Boxer Dogs With Eyelids

Travel in China 2009

Last summer, a group of 10 people, mostly consisting of advanced practitioners and their companions, took advantage of the teaching of Wang shangwen for 8 days at 4 to 5 hours of practice a day. Initially programmed into the mountains Zhongnan, stay finally held in the Jiangnan region in order to avoid the sweltering heat that prevails in summer near Xi'an, which is Zhongnanshan ...

Training in China under the leadership of Wang shangwen, August 2009

The first destination after arrival at the airport in Shanghai, was thus the city of Hangzhou. Here we greeted shangwen Wang and his group of students arrived on site the day before. The first evening, evening reunion for some, was warm, despite the fatigue of travel and jet lag. The group discovered the excellent Chinese cuisine in Zhejiang in a very good restaurant where we shared our table host. It was therefore an opportunity to discuss and, thus, the presentations could take place in good and due form. The next morning we all went by minibus to make us the place of training, a stone terrace in the middle of green trees on the hills around Hangzhou.

Morning Lesson in nature

shangwen Wang and his students a surprise in store for us for training in the afternoon: They took us on the reconstructed site of a former village in the Song Dynasty in the middle of which stood a wuguan (fencing) as it exists at the time.

It was here that took place now all practices in the afternoon ...

Practice evening Wuguan

The few days in Hangzhou has also enabled us to visit some famous places, including the Temple Linying, one of the oldest Buddhist temple in China where the site is surrounded by beautifully carved caves and the Mausoleum of General Yue Fei. It was also an opportunity to discover the National Museum of the tea from Hangzhou, lost amid the Longjing tea plantation in the green hills surrounding the city, and we walk along the famous West Lake to enjoy the different views.

Hangzhou Walk around the "West Lake (Xihu)

After Hangzhou, we headed further south in the city of Jinghua, at the invitation of a student of Wang shangwen. It was an opportunity to practice in unusual places such as Taoist temples surrounding mountains and visit beautiful places, like the village of Zhuge Liang, an authentic old village entirely dedicated to the philosophy the bagua, or even two dragons caves and underground rivers.

Visit the village of Zhuge Liang (bagua cun)

In daily lessons, the teacher Wang shangwen, as usual, was not stingy with explanations and approached numerous key points to practice, do not forget to constantly remind ourselves that the bases are important zhanzhuang, shili and mocabu. This trip was also a good way to practice different exercises tuishou with Chinese students, allowing the group to make much progress because of these exchanges.

The second part of the trip was spent visiting and exploring the traditional culture in China's south contrast with the city of Shanghai and its excesses: Visit the beautiful gardens of Suzhou, city of silk culture and the old town of Nanxun before finishing with a quick discovery of Shanghai and its various facets.

Visit the old town of Nanxun

This trip, organized in collaboration with the Calam center was therefore a very pleasant time of exchange with the culture and the Chinese population and suggests that he will follow in the near future ...

Photos: emmanuel agletiner

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Force Internal ...

In French, it often refers to the term "inner strength" to describe the force produced by a person with a good gongfu . But what justifies this expression does? How a force produced by a physical action, can it be "internal"? And especially, how it differs Does the conventional force, therefore external, as opposed?

Any physical action and any voluntary movement are produced by a joint working body and mind. It is the spirit that starts the process by "sending information" which then controls a particular physical action. But much more, the spirit continues to play an important role during the action because the same action can be achieved in many different ways.

In the martial art, what we mean by "internal", is neither more nor less than "introspection" to make a move "correctly", ie meeting certain performance criteria, depending on the purpose ...

Labour subtle especially impressive Seigo Okamoto Sensei of Daitoryu

Introspection remains in any bodily practice when you want access to a higher level of control. Thus, dancers, actors, acrobats and athletes will all need to work some form of introspection when he wants to refine and improve their actions accurately and selectively.

Similarly, in the martial art, we find this type of work in the tradition of different civilizations scattered at times. In the excellent "Iron Cross, violence and culture of the sword in modern France (XVI - XVIII century)," one can read these few lines punctuated with quotations from works of Sir Labat, rather explicit:

The quest for the harmony of body and mind based fencing since it depicts the sum of physiological rules, imperceptible, that only the voluntary exercise and disciplined to discover. In its way, fencer's body - like the great scientific adventure of the century just past - is a heaven to discover. "You know that point everything was made in nature, either by movement of the stars or men that can not be done by agreement, or the harmony of the body that compose them. This However, how can we do an exercise without this unit? She also argues that men and empires. " Experiment, learn the art of arms joined an art of introspection, where introspection is needed to defeat an opponent, always less formidable than oneself. Appropriately enough, the scholar Note: "I understand that gradually the difficulties of the arts and sciences do not seem in proportion to their extent that intelligence approach, quality of exercise that people should look for." The mortal coil is the vector, the relay tools which must mean the work of the will over the organs and give to see a harmony between body and mind.

Thus, the work of the body, mind and what unites them both is the most comprehensive approach to the martial art and allows a development of the individual in accordance with its own nature.

In general, the practice of traditional martial art is, moreover, clearly linked to 3 main goals:

- The protection of our lives and those of others.

- The protection and harmonious development of our state of physical and mental.

- The harmonious development and integration of our people in the environment that surrounds us.

