Xingyi Quan Basic Skills (Nei Gung)

Xingyi Quan Basic Skills (The information presented here is taken from an article in the March 1987 issue of Wushu Jianshen Magazine which was written b !hang Ji of the "i#an "ingi $agua !anshou %esearch &nstitute'

"ingi )uan basic skills* that is the specific regulation of inner door "ingi )uan* are for  prolonging ears and nurturing life' !tud the routines well and the correct grasp of the essential skills is absolutel necessar for fundamental training' This is the so+called ,&f the roots are deep* the lea-es will be profuse. if the roots are solid* the branches will be lu/uriant'0 "ingi )uan is an e/cellent combination of $od* $od* unction* unction* and !kill' &t is one of the &nternal martial arts' &t pas attention to inner inner and outer dual culti-ation combining spirit 2i and form into one' &nside has the 2i fling and soaring' 3utside has the posture changing and transforming' The energ has rising and falling* -ertical and horizontal* sucking in and spitting out* hard and soft* three combined to make one' The methods allow for nurturing life and subtle subtle function in fighting' $ecause of this* the beginning student must first progress through the basic training e/ercises of the three aspects of 2i* form and energ' energ' Then ou can begin to practice the fists' Therefore "ingi )uan basic skills must include the four aspects of regulating the meridians* nurturing the zhen 2i* fi/ed forms* and solidifing the lower basin' 4ll the old martial arts teachers each had their own methods for training these basic skills' The author studied studie d with Mr' 5iu Wei/iang Wei/iang in $ei6ing' $ei6in g' Mr' 5iu had uo unshen#s strength* streng th* !ong !hirong#s softness* and $ai !iuan#s skills' is basic e/ercises emphasized the post skills' These train simultaneousl the 2i* form and energ' energ' is training methods can be di-ided into standing  post and mo-ing posts which are described below' below'

!T4:;&: -er morning set aside a time for standing' >ach period of standing should not not be less than CB minutes* there is no limit on the ma/imum time'

2. Qian Kun Post

$oth feet are parallel about shoulder width apart' The soles of the feet are empt and arched* like walking in the mud' The knees are rela/ed and slightl bent and aligned with the toes' The arms graduall rise up to the front' $end the elbows and sink the shoulders' shoulders' The palms face inward' The height of the palms is e-en with the chest' The are like embracing embracing a ball' ;o not use strength' (picture C The head pushes up and the neck neck is -ertical' The spine is straight' >/pand the back and hollow the chest' The muscles are completel rela/ed' 4llow the 2i to flow naturall and sink into the dantian' Maintain this form without mo-ing' ?oncentrate the -italit' >liminate mi/ed thoughts' The The brain is empt and clean* spotless' Then emphasize emphasize looking inward' ?arefull ad6ust the breathing' 4fter the breathing is e-en* push the tongue up to the upper palate' Dse the idea of leading the 2i from the Tian "in (that is the in in Tang Tang and again down' &t lingers in the !han Ehong (the area  between the nipples* again it mo-es along the %en channel down down to the dantian' ou can mo-e the 2i like this man times' 4fter the 2i is flowing* both arms naturall drop down' down' The inside and outside laogong laogong points of the hands come together' The hands rest on the dantian area with the left hand on the inside and the right hand is on the outside' (picture F %ela/ the shoulders shoulders and sink the elbows' The soul is empt and the bell sinks and is full' The breathing graduall becomes deep* long* careful* and e-en' &t is like it is there* but not there' raduall become aware that ou ha-e hot 2i mo-ing up and down' This is the skill of mo-ing the breath and mo-ing the 2i' ;o the abo-e method each da until ou ou can do it for CB minutes without disruption' disruption' 4fter a while ou will be unable to stop e-en if ou ou wanted to' When ou practice for a long time* the 2i in the dantian will feel -er full' Then the inhaled 2i must not again be carried down' down' $reathing must must graduall be allowed to still and stop' ;o not allow the the dantian to emit too much heat' !trong fire eats 2i' This is most importantG Most importantG

4fter our skill is pure and deep* sometimes ou will manifest the zhen 2i thrusting mo-ement  phenomena* our mo-ements mo-ements will arise' This tpe of phenomena should not be insisted upon' 4lso ou must not force it to stop' 4llow it to be natural' Then ou ou will ha-e the the benefits and not the harm'

3. Chicken eg Post

$oth feet front and back stand open' The toes of the front foot hook inward' The toes of the back foot also slightl hook inward' The distance between the front foot heel and the back foot toes toes is about one and a half feet' $oth knees bend as much as possible causing the rear foot kneecap to be be about two inches from the back of the front knee' The head pushes up' The neck is -ertical' The spine is straight' The waist is rela/ed' The buttocks hang' The sacrum rises up' The chest is cur-ed inward' The left palm pushes on top of the dantian' The right palm is on top of the left palm' The inside and outside laogong points points are in contact' The shoulders rela/' The elbows elbows drop' The side of the upper bod is open and e/tended' (picture H $oth knees close close inwards' The toes of both feet hook inward' inward' $oth heels twist outward' Dp and down* left and right* and e-erwhere the energ is closed' The tongue pushes up to the upper  palate' $reathe e-enl through the nose' There should not be too much much noise' When inhaling* the 2i is swallowed down' The eeballs must o-erturn up to let loose the ang fire* causing the zhen 2i to return to the dantian' When ou get tired of standing* standing* ou can change our feet' This This posture is similar to the one described abo-e' Take Take turns changing the the post like this' ;o two sessions e-er da earl in the morning' >ach session should be a minimum of CB minutes' There is no ma/imum time limit' This form is for training lower basin skills in "ingi "ingi )uan' &t is simple and eas to stud' ou can 2uickl gain gain skill' &t ou practice for a long long time then the stance will be firm and stable' or the time being* do not treat it lightl' lightl'

