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I hope it is all right if I ask another question! This question refers more to practitioners than Xingyiquan.
When General Yue Fei developed and taught the "Kung fu for Generals," what qualities was he looking for in prospective students? What would make the General decide that this man would be taught Eagle Claw kung fu while that man would be taught Xingyiquan? Are there certain physical, mental, and/or spiritual qualities that lend themselves best to Xingyiquan?
Thank you again for the enlightening answers!
I like making silly videos (including kung fu ones!) every so often on YouTube and taking pictures of weird things on Instagram.
If the opportunity is still open for questions, I'd have 2 small questions about comparison with Baguazhang.
Dear Sifu,
If I remember correctly, in Baguazhang there were not many patterns that were considered "compassionate" (as in comparison with Shaolin Kungfu), unless we used release force.
For Xingyiquan, created to be as effective as possible on a battlefield, are there "compassionate" patterns, to spare the opponent?
In Baguazhang we learned to get behind an opponent very fast, and in my small experience, when circle walking, one of the benefits is a strong all around awareness.
In Xingyiquan, when on a battlefield, one could be attacked from all sides. Does training Xingyiquan also generates an all around awareness as in Baguazhang?
What is the difference between Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan in terms of benefits for health and spirituality, form, force training, combat application, philosophy and special internal skills (such as Striking Across Space which is found in Wuzuquan)?
Sifu Anton Schmick
Answer:
Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan are all great arts promoting health and spirituality. Any difference explained in the answer is relative. For example, if one art is said to be more effective than another art in promoting health, it does not mean that the other art is not effective.
In comparing the four arts, it is presumed that all other things were equal. This is almost never true in real life, but is necessary as a philosophical concept for meaningful comparison. For example, when it is explained that one are is more effective than another in promoting spirituality, the comparison is based on this one factor in isolation. If other cateria are involved, which always happen in real life, like a practitioner of the former art is more diligent than a practitioner of the latter art, the former may obtain more benefit in spirituality than the latter.
The comparison is based on genuine Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan at the potential. Please note the two points involved – genuine and potential. Unfortunately today not many people have the opportunity to practice any of these genuine arts. The question of what makes an art genuine is debatable.
The criterion adopted here is that an art is genuine when it is what it is said to be. As all of them are martial arts, if a practitioner uses kick-boxing instead of the art he practices for sparring, it is reasonable to say that what he practices is not genuine. One may practice a genuine art but he may not have reached a high level in it, irrespective of how long he may have practiced. Hence, when we say that his art is one that has the most advanced internal skills, it may not apply to him.
A fourth factor to bear in mind is that we are special, a fact others may not like to hear and probably do not agree. We are special because of the many advantages we have in the practice of these arts that others may not have, like understanding the underlying philosophy of the training in these arts and the ability to generate energy flow. Because of these advantages, we are able to employ an art for spiritual cultivation when it is not normally possible for other people.
These four points are not only important in our philosophical discussion on the difference between the four great arts, they are actually more important in everyday life. Many students do not derive the benefits they should get although they practice these great arts, not because these arts do not give them the benefits but because what they practice is not genuine, or they practice insufficiently or wrongly.
With these four points in mind, namely that the comparison is relative, that all other things are presumed equal, that we are comparing genuine arts at their potential, and that we are special, let us examine the difference between Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan in terms of benefits for health and spirituality, form, force training, combat application, philosophy and special internal skills.
Relatively and in my opinion, Taijiquan is the most effective in providing benefits for health, followed by Baguazhang, Wuzuquan and Xingyiquan in that order of important. As mentioned earliet, this does not mean that Xingyiquan provides little benefits for health. Indeed the health benefits of Xingyiquan are tremendous.
But in the real world today, I believe the biggest group of people who have become unhealthy, like sustaining knee injuries, as a result of their training, both in terms of number as well as proportion, are Taijiquan practitioners. A survey showed that more than 62% of Taijiquan practitioners in the United States suffered from knee injuries, many of whom as a result of their practice. This is shocking. Taijiquan is supposed to be the art amongst the four mentioned here to give the most health benefits. Why do so many Taijiquan practitioners suffer from knee injuries. They practice wrongly. They do not rotate their knees!
Why does Taijiquan, if practiced correctly, amongst the four mentioned arts provide the best health benefits? It is because of energy flow.
All the other three arts generate energy flow too, but Taijiquan generates the most chi flow and in the most conducive way for health. In the other arts, energy flow is consolidated for combat, whereas in Taijiquan though it is also consolidated for combat, the energy flow is fluid and more emphasized for health.
