BREATH IN THE YI QUAN

The role of breathing is important. We consider that we should not be too interested in starting the
practice, because the beginner has an uncomfortable breathing.
Its concentration and relaxation are not acquired, so the air is concentrated in the upper lungs.

During the postural work of the six directions, the sketch of a smile will help to induce a relaxation of the
muscles of the neck, shoulders, chest and intercostals then those of the belly and the abdomen. The
diaphragm then lowers more and more and allows better ventilation.

Gradually, the breathing becomes low at the level of Dan-Tien or "cinnabar field" with the contribution of
the pelvis that tilts inwards.
The breathing is said to be normal in Yi Quan when one inflates the belly to breathe. At this level of
practice, ventral breathing naturally accompanies all movements.
It does not interfere when speaking or when delivering or receiving a blow.
HISTORY OF KUNG FU

FOUR PERIODS IN THE HISTORY OF KUNG FU :

1) From antiquity to the 12th century :

This first period, very long, goes from Chinese antiquity until the 12th century. It is a period
when Wushu follows an anarchistic and spontaneous evolution.
General Yue Fei

2) 12th to 18th century

From 12th to 17th century, Kung Fu exists by the practice with the monastery of Shaolin.

During the 12th century, the General Yue Fei creates the Xingyiquan. At the time, it develops
especially the art of the spear.

The men who then practised the martial arts in China were often warriors, or generals. The
practice was intended to improve resistance and endurance of the body for better fighting. The
gymnic and connected superfluous movements did not exist. The meditation and slow work
were the base of an astonishing body health, twinned with a frightening effectiveness.

The 17th century constitutes the crucial and tragic turn of Kung Fu. Under the emperor Kang Xi
(1662-1722), of the dynasty of Qing, the connected movements appear, the equivalent of
current Tao-Lu. Their purpose are to mask the true practice of Wushu to the eyes of the
authorities and also to enrich some professionals who benefit from the ignorance of the mass
about the practise. It is during this same period that the intellectuals of the Court, often
not-practising, separate Wushu in ​"external" and "internal"​.
3) 18th century to 1949

The third period goes from the end of the 18th century to 1949. The " art of the Chinese fist " is
pulled about between the tendency started previously, the series of connected movements, and
the evolution of the large practise, laic experts of Xingyiquan, Baguaquan and Taijiquan.

Others try to back up all that practice of the monastery of Shaolin, place where apparently the
monks jealously keep old techniques which have nothing to do with Tao-Lu.

4) From 1949 until now

The fourth period extends from the advent of the People's Republic of China in 1949 until now.
Kung Fu must serve the people and the State. Modern and gymnic Wushu appears, which
practically cuts all the bridges with the formerly practice. Some experts resist this beachcomber
vague, others leave the country.

HISTORY OF YI QUAN

ROOTS OF YI QUAN :

During centuries, the art of Kung Fu remains the same and it is only in the middle of the 19th century that
it changes under the impulse of Kuo Yun Seng.

Kuo Yun Seng was called " the Divine Palm ", and he was the greatest expert of his time in Xing Yi Quan
(the boxing of the unit of the body and the thought : Xing = form, Yi = will, thought, Quan = fist, boxing, or
in its original significance " to do instantaneously what the heart decides ").
He insists on the postures and simplifies the form of the Tao Lu, then transmits his art to Wang Xian Zhaï,
his preferred disciple.

HISTORY OF MASTER WANG XIAN ZHAÏ, CREATOR OF YI QUAN :

Master Wang Xian Zhaï

1885 :

Master Wang Xian Zhaï was born in 1885 in the Hebei province.

At the end of the 19th century, in China, Master Wang Xian Zhai had observed that the Chinese society
changed. The profit, base of a modern mode of production, revolutionized the relationship between the
men. The martial arts, component of this same society, had them also tendency to lose their essence.
The practice of the fast movements, therefore badly controlled, the exaggeration of the importance of the
muscular force and hardening with excess of the body, often with a conclusive aim, characterized the
majority of the practise. He then decided to return to the sources of Kung Fu, at a time when one could
control " the movements of the immobility ", immobility which is the " mother " of any movement.

1913 :

In 1913 he was engaged as instructor with the army.

1918 :

In 1918 he crosses China from North to the South, he observes and learns the essence of other styles
which include techniques of fists and legs. He also makes a stay at the monastery of Shaolin where he is
involved in particular with the higher bonze, expert in Xin Yi Quan. (Xin = the heart)

This assiduous study helps him to discover what he seeks : control of the speed and the force by the
concentration, the relaxation, and the slow movement, thus restoring a true return to the sources of art.
Until the 12th century indeed, the practice of Kung Fu passed by the mobilization of the thought, the
control of the posture and the slow movement, to reach the explosive force. The method used named
Zhan Zhuang, which means " to remain upright such as a tree or a pile ".

The two experts find themselves perfectly in their mutual search. They share their techniques to
supplement their work.

1925 :

In 1925, Master Wang Xian Zhai declares that " the practise in general neglect the importance of the
thought in the movement ". He creates ​Yi Quan​ in which you find the linear work of Xing Yi, circular
displacements of Bagua, the principle of " sticking and following " of Taïji and the essence of other styles
such as the essence of the school of Shaolin, etc...

He preaches a martial arts serving health while proving to be a method of effective combat.

It was a new way of considering the martial arts because of the absence of forms (Tao-Lu), the most
significant being the concentration, the will.

1940 :

In 1940, the colleagues of Master Wang in Beijing recognize the value of his art and give it the name of
Da Cheng Quan.

The term Da Cheng means great success, achievement, perfection.

Da Cheng Quan thus means the great achievement of the harmony of the body and the spirit.

Later, Master Wang, always modest and conscious that one never reaches the great achievement in
Wushu, returns definitively to the name ​Yi Quan​.

It is just today to respect this desire.

From the beginning of the Fifties, he teaches ​Zhan Zhuang Gong​ (position of the pile or position of
rooting) in various medical institutes.

1963 :

Master Wang Xian Zhaï died in Tien Tsin.

THE THOUGHT OF THE CREATOR OF YI QUAN :

"Great movements
are not as efficient
as small movements.
Small movements
are not as efficient
as stillness.
Stillness
is the mother of eternal movement"
Master Wang Xian Zhai.

SUCCESSION OF MASTER WANG XIAN ZHAI : MASTER YAO ZONG XUN (1917-1985)

Master Yao Zong Xun

The best pupil of Master Wang were Zhao Dao Xin, installed in Tiantsin where he created his own method
and have practically not left any pupil, You Peng Xi, from Shanghai, which has make in the same way and
the one which will become his successor, Yao Zong Xun from Beijing.

Li Wentao, Zhao Dao Xin and Yao Zong Xun

Until 1985, year of Master Yao Zong Xun's death, everyone, including Wang Xian Zhai's daughter, which
she reports in her book, recognizes Master Yao Zong Xun as the successor of Wang. He is the last who
has made the Yi Quan school evolve and at the same time the most gifted and the most honest of the
three.

Very young, Yao Zong Xun begins the study with Wang Xian Zhaï who considers him as his son. In 1940,
Wang names him his successor and gives him the nickname Ji Xiang (the successor of Xian) and
symbolically offers him a demonstration costume. From this day, Yao Zong Xun has replaced Wang when
this one misses, taking up the challenges and teaching.

Yao Zong Xun was an expert of a very open spirit ; he knew the techniques of the other schools, therefore
he always took the best of each style to include it in his practice of Yi Quan.

He said to his pupils: " Learn Yi Quan ; if you have other valid techniques, keep them, but apply them
through the principles of Yi Quan ". He also taught his pupils the totality of his knowledge without
mysticism nor superstition.

Master Yao Zong Xun died in 1985, leaving his two sons and good students.

Master Yao Zong Xun and his son Yao Cheng Kwang

YI QUAN TODAY :

Different schools developp themselves, especially in Beijing's area.

In Japan, Yi Quan is known by the Taï Ki Ken students. Taï Ki Ken was created by Master Kenichi Sawaï,
former student of Wang Xiang Zhaï, but who mainly studied under the direction of Yao Zong Xun.

Yi Quan schools exist in ​France​, ​Italy​, Argentina, Great-Britain, Portugal, Singapore and Hong-Kong.

In Europe, Yi Quan was introduced by ​Ilias Calimintzos​, only Westerner which was initiated by Master
Yao Zong Xun.
Master Yao Zong Xun and ​Ilias Calimintzos

The School of Master Yao is still united.

From left to right : Yao Cheng Rong, Ilias Calimintzos, Yao Cheng Kwang and Cui Rui Bin
Ilias CALIMINTZOS during a seminar in Marocco, 2004

INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL?
YI QUAN, A STYLE OF INTERNAL KUNG FU WUSHU

Yi Quan, which considers the study of the Martial Art in a global way and supplements,
proposes the study of all the aspects of the Art of Fighting. The concepts of " internal " and "
external " do not really make sense, insofar as all these aspects are complementary and cannot
reach all their dimension of effectiveness the ones without the others.

The ​YANG SHENG​ (nourish the body) form, basis for all technique, is worked by the exercise of
ZHAN ZHUANG GONG​ , technique of rooting which make it possible to develop the ​LIVING
FORCE​.

The study of Yi Quan of course integrates the basic techniques of Wu Shu (limbering-up
exercices, natural musculation, techniques of combat and self-defense, techniques of fists and
feet, projections, locks, and strangleholds).

It also refers to biomechanics : gravity, the centrifugal force, friction, the inertias, the resistance
of the air, etc...

The study of the articulations, their various levers, types of muscular contraction and nervous
system also form part of our work.

A specific teaching is devoted to ​TUI SHOU​ or " pushing hands ".

For better including/understanding and enriching the practice by a martial arts, Tui Shou is a
unique energy work with two partners. It makes it possible to develop the sensory field and in
particular the Touch, and to control the notion of " Full and Vacuum ". You learn how to
unbalance and project somebody with a minimum of apparent muscular contraction.

The practitioner can more specifically work the health aspect of these techniques, which are
used as a basis for ​YANG SHENG, the QI GONG​ taught within the National Academy of Kung
Fu Wushu and Qi Gong.

YI QUAN : MARTIAL ART FOR ALL LIFE LONG

Through the use at the same time of the technique of concentration of ​YI​, creation of intern
energy (the QI), the safeguarding of health, the whole techniques of hands and of feet, the Yi
Quan allow a study thorough and complete of the Martial Art.

