objective world and every person’s spontaneity. These are approached by way of consciousness as a prerequisite starting point. Based on this profound philosophic thought, we then put martial arts on the plate of consciousness for investigation and examination in order to grasp it accordingly. So we say: "Yiquan is a combat science. It is a science that takes the law of movement of the human body as the subject to be researched." Talking in this fashion, Yiquan can encompass all kinds of martial arts. Consequently, any motion of the human body can be put on this plate to understand. So the aim of Yiquan is to seek a complete understanding of the laws of motion of the human body, and its practitioners’ complete grasp of their vital activities only. After having reached the above two goals, only then can one rightly claim to have satisfactorily succeeded in the study of martial arts. II. THE GENERAL FORMAT OF A HUMAN BEING’S METHOD OF UNDERSTANDING Everybody has an independent consciousness as soon as they are born. For human beings to be "human beings," it rests on them having an independent consciousness. So all human beings’ cognition, knowledge, and activity, down to all cultural values, are all covered by a human’s independent consciousness. consc iousness. Without consciousness, we cannot talk about any of them since none of them can exist without it. When one has consciousness, how does one realize and grasp this objective world and yet also include himself? For this problem, our predecessors have already done much exploration, and by their own words, they all expressed a common recognition. In Hetuvidya (a system of Hindu logic), it is called xianliang (direct) and biliang (indirect). In Mingbian (a system of Chinese logic), it is called Name and Truth. Neoteric Mr. Feng Qi called it, "The Field of Logion and The Field of Exceeding Logion." Mr. Mou Zongsan called it "phenomenon and the thing itself." Mr. Kashel called it "The Intellectual Symbolic World and The Direct Experience World." Mr. Wang Xiangzhai Xiangzhai also said: "One must know that Name and Truth can’t be mentioned in the same breath at all." In summary, we are told that human beings realize the objective world mainly in two ways: one is through the intellect and the other is comprehension via intuition. The cognitive process of reasoning is through a person’s senses, first sensing the information of the objective world, and then by way of the nerves, which pass it on to brain. Next, an image comes into being and then a memory in the brain. This is marked by notions and symbols, and then followed by fixed vocalisms, and finally language that we use to communicate with each other. Based on this, at thesame time, the method of logic deduces the correlation between objective things in the brain and results in a subjective judgment. Accordingly, Accordingly, this this results in our understanding and grasp of of the objective objective world. Therefore, an important point must be pointed out: as soon as a person is aware of theinformation of the objective things via one’s senses, th is information already has some differences with the noumenon of the objective things. This is just like people taking a photo: the photo is an image of a person and others can find the person by the photo, but the photo isn’t the person himself. Furthermo re, just as people introduce a boy or girl friend via a photo, one may know the circumstances of the other side. The actual person in the photo may be tall or short, beautiful or ugly, but absolutely no one would marry the photo. So we say that when humans accept the information of the objective world, there comes into being a subjective concept. This concept is the reflection of objective things within subjective thought. Phenomenon and the thing itself are two entirely different things. They are associated as well as differentiated. Within this cognitive process, a
But whether it is all in gear or not on earth. this results in two response modes of the human body to the world. The cognitive action takes place between the main body and the object. it is said that "sense" is self-awareness. Thus we say that this way of cognition has the distinction of "being able to know" and "being known. So it is said that the way of intellectual cognition is indirect and is the cause of this remoteness. Just as it is a part of the objective world. and then decides how to act. it shows that the subjective cognizance was right. This estimation is a reflection of the objective thing within subjective cognizance. Because of the above two ways of perceiving the world. this means that the cognition was wrong. Once an action has occurred. This is called the Main and Object interacting with each other. Wang Xiangzhai also always said." the object of consciousness is also "me. Therefore. such answer is deferred — it is broken and delayed by the slow and complicated course of thinking. Only when people subjectively think that all things are in gear will they press the ignition button. the answer to environmental stimuli is direct and rapid. they are directed by consciousness and encompass the understanding of the objective social world of human beings. because if thinking controls the response. under the second condition (human controls action by thinking). These two things are also unequal. "One can’t take the time to consider when in combat. Because these two methods of response are different. After a human comes into conscious being. only when it rises into the sky can it be known if it is or is not. so it is said that "sense" is not divisible into "being able to" and "being. Another is the need by way of thinking." After the brain suggests its conceptions. how they respond to a change in ones objective environment is also different. Together. this will cause the response action to be delayed. Active response and passive response usually exist at the same time. So we repeatedly stress that Yiquan is the science of exerting instinct. An object is the target of cognition. Kashel said in "Talking About Humanity": "Under the first condition (the animal instinct). a direct active response to the objective environment. A human has the ability of cognition." it is direct awareness of oneself. it creates reality. This is namely called being "between the intentional and the unconscious" in Yiquan. he is said to be able to know. just another part of the movement of the objective world and this is an ultimate fact. by manner of introspection. The subjective and objective are one: the course of movement. So we say that practice is the only standard to prove the truth. If the satellite runs in gear. of itself.human acts as the main body of cognition and the objective thing as the object of perception. One is by animal instinct. if it runs abnormally. all must still accept the inspection of the objective actual world after all. The above points out the differences between the cognitive mode and the reactive mode." This also takes place during the vital activities. the result of cognition must first convey a proper validation in the objective world. Since it takes place during vital activities. become aware of self-being and the movement of one’s life. The cognitive process of intuition rests with the human body itself. it is said to be able to be known." Mr. is also namely the course of validation. The brain does a logical evaluation of the objective environment." This also means to have a clear recognition of this result in combat. This is just like launching an artificial satellite. we also find that it is impossible to clearly separate these two reactive modes. The appeal for developing a natural instinctive ability has been made. consideration is useless. This reality is the only one of its kind in the world and beyond being right or not. that is the course of the senses. it can. This sense is a sort of apperception with
its object of realization being one’s entire life. however. a human’s vital activities are. The subject of consciousness is "I. So if talking about intellectual cognition. it again links these in a logical manner and an estimate comes into being. as well as decide response reactions to the . Mr. In actuality. and then it can become a truth. and they complement each other. Only by practising oneself. it will make the breath and heartbeat quicken automatically. Yiquan also follows along this line. the human body will automatically blink so as to avoid harm from this outside situation. "the art and skill of realization. For example when a small insect flies into the eyelid. the ability for running will increase. These instinctive reactions have all become manifested thru the interaction of main body and object. that martial arts are the response of the human body to the objective world. The catchphrase of modern Olympic games. unitary whole. we find that one who runs often will be able to run faster. DISTINGUISHING FIRST COURSE AND THE SECOND COURSE The First Course The Second Course Definition The didactics of form The didactics of action Cognition mode Intellectual cognition Intuitive cognition Theoretical basis Atomic theory. humans have gained knowledge of the potentiality of the human bod y’s instinct. no unity problem Transmission mode Concept transmission Feeling transmission Cognitive process Need transformation and transition. and attempt to allow breath and heartbeat to return to normalcy. but also they discover their own natural instinct. faster and stronger. In Yiquan training. as community affairs change." also has this meaning. but in practical life. THE SECOND COURSE OF YIQUAN IS A METHOD OF COGNITION AND METHOD OF TEACHING WHICH DIRECTLY POINT TO THE ESSENCE OF THE MARTIAL ARTS It has already been pointed out above. and know that one can explore one’s own potentiality better by training. "higher. After the ratio of carbon dioxide to oxygen increases. consists of parts. Wang Xiangzhai said. For instance.objective world. III. indirect Direct accomplishment Process of learning Conducted consciously From consciousness to unconsciousness BETWEEN THE . the body’s oxygen consumption increases." he had this meaning in mind. After mankind evolved to a certain degree of consciousness. By way of increasing the number of times one runs. humans will incur a natural emotional response in order to fulfill the needs of the spirit and body. Therefore. "hunyuan li" (primordial strength) is sought. it has already been explained what is the essence of martial arts. so martial arts are practiced to develop better vital instincts and respond to the objective world better. an example being one’s heartbeat or breath. A martial art is the art of one’s own body. When a person moves violently. That is to say. in other words: seeking a plenary grasp of the physical potentialities of the human body. this instinct has an abundant and latent potential. one must realize and grasp the martial arts through practice. by observing life. This kind of reactive ability is the life instinct of the human body. Herein before. only practice will allow one’s own body to gain more mobility. and one will be able to run faster than others. Furthermore. the Second Course proposes that one must devote oneself in order to understand. When Mr. For example: humans are able to both walk and run. Under this intellectual demand. we call it instinct. seeking to grasp this potential. Namely. the human body can respond to inner and outer circumstances (including societal) unconsciously. there emerged the need for knowing the world and grasping the world at the same time. and since they are achieved spontaneously. human beings are not only cognizant that one can control
