li jiong
04-26-2001, 03:35 AM
The Right Path of Yiquan
Author: Wang Xiangzhai
Translators: Li Jiong, Timo Heikkil?
http://ssw.myrice.com/
Author's Preface
The way of combat is very difficult to express by words. The Book of Songs(1) tells about boxing and The Book of Rites about wrestling, both being at the origins of the martial arts. During the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Hua Tuo created the Five Animals Play, which captured the essence of combat. But there was a lack of practitioners, thus we cannot hear of it anymore. In the Liang dynasty (502 - 557 AD), Damo(2) came to the East, and in addition to preaching the sermon to his students, he also taught the art of training the physique, which took the strong points of the spirits of the birds and beasts and combined them with the methods of developing the marrow and changing the muscles and tendons. Thus yiquan (mind boxing), also known as xinyiquan (heart and mind boxing) was created. The disciples and followers who were well versed in this art were numerous, thus Shaolin's fame spread greatly. Later Yue Fei(3) gathered the quintessence of the various sects and combined them into the Five Skills Combined Boxing, sanshou (free combat), liaoshou (grappling and wrestling), etc. and called it xingyiquan (form and mind boxing). Later, when the country was stable and peaceful, the general mood gradually changed to appreciate learning and the civil arts, while everything martial was looked down upon. Most of the boxing experts skilled in combat brought themselves to ruin because their of their bellicosity, so the scholar-bureaucrats started advising each other to avoid the martial artists, and thus the martial arts that contained profound academic theory could not carry on through the ages. A long time passed without any change in this situation. Even if there were some people who had the Tao(4) and cherished its virtue, most of them had to hide their talents in the villages and they did not dare to be known for their martial arts. There is no doubt that this was a great pity for the students of later times. In the Qing era, the Dai brothers of the Taiyuan county were skilled in this art, but they only passed it on to Mr. Li Luoneng of the Shenxian county in Hebei province. Mr. Li Luoneng taught many students, and one to obtain his unique skills was Mr. Guo Yunshen from the same county. When teaching xingyiquan to his students, Mr. Guo had zhanzhuang (pile standing) as the basis that the beginners started from. There were many who studied from Mr. Guo, but those who could undertake his teachings completely were very few. Mr. Guo even said that the non-appropriate ones could not learn, and that the non-appropriate ones could not be taught. I am from the same village as Mr. Guo, who was a relative of mine, and there emerged a close friendship between old and young, he also liked my sagacity, so he taught this great art to me earnestly and tirelessly even when he was already old and dying. The ancient public morals have not survived in modern times; most of the students, fond of bizarre things, do not realize that Truth can be found nowhere but in the daily activities, whereas common people usually ignore it because it is so near. This is the parlance "the Tao never avoids people, however people make the Tao avoid themselves" substantiated. I do not look for fame, unlike the people of the modern times, who hasten and desire, without seeking facts, they pursue fame in vain. Those seeking money do not study and raise questions themselves, but plagiarize unwholesome old writings, just making them the instruments to make a living. With those pages full of nonsense they intentionally enter mystery; now like a mirage, an act of imagination, now like high mountains and distant waters, this all not being related and connected, so even if the students are very diligent, they are still like in a thick fog, not being able to differentiate true and false at the least bit. The common ignoramus still presume that the Tao of a sage cannot be attained. Oh! When the people seeking for money take charge of the way, how could the great Tao prosper, I ponder it over and over at midnight, deeply sighing again and again. Although I was not nimble by nature, furtively in my heart I loved the way of combat, and thus gained a direct guidance to the Truth. I have recorded most of the daily teachings of my teacher and compiled them into a book. These instructions shall benefit myself and the others too, I do not dare to be selfish, I expect the people pursuing the same things all gain the benefits of it, not just publish it without avail. That is the preface.