The study of Yi Quan encourages the long-term practice and guarantees a progression in the
quality of this practice until a ripe age.
YI QUAN AND GROUND TECHNIQUES

Yi Quan Techniques can be practised while standing, but you can also apply its principles to the
ground techniques.

Hereunder some armlocks and leg locks.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES OF YI QUAN
SIGNIFICANCE OF " YI QUAN ":

The Way of the Harmony of the Body and the mind.

It is surely the best translation than you can give at the Yi Quan term, osmosis between YI, the
creative thought, the mind, the will, the higher intention, and QUAN, that is often vulgarly
translated by the fist, the boxing, and which means at the origin " to spontaneously apply what
the heart decides ".

Revealed since 1925​, YI QUAN joins the ​sources of the Chinese Martial Arts​, going back to the
12th century. Among the experts of the Chinese Martial Arts it is also known under the name of
DA CHENG QUAN.

When one speaks about Kung Fu, one always thinks of the school of Shaolin, the school of Wu
Dang, the external styles (Wai chia), the internal styles (Nei chia). Yi Quan is neither the ones
nor the others, but at the same time internal and external. It does not have codified forms
(Tao-Lu, Quan, Kata), nor preestablished rules.

Amongst all the Chinese Martial Arts, it is the only one being in this case.

Master Yao Zong Xun​ during an exercise

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERISTICS OF YI QUAN :

1) Each movement is guided by a corresponding thought (mental image). Thanks to that, you
manage to decrease more and more the variation existing between the moment of the
conception of a movement and that of its realization : the practice of ​Tui Shou​ (" pushing hands
") hugely contributes to it.

Thus, you concretely operate the connection sought so much by the practitioners of martial arts,
the union between the ​body and the mind​.

2) ​Master Wang Xian Zhaï​, founder of Yi Quan, did not only observe the gesture in each
movement, but considered the body as a whole. As soon as a part of the body moves, all the
remainder of the body accompanies the movement.

The effectiveness in the martial arts is to manage to control explosive and short movements.
That is acquired by the control of the action... from the inaction.

It is necessary for that to include/understand and know what the immobility is.

3) Absence of codified forms (Tao-Lu or kata).

The practice of the Tao Lu, in the long run, is harmful for the brain and its emanation, the
thought. Too much rigid because of mechanized automatisms, it does not direct the movements
correctly. The Tao Lu run up against the muscles, the tendons, the articulations, which do not
cease producing forced and against-nature movements. In addition, as you can never envisage
the reactions of an adversary, their application in free combat remain illusory.

THE BASE OF THE PRACTICE :

The base of the practice of Yi-Quan is ​Zhan Zhuang Gong​. They are postures animated by the
training of ​Yi ​(thought, mind, intention). The thought sharpens different parts of the brain and
develops the sensory fields of the human being. The fascicles of muscle fibres obey the
commands given by the central nervous system. The articulations act like levers. The living
force which exists at a latent state in everyone emerges. All the body moves at the same time.
The mind and the thought control the Qi, which controls the force which can be exteriorized by
the seven points : head, hand, elbow, shoulder, thigh, knee, foot.

The movements of attack or defense become the natural expression of the remainder of the
practice.

Dodgings, parades, attacks and displacements are also very significant. During the practice of
Zhan Zhuang Gong​, the practitioner must generate a force towards the six basic directions : in
top, bottom, ahead, behind, in opening, closing as well as the two complementary directions, in
spiral. You call this type of training the rooting. In case of a dispute, no matter who is able to
draw, strike or push with the arm. On the other hand, to make the same thing by using the force
of the whole body is the fruit of the work of those which practise the martial arts.

But without specific work of rooting, that is impossible...

EXPLOSIVENESS RISES FROM IMMOBILITY :

In the Karate or the Chinese martial arts of the external type, the movement is dynamic. TAI JI
QUAN is a moving meditation. YI QUAN preaches the control of the movements of the
immobility. Before expressing the dynamism, for better understanding the action from the
inaction, it is necessary to control the movements of the immobility. YI QUAN leads to occupy
the center in order to better act on the periphery. Some examples can help us to understand. A
spinning top which turns quickly seems motionless, same for a wheel. A plane which goes
quickly appears motionless. Several decades were necessary to recognize that the slow
movements of TAI JI can improve the performances of the dynamic movements. The years
which come will confirm what a long time was occulted : the movements of the immobility are
the eternal movements.

In YI QUAN, relaxation and calm direct the movement, thus breathing becomes regular, deep,
and there are time to correct possible errors in the movement.

You become aware of each part of your body and you allow the internal breath (Qi) to circulate
better with your blood, until the extremities of your limbs.

Many exercises are based on the work of the mental images. For example : you visualize your
own body like if, plunged in water or molasses, you could move with flexibility, agility, relaxation.
This total movement makes it possible for the individual to create the feeling of resistance to
surrounding space. And it is what also makes it possible to eject easily, without apparent
muscular contraction, an adversary. Of course, there is not only that mental work, we are very
clear about it. There is a very precise, very assiduous physical work on the articulations, the
tendons and the muscles. This work develops resistance, balance and effectiveness of the
whole body, while respecting it. It is this specific approach of the training which makes it
possible to practise Yi Quan and ​to progress until a very advanced age​.

The remainder of the practice is composed of exercises of attack and defense, of techniques of
fists and feet, projections, grabbing, and fighting on the ground.

The training with the boxing bag, the free combat, the practice with a partner, in particular ​TUI
SHOU​ - " pushing hands " - are the different aspects of the work of Yi Quan. ​Tui Shou​ is a
unique energy work with two practitioners. You are exerted there to use the force of the
opponent, to distinguish " the vacuum from the full ", to develop the sense of the touch and to
improve it with the limbs of the body.

Henceforth, to integrate the principles of YI QUAN to enrich and supplement the practice of
each one appears a positive step.

Ilias Calimintzos​ carrying out a circular kick

LEVELS OF THE PRACTICE OF YI QUAN :

You can compare this progression with a staircase.

● First step :

Re-establishment, improvement and maintenance of health by exercises which, in

addition, are recognized of public utility in China. It is the QI GONG aspect of the YI
QUAN, which is named YANG SHENG (to nourish the body), and consists in the
training of ​ZHAN ZHUANG GONG​ or " Training by the upright positions ".

● Second step :

Development of the concentration and muscular capacities, tendineous and

osseous reinforcement.

● Third step :

Practice of the martial aspect.

CONCRETE RESULTS OF THE PRACTICE OF YI QUAN :

Practice of Yi Quan :

● develops and improves circulation of vital energy (QI) human being

● aims to a better total functioning of the organism and combines an intense internal
activity with an apparent rest
● makes an new energy emerge, called ​Living Force​, which exists in everyone in a latent
state. This force results from the participation of all the body in the movement.
● allows to reach the harmony of the body and mind, and supports the elimination of the
muscular and emotional tensions.

WITH A WHICH AIM CAN YOU PRACTISE YI QUAN ?

From the physical and psychological applications of Yi Quan, you can lead to the disease
prevention and the safeguarding of health, on the art of the combat, or many applications which
concern the daily life.

The most significant in the practice of the martial arts is what the practice itself can bring to each
individual.

The finality of Yi-Quan does not consist in destroying a potential adversary but in creating, like
any artist.

And we, what do we create? We create the ​" Living Force "​ or what Master Yao Zong Xun called
primitive chaos...

Many high level sportsmen studied the principles of Yi Quan and applied them to their discipline.
The examples are already numerous : Alain Prost (Formula 1), Bertrand Sébileau (Winner of the
Bol d'Or 1998), Michel Prufer (champion of the launched kilometer at the Winter Olympic
Games of Albertville) and France's team of athletics 4 X 100 meters (Marie Rose, Sangouma,
Morinière, Trouaballe). But the applicability of Yi Quan exceeds the framework of the sport.
Artists (musicians, actors, etc...) use for example the principles of Yi Quan in their work, in
particular for his qualities of concentration, relaxation and placement of the body in space.

BENEFIT OF THE PRACTICE IN THE DAILY LIFE :

Personal health, and by extension, his longevity, fully will benefit from the practice of Yi Quan.

Why ? Precisely thanks to the muscular relaxation obtained by the work of Yi Quan, which
balances the cerebral cortex. By balancing the cerebral cortex, it is possible to enter a durable
state of plenitude, which will make it possible to attenuate largely or to eliminate the worry and
the stress. Our neurons work for us! The health aspect, as you can see, is determining. While
being able to fill the twelve ordinary meridian lines and by facilitating the way of the breath in the
eight other extraordinary meridian lines, you allow the body to be maintained in form and good
health. The combat and the sparring require a particular drive : various techniques of fists, of
legs, sweepings, locks and a whole work in upright position or on the ground.

From there, each one is able to choose : either he only works the health aspect, in order to
nourish and to improve the quality of his vital energy (by the exercises of Yang Sheng and ​Zhan
Zhuang Gong​ created for this purpose by the founder ​Master Wang Xian Zhaï​ and practised in
various medical institutes in China), or he also trains for the combat. It is necessary that this
step is clear, passes above all by construction of the individual to go, but only in the cases of
extreme gravity, towards the destruction.

ZHAN ZHUANG GONG - THE POSTURES OF ROOTING.

Zhan means "standing", Zhuang "planted like a stake", Gong "training".
The set means "training by standing postures".
THE ORIGIN OF ZHAN ZHUANG

The first indications of Zhan Zhuang's postures practice in China can

be found in a medical book entitled "Huang Di Nei Jing" (Classical of
Internal Medicine), published under the regime of the Yellow Emperor
(Huang Di, 2697-2597 before Our era).
It says, "I heard that in the distant past there were wise men standing
between heaven and earth, they knew how to preserve their spirit,
they inspired the vital breath, they mastered Yin and Yang, and they
unified their muscles. They were the Dao. "
Huang Di

In the philosophical work "Dao De Ching" (the path and its virtue) of the wise founder of Taoism Lao Zi (6th century
BC), it is written: "Dao is nature"
How do we approach nature?
Zhuang Zi, a disciple of Lao Zi, reports: "By standing, alone, standing, without moving, observing all the mysterious
changes that occur permanently and endlessly. "

In the West, in Greece, was practiced a form of Zhan Zhuang

called Artemis Pyx which was at the base of an "esoteric
gymnastics". In the philosophical work of Plato "The banquet" is
reported that, during a truce of the battle of Potidae (429 BC),
Socrates, who was one of the greatest philosophers, but also an
exceptional fighter, remained for hours at a posture in apparent
immobility. Plato says that Socrates used to meditate in this
posture.
Socrates
 General Yue Fei, a great Chinese warrior of the 12th century,
practicing Kung-Fu Wushu, develops a system based on postures
and slow movements. It will be the ancestor of the current Yi
Quan.