facts via consciousness itself. will one realize the essence of martial arts. Again. has a unity problem Monistic theory. This will improve the exchange of gases to accommodate the internal change. It is the motor movement ability of the body. on no account make the mistake that the Second Course negates or surpasses the First Course. the understanding of martial arts. everyone can clearly see the differences between the First Course and the Second Course. come into being cognizant of his own noumenon motive state. FOUR SENTENCES OF THE GENERAL PROGRAMME OF THE SECOND COURSE "Producing a feeling with a fixed method" "Giving up the method after getting the feeling" "Letting the feeling follow into everything" "Personal feeling leads to complete awareness" "Producing a feeling with a fixed method" means that in order to help a student realize a sort of motive state from his body. certain concepts or rules that you try to realize while training) Actions mold student’s physique(ie. let everybody have a clearer understanding of the method to comprehend Yiquan. and is a primal and natural action. and at the same time. "Letting the feeling follow into everything" is based on realizing that everything from the movement process on up to the process of life. one cannot have one without the other. By doing this action. which course do you see now? Wise readers will come out and understandably smile. no Do (brings success or not) Passively receives teaching Actively grasp intuitively From the above analyses. Just like the two wheels of a vehicle or the two wings of a bird. one can achieve passing from teacher to student. it is therefore called a "feeling transmission. these two courses are two cognitive processes commandeered by consciousness. By this method. "Giving up the method after getting the feeling" means after gaining the feeling that was transmitted. This action exists in the human body itself. Becoming conscious of the feeling. having predetermined thoughts and having a standardized method. is taking place in the interplay between the . certain actions are used so thatyou will naturally learn to do thingsin a correct manner and they will unconsciously transfer into other training/actions) Teach student to practise martial arts Teach student the method of realizing martial arts Tell students what martial arts are and what it is like Lead students to realize what is martial arts themselves Is. He must extend the noumenon of boxing which was passed down to him with the method of "producing a feeling" to any time and any place. the student mustn’t rely on this fixed method taught by his teacher for producing the feeling." To have "a fixed method" means this action of passing from teacher to student is fixed. the teaching method of Yiquan will become much more full and complete. but please. so as to let the student wake up and clearly understand t hat martial arts is comprised of one’s true vital activities. (ie. the student lets his body come into this motive state. In the process of passing from teacher to student. It belongs to the stage of having a patterned form. By means of this distinction. Consequently.Physique training Content taught Concretely carry out Teaching form Student’s position Concepts normalize student’s physique. IV. The two courses were brought forward to help distinguish the two cognitive modes that exist within the Yiquan science itself. That would neglect the value of the First Course. Everyone should think about this. This sentence is moving and clears up the teaching process. the body is primarily the motivating state for the martial arts. the teacher sets up a fixed action. isn’t. As I have already said above. yes.
the foot is at position YYY. you not only realize how the objective world. in addition. V. or a fixed action to deal with the moving world. UNDERSTANDING THE YIQUAN JIAJIE METHOD In the teaching process of Yiquan. "the body feels like XXX." "Personal feeling leads to complete awareness" means that the highest state of understanding martial arts is achieved after one devotes oneself to it and understands the above training process. and advancing they together. If humans use a fixed reference point to view the moving world. for example: one might say. Therefore. Subjective and objective interact and fit each other in the motion process. It has manifold ways of expression. Furthermore. is. you can understand that the Second Course of Yiquan is the scientific teaching method which aims at fostering a human’s meta-cognition. They are not at all the noumenon of martial arts. and the accomplishment of the meta-cognition symbolizes the highest development of one’s cognitive ability and also is the self- realization of one’s intellectuality. We have already talked above of how the symbolic concept comes into being and the elements of its application. the state of matter in space and time is always in a process of motion. they are all the indirect reflection of the martial art noumenon using a conceptual symbol and from a specific point of view. For example.subjective and objective. "the real controlled by the artificial. Hereafter. as well as philosophical analysis. Namely. so all are artificial methods. then this would bring about unconformity between the subjective and the objective. understand and grasp actual objective things indirectly by means of conceptual symbols. "Letting the feeling follow into everything" means in the process of action (including the activity of thinking). the subjective can’t have its own action beforehand. which includes yourself. The objective world is moving matter. This is what is stated in Yiquan as:"Boxing without fixed form. and then turn them into reality in your actual life. we have another further explanation. The word "moving" means ceaseless. psychological analysis. you must keep yourself in a state of motion at any given time. mechanical analysis. . a character in the written Chinese language (or letter in the western languages) is a sort of conceptual symbol. we often come up against the cognition and training method of jiajie (using something unreal to produce real results). that is to say. no fixed form and no fixed thoughts. When one says. biological analysis. Although these ways of expression are diverse. In order to settle this problem of unconformity between the subjective and objective. chemical analysis. mind without fixed thoughts. the variety of the symbolic world will be further explained. The subjective action must change with the changes in the objective world. that is awakening to the truth. I will offer an explanation from several viewpoints." this is a metaphor of the whole state of motion during this period of time and it is also a metaphor of the thing being said. this method of cognition is called. Nothing but the moving body is the martial art itself and that is the noumenon of martial arts." Mathematics is a sort of way of expressing symbolic concepts." this is describing one’s feeling during the training process. Since man can express. Therefore. we say that symbols are artificial and that only the thing being symbolized is true. but also realize that you are able to understand the possibilities of the objective world. When one says. Now. but it has an abstract and pure expressionistic ability. First." This is expressing the position of the human body in space during a specific unit time of training. there is also mathematical analysis. You have the ability by your own actions to actively grasp these possibilities. "like XXX. By the above paraphrases of the four sentences of the general programme of the
Second Course. the subjective viewpoint and the subjective actionmust follow the motion of the objective world. "the hand is at position XXX. This memory is radically different for a real tree or great mountain. Thought is used to pull or push them. This now leads us to the famous number theory proposition (Goldbach’s conjecture) that every even number N greater than 2 is the sum of two prime numbers. one feels the weight against oneself. it brings the change of spatial position for the heavy object. This is just like the relationship between zhanzhuang and walking zhuang (i. there is stillness within movement and movement within stillness. or viper and beast of prey. The zhanzhuang ("standing like a wooden post" postures) in Yiquan. In the same way. human beings are still dissatisfied with calculus. It is said that. and as a result. However. such as imagining there is a big tree. we can see that it is the thought making use of the brain to remember this real action and visualization. However human intellectuality wants to understand the objective world and there is also the need for people to communicate with each other. our brains issue the order of movement. everybody will come into contact with the method of making use of thought. because if you say it is here. a number is originally a flow of quantitative change at the same time and space in the field of movement of matter.e. muscles have been built up and the strength of human body has been increased. In spite of this. One must realize that the object of this action is the memory. These lead to calculus and thru calculus. We know that Goldbach’s conjecture hasn’t been completely proven yet. Therefore. time and space. This abstract expression can only be held within the subjective world. regarding it as a sort of cognition method. people are not satisfied with the ossified separation of a natural number. it is already there. Let motion lead to stillness to ascertain the transitions. And the mathematical way of expression is also a model for "the real controlled by the artificial. One’s action of moving thing is achieved and the objective world has changed. postures). right in front of themselves. But we should also realize that the reality of . At the same time. decimal fractions. it can’t be regarded as entering the fortress of science. This is objective reality. Yiquan requires responding to every feeling in order to react to infinitude. resulting in a natural number. the laws of motion during a period of time can be displayed. We know in real life that if we move a heavy object or see the object with our eyes. This impresses the information on the nerves and so the muscles contract to produce strength in order to affect the heavy object. but in 1966. Within the Yiquan training process. which show the specific state of the process of the motion.Mathematics is the most scientific and high-level method of expression used by man to describe the movement relationships between objective things. hence it is the language of science. are parts of motion. and in the meanwhile. It has kinetic properties. it can’t be expressed by in a fixed way. time and space are also a flow of quantitative change. and eventually one day. Therefore. issues an order directing the muscles to work. The action is then reproduced in the brain and accordingly. when a thing can’t be expressed through mathematical language. they are indivisible from moving matter. As a flow of movement. mathematician Chen Jingrun proved the conjecture for certain large numbers. or great mountain. In the process of cognition of a number. therefore there are fractions. This action of moving a thing is factiously completed. So motion itself can’t be expressed by language. which is retained in the brain from the experience. someone will prove it for even higher numbers.
