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Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Xing Yi Quan master Su Jing Sheng Tiger style


 

Xing Yi Quan master Su Jing Sheng Tiger style

"Xing Yi Quan master Su Jingsheng demonstrate the Tiger (虎形) form from the Xing Yi Quan 12 animals (形意十二形拳). Master Su Jingsheng (苏景胜)  is one of few disciples of grandmaster Wang Lianyi(王连义),son of great grandmaster Wang Jiwu (王继武). He is one from eldest disciples who learned many stuff also with his grandmaster Wang. 王连义师爷的徒弟苏景胜师叔演示形意十二形拳虎形,Lineage: Li Luoneng(李洛能)---Liu Qilan(刘奇兰)---Wang Fuyuan(王福元)---Wang Jiwu(王继武)---Wang Lianyi(王连义)---Su Jingsheng(苏景胜)"

Thursday, January 21, 2021

Dao De Jing - Strategists Advice - Trans - Scott Rodell

用兵有言、
吾不敢爲主而爲客、不敢進寸而退尺。
是謂行無行、攘無臂、 
扔無敵、執無兵。
禍莫大於輕敵。
輕敵幾喪吾寶。
故抗兵相如、哀者勝矣。

Strategists have a saying:

I don’t dare be the host, 
but the guest.
Don’t dare advance one inch, 
but retreat one foot.
This is moving without moving.
Push up your sleeves 
without revealing your arms,
prevailing as if you have no enemy,
wielding your weapon 
as is there was none.
The greatest disaster 
is to underestimate the enemy.
Under estimating the enemy 
I lose my treasure.
When soldiers resist each other, 
those who lament combat will be victorious.

Dao De Jing Chapter 69, trans. - Scott M. Rodell

Commentary and Notes- Daoist thought has had a strong effect on almost every aspect of Chinese life, including combat and strategy. In this chapter, Laozi speaks of being the guest instead of the host, codifying one of the basic approaches to strategy in jianfa. When one is the host, one acts first, arranges things, demonstrating one’s intent by way things have been organized. The host does all the work then invites the guest in. From the swordman’s point of view, this presents a great deal of information about one’s plan of action and skill set. On the other hand, when one is the guest, one follows the action without interjecting one’s own plan. In this way, the swordsman can know his opponent while keeping that duifang in the dark about one’s own strengths and weaknesses. This is action or movement without there being action. This means that instead of expending energy on a plan of action, one waits and listens, allowing the duifang to expose his or her intent. Then, with this clear insight, applies the correct counters to defeat the duifang’s strategy. In this way, without having taken any action of one’s own, one can prevail. This does not mean surrendering control of the action to the duifang. Rather it means controlling the action by allowing the duifang to tell you his or her plan.

“Push up your sleeves without revealing your arms,” is a specific example of what the first line alludes to. Preparing to engage a duifang, one would commonly push the long flowing sleeves of Chinese garments up out of the way as the hands are raised to a useful position. But in doing so, one should not show any aggressive intent, or indeed any intent at all.

Sunzi similarly suggests one -

“Be extremely subtle
Even to the point of formlessness
Be extremely mysterious
Even to the point of soundlessness
Thereby you can be the director

Of an opponent’s fate.” (trans. Tomas Clearly*)
微乎微乎,
至于无形,
神乎神乎,
至于无声,
故能为敌之司命.

While the Taijiquan Lun records, that by hiding one’s intent, “He (the enemy) can not know me, I alone comprehend him. Where ever a hero goes he has no enemies, this is because he has achieved these skills.\.” 人不知我, 我獨知人. 英雄所向無敵, 蓋皆由此而及也.

The notion of emptiness expressed as “wielding your weapon as is there was none,” is a common one found in jianfa. It brings to mind Huang Yuanxiu, (黃元秀),”Song of Empty Mind” from his Fundamentals of the Wudang Sword Method:

The song says:

With palm empty, the sword is lively.
With the center of the foot empty, the footwork is nimble.
With the topknot empty, the entire body is one.
歌曰。
手心空。使劍活。
足心空。行步捷。
頂心空。身眼一。


The central idea in Huang’s “Song” is that by being free of any predisposition, one’s movements as lively and adaptive, so that one is able to respond exactly as needed.