Yue Fei

Over the centuries, this school develops only among the Muslim minority and its exercises remain secret. One of
the reasons for this secrecy is the invasion of China by the Mongols and the power of the force developed by this
type of training: the occupants forbid its practice.

At the end of the 18th century, some experts unveiled the jewel of their practice
more easily.
It is the posture (Zhan Zhuang) which was under the term San Ti Shi of ​Xing Yi
Quan​ .
Wang Shu Jin (1905-1981) in San Ti Shi. He also practiced between 1924 and
1925 under Wang Xiang Zhai.
 Towards the end of the 19th century, Guo Yun Shen, one of the
greatest masters of Xing Yi Quan, taught a few carefully
selected students his principles. He will pass on his knowledge
to ​Wang Xian Zhaî​ . We owe Master Wang the disclosure of
Zhan Zhuang.

Master Wang in basic stance

His successor, ​Master Yao Zongxun​ , has &

worked hard for the development of the the power and
school and its educational system. explosiveness developed
by the Zhan Zhuang can
be
used in ​Tui Shou

Master Yao in
Zhan Zhuang
Fighting

THE PRACTICE OF ZHAN ZHUANG

JIAN SHEN ZHUANG or POSTURES FOR HEALTH

The initiation to Yi Quan begins with Jian Shen Zhuang, which lays the foundation for advanced practice.
Here is the description of a basic posture:
 The position of the
body:
In facial posture, the legs
are slightly bent, knees
tight, feet parallel (the
gap is vertical to the
shoulder joints), the
pelvis tucked inwards,
the right spine. The
chest is rounded, the
shoulders low, the
shoulder blades are
erased, the elbows
half-bent, the fingers
spread, rounded and
tonic. The top of the skull
pushes up, the chin just
returned.
Setting up the basin
The ​intention (Yi)​ of
a beginner (mental
image):
Diving in the water to the
hips, hold under the
hands a board (the one
used in pool exercises)
on the surface of the
water. The soles of the
feet cling to the ground
(like a sucker), which
generates a movement
relayed by the pelvis, the
neck and the body as a
whole, which pulls the
board back, then the
soles of the feet crushes
and the whole body
pushes the board
forward. Then, press on
the left then on the right,
bring the board up and
finally down. The
movements are elastic
and tiny. Be careful not
to move your hands but
the rest of the body.
 On the left the column of
a non-practitioner.
On the right the column
of a practitioner.

Weight distribution
In the initial position, the weight distribution is 50% / 50%. As soon as the movement is made towards a direction,
for example towards the rear, the distribution becomes 60% at the rear and 40% at the front. When we go forward,
it becomes 60% at the front and 40% at the back. With practice, this changeover becomes more and more
minimal.
QIANG SHEN ZHUANG or POSTURES FOR FORTIFICATION OF THE BODY
These are the same exercises but the degrees of physical intensity (the tip of the knees is vertical to the big toes),
concentration and relaxation are higher.

For these two phases of postures, there are

several levels of Yi. The mental images evolve
and the directions of the force combine to
become one and the same movement, a
vibration invisible to the eye for the uninitiated.
The important thing is to feel when and how to
stretch the body (Jin in Chinese), then release it
(Song).
This is the foundation of ​Yi Quan's training.
The internal movement (vibration) is guided by
this transmutation of muscle tone in relaxation.
This internal movement eventually creates Hun
Yuan Li or the "multi-directional force for
combat". The main feature of this force is great
strength and density in all directions: front, back,
right, left, up, down and spiral, accompanied by a
feeling of lightness. It is contradictory and
paradoxical: when the body pulls back, the tips of
the feet cling to the ground, knees and wrists are
moving forward. When the body leans to the
right, it also stretches to the left. When you go
up, your feet crash on the ground.
 JIJI ZHUANG or POSTURES FOR
COMBAT
With this group of postures, we tackle the
fight.
Once the body is prepared and the work of
the assimilated Yi, an additional physical load
is added.

The body :
Place the body in combat posture: the rear
foot opening is between 75 ° and 90 ° from
the front foot on the heel line of the back foot.
For a beginner, the distance between the feet
is equal to another foot.
The weight distribution is 70% on the back
leg (resting on the sole of the foot) and 30%
on the front leg (the heel does not crush the
ground). The flexion of the back knee
depends on the level of the practitioner. The
front hip is broken, the front knee point is
vertical to the angle of the ankle.
The pelvis, the column, the shoulders, the
shoulder blades, the neck, the head, the chin,
the elbows and the fingers keep the same
placement as during the postural work of
face. The wrist of the front hand is placed a
little higher than the back hand, it is at the
height of the mouth and above the front kick.
The wrist of the back hand is above the rear
kick.

The Yi at the start:

Immersed in water up to the shoulders: hold a cylindrical balloon that reaches to the feet. The soles of the feet give
the impulse. The ball is pulled back and pushed forward, to the left, to the right, then it is uprooted and pushed
down. Attention, in this exercise also, not to move the hand before and the knee of the front leg but the rest of the
body. The direction of the force exerted in posture is paradoxical: when the body pulls back, the tips of the feet
cling to the ground, the knee of the front leg and the wrist of the front hand is moving forward. When moving the
body to the right, the body also stretches to the left. When you push up, your feet crash to the ground. During the
face and combat postures, the body functions as a bow, its extremities being the ankles and the nape of the neck.
Hence the paramount importance of working well the contradiction of the directions up and down. The basin
stretches then returns in an explosive way. He embodies the direction behind-the-front.
Thus, by practice, the theory of Chinese cosmology is realized: the Yin-Yang symbolism according to which
everything is different but complementary.
For the confirmed ones, ​the Yi​ evolves, the balloon becomes tree and the direction of the forces combines while
remaining paradoxical.
The rhythm of the movements:

For the beginner, the rhythm of the succession of movements towards the six directions is slow, a little jerky,
interrupted by intervals of rest: this is due to the absence of relaxation, flexibility and the execution in separate
order of directions.
After a hundred hours of training, the combination of forces and the acquired flexibility make the movement elastic
and more and more rapid, to become a vibration.
The amplitude of the movements:

It depends on the level reached. Initially, it is long, near the few millimeters. In the long run, it is of the order of less
than one millimeter.
Sensation :

We can describe what we feel during the practice of posture.

To be explicit: if you take a bottle half full of water, hold it horizontally, swaying the liquid from one end of the bottle
to the other, in an uninterrupted movement, this movement water creates a quantitative sensation of elasticity,
flexibility and density. Now, if we make the same movement but in a shorter and faster time, then the sensations of
heaviness and explosion appear. This perception is identical to that which one experiences during the practice of
the postures.
The time to spend:

A novice begins practicing almost ten minutes to progressively seventy minutes in a row. Staying on the same
posture for a long time is crucial. The purpose of postural work is the creation of ​Hun Yuan Li​ . Now it is with the
repetition of movement that it is acquired. The multi-resistance and density of Hun Yuan Li depend on the number
and quality of repetitions. As the placement of the posture can be long, and often deviant, once installed, there is
an interest to keep it for a long time.
The frequency of the practice in the week also depends on the goals to be achieved and the personal motivation.
As in any activity, a good regularity gives good results. For the most persevering, a day off per week is
recommended.
When are the results?
It is useful to cut short the idea that the Zhan Zhuang requires tens of years to become effective. Like any sport, a
few semesters are enough to understand how to practice. On the other hand, the harmony and coordination
between ​the mind (Yi, intention)​ and the body (innervation of the nervous system network, quality of movement,
density of resistance) continues to improve until old age. .
Breathing:
No special attention is paid to how to breathe. As the practice progresses, the shoulders, chest, intercostal
muscles and diaphragm relax. Breathing, which at first tends to clumsily accompany directions, becomes low, at
the level of the lower abdomen. It is of type called "normal" (the belly swells during the inspiration): deep and
regular, it does not accelerate.

THE OBJECTIVES OF ZHAN ZHUANG

The search for motion in stillness
In a position of apparent immobility, the practitioner seeks, by the relaxation, the tonicity and their transmutation, a
sensation of resistance towards all the directions of the space, inside and outside the body, starting from a static
point.
ART MARTIAL APPEARANCE
Every movement of man is created by the continuous mutation between tonicity and relaxation. The training of Yi
Quan in general and Zhan Zhuang in particular, optimizes these two interfaces.

It conditions the transition to movement without unnecessary contraction

This is achieved by the correct execution of the stretching of the tendons and muscles (in Chinese "Jin"), which are
not rigid but tonic, then their relaxation (in Chinese "Song"), without being soft . This tiny movement becomes a
vibration that predisposes any change between immobility and movement, affects the speed of movement and the
rhythm of these changes.
The person will benefit in his sports practice but also in his professional and personal activities.
Note also that in posture, we are not only looking for relaxation but rather a dynamic balance between tone and
relaxation, immobility and movement, hard and soft, the top and the bottom, the front and the back, the spread and
the closing. This makes us able to react instantly and to all directions in space. Feelings of comfort, availability and
vigor fill the practitioner. In all circumstances, his movements appear flexible, elastic and dense.

He develops ​Hun Yuan Li

The transmutation between tonicity and relaxation causes the innervation of the nerve cells of the whole body and
the multiplication of their network. So, Hun Yuan Li is growing. It is a multi-directional force that emerges in
multiple directions at once. The basic directions being: shoot, push, uproot, plant, open, close. Hun Yuan Li is
manifested by multi-directional resistance inside and outside the body in space. The result is the famous Nei Jing
or "internal force".

Graphic concept of the multi-directional force

It makes the body homogeneous: the body moves as a whole without apparent contraction.

He gets the appearance of force (Li or Jin) at the hands

Precise intention exercises allow the nervous system to energize the entire network of nerve endings and multiply
them. Then the dream of every martial artist, who is to bring the force to the ends, is realized. Hands are tonic,
supple, but can also be very heavy.

