In this article, we will explore the essence of Yiquan training:  How to gain total control of your neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges (Jing Shen Ji Rou Song Jin Zhuan Huan, 精神肌肉松紧转换) to nurture, cultivate, and develop your “balanced force” (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力) using “relaxed standing” (Zhan Zhuang, 站桩).  The training method is based on the teachings of Master Yao ChengRong (姚承荣老师). 

 

The primary doctrine of Yiquan is to enhance your innate fighting ability (Fa Hui Ben Neng, 发挥本能) by the use of the “whole-body balanced force” (Zheng Ti Hun Yuan Li, 整体浑元力) behind every maneuver.  Cultivating the “balanced force” (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力) with “relaxed standing” (Zhan Zhuang, 站桩) and developing and learning to use it with “trial and feel” (Shi Li, 试力) and “power discharge/release” (Fa Li, 发力) is essential Yiquan training.  Appropriate relaxed standing postures training (Zhuang Fa Huan Jing, 桩法换劲) with focus attention and awareness on proper directed mental activities (Yi Nian You Dao, 意念诱导) are required for nurturing this balanced force.

 

First, with postures for health (Jian Shen Zhuang, 健身桩), you seek relaxation in stillness (Jing Zhong Qiu Song, 静中求松); then, on that foundation, you re-pattern your neuromuscular coordination system to use whole-body movement (Song Zhong Qiu Zheng, 松中求整), to eliminate localized movement (Ju Bu Yong Li, 局部用力).  The best relaxed standing posture for this training is the parallel step “Prop-Hug” posture (Cheng Bao Zhuang, 撑抱桩).

 

With whole-body harmony (Zheng Ti Xie Tiao, 整体协调) acquired from “Prop-Hug” posture training as foundation, standing postures for fighting (Ji Ji Zhuang, 技击桩) training is used to nurture and develop your whole-body balance force (Zheng Ti Hun Yuan Li, 整体浑元力) by the practice of kinesthetic perception (Chuai Mo, 揣摸) of isometric opposing force pairs (Zheng Li, 争力).  The best posture for cultivating the balanced force is the small step fighting posture (Hun Yuan Zhuang, 浑元桩).

 

The primary training measure is visualization (Yi Nian Huo Dong, 意念活动).  Through mentally induced perception of internal and external isometric opposing force pairs (Nei Wai Zheng Li, 内外争力), you seek, sense, feel, get to know, find out, learn, and experience the balanced force (Chuai Mo Yi Zhong Li, 揣摸意中力 or simply Mo Li, 摸力).  Another training measure is the kinesthetic perception of the pathways of different force components passing through elements of the body to transmit the reaction forces from pushing off the ground to your hands and to merge all force components into “one” for each and every maneuver/technique (Xun Zhao Jing Lu, 寻找劲路 or simply Zhao Jing, 找劲).  Whole-body harmony of actions and forces (Zheng Ti Xie Tiao, 整体协调) is essential to “exploding” internal power as external force (Bao Fa Wei Wai Li, 爆发为外力).  These procedures are intertwined throughout Yiquan training and conditioning.  Appropriate use of “curve physical form to deliver linear force” (Xing Qu Li Zhi, 形曲力直) and proper body mechanics of optimal alignment and connected-ness (Lian Tong Yi Guan, 连通一贯) are prerequisites of all Yiquan training.  We will limit our discussion below to cultivating the balanced force with relaxed standing.   

 

Cultivating Yiquan’s balanced force (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力) can be achieved only through appropriate sequential training steps.  For example, it is very difficult to perform neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges with ease and comfort unless you have mastered mind-body relaxation.  Therefore, for efficient training, you must train with a purpose, i.e., set reachable goals, and master the skills of each sequential level before moving on to the next.  The following is a brief outline of training levels (that I have found to be helpful) to nurturing/cultivating/mastering the balanced force; they are touchstones levels for Yiquan practice.

 

First, use the parallel step “Prop-Hug” posture (Cheng Bao Zhuang, 撑抱桩) to re-pattern your neuromuscular coordination system (Zhan Zhuang Huan Jing, 站桩换劲); to eliminate the use of localized rigid forces (Ju Bu Jiang Li, 局部僵力), to ingrain the habit of using coordinated whole-body forces (Zheng Ti Li, 整体力). 

                                         

Level 1:            Acquire mind-body relaxation (Song, 松) in stillness (Jing, 静).  Use skeletal support and minimal musculature to maintain your posture.  Relax mentally and physically without loss of focus attention and awareness.  

 

Level 2:            Re-pattern your neuromuscular coordination system into a whole-body harmony unity (Zheng, 整) through relaxation.  Experience and ingrain the habit of using whole-body motion with “motion in stillness” (Jing Zhong Zhi Dong, 静中之动).

 

Practice with comfortable natural ease; make necessary adjust whenever required to be comfortable.  Never hold or maintain a static rigid posture.  To proceed with Yiquan training without achieving “relaxed whole-body harmony” (Song Zheng, 松整) would be detrimental to your future development of your whole-body “balanced force” (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力).

