PREFACE The human race has some amazing athletes: we can sprint 100 meters in nine seconds; we can run 100 miles non-stop; we can ench press 1000 pounds; and we can ecome so !le"ile that we get #os in the circus$ %ut #ust aout an& 100-pound mountain lion can outper!orm the est human athlete in a m&riad o! ph&sical !eats$ As a species' we are ph&sicall& in!erior to most o! the animal (ingdom$ The purpose o! this oo( lies in the interest o! optimum ph&sicalit& and its application to athletics$ )t is m& elie! that the s&stems o! training which o!!er the greatest ene!its to athletes' the internal athletics' go unrecognized and remain co*ert$ +e elie*e this is due to the !act that the internal athletics ha*e !oundations in so-called ,m&sticism', and are there!ore snued & the authorit& o! western science and trainers ali(e$ The in!ormation we o!!er here is not that o! #ust pure oo( research$ +hile ) attempt to con*e& this in!ormation with some humilit&' ) elie*e ) am uniuel& uali!ied to discuss these matters$ .& !ather was a champion sprinter/athlete in high school; he egan teaching me aout athletics when ) was *er& &oung$ .& !ather ecame an .$$ anesthesiologist2' and e"plained ph&sicalit& and medicine to me in speci!ic western science terms$ ) was a high school and a collegiate athlete who trained *er& intensel&$ )n di!!erent periods' ) ran r an long distance' trained 3-4 hours a da& !or triathlons' and !ollowed a od& uilding regimen !or man& &ears$ ) studied (inesiolog& at the uni*ersit& le*el' and ha*e continued m& research and ph&sical training since that time$ ) ha*e een s(i racing and stud&ing the techniue since ) was nine &ears old$ ) ha*e wor(ed with man& great s(i racers and coaches' and learned a great deal aout the sport$ ) egan intensi*el& learning and training in Fu 5t&le +udang %o"ing !rom the world-!amous 6randmaster 7ictor 5heng8ong Fu in 9003$ )n this te"t' there are some underpinnings which come !rom classic Chinese te"ts or articles & internal arts masters; ut our (nowledge o! internal training s&stems will e !airl& speci!ic to what we*e learned !rom 6randmaster 7ictor 5heng8ong Fu$ To &ou' dear reader' ) o!!er m& comined (nowledge and e"perience in order to pull ac( the grand curtain on something something as m&sterious as it is important important to modern athletics$ ) hope to enlighten &ou with super new in!ormation-the li(es o! which &ou cannot simpl& !ind on the )nternet or in the lirar&$ )t is m& hope that this in!ormation piues &our interest so that &ou ma& ta(e the
!irst actual' ph&sical step into internal athletic training' whether it is to impro*e &our athleticism or simpl& impro*e &our health$ )TR<=CT)< %e!ore ) o!!er an& in!ormation on internal athletics or their application in s(iing' )m compelled !irst to roach the su#ect o! Chinese culture' speci!icall& Taoism pronounced ,dow-ism,2$ 5u!!ice it to sa& that this culture' these people' their language' their li!est&le-most e*er&thing in and around the word ,Chinese, is radicall& di!!erent than the wa& we understand things in the +est$ ot onl& are there multitudes multitudes o! words and concepts concepts in Chinese that ha*e ha*e no literal translation; ut ,Chinese, is comprised o! se*eral di!!erent collouial-dialect languages .andarin' Cantonese2' and two accepted standards !or translating them to English +ade->iles and Pin?in2$ )! &ou do an& research on Chinese culture e*en to support what ) will e"plain in this te"t2' &ou will !ind the same name or concept spelled !i*e di!!erent wa&s' and each e"planation can e as di!!erent as red is to lue$ .ost words in Chinese ha*e !our di!!erent meanings' depending on the tone o! the spea(er li(e singing notes2$ .ost phrases mean two or three or !our things at the same time ecause the& are morphed !rom old' old Chinese pro*ers$ These points do not ma(e Chinese weird$ The& simpl& illustrate how di!!erent things can e$ Regarding Taoism: )n most simple terms' Taoism is an old-school s&stem o! thought primaril& regarding the harmonious nature o! the uni*erse' and mans place in it; this s&stem is oth logical and analogical m&stical2 as it emphasizes life energy at the asic le*el o! e*er&thing this is also re!erred to as intrinsic energ&' internal energ&' chi and @i2$ Through this approach' and with 000 &ears to in*ent ideas and test theories westerners duiousl& call this ,pseudoscience,2' the Taoists ha*e created man& amazing su-s&stem !unctions to li*e a etter li!e$ At last in this 91st centur&' the +est has access to these !unctions' and were !alling in lo*e with them$ Chinese medicine li(e acupuncture seems izarre and m&sterious to a westerner; ut man& will acclaim acclaim its e!!ecti*eness$ Feng 5hui seems seems li(e complete hocus pocus when &ou !irst hear hear aout it; ut it does in !act ma(e &our house more com!ortale$ E*er& culture o! the world seems to emrace the simple eaut& and metaphorical alance o! the ?in and ?ang s&mol Tai#itu2; euall& eauti!ul and pro!ound is the s&mol s&mol o! %a6ua$ The list o! Taoist greatness greatness goes on' ut well well now !ocus on what could e the greatest technolog& e*er de*eloped$
The )nternal Athletics are highl&-de*eloped s&stems o! ph&sical training orrowed !rom an esoteric ranch o! Chinese martial arts called +udang' ei >ia' or the )nternal .artial Arts most pre*alent and recognized are Tai Chi' Bsing-?i and %a6ua2$ =ntil recentl&' there has een no concept o! internal athletics in the +est; and it wasnt until the turn o! the 90 th centur& that internal martial arts +udang2 were e*en classi!ied separatel& !rom the e"ternal martial arts 5haolin2 in China$ This is due to the !act that !amilies and small *illages practicing ei >ia were ale de!end themsel*es with ,dragon-li(e, ph&sicalit& and martial superiorit&$ )ts onl& logical that ecause these groups had special powers in a dangerous place li(e warring China' the& did not share them with outsiders$ To illustrate' ) cite this well-documented anecdote: around 1D00 A' a 9-&ear old Chinese athlete named Fu hen 5ong success!ull& de!ended his tin& *illage !rom a malicious mo o! 100 andits' and he did it all & himsel!$ Prowess and s(ill li(e that can onl& e imagined' and uite o*iousl&' he didnt accomplish the !eat in a matter o! minutes his le*el o! ph&sical endurance goes without sa&ing2$ Compared to an& o! the highest-le*el athletes in the world' Fu hen 5ong would e a superhero among mortals$ And there were man& more li(e Fu who had similar ailit&' although proal& less$ (FOOTNOTE - Inside Kung Fu Magazine; Bagua Journal; Chinese pub's
%ecause internal athletic training s&stems come directl& !rom the martial arts' the& t&picall& get pigeonholed as ,sport speci!ic training$, Bowe*er' in recent &ears' !amous internal martial artists ha*e egun ridging the gap etween internal athletics and other sports$ .aster 6eorge Gu has een telling people !or &ears that the principles o! the internal martial arts li(e Tai Chi and %a6ua appl& to e*er& sport$ ?ears ago' .aster Gu egan wor(ing with ultra-marathoner ann& re&er to de*elop ,Chi Running$, re&er and man& o! his students claim ChiRunning is a re*olutionar& approach to e!!ortless' in#ur&-!ree running$ ) ha*e seen articles sur!ace and disappear regarding the use o! Tai Chi in athletic training !or pro!essional !ootall and as(etall pla&ers'
ournal2 ) integrated +udang s(ills H principles *er& e!!ecti*el& e!!ecti*el& into s(i racing$ As ) *enture !orward with this in!ormation' ) would also li(e to clari!& who ) am spea(ing aout in the Fu !amil&$ Fu hen 5ong 1II1-1D32 was widel& considered one o! the greatest martial artist in Chinese histor&; he was mostl& re*ered as a %a6ua grandmaster' ut in hindsight' he was a great inno*ator o!
