The feature of Fa Jin in South School Kung-fu

The feature of Fa Jin in South School Kung-fu
    South School Kung-fu is the general description of South Shao Lin Kung-fu and other types of local boxing with obvious regional features. South Shao Lin Kung-fu is a system derived from the ancient kung-fu of the centre China and passed down to the South from generation to generation.
     After the South Song Dynasty, more and more people once lived in the centre China started to move to the South. Their descended cultures, combined with the elements of environmental changes and social variances, had shaped the unique humanities and regional cultures of the south China. South Shao Lin Kung-fu was also formed in this process and was continuously taught to non-Shao-Lin-apprentices. Modernists ordinarily consider Noah men are strong while the South ones are weak. But actually it's a misunderstanding. South Shao Lin and South School Kung-fu are as doughty as the North boxing. Since one century before, South School Kung-fu being famous in the regions of Guangdong, Fujian, Guangxi, Hong Kong and Macao, had spread over all the region of Southeast Asia, North America and even to the whole world step by step. At present Kung-fu widely spread in various places around the world with longer histories usually are South Shao Lin Kung-fu and its derivatives.
    In the latest 50 years, there were lots obstacles to the development of Chinese traditional Kung-fu in mainland China. Not only people changed their ideas in practicing Kung-fu but also the techniques lost with the previous masters passing away. However, on other beaches of ocean, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and North America, we can still find the practical value and essence of Chinese traditional Kung-fu, and the heroical spirits from most of the players. It's not strange that many Kung-fu fans abroad usually feel that few players in the Mainland are actually practicing Wushu as it has been showed just a kind of sport. It's a great pity that a large number of the players can never show up the inwardness of Chinese traditional Kung-fu as well.
     Master Zhang Liquan, addressed as one of the Three Tigers of Dongjiang River during the Republic of China period (1912-1949), was a propagator of contemporary Pak Mei Quan. At that time, special geography and society circumstance had created some atmosphere in practicing and using traditional Kung-fu. in eastern Guangdong, so the practitioners had tried their best to reach a level in both ideology and Quan skills in a conscious way or even unconscious. It was high esteem not only held by his successors but also by practitioners of any school of Quan that Mster Zhang had a profound understanding in Kung-fu and great Quan skills. People attributed his achievement to his taking the tradition of Kung-fu being a master.
Mr. Choi Wingsum, a successor of Mr. Zhang Liquan, has practiced Pak Mei Quan for forty years. Because Hong Kong always attaches importance to inheritance of traditional culture even in peacetime, Mr. Choi experienced strict demands by propagators and masters of older generation in the years of 1960s and 1970s. Almost everyone knows that no practice, no Kung-fu, but a lot of people will not practice it hard like Mr. Choi in reality. He often mentioned that to master Pak Mei Quan in the past, he must practice the basic training of Kung-fu for thousands of times according to what Master Zhang Bingfa, his teacher, had demanded. Choi has got some important ideas about Fa Jin (exerting strength). He said:
    "my teacher told me some points about how to Fa Jin, his father Master Zhang Liquan had handed down many methods, much the same with only minor differences due to similar body structure to everyone, that is, one should focus on all his strength in one and send out as a whole. Therefore, it's not easy to achieve the level of Liu Jin (six forces) Qi Fa (sending out together), emphasized by successors of Pak Mei Quan.
    When I was young, I had been scolded by my teacher for many times for my hard-to-master Liu Jin Qi Fa. However, what I knows today about it is different from the past since I have got to understand that Liu Jin Qi Fa should be with San Men Qi. I was diligent in exercises in focusing on my own strength and learning skills combined with boxing stunts. It had taken a long time for me in practicing the Liu Jin, during which I could not exert strength easily. As a result, my face was twisted with tension. In my opinion, movement of internal organs is the fundamentals of focusing and exerting strength. Though the movement is almost the same for everyone, the way to exert strength in an instant is different, such as attacking with a fist, a palm, an elbow, a forward sliding, getting an occupation of the opponent's position and, sending my own forces at my original place without any moving.(Editor: Masters of many schools in north China take the very similar understanding with Choi, which indirectly demonstrates all Chinese Kung-fu are from one family.)
