawing a bow, Fa Jin like shooting an arrow.” In recent times, the elder masters have experienced the point. Master Hong Junsheng’s words that “Fa Jin flashes like lightning, as sudden as a thunderbolt” will surely illustrate that the real Tai Ji Quan contains all the contents Chinese traditional Kung-fu should have.

 

The Traditional Ritual of Bai Shi
   From the old times on, the succession of Chinese traditional Kung-fu has been including not only handing on Kung-fu and its skills but also the culture comprised in. The traditional culture contained in Chinese traditional Kung-fu embraces a broad and wide knowledge in different fields such as the ancient philosophical theories, ethical and moral fields, literature and art culture, the ancient natural science principle and so on. The traditional Bai Shi ritual is one of the points in the field of humanity and ethical culture.
      As China has a broad territory, a certain form of Bai Shi ritual varies with different regional cultures and various characteristics of the humanity culture.
      We would like to introduce to you a certain Bai Shi ritual conducted by a contemporary representative of Shao Lin Quan as well as a famous Kung-fu master, Zhu Tianxi.
      A traditional Bai Shi ritual is usually hosted by one of the compeers or the hail-fellows of the master in taking some one as his pupil. The host will first introduce the guests and the personages active in different fields of Wushu present at the ritual and then give a brief introduction of the master who is to take some one as his pupil while the guests and his friends will always express their congratulations through some brief addresses or presenting gifts. After that the prentice first will do a kowtow (touching the ground with his forehead in expressing his respect and in fixing the relationship between the master and himself) ritual and then, submit a written note for the instruction issued by the master with a Kow-tow posture again or deliver some Li Jin (a girl of money). As for the old tradition there would be a ritual of San Bai Jiu Kou (three times of knee on and nine times of kowtow). The master will then lead all his prentices to salute bowing to their ancestors of the founder of the Quan. The new prentice will again salute bowing to his master's compeers and his senior fellow apprentices. After that the master will present a keepsake to his new prentice and then both of them take a picture together and then with some honoraria done by them in ending.
       Most Bai Shi rituals are generally conducted the same with a few differences in their procedures and the forms a little bit different in various regions.
       Traditionally the master will keep a strict distinction between his taking up a new prentice and instructing his students in Kung-fu learning. Some masters has many students yet a few prentices, they regard the formally  taking up of a new prentice each means that they are also  responsible to instruct and guide the thoughts and  ideological consciousness as well as the theories and  skills learning of their prentices, for their future succession of their schools of Kung-fu. Of course there are masters who take up one hundred or two hundred per year but instruct a few of them merely.