5 Elements of Chinese Swordsmanship - Scott Rodell

5 Elements of Chinese Swordsmanship - Scott Rodell

Biaoju 镖局- security companies

biaoju 镖局- security companies

By wuyizidi 

In the previous post we talked about masters who taught princes and nobles. In terms of status and prestige, that is definitely the highest level a professional martial artist could aspire to.

In general, career options for martial artists – those whose focus purely on weapons and empty hand skills (vs broader studies involved in military arts), are few in traditional society. There were basically four:

1) The best, most ideal situation is one where the master has his own school. Here the students come to you.  This requires the highest level of skill, as you have a known, fixed location, and anyone can come and challenge you. If you lose, by custom you have to leave and cede the school to the challenger.

2) The next level is being a teacher, but you don’t have your own school, you have to go to where the students are – you work for someone, or you teach in the military.

3) The third level is one where you have to risk your own life for protect the life or properties of private clients/masters. Examples are security company jobs, and bodyguard services. In the later scenario, normally you would be live at the household you are protecting. Here the head of security can be a prestigious position, but the rank and file are basically servants of the house. In general there is a huge fall-off in prestige between the second and third level, as people think only the desperate would risk their lives like that.

4) The lowest level is in entertainment. Whatever people say about those who risk their lives for private clients, they must have a certain level of fighting skill to make a viable living doing that. The requirement for fighting skill in performance and entertainment is much lower or non-existent.

As with the case of teachers living and teaching at houses of nobles having the highest level of prestige than others with their own school, there is a notable exception for level 3 mentioned above.

In 2006 China’s central television company (CCTV) had a really interesting documentary on development of modern banking in Shanxi province.  In mid to late Qing Dynasty there was great posterity, and the population of the country doubled within a century. Commerce flourished; suddenly there were many types of people needing to securely transport currency and other valuables over long distances. The interesting part is how all of this drove the development of Xinyi/Xingyi in Shanxi.

Before the invention of modern banking, if you had a lot of money, they were stored in the form of gold or silver. When you move you would have to transport all that bulky metal, becoming a big, slow, conspicuous target.

It was in Shanxi where the depositor’s note system and interstate banking was first developed some two hundred years ago. These large banks have between 5 – 10 millions ounces of silver in circulation at any one time. They had branch location in all the major cities along important trade routes. You can take their note to any one of their branch locations and convert it to hard currency.

Now there are large silos of gold and silver where these banks branches are, hence the need for large number of high level martial artists to guard the bank and the wealthy bankers. Since this is Shanxi, it meant Xinyi/Xingyi masters.  Because of the great market demand, high level Xingyi masters were paid like today’s professional athletes. No surprisingly the ranks of elite Xingyi masters and the art itself grew by leaps and bounds during that time.

In Shanxi the number one location for these banks is Taigu. There one such wealthy banking family the Chao’s (曹) employed over 500 security guards for his household alone. The martial instructors working for him included such luminaries as Li Laonong (李老农) and Che Yizhai (车毅斋).

This is also where the first government-approved private security company – Biaoju (镖局), was founded. The martial art master who founded the first Biaoju is known as Zhang Heiwu (张黑五). He was the fifth (wu 五) son of his family and had dark complexion (hei 黑). Today we don’t know exactly what martial art he studied, we just know that he was from Shangxi. According to legend he was martial art instructor to Emperor Qianlong. That it was with the emperor’s suggestion/approval that he opened the first of the “Big Ten” Biaoju’s of Qing Dynasty. He actually opened the Beijing branch first. This makes sense as most banks have locations in the capitol, and at year-end they usually ship large quantities of gold/silver home to headquarters in Shanxi.

Before the age of motion pictures, television, cable, satellite, internet, and recorded medias, everywhere people in sports and entertainment in general occupied the lowest rung in societies. But with the power of media comes astronomical increase in the earning potential, and with that the elevated status. So it is true that great masters who would otherwise have their own school or teach powerful/wealthy clients would choose the pursue the most dangerous, but now incredibly lucrative private security business.

Before the arrival of modern ships, trains, and automobiles, long distance travel was one of the mundane but highly hazardous endeavors in life.  It is for this major reason these security companies exist. These security companies have 6 main lines of business: 1) mail courier service for the government (xin biao 信鏢)、2) transport of bank notes (piao biao 票鏢), 3) transport of gold/silver (yin biao 銀鏢), transport of grain as tax revenue for central government (liang biao 糧鏢), transport of goods (wu biao 物鏢), transport/safeguarding of people (ren shen biao 人身鏢).

