Free e-book on basics of Yiquan (aka Dachengquan)

[Dachengpl]

"Zhan Zhuang QIGONG" - introduction to basic methods of YIQUAN is now
available as a free e-book to download from Yiquan Academy site:
http://www.yiquan.com.pl

[Dachengpl]

Soon also another free e-book, on yiquan as a complete art (including combative side).
These e-books are just first introduction to the subject. Later 2 commercial books going much more in depth will be published - one on basic health practices of yiquan, the other concentrating specifically on training for combat.

For Yiquan Academy students (also those who participate in seminars) some more e-books, which are translations of works of yiquan founder Wang Xiangzhai and other yiquan masters, are available. Next translations in progress.

All information at http://www.yiquan.com.pl

[woliveri]

You have a typo on page 64:

"used to bee obvious"

[Dachengpl]

Thanks you!

[woliveri]

Don't thank me yet :D

Over all I would give your free doc about 1.5 out of 5 stars.

From my reading I still don't understand why I would want to practice Yiquan. There is no history (although this can be found on the web), no lineage, and no technical information (correct posture, etc). For example, the stance is described with feet pointing outward slightly but no reasons why. Why should we want the feet a shoulder width? Would a narrower/wider stance still be ok? Why?

Also, what are the benefits/dangers? Why do we need mulitiple positions? Couldn't one be enough? What is the reason for each stance. Should the fingers point to each other or palms? Why? How does standing affect the body internally? TCM definitions on this art?

etc, etc, etc.

Also, the muffled pictures are a distraction to the overall document rather than an enhancement. I would rather see clear pics so I can know if I'm holding the position correctly.

Sorry to be so critical but should you hope to sell a book on this subject you may have trouble based on this free outline.

I'm planning a trip to China next year for language studies in Shanghai. I see there's a guy in HangZhou teaching YiQuan and he's quite expensive even by US standards.

http://www.yiquando.com/

What would be the benefit of training with someone like vs someone in the park for free? These are other points you could bring out in the book.

Hope these comments help.

[Dachengpl]

Thanks for your comments. While I understand your opinion, I wouldn't make this e-book any different. Except the pictures, which will be repleced with better ones soon.

Basically this e-book is intended more like a small supplement to what we provide already (websites, Yao Chengguang's traning manuals and videos, support forum for our students etc), not kind of independent work. And there will be next ones which will discuss more aspects and more in depth.

This one is not introduction to yiquan, but to some limited part of it, which is known as zhan zhuang qigong. Limitations of the e-book are directly related to limitations of yiquan seen this way. For me yiquan is one complete thing. But unfortunately there are too many people who don't want to listen to it, and instead want to do this "zhan zhuang qigong". Usually they have quite wrong ideas about this method and yiquan. So this e-book is kind of part of explaining some bits which are often misunderstood. Especially that this is not possible to learn it really in depth while avoiding learning the combative side.

In China usually only people with really serious health problems learn it in very limited way, just because of their health problems. But in the West there appeared some tendency of "learning health part only" by people who don't really need therapy, and this way limit themselves, not being able to learn anything really. As there are many such people, there is need for a book directed to them, which would show them the subject from a bit wider perspective, but at the same time would not discourage them, by talking to much about combat.



From my reading I still don't understand why I would want to practice Yiquan.


This e-book is not about yiquan, only about part of yiquan, which some people want to learn, because they have sligthtly strange ideas.


There is no history

There is history of this 'zhan zhuang qigong'. Of course there is not detailed history of yiquan, because this is not intended for people interested in yiquan, but those who insist on learning only this limited part.


no lineage

People know it :-)


, and no technical information (correct posture, etc).

There is the information which is really necessary. You probalby expect some information which is not so important.


For example, the stance is described with feet pointing outward slightly but no reasons why. Why should we want the feet a shoulder width? Would a narrower/wider stance still be ok? Why?

From point of view of practice for health, those questions are really not important. Explaining why so, would need talking about combative aspect. Health is more like side-effect. If people insist on learning 'health part' only they will always have this kind of problems. They need to become interested in combative part to find answers to such questions.


Also, what are the benefits/dangers?

For those who are interested in 'zhan zhuang qigong' the benefit is health. And don't tell me that the book doesn't say anything about it. There is also enough about dangers ("Sensations and body reactions").


Why do we need mulitiple positions? Couldn't one be enough? What is the reason for each stance.

This is there too. Chapter 10. And in previous chapters, when the postures are being introduced. The real reasons, not what people would prefer to expect. Although of course there is not talking about this from combative perspective.


Should the fingers point to each other or palms? Why?

How is the position of fingers and palms is clear, if you read descriptions carefully. Why it is so, you understand when you see relation of these exercises to combat.


How does standing affect the body internally?

What is important is there. Maybe you expect something else, which should not be expected here.