logarithms and so on. space has extensiveness. Time has continuity. There is a radical difference when comparing it to the objective world. etc." For example. The flow of numbers is factitiously chopped into sections. or manipulate them in some other fashion. so it is also a method of the real controlled by the artificial. By going through this sort of practice over and over again. the memory of the action of moving thing in the brain has been strengthened. mathematics is still an indirect method of expression. However. It forms and enhances the cumulative finalized impetus. they adopt the method of the real controlled by th e artificial. which can’t express all motions in all time and space yet. This is the true meaning of "seek the true from the unreal" which was said by Mr. all cognition methods are artificial methods. if the action is incorrect.thinking isn’t the same as that of actuality. If the action is right. By his actions. the many kinds of artificial methods are also true methods. your spontaneous vital activities and actions are just as true. one will gain the rewards of nature. It is also through this process of seeking that man achieves realization of his true self. Not every sport method. such as relaxation. When in accord. Yiquan is namely understood and taught through the method of controlling the real by means of the artificial. and not get carried away. Mr." It is this fundamental fact for a human that is a noumenon of nature when the norm of action is posed. Nature lets the superior ones win and eliminates the inferior ones in judgment over the animals. In the Yiquan teaching process. and when in discord. As for animals. we must not lose touch with reality and should ceaselessly get verification from the real. The same can be said for sports. This is to say that all laws of motion. I tell you. In the end. That is to say. However. and in the end. the ability to react will be strengthened and victory will be achieved in the sport. these series of actions are just your actual vital activities. However. Wang Xiangzhai pointed out such phenomena in the world of sports before. and others will develop in a bad direction. tension. All down throughout the process of learning Yiquan and achieving the completion of self-awareness. it is necessary to pass through each training course taught. If the method of exercise is right. TO GAIN STRENGTH AND TO BE HAPPY (FEEL WELL BEING AND CONTENTMENT) IS THE NORM OF ACTION Mr. This way it keeps progressing and developing. since the human body itself is a part of nature and the essential principle of nature is unified and harmonious. But while using this method. That is to say that a human being has an independent and free consciousness. Among the many possibilities. Each step points to this real from artificial method. you now study Yiquan. practise Yiquan. VI. "to gain strength and to be happy is an enduring principle. To sum things up. you will cruelly harm your own life. moving from relaxation to tension. directly points to the vital activities. Accordingly. It is only a sort of training method or means of training. some will develop in a good direction. adjust yourself to this motion of action. However. through practice you will make the body healthy. Xiangzhai always said. talking about this meaning. human beings. because they have a subjective consciousness. one will feel oneself gaining in strength and happiness. and understand Yiquan. Wang Xiangzhai. If the method of exercise is incorrect. and by this consciousness is able to control his own actions. Human beings exert this method of the real controlled by the artificial to realize and grasp this world. one goes on to choose from a good many possibilities. They are all artificial methods as well and when you use this sort of ability of exerting the
response activity over the actual world then it is true. In fact. which are manifested in the human body. which are offered up by nature and makes it become reality. These series of courses are all set up for students to gain the ability over reactions and control of his body. everyone who has the ability to observe and capability to analyze will discover this and realize this from life and sports practice. also have an independent spirit. one will feel very unwell and very unnatural. Whether one’s motion of action accords with the laws of nature or not. then one . An animal responds to the change of nature by instinct. and so on. one can still be conscious of it themselves through introspection. physical training and sports program will benefit all people. are the same thing as the laws of motion in nature. It is seeking to sufficiently grasp the possibility of the limitlessness of imagination. this relationship between the individual and nature is accomplished naturally. neither this way nor that way. contradiction exists everywhere. So we say that as a concept is arising in germination. Accordingly. Furthermore. then at the same time. we must use a definite standard to differentiate between two things. If we want to understand something. because any proposition has a negative proposition at the same time. hence intellectuality. is this way and is also that way. As soon as a man had consciousness. The most valuable thing is for a human being to be convinced of this. if strength and happiness are gained. we will meet many contradictory problems. not this not that. there is also something other than one. we say that a human being’s motile creativity becomes true in the range of possibility of nature. thus the production of a fundamental contradiction. so we say. a contradiction is arising along with knowledge. and with your actions change the possibilities of the objective world into reality. Our predecessors also explored this theory. Therefore. no theoretical knowledge can work out a positive solution for you in the end. in this reality. This gets to the endpoint and we can’t seek any more. once we start talking about understanding. you must confront the reality yourself and bring into play your decision. Then how to settle such a contradiction? This creates a weighty philosophical problem. What is the reason for this? It is because scientific knowledge is established on the basis of taxology. When the possibility comes true. however. and so on. In Hetu-vidya science. then one must differentiate it with other things. if we say good. there is also solid. it is a recognizable signal given to the human consciousness by nature. which means existing depends on each other. all principles come into existence of course. etc. in the end a human being wakes up to the following: use nothing other than one’s own life to confront this world and the use of action to resolve. Which is to say. we end up talking about the unity of opposites: namely this namely that. Through innumerable confrontations with this contradictory world. If we say we have one. let people wake up to the brilliance of their own transcendental wisdom. he began to have cognitive action. if we say void. therefore we cannot use a fixed standard to differentiate them. all things in true-life are contiguous and ever changing. That is to say. This was so much the case that Mr. ACTION TEACHING CLEARS UP THE CONTRADICTIONS OF UNDERSTANDING At any given time during the process of learning martial arts. However. it is called biliang (indirect). Like whether a posture is good if it is big or small. and that human beings achieve free will within this range. This is namely the effect of a human’s motile action clearing up contradictions in understanding. Immanuel Kant put forward the idea of antinomy (the law of contraries). More philosophers have pursued the
contradiction problem to the end. at the same time. This is also reflected in the basic contradiction of understanding. Every theory there is has or is a contradiction. high or low. All contradictions are all solved in this reality. telling everybody it is impossible to search after the solution of a problem by the method of reasoning. insubstantial or substantial. This is also reflected in the area of cognition. this just produce its opposite. nobody can teach you how to do something. Wang Xiangzhai called himself "The Old Man of Contradiction" during his later years. and go on to adjust their actions with their own initiative in order to be close to nature. relaxed or tensed. We know all learning needs to be able to be put into action eventually in order to solve the concrete problems of reality. then there is also bad. VII. Having said is equivalent to having not said.will draw nature’s retaliation. Videlicet. to create and to change this world is the one and only outlet. Intellectuality requires that humans should completely know and actively . Mr. in order to understand a piece of something. but can only give a dialectic and paradoxical result. which uses this to normalize human action. How is one to remember these zhaoshi and pass these zhaoshi on to others? Under this requirement. along with the development of understanding. and then there arises neijiaquan (internal martial arts). Nothing but combat science is the historical end-result of Chinese martial arts.grasp this world. First of all we must research the problem of attack and defense. The whole process assumes the cognition of selfawareness as the final endpoint. too. Yiquan states that researching and understanding martial arts must start from consciousness. human beings began the journey of illuminating the whole world by the light of their own transcendental wisdom. This namely means to understand one’s own body. Now it needs to research health preservation and jiji (skills of combat) or in other words. can’t think lightly of the response problem between ourselves and the enemy. the need for combat skills is the most pressing. All go through zhaoshi. In the process of struggle for survival in nature. these zhaoshi become more and more numerous. there naturally came the desire of how to optimize a method of understanding. zhaoshi (fixed techniques of attack or defense) were created. Then came a demand for a martial art science and so Yiquan came into being. Since that time. This is a kind of improvement as a method of comprehension. So zhaoshi is the prerequisite for knowing the opponent. MARTIAL ART SCIENCE IS A HISTORICAL END-RESULT As soon as a human being has consciousness. you have reached the level of the understanding of combat science. Consequently. know yourself. This then brings about the understanding of the functional state of one’s body. It is the beginning toward knowing the objective world. This way falls into three stages: know the objective. also know as forms or kata in Japanese) are contrived. If you want to resolve the response problem. Entrance to and advancement within every stage are all through this process: needs -> understanding-> conclusions-> advanced cognition. After learning. Afterward. by way of the zhanzhuang method to understand the laws of motion and realize the state of motion by sensing with one’s body. VIII. After the above two kinds of understanding developed. a demand arises to fully bring into play the effect of the zhaoshi. Every branch of learning is this way and the process of developing understanding in Yiquan also is no exception. how to keep the body healthy and how to protect oneself against outside aggression. Between these two things. In the end. When a human being expressly awakens to