Taijiquan is also the one amongst the four mentioned arts that gives the best benefits for spirituality. The supreme aim of Taijiquan is return to the Tao, which in Western terms means return to God the Holy Spirit. All Taijiquan training places much emphasis on spiritual aspects, like being calm and relaxed, and using mind instead of using strength.
Benefits for spirituality range extensively from the basics of being peaceful and relaxed to the supreme attainment of merging with the undifferentiated Cosmos. Irrespective of which point along the range, Taijiquan, at least in theory, provides the best benefits. But it may not be so in real life, due to one or more of the four conditions mentioned at the start of the answer. In my opinion, due to the nature of their training Xingyiquan practitioners are more highly-spirited than Taijiquan practitioners in real life today.
With this philosophical knowledge and our ability of energy flow, we in Shaolin Wahnam are able not only to avoid the weakness and highlight the strength of any arts we practice, but also to employ the strength of one art in another art where the strength is originally absent.
For example, in Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan and Baguazhang there is no mention or practice to enter Tao, or expand into the Cosmos. But with this skill acquired in Taijiquan, we can apply it in Xinguyiquan, Wuzuquan and Baguazhang.
In terms of form, Taijiquan has the largest number of techniques, followed by Baguazhang, Wuzuquan and Xingyiquan in that order. Baguazhang movements are the most complex and elaborated, followed by Taijiquan, Wuzuquan and Xingyiquan. Wuzuquan and Xingyiquan techniques are relatively simple – but their application profound. Hence, a Baguazhang performance is the most beautiful to watch.
All the four arts use the flow method for force training. Taijiquan is the softest and the most fluid, followed in order by Baguazhang, Wuzuquan and Xingyiquan. Although Xingyiquan is known as an internal art, by which many people mistakenly conceptualized as soft, it is quite hard. It is the hardest of all the generally known internal arts.
Why is Xingyiquan internal and is hard? It is internal because its force training is prominently internal, i.e. through flowing energy. It is hard because its force is the result of flowing energy being consolidated.
Why is Taijiquan internal and is soft? It is internal, like Xingyiquan, because its force training is prominently internal, i.e. through flowing energy. It is soft because its force is the result of vigorous energy flow.
Baguazhang and Wuzuquan are in between, with Baguazhang closer to Taijiquan, and Wuzuquan closer to Xingyiquan.
All the four arts are extremely effective for combat. If all other things were equal, like equal internal force, equal knowledge or combat strategies and equal fighting experience, Taijiquan being the one with the largest number of combat techniques would be the most combat effective. But in real life this is not so, simply because other things are not equal.
In my estimate, in real life Xingyiquan practitioners are the most combat efficient, followed in order by Wuzuquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan. Interestingly, the order of combat efficiency in practical experience is the direct reverse of the order based on theory.
Why is this so? Precisely because Taijiquan and Baguazhang have so many techniques, it takes a longer time to practice them. It is faster to practice the few techniques in Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan. Also, because Taijiquan and Baguazhang techniques are sophisticated, it is harder to master them. It is easier to master the simple techniques of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan. Given the same time for practice, Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan practitioners are more skillful in their few techniques, whereas Taijiquan and Baguazhang practitioners still have to struggle with their many techniques.
Xingyiquan techniques are the simplest. They are closest to Boxing and instinctive fighting. Hence, even when Xingyiquan practitioners have not undergone systematic combat training, they can still use their Xingyiquan techniques to fight instinctively.
But Xingyiquan is unlike Boxing or instinctive fighting. Its simplicity hides a profundity that Boxers and instinctive fighters can not even fathom. The simplicity of Boxing and instinctive fighting is due to their lack of a great variety of combat techniques and skills. The simplicity of Xingyiquan is the result of crystallizing a great variety of combat techniques and skills into a few fundamentals. If an opponent attempts to fell a Boxer or an instinctive fighter, for example, the Boxer or the instinctive fighter has no techniques to defend against the attack, but a Xingyiquan practitioner has many ways to overcome the situation.
The combat application of Taijiquan and Baguaquan are generally circular, whereas that of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan are straight. Taijiquan and Baguazhang movements issue mainly from waist rotation, whereas those of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan issue mainly from the shoulders. When a Taijiquan exponent executes a thrust punch for example, the spiral force comes from the waist, whereas when a Xingyiquan executes a crushing punch, the spiral force comes from the shoulder.
