| ENERGIES & FORCES | |||||||
| < home | < back | ||||||
|
The
exercise groups in Yiquan
意拳
and in Yongchunquan 咏春拳[1]
serve in the beginning to develop and enhance the different
forces[2] such as inner strength[3], the strength which comes from
the whole body together with the vital force[4] and the flexible
force[5]. At advanced levels, these basic forces merge to become the
complete, general force[6], which can also be called a
whole-body-force. It is this force, which can be explosively
released[7] – at will, anytime, and in any direction –, that
characterizes the true objective of Yiquan/Yongchunquan in the area of combat[8]. Based on Zhanzhuang 站桩, one should try to generate these forces gradually within movements[9], for example within Shili 试力, then Mocabu 摩擦步, and to consolidate this process within increasingly complex exercises, like Tuishou 推手, Chishou 黐手 and Sanda 散打, culminating in the absolute, free fighting, in other words, Sanshou 散手. Free fighting, as a matter of life and death, speaking metaphorically, is to be understood exclusively in a figurative sense[10]. Still, without the real experience of having gone through all the necessary levels, there is nothing to be applied or transferred. It is impossible – and this is one of the most important realizations – to practise a path to awareness like Gongfu purely intellectually. Indeed, one can grasp quite a lot on intellect alone, but never truly ‘understand’ in the sense of the real experience. For instance: a person who never takes up a competition, will deprive himself/herself of the experiences that can be drawn from such an event. [1] See Yiquan and Yongchunquan. [2] Often also described as ‚energy’. The following is my personal interpretation in cooperation with Daniel Hulliger. [3] Chinese: neili 内力, especially qi 气 (vital energy), li 力 (physical force), yi 意 (imagination), xing 形 (form), shen 神 (mind) and xin 心 (heart). [4] Chinese: zhengtili 整体力, the inner strength (neili) becomes compact, and huoli 活力, lively. [5] Chinese: tanli 弹力, the compact strength turns flexible. [6] Chinese: hunyuanli 浑元力, resulting from neili, also qi, li and yi etc., as well as from zhengtili, huoli and tanli, and including the application of baofali (Chinese: explosively released force). Or force from the body as a whole, which acts to unify the different forces. [7] Chinese: baofali 爆发力. [8] Chinese: jiji 技击; in contrast to orientation solely towards health (Chinese: yangsheng 养生), which has other priorities and is represented by the first four exercise groups. [9] As a force, that can also be released from the body (Chinese: fali 发力) and, if further developed, this with an explosive impact (Chinese: baofa). [10] This cannot be found intentionally, but eventually confronts one sooner or later. As an analogy: when an artist transcends the limitations of his/her extraordinary skills, thereby creating an extraordinary work of art. |
 [click] Model of Energies & Forces ©
|
||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
|
|||||||