this transcendental wisdom. It is a crystallization of the Chinese nation’s learning about life science. and is also a part of the Chinese national culture. This is a human’s transcendental wisdom. intellectuality moves forward in an inevitable way toward understanding. Zhaoshi is for solving the problem of how to respond to the opponent. These three cognitive stages organically constitute the content of martial art science. you must know the opponent in order to determine your own action. When you have this understanding. Furthermore. Pi Yajie’s theory of stages of cognitive development. and know the method of understanding. including themselves. physical performance and understanding. Taolu is the aggregate of zhaoshi. This is a common cognitive process. taolu (a series of skills and tricks. and we also can’t think lightly of the physical performance problem. what human beings meet first is the need to defend its own existence. then intellectuality also reaches its brilliant acme. Neijiaquan strives for vigour. So we say Yiquan is a martial art science (or combat science) and it is the knowledge of the method of understanding martial arts. spirit and strength. Once a greater and greater amount of zhaoshi and taolu have been created. practicing and researching martial arts for a long time. what the author found amazing is that an individual’s cognitive process of martial arts is just like a miniature of the cognitive process of martial arts for the entire human race. intrinsic energy. so we say that Yiquan. the development of metacognition (or transcendent understanding) exemplifies the maturity of development of an . this process of developing understanding accords well with Mr. Wang Xiangzhai named it the science of one’s nature and life. human health problems and the desire of humans to understand their own bodies and their pursuit to achieve selffulfillment by understanding themselves are just the directions that people are making unremitting efforts toward. February 15. all are developing according to the demands of human life. especially because the era of cold weapons has already progressed into today’s hot weapons. Engels said: "The parallel relationship between a human being’s individuality and history = the relationship between embryology and paleontology. which is namely a question of health. does the evolution of Yiquan always follow the development of combat skills? So invariably. a place of life and death. some people misunderstand and think that Yiquan only emphasizes fighting others. we can see that Yiquan is the study of essential human nature and vital activities. in its occurrence and developmental process.individual’s cognition." Here and now. A human beings’ demand for survival is the most fundamental one. YIQUAN IS THE SCIENCE OF ONE’S NATURE AND LIFE Summing up the above. This is because no matter whether we take cognition. next. or progress. there is nothing left to talk of. This is the same principle as the development of human science and technology following the development of war and weapons. IX. After resolving these two problems. So Sunzi in his "Art of War" says: "War is an event of utmost importance to a nation. what a human being must solve first is the question of combat skills. then can we refer to other problems. Han Jingyu In beautiful Zhuhai. The social meaning of combat skills using the human body has already changed. The value of Yiquan simply rests with offering a most direct way for people’s self -understanding and self-fulfillment." Therefore. These again are all in accord with the inevitability of "thing" development which is expressed by what Mr. is to let life exist normally. Why. However. The rivalry between people is the most pressing menace to human life. Once one has lost his
life. or culture. Mr. and a way of life and death — it cannot be ignored. But human intellectuality isn’t limited in this. 2001 . I have written of my own learning experience for everybody to compare and verify during the process of studying and learning martial art science in the future. ' -----------------------------------------------------------------------Producing a feeling with a fixed method Giving up the method after getting the feeling Letting the feeling follow into everything Personal feeling leads to complete awareness I. by the processes of studying and applying yiquan. The second is combat. neither is it a school of thought or a style.'THEORY OF COMBAT SCIENCE — THE SECOND COURSE OF YIQUAN' Authors: Han Jingyu. The first one is health. from an even higher state. Only when you are in good health. can . since it originated. Summed up. can you deal with another person in combat and only then can you compete victoriously. Yiquan is study of life. Yiquan is not a collection of boxing routines or fixed techniques and postures. can you live a normal life and do all the things you want to. The difference between yiquan and other martial arts can be seen from that statement. The third is the pursuit of an interesting and meaningful life. Concretely it can be divided into three aspects. This is the highest reflection of man's primordial spirit. That means. yiquan makes clear that its subject of research is the whole movement process of life of the human body. which includes both physiology and psychology. getting zest into one's life gaining knowledge of the law of the movement of life (1) of the human body. and then. This issue must be met with the principles of science and the law of the movement of life must be the subject of research. who has tacitly devoted herself to yiquan. it could be called man's pursuit of a healthy mind and body. WHAT IS YIQUAN? Yiquan. To achieve this goal. Only when you are in good health. realizing the primordial spirit in one's life.'combat science'. and these natural instinctive abilities bring one's physical and mental functions into full play. Lady Wang Qun. Han Jingsheng Translator: Timo Heikkilä ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 'This writing is sincerely dedicated to our mother. That could be called 'understanding tacitly by intuitive perception'. Only after having understood this. Thereby it is established that yiquan is a branch of science . nor can it assume as a criterion that the correctness of boxing could be judged merely by victory or defeat. has aimed at training and cultivating the practitioner by developing the natural instinctive abilities of the human body and mind as its goal. trial of force (shili) and issuing of force (fali) are used to make up most of the content of its training system. while doing zhanzhuang one feels very good and strong. I think everybody else might have realized the same too. This is the opposite of the traditional martial arts training method of movement patterns and fixed techniques. in fact . Not being clear about the fact that the subject of research of yiquan is the whole process of the movement of life. At the same time the defects of the time of the learning process being too long also exist. Yiquan has personal intuitive perception as its means and pile standing (zhanzhuang). it becomes onesided at once'. When talking about zhanzhuang. Wang Xiangzhai. Actually that is just the opposite of yiquan. so I am afraid that the possibility of someone using dozens of years for pursuing yiquan. on the basis of the yiquan that our predecessors started. take the way of learning one step forward. yet no method
non-exists'. In today's society the rhythm of life is gradually getting faster and faster. C. III. and in this way bring one's natural instinctive abilities into full play and thus reach the goal of yiquan. At present this kind of training system is widely used in the yiquan circles. concrete statements are one-sided. THE PROBLEMS THAT NEED TO BE SOLVED IN THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF YIQUAN 1. Also. the attention must be put towards the human body both in theory and in practice. D. For instance. The fundamental concept of yiquan not being understood clearly A. there is no concrete integrated training process for the student to step by step enter the highest state of 'not a single method exists. But we have gradually. noticed that in order to grasp the law of one's movement of life. At the same time yiquan starts to spread its influence towards other sports. As a result of the two above mentioned points. Merely seeking this law from an external form is not enough. a fish in the waves' etc. there are requirements on how to position the head. How could a student enter such a state? B. the waist. found out that insufficiencies can still be found in this kind of teaching method. but beyond reach. The abstract description of yiquan's final state is within sight. the neck. making it even more perfect and completing what our predecessors started. 'once something concrete is being told. thus being fully ready for combat'. in the process of practising and researching yiquan for years. II. It is a mistake to study how to beat the opponent. like we did. According to Mr. the legs.the true meaning of yiquan be considered to have been grasped. gets smaller and smaller and the difficulty of teaching yiquan gets bigger and bigger. is that maybe after ten years one still has not reached that state. but the whole shatters immediately when one starts moving freely. What was mentioned above is the reality that we cannot evade. our predecessors spoke about things such as 'a flag in the wind. mainly in the following few aspects: A. Commonly that is called 'loss of unity'. Only then can yiquan indeed be considered to have been understood. which finally causes what we call the unity problem. THE PRESENT TRAINING METHOD STILL HAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT The predecessors who developed yiquan. We can assume that in the near future it will certainly change into a treasure of the common culture of all the people in the whole world. What we have experienced ourselves. For example. When one does a singlemovement it is very solid. therefore we feel it as our duty to. etc. it takes ten years before one is able to 'issue maximum power. but the whole vanishes once one moves. Only in sports is the difference of victory and defeat between individuals used as a standard. keeping in close touch with Nature. Wang Xiangzhai said that. etc.' So does yiquan have fixed thoughts after all? Mr. this explains that within another period of time Tyson's skills were not the best ones. 'Everything said is a contradiction of a contradiction'. a publicly-owned master. In practice they do not scrupulously seek the truth. This is the only way leading to success. So is it onesided or not after all? Finally Mr.already a long time ago Mr. Wang Xiangzhai once said. Not being able to completely solve the already known contradictions From the theoretical point of view. All this is the predecessor's understanding of objective reality. Following the predecessors refers to predecessor's experiences. Therefore Mr.. so do we need to study it or not after all? Mr.' He also said. Wang summed it up by saying. that is awakening to the truth. But the everlasting and unchanging truth only lies in objective reality. Not understanding the difference between Nature and knowledge learned from others. Wang Xiangzhai once said. 'The Essential Way of
