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III.Training characteristics of Ma's Tongbei Twelve Dashou

Outline-based, step by step

The ancients attached importance to the relationship between the outline and the purpose of things; the outline refers to the general essence of things. As "Xunzi – Persuasion to Learn" (荀子·劝学篇) mentions, "Rites are the great division of the law and the outline of the class."[5] Purpose means the regulations. Ming dynasty He Jingming "gift to Mr. Xiang preface" (明何景明《赠向先生序》): "The rule of the gentleman also, set its outline, and have its purpose, the public opinion of the people to keep it." The Twelve Dashou, Bazhen Quan, and Pigua Quan are the outlines of the physical techniques of Ma's Tongbei martial arts, as they integrate the main forces of Pigua, Baji, and Fanzi, and the forces of these classical styles have been integrated and refined into the "Tongbei Jing" with the characteristics of Tongbei. The outline unifies the purpose, so the practice process must be based on the outline, supplemented by the purpose, and progress step by step. The standardized and systematic training concept, represented by the Twelve Dashou, is formed by the gradual learning and training pattern of fixed position, fixed step, and live step. The training paradigm generally starts with single, combination, half, and full sets. Eventually, it requires the practitioner to be able to complete the whole set of exercises in one go based on full force. Beginners start practicing with a slow pulling frame, further perfecting the details of the movements as they master the structure of the movements and then strengthening the practice's speed, strength, and explosive power through the practice of physical fitness. Still, slow practice is not equal to the practice of "internal martial arts,” where every move and stance has to be stored. Of all the movements, the Dan Pi Shou is the most important because through it, you can practice great strength, great strength can drive little strength, but little strength is difficult to bring great strength.

The Twelve Dashou is a programmed routine that integrates these elements, such as the San Yuan Shou and the Wu Xing Quan (五星拳), and it is believed that the primary focus should be on the details rather than on the presentation of the heavy forms. So the training method should start from these movements, and then think about the various activities to rational choreography, and continue to accumulate, space we pursue the direction, distance, and control of the route. In time, we seek timing, efficiency, and rhythm. Finally, you have the opportunity to reach your goal from your heart. Practice to remind yourself to relax, only relax to control the speed, and then close to the target when the "point of impact power,” this fierce or clenched teeth burst of power, which will have the opportunity to continue to break through to achieve the "lightning fast" situation. Daily training to be more reflective, the authors have recorded the physical sensations after training Twelve Dashou, considering that the power of undulation and undulation needs to be integrated, as there is a transformation of body potential energy into kinetic energy in this movement, with coordinated spinal flexion and extension and breathing. The crouching motion of the Tong Tian Pao reflects the ups and downs; the Shen Quan should reflect the twisting and turning of the feet and the ups and downs of the crouching body. If punctuation indicates the rhythm of a martial arts routine, the comma, period, and exclamation mark should be more explicit, mainly showing the pause and turn, with a break in each trip. Actively pursue the development of strength, stance, and structure in parallel.

Practice Keys

Learning and then thinking, thinking, and then learning is the critical way to practice Ma's Tong Bei martial arts; the following will be combined with daily practical experience to sort out the details of the movements of the Twelve Dashou.

1. The lunge of the lower leg of the Dan Pi Shou must have the palm of the foot on the ground, the straightened leg must be stirred straight, the spine is straight as a bow, and a straight swinging arm should eventually fall to the outside of the calf, the other hand protects the side of the ear, and the component is as close to the body as possible when rolling. Throw your arms forward as far as you can, stretching your shoulders while keeping your torso and back stirrup legs straight.

2. The Tie Sao Zhou: practitioners pay attention to the lower limbs into the meridian step; the back foot is horizontal, the front foot is slightly vertical, the force is generated with the waist, and the arm is released long, and the force reaches the palm externally.

3. The Chan E Shou: practitioners pay attention to Swallow and Spit and aggregation and divergence, hip joint lock, rely on lumbar spine rotation drive the arm, a palm from the forehead out, the other arm stick to the body from the bottom to the straight back swing. Finally, the front and rear hands and shoulders form a straight line, the two palms face in both directions, the vertical circle formed by the rolling arms should be as close to the body as possible, the twisting and turning of the feet and the stamina of the torso aggregation and divergence to form a combined force that runs through to the palms.

4. Shen Quan inserted in the face down, rolling arm throwing fist should be close to the body, the back foot stomping and twisting, the body to form a combined force, through the rotation of the fist thrown forward. The lower insertion is from the chest to the navel, not the drilling fist. The footwork can take a different step: twist and turn vertically and horizontally, undulate, and pass through.

