Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Hsing-I Elements with BK Frantzis

Final Hsing-I class last night, we had a good time with a variety of exercises.


Bruce talked a bit about the training of the elements. He said to use Metal to develop Yi and concentration. Then use Water to build up your sensations to everything outside of you, as well as inside. Wood is the element you use once you find the target, by growing, penetrating and entering into it. 


We worked on a variant of the Beng Chuan follow step punch. Instead of stomping and crushing as you complete the form, your follow step pulls in and lightly sets down as you strike. This gives it a nice lifting, drifting, floating sense. The punch is as hard as ever, but it has a nuance to it that gives it some extra umph. It's ideal for when you are smothering someone with a bunch of strikes, so you are close, then you bring in the back foot and simultaneously find a nice hole in the defense to sink this soft yet dense punch right into it. Hard to describe but hard to forget once you get hit with it!

We worked on trying to recycle Beng Chuan over and over as a defense/offense, entering their space with a flurry of blows, no emotion just an overwhelming Intention to take their space. As they block and defend, more and more gaps appear.

He showed us the idea of Rending, once you make contact, twisting, crushing and dispersing the enemy's energy. When I came at him, he would contact me, then shift his body in a subtle way that would twist my attack off angle and spoil my line of force, setting up his retaliation. Not much movement required, but it doesn't work if you are scared or intimidated.

The biggest focus of the night was the Beng Chuan turn around, which is composed of a 180 turn, split in a crouched stance, then a series of Beng Chuans and forward and back cross-steps while punching. The point is to end up going the opposite direction, but it takes quite a bit of shuffling around. The turn is simple, just pivot your feet to turn 180. Then you drill up with hand and foot, take a big step and split, ending up in a forward weighted crouching stance. This is Wildcat Climbs the Tree. We worked on this for a while as a skill for chasing and running down your opponent. This step is big, long and final, your whole body weight comes into their body, hip, knee, ankle or foot as you do a big Pi Chuan. He showed us how to charge and demolish someone as they back up and try to escape. No matter how fast I ran backwards, he was all over me in a flash, he was moving really fast for a large man...

This move is followed by a series of forward and backward Beng Chuans. He showed multiple different ways of doing the turn around, and that made it pretty hard to settle on one specific way, but in the end he showed us the most regular form of doing it, which is the one we've been doing in class, and we'll stick to that.

We worked a bit on Ma Xing, the Horse Form from the 12 Animal Forms. He showed us three different ways of doing it, the first two use the zig zag stepping of Pao Chuan. One is to strike with both fists forward, elbows down as if horse hooves are chopping into the enemy. The second is the same but both hands drill out forward in upside down Tzuan Chuan strikes, he said this is like holding the reins of a horse and controlling it with the twisting of your arms. The third version is done in a straight line, striking with a front punch and high block with the back hand. This is the horse jumping over a ditch. 

Spiritual martial arts was another topic of the night. He said that he hasn't really taught that, and is not sure if there will ever be a chance to. For him, this topic is like taking martial arts and combining it with Taoist meditation, so it's at least twice as hard as regular martial arts. Take all the body training, fighting, sparring, challenge matches, street fighting, etc of martial arts and then add all the hours of meditation that pursuing spirituality requires. It's not for most people, regular martial arts is hard enough. But he did feel that many principles from this can be used by us average folks who aren't pursuing it full time.

One aspect of spiritual martial arts is that of doing good by not hurting people more than they need hurting. He said it's possible to knock sense into someone, to slay the demon inside them without killing them. We started this a little by punching each other with a sense of positive, good feeling and see if we can transfer that with our strike. I couldn't but it's certainly an interesting idea!

He talked a lot about the energies of Fear and Anger as they relate to Water and Wood. Once you get the body skill of Hsing-I you can start to use the forms to draw out emotions within your body and expose them to the light of day. Then in combat your emotions arise and again, you identify them and expose them to the light. What happens then is that they naturally complete their cycle, run out of energy and evaporate. Emotions trapped and buried eventually burst out with a huge explosion, so to prevent that use Hsing-I to let them rise to the outside and return to the field, much as a bubble rises to the top of the ocean and pops at the surface, rejoining it's natural state.

We finished by practicing as a group, and he led us through some lines of Tzuan Chuan and Beng Chuan.

He gave a lecture at the end about how Liu Hung Chieh would practice the Five Elements of Hsing-I every single day of his life, Ba Gua or Tai Chi came second. He felt that Hsing-I could keep your chi strong and keep your movements robust throughout your life.