It promotes an energy saving

During Zhan Zhuang, the cardiopulmonary system does not speed up. Yet, the blood penetrates to the smallest
capillaries. In the confirmed, we observe a slight sweating of the body, but much more important on the forearms
and on the hands.

It reinforces the personality

The different traits such as character, will, impulses become solid and healthy at the same time.

THE ASPECT HEALTH AND WELL-BEING​

The system for health is called YANG SHENG ZHUANG or "postures for
cultivating life".
We constantly train ourselves to create and resolve apparent contradictions
such as tension and relaxation, immobility and movement, rigidity and flexibility,
the low and the high, the front and the back, the opening and closing.
The exercises are mostly the same as for the martial aspect, but the Yi and the
postures are adapted to the state of the person. There are lying, sitting,
standing, moving and inclined exercises with support.
 The postures are lower:
Physically, postures are much less
demanding. The range of motion
can be larger and less dense. The
rhythm of transmutation of tonicity
in relaxation is less sustained.

Brain activity harmonizes:

Thanks to the state of tranquility
and relaxation, the sympathetic
and parasympathetic systems are
balanced. The number of
heartbeats does not rise. Blood
pressure and breathing regulate.

Metabolism improves:
Salivation is better and facilitates
digestion. The body temperature is
between 0.2 and 0.4 degrees. The
blood circulation is optimal.

Optimism and well-being:

In common with the martial
practice, one produces a work on
oneself, according to the precept:
by a hyper-concentration on the "I
am" (posture, movement
consciousness), one forgets the
"me" (feeling, unconscious).
The body is in better condition and
shows a physical well-being and
optimism foolproof.

There is no side effect that accompanies the Yang Sheng Zhuang.

Traditionally, the experts who master Yi Quan as a whole teach both aspects. But it is considered that the
practitioner who masters the Zhan Zhuang martial can very easily adapt his practice to postures for well-being and
health. The opposite is impossible since the application know-how for combat is absent from Yang Sheng Zhuang.
For the health aspect, consult our website ​www.qi-gong-paris.fr​
Facebook: Yi Quan Ilias Calimintzos

BODY AND MIND

YI QUAN : A PRACTICE BASED ON THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE BODY AND THE HUMAN
MIND

The Masters ​Wang Xian Zhai​ and ​Yao Zong Xun​ raised the veil of mysticism and superstition which
wraps the practice of the martial arts. Their teaching is based on the principles of anatomy, physiology
and human psychology.

Thus the philosophical step of the former Masters must imperatively be supplemented by experiments of
neurobiology. The dominating principle is the relation between the thought and the brain, the most difficult
aspect to analyze being the conscience in its various forms, from the experiment of the pain to the feeling
to exist. ​The practice of Yi Quan​, and probably on a general level the survival of our planet, depend on a
better comprehension of the human mind.

If we admit that the thought is a whole of " mental processes " rather than a substance or a vague entity, it
is easier for us to carry out the necessary empirical approaches on the brain. The term " mental process "
is less enigmatic than the mind or thought terms.

The stress is laid on the drive of ​Yi​ which, in perfect coordination with the body, produces a great stability
and especially makes it possible to emit an explosive force.

Yao Zong Xun said: " Yi equals force ".

In all the martial arts, the principles are the same ones : there are not thousand ways of giving a punch
with the fist or a kick with the foot. What counts is the force that you put in it as well as the manner of
moving your centre of gravity.

Yi Quan being a form of sport, it has its theory and its rules to which to refer. In all the sports, Yi plays a
principal role. It makes it possible to the basketball player to reach the basket, in football to mark the
goals and in wushu, it makes it possible to mobilize the totality of your body in order to manage to emit
the explosive force at the desired time. The articulations play the role of lever, the muscular contraction
serves the explosive force under control of the nervous system. The muscular contraction mobilizes all
the body, from the head to the feet towards the direction chosen by the Yi.

The basic directions are six. To the top, the bottom, the front, to the back, on the right and on the left,
which are added spiral forces. The repetition of this muscular contraction has as a result a conditioned
reflex which does not relate to only the gesture, but implies the participation of all the body through this
one. The gesture then becomes the natural expression of this whole mobilization.

Short said, the displacement of all the body becomes a conditioned reflex and the gesture of attack or
defense only follows.
THE YI :

THE INTENTION

Martial Art of osmosis, Yi Quan includes the fundamental interests of the practices of
achievement : spirituality. The action and the thought form the essence of this discipline.

YIN AND YANG :

The word Yi is part of the Chinese philosophical inheritance and in particular of taoism. Very
schematically, the Tao is at the origin of any thing (Master Yao Zong Xun called it " Primitive Chaos ").
The Tao is always ready to be put moving. As soon as it is put moving it becomes Taï-Ji which is the
beginning of the beginning. Taï-Ji appears, according to two identical methods, Yin and Yang. Yang is the
celestial aspect, the mind, the luminous activity, the movement, Yin is the terrestrial aspect, the obscure
one and the rest in the movement.

All in the universe is an emanation of the Tao in which Yin and Yang are dependent in an undifferentiated
breath that one calls Yuen-chi. In the human being the Yuen-chi is concretized as a gazeous essence
which he receives at his birth. The Tao in its obscure demonstration is called Shen (mind which animates
: conscience). In its concentration, it is called Jing (vital essence or physical frame of the body, muscles,
skin, bone, humours and hormones). In its manifestation of the movement the Tao is called Qi. It is a fluid
(gaseous essence) which circulates in the system involving with him blood and the organic liquids.

Jing alone is inert (corpse). It is the base of the existence of the Qi (vital activities), and forms the living
matter with him. The presence of the Qi characterizes animated compared to the inanimated one. There
are several kinds of Qi : that of the maintenance, which circulates inside the meridian lines, the defender
Qi, which is under the skin, that of the bodies and the internal organs, central Qi, etc...

Jing and the Qi function under the instructions of a direct center which is Yi (thought). Yi is a subtle power
which represents with Shen the whole of the processes by which the alive beings acquire information on
their environment, on the material or emotional level.

In addition to the psychic factors, it is also the regulator of the operation of the whole of the other bodies.
The father of Yi is Xin (heart).

As for Aristote in Greece (the universality of this concept is found), the heart is at the origin of the feelings,
enthusiasm, generosity.

Even in our civilization, the expression " to have heart " connotes the importance of this body at the
philosophical level.

THE YI IN THE PRACTICE OF YI QUAN

The ​living force​ is created by a participation of the whole body in the movement and is guided by the
thought (Yi).

By the importance of the thought, and the will, you can speak about internal work in order to build a strong
body and mental attitude, and this before you can possibly learn how to use the " instinctive force " for
self-defense. If you base yourself on the study of the gestures of the body (kicks, fists, etc...) and of the "
demonstrative force ", of the parts of the body, you can speak about external work. Yi Quan is thus at the
same time ​internal and external​. It quite simply forms part of the inheritance of Wushu.

The practice of Yi Quan under its martial aspect is very intense, very tiring. Without this difficulty of
training you would surely direct yourself towards the form of a kind of soft gymnastics. On the other hand
it will be necessary to be vigilant with regard to the difference between the practice of Yi Quan as martial
art and in the form of competitive sport. During the combat for the life the techniques used are not limited
to certain zones of the body and the only claimed aptitudes are : force, speed, suppleness, reflex.
Whereas the competitive sport aspect must be considered on the same medical sport level as the
athletics or the bicycle, which are very tiring for the cardiopulmonary system.

IT IS THE THOUGHT WHICH GUIDES THE MOVEMENT :

Any movement must be guided by the YI, thought or mental attitude image. This concentration brings
relaxation. The relaxation thus obtained dissolves the stiff forces. When one slackens, one releases
oneself from any hard force. At the same time, it is necessary to make what confers to our body the true
force circulate, that of Qi (KI) : you must appear slackened without really being it. A rubber pipe inside
nothing runs, is soft, inert. On the other hand if an abundant water flow circulates in the pipe, this one will
not be soft any more, but it will not be either hard or rigid. It is alive. The exercises of YI QUAN make this
living force, which exists in everyone at a latent state, emerge. The body is then put to move in a
continuous way. All the limbs take part in each movement. The suppleness, the agility are the result of the
relaxation. This new energy creates an external litheness which brings the wanted movement, extreme
hardness.

The top of the body becomes light, bottom is heavy.

Breathing is controlled.

The agility and easy displacement appear.

Lastly, the emission of the force is explosive.

8 STAGES OF THE PRACTICE

OF YI QUAN

WUSHU IN THE LIGHT OF YI QUAN:

Study of Yi Quan integrates the techniques of limbering-up, natural musculation, techniques of

combat and self-defense, techniques of fists and legs, projections, locks and strangleholds.

The principles of Yi Quan are applied to the whole of these techniques, principles without which
the physical and mental effectiveness, in particular in the long run, is illusory.
A STUDY IN SEVEN STAGES :

THE BASE : TECHNIQUES OF ROOTING

Ilias Calimintzos​ ​during a postural exercise

Zhan Zhuang Gong​ (position of the pile or position of rooting) is the base of the practice of Yi
Quan. It is divided into two parts:

a)​ positions of rooting for the strengthening of the body and the fixing of the mental attitude.

b)​ positions of rooting for the combat which are the prolongation of the first ones. You involve
yourself there under an appearance of immobility. You actually learn how to direct yourself with
the unit from the body towards the six principal directions (six basic directions) : front, behind, to
the top, to the bottom, in opening and closing), as well as two complementary directions :
circular, towards the left and the right-hand side.

These are the small movements which give you the means of using the muscular contraction in
an explosive way.

By the participation of the thought, you develop your sensory field and improve the homogeneity
of the body. All things considered these positions make us discover a force known as instinctive,
different from the force that each person has naturally. This because it is the result of the
participation of the whole body in the movement.

Yi​ directs, the body operates, the ​Explosive Force​ appears.

THE STUDY OF THE SLOW MOTION AND OF THE ​LIVING FORCE

Shi Li​ " Testing of strength ". The movement is slow, the force linked to the whole body. The
purpose of these exercises are the development of the instinctive force and its insertion in the
movement. At this stage, there is a work on the sounds, which can accompany certain
movements.

Mo ca Bu​ " Friction step ". You learns how to move your centre of gravity correctly.This
exercise is the Shi li for the legs.