5. Tong Tian Pao movement, essential lower limbs twist and turn, giant stride crouching body to throw a fist, fist center slightly oblique.

6. Dang Tou Pao movement, one hand wrapped around the beard, one hand straight fist, wrapped around the beard after the fist by the elbow driven to the forehead.

7. Ban Luan Zhou movement, finger up to hit down, often practiced in conjunction with the Shen Quan, with the fingers up but not over the head and the fingers down at the crotch, turning the arm on the elbow as the axis.

8. Shuang Guo Shou movement, hitting with a slap, its power like flinging or chopping, pursuing the effect of the long gripping cold draw.

9. Quan Lan Chui movement, the feet twist and turn to flash left and right, and lean on the waist to launch a horizontal swinging fist.

10. Bei Hou Zhou movement, slowly pull the frame, the force reaches the elbow, the momentum is like opening the bow, straight and stretching.

11. Die Shou Zhan movement, sopped up like a rag, sealing the seal and covering the eyes.

12. Pi Shan Zhang movement, twist the feet, twist the waist and turn the hips, and chop down from the head to the chest.

The practice of martial arts is not only focused on the movements; the control of the curvature and straightness of the route should be as precise as possible. The most significant difference between Ma's Tong Bei martial arts and other styles is that it emphasizes the pursuit of "punching without knowing" and "swiftly,” emphasizing "speed" and developing the courage to " If you get the art, you will try the enemy" and the value of practical learning based on speed. Emphasis is placed on the concept of "winning with speed,” and any "overcoming strength with flexibility" or "controlling speed with slowness" is only a tiny probability and not in line with the values of martial arts. Therefore, when practicing the Twelve Dashou, the practitioner must clarify the route and sense of direction, improve the awareness of the center line, and strengthen the speed and power, which helps the migration of the technical and combative functions of this martial art to the actual combat process.

With the mastery of the structure and details of the action, a clear sense of space and then continuously improve the rhythm of the practice of martial arts awareness. The general requirement is to start quietly, and the Wu Xing Quan from the Tong Tian Pao should be faster, fiercer, and more vicious to reach the climax of the whole routine. Finally, the back elbow starts to slow down the rhythm, and the closing momentum is slow and steady. In summary, the practice of the Twelve Dashou requires following the structure first and then the details, the key points first, and then the problematic points, from mastering the route and direction to practicing the rhythm and finally stylizing the style.

Training Purpose

There are two types of training: single training can be divided into two ways: fixed number of steps and flexible changes in the number of steps, while the series training can arrange and combine different movements, plus changes in footwork, which shows the diversity and flexibility of its training methods. Professor Ma Lianzhen points out that "Ma's Tong Bei martial arts as a system, learning will naturally have a corresponding entry point and starting point. It is customary to use the Twelve Dashou for the initial teaching, one to solve the most basic horizontal and vertical problems, and the other to find a clear sense of 'Tong Bei Jing' at the point of learning". Different forms of exercises can improve the practitioner's coordination, expression of strength and rhythm of movement. Since its creation is guided by the idea of "Integrate communication and preparation (融通兼备)”, its movement symbols and their meaning can also contribute to the practitioner's daily behavior.

It is one of the training purposes of the Twelve Dashou to practice live body techniques with routines and put them in the service of actual combat. The technical combat value of Tongbei Twelve Dashou is mainly reflected in the cultivation of tactical thinking and the application of competitive events such as Sanshou and Duanbing (Chinese Sword Confrontation) as a carrier.[7] The practice of Twelve Dashou can improve the sense of time and space during actual combat. In the case of the Tong Tian Pao, for example, the twisting of the feet makes the body change direction quickly, followed by a big step down and a crouching punch, which also has the connotation of a dodge counterattack. Other scholars have suggested that the Twelve Dashou can be used as a traditional martial arts quality training method to improve the training effect of Duanbing.[8] In addition to the training of the Twelve Dashou as a means to achieve skill and physical fitness, the pursuit of the value of "ideal understanding, body and use, and the ability to prepare for the whole world" is the ultimate goal for the students of Tongbei. Wang Guowei once said, "Take the physical objects underground and the relics on paper to interpret each other's evidence, take the old books of foreigners and the old books of our country to complement each other's evidence, and take the foreign concepts and the inherent materials to refer to each other's evidence.” Qi Baishi once said, " Those who learn my ideas will live better; those who imitate me will die." Professors Ma Mingda and Ma Lianzhen taught at the Jian Gong Academy; they often reminded their students that they should absorb the positive elements, integrate them, and "Seeking Access" through connection and dialectical thinking rather than just imitating. Therefore, the training of the Twelve Dashou is not simply a matter of mastering the technical movements but of understanding the inner rationale, including the characteristics of the Tong Bei Jing and the values of Ma's Tong Bei martial arts, through repeated physical practice. With an open mind, Tong Bei Martial Arts insists on the concept of "practicing all styles of martial arts together,” ultimately guiding practitioners to realize the humanistic value of Chinese martial arts. This cognitive process from technology to " truth " is the author's personal experience of Ma's Tongbei Twelve Dashou, and the inner philosophy is also transformed between "knowledge" and "action.”

