Archive for October 2019
Dao Yin 導引 “Guiding and Leading” exercises
Beautiful illustrations of Dao Yin 導引 “guiding and leading” exercises from the Qing dynasty text “Illustrations of Nourishing Life, Qi Gong and Guiding and Leading” 養生氣功導引圖. Although this exercise tradition may superficially bear some similarities to Yoga, and indeed is likely to have absorbed some influence from India over the years, the aims and results…
Read More五掌 The Five Fists of Five Element Tong Bei: 摔掌 Shuai Zhang or Falling Fist.
五掌 The Five Fists of Five Element Tong Bei: 摔掌 Shuai Zhang or Falling Fist. Here seen practised in its most basic form, in a high horse stance, the purpose here is the develop correct technique, ensuring this backfist not only has a forward but also a downwards momentum. This is not how the fist…
Read MoreFourth Point of the Heart Channel – Líng Dào – Spirit Pathway (HE-4)
Here is the Fourth Point of the Heart Channel – Líng Dào – Spirit Pathway (HE-4) from the upcoming translation of Explanations of Channels and Points, translated by Michael Brown and edited by Allen Tsaur, published by Purple Cloud Press. This work may not reflect the final edition. The Fourth Point of the Heart Channel…
Read More苦 Bitterness
苦 Bitterness _________________________________________________ 道在苦中求。 The Dao is sought within bitterness. ________________________________________________ The term Bitterness [ku苦] is often translated as hardships into English, however it could be argued that nuances of its meanings are shaved off by this over-simplification. When Li Shi Fu embarked on a journey throughout China in order to find a master in…
Read More白马山 White Horse Mountain #1 [Excerpt 1]
白马山 White Horse Mountain #1 [excerpt 1] _________________________________________________ Legend has it that after the True Warrior Ancestral Founding Master [真武] left his home and family, he roamed in the four places with the wish to find a treasured ground, ideal for cultivation. One day, when the road traversed the Yellow Dragon Beach, he saw in…
Read MoreTong Bei Basics “Shaking the Body” (Yao Shen 搖身)
Back to Basics Part One! One of the essential methods of power generation in Five Element Tong Bei Fist 五行通背拳，”Shaking the Body” (Yao Shen 搖身). Over time, these methods of training will gradually stretch and strengthen the connective tissue and allow one to generate power from the feet, through the spine and out to the…
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