|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
XINGYIQUAN
This transalation of the idioms of Xingyi, were translated by my friend Tadzio. Tadzio lives in Shanxi and is a Song Family lineage holder. You can visit his site at www.xingyiquan.org. I thank him very much, for allowing me to present this valuable information to visitors of my site. Translations are often hard, and I feel Tadzio did a great job,explaining these important concepts of the art of Xingyiquan.
Great part of the Chinese martial arts theory is preserved in the form of poems and/or idioms that are passed on generation through generation. The true meaning of these poems and idioms can only be learned through intruction from one's Master.', '
Translated from the original in Chinese by Tadzio G. on 2004/04/01
I have first translated the idioms to English and then added my personal interpretations of them. Any comments on the translation are welcomed.
1.(Zhong Shen Bu Zhong Xing, Zhong Nei Bu Zhong Wai) To stress the spirit and not the form, to stress the inside and not the outside. After a practitioner has reached a high level in the art of Xingyiquan (not in the begining), he should not pay to much attention to the "form" of the movements for they only express the fighter's intention. Xingyiquan works with different kinds of intentions and to better allow the practitioner to understand them, each of the Five elements has its main intention expressed through a symbol: an axe for Piquan, a bow for Bengquan and so on. In the same way, (in an advanced level) all the movements and actions one sees on the outside are only reflexes of what happens inside the fighter's body and that's why it is said that the Xingyiquan fighter should stress the inside and not the outside.
2.(Yi Xing Qu Yi,Yi yi Xiang Xing,Xing Sui Yi Zhuan,Yi Zi Xing Sheng) To use the form as a way to attain the intention, to use the intention to form a movement, the form changes according to the intention, when the mind is calm the movement will naturally form itself. In the art of Xingyiquan fighters train to grasp the essence of every movement,. This essence is the intention (spirit), the idea that exists before the movement is created, is the Yin (non-visible) that geberates Yang (the visible). The fighter learns to get to the essence of an element by first practicing its form, for the form is the a tool that will help the fighter to attain the essence of a movement. Once he reaches a certain level he doesn't need the form anymore, he has reached the intention that creates the form and now he can express this intention in many different ways. The form, once a fixed pattern, is now something alive and not fixed anymore.
3.(Shier Xing Shu Xingquan,Wuxing Shu Yiquan). The twelve animals are part of the "form method" and the Five fists are part of the "Intention (idea) method. The Five fists are the most important part of the art of Xingyiquan and they are here called by "Yiquan" (method of training the intention). They have this name because they don't represent forms or shapes (animals), but rather five distinctive ideas, intentions. The Twelve animals represent twelve different animal forms, thus they are here called "Xingquan" or "the method of training in different forms". The Twelve animals are nothing but different shapes adopted to express the intentions a student had reached during the study of the Five fists.
4.(Fang Zhong Yu Gong,Gong Zhong You Fang)The defense contains (has in its core) the attack, the attack contains the deffense. The concept of offensive and defensive movements exists only in a first moment. In a higher level there is no distinction between attack and deffense, there is only movement. Defensive movements can be used to attack and vice versa.
5.(Gang Zhong Yu Rou, Rou Zhong You Gang) The soft exists in the middle of the hard, the hard exists in the middle of the soft.True hardness comes only through relaxation and softness; true softness exists only through the use of hardness as its essence. Hardness potentially exists in softness and vice versa.
6.(Wu Ren Si You Ren, You Ren Si Wu Ren) When there is no person, is like there is a person. When there is a person, is like there is no person. This idiom talks about the mindset that one needs to adopt when training and when engaged in a real fight with the enemy. When a person is training alone he should use his intention and visualize an imaginary oponent so that every movement in his practice will be powered by a correct intention, so that his movements will "gain life". On the other hand if a person is engaged in a real fight he should remain calm and rely in the skills he has previously aquired. Althoug he has an oponent in front of him he will mantain a very controlled state of mind, like when he is training alone. The fighter is in no way trying to neglect the fact that he has an opponent, but rather trying to reach the state of mind that he has when he is alone, he is seeking calmness.
7.(Xin Zhi Fa Dong Ri Yi) The movement of the heart arouses the intention. Before one has any kind of rational intention or thought there is only animal stimulus. This stimulus will trigger the intention, for the intention follows it.
8.(Yi Zhi Suo Xiang Wei Quan) The fist is formed by the direction of the mind. After the stimulus becomes rational intention, the mind (still representing the intention) will then direct its formation, in the sense that what is being formed (an atack with a certain part of the body) is only a reflex of the intention of the mind.
9.(Shou Qu Jiao Bu Qu Wei Wu Gen, Jiao Qu Shou Bu Qu Wei Wu Zhu, Shou Dao Jiao Bu Dao, Da Ren Bu De Miao, Shou Dao Jiao Ye Dao, Da Ren Ru Bo Cao) If the fist goes but the foot doesn't go is like having no root, if the foot goes but the hand doesn't go is like having no master, if the hand arrives but the foot doesn't arrive, it will be difficult to fight against the opponent, when the hand arrives and the foot also arrives, to hit someone is just like pulling out grass. When training or fighting the Xingyiquan fighter must use the 6 coordinations (in here the 3 external coordinations are being emphasized). When moving (it doesn't matter if attacking or deffending) if the hand goes but the foot don't go, it's like the fighter has no root, there will be no whole body power (Hejing) because he will be relying only on upper body power (that is very poor). If the feet go but the hands stay is like not having a master to direct the movements. This means that the power is generated but it isn't being directed anywhere. If the hand arrive (landing an attack) but the foot doesn't arrive, then you will find difficult to effectively hit someone because you won't have whole body power. Only when the hands and the feet arrive together a fighter will have Hejing, and then the he (the fighter) will easily be able to inflict severe punishment to the opponent.
10.(Yin Yang Wei Bianhua Zhi Mu) Yin and Yang are the mother af all changes. It means all the things that materially come to existence have to exist as a combination of Yin and Yang. All the things that ARE or potentially WILL BE exist in the core of Yin and Yang. "Wuji" (non-existance) exists before it, but exists in a non-existant state. "Xin" (the heart, the animal stimulus) exists before Yin and Yang. The intention is Yin and Yang and the material expression of Yin and Yang is "Quan", the fist (In here "fist" means a system of Martial Art). Combining Yin and Yang there are the fists.1 is Wuji,2 is Yin and Yang, 3 is Santi,4 is Sixiang (four shapes),5 is Wuxing (Five elements),6 is Liuhe (Six cordinations).
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