Fa Li ​" Exerting the force ". You study there the explosive expression of the instinctive force in
all the directions around yourself.

Fa-li, China, 1999

Shi Sheng ​"Testing the sound"

​TUI SHOU​ ​or " pushing hands ". You are accustomed to control the center of gravity of your
partner and to protect your own center, to develop the direction of the contact of the body and
particularly of the front armlevers.
Jiji Fa​ "Combat skills"

Work with boxing bag or with a partner and free combat complit these phases

JIAN WU​ or " Yi Quan shadow boxing ". It is the spontaneous use, in the open space, of all the
other techniques.

To practise Yi Quan, breathing is natural and accompanies the movements. The exerted ​YI
makes it possible to dominate the limbs, therefore there is freedom of movement of ​vital energy
(QI)​. Yi controls and governs the emission of various humours and hormones of the body (​Jing,
vital essence​), and in the form of exercises it contributes to the maintenance of this one. It helps
the blood circulation so that there are renewal of the " old and of the new " and it regulates the
functions of the lower bodies as well as possible, finally it balances the unit.

As, if it is true that certain people have the deterrent force naturally, the punch, we, practiser of
Yi Quan, we will not consider it as a gift from the sky, but like the fruit of a work.

Quite simply because through your practice you are able to have it and to use it in a relatively
short time.

LIVING FORCE

LIVING FORCE : INTERNAL ENERGY

The practice of Yi Quan develops " living force " also called " instinctive force ". This force is
different from the force known as " rough " that each person naturally has. It is the force created
by the participation of the whole body in the movement. The gestures of attack or defense only
wrap this force. Breathing remains natural and is regulated like that of a logger who cuts wood,
or that which one uses while eating.

Each person, according to his own morphological and mental data, develops his instinctive
force. You can then speak about an Martial Art, because like all the artists (painters, musicians,
etc...), you only create something which you use either to reinforce health, or for the combat.
This instinctive force created by the participation of all the body moving and guided by the
thought, is the famous intern energy so much described by the former Masters.

It is different from the hard force or Ying Qi Gong, i.e. the force usable during the
demonstrations, for example : to break bulbs without cutting yourself, lying down on nails and to
be made break granite on the belly, fold iron bars with the throat and various breakages of
objects.

This difference comes owing to the fact that, contrary to the hard force, the living force is
available at any moment without concentration as a preliminary, and can be used without much
apparent effort.

THE LIVING FORCE RAISES FROM RELAXATION :

The principles of " adhering, sticking, connecting and following ", as well as displacements,
cannot be well applied without a total relaxation. Relaxation develops the sensitivity and the
capacity of reaction of the body. The body is relaxed by a correct concentration. It is part of the
work of the postures of rooting, which are animated by corresponding thoughts (mental images
or meditation). The relaxation which invades the central nervous system brings a flexibility of the
articulations and muscles.

Relaxation generates then agility and speed.

Thus the living force is created. It is a light and compact force at the same time. It is similar to a
rubber pipe from where water runs out. It is neither stiff, nor soft. It is alive, elastic. The creation
of this force returns the touch of the more receptive skin and the transformation of the force of
the adversary is done more easily.

It is this work which makes it possible to apply the explosive force to all the techniques of
combat, thus multiplying by ten their effectiveness.
TUI SHOU OR " PUSHING HANDS "

TUI SHOU, or " pushing hands ", is ​one of the steps of the learning of Yi Quan​. You develop
with it the sense of the touch and you learn how to control the axis of your opponent while
protecting yours. You are exerted thus with always placing the center of gravity at the position,
which is conditioned by the displacement. It is what is called in coded language " to control the
notion of the full and of the vacuum ". Tui Shou is practised from 8/9 years old, at the beginning
under a ludic aspect, and you can involve yourself until a very ripe age. It helps the young
children, who usually only seek to strike with the hands or the feet, to feel the whole of their
body. As there is no violent contact nor repeated fall, the child grows in harmony and his
physical integrity remains total.

The techniques of Tui Shou are done by the contact of the front armlevers. You can push, draw
or reverse somebody with the hands, the front armlevers, the shoulder or the entire body.

TO LEARN HOW TO LISTEN TO THE OTHER :

The training for combat is composed of three distances : the long distance, if the partners employ the
hands and the feet, dodgings, the parades, blockings and the techniques of displacement ; the middle
distance, where you involve yourself with the use of the head, the shoulders, the elbows, the knees ;
finally the short distance or body to body, with grabbing, locks, strangleholds, projections and Tui Shou
(pushing hands). Tui Shou is so significant that a systematized rooting is devoted to it.

In the practice of Yi Quan, the postures of rooting and the slowness of the starting movements learn to
better know yourself. The practice of Tui Shou makes it possible to know the adversary without revealing
yourself to him. The sensory field of the practitioner, and in particular the touch, widens. The used force is
similar to that of a spring which compresses or extends in all the directions. These directions are : to push
ahead, draw behind, go up, go down, in opening, closing, as well as the spiral directions of the forces.

During exercises of Tui Shou, various combinations of these forces can intervene. These directions of
force correspond to the directions of displacement : one advances, one moves back, one goes up, one
goes down one leaves towards the line or the left, one remains in the center or one moves in circle. The
basic exercises are done by contacting a hand on the spot. Then linear displacement is used.

One passes then to the exercises with two hands, including all the types of force and displacements.
The goal is to push, draw and unbalance the opponent. Movement is used to amplify these techniques.
The old ones said that with Tui Shou, one uses the force of a few grams to move several hundred kilos.

TO CONTROL THE AXIS :

The follower of Yi Quan, by the " pushing hands ", controls the axis of his adversary and protects his own
center. He is not opposed to the force of the adversary, but, on the contrary, uses it and transforms it. It is
then advisable " to listen ", feel and understand the type of force emitted by the adversary. Through the
contact and adhesion with part of the body of the partner, you can " read " his force. The touch of the skin
stimulates the nervous terminations of the nervous system which conveys information to the brain. This
one analyzes the quantity and the trajectories of the force and dictates a suitable reaction.The force used
is elastic and flexible, as the silk wire which is rolled up...

It spouts out from the foot and then, while following the principle of the closed articular system, is
conveyed through the spinal column until the ends of the body.

The alternation of the rooting and displacement, the ceaseless transformations of the directions of force
as well as the use of pretences in order to obtain awaited reactions will produce the anticipated result.

Ilias Calimintzos​ and Yao Sheng Kwang during a Tui Shou exercise

TO ENSURE THE CONTACT : TO ADHERE, STICK, CONNECT, FOLLOW.

By making contact, you " adhere " to the movements of the partner without opposing yourself to him.

Then you " stick yourself " on his movements by accompanying them in order not to break the contact. At
this time, you must be very vigilant so that the point of contact is not too strong. In this case, the reaction
would be slowed down. So on the other hand, the contact is slackened too much, one badly perceives the
changes of force of the other. It is what i called to lose the force. What follows is the loss of the contact
with the adversary. It is the case the most serious because it is consequently impossible to act while
resting on the starting situation which was the body to body.
Another principle consists in " connecting " the techniques as a bamboo which folds under the wind but
always returns to its place. Not to connect would be equivalent to lose the contact.

Lastly, you " follow " the movements of the adversary without being opposed to it. If he is hard and stiff,
you remains flexible and mobile ; you are then able to guide him. If he moves quickly, you follow in the
same way ; if he is slow, you also adapt yourself to slowness.

By training the Tui Shou, you can by simple contact know the strength of the opponent, which you adapt
to yours.

Finally, you react by considering the other person not as an opponent but as a part of yourself.

COMPETITION IN YI QUAN

1999 : young Yi Quan champions

1997 : Coupe de France of Yi Quan

The winners
1997 : Coupe de France of Yi Quan

Some of the judges

There are two types of competitions in Yi Quan : competitions of ​Tui Shou or "Pushing hands"​,
and competitions of Feet-Fists.

TESTS OF TUI SHOU OR " PUSHING HANDS "

Eric Huillier and Serge Agbo-Sonan during a test of Tui Shou

Children during a test of Tui Shou

The competition is opened to all the practiser having at least one year of licence in a club of Yi
Quan or another school of Kung Fu.

The tests proceed on a combat area of 10 meters out of 10.

The candidates must use all the Tui Shou techniques in order to unbalance the adversary, to
make him move back, to push him, draw him, make him fall or to make him leave the
competition area.

Categories :

Individual :

Men

Age:

18-35 years / + 35 years

Weight:

-60kg / -65 kg / -70kg/-75 kg / -80 kg / -85 kg/-90 kg/ +90 kg

Women

Age:

16-35 years / + 35 years

Weight:

-40 kg / -50 kg / -60 kg / -70 kg / +70 kg

The tests by team mix all the candidates over 18 years for the men, 16 years for the women.

Young Boys :

Age :

10-12 years; 12-14 years / 14-16 years / 16-18 years

Weight:

-35 kg/ -40 kg / -51 kg / -58 kg / -65 kg / -74 kg

Young Girls :

Age :

10-12 years; 12-14 years / 14-16 years

Weight:

-30 kg/ -40 kg / -50 kg / -60 kg / +60 kg

FEET-FISTS COMBAT COMPETITION

The competition is opened to all the practiser having at least two years of licence in a club of Yi
Quan or another school of Kung Fu. It is obligatory in order to take part in these tests to have
taken part the Tui Shou proof.

Protections are obligatory : gum-shield, shell for the men, protections and gum-shield for the
women.

ELITE SERIES COMBATS

Are authorized:

strike with open hands on the face

kicks on the thighs

sweepings, projections

kicks with knees on the body with grabbing

combat on the ground, immobilizations and strangle-holds.

There is no scale of point : the winner will gain by KO, or by retirement of his adversary.
Marc Numitor and Eric Huillier fight feet-fists

Categories :

Individual :

Men

Age:

18-35 years / + 35 years

Weight:

-60kg / -65 kg / -75kg/-80 kg / -85 kg / -90 kg/+95 kg

Women

Age:

16-35 years / + 35 years

Weight:

-40 kg / -50 kg / -60 kg / -70 kg / +70 kg

The tests by team mix all the candidates over 18 years for the men, 16 years for the women.

