Brief Discussion of Chinese Medicine Pulse & Tongue Diagnosis
Introduction Lineage Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis Kung Fu
Lau Soei
Ip Shui
Paul Whitrod
His father & grandfather taught him Shaolin herbal medicine & DitDa and Lau Soei was himself highly educated and great calligrapher
Was taught both by Lau Soei and by his own grandfather who was a Shaolin Buddhist monk (not martial artist) and taught him WaFu
Studies in Hong Kong under Ip Shui & also learned Fuk San family style acu. Also studied Thai medicine in Thailand and Ayurveda in India
Short Bibliography Bob Flaws, The Secret of Chinese Pulse Diagnosis (Blue Poppy, 1995), ISBN 9780936185675 Ted Kaptchuk, The Web That Has No Weaver (2nd ed, 2000) The Classic of Difficulties: A translation of the Nan Jing, trans. by Bob Flaws (Blue Poppy, 1999) ISBN 9781891845079 Li Shi-Zhen, The Lakeside Master's Study of the Pulse (Blue Poppy, 1999) trans. by Bob Flaws. ISBN 9781891845017 www.SacredLotus.com page: 'The 29 Pulses in Chinese Medicine'
Approach to Diagnosis
Do not over-analyse
Keep it simple and Always Start with the Basics (YinYang)
Always look behind the Symptoms. Search for the Root Cause!
Ignore Western Medicine pre-conceptions (e.g. Diabetes is Fire, Chemotherapy causes Toxic Heat, etc)
Tongue & Pulse
Tongue vs Pulse: Actually Complementary!
Overemphasising the Tongue is modern trend BECAUSE PRACTITIONERS DO NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE THE PULSE
Few references in Classical texts about the Tongue, compared to analysis of Pulse
Cultural problems (esp. Language)
Perception problems (Western Deficiencies vs Chinese Pathogens)
Importance of Tradition in transmission of knowledge
Sifu Whitrod said about this photo: “I love this picture, because grandmaster used WaFu on this gentleman, to determine whether he was plagued by a Ghost. Grandmanster said his was.”
FORGET WESTERN MEDICINE when doing your diagnosis
Tongue
Shen
Body Image Size Shape Direction
Body Colour
Geography Depressions Swellings Cracks Teeth marks
Coat/Fur
Trembling
Bottom
TIPS!
Always take note of how they stick out their tongue before giving instructions Ask them to open their mouth wide! Keep tongue relaxed! Do Not movie the tongue around Do Not keep the tongue out for long periods of time
Pulse
Pulse used to be taken on various anatomical locations, most commonly on the Neck and Ankle.
There are up to 13 positions used for taking the pulse
The Nan Jing was the text that established the 3-position Arm pulse.
Generally acknowledged that there are 27 to 29 types of pulse images
The 3 positions: Cun, Guan, Chi (Inch, Bar, Cubit)
The placement of the fingers: all 3 or 1-by-1
Taking the Pulse TIPS! Do
Not Stand
Correctly Awaken
Place & Support the Arm
the Qi
FOCUS – Breath Do
not use the fingertips
NEVER
use same side hand!! Take Left pulse with Right hand & vice versa
Taking the Pulse
Why both sides: Yin-Yang / Blood-Qi / The Wu Xing connection
The Depths: 2, 3, 4, 5, 7
San Jiao - 6 Levels – Zang Fu Organs - Only Yin Organs
What to expect - But expect the unexpected... 3 positions / Men vs Women / Elderly
Emotional Pulse
Unintelligible pulses: is it you? or is it the pulse?
Taking the Pulse Always go according to Yin-Yang principle: Cold-Heat / Repletion-Vacuity Is the pulse FLOATING or DEEP?
Is the pulse FAST or SLOW? Does the pulse have FORCE
Is the pulse (B.F.: Long or Short) / REPLETE or VACUOUS
BUT NOTE Any Pulse Image could be: Wei = Slightly Shen = Very
The Normal Pulse Ping Mai
You Shen: It has Spirit “...One can feel the beats of the pulse clearly. The pulse is regular in rhythm and is not interrupted ... It has at least some force.”
You Wei: It has Stomach (Qi) “Supple, harmonious, slippery, uninhibited, not deep ... One should be able to find some ‘slip-periness’ in almost everyone’s pulse.”
You Gen: It has Root “The cubit position can be felt all the way down to the bone. It is not floating.”
The Normal Pulse Changes According to Season
Spring = Wiry/Bowstring
Summer = Surging
Autumn = Floating
Winter = Deep HOWEVER
Always corroborate with the rest of the signs & symptoms before you conclude with a pulse has simply been affected by the season
Quick Overview of Basic Pulse Images Floating
Deep Normal 4 beats / breathing cycle
Rapid
Slow
Hurried/Racing Replete/Full Soft/Soggy Choppy/Hesitant
Vacuous/Empty* Firm/Confined Slippery
Large
Weak
Long
Short
Wiry
Tight
Fine/Thready Faint/Indistinct
Other Important Pulse Images Drumskin Scallion Stalk/Hollow Throbbing/Stirring Scattered Hidden
The Three Interrupted Pulse Images Knotted/Bound: Slow, Relaxed, Irregularly Interrupted Regularly Interrupted: Relaxed, Weak, Reg. Int. but intervals may be strikingly long
Rapid Irregularly Interrupted/Skipping
Thank you!!!