The source of the internal force in both cases is still from the dan tian, but the starting movement as well as focus are different. The training to accomplish the force explosion is also different. By rotating the waist, Taijiquan exponents spiral energy flow from their dan tian to their fist for the thrust punch. By practicing Santi Stance, or the Three-Body Stance, Xingyiquan exponents consolidate energy at their arms to be spiralled out from their shoulder for a crushing punch.
With this knowledge of the underlying philosophy and our ability to generate energy flow, we in Shaolin Wahnam can accomplish both types of exploding force more efficiently and in shorter time. The skills derived from one art can be profitably transferred to other arts. For example, both the techniques and skills of Taijiquan in exploding force from the dan tian using waist rotation, can enrich the techniques and skills of spiraling force from the shoulder in Xingyiquan, and vice versa.
A fundamental philosophical difference between Taijiquan on one hand and Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan, Baguazhang on the other is that Taijiquan is basically practiced for health and spiritual cultivation, whereas the other three arts are practiced for combat.
Like Shaolin Kungfu from which it evolved, Taijiquan was first developed for spiritual cultivation. Its first patriarch, Zhang San Feng, was already a great fighter and very healthy. He had no need to invent another art for fighting or for health. He practiced what was later to evolve into Taijiquan to attain immortality, which he did.
On the other hand, the first patriarch of Xingyiquan was Yue Fei, a famous marshal, who developed Xingyiquan for general in battlefield environment. The first patriarch of Wuzuquan was Bai Yi Feng, who combined the best of five Shaolin styles with combat in mind. The first patriarch of Baguazhang was Tung Hai Chuan, who learned from two unnamed Taoist priests to improve his fighting ability.
The philosophy and history of these arts have a direct bearing on their training and results, even after many centuries. Thus, amongst their classmates Taijiquan practitioners today talk on topics like how to be more relaxed or how to harmonize with your partners’ movements, whereas practitioners of Xingyiquan, Wuzuzhang and Baguazhang talik on topics like how to have more force or how to strike down opponents.
We in Shaolin Wahnam are special. Irrespective of whether we train Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan or Baguazhang, or all of them, our priority is good health and peak performance as well as longevity and spiritual cultivation, yet we also pay attention to combat efficiency. We are able to do so even when these qualities may not be originally emphasized in some of these arts because of our spread and depth.
As all of them are internal arts, Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan, Baguazhang and Taijiquan are rich in internal skills. Yet, there are fine differences in their emphasis and application of these internal skills.
Xingyiquan is famous for its hard internal force, which may bulldoze into opponents. Such crushing force is effective for breaking walls and opponents’ bones. Wuzuquan force is also hard but more flowing, and manifests in such skills like Striking Across Space. Baguazhang force is spiral, famous for getting to opponent’s back and tossing them about. Taijiquan force is soft yet powerful, poetically described as silk wrapped round iron.
We in Shaolin Wahnam are unprecedented in our opportunities for learning all these wonderful arts. In the past, if one could learn just one of these great arts, he would be considered very fortunate. Even if he had the rare opportunity, he would have learn two arts at two different times, otherwise they would distract from each other. Not only we can learn different arts at the same time, because of our advantage of spread and depth, we also get more results in shorter time.
"Then how could chi kung overcome diseases where the cause is unknown or when there is no cure? The question is actually incorrect. The expressions "the cause is unknown" and "there is no cure" are applicable only in the Western medical paradigm. The expressions no longer hold true in the chi kung paradigm. In the chi kung paradigm the cause is known, and there is a cure."
This type of pre-course Q&A thread is fantastic!! First, amazing (often closed-door) secrets are revealed for anyone with enough experience to understand. And second, it allows any student, in any country, near immediate access to Sifu and his guidance, regardless of where on the globe Sifu happens to be! That is an amazing gift, and one that I all too often seem to take for granted.
So, thank you, thank you, thank you, Sifu!!
I have a follow up question, based on a quote from the answer to my first question.
It is not because the generals did not know a lot of combat techniques that they practiced Xingyiquan, it was precisely because they knew a lot of combat techniques that they could use Xingyiquan, with its few techniques, effectively.
To get the most benefit from training the depth of Xingyiquan, how much spread should a student first have in another art with more techniques (such as Eagle Claw)? If a beginner was to start with Xingyiquan, and have no knowledge of many techniques, would that student find him/herself limited? Who would be in a better position to train the depth of Xingyiquan - a student with a lot of experience (in other arts) with an average Sifu? or a fresh beginner student with no other experience but with a very good Sifu?