Young Boys :

Age :

10-12 years; 12-14 years / 14-16 years / 16-18 years

Weight:

-35 kg/ -40 kg / -51 kg / -58 kg / -65 kg / -74 kg

Young Girls :

Age :

10-12 years; 12-14 years / 14-16 years

Weight:
-30 kg/ -40 kg / -50 kg / -60 kg / +60 kg

To obtain the complete rules of competition, please contact the Federation of the French
Federation of Chinese Martial Arts, (ftccg)

Tel : +33 (0)140269542

David de Lacaze, Master of the French Cup 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998
Feet-fists and Tui Shou
HISTORY OF THE QI GONG

DESCRIPTION OF THE IDEOGRAMS WHICH MAKE THE WORD QI GONG

QI (energy) and MI (uncooked rice)

GONG (work)

Uncooked Rice gives energy (ideogram of the Qi Gong)

KEY DATES OF THE HISTORY OF THE QI GONG

1) Before HAN dynasty, up to -206

Appearance of YI KING (the book of the transfers) and of the concept of 3 energies : sky /man
/earth.
2 types of training also appear at this period, Confucianist and Taoist, of which the goal is
uprightness, to preserve a good health and to increase longevity. At the origin, in the first forms
of Chinese acupuncture, the doctors used stone punches, then of bone and bamboo. Then
came the metal needles (bronze).

2) -206 to +502

Development of 3 schools of Qi Gong

- Buddhist

- Hindouist

- Taoist

The goal of the Qi Gong is then to make the man escape the cycle of reincarnations.

A doctor of the 3rd century, Hua Tuo, affirms that one can work the Qi thanks to the thought. He
formalizes the movements in order to allow a better work of energy.

3) 502 to 1911

Work concerning the Qi develops and reaches a very high level.

The Qi Gong adapts itself to the practice of the Martial Arts, in particular thanks to the practice
which is made by it in the Temple of Shaolin.

Between 585 to 910 the massages and phytotherapy appear .

Around 1106, a doctor named WANG WEI YI creates the copper mannequin or "Bronze Man ",
natural size, in order to visualize the points of acupuncture. He looks after the emperor, cures
him and this one enables him to develop his art.

Between 1102/1106, he works on tortured victims whom he dissects alive, helped by secretaries
and draughtsmen, this in order to increase his knowledge. It is around 1068 -1086 that, for the
first time, one teaches acupuncture at the university.

WANG WEI YI wrote the " Illustrated handbook of the points of acupuncture and moxibustion
according to the bronze statue ".

At the beginning of the twelfth century, General YUE FEI (dynasty of the SONG of the south)
creates XING YI QUAN.

He also develops the series of exercises of health called " the 8 parts of brocade " or BA DUAN
JIN.
He insists on the fact that thought (​YI​) must lead the breath of life (QI) and the movements.

Around 1279, CHANG SAN FENG, a hermit taoist, creates the TAIJIQUAN.

Under the MING dynasty (1368-1644), doctor YANG CHI CHOU gathers all that relates to
acupuncture and matches up the divergent sights on the subject.

At the 18th century : creation of the BAGUAQUAN, an other martial arts which uses the
principles of the Qi Gong​.

4) THE QI GONG IN CHINA TODAY

The QI GONG must make it possible to the man to be put in resonance with nature. If that is
difficult in our Western societies, that also became in the modern Chinese societies.

Nowadays, the Chinese, Japanese and extreme Eastern cultures in general carry out many
exchanges.

The vision of propagation of the Qi Gong since the advent of the People's Republic of China is
more to increase the health of the people than to obtain an opening on the universe, a more
spiritual vision.

HOW MANY FORMS OF QI GONG ARE THERE ?

There are 5 schools :

1) Medicinal School :

its goal is to reinforce health, prophylactic, and if required to look after diseases.

2) Confucianist School :

Created by Confucius at the 6th century before our era and developed by Mancius at the 4th
century before our era.

This school is characterized by three directions of work:

- knowledge

- morality

- uprightness

3) Bouddhic school :

- teaching rests on the mental drive and the release.

- the SAMADHI school which says that " everything is only illusion "

- the CHAN school (Japanese ZEN), which aims at the purification of the person.

4) Taoist school :

preaches not-to act, " WU WEI ". It has for goal to increase longevity and of living in harmony
with nature.

5) The martial arts school :

aims to the maintenance and the improvement of health, then if required to use this strength for
combat.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

OF QI GONG

COMMON POINTS OF THE VARIOUS FORMS OF QI GONG :

It should be stressed that the Qi Gong is a method which considers the human being as a
whole.
The various forms of Qi Gong are always based on the same principles.

● postures of the body

● fixing of mental attitude (concentration/meditation)
● regulation of breathing
● movement

All the exercises of Qi Gong require patience and a steady practice.

SOME PRINCIPLES OF CHINESE MEDICINE AND COSMOGONY

AT THE ORIGIN, CHAOS :

Everything starts from the primitive Chaos : the Way and its Virtue or Tao in Chinese.

WU CHI : state of being, non-energy.

YIN AND YANG :

symbol of Yin and Yang

Yin : female principle, dark side of the mountain. Negative -

Yang : male principle, illuminated side of the mountain. Positive +

JING : ​vital essence, fixed on the ovaries or the gonads, generated from ovule or sperm. It is
the home of the SHEN (the mind). It represents the potential of the external aspect of the
processes part of the fine living matter (like the synthesis and the degradation of proteins).

The most significant organs to maintain in good health for correct use of the JING are the
kidneys.

The quality of the Qi (vital energy) will depend of the use of the JING.

QI : VITAL ENERGY

The antenatal Qi​ is the mixture of the respective Qi of the father and the mother.
The health and emotional state of the parents at the time of the conception enormously
influences the Qi of the child to be born.

The postnatal Qi ​depends on several factors :

● quality of the inspired air

● quality of the eaten food
● quality of the thoughts (emotions...)
● quality of the training of the body and the mind

The Qi circulates in an optimal way through the meridian lines when the relaxation is maximum
(relaxation of the muscles, tendons, articulations). An insufficient relaxation blocks the
circulation of the Qi.

In the whole Chinese history, the common notion of Chinese medicine is that the diseases
appear when the mind is not awake.

The Thought (Yi) includes a higher form of energy which makes it possible for the Jing to
provide its functions.

The SHEN (mind) covers the functions of the consciousness, unconsciousness, and controls all
the functions of the system.

Information is collected in our environment thanks to our senses.

WEI : external, external

The thoughtless practice of the WEI (external forms) causes a dispertion of the Qi, a premature
ageing of muscular tissues and a degeneration of the individual.

NEI : internal

NEI GONG : internal training

The practice of the NEI GONG brings longevity, a wellbeing and a diffusion of energy in all the
body, until the extremities.

Exogenic factors of balance of the Qi :

● cold
● wind
● heat
● moisture
● dryness
● fire
But also way of life : for example the irregularity of wakefulness and sleep overworks the liver,
sexual excesses overwork the kidneys.

Endogenous factors of balance of the Qi :

7 emotions :

● joy
● anger
● melancholy
● obsession
● sorrow
● anxiety
● fear

The 6 sensual pleasures penetrate by the :

● eyes
● nose
● body
● ears
● tongue
● thought

The balance and the quality of all these factors determine the quality of the Qi.

Excesses of emotions affect health.

For example : anger acts on the liver, which distils blood towards the brain, sadness and the
melancholy oppresses the lungs, which causes an oxygenation of poor quality, etc...

ORGANS OF THE HUMAN BODY :

The 5 organs known as " principal " (heart, spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs) direct organs known as
" secondary ".

1) " principal " organs :

Zang organs : organs of reserve of energy

Flat organs, of Yin nature : heart, lungs, kidneys, spleen, liver, pericardium

(pericardium: " around the heart ". Membrane surrounding the heart.)

2) " secondary " organs :

FU Organs (organs of transport) : hollow internal organs, of Yang nature

- large intestine (Yang) : associated with the lungs (Yin)

- small intestine (Yang) : associated with the heart (Yin)

- stomach (Yang) : associated with the spleen (Yin)

- gall bladder (Yang) : associated with the liver (Yin)

- bladder (Yang) : associated with the kidneys (Yin)

3) Heaters :

They control the functions or systems which work out and distribute the new energies created in
the body starting from ancestral energy, energy coming from the air and that coming from food.

SANJIAO : triple heater (San=3)

Higher heater : the rib cage and lungs.

Average heater : higher part of the abdomen and the digestive organs.

Lower heater : lower part of the abdomen, organs of elimination and reproduction.

EXERCISES OF THE " 8 PIECES OF BROCADE" OR BA DUAN JIN, CREATED BY

GENERAL YUE FEI​.

These exercises, which act on Sanjiao (heaters), make the Qi circulate in the 5 principal organs
(heart, spleen, liver, kidneys, lungs) and by consequence in the secondary organs.

Each exercise has specific effects. By activating the circulation of the Qi in the organs which
need some, they make it possible to preserve, maintain or improve vitality of those, and by
consequence the health of the whole person.

There existed in the beginning 12 exercises, which were brought back to 8.

The brocade was a cloth constituted with pieces of precious silk, richly embroided with gold,
exclusively worn by the highest dignitaries of the Empire.

In the chinese symbolics, a long coat represents good health.

The use of the name of this exceptionnal coat symbolises the great value of these exercices.
These exercices are studied in detail within the Yang Sheng Qi Gong courses.

WHO PRACTISES YI QUAN?

Of course, Yi Quan concerns first of all the people who initially want to approach a complete and
thorough study of Kung Fu Wu Shu, for its applications in combat, the ​sporting competition​, the
self defense, the maintenance of the body and health by Qi Gong, but also the search of a
mental equilibrium and a certain art of living.

The practice of Yi Quan can facilitate the search for a certain spirituality, WHICH REMAINS
DESPITE EVERYTHING A PERSONAL STEP, and for which no teaching nor orientation are
approached in the teaching exempted at the National Academy of Kung Fu.

FOR WOMEN AND MEN, AT ANY AGE :

Specificities of its teaching enable Yi Quan to be studied by women and men, even for people
who never had a physical activity, and to adapt the practice of each one to his age, his
morphology and his motivations.

The ​bases of the practice​ allow the practice and the progression until a ripe age.

WOMEN AND YI QUAN :

In addition to the benefit in the field of health in general, the women appreciate the effects of the
Qi Gong in the field of the regulation of the hormonal system and the menstrual flows.