Cart use by Biaoju

One of the most common types of customers for security agencies is retired government officials or officials at the end of a term transferring to another post.  If you passed the imperial civil service exams, the government would post you wherever people are needed. So you may be thousands of miles from home town. In China there’s this very common attitude of “a leaf falls to its root” – when you retire you’re supposed to stage a triumphant return to your home town. You left town a ‘wearing plain cloth’, you return ‘wearing silk/satin’. Showing how successful you are, how you brought glory not only to your ancestors but the home town.

Of course, just like the current situation in modern China, corruption was built into the bureaucratic system.  In modern program management parlance, China historically chose a ‘people-centric’ system versus a ‘process-centric’ system, believing no amount of written laws can cover all situations, that ultimately it’s up to the judgement of officials in charge.  Also, there’s this idea that punishment must always be balanced by humanity (eg. when sentencing people who are stealing food because they are starving).  The drawback of course of placing this much power in the hands of individuals is that this leads to ample opportunity for abuse/corruption.

Even a mid-level official would be extremely wealthy by the time his tenure ended. This is where one of the most common attempts at highway robbery took place. The local people would think “you made all your ill-gotten gains off us here, that money should rightfully stay here”. The capitol, more than anywhere else, is where these clients were.

Manual of Underworld Slangs as recorded by Pingyao Biaoju

There’s actually a lot of interesting things written about the security agency/bandit relationship. Like modern virus-protection software companies, it’s at the same time an antagonistic and symbiotic relationship. Lots of time it’s not even real outlaws as local powers. For example, something like a dock, or waterway, it’s ruled by some kind of gang. If you want passage, you have to go through them. There’s a Chinese saying “even a strong dragon cannot bully the local snake”. Imagine you’re going to a land that is completely new to you, you don’t speak their dialect, you don’t know anyone, you don’t know their unique regional culture, you don’t know the terrain. If they really wanted to, they can set a trap and get you fairly easily.

The local snakes were smart, they wouldn’t just rob every traveler, as that would just make people avoid their area all together. That’s where the semi-antagonistic element come in. You go to a new place, you need to pay respect to the local powers. If you’re new, you have to fight them. If you beat them, they’ll know having a full scale fight with your company is not a good business proposition. They’ll respect you, and let you pass through their territory. Of course you have to shower them generously with gifts each time. If you’re weak, and a nobody, then they’ll just take everything from you.

So security company doesn’t operate by trying to beat everyone who’s in their way every time. But they have to beat everyone at least one time. Diplomacy by itself is useless against uncivilized people if not backed by very real force. As the saying from the Warring States era goes “a small/weak country has no diplomacy” (they just do what strong countries tell them).

Where high level martial art is most needed is when you’re opening a route for the very first time. After that comes diplomacy, but you still need to maintain a great fighting reputation, so people won’t stop respecting you. The biggest companies, like the one operated by San Huang Paochui group, are the ones that had opened safe passages to many important areas of the country. Sort of like you’re an airline and you dominate the New York – Los Angeles route. That’s how your potential customer will know you and select you.

In Chinese the saying is “when at home[town] you rely on family, when traveling outside you rely on friends”. Obviously in the later case the more friends the better. Life on the road is unpredictable, you may run into all kinds of unforeseen problems. In the old days everything is based on relationship, so it helps to have a large network of such powerful “friends”.

The best example of successful agency is that of San Huang Pao Chui group. Song Mailun was originally a high ranking member of Shen Ji Ying (Capitol Garrison – Modern Firearm Division). The prince in charge of Shen Ji Yin was so impressed by him that Song was promoted to Class Five government official (out of 9 classes). But seeing how fruitless it is to serve the corrupt and declining government, he went private and formed Hui You (meet friends) Security Company, the largest in the capitol.

Hui You Biaoju

From his government work he became well connected politically with the political and economic elites, giving him unparalleled access to his potential client base. As a top level martial artist – a peer of, and good friends of Dong Haichuan, Liu Zhijun, and Yang Luchan, he was well connected to the martial art scene, giving him access to the talent talent needed to run his company.