martial arts$ hen 5ong is the creator o! Fu 5t&le +udang %o"ing$ Fu +ing Fa& 1D13-1DD32 was hen 5ongs oldest son$ +ing Fa& grew up surrounded & the est martial artists in China$ Be wor(ed diligentl& to ecome his !athers prodigal son and top student$ +ing Fa& recei*ed man& corresponding accolades in his li!etime' and ecame the lineage holder !or Fu 5t&le$ +ing Fa& was also a great inno*ator' and well-uali!ied to rein*ent Fu 5t&le$ Fu 5heng8ong' or 7ictor Fu' is the oldest son o! +ing Fa&$ 8i(e his !ather' 7ictor grew up immersed in the internal martial arts' and wor(ed *er& hard to ecome his !athers top student$ 7ictor resides in 7ancou*er' %C' and holds the current lineage title !or Fu 5t&le +udang %o"ing$ )n this te"t' when ) spea( o! ,.aster Fu', ) am re!erring to 7ictor Fu' who is ali*e and well toda&$
TBE )FFERECE To understand the di!!erence etween e"ternal training and internal athletics' one should !irst consider common ph&sical training modalities: weight li!ting' cardio*ascular training' stretching' ,core strengthening$, These modes are unrelated' non-integral e"ercises !ocusing on muscular tension/strength' agilit&' endurance and s(ill de*elopment/applications$ This (ind o! training relies on (nowledge o! io-mechanics (inesiolog&2' ph&siolog&' and ,creating mo*ement with the muscles on the outside of the body $, 5&stems o! e"ternal training can change suddenl& dramaticall& as trainers disco*er new modalities e"ercise !ads2 and in#ect them into the mi" i$e$ trainers sometimes prescrie &oga or Pilates as part o! an athletes regimen$ regimen$
the internal organs causing sic(ness2$ E"ternal training is simpl&
)TERA8 FR<. EGTERA8 Bow do we start otaining internal s(illsN The answer lies within *er& special'
highl&-de*eloped mo*ements$ mo*ements$ These mo*ements are purel& e"ternal when &ou are a eginner$ As &ou practice them' &our od& will egin to mo*e in a di!!erent wa&: !rom the inside to the outside$ ?ou will ha*e aches and pains as &our od& naturall& egins to heal-heal-- this is ecause &ou will will turn ac( the cloc( cloc( and egin to counter-act all o! &our ad ph&sical haits$ ing, the tenets o! tai chi2$ 5e*eral great masters ha*e re-written these in di!!erent !orms' ut the principles dont change$ change$ People can claim to e masters' teach some mo*ements and spout out Chinese pro*ersO ut adherence to the principles is what ma(es
the mo*ements tai chi$ Fu 5t&le emphasizes tai chi !or man& reasons; so we will primaril& !ocus on the principles o! tai chi$ Bowe*er' Bowe*er' Fu 5t&le is +udang' +udang' which encompasses other internal martial arts$ )n what we ha*e coined the internal athletics' there are principles and s(ills which which are deri*ed !rom tai chi' chi' ut also !rom Bsing-?i' %a6ua' 8iang-?i and %a#i Chuan$
PR)C)P8E5
Rolling is a high-le*el s(ill !rom %a6ua hang; it is much li(e it sounds' ut the rolling happens at the waist$ Pro#ection is a !ascinating s(ill; .aster Fu calls this gudong$ 5ha(ing is li(e the washing-machine motion' ut much more *igorous$ 5napping is t&picall& mo*ing the waist rapidl& !rom one position and stopping at another$ 8iang-?i Chuan ma(es use o! ,swinging;, this is waist turning with increasing acceleration$ 9$ Posture The su#ect o! posture is somewhat understood & man&' ut completel& misapplied & most$ The nature o! postural stud& and application is to align the ones o! the od& in the most ene!icial wa& & manipulating the #oints$ The underl&ing prolem with postural application application is that *irtuall& no person or s&stem s&stem o! widespread *isiilit& has a complete' natural and com!ortale s&stem o! posture !or the entire od&$ +hile a !ew s&stems o! internal athletics li(e Fu 5t&le2 ha*e the ultimate postural s&stem we are suggesting' most tai chi s&stems ha*e *er& di!!erent *iews as to what ma(es up good posture$ )t is common elie! that the inward cur*ature lordosis2 o! the lower spine and the outward cur*ature (&phosis2 o! the upper spine e"ist to asor shoc($ The *er& thought o! this ma(es us cringe' as the spinal column also houses the spinal cord-this is gre& matter !ol(s; an actual e"tension o! the rain$ For most people' the spine does asor shoc(; that doesnt mean its correct' or e*en ene!icial$ +h& do we asor shoc(N .ost o! the od& can ta(e shoc( *er& well' especiall& the minute ut endless shoc( that that comes !rom wal(ing$ The onl& onl& reason to asor shoc( would e to (eep it !rom rattling the rain man& people wal( with the head stretched out in !ront' asoring the shoc( o! wal(ing with the nec(2$ Reall&' it onl& ma(es sense to asor the ul( o! shoc( with something other than the spinal column' or ,the rain$, At the heart o! the matter' we must e aware that posture is a practice' and is generall& not something we can per!orm all the time$ %& practicing posture' we create good haits which will allow us to hold the carriage o! our odies much closer to the realm o! per!ect posture without the sustantial concentration is ta(es to actuall& practice per!ect posture$ )t must also e noted that postural practice can e either static or d&namic$ d&namic$ There is much to gain !rom mere mere ,standing practice$, Fu 5t&le +udang prescries a postural application !or literall& e*er& inch o! the od&$ The three main main parts o! Fu 5t&le posture are ,Bollow Chest', ,Pel*ic Tilt, and ,=pright Bead$,