What is the source of the twelve animals present in Xing Yi Chuan. As it was developed from shaolin, is it safe to assume these animal forms had already formulated in one way or another? If not, how do you suppose that the founder of Xing Yi Chuan became inspired by these animals? And we know that history tells us that Xing Yi Chuan evolved out of shaolin martial arts. But is there any record of what specific shaolin sets Yue Fei was trained in or was known for?
Dear Family Members,
What can I say . These are not ten questions and answers to Sifu about Xingyiquan. It should be the TOP Ten.
Sifu is sharing so much in this Q&A enjoy
Question 5
You mentioned at the last Wuzuquan course that Wuzuquan was the Kung Fu style for generals. Wuzuquan represents excellently profundity in simplicity.
I also read that Xingyiquan is regarded as the Kung Fu for generals, also representing profundity in simplicity.
Another kungfu style invented by Yue Fei , which is more elaborated and sophisticated, is meant to be the Kung Fu style for soldiers.
Could you please elaborate more on the differences between the Kung Fu of Generals and the Kung Fu of Soldiers in terms of techniques-form, energy- force and mind aspects?
Sifu Roland Mastel
Answer:
Xingyiquan, invented from Shaolin Kungfu by the famous Song Dynasty marshal, Yue Fei, is often regarded as the kungfu for generals. Although Wuzuquan, also invented from Shaolin Kungfu by a kungfu genius, Bai Yi Feng, during the Song Dynasty too but before the time of Yue Fei, is not normally called the kungfu for generals, it is like Xingyiquan a classic example of profundity in simplicity, and fit for generals to practice.
On the other hand, Eagle Claw Kungfu, which was invented by Yue Fei too, and has elaborated and sophisticated techniques, is regarded as the kungfu for soldiers. This is interesting. Many people may expect that a kungfu style that is elaborated and sophisticated to be for generals, whereas one that is simple to be for soldiers. But here the reverse is the case. It is therefore illuminating to compare the techniques-form, energy- force and mind aspects of these three kungfu styles.
The fundamental techniques of Xingyiquan are the five elemental fists, which are pi-quan or thrust palm, zuan-quan or spiral fist, beng-quan or crushing fist, pao-quan or cannon fist, and heng-quan or horizontal chop.
Please not that in most Xingyiquan literature pi-quan is usually translated as chopping-fist, and heng-quan as diagonal fist, which are their literal meanings. Here I translate pi-quan figuratively as thrust-palm, and heng-quan as horizontal chop, which describe what these techniques actually are. In other words, the word-by-word meaning of pi-quan is chopping-fist but the technique described by this term is actually thrusting out a palm. The word-by-word meaning of heng-quan is diagonal fist, but the technique is chopping a palm horizontally.
All these five fundamental techniques are simple; there are no flowery movements involved. There are also no preliminary or intermediate movements. In pi-quan, you just thrust out your palm. There is no preliminary movement like circulating your other hand, or intermediate movement like shifting your body backward, as in “Green Dragon Shoots Pearl” of Taijiquan.
In zuan-quan you just spiral out your fist. In beng-quan, you punch out in a crushing manner, in pao-quan you punch out with one hand while the other hand grips or wards off an opponent’s attack. In heng-quan, you chop your palm horizontally. The techniques are simple and straight-forward. But there is much profundity in the simplicity, which students at the coming Xingyiquan course at the UK Summer Camp 2013 will learn and experience, and which I shall briefly explain later.
The stances generally used in Xingyiquan are also simple and straight-forward but they are profound. Though all the kungfu stances are found in Xingyiquan, more than 80% of the time only the Santi Stance is used. “Santi” literally means “three bodies”, but actually refers to three aspects of the body, namely feet, body and hands.
When performing the Santi Stance, a practitioner pays attention not only to the three external harmonies of feet, body and hands, but also includes the three internal harmonies of essence, energy and mind. The Santi Stance is effective in implementing these three internal harmonies of essence, energy and mind, which will be briefly explained when we examine the energy-force and mind aspects.
While other kungfu styles use different stances in their movements, like retreating from a Bow-Arrow Stance to a False-Leg Stance, or moving forward to another Bow-Arrow Stance in another leg mode, Xingyiquan uses just the Santi Stance with the drag-step or roll-step, both dragging or rolling forward and backward. The movements are simple but profound, and very effective for combat especially in the present time when opponents bounce about.