 

Based on the foundation of whole-body relaxation, you would next practice the small step fighting posture (Hun Yuan Zhuang, 浑元桩) with directed mental activities (Yi Nian Yin Dao, 意念引导) to induce neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges (Song Jin Zhuan Huan, 松紧转换) to nurture your internal isometric opposing force pairs (Shen Nei Zheng Li, 身内争力) into a state of balance (in all directions: forward/backward, upward/downward, and open/close -lateral left/right - directions), i.e., to cultivate your “balanced force” (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力).  The relaxation/tension exchanges in relaxed standing are closely related to “motionless movement” (Bu Dong Zhi Dong, 不动之动).  The movement amplitude induced must be small or nil (Xiao Dong Bu Ru Bu Dong, 小动不如不动) and the oscillation frequency must be relatively rapid.  Ideally, as soon as you visualize moving in one direction, you should feel it is impossible to move and that you must stop and immediately visualize moving in another direction.  The muscular contraction cycle (movement/tension – stillness/relaxation – movement/tension – stillness/relaxation – ……) is “small amplitude and high frequency”.   

 

Level 3:            Use visualization to mentally induce relaxation/tension exchanges in motionless movement (Bu Dong Zhi Dong, 不动之动) to cultivate and gain control of internal isometric opposing force pairs (Shen Nei Zheng Li, 身内争力), to maintain equilibrium, whole-body harmony, and to merge force components as “one”.  Use kinesthetic perception to seek and sense force pathways for each individual dimension (forward/backward, open/close, upward/downward) separately.  Visualize and induce motionless movement in each of the three dimensions separately in sequential order (Dan Xiang Mo Jing, 单向摸劲 or Dan Xiang Mo Li, 单向摸力).

 

In this single dimension motionless movement practice (Dan Xiang Mo Li, 单向摸力), there is dominate movement in one individual dimension (e.g., forward/backward) but small movement in all six directions are always present (Liu Mian Mo Li, 六面摸力) to provide “all directional balance”.  At this elementary level, the emphasis of your kinesthetic perception is on internal isometric opposing force pairs (Shen Nei Zheng Li, 身内争力) between every body elements. 

 

Level 4:            Randomized your visualization sequence.  Mix-up your induced “motionless movement” to different directions, in no particular order, and as you inclined. 

 

Level 5:            Without compromising your whole-body relaxation integrity, increase the rapidity of your neuromuscular contractions (relaxation/tension exchanges) to quickly switch motionless movement force directions to develop spontaneous reflexes (Fan Ying, 反应), and to cultivate the resilient elastic force (Tan Li, 弹力).

 

At these intermediate levels, you should extend your kinesthetic perception to include external isometric opposing forces (Shen Wai Zheng Li, 身外争力) without neglecting your attention to the internal opposing force pairs (Shen Nei Zheng Li, 身内争力).

 

Level 6:            Visualize simultaneously doing motionless movement in all six directions (Liu Mian Tong Shi Mo Li, 六面同时摸力) and in no particular direction.  You enter a mental and physical state of awareness which is ready to spontaneously react to any stimuli or action; you merge with your surrounding.

 

At this advance level, there is absolutely no training agenda or sequence.  Method becomes no-method (Quan Wu Quan, 拳无拳); intent becomes no-intent (Yi Wu Yi, 意无意).  All actions become spontaneous reflexes of your innate ability.   

 

We should point out the differences and similarities of the neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges in “relaxed standing” and in “trial and feel” training.

 

For relaxed standing, the initial “amplitude” for the motionless movement resulting from the neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges should be “large” and you should reduce this “amplitude” as you advance until it is zero.  The muscular contraction cycle (movement/tension – stillness/relaxation – movement/tension – stillness/relaxation – ……) is mostly “regular” and in relatively high frequency.  As you advance, you progress from large (relative) slow motion towards small high frequency oscillation.

 

For trial and feel, the “amplitude” could be large or small; the speed could be fast or slow and the cycle is irregular and complicated.  There may be numerous neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges imbedded in a single maneuver.  We will deal with these in another article.

 

We have outlined a sequence (not the only sequence) of reachable training levels for cultivating the balanced force with relaxed standing.  Neuromuscular relaxation/tension exchanges are used initially to induce slow large motion in stillness and the movement amplitude are gradually reduced to motionless movement with minimum amplitude.  Mentally, your visualization, attention, mind-intent, and awareness are initially focused internally and are gradually extended to cover interaction with the external surrounding.  Also, it is not enough to understand the method and procedure; you must learn from actually experiencing and developing the balanced force by practicing relaxed standing with intent and purpose to reach each successive level and by using it in push hands and sparring.  The quality of your practice is more important than the quantity; do not treat relaxed standing as a test of endurance.  Finally, remember, total relaxation or slackening is “empty standing” (Kong Zhuang, 空桩); holding absolutely still in a rigid static posture is “dead standing” (Si Zhuang, 死桩).