!. San "i Post #also called $i%u Post or San Cai Post&

!tand erect' The heels are ne/t to each other' The toes are open about CF+HB degrees' The bod faces halfwa to the right (CF degrees' The left foot toe points to the front' The knees are slightl bent'

The knee caps are aligned o-er the toes' $oth hands make fists ne/t to the dantian' The The palms face up' (picture 7 The right fist rises up' The forearm rotates outwards' The elbow sticks ne/t to the ribs as the fist drills out to the upper front' &nhale as the drill goes out' The palm of the fist faces in toward our face' The height of the fist is e-en with the nose' &nhale as much as possible as the form is completed' (picture 8 When e/haling* the left fist rises up' The forearm rotates outward' The elbow sticks ne/t to the left ribs and the fist reaches out toward the front of the chest' The ee of the fist faces left' &t passes o-er  the right fist towards the front' When the fists separate* it changes to a palm' The palm rotates inward* o-erturns and simultaneousl splits towards the lower front' front' The left palm height height is e-en with the shoulder' shoulder' !imultaneousl* !imultaneousl* the right fist also changes to a palm' The center of the palm faces down' &t is pulled back and pushes down below below the right ribs b the %iue point' point' The left foot steps straight towards the front simultaneousl with the splitting palm' The distance between the front foot and back foot is about 18 inches' The hand and foot must mo-e simultaneousl si multaneousl'' The palm follows the e/hale and drops down' >/hale >/hale as much as possible possible as the form is completed' (picture 9 When the form is complete* the bod is angled at CF degrees' $oth knees bend about 1AF degrees' The back arm bends 1@B degrees and the front arm bends 1FB degrees' The three points of the rear foot heel* front foot heel and front foot toe are aligned in a straight line' The tip of the nose* the tip of the front hand middle finger* and the tip of the front foot must be aligned' aligned' The base of the sacrum is suspended directl o-er the back heel' The hand is aligned o-er the foot' The elbow is aligned o-er the knee' The shoulder shoulder is aligned o-er the hip' These are the so+called ,3uter Three ?ombinations0' The head pushes up' The neck is -ertical' The shoulders rela/' The elbows drop' The chest is hollow and the back is e/panded' The tiger#s mouths are rounded' The ees gaze forward' The re2uirements for using energ areI The whole bod is rela/ed' The head is like it is suspended from a lintel' $oth shoulders naturall hang down' This causes the muscles of the upper arms and upper spine to ha-e the feeling of sinking down' down' !tart from the cer-ical -ertebra' %ela/ and hang hang the thoracic -ertebra one b one straight down to the sacrum' Then carr the sacrum toward the front' Mo-e it up and around and o-erturn it' $ring the lower abdomen to uphold and stop' stop' The gudao contracts inwards' a-e the idea of holding back our our stool' This is what is spoken of as ,raising the anus and contracting the kidnes'0 $oth knees ha-e closing energ toward the insides' $oth hips ha-e embracing energ' energ' The toes grip the ground' The palm presses toward the front' The hearts of the palms contract' $oth knees bend as much as possible' The sacrum must must be as straight as possible' The energ of the entire bod is unified' The inner 2i 6umps and rises' our our mood should be -er peaceful' peacef ul' The -italit is gathered within' The bod is rela/ed but the manner is mo-ing' &t is bent like a crossbow and read to issue' The mind mo-es and the will follows it' The breathing is pure and natural' natural' :ot one thread is strained' Dse the will to lead the 2i' &f ou cause it to rise* then it rises' &f ou cause it to descend* descend* then it descends' When inhaling* the the 2i rises up and the internal zang organs follow it and contract' When ou e/hale* the 2i descends and the internal zang organs follow it and rela/' When both hands hands and both feet feel warm* swollen and tingl* tingl* then ou ha-e ha-e 2i passing through the four e/tremities' &t feels like strength fills the palms and fingers' This is the so+called ,&nner Three ?ombinations'0 4fter ou ha-e practiced the abo-e for half a ear* ou will feel that the dantian is full of 2i' The 2i mo-es throughout the bod and the 2i of the four limbs and four four e/tremities feels -er strong' This can be like practicing ,Jin ong0 energ skillK' 4lso ou instantl follow follow the breathing of the outer 2i and the rise and fall of the inner 2i' This makes the fi/ed form of the rela/ing and contracting e/ercise' The practice method is first gazing fi/edl at an ob6ect forward three or four meter in the distance (perhaps a tree' Dse the mind to guide ou' %each out with our 2i and energ' ?ause the palms and fingers to work with the ob6ect as though the are 6oined in coming

and going' When the 2i rises up* the energ returns and contracts' & imagine that & ha-e gripped the ob6ect and pull it back to me' When the 2i descends* the rear leg has kicking energ and the front leg has treading energ' energ' The toes grip the ground' The 2i penetrate s to both hands' Dse the 2i to hasten the strength to issue out to the front' eel as though the strength is pushing the ob6ect awa' 5ike this one rise one fall* one rela/ one contract* one suck in one spit out' out' &nstantl ou ha-e the fundamentals of being able to strike down with e/plosi-e energ' ou must pa attention* when  practicing to do these things' The outer form of the !tanding