CHILDREN AND YI QUAN :

Respecting the physical integrity of the individual and privileging the long-term practice, the
teaching of Yi Quan is particularly adapted to the children. Within specific courses, the children
discover and improve the capacities of their body without endangering their physical and mental
development.

PRACTICE OF YI QUAN FOR THE OTHER SPORTS:

The practise of other martial arts benefit from the practice of Yi Quan, while preserving
advantages and respective specificities from their own practice. If you have other valid
techniques, you increase their effectiveness by applying them through the principles of Yi Quan.

Other famous sportsmen also seek an improvement of their performances by the practice of Yi
Quan. The examples are already numerous : Alain Prost (Formula 1), Bertrand Sébileau
(Winner of the 24 du Mans1998 and 1999), Laure PEDUEGNOT (6th at the Slalom World Cup
1999), Michel Prufer (champion of the launched kilometer at the Winter Olympic Games of
Albertville) and France's Team of athletics 4 X 100 meters (Marie Rose, Sangouma, Morinière,
Trouaballe).

The principles of Yi Quan are applicable to all the other sporting activities whom they increase
the efficiency, the concentration, the energy level, the recovery.
Many sporting disciplines can benefit from the use of the ​living force​ and ​explosive force​.

MARTIAL ART AT THE SERVICE OF OTHER ARTS :

The musicians often suffer from pathologies, due to the prolonged asymmetrical positions which
they adopt when they play their instrument. The painters, the sculptors, the writers, the graphic
designers, the cameramen, can also be subject to the same problems.

To correct these attitudes by the work of Yi Quan makes it possible to eliminate the
contractions, to rebalance the body by a total and natural musculation, to relieve the back and to
prevent the appearance of rheumatisms.

The comedians and the dancers will particularly appreciate the training of the displacement of
the centre of gravity, the concept of vacuum and full, as well as the development of the
sensitivity to space and the sensory field. The control of the emotions, like the stress, the stage
fright, as well as the energy work will enable them to add an new dimension to their
interpretation.

YI QUAN AND THE WORKING WORLD :

In general, all the people subjected to stress, upright or sitted prolonged stations, to noise,
nervous tiredness of working and urban environment, can very clearly increase their quality of
life as a practitioner of Yi Quan, in particular through its wellbeing aspect, the QI GONG.

THE POSTURE OF THE TREE (FOR THE ART OF COMBAT)

In Chinese, it is called Cheng Bao Zhuang which means: standing, palms facing you, hold a ball. In the traditional
order, this posture succeeds the posture "hold and press on the board".

Here is the instruction for beginner (e):

As with all postures, we regulate the body (placement) and the mind ( ​yi, intention, thought​ ).

Regulate the body

The parallel feet are separated from the width of the shoulders; the big
toes are vertical to the shoulder joints. The weight is distributed on both feet. The knees are bent, but the patella
does not extend beyond the vertical of the big toe, and press inward.
The pelvis is returned, the column and the nape stand up pushing on the soles of the feet and the top of the skull.
The mouth is ajar, the teeth are not tight, the tongue is placed naturally in the mouth (that is to say, it does not
stick to the palate). A smile sketch will help the muscles of the face and neck to stay relaxed.
With the chin slightly tucked in, one is standing pushing on the soles of the feet as well as on the top of the skull,
imagining being suspended by this one by a fine thread hanging in the sky.
The upper back is slightly rounded and the chest tucked in, so as to erase the bones of the shoulder blades.
The hands are positioned facing the shoulders, palms facing you, the index finger at the mouth, fingers spread.
The distance between the hands is three fists and the distance between them is not more than thirty centimeters.
Finally, the wrists are taller than the shoulders and elbows lower than the shoulders.

Regulate the mind (yi, thought, intention)

Here is the thought (yi) that animates the posture for beginners:

Immersed in the water to the chest, I feel the resistance of the water all around me. I hold a cylindrical ball that
goes from hand to foot and follows all the curves of the body.
From this equilibrium situation (from an imaginary center), I start shooting the ball backwards with the whole
body, without moving my hands, and then I come back to the middle as if pulled by an elastic band.
In the next movement, I push the ball forward in the same conditions and I come back in the middle, always with
the feeling of elasticity. Then, imagining that I "uproot" the ball, I lean to the left then the right, I come back in the
middle. Then I "uproot" the ball up again (with a push of the feet that sink into the ground) and finally I "replant"
the ball before returning to the original position.
All these movements are generated by the soles of the feet that cling to the ground and then crash, accompanied
by the pelvis and the neck.

The goal is to acquire ​the Hun Yuan Li or the "multi-directional force for combat"​ or internal energy Nei Jin, as
described by the ancient masters. The main feature of this force is to have great strength and density in all
directions (back, front, right, left, up, down and spiral) and to be accompanied by a feeling of lightness. It is
contradictory and paradoxical: when the body pulls back, the tips of the feet cling to the ground, knees and wrists
are moving forward. When the body leans to the right, it also stretches to the left. When you go up, your feet
crash on the ground.

In order to achieve this, we use "micromovements", almost imperceptible, which are generated by an intention
that controls the nervous and peripheral system which, in turn, controls the muscles.
Successively, we go through phases of relaxation (Chinese Song) and phases of tonicity (jin) muscle.

The rhythm of the movements:

For the beginner, the rhythm of the succession of movements towards the six directions is slow, a little jerky,
interrupted by intervals of rest: this is due to the absence of relaxation, flexibility and the execution in separate
order of directions. After a hundred hours of training, the combination of forces and the acquired flexibility make
the movement elastic and more and more rapid, to become a vibration.

The amplitude of the movements:

It depends on the level reached. Initially, it is long, almost a few millimeters.
In the long run, it is of the order of less than one millimeter.

Sensation :
We can describe what we feel during the practice of posture. To be explicit: if you take a bottle half full of water,
that it is held horizontally by swaying the liquid from one end to the other of the bottle, in an uninterrupted
movement, this movement water creates a quantitative sensation of elasticity, flexibility and density. Now, if we
make the same movement but in a shorter and faster time, then the sensations of heaviness and explosion
appear. This perception is identical to that which one experiences during the practice of the postures.
The time to spend:
A novice begins practicing almost ten minutes to progressively seventy minutes in a row.
Staying on the same posture for a long time is crucial.
The goal of postural work is the creation of Hun Yuan Li. Now it is with the repetition of movement that it is
acquired. The multi-resistance and density of Hun Yuan Li depend on the number and quality of repetitions. As
the placement of the posture can be long, and often deviant, once installed, there is an interest to keep it for a
long time. The frequency of the practice in the week also depends on the goals to be achieved and the personal
motivation. As in any activity, a good regularity gives good results. For the most persevering, a day off per week
is recommended.

When are the results?

It is helpful to cut short the idea that ​Zhan Zhuang (standing posture) takes​ decades to become effective. Like
any practice, a few semesters are enough to understand how to practice. On the other hand, the harmony and
coordination between the mind (Yi, intention) and the body (innervation of the nervous system network, quality of
movements, density of resistance), do not cease to improve until an age advanced.

Breathing:

No special attention is paid to how to breathe. As the practice

progresses, the shoulders, chest, intercostal muscles and diaphragm relax. Breathing, which at first tends to
clumsily accompany directions, becomes low, at the level of the lower abdomen. It is of type called "normal" (the
belly swells during the inspiration): deep and regular and it does not accelerate.

The confirmed practitioner will​ ​replace the ball with a tree.

The thought of holding a balloon guides the realization of movements. If one starts to grow a tree from the
beginning, the person will be hard, contracted; it will lack elasticity and speed and especially will have pains
especially in the back and shoulders, at the risk of being discouraged or to never succeed in feeling and possess
Hun Yuan Li.

The posture Cheng Bao Zhuang has several variants. The position of the body is the same but the hands can be
placed from the level of the lower abdomen to the mouth.

YI: THE INTENTION

Chinese cosmology believes that the heart (Xin) is the basis of generosity and decision.
His emanation is the spirit (Shen) that organizes. Intention (Yi) puts the means to reach a goal. The vital breath
(Qi, energy) manifests itself and the body acts.
Everyone in his field can ​put the intention to his service​ .
Here is the ​path of practice of the martial art of Yi Quan: a deep desire from the heart propels us: "I want to be in
good health and to become powerful while reaching the serenity". So, I have time and I make myself available.
My mind, which allows me to take information about my environment, controls the setting up of the body and
brings out mental images. Intention uses these images to animate and fill movements. The energy manifested is
characterized by a ​multidirectional force​ that invades the body that then runs.
HOW IT WORKS ?
In the Martial Art of Yi Quan, thinking of an action, for example driving a ball into the water, will bring to the body
all the resistance and pressure that one encounters in the reality of the act.
And yet, no muscle strength is required. Moreover, if we observe the practitioner during this action, we gradually
see its physical change: its muscle mass becomes very dense while appearing relaxed and flexible.
Any sport practice does not change the number of muscle fibers of individuals. Above a certain level, increasing
their volume can not change performance. Only the quality of nerve cell transmission improves the reaction time.
In addition, the enlargement of the network of cells of the central and peripheral nervous system causes the
muscle groups to react together and highlight the homogeneity of the body accompanied by a relaxation and a
high density. This obedience of the muscles to what we think promotes reactivity and makes an explosion appear
during movements or strikes.
 The application of this total force, at the moment of the
striking, is decided by the skill of the nephew system which controls the muscular fibers and which is itself guided
by the mind and the intention (Yi).
The greater the control, the better the explosion of force on the keystroke.
It is a very delicate step to be able to think and feel the force at the same time manifest in your hands.
How is it possible ?
Thought controls the central nervous system which, in turn, controls the contraction of muscles, blood vessels
and capillaries, energizes and multiplies all nerve endings.
A concrete example
I hold an object and pull it towards me. In this case, I mobilize the fibers of two or three muscle groups that will
quickly arrive at the peak of their possibilities. We also know that every ten years, 8 to 10% of the muscles
become fat.
In a second case, I think that I evolve in a viscous matter, perhaps of the melee. I also think that I hold the object
and I make the movement by pulling it towards me by mobilizing the whole body, which meets a resistance due to
the melee. Thinking, feeling every millimeter of my body energizes and develops the network of the central and
peripheral nervous system. This will result in total body strength, elasticity, density and multidirectional resistance.
This is what every martial artist is looking for. The benefits are huge. The distribution of effort saves fatigue.
Training brings forth a hidden force within that is different from the brute force that each man has at birth. The
widening of the network of the central and peripheral nervous system may continue beyond the forties when any
progress produced by the training of the first type seems illusory.
The arrival of the force begins with the feet, which play a role of pump, to go towards the hands.
The search for the punching force in Yi Quan goes through the highlighting of the Yi through all stages of training.
The practitioner becomes able to produce a vibratory and multidirectional force in a ​position of apparent
immobility (Zhan Zhuang)​ , in ​slow and soft movement (Shi Li)​ or even ​explosive (Fa Li)​ .
The body then becomes like a spring. The changes of direction of the forces and displacement are tested during
Tui Shou​ and the ​free fight (San Shou​ or Sanda).
During the posturing stages and Shi Li, the inner strength reaches the hands. There are certain phenomena: the
forearms and fingers perspire more than the rest of the body without the heart rate rising.
"Use the form to capture the intention, use the intention to reveal the form. ​Intention arises from form,
form follows intent, strength comes from the mind, form obeys the mind. "
In the teaching of Yi Quan we learn:
1) Not to use brute force but intention
2) When the intention (Yi) arrives, the force (Li) manifests itself
3) That Yi and Li are inseparable
THE ROLE OF THE INSTRUCTOR