   It's important for you to Fa Jin especially Fa Zheng Jin (sending your forces in one) that your waist and hips should be in the right position while the forces are sent from those parts in a flash. I didn’t understand how to exert forces from the abdomen before, namely practice not on the right point, so I exerted weak and insufficient whole forces. But now, I can do it as easy as I like."
   Sending out forces right from the abdomen discussed by Choi Wingsum shares a same fact with the one mentioned by many boxing manuals and proverbs that "Li You Ji Fa (the spine produces power)." Actually, predecessors have left various boxing manuals and proverbs showing their experiences of kung-fu practice, but not exact methods of practice, so successors have to study and practice Kung-fu all on their own.
   We often notice some expressions mentioned in the books or scriptures of Xing Yi Quan about Ning Jin (force in screwing) and Zuan Jin (force in drilling), however, there might be only few people in Kung-fu circle having obviously seen such two Jin expressions with the South School. As a matter of fact, there is no difference between people who practice Kung-fu of the South School and those the North, each of them has two arms with their ranges of motions almost the same. Everyone could do a good job if he has sent his forces correctly and has played Quan movements quite right. While you are watching people of different schools practicing Kung-fu, you will have seen them all alike.
   It has been quite a long time since Thomas Weiyu Cheng was apprenticed to Zhang Bingfa, the son of a master of Pak Mei Quan (white eyebrows boxing), named Zhang Liquan. He says:
   "There are numerous ways to practice Fa Jin (send forces) in playing the Quan. One of them is to Fa Jin in the process you are practicing Tao Lu (a set or sets of the Quan movements or a series of skills and tricks). Chuan Mo (a kind of tne Quan movements) is an important one in practicing Tao Lu skill combining attacking with defending changed timely in the process of playing the Quan. It requires the coordination of both hands to bring and explode all Ning Jin and Luo Xuan Jin (force in screwing) together with breathing and, to puff processes to attack opponent, it also requires the assorting with your Yao Ma (a movement with both your waist and the gait of horse).
   "Your force goes along with your Qi (interior strength and breathing), while Qi is sent by your thought." Fa Jin (sending force) in playing Pak Mei Quan fundamentally concerns with the adjustment, balance and function of your Qi and blood handled by your breathing so as to keep you holding of the right degree of Fa Jin. However, in order to come to a satisfactory effect, it is essential for you to have a well-functioned mind.
  Both Qi and force to be handled by your breathing. In case your Qi is sent smoothly, you can concentrate your Shen (spirit) to send your gigantic forces accordingly. As Qi is restrained in your body, your strength is hidden in your Qi. When you have concentrated your Shen with your breathing you are able to attack your opponent as a tiger having an unstoppable drive showing your strength in hardness. On the contrary, while you are defending yourself, you need to be softer to send your forces in a good order as floating clouds covering the moon without leaving their tracks in softness while your hardness and your softness should be associated together in one."

  When Thomas Weiyu Cheng is performing and deducing Fa Jin of Chuan Mo, his movement manipulations in twisting and drilling are all coordinated with a stride forward and a rotatory movement of the middle of his waist to adjust his sending forces. In a word, all his Liu Jin (six forces) must be sent out together in a flash at one time.