- Scott M. Rodell

*I usually prefer to translate myself any lines I reference from a Chinese classic, but honestly, I just couldn’t translate make any significant improvement over that already offered by Thomas Clearly when it came to this line. 

Dao De Jing - Strategists Advice - Trans - Scott Rodell


Found HERE 

Friday, January 15, 2021

Xing Yi Quan by old Bagua master Yang Bao

 

Xing Yi Quan by old Bagua master Yang Bao

"One of old generation Beijing master Yang Bao practice Xing Yi Quan (形意拳). Yang Bao (*1937 in Hebei province) is one of famous old generation Beijing masters of 5th generation of Bagua Zhang style. He has been learning martial arts since 9 yars old under local master Meng Fanjing (孟凡敬). He learned Xing Yi Quan(形意拳) and Shaolin Quan first(少林拳).  In 1956 year he became disciple of famous Cha Quan (查拳) master Chang Zhenfang (常振芳) and learned the style include various weapons. Then he bacame disciple of famous Beijing master of Bagua Zhang (八卦掌) style Gao Ziying(高子英). He also practiced Xing Yi Quan under master 朱云行. Yamng Bao is member of Chinese Wushu Association( 中国武术协会会会员),Beijing  Bagua Zhang Research Association(北京武协八卦掌研究会会员) Beijing Xing Yi Quan Research Association (北京武协形意拳研究会会员) and Beijing Chaquan Research Association vice-president (北京武协查拳研究会副会长). 

Lineages: 

1)Cha Quan Lineage: Chamir(查密尔)--- Li Laochong(李老崇)---Zhang Qian(张乾)---Yang Hongxiu(杨鸿修)--- Zhang Qiwei(张其维)---Chang Zhenfang(常振芳)---Yang Bao (杨宝). 

2) Bagua: First Lineage: Dong Haichuan(董海川)---Liang Zhenpu (梁振普)---Guo Gumin(郭古民)--- Gao Ziying(高子英)---Yang Bao (杨宝) Secong Alternative Lineage:  Dong Haichuan(董海川)---Yin Fu(尹福)/Liu Dekuan(刘德宽,creator of Bagua 64 hands linear form-八卦掌六十四手)---Gao Wencheng(高文成,father of Gao Ziying)--- Gao Ziying(高子英)---Yang Bao (杨宝) 

3) Xing Yi Quan lineage: Li Luoneng(李洛能)---Liu Qilan(刘奇兰)---Li Cunyi(李存义)---Li Liangzhong(李良忠)---(Zhu Yunxing)朱云行---Yang Bao (杨宝) 

Alternative lineage: Li Luoneng(李洛能)---Liu Qilan(刘奇兰)---Liu Dekuan(刘德宽)---Gao Wencheng(高文成,father of Gao Ziying)---Gao Ziying(高子英)---Yang Bao (杨宝) 

Long live to uncle Yang Bao!!!"

Sunday, January 10, 2021

Chinese Sword - Dāndāo Shuō (單刀說) by Cheng Zongyou trans. S.M. Rodell

 


其用法,亦惟以身法 為要,

儇跳超距,眼快手捷,
誘而擊之,驚而取之,
心手俱化,
膽識不亂,方可言妙。

Qí yòngfǎ, yì wéi yǐ shēn fǎ wèi yào,
xuān tiào chāo jù, yǎn kuài shǒu jié,
yòu ér jī zhī, jīng ér qǔ zhī,
xīn shǒu jù huà,
dǎnshì bù luàn, fāng kě yán miào.

Using the saber, the most important point is the body technique,
long nimble jumps, quick eyes, fast hands,
entice the enemy to strike, startle capturing the advantage,
heart and hand moving together,
courage and insight clearly precieved, then one achieves wonderous skill.

from Dāndāo Shuō (單刀說) by Cheng Zongyou
trans. S.M. Rodell