Boxing'. he also called himself 'Old Man Contradiction'. not to follow blindly. Wang told to hit like this and that. but this kind of understanding might be incorrect. We are talking about Nature.. Wang said that once something concrete is said it becomes one-sided at once. or maybe partly correct and partly incorrect. which can be the direct teachings of one's master or the knowledge gained from the books of the predecessors. the feet. which explains that within a certain period of time his skills were better than those of the other boxers. and not to echo what others say. but not its philosophical theory is the . That is called following like sheep. This requires us to have skills to observe.' That expression of learning spirit could not be any clearer. 'It is the origin of right and wrong. Today Evander Holyfield beat him up. Mr. it is even more important to respect and learn from the Nature. We have to verify their experiences in real practice. Wang once said. B. The progress in a branch of science must be examined within a wide process of practice to see whether it is positive or not. it might be correct.' Advancing in any subject must be judged by the progress in understanding the law of objective reality.' So do the numerous treatises the predecessors wrote have a fixed method or not? Mr. it is the sole noumenon (3) of knowledge. So neither their victory nor defeat can explain whether their understanding of the boxing sport is correct or incorrect. We should know that they were working hard expressing their personal understanding of the objective. Wang Xiangzhai in his book. ' I only know the difference of right and wrong in my study of boxing and ignore the sectarianism (2). He already saw clearly that the entire processes of exercise and teaching included contradictions.' Finally he said. 'Correctness of boxing cannot be judged merely by victory or defeat.' In this statement he brought up that one should not follow the predecessors blindly. This resembles Mike Tyson having knocked many opponents down yesterday. So we say that. but follow what others do and echo what others say. What is researched scientifically is the law of movement of nature. and brought up this problem saying: 'To study boxing. 'Boxing without fixed form. There is only one law of nature. Mr. But in another article he told how to position the head. including what our direct teachers have said and what the predecessors have written. but that is not a school of thought. but in the end he said again that a clever person does not need to study that. no fixed form and no fixed thoughts.. think and perceive independently. wrote about the reasons why many boxing practitioners mistakenly enter the wrong path: 'Mostly their teacher teaches badly. causes following blindly. 'Only the objective truth is universally sacred. 2. The scientific attributes of yiquan not being understood clearly. although one has to learn from one's teacher. 'Boxing has no fixed method at all. mind without fixed thoughts. the waist. C. actually is a way of discussing how a person can attain the highest state of yiquan. Because Mr. Then by means of a concept.e. the unity problem appears in the process of practice. Wang has said that everything comes from zhanzhuang. We call them concepts. Wang spoke about. It does not matter how it is obtained and expressed. THINKING. it becomes one-sided at once. Above we have already spoken about the contradictions in the theory and training. which is the commonly used method of knowing and expressing. 'Once something concrete is being told.in theory and practice from a philosophical level.' This points out the importance of solving the contradictions of theory and practice from a philosophical level. thinking that yiquan is zhanzhuang. they stand like dead piles. pile standing dies away (4). The original
training system is divided into three phases: zhanzhuang. fali. a conclusion is made and then expressed by means of spoken and written languages. great many people have misunderstood. But how to solve them remained an issue for us in the later generations. Wang said. zhanzhuang being its core. This will be discussed in the later chapters. it is also exactly the main problem this writing wants to solve. and the question of methodness (5) and methodlessness (6) is about discussing how a person who has already reached this state could express his perception to lead others to step into the same excellent state. Because formal logic would not exist without its strictness and thoroughness. which they think is the inevitable outcome of objective reality. without being aware of it. Yiquan's true meaning has been absolutely destroyed. The student must understand this truth. The unity problem As a result of not having solved the main problem .' This is what it means. which then form the images of the objective things in the brain. AND EXPRESSING YIQUAN'S CONTENT The question of having a fixed form or not discussed above. the concept is used as the basic component in every case. Here only obtaining it matters. We know that all kinds of knowledge possessed by people is made of subjective personally sensed feelings of objective things. shili. Because of not seeing the limits of the formal logic in understanding and expressing the content of yiquan. eventually nothing succeeds. in a certain way.the contradictions . entered the category of formal logic. THE LIMITS OF FORMAL LOGIC IN UNDERSTANDING. Here we have already. etc. the difference between objective reality and one's knowledge gets bigger and bigger and finally . makes them mistakenly think that the concept is the complete reflection of the objective thing. Finally what was expressed by the concept cannot be anything but the objective truth to them.back to life? This is what is currently called 'the unity problem'. But how could we bring the achievements of all the different parts of the training . . etc.same as embracing a stone egg in a hope that it will hatch a chick. That means complete dismemberment of yiquan. So Mr. IV. shili. so the inertia created by people by regularly doing certain things. so here you will surely ask me: Does what you are talking here have a fixed method or not? Does the training system you recommend have a fixed form or not? How do you express methodlessness? How do you exercise formlessness? This is exactly the contradiction of a contradiction Mr.i. Thus the concept gained in the brain is passed on to another person in the form of the conclusion. and fali. zhanzhuang. legs. not how you obtain it. So some people jokingly say: the dead-like people do pile standing. waist. that in the process of zhanzhuang a student is required to position his head. and they go on to make a conclusion about it by means of the concept. 3. shape. he has to gather the information together in his brain. temperature. You answer that it is sour. let us take one specific pear as an example. or as sour as vinegar. understanding and expressing its feeling with a concept is also very difficult. is it possible to pass our experience to another person using a concept? The following story can answer this question. Why do we call it general impression? That is because there is still much information that has not been received. Maybe there is also much other information that we are incapable to sense. This resembles our eyes. you cannot at once pass on the whole general information of the pear to another person. etc. only after that can he get the general impression of this pear. and was told by the .' The blind man still did not understand. it becomes one-sided at once' and afterwards this creates what is called the unity problem. weight. that
gives birth to the perception of distance. This sense of distance is a result of the whole being in possession and integrated. you have just eaten a grape and another person asks you what it tastes like. Everybody knows that actually every kind of sourness is different. An experience must precede a concept In the process of teaching yiquan. but it cannot reflect the whole condition We know that the objective things consist of many kinds of information.there is no way to grasp the true meaning of yiquan. is it sour like an apricot or sour like a plum. What is called one by one means that within one unit of time you can represent this pear only from one aspect and one point of view. but he himself did not know what was white. therefore he asked again: 'what kind of colour is it?' The clear-sighted man told him again: 'it is white like a white swan. flavour. That means. Because yiquan is a kind of understanding of the human body's whole process of life. so the other person asks you again what kind of sourness it is. 2. so he went to ask a clear-sighted man. reflecting the objective reality of the grape by the means of the concept of sour is very difficult. so he went on asking what kind of white is the whiteness of a white swan. when the two eyes work together. it cannot be expressed by the parts. 3. the sourness of this grape can only be its own taste. The clear-sighted man answered him right away: 'white is one kind of a colour'. we can only go through the concept describing it one by one. the whole includes the content of every part and it also expresses the synthesis of the content. because there is a difference between the concept and reality. therefore it is said that 'once something concrete is being told. This concept of 'sour' cannot express the sourness of this grape. Below we will explain this problem from several aspects. the blind person still did not understand. For example. When we want to tell other people what this pear is like. The summation of this information expresses this pear's existence. colour. A concept can only describe a single aspect of something. it cannot be expressed and understood part by part. it can only tell that it belongs to the category of sourness. The difference between a concept and reality First of all we have to check whether a concept can perfectly reflect objective reality. Naturally it is not like any of those. After the other person has one by one got the information. the information it is made of includes size. because the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. they both are capable of perceiving form and colour. The same applies to yiquan. 1. smell. There was a blind man who had always heard other people saying: how white is this and that. 'is'. But we want to explain boxing.. Deducing from the preceding thing leads to a conclusion. time and space have no limits. we want to talk about boxing. If you do not obey the logical laws you cannot advance. Mr. The difficulty in explaining a concept When we do not understand one concept. And if the logic is not strict. This also tells us that judging something by the means of a concept just using the simple method of formal logic to prove one truth is impossible. the existence of the world has no reason. he can keep on asking no matter how carefully you explain.. that is what it means. Wang also said. . This story tells us that the things expressed by a concept must be passed on using facts both parties have experienced. When I say 'white' you know what it means right away. 2. 4. Time and space have limits. can you understand the meaning that the concept of 'white' expresses. The flaws of contemplating and demonstrating something using a concept We know that when we ponder something and when we want to pass on the knowledge of something to
