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On principles of studying yiquan |
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XIE YONGGUANG
ON PRINCIPLES OF STUDYING YIQUAN
Translated from chinese by Andrzej Kalisz
FROM TRANSLATOR:
Xie Yongguang is graduate of Shijiazhuang Academy of Physical Culture wushu department.
FROM AUTHOR:
Learning from master Yao Chengguang, I had opportunity of listening many times to his explanations of various questions regarding yiquan. His descriptions and explanations are always very precise and are directly related to practice. With master Yao Chengguang's approval, I prepared this work, which is based on his teachings.
HONEST ATTITUDE, SEEKING THE TRUTH, CREATIVITY
According to master Yao Chengguang, yiquan is a branch of science. We should keep scientific attitude while studying, verifying old concepts and developing new ones. We should learn yiquan and keep developing it, seeing yiquan as a whole, not concentrating only on some part o it.
SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE IN LEARNING YIQUAN
In last years there appeared some people in yiquan circles who talk of emission of qi, hitting opponent without touching him, about supernatural abilities. There are also some people talking about "eighteen fighting methods", "thirty six methods" and some "ultimate techniques". According to master Yao Chengguang yiquan is an art and science based on facts proved during practice. From the very start of the development of yiquan, the main idea was getting rid of fallacies and superstitions, and seeking the basis in scientific concepts. All its principles, like: "relax and tension", "mutual relation of movement and non-movement", "simultaneous use of pushing and pulling", "unity of absorbing and throwing away", "force in direction contrary to movement", "frontal and diagonal used together", "soft and hard help each other", "forward and backward", "single and double", "light and heavy" etc. are based on the concept of dialectical unity of the opposite.
Even such great masters in history of yiquan as Wang Xiangzhai and Yao Zongxun didn't do emission of qi, hitting opponent without touching and didn't exhibit supernatural abilities. Propagating such concepts makes people think of yiquan as something supernatural and mysterious. Those concepts are contrary to the principles of yiquan, because they oppose the physics of human body. According to principles of mechanics, when there is no external force applied to body, the body is staying in state of non movement, or continuing movement without changing speed. If there is some change in this state, it is because some force is applied. When we talk about force, it means mutual relation of bodies. Basis of tui shou is contact of hands and relation of forces used by both partners. Then it is possible to use many principles of physics, like: leverage, sum of forces, movement of a screw etc.
Wang Xiangzhai said: "No method is basis of martial art, if there is a method, it should be empty". The value of any martial art is based on its principles, and not how its outer form looks. It's like with coins: we have 1 fen, 2 fen, 5 fen. There is no need to issue 3 fen, 4 fen or 8 fen coins. The method of martial art is "one action is changing into hundreds, hundreds are based on one". So the method of yiquan is a method of principles, it's "great unified method", method of developing our natural abilities. It's not some techniques, which are something very superficial. Wang Xiangzhai said: "All those forms and techniques caused degeneration of martial arts". So there is no place in yiquan for all those "eighteen fighting methods", "thirty six methods" and other "ultimate techniques".
Those "mystical concepts" and "ultimate techniques" appear, because those who propagate them didn't undergo systematic study and practice of yiquan as a whole system. They try to hide their lack of knowledge and understanding of yiquan by talking about "ultimate techniques" and about miraculous, supernatural, so people would think how advanced they are and how their level of knowledge is far beyond understanding of normal people.
Many students ask master Yao Chengguang about the problem of some teachers keeping their knowledge in secret. Yao thinks that teachers who act in this way just don't have real knowledge and skill. Those people don't have much to offer to their students, and what they have is not really profound. So they are afraid, that if they teach students all they know, they will not have anything more left which they could teach. So they choose mysticism and obscurity. Yao Zongxun used to say: "I open my treasure house for all of you, and you just keep trying to take from it as much as you can". Yiquan is not something mysterious. But at the same time it is not something very easy to learn. So even if student have chance to learn from good teacher, the results of study and practice depend also on student's ability of understanding, his character, perseverance, courage, physical fitness etc. Even if teacher is trying to teach student everything he knows, it is not sure if student will be able to understand it and master it. So if teachers try to hide their knowledge, how can wushu develop?
Master Yao Chengguang always stresses, that yiquan is a branch of science. Studying science, we shouldn't be arrogant and impatient. We must treat the field of our study seriously, not making people think it's something miraculous, and not keeping our knowledge only for ourselves. Those who learn yiquan should not follow some fallacies, but should keep attitude of a scientific researcher, connecting practice with theoretical studies. Studying a martial art, you should try to understand its principles. Only then you can make real progress. Only then yiquan can be further developed.