Bollow Chest )! the waist is the engine' hollow chest is the #oiner& mechanism that lin(s up the structure o! the od&' and !acilitates coordination$ 6enerall& spea(ing' e*er&thing must !ollow the waist; howe*er' the upper od& has man& more #oints than the lower od& consider the range o! motion o! each indi*idual *erterae' shoulder #oint' shoulder girdle' girdle' etc$2$ Fu +ing Fa& sa&s' ,+hen &our chest is thrown outward' the chi will well up into the area o! the chest' and &ou will ecome hea*& on the top and light elow$ ?our !eet will seem to !loat' and &ou cannot stand !irml&$ )! &ou can let &our chest sin( inward' &oull also naturall& push out &our ac($ ot onl& will all illnesses e eliminated !rom the od& and li!e e prolonged' prolonged' ut at the same same time' whene*er reuired' the the strength o! the whole od& will issue !orth !rom !ro m the ac( that such !orce will carr& o!! all that is e!ore &ou$, The chest must sin( inward and the spine must push ac(ward$ This d&namicall& changes the entire structure o! the od&$ The arms and hands are alwa&s in !ront$ The ac( is raised and the head is held *er& high' almost as i! its eing propped up$ )n e"perienced internal practitioners' the ac( loses the natural cur*e that doctors and chiropractors are so !ond o!$ .aster Fu sa&s' ,+hen &ou do it right' the ac( is all !lat$, +hat .aster Fu means is !rom a pro!ile *iew' the spine and ac( are all straight$ str aight$ +e li(en this to the nature o! tall' hea*& things' li(e trees$ %ig trees' li(e redwoods' are straight and trueOnot cur*ed$ +hen we uild tall uildings' we do not uild them with cur*es$ The nature o! structure is straightness$ +hen the *erterae stac( *erticall&' and the spine ecomes straight as *iewed !rom oth the !ront and !rom the side' the structure o! the od& ecomes *er& strong in this wa&$ Pel*ic Tilt +hile orthopods' chiropractors' coaches and &our mom will tell &ou that the ao*e postural practice is wrong' pel*ic tilt has seemingl& seemingl& ecome common practice in the world toda&$ %& rolling the tailone under and to the !ront' we lengthen and straighten the lower ac( which ta(es pressure o!! the lower spine$ This is prescried !or pregnant women' women' auto accident *ictims' *ictims' runners' etc$ This practice also places the weight o! the upper od& more onto the heals and d&namicall& changes which muscles around the trun( are stretched' rela"ed' or tensed$ Bead 5traight Postural practice in the internal athletics must alwa&s include the hait o! r eturning
to a position with the head straight$ .ost athletics do not address this hait$ Athletes end up mo*ing in a wa& where the head and nec( is clums& and disorganized$ The !amous pro!essor' .r$ Cheng .an Ching' e"plained it this wa&' ,Gu 8ing in >in is hanging !rom the top o! &our head$ )t is li(e a man with pigtail at the top o! his head2' which is tied to the eam and his od& is hanging ao*e the ground$ 8i(e this' his whole od& can spin$ %ut i! his head !aces down or up' or mo*es le!t or right' then he cannot do this$, E*er&thing else' in rie!: )n accordance with the ma#or three points o! posture' there is speci!ic' recommended posture !or the whole od&$ Fu +ing Fa& spea(s o!' ,Chen >ian means let the area o! the two shoulder #oints e naturall& la" and droop down' and the two arms would seem to hang on strings$ ?ou should ne*er use strength to raise &our shoulders$ )! the shoulders are raised' then the chi would !ollow upward to the shoulders and create a condition o! eing hea*& on the top and light at the ottom$ All o! &our strength would e tried up at the shoulders' and &our ,whole od&, would not ha*e an& strength$ At the same time it would ecome easier to admit illness ecause with the shoulders raised' the internal organs will change their positions and mo*e upward' losing their com!ortale natural positions$ )! this is persisted persisted !or long then internal illness illness will certainl& result$ result$ Chui hou means to let the two elows point downward with the upper ar ms ,standing, straight perpendicular2$ )! the two elows are raised either to the le!t or right' then the shoulders cannot droop downward$ )! the shoulders cannot droop downward' then &ou cannot muster &our strength in the area o! the waist and thighs' and cannot throw an&one *er& !ar$, )n an article in Tai Chi .agazine F<
wells, ecause when one reaches a certain s(ill le*el a!ter &ears o! practice' the &ong uan !eel as though the& are uling up with energ&$ Also' when the hips and waist ha*e an& sti!!ness' this ,uling, will cause the entire od& to sha(e somewhat *iolentl&$ The !eet are e"tremel& complicated in anatomical terms$ As o*iousl& esoteric is the &ong uan' the posture o! the !eet is *er& di!!icult to summate$ The empt& &ong & ong uan is important$ Te"ts !rom man& great masters tal( o! ,the root, eing in the !eet$ The great masters sa& that when &ou ha*e root' the !eet spread' twist and gra the earth as i! the& had roots growing down into the ground$ Another simile would e i! &our !eet could clutch clutch the earth li(e an eagle does a tree ranch$ +illiam C$C$ Chen F<
a!ter *ariet& o! this power is called ,!a #ing', or e"plosi*e power$ A small' seemingl& wea(' J-&ear old woman li(e %ow 5im .ar( o! %oston' .A2 is capale o! throwing a 90-pound man across the room with this (ind o! power$ .aster Fu alwa&s sa&s' ,The mo*ement is *er& !ast ecause o! rela"ation$ The hand turns to ?ang hard2 !or a rie! second' then must rela" immediatel& ac( to ?in so!t2 again$ Bow &ou can tell i! its done correctl& is to loo( !or the recoil$ To issue good power in the internal arts' there should alwa&s e recoil' not rigidness$ The hand should ounce ac( li(e a ruer and$, and$, $ Taoist %reathing )! there were one route o! training clearl& missing in western athletics-one o#ecti*e that were so needed' so o*ious' and #ust plain non-e"istent that trainers o! the world should ta(e a step ac( and scratch their heads in gloal unison-it would e reathing training$ E*en i! the most rilliant trainer in histor& had an epiphan& and declared' ,our athletes should learn how to reath in the most e!!ecti*e wa& possile', he or she would ha*e nowhere to start and nowhere to go$ Aout the est an&one has come up with is ,iaphragmic reathing$, This is asurdl& simple' and hardl& worth& o! teaching it to the top-echelon athletes o! the planet$ Beres a !unn& test: !eign a *iolent push to &our est !riends chest' and see how he reathes$ +ell et dimes dimes to donuts that with e&es wide and od& sti!!' sti!!' he ta(es a uic( and surprised reath in inhalation2$ ow' in return !or scaring &our good !riend' o!!er him to push &ou across the room$ +hen he does' watch his reath$ imes to donuts sa&s &our !riend will reath out$
