Does anyone know the significance of the number 36 in kung fu or chinese medicine/philosophy etc?
Ive heard its related to Yi Jing, but not sure how or why
Does anyone know the significance of the number 36 in kung fu or chinese medicine/philosophy etc?
Ive heard its related to Yi Jing, but not sure how or why
Multiples of 9 feature strongly in Chinese Martial arts due to the importance of 9 in Chinese philosophical thought. 36, 72, 108 all numbers you'll see constantly in Chinese martial arts.
12 animals a cycle
12x2 = 24
12x3 = 36
12x4 = 48
12x5 = 60
12x 6 = 72
12x 7 = 84
12 x 8 = 96
12x 9 = 108
so when you compile your forms or routines
you set your basic 4 or basic 12 moves
then vary them or derive more from them.
you then have 24 postures
48 postures
and 108 postures
etc etc.
9 is the significance.
9 is the highest number.
multiples of it are given the attributes of the original.
9x1=9
9x2=18
9x3=27
9x4=36
9x5=45
9x6=54
9x7=63
9x8=72
9x9=81
read the results left number descending right number ascending.
why it's a mathematical cats cradle! lol.
Kung Fu is good for you.
For some of us:
36 (6+3 = 9) = HEAVEN
72 (7+2= 9)= Earth
108 (8+1 = 9) = the sum of the first two numbers for "Association"
9 breaks down to 3
The alleged origin can be borrowed from the Chinese notion that there are 36 celestial Gods.... and 72 terrestial baneful (fatal) influences.
Last edited by hskwarrior; 01-02-2012 at 10:47 AM.
Hung Sing Boyz, we gottit on lock down
when he's around quick to ground and pound a clown
Bruh we thought you knew better
when it comes to head huntin, ain't no one can do it better
This is a great question or great timing...had a similar question...
What about the number 5? 5 animal styles, 5 demon bag..etc
"if its ok for shaolin wuseng to break his vow then its ok for me to sneak behind your house at 3 in the morning and bang your dog if buddha is in your heart then its ok"-Bawang
"I get what you have said in the past, but we are not intuitive fighters. As instinctive fighters, we can chuck spears and claw and bite. We are not instinctively god at punching or kicking."-Drake
"Princess? LMAO hammer you are such a pr^t"-Frost
of course bro.....but 9 still breaks down to 3, right?Hey Frank, for your noodle, in my post, add all the single digits in the resulting numbers from the multiplication. they all = 9
Hung Sing Boyz, we gottit on lock down
when he's around quick to ground and pound a clown
Bruh we thought you knew better
when it comes to head huntin, ain't no one can do it better
-------------------------------------------------
I actually wrote an article on this in an old Inside King Fu issue.
The 3. 9s and multiples of nine leading upto 108
are well known in numerology and ancient Indian astronomy which went
with early Buddhism to China. At one time there were many Indian astronomers in China.
The astronomy has to do with lunar cycles, including what the Greeks called the saros cycle.
Perceptions of harmony.
A copy of the article is on my website at
<www.tempewingchun.cpm>
joy chaudhuri
There are only 9 numbers and zero.
9 breaks down by adding the last to first and next in IE 9=1+8/2+7/3+6/4+5 which is all the other single numbers.
No other number does this completely and none do it except according to where it is in the count IE: 8= 1+7/2+6/3+5 then you have to double a single to get the last one.
3 has it's significance in trinity understandings of cosmology.
Sun/Moon/Earth
Heaven/Earth/Man
Water/Land/Ether
Man/Woman/Child
Each number is given significance in all societies. Not all significant attributes from one society that ponders numbers map over to another. Otherwise, yes, they can free form be arranged and present their own anomalies to us as we do so and then we start to ascribe meaning to that.
anyway...happy new year!
2012! 20+12=32=5!
2+0+1+2=5!
5 is important this year. :-)
Kung Fu is good for you.
some people likes 6
so
6x6 = 36
---
north east west south = 4 directions
advance and retreat = 2 ways
4+ 2 = 6
etc etc
If anyone finds any more, post them here and I'll merge them in.
Gene Ching
Publisher www.KungFuMagazine.com
Author of Shaolin Trips
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Will,
In the Tanglangquan form, Luanjie, the "36 mother techniques" refer to the six characters: 剛 柔 - gāng róu (hard-soft), 陰 陽 - yīn yáng (passive-active), and 虛 實 - xū shí (void-solid/false-real). These six concepts combined with the six lines of the Yijing trigrams create the numerological formula 6 x 6 = 36.
Richard A. Tolson
https://www.patreon.com/mantismastersacademy
There are two types of Chinese martial artists. Those who can fight and those who should be teaching dance or yoga!
53 years of training, 43 years of teaching and still aiming for perfection!
Recovering Forms Junkie! Even my twelve step program has four roads!