His work at the security company made him intimately familiar with every type of person, profession, and associations (religions, professional guilds, gangs, outlaws, etc) in society, from the highest to the lowest. All of this gave him great knowledge and wisdom. In today’s parlance we’d call him someone who really knew how the entire system works, who can solve very difficult problems under seemingly impossible deadlines. So he was highly sought after by all kinds of people.

Because they fight in the real world all the time and employed so many martial artist, the Pao Chui group left perhaps the largest curriculum of any martial art group. Empty hand routines alone comprise of 108 sets. On top of that every type of weapon imaginable… They had a great reputation because of the constant feedback from their daily work, any weak members would’ve been weeded out very naturally, quickly.

Just as their rise was rapid and impressive, with the arrival of trains, ship, automobile, and better roads, the decline was also swift. The last of the “Big Ten” Biaoju closed its doors in 1920.

Martial art, like any human pursuit, is an organic product of its environment. When there are economic, military, social incentives, it develops and flourishes. When those needs go away or changes, the arts either decline, disappear or adapt to meet the new need. So it is that we can say the overall state of art for Xinyi/Xingyi (and most traditional Chinese martial arts) was definitely higher in year 1800 than year 1700, and better in 1900 then 1800, but in 2000 it’s definitely lower than 1900.

Xingyi, Bagua, Taiji Seminar in Boulder, Colorado with Matt Autrey - in 2 Weeks!

Matt Autrey

 

   *Senior Student of Luo De Xiu of Taiwan*

     *Boulder, CO. Sept 10^th & 11^th 2016^*

Matt Autrey is a senior student of Internal Kung Fu teacher Luo De Xiu.  Matt has 
moved back to the United States after 8 years of training Bagua Zhang, Xingyi Quan, 
Tai Ji Quan in Taipei, Taiwan including 5 years with Marcus Brinkman as a private 
student. Matt spent many years teaching and assisting in Teacher Luo’s class in 
Taiwan, his extensive knowledge and command of the principles, theory 
and applications of the internal martial arts is an asset to any practitioner.

                      Boulder, CO. Dates and Curriculum:

          Saturday, Sept 10^th - 1st Session 1:00pm – 4:00pm       
   Gao Bagua Xian Tian – Tiger Palm - Theory and Application

This will be an excellent introduction to the basics of Bagua and the Third palm 
of Gao Bagua Zhang; the Tiger palm. Learn the fundamental training practices, 
footwork, and applications of Gao Bagua Tiger Palm.  This seminar is open to 
public and beginners are welcome.

       Saturday, Sept 10^th – 2nd Session 4:30pm – 7:30pm

Gao Bagua Zhang – Straight Line Bagua – Big Opening #3 Tiger

In this seminar Matt will teach the Bagua of the Gao system, big opening #3 - 
Tiger. He will cover Bagua opening & bridging form, theory, application and 
training practices for big opening #3 with an emphasis on its relationship to
 the Tiger Palm. This seminar is a great addition to any Bagua Zhang style. 
It is recommended that the Tiger Palm Seminar is taken before this class.

        Sunday, Sept 11^th – 1st Session 1:00pm – 4:00pm

  Taiji Quan – Taiji Fundamentals with Pushing Hands & Apps

This seminar will cover the theory, training concepts, applications and push 
hands practices of the fundamental Taiji principles of Zhan, Nian, Lian & Sway. 
The development of these primary principles/ practices will stimulate the use 
of correct reflexes, timing and  distance required for the usage of Taiji Quan. 
This seminar is open to public and beginners are welcome.

       Sunday, Sept 11^th – 2nd Session 4:00pm – 7:00pm

  Gao Bagua Zhang – Nei Gung: Single Palm Change & San Ti

Matt will be teaching Bagua Nei Gong or inner work/ method. This session will
cover the forms, methodology and training strategies used for deepening 
and building your internal martial arts practice.  This seminar is open to 
public, beginners and advanced practitioners are welcome.

Cost:

1       $180 for all Four Sessions. 

2       Individually, Each Session is $50.

3       Saturday & Sunday $100 each day or $180 for both Days.

4       Preferred payment is cash (please contact if paying by check)

5       Same day registration (call for availability) $190 cash only

FOR PRICING INFO AND LOCATION EMAIL:
Owen Schilling at mailto:Owen_YiZong@Hotmail.com 
    Or Check http://boulderinternalmartialarts.blogspot.com/

Call 1 720 841 3526

Matt will be offering private lessons while he is in town. I highly recommend them; his knowledge and skill applied at the individual level is a fantastic catalyst for growth. Contact me or Matt at yizongwest@gmail.com or talk to him at the seminar.  

