This is the final sequel of the hold/press posture blog (June 11, 2009).  In this blog we will explore the development/cultivation of the “explosive power-discharge” (Bao Fa Li, 爆发力) using relaxed-standing (Zhan Zhuang, 站桩), trial-and-feel (Shi Li, 试力), and power-discharge (Fa Li, 发力) training.  With the previous blogs as foundation, we will describe the Stage Four and Stage Five training.

 

 

Criteria of fighting maneuvers:  In general, “fast attack” (Kuai Gong, 快攻) is an effective fighting tactic.  Its success hinges on minimizing your “attack time interval”; your strike must land on your target before your opponent’s blow lands (Hou Fa Xian Zhi, 后发先至).  While relax initiation increases the speed and acceleration of your movement (Kuai Su, 快速), spontaneous coordinated whole-body harmonized movement (Zheng Ti Xie Tiao, 整体协调), without superfluous movement, is the fastest, and would have the best chance to land first.  Therefore: 

 

1)         To minimize your “reaction time”, you should select maneuvers that are simple (Jian Jie, 简捷) and close to your instinctive natural movement.

 

2)         To minimize the “execution time” of your attack, you should minimize the magnitude of their movement; minimize the distance from start to finish (Quan Da Cun Jing, 拳打寸劲).

 

3)         To maximize the sudden-ness of your spring-like power-discharge and to startle your opponent (Jing Tan Jing, 惊弹劲), you should maximize your “agility for change” (Tu Bian, 突变), your ability to switch from one maneuver to another unexpected maneuver; operating at a faster (or different) tempo inside your opponent’s time scale to generate confusion and disorder.

 

A maneuver is effective only when it becomes “habit”.  There are no instant “habits”.  Repetition is the mother of all skills.  You must practice the movement of an “effective fighting maneuver” to deliver “explosive external power” repeatedly until they become second nature, become spontaneous reflexes.  From the foundation of proper whole-body alignment and connected-ness (Lian Tong Yi Guan, 连通一贯), study and perceive the kinesthetic interaction/coordination of your body components in the concurrent sequential overlapping motion.  Everything must come together to keep the “path of force propagation” (Jing Lu, 劲路) pure and clean to take up power from the ground.  Rapid contraction/extension of the action muscles and total relaxation of the antagonistic muscles are necessary prerequisites of a focus power-discharge (Fa Li, 发力).  On top of that, “change of momentum” generated from whole-body/core movement (Dong Dang, 动荡) and/or oscillation (Zhen Dong, 震动, Bo Lang, 波浪), gravitational force (Zhong Li Bo, 重力波), and natural twisting of your core/limbs (Luo Xuan, 螺旋), when used appropriately, may provide additional power.  

 

Definitions:  The “contact time” of your blow on a target is the time it takes to punch through to the back side of your opponent (Li Tou Di Bei, 力透敌背).  “To minimize the contact time” should not be interpreted as “immediate withdrawal on contact”; your blow must continue to accelerate as long as there is contact and strike through to the back of your opponent.  Using a hard “impact/contact point” would minimize the contact time. 

 

Let us review the dynamics of “releasing/discharging power/force” (Fa Li, 发力) onto your opponent.  Facts:    

 

1)         Releasing force onto your opponent with no acceleration of the “contact point” would result in a constant speed push.  This will not be an effective fighting maneuver.

 

2)         Releasing force onto your opponent with moderate acceleration of the contact point would result in a relatively long “contact time interval”, whole-body force acting on the whole-body of your opponent, and the whole-body target would move physically with little or no damage.

 

3)         Releasing force onto your opponent with extreme acceleration of the contact point would result in minimal contact time interval, whole-body force acting on your opponent’s localize target, and little whole-body physical movement of the target while causing damage.

 

Everything being equal, using a hard “impact/contact point” of minimal surface area of contact would result in maximum damage to your target.

 

To convert the “spring-like force” (Tan Li, 弹力) into “explosive external force” (Bao Fa Wei Wai Li, 爆发为外力), you will need to employ the techniques of breath control (grunting; Shi Sheng, 试声) to marshal the entire body into concerted action, to “suddenly tense” your whole-body (Tu Ran Yi Jin, 突然一紧); tense your core and limbs to increase mass, to focus your power.  Here, agility (Tu Bian, 突变), the ability to suddenly switch from one maneuver to another, is of vital importance. 

 

The power-discharge (Fa Li, 发力) process involves:  Relax and bend your joints to store energy (Xu, 蓄), extend and flex your joints with elastic spring-like force (Tan, 弹), discharge clean and crisp force suddenly instantaneously as if startled (Jing, 惊), and explode your internal energy as a burst of external force onto your opponent (Zha, 炸).  Whole-body harmony (Xie Tiao, 协调), synthesizing your musculature as one (Ji Rou Ru Yi, 肌肉如一), relaxation of antagonistic muscles (Wu Guan Ji Rou Fang Song, 无关肌肉放松), minimize your internal interference (Jian Xiao Gan Rao, 减小干扰), and agility (Tu Bian, 突变), your ability to quickly switch from one maneuver to another are required elements.  You must accelerate your blow through your target, focus your power by tensing your musculature on contact, and drill (Tui Si Zuan, 腿似钻) your lead leg, to take up power from the ground and to arrest your forward movement to transfer momentum onto your opponent.