    In the past, the Kung-fu practicers in Guangdong Province usually practiced some various schools of different Quan. Elder boxers used to say, in their youth time, as soon as they heard that someone is quite skilled in playing Kung-fu, they would come to visit the master being determined to fully learn his Kung-fu by heart. Master Xiao Tingxun in Guangzhou was one among them. When he was young, Xiao Tingxun had learned many schools of Kung-fu including Hong Quan, Pak Mci (white eyebrows) school, Lama school, Yong Chun school, etc. in the amount of eight or ten schools in all. The point in his Kung-fu learning is to stidy how to attack and defend, how to burst out his Jin (inner strength). In the past, the prevailing Kung-fu, namely, South Shao Lin Kung-fu, spread over Guangdong Province, was mainly passed along from Fujan province. During the process of that passing along, Cantonese's South Shao Lin Kung-fu was evolved to taken on Cantonese' characteristics due to the personal factor of the disseminator.
   Master Xiao Tingxun has a through understanding of how to Fa Jin. He has quite a number of apprentices. They have considered Xiao's way of Fa Jin is fairly arbitrary with his full strength and surprisingly overwhelming once Xiaois Fa Jin with his fist hitting. However, those apprentices have recently felt that the way master Xiao Fa Jin has been quite dissimilar with the way he used to. It has been much more unascertainable, forcing you away but without his former arbitrariness.
   Several years ago, when I was interviewing Master Xiao Tingxun, he told me something about his understanding of Fa Jin. He started practicing it decades ago with the simplest movements of the Quan with his fist rare moving as well as his Zhang (palm) doing Ying Qiao Ying Ma (forming the shape of bridge, and horse, the fundamental practices). Later, enlightened by some elder masters, he got to learn that Ying Qiao Ying Ma, Ying Da Ying Pin (fighting reckonlessly with no strategy, but hard hitting only) are just the Kung-fu merely in skin, one should use his brain to think rather than do some plainly simple body movements. Ttransformation from one's outer movements into Inner Kung-fu is a necessity. As for the Inner Kung-fu, master Xiao understands it as Nei Lian (have your inner strength in daily practicing). Nei Lian focuses on the practice of Jin Gu (physique and bones). Based on the past experiences of the forefathers, Master Xiao originated several ways in practicing Jin Gu indeed quite effective.
  Originally, Liu Jin (six forces) is a form of emphasis on initiating Quan by the school of Pak Mei Quan in Hong Kong. It is a process that requires the practicer of Pak Mei Quan to release his entire strength. Xiao Tingxun has practiced Pak Mci Quan for several years. In the years of 1990s, enlightened by an elder boxer from hometown Meizhou, he perceived the exertion of Liu Jin as impetus from six different directions after the release of his entire strength. Namely, front, back, up, down, left, right, will be supposed to be Liu Jin. When he was taking the movements and Fa Jin, Xiao Tingxun emphasized the overall outburst of Nei Jin (inner strength), which is similar with the requirements of the main schools of Bei Fang Quan (North Quan). However, he now considers that when he is attacking his opponent, he can surely control the process of Fa Jin and tactfully handle his opponent's attacking by the movements of Jin Gu with Nei Gong (interior Kung-fu).
When he is controlling the exertion of Jin and Fa Jin, Xiao Tingyun’s inner unitary movements are overwhelmingly tactful and up to a high standard
Mr. Jiang Faming made great effort seeking for Kung-fu masters everywhere when he was young, then later, he began to learn Pak Mei Quan and now, he has his own understanding of it:
  “There's an essential difference between ‘jin (strength)' and Li (force).How will one obtain Jin'? How can he exert Jin in fighting against another? This is a pursuit for all the Kung-fu players. Among them, how many can really 'Fa Jin (exert strength) ', and exactly exert his 'Jin' nowadays?
The biggest difference is that in learning the traditional Kung-fu, most players have to pay attention to Yao Ma (the height of the waist, the gesture of the legs), the contents of Kung Fu and how they can exert their Jin. Jin is different from Li, it is not formed only based on your body and speed but most often produced. under the effect of two forms of Li. It can be formed by the force of the exertion of Jin, Gu, and Qi, and also the Li sent by your opponent. It can be in direction with the Li sent by both sides or in some whorls. It is able to go either from your top downward or from down upward or, from your left to right or right to left. It can be passed from your leg, through the waist, to your hand, and also directly formed in your hands. Your Jin could dispel the coming Li sent from your opponent, and also be used to hit your opponent directly. Both Gang (hardness) and Rou (softness) are mixed within. In Chinese traditional Kung-fu, all the schools, no matter in south or north, all concentrate on the practice and exertion of Jin and Gong Fa (the method).