The first of these motivations is the heart of practice for self-defense, often the first impulse. The second dimension is less present in the West today, but was once one of the biggest reasons for the practice and study of the martial art: health. The third and last of the "main motivation" is clearly related to a spiritual quest.

Labour Minoru sensei Akuzawa as taught in school, aunke

The idea of "inner strength" is often defined as a force "non-muscular. Although it is difficult to imagine a movement, whatever can be produced without the intervention of the muscles that connect the different joints and allow the body to move, you may instead use design different from them. This different use of the body "effortless" is the characteristic of newborns, which suggests it is linked to some kind of instinct.

Laozi (Daode ejing, 55) had no OTE his time " He who has a solid virtue is like a newborn who does not fear the bite of poisonous animals, nor the claws of wild beasts, or the talons of birds of prey.

His bones are weak, his nerves are soft, and yet he gripped objects.
He does not know yet the union of the two sexes, and yet some parts (of his body) are having an orgasm male. This comes from the perfection of the seed ... "

Introduction zhanzhuang by Lam kam chuen and his master, Yu Yongnian, a disciple of Wang Xiangzhai

Revert to this way of using our body is not easy, since our acquired annihilate our innate . A method specific joint training of body and mind is needed to find this natural and get rid of all these "bad habits".

Then different methods are affordable under different pedagogies but going towards the same goal.

Yiquan is one of them, moreover, probably one of the easiest ...

All-clad Fondue Flame

History Yiquan Wang said Xiangzhai

The following is a translation of the preface to the first book published by Wang Xiangzhai, "The true path of Yiquan (Yiquan zhenggui). Remember that when it was published in the 20s, the master Wang Xiangzhai had not yet established its own school and taught Xingyiquan.

This preface makes some interesting points on the oral history about the origin of this boxing.

The martial art is a way (Dao), it is difficult to find the words to speak. The Shijing (Classic of Poetry) is already talk of "bravery in boxing" (quan) and the classic rites of Jiaoli speak, a form of melee combat. These two sources are the historical origins of the art of combat. Under the Han, Hua Tuo created the game of five animals (wuqin zhi xi) which already contained the essence of the art of combat. Those who managed to excel in this practice were so few, so she eventually disappear. During the Liang dynasty, Bodhidharma (Damo) came in the Far East, then began to take disciples and teach them the scriptures and a way of exercising their bodies. Through observation of nature and animals, he finally began to develop the method of "purifying the spinal muscles and tendons transform (xisuiyijinfa), which was originally also called the Yiquan Xinyiquan (心意拳). Like many of his followers practiced the fight, they made the fame of Shaolin. Wang Yue Wumu (Yue Fei) made a synthesis of different schools of martial art of his time and created the "boxing chained the five techniques" (五 技 连 拳 Wuji lianquan) or "separation of hands five techniques" (五Wuji sanshou 技 散 手) or even "hands tangled en cinq techniques "(five technical stitch hand wuji liaoshou), appelé de nos jours Xingyiquan (Boxing).

Yuejia sanshou, techniques de saisi de la boxe de Yue fei transmise de nos jours

Subsequently, the country was in peacetime. A practice swing of wen (culture) at the expense of wu (martial art) began. Like those who excelled in the martial art had not only attracted great misfortunes by their gallantry in action, scholars eventually turn away. Thus, deep knowledge in the martial art that was at the time, history has practically learned nothing. This situation remained as such for a long period. Those who mastered the martial arts hid them, retired to the countryside and did not dare make themselves known as such. Thus, practitioners of the periods subsequent lost many acquaintances. During the Qing dynasty, the brothers Dai Taiyuan excelled in the martial art. They passed their knowledge to Li Shen Luoneng District in the Provine of Zhili (Hebei province present). Many students have been taught by the master Li Among them was Guo Yunshen the same district. Guo Yunshen taught Xingyi. The basis of his teaching, which we started practice, was the "posture of the pile" (zhan zhuang). It them many students but few have managed to understand his teaching. Mr. Guo was often said that "Anyone can learn and anyone can pass."

jiangwu Demonstration by Han xingqiao master, a disciple of Wang Xiangzhai. Dance of boxing, appeared in the Tang, was practiced by the literati.

I'm from the same place as Mr. Guo, our families had friendly relations. Appreciating my arrangements, he agreed to teach me what was most important to him. Nowadays, students like what is different and what comes out of the ordinary. They do not know that the true method leading to the main line is the ordinary everyday life and, therefore, overlook what is before their eyes. This is expressed subtly saying "the Way (Dao) remains close to men and yet those who want to know the path away from men. "

I'm not looking to become famous, as is the case for most people nowadays. These there does not seek truth but unfounded celebrity that will bring them profit. They do not want the attention and simply copying old texts erroneous for profit, filling pages of nonsense, transmitting hoaxes and talking about things imaginary. Nothing is coherent, which results in their students to plunge into a thick mist, making them unable to distinguish truth from falsehood.

"Ordinary people and lack of knowledge can not be treated with respect towards the holy man." As is unfortunate!

How to make the way clear to make it benefit men? I often find myself thinking about it in the middle of the night ...

I may be no special provisions for writing, but I particularly like the way of the martial art. The instructions I received on this subject during my daily learning deserved to be documented. They are valuable and may be beneficial to all. I must therefore not be selfish and wish that those who share my passion can also benefit. Thus, the publication of this book is not vain thing. It's the same for this preface ...