                  For more info on Matt check his Website: Portland Bagua

Xingyi Snake Form and Applications - Applications

Xingyi Snake Form and Applications - Applications

Meditation builds brain cells, Harvard study shows proof

Meditation builds brain cells, Harvard study shows proof

By Waking Evolution | August 17, 2016

Research has now demonstrated that meditation builds brain cells and increases gray matter in the brain. Using magnetic imaging (MRI), Harvard researchers found that meditation produced physiological changes in the brain’s gray matter. Some areas in the brains of the study participants thickened after only eight weeks of mindfulness practice. The research was published in 2011 and represented the first time that physical changes to the brain caused by mediation were documented. The research was conducted at Massachusetts General Hospital by researchers from Harvard University. The research was funded by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine of the NIH. Research subjects spend eight weeks doing a mindfulness meditation program. For an average of 27 minutes a day, the study participants listened to audio recordings of guided meditation during the eight-week trial. The group met weekly as well. Magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI) were taken of the participants’ brains two weeks before the trial started and at the end of the eight-week program. A control group also had brain imaging (MRI) but did not listen to the audio-recorded meditation guides.

RESEARCH FINDING
S

Study participants reported feeling less stressed after the eight-week period. MRI scans revealed decreased gray matter in the amygdalae and increased gray matter in the hippocampus. The amygdalae are the parts of the brain that help the body deal with anxiety and stress and controls the “fight or flight” mechanism. The hippocampus, which showed an increase in gray-matter density, is the area of the brain that controls memory, learning, self-awareness, introspection and compassion.

The study concluded that meditation builds brain cells. The shrinking of the amygdalae indicated a reduction in the body’s stress response, which was expressed as the feelings of relaxation and stress reduction that were reported by the study participants. With the shrinking of the amygdalae, the pre-frontal cortex around them can then thicken. The pre-frontal cortex is the decision making part of the brain and is also in charge of concentration and awareness. It has been concluded that meditation builds brain cells, increases gray matter and allows the brain to slow responses to stress, providing better concentration, learning and memory.

Sources:

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com

http://news.harvard.edu

http://www.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu

http://www.feelguide.com

About the author:
Talya Dagan is a health advocate and health coach, trained in nutrition and gourmet health food cuisine, writing about natural remedies for disease and nutrition and herbal medicine. You can follow her blog at www.talyadagan.com

http://wakingevolution.com/2016/08/meditation-builds-brain-cells-harvard-study-shows-proof/

Xingyiquan with Luo Laoshi - Pi Quan (Splitting Fist) Practice

Xingyiquan with Luo Laoshi - Pi Quan (Splitting Fist) Practice

This is what i teach at Boulder Internal Arts

Xingyi Quan/ Hsing Yi Chuan - The Form Shape Fist

Xingyi Quan - The Form Shape Fist

Olympic Judo 2016

Olympic Judo 2016

Xingyi Hawk Form - Mike Patterson

Xingyi Hawk Form - Mike Patterson

Xingyi, Bagua, Taiji Seminar in Boulder, Colorado with Matt Autrey - Sept 10th & 11th!

Matt Autrey

 

   *Senior Student of Luo De Xiu of Taiwan*

     *Boulder, CO. Sept 10^th & 11^th 2016^*

Matt Autrey is a senior student of Internal Kung Fu teacher Luo De Xiu. Matt has moved 
back to the United States after 8 years of training Bagua Zhang, Xingyi Quan, Tai Ji Quan 
in Taipei, Taiwan including 5 years with Marcus Brinkman as a private student. Matt 
spent many years teaching and assisting in Teacher Luo’s class in Taiwan, his extensive 
knowledge and command of the principles, theory and applications of the internal 
martial arts is an asset to any practitioner.

                      Boulder, CO. Dates and Curriculum:

Saturday, Sept 10^th - 1st Session 1:00pm – 4:00pm        

                Gao Bagua Xian Tian – Tiger Palm - Theory and Application

This will be an excellent introduction to the basics of Bagua and the Third palm of 

Gao Bagua Zhang; the Tiger palm. Learn the fundamental training practices, footwork, 

and applications of Gao Bagua Tiger Palm.  This seminar is open to public

and beginners are welcome.