&ou cannot !ind it$ )t is' howe*er' *er& real$ The dan tien is critical in the storage o! chi and the transmission o! energ& to the e"tremities in order to create mo*ement$ Ba*e &ou e*er watched a a& reatheN +hen the& inhale' aies lower adomen contracts$ +hen the& e"hale' aies lower adomen e"pands$ +h&N +h& does &our !riend inhale sharpl& when he recoils !rom &our push' !earing that &ou might actuall& send him reelingN The answers to these uestions lie within tai chi theor& and the natural wa& o! reathing$ The Taoists ha*e een de*eloping reathing techniue !or thousands and thousands o! &ears$ These da&s' its called Taoist %reathing or Re*erse %reathing$ This t&pe o! reathing is in!initel& more comple" than diaphragmic reathing' and it ta(es scores o! &ears to get it right howe*er' li(e all training in the internal athletics' the pa&o!!s come *er& uic(l& when one e*en starts this (ind o! practice2$ At the root o! Taoist reathing is again chi or li!e energ&$ Bowe*er' chi ta(es di!!erent !orms inside the od&' and the theor& is *er&' *er& comple"$ +e will attempt to simpli!& each o! these segments into terms &ou can digest$ First' when a tai chi master e"hales' the air in the lungs or ,post-natal chi, is reathed out; at the the same time' the pre-natal chi dumps dumps into the dan tien' tien' causing it to e"pand e"halation causes the lower adomen to e"pand2$ )ts sort o! li(e two connected ules on either side o! the diaphragm; when the lungs e"pand' the dan tien contracts' and *ice-*ersa$ +hen that same master inhales' the pre-natal pre- natal chi in the dan tien sueezes through a portal near the anus and !lows up along the spine' spine' causing the dan tien tien in the lower adomen2 to contract$ Taoist reathing and chi !low reuire the tongue to e pressed up into the hard hard palate$ )n this wa&' dan dan tien reathing coordinates coordinates and dri*es the mo*ements o! the od&$ 6enerall& spea(ing' one e"hales when e"tending the arms and inhales when withdrawing the arms; one inhales when rising and e"hales when sin(ing; to li!t is to inhale' to lower to e"hale; when opening up' one inhales; when closing' one e"hales$ Again in o*er-simpli!ication' there are two sounds which coincide with high-le*el Taosist reathing: Bung and Baah$ The sound ,Bung, is made when one inhales$ The sound ,Baah, is produced when one e"hales$ As oth inhalation and
e"halation are done through the nose' these sounds are also audile through the nose and nasal passage$ $ 7oid and Full )n accordance with the pro!undit& o! the Tai#itu or s&mol o! &in and &ang alance' the parts o! the od& must also alance the &in and &ang or *oid and !ull$ )n essence' tai chi practice normall& puts emphasis on a J0/30 weight distriution !or the legs' and demands in!inite repetition o! weight trans!er ac( and !orth$ Thus' when one per!orms a mo*ement' one leg is iased o*er the other$ +hen the weight is J0 percent iased on the le!t leg' the le!t leg is !ull' and the right arm is !ull; con*ersel&' the right leg is *oid and the le!t arm is *oid empt&2$ )n this instance' the le!t !oot !ull2 grips the ground as i! its glued there; the right !oot is *oid' and can mo*e swi!tl& and easil&' pi*ot' step or (ic($ Fu +ing Fa& sa&s' ,)n learning Tai Chi Chuan' the primar& reuisite is to clearl& distinguish etween *oid and !ull$ 7oid is &in and !ull is &ang$ %rie!l& spea(ing' when &ou practice Tai Chi Chuan' &ou must ne*er place &our od& weight on oth legs$ istinguishing etween *oid and !ull can e compared with the e"ample o! the peddling peddling o! a ic&cle$ )! the right leg leg applies pressured downward' downward' then the le!t leg should should e la" and !ollow upward in accordance with mo*ement mo*ement o! the right leg$ +hen the le!t leg presses down' then the right leg must ecome la" and !ollow upward in accordance with the mo*ements o! the le!t leg$ aturall&' &ou can then go as !ast or slow as &ou please' and &our & our mo*ement !orward will not e impeded$ %ut i! &ou press with oth legs at at the same time' and the pressure pressure is eual on oth sides' sides' &oull stop altogether and cannot mo*e it all$, 7oid and !ull in practice emphasizes di!!erentiating the le!t !rom the right side$ That ma& seem simple' ut le!t and right must e separated again at the waist$ The od& ecomes a *er& much much li(e alancing scales$ scales$ )! one stands on the right !oot' !oot' the right leg is !ull' and the upper le!t hal! o! the od& is !ull$ Accordingl&' the mind must ma(e it so & stac(ing the weight o! the le!t upper hal! o! the od& o*er the right hal! o! the lower od&$ Athletes can not ma(e this *isualization and (inetic alancing without special training$ J$ Coordination .ost +estern athletics trainers will agree that coordination is more important than strength$ T&picall&' coordination is a genetic gi!t$ )n recent &ears' the ad*ent o! what has een termed ,!unctional mo*ement, training does in !act de*elop coordination; howe*er' it is still relati*el& r elati*el& in!antile compared to the whole-od& coordination de*eloped in the thousands-o!-&ears old internal athletics$
)n a treatise on Fu 5t&le 8iang-?i Chuan' Fu +ing Fa& o!!ers' ,The a"le goes down the center !rom shoulder to pel*is$ Bis ,Bow oes