The fundamental techniques of Wuzuquan are found in San Zhan or Three-Battle Set, which is the fundamental set of Wuzuquan. As in Xingyiquan, Wuzuquan techniques are simple and straight-forward. There are no flowery movements. There are also no preliminary or intermediate moves. Yet the techniques are profound.
The simplicity of Wuzuquan techniques is manifested in the four-fold principle known as tun-tu-fou-chen, which means “swallow-shoot-float-sink”. All these four movements of swallowing, shooting, floating and sinking are performed in one smooth movement as if they were one smooth pattern.
Nevertheless, the most commonly used patterns in Wuzuquan are the flick-hand and catch-hand in defence, and the thrust punch in attack. But the profundity of Wuzuquan is such that the so-called defence techniques can be used for attack, and attack techniques can be used for defence-cum-attack.
Like in Xingyiquan too, while all kungfu stances are found in Wuzuquan, most of Wuzuquan patterns use the Triangle Stance and the Dragon-Riding Stance. These two stances are simple and profound.
The Triangle Stance is like the Santi Stance except it is wider. It is similar to the Four-Six Stance of Taijiquan. The Dragon-Riding Stance is similar to the Bow-Arrow Stance but with the legs apart instead of in a straight line.
In adjusting space for defence and attack, Wuzuquan practitioners need not move their feet but shift their body backward and forward from the Triangle Stance to the Dragon-Riding Stance, and vice versa. This enables them to be fast.
If they have to move half a space or a space or more forward or backward, they employ the drag-step or the roll-step settling down at the same stance or the other of the Triangle Stance or Dragon-Riding Stance. It is similar to Xingyiquan movement – simple and profound.
In contrast, Eagle Claw Kungfu is elaborated and sophisticated. The fundamental techniques of Eagle Claw are found in the 50 Sequences of Eagle Claw. In each sequence there are a few different techniques. These means there are two or three hundred different techniques in Eagle Claw compared to just five basic techniques in Xingyiquan and three basic techniques in Wuzuquan.
The stances in Eagle Claw are also elaborated and sophisticated. All the kungfu stances – Horse-Riding, Bow-Arrow, False-Leg, Unicorn, Four-Six, Single-Leg -- are widely used in Eagle Claw, compared to just the Santi Stance in Xingyiwuan, and the Triangle Stance and Dragon-Riding Stance in Wuzuquan.
As explained in more details in another answer, the simplicity of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan is not due to lack of a variety of techniques, but due to crystallizing a variety of techniques to a basic few.
When an opponent attacks an Eagle Claw exponent in a particular way, the Eagle Claw exponent would choose from his rich repertoire the appropriate counter. When the opponent attacks in another way, the Eagle Claw exponent would use another appropriate counter. He has a great variety of counters to meet many different attacks.
When an opponent attacks a Xingyiquan exponent, the Xingyiquan exponent would choose any one of his five elemental fists to counter. When the opponent attacks in another way, the Xingyiquan exponent can use the same counter. In fact, he can just use pi-quan to counter any attack!
When an opponent attacks a Wuzuquan exponent, the Wuzuquan exponent would use flick-hand or catch-hand to ward off the attack, and counter attack with a thrust punch. When the opponent attacks in another way, the Wuzuquan exponent would also use the same flick-hand or catch-hand to ward off the different attack, and counter-attack with the same thrust punch!
In other words, an Eagle Claw exponent would use different counters against different attacks, whereas a Xingyiquan exponent or a Wuzuquan exponent would use the same counter against a great variety of different attacks. Obviously, it is not just the techniques that make the counters effective. The Xinyiquan or Wuzuquan exponent needs much knowledge and skills. Hence Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan are kungfu for generals.
Let us examine some examples. Take a typical attack, a thrust punch and see how a Eagle Claw exponent, a Xingyiquan exponent and a Wuzuquan exponent would counter.
When an opponent throws a thrust punch at an Eagle Claw exponent, the Eagle Claw exponent can counter in more than a dozen ways. The counter movments are sophisticated and elaborated.
When a thrust punch is thrown at a Xingyiquan exponent, he can counter with a pi-quan, or any one of the other five elemental fists. Does he need to ward of the thrust punch before executing a pi-quan? No, he doesn’t, the defence is already incorporated in the attack. The counter movement is simple and profound. This is a hallmark of kungfu for generals.