                Saturday, Sept 10^th – 2nd Session 4:30pm – 7:30pm

               Gao Bagua Zhang – Straight Line Bagua – Big Opening #3 Tiger

In this seminar Matt will teach the Bagua of the Gao system, big opening #3 - Tiger. He will 

cover Bagua opening & bridging form, theory, application and training practices for big 

opening #3 with an emphasis on its relationship to the Tiger Palm. This seminar is a great 

addition to any Bagua Zhang style. It is recommended that the Tiger Palm Seminar is taken before this class.

              Sunday, Sept 11^th – 1st Session 1:00pm – 4:00pm

              Taiji Quan – Taiji Fundamentals with Pushing Hands & Apps

This seminar will cover the theory, training concepts, applications and push hands practices 

of the fundamental Taiji principles of Zhan, Nian, Lian & Sway. The development of these 

primary principles/ practices will stimulate the use of correct reflexes, timing and distance 

required for the usage of Taiji Quan. This seminar is open to public and beginners are welcome.

              Sunday, Sept 11^th – 2nd Session 4:00pm – 7:00pm

              Gao Bagua Zhang – Nei Gung: Single Palm Change & San Ti

Matt will be teaching Bagua Nei Gong or inner work/ method. This session will cover the forms, 

methodology and training strategies used for deepening and building your internal martial arts 

practice.  This seminar is open to public, beginners and advanced practitioners are welcome.

Cost:

1       $180 for all Four Sessions. 

2       Individually, Each Session is $50.

3       Saturday & Sunday $100 each day or $180 for both Days.

4       Preferred payment is cash (please contact if paying by check)

5       Same day registration (call for availability) $190 cash only

FOR PRICING INFO AND LOCATION EMAIL:
Owen Schilling at mailto:Owen_YiZong@Hotmail.com 
    Or Check http://boulderinternalmartialarts.blogspot.com/

Call 1 720 841 3526

Matt will be offering private lessons while he is in town. I highly recommend them; his knowledge and skill applied at the individual level is a fantastic catalyst for growth. Contact me or Matt at yizongwest@gmail.com or talk to him at the seminar.  

                  For more info on Matt check his Website: Portland Bagua

Bagua, Xingyi, Taiji - Master Zhang Junfeng (1902-1974)

Bagua, Xingyi, Taiji - Master Zhang Junfeng (1902-1974)

This is what i teach at Boulder Internal Arts

"(thx Dr. Kenneth Fish for providing the vids and all descriptions which are originally found at www.emptyflower.com) The following is footage of Zhang Junfeng, student of Li Cunyi and Gao Yisheng. The video was given to Dr. Kennith Fish anonyomously by a third party and was filmed in 1957 at Zhongshan Park, Taipai. The film starts out with Zhang Junfeng demonstrating qigong with a pole against his belly. He is then seen demonstrating Xingyi Anshen Pao with a student. Zhang Junfeng then leads students though some of the Xingyi elements and sections of Houtian Bagua. Towards then end he performs tiger, monkey, chicken, swallow, and tai bird from the Xingyi animals set. The clip ends with color footage of Zhang Junfeng leading students through some more bagua drills."

Master Bow Sim Mark: Combined Internal Performance

Master Bow Sim Mark: Combined Internal Performance

Master Bow Sim Mark, mother of Donnie Yen, in a performance that combines the internal kung fu styles of tai chi, pa kua, and hsing yi, circa 1984.

Xingyi, Bagua & Taiji with Allen Pittman

"Robert Allen Pittman is a Xingyi and Bagua teacher who has studied with Robert W. Smith, and in Taiwan Hung I-mien, and the sons of Chen Pan Ling. Allen is the author of "Walking the I Ching: The Linear Bagua of Gao Yi Sheng." He has co-authored books with his late teacher, Robert W. Smith, who was a pioneer in bringing knowledge of Chinese kung-fu to the United States due to his work in Taiwan for the Central Intelligence Agency. In this interview, Allen talks about training with his teachers, living and studying in Taiwan, and the changes that wushu has brought to traditional Chinese kung-fu."

Listen to the podcast HERE

Shanxi Xingyiquan (XingYi Long Spear)

Shanxi Xingyiquan (XingYi Long Spear)