TCM definitions on this art?

This is completely different perspective. And in the e-book there is a lot of explaining the way how it developed.


Sorry to be so critical but should you hope to sell a book on this subject you may have trouble based on this free outline.

The problem is rather that people who want read about it, expect something different from what it actually is :-)


I'm planning a trip to China next year for language studies in Shanghai. I see there's a guy in HangZhou teaching YiQuan and he's quite expensive even by US standards.
http://www.yiquando.com/
What would be the benefit of training with someone like vs someone in the park for free? These are other points you could bring out in the book.

I didn't relly intend to help with this :-)

[woliveri]

Dachengpl, thank you for your reply. You mention this quoted below. What do you mean by this?


This e-book is not about yiquan, only about part of yiquan, which some people want to learn, because they have sligthtly strange ideas.



What are slightly strange ideas?

Thank you,

[Dachengpl]

Like idea that specific zhan zhuang postures of yiquan were created to treat specific ilnesses, that construction of those postures is based on TCM theories. And many other popular ideas about zhan zhuang and yiquan which are not based on knowledge of it, but rather on rumors created by those who don't know too much.

I mean, people may have other ideas and do something differently. But now there are many people who do something quite different, while they claim to do what Wang Xiangzhai taught. And it is enough to read main works of Wang, to see, what he really tried to tell people, and how his opinions and in what directions his methods were changing gradually and why. But when you meet people who claim that they do yiquan in most cases you find, that they have no slightest idea about it (Wang's teachings), and do something rather opposite.

And there are some swindlers. They do something, and they claim some lineage. And it all works as people don't know what the teacher of such person actually teaches. But when you have access to original sources in Chinese, or meet that person's teacher, you find that the person sometimes even has no slightest idea about what his "teacher" teaches, and instead is promoting something completely different, if not opposite :-)

[woliveri]

Ok, Now I understand your position better.

Admittedly, I have no knowledge of Yiquan at all and was looking at it from my perspective which is the wuji position of Zhan Zhuang (hand at the sides).

My perspective is standing for qi building and health. Only the wuji stance. Not martial arts (at this point).

I see this position for opening channels, building qi, strengthening the body from a TCM point of view.

From this perspective, proper alignment is important. The distance the feet are apart, the orientation of the feet (toe neither in or out). Taiji principles applied.

I see this exercise as a Qigong rather than a martial art.

[Dachengpl]

BTW. While some people who claim to teach yiquan/dachengquan teach wuji zhuang, you will not find this posture in Wang Xiangzhai's (yiquan founder) works. And for example Yu Yongnian explains, that while standing for long time, hands just hanging loosely create unnecessary stress on sides of chest. He suggest experiment, stand for one hour with one hanging like in wuji,. and the other like in resting posture described in the e-book, to feel difference on both sides.

Aligment is important, but in yiquan it is related to combat. And is important more for the teaching process and not as something ultimate. Important is knowing why, but it is related to experience and understanding the combat principles.

For someone who wants to practice only a little bit for health, most of these demands are not so important. Wang Xiangzhai himeself talking about health posts used to give very vague instructions, like: hands not too far from body, and not too close, usually not much higer then eyebrows, not much lower then navel. Left hand not going to right side, right hand not going to left side. Feeling of comfort being more important here.

[Jim Roselando]

Congrat's on your E-Book!


:)


Peace,
Jim

[woliveri]

Dachengpl,

Thank you for your reply.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to dissagree with Yu Yongnian regarding the position of the hand as you mention above. It has been my findings through continued practice that, with proper alignment, as qi builds the hands are pushed outward as if a balloon was pushing them outward. The body elongates vertically and standing is comfortable/enjoyable. Also, with hands at the sides it allows for dirty qi to leave the body efficiently.

[Dachengpl]

Oh, such posture, where arms are a bit more to the side (feeling as if there were some small ballons/balls between body and arms), and are not pressing on sides of chest, we call ticha zhuang.

[woliveri]

Dachengpl,

Thank you for your reply.

Would you have a list of form names of Yiquan with chinese characters available on the web?



Based on what I see here:

http://www.yiquan-qigong.com/fotog/assets/images/db_images/db_tichazhuang1.gif

This form is a little different than what I've learned.

For example, in my practice,

1. Jianjing should be directly over Yongquan (or Yongquan will be directly under Jianjing). The stance as a result will be narrower.
2. Baihui should be directly inline with Huiyin and will come to a point between the two Yongquan points.
3. Arms relax naturally by the sides. In this pic it looks as though the arms are "held" in this position.

Other than that, It looks pretty much the same.


thank you.

[Dachengpl]

Here is our standard training program (including postures), if it helps:

http://www.yiquan.com/v3/cn/school/kecheng.htm

[woliveri]

Nice. Thanks