What are the "5 bows"?

[Fu-Pow]

I think one might be the Psoas muscle. What are the others places to store energy?

Fu-Pow



"Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu does not encourage its students to abuse or harm others with no reason. Nevertheless, in times when Kung Fu must be performed, Choy Lay Fut requires the student to change from a gentleman into a fierce and cold fighter."

-Lee Koon Hung,
CLF:The Dynamic Art of Fighting

[Buddy]

Spine and limbs
Buddy

[Fu-Pow]

I am starting to think that the "spine" actually refers to the psoas muscle, which is the group of muscle that attach to the bottom of the spine.

Fu-Pow



"Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu does not encourage its students to abuse or harm others with no reason. Nevertheless, in times when Kung Fu must be performed, Choy Lay Fut requires the student to change from a gentleman into a fierce and cold fighter."

-Lee Koon Hung,
CLF:The Dynamic Art of Fighting

[Crimson Phoenix]

Hmmmm...good question...one is definitely the spine and all it's muscles...another one is the scapula, heavily used in southern style (or piqua...which is not southern LOL)...I see a third one, the arc of the legs connected to the "waist" (actually under, but I can't remember the word in english...and no, it's NOT CROTCH heheheheeh)...bagua postures store a lot of energy there, with the use of the big tendons of the quadriceps...the two others I don't know, I can only guess...shoulders (OK, this might be considered a single bow with the scapula)...geeezzzz...tough quizz!

[count]

1 palm between the finger tips and wrist
2 elbow between the wrist and shoulder
3 Knee between the hip and ankle
4 sole between the ankle and toes
5,6,7,8 the other side
9 spine between the shoulders and waist

We use these bows in either direction to apply chin na.

Count

Kabooom.com

Chi Kung International

[Braden]

Experientially, wouldn't you say that the chest/back/scapulae area between the two shoulders is a "bow"? Perhaps not in the sense of chin na, but in the sense of structure (which definitely applies for the 9 you listed, in my experience).

[Crimson Phoenix]

Braden, definitely...but on the other hand, couldn't this just be considered a portion of the big bow formed by the entire spine and sacrum?
But you're right, this spot has definitely all the caracteristics of a bow...

[count]

Anatomically perhaps, but not in the sense of a useful chin na locking part. The bows I mentioned are ones we can easily lengthen or shorten which cause pain. I can't say as I know any locks that I could apply specifically to the scapula. Technically by definition there are more parts of the body that could be isolated between 3 bending parts. 3 joints in the fingers comes to mind. In our practice of chin na we seem to focus on the bows that best for control and pain and are easily given up while moving. I have always loved this concept of the nine bows. It covers 1000's of locks AND defenses of the locks at the same time. Understanding this concept eliminates the need to learn 1000's of specific chin na applications. It always amazed me the way chin na is taught in some schools. A offers a limb, B steps this way, than grabs across here, then switches and covers here, then turns this way and applies one kind of lock. This is not practical or realistic. Maybe you can retain a few hundred different applications after a number of years but even than, you still have to practice each one, hundreds of times and even than will it work against an opponent who does not willingly offer you the limb. Once you understand the concept of the 9 bows, you can apply any kind of lock from any angle while moving. You can also defend against any kind of lock on you by using the opposite theory. What's easier, learning 458 different chin na techniques or one simple theory of lengthening or shortening the bow??

Count

Kabooom.com

Chi Kung International

[wujidude]

Two arms, two legs, and the spine.

[mantis108]

Wow, my friend, that's nice info you throw in there!

The nine bows to me are more on the line of power circuitry with switches which is to say it affects power expressions. It would seem that you are comming from a vulnerable point perspective. Now, "strong point being it's own weakness" that's the Ying/Yang paradox of the Nine Bows. I like it a lot, especially the palms (Lou Kung) and the feet (Yung Chuen). Great post.

Mantis108

Contraria Sunt Complementa

[stephenchan]

I think Fu-Pow is thinking that the spinal bow is the psoas muscle because it is somehow related to the area of the "kua".

It doesn't work that way. First off, the psoas is used to flex the pelvis/bend the thigh. When you "unbow" to issue power, the psoas can't do anything because it only generates power in the opposite direction.

If you want to see the spinal bow in action, in a very obvious way, look for pictures of Li TaiLiang doing "squatting monkey" exercises. That should make it incredibly obvious how the leg and back bows work.

--
Stephen Chan