That's it for Hsing-I stay tuned for Ba Gua Shun Shi Zhang training this weekend!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

What is Qi (Chi) and how to use it

Measuring external qi (EQ or wai qi) during qigong healing, has shown Qi had these physical effects:


1) far-infrared,
2) heat,
3) micro-pressure detectors
4) microwave radiation,
5) significant increases in wavelength to above 10 mm,
6) significant magnetic signals,
7) sound frequency lower than 16 Hz from qigong healers at different acupuncture points. (Alternative Therapies, July/Aug 2004, VOL. 10, No.4; Analytic Review of External Qi Studies, page 38-41; An Analytic Review of Studies on Measuring Effects of External Qi in China by Kevin W Chen, Ph.D., M.P.H.,University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey; World Institute for Self Healing, Inc. http://www.wishus.org <http://www.wishus.org/> ).



Kirlian photography has shown surrounding Qi as a bright radiating light. Auras will show colors and states of Qi. Many Qigong practitioners report sensations of warmth, and tingling in their hand while exercising. Most talk of Qi could be compared to five blind men describe an elephant. The first blind man leaned up against the side of the elephant and exclaimed, "An elephant is like a wall."



The second blind man felt of the legs of the elephant and said, "No, the elephant is very much like a tree trunk." The third blind man was examining the ears of the elephant and said, "The elephant is like a fan." The fourth blind man was holding the elephant's trunk in his hands and thought the elephant was much like a fire hose. The fifth blind man holding on to the elephants tail said, "The elephant feels very much like a rope."



All had a brief look at the elephant, and described it based on their own experiences yet none had the entire picture of an elephant. Features described were the subjective view of each or the real physical features of the elephant. There are many manifestations and signs of Qi, but these are not Qi. When one is full of Qi they are powerful and energetic, when low in Qi, one is tired and/or sick, when out of Qi – your dead. People can lift cars in an emergency by using Qi. Naysayers say this is because of the adrenalin. It might be argued that the muscles have moirĂ© power with Qi, but only Qi will strengthen the bones to allow the lift, without the bones breaking.



Although there are many methods for flowing Qi as in Qigong, the best description is a life force we all have, that has all the properties of water except that of wetness, so this is the Shaolin Buddhist meditation that is usually concentrated on. Perhaps description is not the best word, since this entails aspects rather than a whole or essence; as a concept or non-visual image.



Some concepts of water: our bodies are over 80% water; Holy Water which has symbolism of the human/divine living force, is no more than blessed salt water, all animals need salt to survive, and the origin of most of Earth's life comes from the salt-water ocean; most areas of spirit or psychic phenomena are near misty areas; many shamanic practices use a spray to connect, initiate, catalyze or charge a spirit, force or entity; when wave theory was being developed and tested by physicists, most of the wave models were water or fluid based; the Tao Te Ching entry on water by Lao Tzu chapter 8, The highest good is like water. Water gives life to the ten thousand things and does not strive. It flows in places men reject and so is like the Tao.



Even though water is not hard or sharp, it cuts through rocks as the rivers make valleys and the rains; and ice can support tanks and stop bullets.


The book Axe Hand; Hsing-i & Internal Strength Workout, is Traditional Chinese Internal Martial Arts with many methods for developing internal energy which have never been published before. Water meditation based Qigong, and Qi drills with and on water are employed. Watching and feeling is part of the dynamic exercises; it helps with one's own level of development, giving training insight into the internals, never articulated before. The internal energy focus of the book has many paths: hard and soft style Qigong, static and moving postures. Calming emphasis in Qi methods for energy pooling and meridian circulation. Quick projection of explosive Fa Jing in health or attack; as is used in Dim Mak and healing hands.

Wrist and fore-arm stretches to help energy flow: these can help with tendonitis, typing hands, carp-tunnel, and muscle knots; that will help the energy flow through your wrists, preventing injury and learning wrist locks as well as teaching grappling seizures and locks, and will help you transfer it more effectively; Progress, consciousness, and power are all tested objectively in meditation, Qigong, martial drills, as well as in-animate objects.

