YiQuan & Liu He Ba Fa

“Zhan Zhuang the Poem” is a chapter of “Experience of Zhan Zhuang”, by Great Master Wang Xiangzhai in 1950. It should be a must read to understand the principles of Zhan Zhuang exercises.
- George, March 19, 2006.
Copy rights reserved, no contents maybe transmitted in any form.

Be patient, find a comfortable place, fresh air with trees, sunshine the better.

Then standing still and peaceful, body should be straight, feet apart width the same as your shoulder.

All arthroses curve a little bit, empty inside clear outside of your body.

Easily lift your hands up, slowly, no higher than eyebrow, no lower than bellybutton.

Arm half round, armpit half empty.

Your left hand no move to right side of your nose, right hand no move to left side of your nose.

Hands when embracing no touch your breast, when pushing outside no more than one-third meter.

Nobody cares your poses, no simplicity or complexity, and no order.

Observe your body inside and outside, to see somewhere smooth or not.

Keeping in common way no curious, extraordinary always come from simple and normal.

Research never cares whatever today or ancientry, China or western.

The exercie is some what a wonder, ’cause people never know, do not have to think hard, do not have to work hard, do not have to waste good days, do it whatever running standing sitting lying.

There’re many and many gold and jade, and lots and lots of fairyland.

Study it funny comes, who knows it could capture the universal strength, happiness comes even could not be expressed, let wind comes and goes, spirits get fulled and would not be tired.

You know the center of your head lift up as if string lifting, your whole body relex and still, your muscles the same as soft earth.

Crazy? Drunken? Fantastic? You watching ocean so wide sky so clear, nothing you have to care.

Whatever so ever sun or moon changes their route, you keep on standing, comfort comes even you could not imagine, you know it was the secret predecessors never teaching outside.

“Traditional regulations for YiQuan learners”(Lun Xin Tiao Yu Gui Shou) was a chapter in Wang’s book “Essentials of Path to Martial Arts” (Quan Dao Zhong Shu) in 1940. Today YiQuan teachers wouldn’t explain this to learners, especially for foreign guys. But it’s worth to read it and you could find something useful from this chapter, some words from early years Master Wang.
- George, March 19, 2006.
Copy rights reserved, no contents maybe transmitted in any form.

The way of martial art science, is not only for physical exercises, but also other important meanings there. Traditionally ethics is the first thing on it, to comply with ethical regulations, such as respecting teachers, caring family members, integrity, mercy, as well as love. And second, warm heart cordially and selflessness also necessary. If not, it wouldn’t be a perfect learner. Further more, composedness, insistence, decisiveness, agility, brave, are also basic requirements of learners. If not I’m afraid he’s hard to teach, even teach him, he would still hard to get the backbone of martial art science. So when predecessors going to teach someone, they always think twice and more, because it’s so hard to find good learners. In regard to teaching learners, four behaviors and five necessities were told first. It was told, head should be straight, sight should be direct, expression should be calm, voice should be silent. Then it was shown the four keys, Deference(Gong), Wariness(Shen), Visualization(Yi), Reality(Qie), and five words poem as followed:

• You learn you knock at the door, holding teachers in high esteem the first one.
  Be loyal to your friends, ethics you should comply with.
  Moving like dragon and tiger, holding still peaceful as the heart of the Lord.
  Thinking with deference and wariness, as if meeting with your most important guest.
  Deference gathering your spirits, wariness cliffs under your feet.
  With unrestricted visualizations, spirits full on your whole body.
  From virtual imaginations you find realities, yet centered and balanced.
  Electric current the feeling of strength, your knowledge deeper and deeper day by day.
  Voice comes from inside, sounds like a dragon singing.
  Deference, wariness, visualization, reality,balance, the five words secret you should know.
  Once a day you understand all of them, something else you go and search outside of your body.
  Not limited with methods and theories you learned, not to follow someone in the end especially.