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NATIONAL ACADEMY OF KUNG FU WUSHU - YI QUAN

  8 STAGES OF THE PRACTICE
OF YI QUAN



WUSHU IN THE LIGHT OF YI QUAN:

Study of Yi Quan integrates the techniques of limbering-up, natural musculation, techniques of combat and self-defense, techniques of fists and legs, projections, locks and strangleholds.
The principles of Yi Quan are applied to the whole of these techniques, principles without which the physical and mental effectiveness, in particular in the long run, is illusory.


A STUDY IN SEVEN STAGES :

THE BASE : TECHNIQUES OF ROOTING



Ilias Calimintzos during a postural exercise



Zhan Zhuang Gong (position of the pile or position of rooting) is the base of the practice of Yi Quan. It is divided into two parts:

a) positions of rooting for the strengthening of the body and the fixing of the mental attitude.

b) positions of rooting for the combat which are the prolongation of the first ones. You involve yourself there under an appearance of immobility. You actually learn how to direct yourself with the unit from the body towards the six principal directions (six basic directions) : front, behind, to the top, to the bottom, in opening and closing), as well as two complementary directions : circular, towards the left and the right-hand side.

These are the small movements which give you the means of using the muscular contraction in an explosive way.

By the participation of the thought, you develop your sensory field and improve the homogeneity of the body. All things considered these positions make us discover a force known as instinctive, different from the force that each person has naturally. This because it is the result of the participation of the whole body in the movement.

Yi directs, the body operates, the Explosive Force appears.

THE STUDY OF THE SLOW MOTION AND OF THE LIVING FORCE

 Shi Li " Testing of strength ". The movement is slow, the force linked to the whole body. The purpose of these exercises are the development of the instinctive force and its insertion in the movement. At this stage, there is a work on the sounds, which can accompany certain movements.

 Mo ca Bu " Friction step ". You learns how to move your centre of gravity correctly.This exercise is the  Shi li for the legs.

 Fa Li " Exerting the force ". You study there the explosive expression of the instinctive force in all the directions around yourself.

 

Fa-li, China, 1999

 Shi Sheng "Testing the sound"

 TUI SHOU or " pushing hands ". You are accustomed to control the center of gravity of your partner and to protect your own center, to develop the direction of the contact of the body and particularly of the front armlevers.

 Jiji Fa "Combat skills"

Work with boxing bag or with a partner and free combat complit  these phases

JIAN WU or " Yi Quan shadow boxing ". It is the spontaneous use, in the open space, of all the other techniques.


To practise Yi Quan, breathing is natural and accompanies the movements. The exerted YI makes it possible to dominate the limbs, therefore there is freedom of movement of vital energy (QI). Yi controls and governs the emission of various humours and hormones of the body (Jing, vital essence), and in the form of exercises it contributes to the maintenance of this one. It helps the blood circulation so that there are renewal of the " old and of the new " and it regulates the functions of the lower bodies as well as possible, finally it balances the unit.

As, if it is true that certain people have the deterrent force naturally, the punch, we, practiser of Yi Quan, we will not consider it as a gift from the sky, but like the fruit of a work.

Quite simply because through your practice you are able to have it and to use it in a relatively short time.