another person. everything in the world is complex and indivisible. Only because of that. But there is a German philosopher who came up with a philosophical proposition . Then one kind of commonly agreed symbol is used to express this kind of common feeling. and 'plant'. Here we have understood that the most basic concept of any science is certainly created by the means of a direct feeling of this process of movement. because there is no need to explain boxing to those who have already understood it. Everything in the world is composed of single divisible parts. What does that mean? That means if someone does not understand the concept of 'vegetable'.clear-sighted person that it is white like the white clouds. Immanuel Kant pointed out... But the students have not experienced the understanding of boxing. and even more importantly they understood the universal existence of a contradiction.. we have to strictly obey the laws of logic.the Law of Contradiction. so one can go on asking. it is obtained by the means of direct feeling from nature. 5. Later many others took the theory a step further proving that not only the four things Mr. you cannot but make a mistaken conclusion. and have had the same feeling as I did. Ultimately the blind person did not understand. That is because before I said it. then he adduced four ways to prove it: 1. 'edible'. deducing from one thing leads to another thing. think a little... So we should not think that just going through one argument confirms . The blind person did not understand and asked him what kind of white is the whiteness of the white clouds. what is 'is'. you explain: it is an edible plant. He revealed that there is a contradiction in judging and knowing objective things using formal logic.. by the means of strict formal logical reasoning can lead to two opposite conclusions without violating the laws of logic at all. what is. This fact already makes us deeply trust and not suspect. 4. but also all other things belong to the Law of Contradiction. it needs to be explained to us by another person. 3. we want to tell the people who do not understand boxing what it is. what is 'it'. The existence of the world has a reason. where does the first concept already known come from? It is definitely not created by an explanation. So after you have explained again. 'One cannot talk about something one has not experienced'. Here appear the five concepts of 'it'. so everybody. but how to explain a concept? One must put it among many other concepts. therefore it is impossible to explain them what boxing is using a concept. you have already seen white things with your own eyes. the clear sighted man answered. He found out that the same concept. so you cannot pass on the idea you want to express. 'an'. This example tells us: already known concepts must be used to explain unknown concepts. But where does the universally accepted truth come from? Universally accepted truth cannot be gained by the means of reasoning. it says that one year there was a solar eclipse. After a while the historiographer still had not found out a suitable way to express it. i. So yiquan emphasizes that 'one should not leave one's body'. unite the concept and the action in your own body. after reading the notes. After all. solar eclipse and a moon on the wane both lack one piece. in low spirits. thought it over and over again. We also know that reasoning must start with correct premise. was not satisfied with the description of the degree of the solar eclipse. Originally it can be eaten. So using something often seen here which everybody already has an idea of to express something seldom seen allows one to get an indirect feeling right away. So the origin of genuine knowledge is in peoples daily practical activities and in the direct perception of the objective reality. 1. it means that one's body is the
subject of research. and thereby reality and concept are united. In this process the conclusion is not new knowledge. That means you must by yourself go forward to directly feel this objective reality. and 2. a fruit is edible -> an apple is a fruit -> an apple is edible. Similarly we run into this difficult problem . His son noticed that he was worried so he asked why. 7. neither should we think that everything can by negated just by the means of the opposite statement. it is already included in the major premise. its movement process is one kind of objective reality. Actually it is not. How come it was like that? Because the sun and the moon are of resembling natures that can be compared. He told the historiographer to express it more accurately. this premise is called universally accepted truth and the theorem is deduced from it. This genuine knowledge is one kind of real existence in itself. even less should we stick to theoretically discussing the concept. it has emerged in the practical activities that people do again and again.everything. he gave his notes to the emperor. 6. The emperor. They are both round. This is the value of using illustrating substance. Therefore the historiographer. to pull is exactly to pull. but the moon is full and on the wane every month and thus can often be seen. That means the small concept of an apple is included in the overall concept of a fruit. to believe that the judgement gained by the means of reasoning is new knowledge. Reasoning cannot lead to new knowledge In real life we often use the method of logical reasoning to obtain a conclusion and knowledge of a concrete thing. and after the solar eclipse the emperor ordered a historiographer to record this incident. it is also subjective knowledge of objective. The necessity and indirectness of expressing something with illustrative substance There is an old story. Let us first take a look at what is the normal form of reasoning: major premise -> minor premise -> conclusion. who was more than satisfied with the new report. Solar eclipse's degree cannot be directly measured. After the historiographer had finished. everybody already has the general idea of it. For example. The historiographer understood immediately and used this way to express the solar eclipse's degree when reporting to the emperor. It also tells us: to push is exactly to push. so by the means of reasoning no new knowledge is obtained. In the process of often using this kind of method it is very easy to make a mistake. and thereby gain genuine knowledge. After hearing the reason he suddenly got an idea and told his father that the degree of yesterday's solar eclipse was like the crescent of the eighth day of every lunar month. how high is the degree of a solar eclipse? You cannot go to measure its degree. It is what everybody universally accepts as one kind of perception of objective reality.e. and then he tells the second student to turn around and passes this action on to the second student (he is not allowed to talk). The moon and the sun in the end certainly are not the same thing. monkey. then the teacher tells the first student to turn around and does the action of frying food. This is what the Chinese idiom 'having found the moon. to solve it. should we not constantly confirm from reality. This student looks carefully. that is. they surely could not have gone out of shape. So think about our yiquan. forget the finger' means. green light = go'. As a result we see that this action of frying food in the process of being passed from student to student will gradually go out of shape. Wang Xiangzhai also stressed: 'Do not stick to studying from your teacher only. 9. This kind of getting lost starts to pile up and as a result it is impossible to express the original thing. never let it go out of shape.
Thus here we took a step forward and understood the method of understanding yiquan. That resembles when you say 'red light = stop. for the sake of telling somebody where the moon is. or manner of yiquan. 8. It does not say that the value of the concept could be negated even though it has this kind of contradiction. Still in the end. using another method is also fine. the way of using parables is just using a concrete thing to express something behind it.' The study of yiquan is researching and studying the life of the human body. and having got to the last student the appearance is already totally wrong. and the mountains etc. The consequences of breaking away from reality A few years ago I saw a TV program called 'Going Out of Shape'. Here everybody must understand that the illustrating substance and reality have differences. Nature refers to the objective reality of nature itself. and we also introduce many parables like dragon. Like this it is passed on from student to student. Of course one will first see the finger and then in the same direction as the finger. just a tool. including me in writing this article. Although this is just a game. nothing more. forget the words. Everybody knows that it is a traffic rule and if it would not be obeyed. So here the location of the contradiction must be emphasized. should we study from the predecessors or study from Nature? What the predecessors refer to is the master or a writing left by him. That means. one sees the moon. Mr. we can by means of the experience . Some things can be expressed by a concept and some can not. state. In daily life we unceasingly use concepts as tools to express thoughts. that can only be achieved by means of 'understanding tacitly by intuitive perception'. The content of it was: ten students stand on the stage side by side. it still shows information gradually getting lost in the process of passing it on. use the finger to point to the right direction in the sky. We all have one body. tiger. The ancients also have a description for this phenomenon. They are all used so that one could feel and realize one's movement of life and personally completely understand its law. the roads might turn into chaos. After you have found the moon there is no use for the finger anymore. To express yiquan both kinds of these things are required. I think if they had had a frying pan while appearing on the stage.when expressing the feeling. so that everybody would pay attention to the limits inherent in the method of formal logic when it is used to solve the actual problems in yiquan. Therefore we have to be convinced that while the parable method is also good. constantly having a real thing toconfirm from. Here the finger is just one kind of a method. Knowing the limits of a concept The focal point of the last few chapters were the limits of the actual application of the concept method. backs towards the audience. the sea. It can be regarded as 'the finger pointing to the moon'. Having understood the meaning. Mr. it just requires a solution to the problem of how to practise so that the boxing skills may enter everyone's body. a gate called the 'awakening'. while the road of transcendental wisdom only has a beginning. The road of knowledge is a territory of methodness. it can be explained by physics. as well as the work that we have to do. In the end one achieves the state of syncretism of the subjective and the objective. Wang Xiangzhai said about yiquan that. Maybe there are still many unsaid ingredients. nothing more. vitamin. This is also the reason why Mr. Wang said: 'One should not leave one's body. it can be explained using any science. 'Boxing has no fixed method at all. Thereby our knowledge and understanding of yiquan will never go out of shape. I can tell you how many per cents of it consist of water. A plain