 

The training method consists of executing the selected maneuver:

 

1)                  In solo exercises with no resistance (Kong Cao, 空操; Dan Cao, 单操), using various “attacking angles”,

 

2)                  Onto a partner and/or on various targets with appropriate resistance (Ti Yan Zu Li, 体验阻力), and

 

3)                  In competitive push-hands (Tui Shou, 推手) and realistic sparring (San Shou, 散手) training.  (This will be covered in a separate blog.)

 

We will illustrate power-discharge training (Fa Li, 发力) with the small-step hold/press trial-and-feel (Fu An Shi Li, 丁八步扶按试力) maneuver.

 

 

Stage Four (Qiu Bao Fa Li, 求爆发力):  To be useful, you must be able to explode your internal energy as a high speed burst of external force, onto your opponent (Bao Fa Nei Li Wei Wai Li, 爆发内力为外力) via an effective maneuver/technique.  Practice power-discharge (Fa Li, 发力) in stages: large fast motion with soft focus, large fast motion with hard focus, and small fast motion with focus and sudden change (Tu Bian, 突变).

 

1)                  Solo Exercise (Kong Cao, 空操):  Start from the small-step hold/press posture (Ding Ba Bu Fu An Zhuang, 丁八步扶按桩); visualize standing in waist deep water with your forearms resting on an imaginary floating ball.  Drill (Tui Si Zuan, 腿似钻) and push off your front leg, twisting both legs outward (Wai Luo Xuan, 外螺旋), shift your weight slightly backwards (Tun, 吞) stretching the imaginary spring between your knees.  Simultaneously, twisting your forearms inwards (Nei Luo Xuan, 内螺旋), press the imaginary floating ball backwards, downwards and outwards.  Immediately, drill and push off your rear leg, twisting both legs inward  (Nei Luo Xuan, 内螺旋), take up power from the ground, squeeze the imaginary spring between your knees, shift your weight forward (Tu, 吐), lift the imaginary ball upwards to mouth level and throw it forward, twisting forearms inwards (Nei Luo Xuan, 内螺旋) and rotate palms forwards.  Keep your wrists relaxed; visualize flinging the imaginary wet sand sticking to your hands forward.  As you visualize pushing through your imaginary target, check your forward movement to transfer momentum onto your target by drilling down your front leg, focus your power by suddenly tensing your whole-body (Tu Ran Yi Jin, 突然一紧) to discharge power (Fa Li, 发力).  Immediately relax and withdraw your hands to your starting position as if you have touched on a red hot iron plate.  Do not push your hands beyond your front foot toes.  Your movements must be “clean, crisp and small”, with sudden change of directional movements.

 

Use different “attack angles” for your blow: forward/upward, forward/downward, etc.  Practice the maneuver with minimal internal/external resistance (Kong Cao, 空操); you must not feel the strength in your blow (Bu Jiao Li Zhi Li, 不觉力之力); it must be effort-less.  If you feel you have strength, you are tensing pre-maturely; your blow is slow and ineffective.  Keep shoulders relaxed and down.  Extend/contract action muscles; relax antagonistic muscles.  Delivery must be relaxed, tensing/focusing only momentarily at the very last second.  Punch through your target; use your full reach but do not lock/straighten any joint (your elbow); deliver linear force with curve form (Xing Qu Li Zhi, 形曲力直).

 

When you have synthesized the whole-body coordinated maneuver, reduce the magnitude of your movement to zero.  Use mind-intent (Yi, 意) to guide, merge and strengthen the “path of force propagation” (Jing Lu, 劲路) with little or no external movement.

 

2)         Resistance exercise (Ti Yan Zu Li, 体验阻力):  You must experience the resistance of discharging power onto a partner to get the feel of timing, of distance interval, of attack angle, and of the force.  Start from the small-step hold/press posture (Ding Ba Bu Fu An Zhuang, 丁八步扶按桩) with your hands on the shoulders or chest (with proper protective equipment) of your partner.  Examine the effective-ness of your Fa Li (发力) by releasing/discharging power onto your partner. 

 

You must be able to explode your internal strength in a high speed burst of external force (Ba Li Da Dao Shen Wai, 把力打到身外), transferring momentum onto your partner to push him back sharply.  A clean crisp discharge is whip-like and spring-like.  It should include the following attributes:

 

a)         Elastic spring-like force from rapid muscular contraction/extension, flexing of your joints, and core oscillation (Tan, 弹),

 

b)         Snapping tangential component force resulting from rapid rotation/twisting of your limbs and core (Dou, 抖), and

 

c)         Linear force resulting from whole-body momentum transfer/exchange (Zhuang, 撞).

 

All force components must merge as “one” (Quan Shen Li Yi, 全身力一).  Your discharge/release of power must penetrate to the back of your opponent (Li Tou Di Bei, 力透敌背). 