s&stem suddenl& does e*er&thing it can to (eep &ou !rom getting hurt$ ?ou dont intend to to let &our weight drop or #ump o!! the piece o! glass' ut &our heart ma(es that happen$ ew western studies are suggesting that the ,enteric ner*ous s&stem, is the other rain' and that it resides in the adomen$ %$ The other side o! the mind is what the Chinese call the "Yi" or the wisdom mind$ This is the thin(ing hal! o! the mind$ The ?i has intention' or the will to carr& out tas(s$ These two sides o! the mind' the heart and the ?i' dont alwa&s agree$ The side that t&picall& wins is the heart-- which could also e"plain a lot o! the mista(es we ma(e as humans$ +e want to do the right thing intention2' ut our heart has a slightl& di!!erent plan$ 5o again' the internal athletics e"ercise three e"terior and three interior cominations$ The !irst internal comination is the heart and the intention ?i or wisdom mind2$ The second comination is the ?i and the Chi$ This means that the wisdom mind directs the energ& stored in the dan tien to mo*e up along the spine and out to the lims$ .o*ement created in this wa& can e *er& power!ul' or *er& so!t$ The third comination is the chi and the strength$ The Chinese call the (ind o! strength de*eloped with weight li!ting , Li$, )nternal athletics do not suscrie to strength training; 8i or strength is considered low-le*el and unsophisticated s(ill$ This last interior comination suggests that all the inside wor( we do in the internal athletics must then coordinate with the strength the 8i2 o! the od&$ )n this wa&' the practitioner ecomes *er& power!ul$ I$ Continuous .o*ement This principle is interesting$
Clearl&' Fu +ing Fa&s e"ample o! ,deli*ering one low, comes !rom martial arts$ %ut the importance o! continuous motion cannot e o*erstated here$ +ing Fa&s re!erence to ,a!ter-irth rute !orce, means 8i' or the use o! unsophisticated strength2 D$ Power o! the mind' not power o! strength$ For the uninitiated' this principle is going to seem #ust plain cr az&$ The power o! the mind in the internal athletics is not clair*o&ance or hocus pocus$ )t relates to and controls the calm' smooth' !lowing energ& o! the natural world$ This energ& is li(e the stored or potential energ& o! a ri*er$ )t starts high on the mountain in small ri*ulets' and gains power and intensit& as it comines with other ri*ulets to ecome cree(s' streams and e*entuall& ri*ers$ +hen we train the mind to control this energ&' we are ale to summon it to an& degree at an& time$ To continue the metaphor' we can guide small amounts o! ,the ri*er, to merel& wash awa& dirt; or we can calml& open the !loodgates to unleash de*astating power$ Fu +ing Fa& sa&s' ,5tri*e !or calmness whilst in action$ )n practicing Tai Chi Chuan' it is asolutel& !oridden to leap aout in one reath so one is streaming with sweat' and panting li(e a u!!alo$
stepping techniues$ >ust to name a !ew o! the Fu 5t&le steps: tai chi step' swing step' T-step' crossing steps' stomp step' !ollow step' ripple r ipple step or mud wal(ing step2$ %a6ua demands the importance o! circle wal(ing$ To e"periment with this principle' simpl& create a circle roughl& si" or se*en se*en !eet in diameter and start wal(ing$ Twist &our trun( toward the center' end &our (nees deepl&' and allow each step to !ollow the outline o! the circle$ As .aster Fu sa&s' ,)t ,) t will change &our whole li!e$, Also' Fu 5t&le %a6ua ma(es principle ,alancing on one !oot$, Tr& it while wal(ing the circle$ +ith each step' !irml& !ind &our & our alance on each !oot e!ore ta(ing the ne"t step$ Bsing-?i translates roughl& as ,Form-.ind$, This means the ?i or the wisdom mind creates and dictates the !orm the od& will ta(e$ This is e"cellent training !or the mind and od&' as higher-le*el Bsing-?i is ased on the mo*ements o! animals$ 5wallows swoop down; mon(e&s leap; ears maul-- roosters ha*e amazing s(ills !or mo*ement$ Bsing-?i stresses the importance o! ,hard and so!t, more than the other arts$ A ig part o! this comes !rom sudden' launching launching linear mo*ements mo*ements that reuire recoil$
) F=CT)< ,)n !unction, means a practitioner in practice or utilizing the practiced s(ills in some !orm o! mo*ement li(e sports' e"ercise or e*en putting awa& dishes$ The mind controls the od&' !irst with the e&es$ ) once went to a !arm' and the !armer told me he leads the pon& around with his e&es$ +here the !armer loo(s' the pon& !ollows$ )n the )nternal )nternal Athletics' the gaze gaze goes !irst$ The mind turns the the waist to !ollow the intention the e&es pro-generate$ The mind must concentrate on man& !unctions at once: speci!ic' whole-od& posture; a speci!ic reathing reathing techniue; whole-od& whole-od& rela"ation; highl&-detailed highl&-detailed mo*ements supercharged with !le"ile martial application;
%EEF)T5
correlation etween the numered delineations in the PR)C)P8E5 section and those which !ollow$ +hile this can help &ou' dear reader' somewhat understand how ,A % S C', we need to emphasize that the internal athletics are a s&stem; this means each part is related r elated to and dependent upon e*er& other part$ As we discuss internal athletics ene!its' it should e preconcei*ed that each ene!it cited does in !act come as a result o! diligent practice and adherence to all o! the principles$ )n essence' no speci!ic speci!ic ene!it comes !rom an& single single principle practice$ )t is also important to note that our discussion o! ene!its surrounds sports and athletics$ )n recent &ears' some astounding western science studies ha*e egun leading !ol(s to elie*e that tai chi practice is in !act the panacea miracle cure-all2 that the great masters ha*e een claiming it to e; howe*er great a health oon tai chi is to the world' the elderl&' the sic(' etc$' this te"t was !ounded on the concept o! impro*ing athletics$ 1$ +aist turning is an o*ious and d&namic part o! most athletic mo*ements$ 5wing a gol! clu$ 5wing a aseall at$ Throw a all$ E*en wal(ing and running reuire turning o! the waist to !acilitate gait$ At the highest le*els o! per!ormance' athletes ph&sicall& e"press what is termed the 5erape E!!ect; this is the coordination o! the trun( with the e"tremities to create e"tremel& !ast and power!ul mo*ements$ This is how a aseall pitcher throws a D0 mph !astall$ The arm cannot create that (ind o! power and speed & itsel!