Five move Tai Chi form, Hsing I Five Elements. Standing Pole (Embrace the Moon or Hold the Ball) shifting the water and rising-expanding/sinking-contracting; Fore-arm Throw double set, dynamic drill, adjusting moving root, responsive blocking enabling the same move for offence and defense, center of Qi as it moves through oneself and the center between two people;

Hsing-i San Ti: standing and moving for Qi and Fa Jing; Workout book contains many everyday methods for internals, meditations, rooting, exercises, tests and self adjustments. Good for all backgrounds since the essence is emphasized, rather than a particular language; although words are used, it is more what is between

the words. Instruction goes from the individual's known, to his related unknown. Taught with the common ground of the 'shared lived experience'.



Internal means independent thought rather than compliance to a doctrine, having it make sense to you, in your own way: this is truly internal since its intrinsic nature is your soul. Common theme with other energy work: of removing blocks through meditation, stretching, and exercise. Traditional development of the energy and awareness before the technique as is the case in many ancient traditions. Developing and practicing the 'universal' of the Qigong, rather than the particular application. Plato talks about universal concepts such as what is in common with all chairs to make them a chair.



Some Qigong very Yang, and will heat palms, the Yang Qigong methods will not only heat the practitioner, but the entire room. 

Sunday, March 13, 2011

New Internal Energy Book

The book Axe Hand; Hsing-i Internal Strength Workout, is Traditional Chinese Internal Martial Arts with many methods for developing internal energy which have never been published before. Comments and focus of practice help with one's own level of development, giving training insight into the internals, never articulated before.


The internal energy focus of the book has many paths: hard and soft style Qigong, static and moving postures.  Calming emphasis in Qi methods for energy pooling and meridian circulation. Quick projection of explosive Fa Jing in health or attack; as is used in Dim Mak and healing hands.



Wrist and fore-arm stretches to help energy flow: these can help with tendonitis, typing hands, carp- tunnel, and muscle knots; that will help the energy flow through your wrists, preventing injury and learning wrist locks as well as teaching grappling seizures and locks, and will help you transfer it more effectively. Progress, consciousness, and power are all tested objectively in meditation, Qigong, martial drills, as well as in-animate objects. 


Five move Tai Chi form, Hsing I Five Elements. Standing Pole (Embrace the Moon or Hold the Ball) shifting the water and rising-expanding/sinking-contracting; Fore-arm Throw double set, dynamic drill, adjusting moving root, responsive blocking enabling the same move for offence and defense, center of Qi as it moves through oneself and the center between two people; Hsing-i San Ti: standing and moving for Qi and Fa Jing. Workout book contains many everyday methods for internals, meditations, rooting, exercises, tests and self adjustments.


Good for all backgrounds since the essence is emphasized, rather than a particular language; although words are used, it is more what is between the words. Instruction goes from the individual's known, to his related unknown. Taught with the common ground of the 'shared lived experience'. Internal means independent thought rather than compliance to a doctrine, having it make sense to you, in your own way: this is truly internal since its intrinsic nature is your soul.



Common theme with other energy work: of removing blocks through meditation, stretching, and exercise.   Traditional development of the energy and awareness before the technique as is the case in many ancient traditions. Developing and practicing the 'universal' of the Qigong, rather than the particular application. Plato talks about universal concepts such as what is in common with all chairs to make them a chair. Some Qigong very Yang, and will heat palms, the Yang Qigong methods will not only heat the practitioner, but the entire room.


From the book:

INTRODUCTION

This training regimen is based on various focuses of physical fitness, internal strength, meditation, forms, drills and exercises. Origins range from: propriety traditional sets, general domain traditional internal sets, a general styles set, free form internal calisthenics (Chi Kung, Nei Gong and Wei Gong), Shaolin Buddhist meditation, fighting coaches, healers and old folk's drills.



The methods and techniques come from a number of schools of Internal Martial Arts; that are compatible with each other. None of these varied schools have ever physically warred directly with each other. This book does not contain any internal methods that I have learned that I know are from schools with historic military conflicts, or fundamental philosophical discrepancies. This avoids a chop-suey approach of using methods independent of their tenets, lacking a cohesive and qualitative growth.



Axe Hand is usually referred to as the element metal, and is the primary set that Hsing-i's San ti static stance is used for Chi Kung (Qi Gong), similar to the Standing Pole (Embrace the Moon) exercise is used for Tai Chi and Bei Shaolin (Northern). Hsing-I uses the second row of knuckles, as a wedge. In the past, only those who had reached the level of Abbots were taught Hsing-i. 



Greg's Martial background at:


Book is available now at:


Paperback, 174 pages
Amazon will be available in about 2 weeks.