explanation of yiquan is not enough. The road of knowledge has a beginning and an end.' You have also used much space to explain the limits of using a method to learn yiquan. The territory of methodness is called 'the territory of the intellect' in philosophy. So when training yiquan you must earnestly practise it by yourself. salt. As to the specific research target of the movement of life of the human body. A KEY TO OPEN THE GATE OF 'AWAKENING' TO YIQUAN We know that the whole theory is for solving problems in practice. It is a state that cannot be expressed by the . as well as mathematics. V. yiquan must be perceived by intuition Today when science flourishes. biology. but no end. they all are objective and correct. The purpose of studying yiquan is to let every student to grasp the law of one's movement of life and thus gain healthy body and mind. this road is divided into two parts. Studying boxing requires people to be able to understand this law of movement from the movement of one's own body. one obtains realization from one's inmost. chemistry.gained from our own body. Please allow us to use formal language to explain: the process of studying yiquan could be compared to a road. all of its branches have developed to different extent. from awareness starts the way towards the syncretism of the subjective and the objective. That is like if I would want to tell you a specific pear's flavour. only then can you really understand it. but one must understand that they only explain the theory. to realize the natural primordial spirit and to enjoy a happy life. the road of transcendental wisdom is the territory of methodlessness. so do you now want to tell us again that there is a method that is not a method? Is this not very contradictory to you? Therefore here it is necessary to elaborate a little the relationship of methodness and methodlessness. All that knowledge and all these explanations are correct. grasp the law of movement of objective reality. There is a gate between them. the first part is called knowledge and the latter part is called transcendental wisdom. At the same time this law gains evidence for itself in one's body. The territory of methodlessness is called 'the territory of something that goes beyond the intellect' in philosophy. Entering methodlessness from methodness Here everybody certainly might have a few questions in his or her mind. etc. It is a state in which the method of concepts can be used to express something. You must taste it by yourself to know what it tastes like. 1. but by means of this knowledge you will never know what that pear tastes like. so there are even more tools for us to know the world. a picture of a cake cannot allay one's hunger. sugar. The starting point inside the gate of 'awakening' is awareness. protein. Theory can be explained. So it does not require a more advanced explanation. go to test it by yourself.' 10. 3. gain more transcendental wisdom. their knowledge getting greater and greater all the time and their method getting more and more complex. Finally by the means of the perceptions of the previous three stages. On this road everything can be explained. This objective reality is the subject of research. because once something is said. to build a connection between them. so one cannot peek out to see what the area of methodlessness is like. nothing is contrary to what has been gained this way. This is a common juncture and what we have to do now is to help you to go through the last part of the road of methodness by giving the key to open the gate of 'awakening' into your own hand so that you can open it by yourself and enter the state of methodlessness. Finally when one arrives at the gate of 'awakening'. At this point some people stay at the gate without being able to continue going forward.
Becoming aware points to personal intuitive perception. The use of the 'feeling' . In the process of advancing the knowledge gradually piles up and increases. to feel the difference between them. it can only be approached gradually by the road of transcendental wisdom. One cannot know the Way. So what do we want to feel after all? We say that the first step is feeling objective reality with one's spirit and senses. so one cannot talk about syncretism of the subjective and the objective. People start from ignorance and due to the ignorance the teacher tells them the knowledge of all kinds of methods. but the methods within the area of methodness cannot open the gate of 'awakening'. The second step is feeling the meaning of certain concepts. that is having a method. because the road has a method. it is your own body's process of movement. 'Feeling' is the key to open the gate of 'awakening' Feeling is sensing and thus becoming aware. there is no way to advance because one has not experienced what is behind the gate. and push forward towards the direction of the syncretism of the subjective and the objective. As a result of this. feel the primordial spirit in one's own life. so this 'feeling' can be called the source of all knowledge. from an even higher level. So the process of studying boxing. Sensing points to the impulses of information received by human body's sensory organs. Therefore 'feeling' is where the core of studying yiquan is. While advancing on this road it is possible to run into this juncture (i. receive the taste of awareness. means entering awareness from ignorance and then going on towards the syncretism of the objective and the subjective. Some people suddenly start to hesitate and go back to the starting point of ignorance. The third step is feeling the comparative relation between the concept and the reality. One has come from the road of methodness so all the knowledge one has remains within the state of methodness.method of concepts. 2. One must feel the state of movement of one's body and spirit. the gate of 'awakening') in every process.e. entering the area of methodlessness gets even more difficult. Some people search for a method in the state of methodness over and over again. Those people who have already entered this area cannot come back to help the others to advance one step forward. and in fact any studies. Yiquan wants to perceive skill by intuition. because you are still in the territory of methodness. so you must understand the meanings of the concepts told by the teacher. In order to perceive the skill of boxing by intuition one must obtain this 'feeling'. so it is impossible to use a concept to pass information about it. that is the subjective knowledge of the objective. All concepts and knowledge possessed by the humankind come from this origin. because the knowledge of the territory of methodness where one finds oneself differs from objective reality. it is not the state they have achieved. not to disconnect them. sitting.We already know that the core of yiquan is 'feeling' and the perception of one's movement of life is achieved from this 'feeling'. all come to harmony. unconsciously. that is awakening to the truth' and personally clearly realize and grasp the primordial spirit in your life. After you have gained the 'feeling' stop using the fixed method at once. a change in the training system of yiquan is given birth to. In the yiquan circles that is called 'a state of never practising and never not practising. Producing a feeling with a fixed method. Until now. every boxing method and theory. the past unclear points immediately vanish and become obvious in one's heart. we have already passed through the gate of 'awakening' and entered the territory of methodlessness: the light of transcendental wisdom gradually appears. in
the process of unceasingly applying the feeling to everything. standing. all actions return to the original purity and simplicity. THE REFORM OF YIQUAN'S TRAINING SYSTEM As a result of the new knowledge of the theory and practice of yiquan. Personally one has already realized the primordial spirit in one's life. By going through the above mentioned four processes of using 'feeling'. B. First of all you need to know that what Mr. With the above mentioned methods you have already gained a perception of one state of the movement of life. yet no method non-exists. he will feel something. Thus one gradually becomes conscious of oneself. and reclining'. C. This kind of feeling is one kind of self-awareness. This refers to personally. the method has been to break the entire process of movement down into several representative points and then let the student to know his state of movement by . all reactions become natural. it remains in walking. a state that cannot be sought from external form and it cannot be passed on by means of a concept either. and therefore gain one kind of 'feeling'. just reserve this 'feeling'. VI. use it everywhere. Personal feeling leads to complete awareness. Letting the feeling follow into everything. Giving up the method after getting the feeling. Here the four concrete ways to use the 'feeling' in the teaching process are explained: Producing a feeling with a fixed method Giving up the method after getting the feeling Letting the feeling follow into everything Personal feeling leads to complete awareness A. mind without fixed thought. how all kinds of knowledge is gradually dropped while. all the time. D. the fixed method he used for it is just like the finger pointing to the moon mentioned in the previous chapters. The goal of yiquan is to let the student to grasp his state of movement of life. no fixed form and no fixed though. Wang Xiangzhai did was passing on one kind of 'feeling'. we can realize how all methods are gradually being brushed off from the body. while the student enters a certain state of this movement by using a fixed method. To let the student feel this state right away. you need to actively go to grasp it. Let the student enter this kind of state by doing the movement and then affirm this kind of feeling. you should first find the original and simplest shape of movement of this kind of state then teach him a movement that has this shape. not a single method exists. Enter the state of 'boxing without fixed form. From now on one can ceaselessly go ahead towards the syncretism of the subjective and the objective. feeling that one has a free will and the ability to react instinctively to the world outside one's body. Here the one who understands yiquan is the student himself and the subject of research is one's own body. such as push. the student naturally enters and completely realizes the primordial spirit in one's life. that is practising the use of the power and finding out how it affects an object. So the first stage is to coach the student to feel relaxation. That can concretely be divided into three processes. method and steps of a certain exercise. After the student has understood one concept. going towards the syncretism of the subjective and the objective with maximum speed. using many directions. At the same time. shili and fali. this power must be transmitted into the whole movement process and tried in every way. then practise it over and over. The content of training is exploring both directions. VII. it may be said that the old training system is an integral process. make it emerge into a natural way of doing things. which settles the contradictions in theory and practice. Looking their appearance they seem immobile. That means that both the theory and the practice effectively guard against going from theory to the mistaken