18th Year of The Republic of China (September 1928)
Wang Yuseng(5) of Shenxian County
http://ssw.myrice.com/23a.jpg Yiquan (http://ssw.myrice.com/)
Author: Wang Xiangzhai
Translators: Li Jiong, Timo Heikkil?
http://ssw.myrice.com/
Author's Preface
The way of combat is very difficult to express by words. The Book of Songs(1) tells about boxing and The Book of Rites about wrestling, both being at the origins of the martial arts. During the Han dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD), Hua Tuo created the Five Animals Play, which captured the essence of combat. But there was a lack of practitioners, thus we cannot hear of it anymore. In the Liang dynasty (502 - 557 AD), Damo(2) came to the East, and in addition to preaching the sermon to his students, he also taught the art of training the physique, which took the strong points of the spirits of the birds and beasts and combined them with the methods of developing the marrow and changing the muscles and tendons. Thus yiquan (mind boxing), also known as xinyiquan (heart and mind boxing) was created. The disciples and followers who were well versed in this art were numerous, thus Shaolin's fame spread greatly. Later Yue Fei(3) gathered the quintessence of the various sects and combined them into the Five Skills Combined Boxing, sanshou (free combat), liaoshou (grappling and wrestling), etc. and called it xingyiquan (form and mind boxing). Later, when the country was stable and peaceful, the general mood gradually changed to appreciate learning and the civil arts, while everything martial was looked down upon. Most of the boxing experts skilled in combat brought themselves to ruin because their of their bellicosity, so the scholar-bureaucrats started advising each other to avoid the martial artists, and thus the martial arts that contained profound academic theory could not carry on through the ages. A long time passed without any change in this situation. Even if there were some people who had the Tao(4) and cherished its virtue, most of them had to hide their talents in the villages and they did not dare to be known for their martial arts. There is no doubt that this was a great pity for the students of later times. In the Qing era, the Dai brothers of the Taiyuan county were skilled in this art, but they only passed it on to Mr. Li Luoneng of the Shenxian county in Hebei province. Mr. Li Luoneng taught many students, and one to obtain his unique skills was Mr. Guo Yunshen from the same county. When teaching xingyiquan to his students, Mr. Guo had zhanzhuang (pile standing) as the basis that the beginners started from. There were many who studied from Mr. Guo, but those who could undertake his teachings completely were very few. Mr. Guo even said that the non-appropriate ones could not learn, and that the non-appropriate ones could not be taught. I am from the same village as Mr. Guo, who was a relative of mine, and there emerged a close friendship between old and young, he also liked my sagacity, so he taught this great art to me earnestly and tirelessly even when he was already old and dying. The ancient public morals have not survived in modern times; most of the students, fond of bizarre things, do not realize that Truth can be found nowhere but in the daily activities, whereas common people usually ignore it because it is so near. This is the parlance "the Tao never avoids people, however people make the Tao avoid themselves" substantiated. I do not look for fame, unlike the people of the modern times, who hasten and desire, without seeking facts, they pursue fame in vain. Those seeking money do not study and raise questions themselves, but plagiarize unwholesome old writings, just making them the instruments to make a living. With those pages full of nonsense they intentionally enter mystery; now like a mirage, an act of imagination, now like high mountains and distant waters, this all not being related and connected, so even if the students are very diligent, they are still like in a thick fog, not being able to differentiate true and false at the least bit. The common ignoramus still presume that the Tao of a sage cannot be attained. Oh! When the people seeking for money take charge of the way, how could the great Tao prosper, I ponder it over and over at midnight, deeply sighing again and again. Although I was not nimble by nature, furtively in my heart I loved the way of combat, and thus gained a direct guidance to the Truth. I have recorded most of the daily teachings of my teacher and compiled them into a book. These instructions shall benefit myself and the others too, I do not dare to be selfish, I expect the people pursuing the same things all gain the benefits of it, not just publish it without avail. That is the preface.
18th Year of The Republic of China (September 1928)
Wang Yuseng(5) of Shenxian County
http://ssw.myrice.com/23a.jpg Yiquan (http://ssw.myrice.com/)