 'Jin', formed in hitting, is usually associated and interactive with Shou Fa (the motion of the hands) and Shen Fa (the motion of the body). The so-called Shen Fa I'm discussing about here is not the common and simple movement of Duo Shan (avoiding), Tiao Yue (jumping) or Yi Dong (moving), instead, it is the inner motion and traveling Shen Fa of Jin, Gu, Qi in the body, the joints of hands and legs, the upper, middle and lower Pan (sets or parts of the body). As it is Wai Gang Nei Rou (forceful at appearance, flexible within), Gang Rou Xiang Ji (mixing Gang and Rou together), good at hitting in long and short distance, and close combat, Pak Mei Quan (white eyebrows boxing), in particular, greatly pays attention to the practice and exertion of Jin, concentrates and reinforce Jin's practice and exertion of 'Tun (intake), Tu (outburst), Chen (maintenance), Fu (drifting), Chou (draw) ', those are literally vivid in words, and fairly content-substantial from the aspect of Kung-fu. "
 There are plenty of various distinctive contents with many profuse kinds of Shou Fa (Kung-fu skills) in the system of Nan (South Shao Lin Quan System). The basic Tao Lu (series of skills and tricks in playing Chinese Kung-fu) of Tai Zu Quan commonly used comprise many skills in Kung-fu training and in defend-attacking with quite complete principled techniques. Herein we are introducing to you one of the methods in Fa Jin (sending out one's force) in playing Tai Zu Quan attacking his opponent while he is moving forward in a horse step. The attacking process consists of Fa Jin as well. That is one of the methods to attack and Fa Jin in playing Kung-fu.
   Tai Zu Men Kung-fu, in Quanzhou, Fujian, is one of the important parts in South Shao Lin Kung-fu. From Ms. Fu Sairong's demonstration on Die Jin Ma, we could see dearly it is reflected how a female Kung-fu player is practicing it.
   Die Jin Ma (double stepping in a horse one) Shuang Li Shou (double attacking with one's hands): When your opponent are hitting your chest with his fists, you promptly move your left foot or the right a fit step to either side and move the other foot forward in following. Meanwhile, raise your hands from the below to the left side or to the right forward to mantle and press the fists of your opponent down. In the course of these series of movements, you should have your body, waist and shoulder a little bit out-inclined being formed a triangle posture to prevent the coming attacking and cover out your hands then press and control your opponent with your hands. You should do those movements with your stepping, body moving and handing swiftly in a flash. All your forces in doing your Fa Jin have to be uttered at the same time. It is one of the hitting methods in Wu Zu Quan considered as a way in getting win by your    striking Fa Jin only after your opponent's attacking made ahead.
Shuai Du (beat your belly in throwing) is one of the Kung-fu training skills of Wu Zu Quan. Hold your breath to sink your interior breath down into your Dan Tian (an acupoint right in your navel) and strongly beat your lower abdomen with the edges of your palms then breathe out. Repeat exercise it on purpose to get better ability in resistance. That is called Nei Ding Jin Fa (inner prop up method) in Wu Zu Quan.
Zuo Za (keep firm in a sitting style likely) is about the motions in attacking and defending might be changed from time to time based on the circumstance and your situation in real fighting. It is diverse and being applied either in attacking or in defending. When your acting, have the centers of your palms forth with your thumbs inner bowed and the other four fingers gathered pointing upward, have your elbow. joints sunk down plumbed but naturally without with tight forearm. That is called Yao Jing Fa (gnaw strength method) in Wu Zu Quan.