$ )nternal athletics reuires the mind to control the waist' and the waist to control the od&$ +e as(ed .aster Fu aout aout this (ind o! mo*ement mo*ement in popular sports$ Be said' said' ,?es' the& the athletes2 use their waist to ma(e power' ut the&re not thin(ing aout their waist$ That means the& can do etter$, .aster Fu has said man& times that the slow waist turning in tai chi practice gi*es the internal organs a massage$ umerous ene!its could result !rom this massage' ut one can imagine imagine that the internal organs organs would !unction etter etter i! it were stimulated e*er& da&$ +hen coaches and trainers thin( aout alance' seldom do the& consider that the !eet can actuall& grip the earth$ )n tai chi' this is called root$ Coaches dont (now aout this addition to alance ecause it reuires &ears o! gentle waist turning to train the !eet to oth rela" and to clench$ 9$ e*elopment o! proper posture creates man& ene!its$ As alance is the (e&stone o! athletics' well start there$ %alance or euilirioception2 is the range o! stailization and euilirium o! a od&s center o! gra*it&$ %alance is primaril&
sensed through the detection o! acceleration in the *estiular s&stem; this is a comple" s&stem o! canals and !luids in the inner ear$ )! someone pushes &ou une"pectedl& !rom ehind' the !luids in the ,la&rinth, slosh ac(ward' and let &ou (now that &ou are suddenl& accelerating !orward$ This allows &ou to rapidl& recalirate and attempt to regain whate*er alance &ou are ale ased on &our od&2$ The !irst point made in oth ?ang Cheng Fus' ,10 Essential Points o! Tai Chi, and in Fu +ing Fa&s ,Bow oes
od&s weight optimall& optimall& on the ones; ones; it also adds the element element o! gentle twisting$ The great masters sa& that when one unloc(s the !low o! ,the one chaotic chi, through the od&' it strengthens the ones to the point that the& ecome unrea(ale$ E*er& athlete needs the strongest ones and immune s&stem he or she can otain$ 3$ Practice o! tai chi and the internal athletics loosens the waist and hips$ Consider to what degree &ou stand upright$ Thin( aout &our parents' or grandparents' or someone *er& elderl&$ As we get older' the tension we haror in the waist and hips e*entuall& causes us to chronicall& end o*er and ta(e smaller steps; thus' we ecome sti!!er and sti!!er' until we we no longer ha*e *er& *er& much alance$ %& loosening the waist and hips' one increases his range and control o! motion such that his od& etter !acilitates the autonomic responses o! the alancing mechanisms; thus' etter alance$ As the waist and hips ecome more supple' the hea*iest' most dense part o! the od& ecomes more controllale$ controllale$ +esterners call this ,the core$, +hen one has posture' which creates s(eletal s(eletal structure' A can control the core or center o! gra*it&' or dan tien2' one can mo*e aout *er& s(ill!ull&$ This is wh& we call control' e!!icienc&' agilit&' power' speed' and !le"iilit& ,od& s(ills$, F<
slowl&$ An athlete seemingl& gets more time to react' and react properl&$ +ith more od& s(ill and od& awareness' accurac& is increased and mista(es are reduced$ +ith so!tness and rela"ation' an athlete has more speed to per!orm a mo*ement or techniue correctl& and with the correct timing$ Bardness is #ust as important as so!tness; howe*er' so!tness needs to e otained e!ore hardness can e understood understood or applied$ Bardness Bardness can come in man& !orms' ut the most common is that that o! !a #ing power$ Fa #ing #ing is the e"plosi*e mo*ement mo*ement that coordinates mood' intention' reath and the od& with what is called the one chaotic chi$ )n most !a #ing applications' the od& must e so!t and rela"ed; then the hard !a #ing comes *er& uic(l&' !ollowed & an instantaneous re*erse ac( to so!t$ Bardness can also e considered !ullness &ang2$ Energ& can e transmitted more li(e that o! a ulldozer-ulldozer-- slow and stead&' ut ,!ull, ,!ull, and unstoppale$ Bardness Bardness can also e concentrated in the dan tien$ )! &ou ha*e the chance' 6oogle ,+ang 5hu#in$, .aster +ang was an internal martial arts grandmaster who seemingl& loo(ed o*erweight$ The gu& could mo*e li(e a !leeting sparrow' and he could ta(e repeated lows to the adomen !rom #ust aout an&one without an& sign o! pain or !atigue$ At the same time' .aster +ang was incredil& so!t$ $ Taoist %reathing and posture are loc(stepping principles$ Proper reathing is a ma#or component to de*eloping posture' and posture !acilitates proper reathing$ 5o the ene!its o! toaist reathing are the same as those o! posture' which in turn create superior e!!icienc& o! mo*ement$ This is such that an athlete will deplete his energ& stores much slower than i! he were tense and reathing erraticall&$ Additionall&' proper reathing de*elops serious cardio*ascular endurance as termed & western athletics$ As cited with the stor& o! Fu hen 5ong de!eating 100 andits & himsel!' high-le*el high-le*el internal athletes athletes can mo*e aout *igorousl& *igorousl& !or long periods o! time' without without e*en needing to reathe reathe through their mouths$ mouths$ The long' slow' controlled reaths o! a master theoreticall& compress and store in the dan tien' allowing him to call upon these reser*es whene*er he needs them$ ) li(en deep Taoist reathing to saturating the lungs with o"&gen$ $ Practice o! the 7oid and Full F ull Principle is important to proprioception' or the de*elopment o! sensing the location o! the od&s parts$ +hen one can *isualize the relationships and di!!erences etween le!t and right' the awareness o! where the lims lie' and the io!eedac( !rom those e"tremities is greatl& heightened$ %ecause o! this' the (inesthetic sense o! mo*ement2 and the io!eedac( o! such more acutel& signals to the athlete how much or how little motion he has' either in