theories. that is. in a nonmoving shape. etc. This is the true meaning of 'zhanzhuang causes stillness to become movement'. In this way the entire sensing and consciousness stay within one's body and it is easier to reduce the difference between knowledge and objective reality. approach what is called 'endless movement'. explain the goal. Having had this intuitive perception and having grasped this state of body. Thus emerged a dialectical unity of two contraries. after the simulated training processes of the previous states. from movement to stillness and from stillness to movement. knowing that the theory and the practice have melted into one.. Using mathematical language to express the above. then let the student to get this feeling by this exercise. Finally comes the issuing of the power. that we call piles (zhuang). Therefore within one pile. By the means of the above three phases. naturally shape the finest body and movements. These points are split seconds of the movement process. The second stage is to ask the student to attempt to freely extend the already gained feeling in the three dimensional space to any angle and direction. while the new current training system is based on this integral process together with a differential process. let the student feel the moving potential of this power towards any direction from static points. We know that man's state of movement can be divided into three basic states: A 'relaxed'. Now due to knowing that the subject of research in yiquan is the state of movement of the whole body. first of all. C 'relaxed -> tense. B 'tense'. explain one principle. intuitively perceive its moving potential. actually their target is to let student. lift up. tense -> relaxed (the interaction of relaxation and tension)'. press down. SOME EXAMPLES Now. what the preamble . These two mutually contrary processes are grasped as a whole at the same time. In the third phase. Trying the power (shili) is a movement process of the points in a line.intuitively perceiving these points one by one. the subject and the object of learning become one. In this training process theory and practice melt into one. comes actual combat. so the theory guides the practise and the practise proves the theory. feel tension and feel the change between relaxation and tension. Thus emerged the training system of zhanzhuang. so from the beginning the aim is to learn the basic state of movement of the body and mind directly from the whole body. pull. After having accomplished the intuitive perception of the points and having this kind of movement ability and having reached what is called having gained power. Realize the freedom of body's and mind's ability to react to the changes of the objective environment and in the process of reacting to the outside. This is how being relaxed looks like to the outside. standing. you must feel the real feeling by yourself in the process of this movement. only after that can they do other thought activities. like pendulums. this is not the reality. the shoulder joints are as if dislocated. obtain the feeling of 'relaxed'. Now everybody should give a try to my method. Practising over and over. pass this 'feeling' on to your body. using reality to verify the feasibility of the theory.e. imprint it into the whole body. Naturally we are not able to make the audience understand the intent at once. no matter what kind of postures are taught at the same time. With this method. this is the principle of theory and practice having melted into one. After trying.' So the meaning of what I am telling now is to let everybody drop the methods of ten years and enter the naturalness at once. he can feel if your forearm is hanging loosely and if after letting it free. the beginners need to relax. becoming pure and real.
everywhere and all the time. The third step is to 'let the feeling follow into everything'. both hands naturally hanging down. it falls down at once. and they are like two thick loose ropes. When you can achieve that. dropping freely and naturally. then this 'relaxation' must be present in your whole body. Now the already relaxed arms can resemble the two pendulums of a rattle-drum.e. the relaxed condition should remain in walking. the arms have no power at all. then sway the body left and right.' These words tell us that relaxation is the foundation of studying boxing. what is emphasized. it has no use so you must stop doing it. We call this 'passing on by body feeling'. Mr. . This is exactly what Mr. the feeling of 'relaxed' is passed on to your body. i.has spoken about is still a 'method'. perceive the feeling of 'relaxed' by intuition. Wang Xiangzhai once said: 'No matter what you do. that means you have to use one kind of a concrete exercise to let the student to enter the state of 'relaxed'. put the pure and real into practice. On the basis of what I said before. sitting. give you a personal intuitive perception. by words. Wang has said: 'This kind of relaxed movements can be used as the basic thought activities of pile standing work (zhanzhuanggong). Practising this movement is to give you a feeling. the first step is 'producing a feeling with a fixed method'. The examples above are just to express the intent of this method. After you have gained the feeling of 'relaxation' you have to practise the skill of entering the 'relaxed' state by yourself. achieve the state of never not being relaxed. then bend the waist 45 degrees forward. if looking back at all the methods done for ten years. then turn the body left and right around its central axis. try standing naturally both hands hanging down on the sides of the body. they are not listed here one by one. apply it to everything. but that is not a shape. drop them without hesitation. that means having gained the feeling of 'relaxation'. you can also use this kind of method to teach some students. experience it in your own body. Pay attention to the fact that I am explaining it here by writing. let both arms sway too. you can see they are all worthless. But you must not keep doing the movement I taught you indefinitely. you have to 'give up the method after getting the feeling'. Please follow me and try: stand naturally. it is all natural. so here we have to use certain exercises to create a 'feeling' for every one. then the feeling of 'relaxation' must be passed on to the whole body. and reclining. Regardless of what kind of posture is adapted. i. flapping the body in the back and front. Here. and understand the concept of 'relaxed'. it may become clear to your mind what it is after all. is the body's condition of 'relaxation'. after having completed this task. Finally examine yourself. Here you can feel it at once. you have already understood what being 'relaxed' means. That explains that. Now it can be said that you have already grasped the bodily condition of 'relaxed'. Now you can ask another person to try to lift your forearm. only then can you know the real meaning of what I am saying. that is. other contents of training can also be reasoned by analogy. which made the learning to take a long period of ten years. it does not matter whether these three processes are processes of body's movement or processes of thinking. have had this kind of perception. there were still some insufficiencies in the training method. hoping that both theory and practice can give a concrete and logical solution. Then. thus requiring us to understand again the method of understanding yiquan. That means. can one better deal with the ever-changing objective reality. From inmost we feel one kind of a joy of life. Secondly. Although
already very simple and practical. IX. and the old three punches (laosanquan). thereby unceasing movement forward emerges and contradiction is just an internal power within the movement. actually try it. he took the study of boxing a step forward. on the basis of already understanding the objective. was made of five ways to punch (wuxingquan). it still falls into the category of a fixed method. thirdly understand the way of understanding. After Mr. he had not illustrated the inevitability of these contradictions either. the process is unceasingly confirmed and at the same time negated. thereby it is called the second course of yiquan. If it will. all boxing forms have the opponent as the target of research. twelve forms (shi'erxing). but take it in the light of neutral information. do not just take it as accurate right away and do not declare it to be wrong right away either. We feel the process of development of the knowledge and undertanding of yiquan in a lively way reflects philosophy's dialectical rays of wisdom. with your own body. This writing is exactly the result of working hard on this aspect. To sum up. THE PURPOSE OF THE SECOND COURSE OF YIQUAN Before yiquan originated. We have this kind of perspective and say it out to let everybody know. all kind of boxing styles consisted of fixed forms. in other words they study how to beat the opponent and how not to get beaten by one.VIII. All of them are kinds of movement processes for developing total knowledge and understanding of the movement. advancing to understanding tacitly by intuitive perception. in the process of studying yiquan. which of course means intuitively perceiving one's own state. gain the understanding of this information by feeling it with your own body. we. as time goes on. we can feel extremely gratified. firstly understand the objective. This process of developing the understanding of yiquan is in complete accord with the general understanding law of the humankind. but had not yet found a way to solve them. and changed it into researching oneself. be of any help to the people undertaking yiquan. in the longterm process of practice in the future. for example the predecessor of yiquan. EPILOGUE The above was just our point of view. we hope the reader can 'read it with devotion' with the attitude of 'moral neutrality'. This means already knowing that only by completely grasping the state of one's body. From a philosophical point of view. Wang Xiangzhai founded yiquan. xingyiquan. Generally speaking. That means they all study objective things. secondly understand yourself. Although he made sure of the goal. . he found the contradictions existing in theory and practice. The changes of the objective are responded to with one's whole spirit (7). That is. he had superhuman perspicacity. Having a fixed method. (3) Noumenon: The thing in itself. (6) Methodlessness. starting from the birth and lasting until the death. (4) This refers to people who stand in fixed and ridig postures just doing what their teacher tells them to do without understanding why.Zhuhai City. Han Jingsheng ----------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Movement of life: The non-stopping movement of one's body and mind. not excluding the spirit. Having no fixed and rigid method. . 1997. but a 'lively' one. (7) This refers to using one's all capabilities. November 27th Han Jingyu. (2) Sectarianism: Division into different styles (of martial arts). body. and mind. (5) Methodness.