LEARNING YIQUAN WITH USE OF A SCIENTIFIC SYSTEM OF METHODS
"Science, system, strictness, standard", this is the principle which master Yao Chengguang is using in teaching. According to him, the study of yiquan must be based on scientific concepts, on a systematic program of study, strict demands and standard postures, so students can gradually get knowledge of all practice and theory of yiquan, from simple to complex, from shallow to profound. Students must have chance to follow clear path, developing proper reactions and movements. Learning and mastering some skills is based on creating appropriate system of reactions. By repeating exercises many times, the reactions are enhanced, and certain skills are developed. Without the principle of "science, system, strictness, standard" wrong reactions can develop, which would make mastering some skill impossible.
Master Yao Chengguang got rid of the old teaching method of showing something without explaining. He uses modern method of linking practice with theory, gradually leading student to higher level, using standard demonstration with vivid explanation, making yiquan easier to learn. According to master Yao, zhan zhuang, shi li, fa li and other basic training methods are just various forms of seeking and developing of hunyuan li. So mind activity is key point in all those training methods. After some time of practice of basic methods, students should also make fighting practice a part of their program, under more demanding conditions continuing seeking and developing hunyuan li. They should practice running, rope jumping, fa li, tui shou, san shou, developing physical attributes, improving endurance, speed, coordination.
Yiquan stresses practice. Test of fighting skill is the ultimate indicator of effectiveness of training methods. Development of fighting abilities and skills is result of improving of functioning of neural system, improving your physical and mental side, mastering skills and strategy. There are no shortcuts in study of yiquan. The only possible shortcut is: proper method + good teacher + ability of understanding + courage + physical attributes + hard work.
CREATIVE ATTITUDE , ABSORBING FROM MANY SOURCES
Yao Chengguang says, that while studying yiquan, you should have contact with people from other martial arts, so you can know their abilities and skills, and absorb from them what is valuable. You shouldn't be like a frog in a well, seeing only small part of the sky. When Wang Xiangzhai met western boxers, he noticed that boxing is very practical and scientific, so he absorbed a lot from boxing. Later, thanks to Yao Zongxun's work, the training system of yiquan was further developed. We started using hitting pads and bags, gloves and other protective equipment. At that time many people in chinese martial arts circles were critical about those changes. But science should be developed all the time. Developing means getting rid of some old stuff, absorbing from many sources, and creating new concepts and methods. Practice proved that Yao Zongxun was right when making those changes. Introducing bags and pads made training of punches closer to real fighting. Gloves and protective equipment make possible hitting hard and testing fighting methods without injuring training partner. It enriched training system of yiquan, making training more effective. It was next breakthrough in history of Chinese wushu.
Some people talk a lot about "training of tendons and bones". According to master Yao Chengguang it is early and not mature concept of Wang Xiangzhai, from the first period of development of yiquan. Wang never mentioned such a concept in later years. "There is no limit to the development of martial art, how could we talk about great perfection". All masters with great achievements devoted all their lives to seeking and perfecting, absorbing new, rejecting what was wrong, gradually developing their systems. Their views were changing, different in early period, in middle period and late period. Later teachings are more mature. But we still have people who keep propagating early concepts of Wang Xiangzhai. Obviously it is result of not knowing and not understanding history of yiquan, not understanding the process of its development. Of course those early concepts of Wang were very popular at some point of time, at some stage of development of wushu. But during process of development some ideas must be rejected. It's the same in society and in martial arts. Today, high technology is used on battlefield. If we would rather use spears and halberds, because we think it is our precious tradition, anybody can predict the results. Also martial arts should be developed creatively, according to demands of new times and modern knowledge. Rules of yiquan tui shou and san shou competitions have been prepared during last years. Thanks to support of Chinese Wushu Association such competitions were already conducted. It is next step which we made. We can expect that yiquan will soon appear at international events.
Master Yao Chengguang says that now it is crucial moment in development of yiquan. Wang Xiangzhai and Yao Zongxun were precursors of this science. We should continue their work. Let's hope that yiquan people will not think just about their private benefits, propagating yiquan as some mysterious system, but will keep honest attitude, doing deep study and research, seeking truth, cooperating with others, making contribution to the development of yiquan.
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