certain od& locations or as a whole$ 7oid and !ull is a ig !acilitator o! waist rotation$ +hen an athlete is (eenl& aware o! le!t and right' rotation o! the waist comes much more easil&$ Eas& turning o! the waist !acilitates control' speed and power in nearl& e*er& athletic mo*ement$ J$ Coordination %& coordination' we mean the sum o! the parts o! the whole od& mo*e together as one unit; no parts antagonize the mo*ements o! an& other parts$ This is the opposite o! muscle isolation i$e$ strength training$ .ost trainers and athletes agree that coordination is more important than strength$ For this reason' the est athlete is not alwa&s the iggest' strongest athlete$ A coordinated athlete uses his od& more e!!icientl&$ 5o when he mo*es or applies !orce' the mo*ement is more grace!ul' gr ace!ul' more alanced; and the !orce he commands is ampli!ied ecause his muscles !ire more e*enl& and seuentiall& than someone less coordinated$ The coordinated athlete can per!orm mo*ements with !ewer mista(es in regards to ,!orm$, This allows him to run !aster' #ump higher' throw !arther' and per!orm more consistentl&$ Coordination in the internal athletics is *er& speci!ic' and reuires concentrated training$ The hips and the shoulders are the !our corners o! the trun(; when the hips correspond with the shoulders' there is !ar less twisting in general' eginner-le*el coordination training should eliminate twisting o! the trun(; %a6ua de*elops twisting power' ut it is much higher le*el than tai chi2$ +ith less twisting' the od& will ha*e more more !unctional coordination$ coordination$ The same is true o! the (nees corresponding with the elows' and the hands corresponding to the !eet$ This t&pe o! training egins as *isualization; ut later' when these ,e"terior cominations, are mani!ested in the od&' an athlete will command ,whole od& power$, %ecause the mind is the most power!ul element o! the od&' there must e no con!lict etween ones mood and ones intention$ +hen the heart emotional mind2 and the ?i wisdom mind2 comine' &ou are o! one mind and &ou will ha*e no internal con!lict$ +ith no internal con!lict' con!lict' &ou will not hesitate and &our mo*ements will ha*e poise' power' grace and !ollow through$ Chi is li!e energ&; its li(e gasoline !or the od&$ The mind is li(e the spar( plug to ignite the chi$ +hen the& meet' the resulting !ire is called #ing' or (inetic energ&$ +hen the mind and the chi comine' &ou will direct &our od& to carr& out
mo*ements e"actl& the wa& &ou intend$ 5o intention is *er&' *er& important$ The !inal coordination coordination in*ol*es in*ol*es strength-- the so-called unsophisticated unsophisticated power power tauted & so man& in the west$ +hen the shoulders and hips comine' the elows and (nees comine' the hands and !eet comine' the heart and wisdom mind comine and the mind and chi comine' a ph&sical coordination can e"ist such that there is no corresponding concept in the west$ +hen all o! these things comine' and then coordinate with an athletes strength' this is called whole od& coordination$ This (ind o! coordination is unsurpassed$ )t is un!ortunate that we mention the ,?i, so late in this section$ +e must howe*er ensure that &ou' dear reader' understand its importance$ The ,?i, or the wisdom mind is the (eeper o! intention$ A!ter the Beart mood/emotion2 and the ?i hash it out' the ?i owns is the mechanism to decide to ,do or dont do$, )ntention can e spontaneous' or premeditated$ Premeditation o! mo*ement could e *er& time consuming-consuming-the constant ponder o! how &ou will mo*e when the pressure o! per!ormance is upon &ou can eat up da& a!ter da& a!ter da&$ %ut with concentrated' rela"ed practice o! oth the internal internal athletics and sport sport speci!ic training' premeditation premeditation o! mo*ement comes naturall&$ Then spontaneous intention o! mo*ement ecomes !ormulated and consistent' especiall& in the !ace o! per!ormance pressure$ ?our intention will ma(e &our od& per!orm$ I$ Continuous .o*ement Practice o! continuous mo*ement (eeps an athlete !rom ha*ing dead spots in his mo*ement$ Be is at all times' read& !or action and/ or reaction$ )magine a tennis match etween two greats$ +hile one pla&er prepares to ser*e the all' and then suseuentl& ser*es the all' consider what the other pla&er is doing$ oes he stand there' per!ectl& still' waiting to gauge and then witness the tra#ector& o! the allN
The internal athletics emphasize calmness' and adamantl& re#ect the use o! rute strength were contrasting rute strength to the coordinated use o! strength as a !inal comination2$ )ntrinsicall&' rute strength pits !orce against !orce or some o#ect o! resistance2; the power o! the mind intrinsicall& implies s(ill$ 8i(e coordination' high-le*el s(ill alwa&s eats out rute strength when it comes to per!ormance$ +hen we use the power o! the mind and the s(ill we de*elop' time seems to slow down$ +e are sure the high-le*el o! awareness de*eloped in the internal athletics comes !rom posture' rela"ation' etc$; ut certainl&' when we comine awareness with s(ill' the mind has more time to calculate' react' re-stailize' and (eep per!orming$ +hen one can rela"' sta& calm' hold proper posture com!ortal&' and turn the waist' the chi will sin( down$ First' it will sin( to the dan tien' and collect there$ 8ater' the chi will sin( down to the soles o! the !eet$ %& using the power o! the mind to de*elop od& s(ill' one will ecome highl& attuned to the gra*it& o! the earth; he or she will de*elop an amazing relationship with gra*it&' and use it to mo*e$ This relationship and use o! gra*it& lends serious stailit& and alance$ 10$ %a6ua and Bsing-?i principles Each