IV. The humanistic and educational value of Ma's Tongbei Twelve Dashou

As one of the "Beginner's Gate to the Art" elements for practitioners of Ma's Tong Bei martial arts, the Twelve Dashou, although expressed in physical movements, has a unique humanistic value, as it aims to serve the growth of personality and ultimate care.

From the level of "knowledge," Ma's Tongbei Twelve Hands is a substantial achievement based on the preservation of the achievements of the predecessors and the repeated practice and realization of the inheritors, Professor Ma Mingda and Professor Ma Lianzhen. It is mainly orthogonal in its creation, with individual movements simple to learn and multiple activities in series, giving unlimited room for breakthroughs for different practitioners. In the practice process, it is necessary to take the idea of "understanding and to use" as a guide, to be aware of the cultural origins of martial art, and to put enough effort into physical practice.

On the level of "emotion," Ma's Tong Bei Twelve Dashou is the result of the efforts of several generations. It is very precious that this type of martial art, passed down by physical movement symbols, is still preserved today. The humanistic sentiment touches on the interdependent emotional connection between people and culture. In addition, through the preparation of Twelve Dashou in the overall layout of the back and forth, while taking into account the left and right sides to ensure a sense of fullness and artistry of the form.[3] From the quiet and peaceful start of the Twelve Dashou to the more and more fast and furious of the Tong Tian Pao, the process of point collision and force is the emotion released by the individual through the nerve-muscle regulation and the expression of the body movement, coupled with the characteristics of Tongbei's wide aggregation and divergence movement, it reflects the beauty of movement and rhythm.

From the level of  "meaning", the training mode of Ma's Tong Bei Twelve Dashou is a process of "dripping water through stone", from single movements to the arrangement and combination of multiple movements, from sectional practice to the practice of one breath. As the saying goes, “the accumulation of earth into a mountain, the wind and rain rise. Accumulated water into the abyss, the dragon is born” the human mind is also sharpened with simple action to complex action, from the rules to self-mastery of the rhythm of the process.

In terms of "practice,” it refers to transforming the practitioner's perception of the value of the Twelve Dashou into practice. The Twelve Dashou has its corresponding technical value. Because its strength characteristics are similar to those of actual combat, it can be used as an auxiliary training tool for short and long arms, reflecting the "practical learning" characteristic of Ma's Tongbei martial arts. Let's compare it to a mold from the beginning. It instills in every practitioner's daily life the attributes of the Tong Bei technique of "mind and body regularity,” helping the practitioner to actively pursue positive thoughts and a healthy body posture in daily practice.

V. Conclusion

Ma's Tongbei Twelve Fighters is the mother martial arts of the Tongbei martial arts system, which is created by fully absorbing the technical essence of such martial arts styles as Pigua, Baji, and Fanzi, which reflects the value of Ma's Tongbei martial arts of integrating communication and preparation. The training characteristics emphasize training the basic movements in a disciplined manner first, correcting the details after mastering the framework structure of the style, and pursuing the rhythm and individual performance style. It has a unique value of humanistic edification and requires that practitioners should unite knowledge and action. Consistent practice helps them to break through in the aspects of knowing, feeling, and acting. The Twelve Dashou is one of the essential elements of the technical system of Ma's Tongbei martial arts, and their creative ideas and strength characteristics all reflect the pursuit of the value of "integrate communication and preparation" of Ma's Tongbei martial arts. The contemporary Ma's Tong Bei martial arts education is based on nurturing people; it serves the growth of personality and ultimate care by spreading the historical facts of classical martial arts and translating them into physical practice.