 

 

Up to now, we have described the balanced force (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力) discharge that “moves your opponent” physically.  However, combat effective power-discharge should also “damage your opponent”.  This requires concentrating/focusing the power-discharge of your whole-body balanced force onto a small hard “impact/contact surface area” and punching through your target with maximum acceleration.  We will explore this through the examples of “switching” (Tu Bian, 突变) from the hold/press (Fu An, 扶按桩) posture to the upward punch (Zuan Quan, 钻拳) and the downward punch (Zai Quan, 栽拳). 

 

 

Stage Five (Quan Da Cun Jing, 拳打寸劲):   A characteristic of Yiquan combat maneuvers is using your opponent’s guard against him (Tui Shou Duan Shou Jie He, 推手断手结合).  Keep the magnitude of your defensive and offensive motion small.  Maintain perfect balance at all times.

 

1)         Downward/backward power discharge switch to upward punch (Zuan Quan, 钻拳):  Start from the small-step hold/press posture (Ding Ba Bu Fu An Zhuang, 丁八步扶按桩).  Visualize your forearms are on top of your opponent’s forearms.  Drill (Tui Si Zuan, 腿似钻) and push off your front leg, twisting both legs outward (Wai Luo Xuan, 外螺旋), shift your weight slightly downwards and backwards (Chen, 沉; Tun, 吞) stretching the imaginary spring between your knees.  Simultaneously, twisting your forearms inwards (Nei Luo Xuan, 内螺旋), press (Xia Ya, 下压) the forearms of your imaginary opponent downwards, backwards, and outwards.  Immediately, drill and push off your rear leg, twisting both legs inward (Nei Luo Xuan, 内螺旋), take up power from the ground, squeeze the imaginary spring between your knees, shift your weight upwards and forward (Fu, 浮; Tu, 吐).  Simultaneously, drill your front leg to provide a clean path of force propagation from the ground while executing a lead hand upward punch (Zuan Quan, 钻拳) towards your imaginary opponent’s central line (Zhong Xian, 中线).  Immediately relax and return to your starting posture. 

 

2)         Backward/upward power release switch to downward punch (Zai Quan, 栽拳):  Start from the small-step hold/press posture (Ding Ba Bu Fu An Zhuang, 丁八步扶按桩).  Visualize your forearms are below your opponent’s forearms.  Drill (Tui Si Zuan, 腿似钻) and push off your front leg, twisting both legs outward (Wai Luo Xuan, 外螺旋), shift your weight slightly upwards and backwards (Fu, 浮; Tun, 吞) stretching the imaginary spring between your knees.  Simultaneously, twisting your forearms outwards (Wai Luo Xuan, 外螺旋), hook/hang (Gou Gua, 勾挂) the forearms of your imaginary opponent upwards, backwards, and outwards.  Keep the magnitude of this small.  Immediately, drill and push off your rear leg, twisting both legs inward (Nei Luo Xuan, 内螺旋), take up power from the ground, squeeze the imaginary spring between your knees, shift your weight downwards and forward (Chen, 沉; Tu, 吐).  Simultaneously, drill your front leg to provide a clean path of force propagation from the ground while executing a lead hand downward punch (Zai Quan, 栽拳) towards your imaginary opponent’s central line (Zhong Xian, 中线).  Immediately relax and return to your starting posture. 

 

Pay special attention to the proper use of the internal/external isometric-opposing-force pairs (Zheng Li, 争力).  When you have mastered the whole-body coordinated movement of the maneuvers in slow large motion, proceed to practice with fast large and small motion.  Eventually, you must minimize the magnitude, so the movement becomes motionless-movement (Bu Dong Zhi Dong, 不动之动), so only motion-in-stillness (Jing Zhong Zhi Dong, 静中之动) is retained, so only your mind-intent (Yi, 意) remains. 

 

 

In this three part series, we have outlined a procedure/method to combine/synthesize relaxed-standing (Zhan Zhuang, 站桩), trial-and-feel (Shi Li, 试力), and power-discharge (Fa Li, 发力) training using the hold/press (Fu An Zhuang, 扶按桩) posture to develop/cultivate the balanced force (Mo Li, 摸力).  This balanced force (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力) must be balanced in all six directions (Liu Mian Ping Heng, 六面平衡); it may have a dominant direction but must not have an absolute direction.  The examples given are from my experience; you should select/design exercises suitable for your needs; train with a purpose/goal.  The key is the proper use of mind-intent (Yi, 意).  Initially, use mind-intent to guide/lead your internal strength (Yi Yi Ling Li, 以意领力) to develop your balanced force (Hun Yuan Li, 浑元力).  Seek mind-body relaxation and whole-body coordination (Li Qiu Song Zheng, 力求松整).  Then, synthesize your mind-body so the power goes to wherever your mind-intent goes (Yi Dao Li Dao, 意到力到).  Your whole-body becomes “elastic and spring-like” (Bian Ti Si Tan Huang, 遍体似弹簧).  Finally, merge your mind-intent and balanced force so they become inseparable and indistinguishable (Yi Li Bu Fen, 意力不分).  Action becomes spontaneous reflexes (Bu Qi Zi Ran Zhi, 不期自然至).