To counter a thrust punch, a Wuzuquan exponent would use flick-hand or catch-hand to ward off the attack, then counter with his thrust punch. A Wuzuquan master may not need his thrust punch. He could disable the opponent with just the flick-hand or the catch-hand. These movements are simple and profound. Doesn’t he need to strike the opponent to disable him? No, the attack is already incorporated in the defence. This is another hallmark of kungfu for generals.
Okay, a thrust punch is straight-forward. What about a double round-house kick, a sophisticated felling attack or an elaborated chin-na, can a Xingyiquan exponent use a pi-quan or a Wuzuquan exponent use a flick-hand or catch-hand to disable the opponent? Yes, he can, and he can choose to do so as soon as the opponent starts his attack, or during the process of his attack, or at the completion of the attack! It is not for no reasons that Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan are kungfu for generals.
How the Xingyiquan or Wuzuquan exponent does so is a close secret, i.e. secret taught within close doors to selected disciples. This and other close secrets are not even mentioned in Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan classics. I believe not many Xinyiquan and Wuzuquan practitioners know them.
I discovered them while preparing to teach Wuzuquan and Xingyiquan. Those who attended the Wuzuquan course in Penang in December 2012 would have no difficulty not only in using basic Wuzuquan techniques to counter any attack, but also using basic Xingyiquan techniques to counter any attack even when they have not learned Xingyiquan from a living teacher but only by watching Xingyiquan techniques shown on videos. This is an example of breadth and depth.
Now, if these close secrets are not mentioned in Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan classics, how do we know they are Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan counters?
The counters use typical Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan techniques and skills, and follow Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan philosophy. If past Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan masters did not use these counters, they would not have survived. They would have been defeated many times over by these attacks.
In the spirit of Zen, even if these counters are not exactly the same as what past Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan masters used, it does not matter. The techniques and skills used, and the philosophy involved are typically of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan, not of Kick-Boxing , Wrestling, Karate, Choy-Li-Fatt, Taijiquan or any other martial art. Most significantly, these counters work. We tried them out at the recent Wuzuquan course. We shall try them out in the coming Xingyiquan course.
Let us now compare the energy-force aspect of Eagle Claw, Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan to appreciate the difference between force training in kungfu for soldiers and kungfu for generals.
The orthodox approach in Eagle Claw force training is external, like grabbing Y-shape branches, gripping jars, pulling poles out from the ground, and in extreme cases, tearing back from trees. The Eagle Claw of such practitioners is powerful, but the training may spoil their hands especially in drastic methods like tearing bark from trees.
The force developed is localized, i.e. it is used only for Eagle Claw and not for other benefits, like enhancing vitality and longevity. Indeed, the external training may distract from vitality and longevity if practitioners are not careful, and the harm is insidious. They may, or example, cause blockage in their arms and stress to their spirit if they pull poles or tear barks brutally.
The force is also limited by age, size and gender. An elderly person, a small-size person and a woman would be less forceful than a young person, a big-size person and a man.
The force training in Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan is internal, and is holistic. It is also not limited by age, size and gender.
Xingyiquan force and Wuzuquan force are not limited to the body part where training is being focused, but is applicable to the whole body. While only the fingers of Eagle Claw practitioners are powerful, the whole body of Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan practitioners is powerful.
Xingyiquan force and Wuzuquan force are not limited to combat. They contribute to good health, vitality, longevity, mental freshness and spiritual joys. For example, while the grip of an Eagle Claw practitioner is powerful, he may not have more stamina or can comprehend his reading better due to his force training. But force training in Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan can have these and other benefits. Herein lies the big difference between internal force training for generals and for soldiers.
The orthodox method of force training in Xingyiquan is practicing the Santi Stance. It is interesting to note that while the stances for force training in other kungfu styles like the Horse-Riding Stance in Shaolin and the Three--Circle Stance in Taijiquan are symmetrical, the Santi Stance is not. This was a puzzling question for me for some time in the past.
But I found the answer while preparing to teach Xingyiquan at the UK Summer Camp. From Xingyiquan classics I discovered that Xingyiquan practitioners in the past used what were called the “correspondence mode” and the “expansion mode”. The asymmetrical Santi Stance is suitable to employ these modes, and the internal force developed is suitable for the five elemental fists of Xingyiquan.
In symmetrical stances like the Horse-Riding and the Three-Circle, internal force is focused at the dan tian. In the Santi Stance using the “correspondence mode” and the “expansion mode”, internal force roots a practitioner to the ground as well as is focused at his arms.
Hence, in Shaolin Kungfu and Taijiquan which use symmetrical stances to build internal force at the dan tian, waist rotation is needed to channel spiral force from the dan tian to the hands. Of course, advanced practitioners whose body is already filled with flowing energy, can generate internal force from their wrists.
