Body bow shoots arrow, 70/30 left forward stance, off right side view - 08/10/10 (Summer)
Here is one of the most incisive, informative statements about the martial applications of abdominal breathing that I have ever come across throughout my several decades of tai chi research:
ZHENG MANQING'S UNCOLLECTED WRITINGS ON TAIJIQUAN, QIGONG, AND HEALTH, WITH NEW BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
by Douglas Wile
"The Martial Spirit and Dantian Power in Taijiquan"
By Zheng Manqing
p. 107
"... the more you train the more closely they become related so that the dantian and the body's movements become unified. They open and close together and arrive together. When it comes to issuing energy, it is like a camera flash that disappears in an instant. Before issuing energy, the whole body is relaxed, and after issuing energy, the whole body is relaxed. But during that instant of issuing energy, the dantian and every cell in the body are like a bomb that explodes and shoots out in all directions. Of course, this must be coordinated with the breath. In general, issuing energy is on the exhalation, and gathering energy is on the inhalation. During inhalation, the qi gathers in the lungs (this includes the qi inhaled through the nose and the internal qi that is raised up). During exhalation, it is also divided into two streams: internal and external. The external is exhaled through the nose or mouth; the internal rushes to the dantian and is transmitted to the whole body."
**
Another one of Prof. Cheng's observations about the central role of the abdomen in martial tai chi practice is so important it appears on the back cover of CHENG TZU'S THIRTEEN TREATISES ON T'AI CHI CH'UAN by Cheng Man Ch'ing, translated by Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo and Martin Inn:
"We use the term 'T'ai Chi' to name this martial art, for it means to cause the attacking force to dissolve in emptiness. When the opponent realizes that he has failed, his only option is to withdraw and try to escape. During the opponent's withdrawal of his attacking force, my abdomen, which has absorbed and stored the force of his attack, uses this power to attack his retreat."
**
On pages 25-26 of T'AI CHI CH'UAN FOR HEALTH AND SELF-DEFENSE, T.T. Liang translates, then comments on this famous line from the Tai Chi Classics:
"To store up energy is like drawing a bow; to release energy is like shooting an arrow."
"In attacking, the intrinsic energy reserved within your body is as full as the energy of a bowstring, drawn to the fullest extent, ready to shoot... You are like a bow, and your opponent is like an arrow. Your attacking energy is so strong and fast that your opponent is cast out like an arrow shot from a bow."
**
In this video I am demonstrating the martial power of REVERSE ABDOMINAL BREATHING. I am propelling a projectile away from my body by rapidly expanding my abdomen during an exhalation.
Like a powerful sneeze - - "aaa-choo!" Aaa = draw the bow. Choo! = release the arrow.
It's not just the expansion of my abdomen which sends the projectile several feet away from my body. The rapid expansion of my abdomen coincides with the release of total body power which starts in my weighted foot's connection to the ground and involves all 5 bows of my body - - 2 bent legs, 2 bent arms, and my elastic spine. All these springy elements help propel the projectile away from my center.
The same elastic, tensile, sinewy total body power I utilize to send a projectile shooting out of my expanding belly during an exhalation could also be used to propel an opponent away during tai chi push hands practice, or form applications.
ChiGuy396
ChiGuy396@yahoo.com
**
Loading...
2:00
TT Liang Tsun Tsai Sword Fencingby GordonTMuir1,096 views
Best basic fa jing demo on YT.
lebarosky 8 months ago