o! the +udang sister arts has se*eral di!!erent (inds o! stepping$ Each o! these (inds o! steps de*elops speed and accurac& o! weight trans!er' and also awareness o! ,*oid and !ull, le!t and right2 .ost o! these steps are demanding o! opening the hips$ The stomp step will teach the practitioner how to pull power !rom the earth; the !ollow step trains accurac& in weight trans!er' and controlling the dan tien; the ripple step or ,mud wal(ing step, is the most di!!icult step in the world$$$ %ecause Fu 5t&le +udang is a complete s&stem' the s(ills and posture !rom one o! these martial arts lends smoothl& with all the others$ 5o 5 o while tai chi de*elops whole-od& coordination' %agua does too' ut it has much more ending' twisting and rotational range o! motion$ )t also demands rising and sin(ing$ Circle wal(ing is primar& in %agua$ Circle wal(ing does man& things at once$ )t will stretch and loosen the waist and hips; it will de*elop a lower' more stale stance; it will de*elop coordination in twisting and ending; it will strengthen the euilirioception Fu 5t&le %agua emplo&s a lot o! spinning2$
emplo& this techniue in di!!ering con!igurations$ %alancing on one !oot while turning with the (nee alwa&s ent2 de*elops alance and strengthens the connecti*e tissues$ Fu 5t&le %a6ua also reuires a ,popping, or straightening o! the (nees at the right time during each step$ This alligns the legs properl&' and de!ines the optimal seuential !iring o! leg muscles$ Bsing-?i de*elops incredil& power!ul and coordinated mo*ements with its special stepping$ )n particular' the !eet' an(les and cal*es ecome highl&-trained in order to !ire seuentiall& in the proper order' and to re-center and alance the od&$ Bsing-?i also de*elops *isualization' as each o! the !i*e elemental !ists and each o! the 19 animal sets reuire r euire intention to mimic its special properties$
E<=.ET To conclude this te"t' ) once again put on m& coachs hat and o!!er one more piece o! in!ormation with with sincerit&$ )n the world o! mar(eting' it is said that that people dont EE drill its; the& EE holes$ )n the world o! sports' athletes dont EE high-le*el training; training; the& EE to per!orm$ per!orm$ Per!ormance is the onl& thing thing that matters$ Per!ormance is a noun in the past tense-- it can onl& e guaged when the competition is !inished$ @uantum per!ormance is what determines which !orm/techniue is superior' such as ic( Fosur&s ,Flop$, There are elegant athletes who do not sa& an&thing; and there are trash-tal(ing athletes who reall& en#o& riling up their competitors$ )! &ou will e"cuse the !rench' per!ormance is the razor sharp (ni!e that cuts through all the ullshit$
References
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url ? h%%p7))[email protected] h%%p7))[email protected])ar%i0le)de%ail)business-in-0hi )ar%i0le)de%ail)business-in-0hina)+<<+,,9 na)+<<+,,9,=-+-Aungu,=-+-Aunguepo.h%l Moun%ain/. Kung Fu Tai . ! a b c Ching# Dene (O0%ober ><<6. /The Chie 4ries% o *udang Moun%ain/. Chi . $@ord/. Black Belt 7 =8=<. . ! a b c "allander# Jane (Mar0h +,,<. /The *udang $@ord/. a b c *. ! $un 1u Tang (><<<. Xing (><<<. Xing Yi uan Xue. Xue. ni3ue 4ubli0a%ions. p. 6. I$BN <-==+-=.. +-= +. ! a b c "uang Guan-Hiou (><+<. The !ajor !etho"s of #u"ang $wor" . Blue $naAe BooAs. p. ii# >. I$BN ,9-+-6,->6,-< . . ^ "enning# $%anle& ($uer +,,. /On 4oli%i0all& Corre0% Trea%en% o M&%hs in %he Chinese Mar%ial r%s/. r%s/. Journal of the Chenstyle Taijiquan Research Research Association Association of Hawaii 3 (>. 10. ^ Kenned& and Duo (><+<. Jingwu (><+<. Jingwu.. Blue $naAe BooAs. p. >. I$BN ,9-+-6,->>-< . 11. ^ $hahar# Meir (><<. The $haolin !onastery . niersi%& o "a@aii 4ress. I$BN ,9<>66,9.. <>66,9 h%%p7))@@@.3i-2ournal.0o)Tai2i.asp-%oAen.$ear l.0o)Tai2i.asp-%oAen.$ear0hI5?Nei2iaF 0hI5?Nei2iaF 12. ^ url ? h%%p7))@@@.3i-2ourna 13. ^ $hahar# Meir (5e0eber ><<+. /Ming-4eriod Eiden0e o $haolin Mar%ial 4ra0%i0e/. Har%ar" Journal of Asiatic $tu"ies 61 (>7 6,8+6. 6,8+6. doi doi77+<.>6<9)69> . I$$N <<96<. 1'. ^ $hahar ><<+ &hang. Blue $naAe 1. ! a b c d 1in# Chao Lhen (><+<. Fu &hen $ong's (ragon Bagua &hang. BooAs. I$BN ,9-+-6,->6-6 . 1. ! a b c Miller# 5an (+,,>. /The 4a Kua Chang o Fu Chen-$ung/. )a Kua Chang Journal 2 (=. 1*. ^ 1iang $hou-Gu# Gang J@ing-Ming# *u *en-Ching (+,,. Bagua*hang. Bagua*hang. GM. p. <. I$BN <-,<9+-6<-< . 1+. ! a b Kir0hho# To& ( 5e0eber ><<. ><<. /Easie Fu $%&le Bagua Lhang/. Lhang/. +nsi"e Kung, Fu7 Fu7 989. 1. ^ Fu Gonghui and 1ai Longhong (+,,. Fu $tyle (ragon For- .ight Trigra-s )al-s. )al-s. $iling Tiger Mar%ial r%s. I$BN +-,>,<9-+-< . 20. ^ K@an# 5r. 4aul *.1. (pril +,9. /The Ne@ *u $hu/. $hu/. Black Belt . 21. ^ 1uAi%sh# Jean (O0%ober +,,>. / *ushu 5rea Coes True/. +nsi"e Kung,Fu 2 (67 686,# 9=. 22. ^ $alheiser# Marin (pril +,,=. /Fu $%&le T'ai Chi and Bagua/. T'ai Chi . 23. ^ $alheiser# Marin (June +,,=. /The 4o@er o Mind and Energ&/. T'ai Chi . 2'. ^ $alheiser# Marin (5e0eber ><<<. /The 4o@er o Gin)Gang Changes/. T'ai Chi . 2. ! a b llen# FranA; Tina Chunna Lhang (><<9. The #hirling Circles of Ba /ua &hang0 The Art an" 1egen"s of the .ight Trigra- )al-. )al-. Blue $naAe BooAs. pp. 8 +.I$BN +.I$BN ,9+6,+, . 5ang/ . Boston /lo2e. /lo2e. :e%rieed 2. ^ Cobb# Na%han (+6 Mar0h ><<+. /Drande 5ae o *u 5ang/. >> Januar& ><+<. 2*. ! a b ian# Tiing (Februar& ><<. /The Essen0e o True *udang $@ord/. T'ai Chi 29 (+7 +8>. 2+. ^ Lhou# 1ishang (Februar& ><<=. /The :eial o *udang Tai&i *uing Boing/. T'ai Chi 30 (+7 >86<. 2. ^ h%%p7))@@@.@udanggongu.0o
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/The *u 5ang $@ord/ Bla0A Bel% Magazine (Mar0h +,,</ +,,< / )a Kwa Chang Journal (olue +# 6; olue ># =; olue # >; and olue =# = Fu $tyle (ragon For- .ight Trigra-s )al-s b& )al-s b& Fu *ing Fa& and 1ai Longhong (%ransla%ed b& Joseph Crandall; Cop&righ%# +,,# $iling Tiger Mar%ial r%s