The mechanics of force explosion in Xingyiquan is different. Because the asymmetrical Santi Stance has built internal force at their shoulders as well as rooting them to the ground, Xingyoquan practitioners can explode force from their shoulders without rotating their waist. Advanced practitioners, of course, can explode force from their wrists.
Would these different ways of exploding force distract each other? In other words, would a practitioner of Shaolin Kungfu or Taijiquan who has developed internal force at his dan tian and explodes force by rotating his waist have unfavorable effect if he also practices Xingyiquan?
Yes, it would. The mechanics are different and may confuse him. The shifting of force from the dan tian to the shoulders and vice versa would minimize the force.
But we are different. For us the two different methods would enhance our results. In other words, if you have practiced Shaolin or Taijiquan force training, and now practice Xingyiquan, your force will be better. It is because of two main factors. We understand the underlying philosophy and we have the magic of chi flow.
How do Xingyiquan practitioners channel their energy to strike their opponents if they do not have the magic of chi flow like we do? They attain their chi flow by performing the five elemental fists, but normally they are not aware of the chi flow, and it is only along their arms, unlike in our case where we can use it to progress to induced chi flow movement to overcome pain and illness.
This is another example of the benefit of breadth and depth. Not only our students, having practiced Shaolin Kungfu, Taijiquan or Shaolin Cosmos Chi Kung, can attain more force in shorter time, our students can also have other benefits that others who only practice Xingyiquan would not have.
The orthodox method of force development in Wuzuquan is through practicing San Zhan and Abdominal Breathing. San Zhan movements provide the energy flow, and Abdominal Breathing builds up the energy.
Wuzuquan practitioners also practice the Horse-Riding Stance, but its practice is not as much emphasized as in Shaolin Kungfu. The Wuzuquan Horse-Riding Stance is both narrower and higher than that in Shaolin, and the fists are held not at the waist but at breast level.
My experience of learning internal force while learning Wuzuquan in Sifu Chee Kim Thong’s school should be well known by now. It is worthy to note that my sifu, Sifu Chee Kim Thong, was regarded as a living treasure of the People’s Republic of China, his Wuzuquan school was (and still is) famous for internal force, and I was a fast learner. But after more than two years of San Chan and a year of Abdominal Breathing, I did not have any internal force.
Yet, at the Wuzuquan course in December 2013, course participants not only could develop internal force using Wuzuquan methods, but also used San Zhan patterns to generate internal force similar to what is done in Wing Choon Siu Lin Tou, Taijiquan, Flower Set, and Iron Wire. It was true that the Wuzuquan course participants had many years of previous kungfu experience, which would be a big advantage. But I also had many years of kungfu experience before I learned Wuzuquan.
We could attain remarkable results in a short time because we understood the underlying philosophy of these various force training methods and had the benefit of chi flow. In contrast, when I first Wuzuquan I did not understand the underlying philosophy, and did not have chi flow. My Wuzuquan classmates also did not know the philosophy or have chi flow. Then, how was it that they had tremendous internal force? It was developed through years of dedicated training.
Regardless of whether practitioners know the philosophy or have chi flow, there are characteristic differences in both the methods and the benefits of force training between kungfu for generals and kungfu for soldiers.
In kungfu for soldiers the force training is external and the benefits localized and are limited by age, size and gender. The results are usually faster.
In kungfu for generals the force training is internal and the benefits holistic and are not limited by age, size and gender. The results are usually slower but more lasting.
But we are different. Although we use internal methods, we obtain results in shorter time than those who use external methods. As a rough guide, others who use internal methods would take years to obtain some reasonable results, those who use external methods would take months, but we only take days!
I believe that external methods may not actually be faster than internal methods. Those who use external methods achieve results faster because both the methods and the results are visible. When a practitioner pulls poles from the ground, for example, he knows he needs strength to pull the pole and he can see it pulled from the ground when he succeeds. When he is lacking in strength or makes mistakes in his pulling, he knows it and can correct himself immediately.
But when a Xingyiquan practitioner practices Santi Stance or a Wuzuquan practitioner practices San Zhan, he normally does not know what is happening inside him, and cannot see that energy, which will eventually give him internal force, is building. When he makes mistakes, which are more easily made in internal methods than in external methods, he may not know, and he also does not know that this mistakes hinder his progress.
