coco
05-03-2006, 10:48 PM
Breath Regulation (动功练气法旨要)
_________ Abstract from traditional shaolin fist
By the term "consecutive respiration" (or "uninterrupted respiration") is meant that an inhalation is followed with a pause by an exhalation. To exercise breath regulation, a gongfu practitioner has to rise early in the morning, go outdoors composed and calm, face the rising sun, and practice breath regulation by first inhaling three times in succession, And then he swallows all the inhaled fresh air by pushing it with his tongue toward his pharynx. Every mouthful of the fresh air he has inhaled would be conveyed into the "elixir field" in his abdomen, where the inhaled air would be directed not only upward to the acupopint of "baihui" but also downward to the acupopint of "yongquan”. He has to practice such a breath regulation exercise for a long period until in the course of such an exercise he can be definitely aware of the circulation of the inhaled fresh air in his whole body, until he can hear a faint rumble emitting from his viscera when the inhaled air travels through them, and until all the joints in his limbs can be heard to give forth low and yet distinct cracking sounds. Then, and only then, he can be said to have perfectly mastered the art of breath regulation, which is essential to practicing "qigong". However, during a breath regulation exercise, all his actions have to be performed at a rather slow rate, such an exercise is characterized by slowness, whereas in combatting with a pugilist his movements have to be characterized by swiftness. In a pugilistic contest the coordinated movements of limbs of a practitioner have to be in conformity with the rate, at which his breath regulation goes.
Having mastered the 3-segment method, the method of 4-out-growths, and the skill of temporary termination of the circulation of the five elements and attained the pacing proficiency in addition to the breath regulation technique, a practitioner can always emerge victorious from pugilistic matches.
_________ Abstract from traditional shaolin fist
By the term "consecutive respiration" (or "uninterrupted respiration") is meant that an inhalation is followed with a pause by an exhalation. To exercise breath regulation, a gongfu practitioner has to rise early in the morning, go outdoors composed and calm, face the rising sun, and practice breath regulation by first inhaling three times in succession, And then he swallows all the inhaled fresh air by pushing it with his tongue toward his pharynx. Every mouthful of the fresh air he has inhaled would be conveyed into the "elixir field" in his abdomen, where the inhaled air would be directed not only upward to the acupopint of "baihui" but also downward to the acupopint of "yongquan”. He has to practice such a breath regulation exercise for a long period until in the course of such an exercise he can be definitely aware of the circulation of the inhaled fresh air in his whole body, until he can hear a faint rumble emitting from his viscera when the inhaled air travels through them, and until all the joints in his limbs can be heard to give forth low and yet distinct cracking sounds. Then, and only then, he can be said to have perfectly mastered the art of breath regulation, which is essential to practicing "qigong". However, during a breath regulation exercise, all his actions have to be performed at a rather slow rate, such an exercise is characterized by slowness, whereas in combatting with a pugilist his movements have to be characterized by swiftness. In a pugilistic contest the coordinated movements of limbs of a practitioner have to be in conformity with the rate, at which his breath regulation goes.
Having mastered the 3-segment method, the method of 4-out-growths, and the skill of temporary termination of the circulation of the five elements and attained the pacing proficiency in addition to the breath regulation technique, a practitioner can always emerge victorious from pugilistic matches.