Question about "Cotton Fist"

[pest]

Hello everyone,

Just doing some reading recently and came across a Tai Chi article that mentions "Cotton Fist". (http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/Philosophy/Taichi/combat.html in the paragraph above "Combat Principles")

I was wondering if the mention of "Cotton Fist" from Tai Chi is related in any way to "11.The "Cotton Fist"(Mien Quan) techniques of Master Mien Shen is lightning fast." listed on Sifu Ilya Profatilov's web page.

I did a search before I posted this and didn't come up with what I was looking for. I apologise in advance if I made a mistake and this topic has already been covered.

Any info would be great :)

[bo_hou_chuan]

I can't imagine cotton fist in referance to Tai Chi being regarded as fast. I wonder if the lighting fast cotton fist is related to the style I practice?

[monkeyfoot]

Anyone ever heard of something called 'cotton belly'?

craig

[El Tejon]

Arms of iron, body of cotton, head of glass (or mush in my case). :D

[pest]

Hello,

Thanks for the replies.

Dose anyone know if Tai Chi had an impact on the creation of Praying Mantis?

Thanks

[mantis108]

Cotton Fist could be one of the many alias that Taijiquan used to be called. But not everyone can agree on that. Taijiquan, especially Chen style, doesn't not necessarily practice slow. Er Lu Pao Chui (2nd routine Cannon Fist) is a good example of that. The slow pace and large frame of Taijiquan was made famous by Yang Luchan's family. Cotten Belly is a type of Neigong (consisted of 24 postures/forms) that is within the Wu style Taiji of Cheng Tian Xiong and his uncle's lineages in HK. I am not sure if the mainland Wu style has it or not. This Neigong (Er Shi Si Shi Wun Yuan Gong) practice functions similarly to the San Hui Jiu Zhuan Huan Yang Fa of Taiji/Meihwa Tanglang although the actual methods are quite different. They are both for impact training and are most crucial and essential part of the systems.

Although some lineages of the Great Meihwa Line claims that Liang Xuexiang was an adept in TJQ; therefore, there are Taijiquan principles adopted in Tanglangquan. I personally don't believe that is true. There simply is no proof of Liang every learned or cross trained in TJQ. BTW, that IMHO is an easy way out in finding the explanation of terms in the mantis manuscripts. As for the Taiji esque theories found in the Tanglangquan manuscripts, it is rather the study of Yijing (Classics of Change) applied as pugilism. This is trend was happening to Kung Fu and finally took shape during the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644 CE). It matures during the Qing dynasty. It is of note that both the Quan (forms) and Gong (specialty training) in the original form of Tanglangquan of Liang Xuexiang have an intimate relationship to the study of Yijing. It is a highly well thought out pugilistic system. So pure Tanglang has little to nothing to do with Taijiquan other than both applied the study of Yijing IMHO.

I am in the process of writting an article on the relationship between the Yijing, Huang Di Nei Jing (Internal Classics of Yellow Emperor) and Pugilism from the Tanglang Quan perspective.

Just some thoughts...

Mantis108

[bigdoing]

cotton: the soft fiberous material found surounding the spiny superionr dorsal parts of the stem.

cotton fist = using soft reeling/yeilding action to trap the forarm of advisary then springing forward off of the limb and attacking the orbit of the eye with protruded finger techniques

[pest]

Mantis108,
Thanks for the informative responce! that clears up alot for me :)

~Pest

[mantis108]

You are most welcome.

Warm regards

Mantis108