If an internal art practitioner knows what is happening, his progress may be as fast as that of an external art practitioner. If he also can generate a chi flow before he starts his force training, he can speed up his progress remarkably.
This is my theory, and is contrary to what is traditionally believed. Traditionally it is believed that practitioners take many years to practice internal methods to develop internal force, and this is true. If my theory, which is based on actual experience of our students taking a short time using internal methods to develop internal force, is found to be true, it may revolutionize this aspect of kungfu philosophy.
Let us now examine the mind aspects between kungfu for soldiers and kungfu for generals.
As there are many techniques in Eagle Claw Kungfu, its practitioners have many patterns to attach their mind to. In contrast, not only there are few techniques in Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan, but also these techniques are simple. So there are few patterns for Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan practitioners to attach their mind to.
These same facts, depending on different variables, can have different results.
For example, because there are many places to tag their mind, it is easier for Eagle Claw practitioners to be mentally focused. On the other hand, because there are many places for them to tag their mind, it is also easier for them to be confused.
If they are focused, their attention is short-spanned, as they have to move to another point of focus soon. If their mind is wandering, they have more chances to bring their mind into focus again.
For Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan practitioners, because there are few and simple techniques, it may be easier or it may be more difficult for them to be mentally focused. When they are focused, their attention is long-spanned. But if their mind wanders, they would have to let it wander for some time before having a chance to bring it back into focus.
The mind of generals is stronger and better-trained than the mind of soldiers. Hence, Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan are more conducive for generals. Generals are more likely to be focused than confused, and maintain their attention for a longer time than letting their mind wander.
In this respect, Eagle Claw Kungfu is more conducive for soldiers. They are more likely to have short-spanned focus, and when their mind wanders, they have more opportunities to bring it back into focus.
But this does not mean that if you have the mind of a general, Eagle Claw Kungfu is not good for you. As your have long-spanned focus, you can easily perform the many elaborated and sophisticated Eagle Claw patterns in a continuous state or relaxed mindfulness. If your mind wanders, thought this seldom happens to a general’s mind, you can quickly bring it back into focus.
What is a good procession for a practitioner who does not have the mind of a general but wishes to have one? He should start with kungfu for soldiers. The many patterns in Eagle Claw Kungfu provides him with good opportunities to have his mind focused. When his mind is strong and he can hold his attention for some time, he can progress to kungfu for generals, like Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan. If he starts straight away with kungfu for generals, his mind may not be strong enough to stay focused, and when his mind wanders he has less chance to bring it back into focus.
Similarly, Xingyiquan and Wuzuquan force training requires the mind of a general. Those who have only the mind of soldiers may have to settle for less mentally demanding external training methods like gripping jars, pulling poles from ground and tearing barks off trees of Eagle Claw.
The Santi Stance looks simple, but it demands much mental focus as well as mental relaxation just to remain at the stance for some time. Practicing Santi Stance in the “correspondence mode” or the “expansion mode” requires more mental focus and relaxation.
Some people may be surprised that mental focus and mental relaxation are required at the same time, mistakenly thinking that these two mental states are self-contradictory. In other words, they mistakenly think that when one is focused he cannot be relaxed, and vice versa. This mistaken view is due to the limitation of words. All our students know that it is possible to be focused and relaxed at the same time. We do this all the time when we start our chi kung and kungfu practice.
If one’s mind is weak or untrained, he may be unable to be focused and relaxed for any length of time. At best he may not develop internal force, because his distracted or stressful mind hinders the building of energy. Worse, he may cause energy blockage resulting in adverse effects.
Similarly, being mentally focused and relaxed for some length of time is necessary to generate energy flow and develop internal force when practicing San Zhan and Abdominal Breathing in Wuzuquan. Distracted or stressful mind would not bring good results or may bring adverse effects.
Reversely, practicing Santi Stance, San Zhan and Abdominal Breathing will enhance a practitioner’s mental focus and mental relaxation. This will lead to mental strength and mental clarity, which are not only important for generals in combat but also leaders in daily life. Ordinary soldiers and ordinary people who lack mental strength and mental clarity will merely follow instructions.
It is fitting to conclude this answer on kungfu for generals and kungfu for soldiers with a short story. Last year before teaching some courses in Bern, Roland kindly took me sight-seeing in a comfortable car. While going up a scenic hill, we passed some cyclists struggling uphill on their bicycles. “They are soldiers and we are generals,” I told Roland. “They toll and sweat and use more time but cover only a short distance, while we enjoy driving in a comfortable car and cover a lot of distance in just a short time.
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