It goes without saying that all this is only possible if the ​instructor knows and teaches the advanced level of the
exercises, which, while keeping practically the same external form, evolve substantially in density according to
the intention (Yi) that the 'we use.
YI AND MUSCULATION

Any physical activity that excessively develops a muscle group makes it contracted.
This is the case, for example, tractions or pumps that develop triceps, pecs, trapezius and deltoids, etc ...
The contraction prevents the true inner force from moving towards the hands, because it prevents the free and
fast interconnection of the network of nerve endings and hinders the transmutation of muscle tone into relaxation.
YI OR QI?
Traditional Chinese science considers that Qi is the universal principle underlying all that is animate, inanimate,
even invisible. It is used to express various concepts. For example, we speak of "vital breath" in traditional
medicine, "energy" in the martial arts, but also in calligraphy and painting. It is said in the case of appearance of
fever blisters that the Qi is very hot. The breath of breath is called Qi. The experts in Qi Gong describe as
manifestations of Qi sensations such as the perception of heat, tingling, yawning ...
Depending on the context, a specific training is dedicated to him.
In Yi Quan, we train Yi and not Qi. There is no direct work on Qi. The intention instantly passes through the body
via the action of the nervous system on the muscles. Qi moves much more slowly than Yi and Qi exercises, such
as different types of breathing with or without visualization, slow down the manifestation of force towards the
extremities. In the same way, any demonstration of type breaks or cashing of blows on the body require a time of
mobilization of the Qi. Therefore, these trainings are ineffective in the case of a real confrontation.

THE MULTIDIRECTIONAL FORCE FOR FIGHTING - HUN YUAN LI

 HUN YUAN LI: IT IS INTERNAL ENERGY

The ​practice of Yi Quan develops the " multi-directional force for combat" or HUN YUAN LI. This force is
different from the so-called "brute force" that each person naturally possesses. This is the contradictory force put
into play during the posture and Shi Li that creates the whole body's participation in the movement. It is
multi-directional, of great density and elasticity. The gestures of attack or defense only make this force. ​The
breathing remains natural and is regulated like that of a logger who cuts the wood or that which one uses while
feeding.
Each person, according to his own morphological and mental data, develops his own Hun ​Yuan Li ​. We can then
speak of a Martial Art because, like all artists (painters, musicians, etc ...), we create alone something that we use
either to reinforce the health and the well-being, or for the fight .

This force created by the participation of the whole body in movement, guided by the intention and by the
incessant transmutation of the muscular tonicity in decontraction, is the famous internal energy (Nei Jing),
so much described by the old masters.
Unlike brute force, Hun Yuan Li ​is available at any time without concentration and can be used without much
apparent effort.
The ​Shi Li, the moving Mo Ca Bu, the outflows Fa Li and the principles of "adhere, stick, connect and follow" , can
not be well applied without a total relaxation. Relaxation develops the sensitivity and responsiveness of the body.
The body relaxes by a correct concentration. This is part of the work of rooting postures, which are animated by
thoughts (mental images, eg: holding a balloon) corresponding. Relaxation that invades the central nervous
system brings flexibility and elasticity to the joints and muscles and generates agility and speed.
 This is how the ​"multi-directional force
for combat"​ is created. ​It is a force both
heavy or light at will, elastic and
compact.​ It is similar to a rubber hose
from which water flows. He is neither stiff
nor limp. He is alive, elastic. The creation
of this force makes the touch of the
epidermis more receptive and the
transformation of the strength of the
adversary is obtained more easily. It is
this work which makes it possible to apply
the explosive force to all the combat
techniques, thus multiplying their
efficiency.
Hun Yuan Li meets the quest of any
martial arts practitioner: it instantly
adapts to conditions that change
constantly.
Opposite: representative notion of the
multi-directional force.

PUNCHING
The results of the postural work of Shi Li and Fa Li ​(rooting, relaxation, homogeneity of the body (Zheng Ti),
flexibility and elasticity in the execution, absence of apparent muscular contraction and concentration of the whole
force in the hands)​ characterize the punches of the art of Yi Quan.
There are four types of punches. In the learning order:

● direct (Zhi Quan),

● uppercut (Zuan Quan),
● diving (Zai Quan),
● hook (Heng Quan) which is a variant of the diving.

& &

Direct punches Uppercut

THE GUARD OF YI QUAN

The guard of Yi Quan

Ilias Calimintzos on guard against

Master Cui

STEPS IN LEARNING
 In the facial position, it is taught how to
pivot the shoulders while the head
remains motionless and frontal. The
practitioner turns his shoulders around
a vertical axis ​(see educational
photos for the direct punch)​ . Once
the movement is integrated, the direct
punch is executed in the face position
and then in the combat position, the
front arm first, slowly. On the spot and
on the move, then follow the sequence
of the two arms.
The movements are practiced for a
long time in a vacuum, then on a
punching bag and then on a target. At
each punch corresponds an
educational pivot of the shoulders. At
the confirmed level, there are various
types of sequences on the spot and in
linear or circular movements, in the
vacuum, bag or target.

SOME EDUCATION FOR LEARNING PUNCHINGS

Educational for the direct Educational for uppercut

punch
 Educational for the plunging punch

CHARACTERISTICS COMMON TO THE PUNCH

In the face or
fighting position,
the feet always stay
in contact with the
ground. The heels
are "empty", the
tight knees are
fixed, do not "float"
and are vertical to
the big toes. The
sole of the foot is
rooted and the
region of the
kidneys gives the
impetus. The
shoulders are low
and relaxed and
their joints open
("take off"), their
pivot is essential.
The elbows are
half-bent and the
casual fists contract
only at the moment
of impact. The top
of the skull
stubbornly pushes
upwards by forcing
the feet to cling
 better, cling to the
ground. The visual
image of a Yi Quan
practitioner who
trains with punches
is: flexibility,
elasticity and
density.

KICKS

Traditionally, the focus is on five types of kicks:

● direct,
● lateral lateral,
● internal side,
● circular,
● crushing.

The application of these kicks requires an elastic force at the hip and a sustained attention to the development of
the contradictory force "up-down".

Training is done first in a vacuum and then on a punching bag, bear paws and other targets.
 Inner side Outside side Circular

What is Yi Quan’s Hun Yuan Li?

When I was first interested in Yi Quan, I heard a lot about this fundamental concept in the style
known as Hun Yuan Li. There wasn’t much information on what exactly it was (in English at least),
so my understanding of Yi Quan had a major gap in it. I've since come to study Yi Quan with a good
teacher and have found out ​much​ more about the style. In this post I’ll try to explain the experience
of Hun Yuan Li based on my limited understanding after training in Yi Quan for 6 months. Obviously
the more advanced you are as a practitioner, the more profound your understanding of Hun Yuan Li
is.
Hun Yuan Li literally translates to “all-round force” and is a feeling cultivated through the various
practices in Yi Quan. It is the basis for power generation. I believe Hun Yuan Li is actually distinctive
of Yi Quan, although other styles may indirectly refer to it. Hun Yuan Li is essentially what Wang
Xiang Zhai, the founder of Yi Quan, believed was missing from other internal martial art curriculums.
He was critical of how other internal styles of his time often placed too much emphasis on outward
form rather than yi or intention (hence the name Yi Quan/intention fist). Intention is where Hun Yuan
Li comes from.

Hun Yuan Li is first felt in Zhan Zhuang, the unique standing practice of Yi Quan. Zhan Zhuang is
basically standing in a certain posture and using intention to fulfill various criteria. Many of the
criteria are feelings of opposing force, where you imagine parts of your body pulling and being pulled
in various directions. Zhan Zhuang is applying this idea of opposing forces in a static position. You
stand and use your mind to make the intention of moving in opposing directions (for an example, in
this posture​ you imagine your elbows being pulled outward while the tips of your fingers are
simultaneously pulled towards each other. This creates a left-and-right force in your arms). By doing
this for every body part and in every direction (up, down, left, right, forward, and backwards), you
create a feeling that your body is expanding in a round manner (hence all-round force). This feeling
is Hun Yuan Li.

The more evenly and strongly you can have your intention be split in the six directions, the stronger
your Hun Yuan Li will be. Once Hun Yuan Li is first felt in Zhan Zhuang, it must be applied to every
other practice in Yi Quan, so that you can ultimately move freely while maintaining this
ever-expanding force. My understanding is that having an evenly expanded body is like being a
well-inflated ball. If you hit it, it will bounce back. If the ball isn't inflated well or if it is some other
shape, it will not bounce back. The idea of "bouncing back" means allowing your body to be pressed
into the ground and then rebounding the pressing force into your opponent. This is essentially how
power is generated in Yi Quan. There are more things involved to successfully generate force than
just Hun Yuan Li, but that's the main part.

I hope this explains Hun Yuan Li for anyone curious, and clarifies how Yi Quan and other internal
styles work. Again, this is a basic explanation based on my experience - there's a lot of stuff I haven't
touched on because I haven't reached an advanced level. And there are obviously more details
about Hun Yuan Li and Yi Quan that I just haven't written because it might confuse people/I don't
know how many of you are actually interested, but if anyone has any questions I'd be glad to try and
answer