FZQ    🔝

FZQ 1 – hu yao zhen
FZQ 2 –chen fake
FZQ 3 – FZQ: feng zhi qiang
FZQ 4 – major disciples of FZQ
    FZQ 4.1 – Zhang Xue Xin
FZQ 5 – hun yuan qigong
    FZQ 5.2 – Zhang Xue Xin version of hun yuan qigong

detailed TOC

 FZQ 1 – hu yao zhen
    FZQ 1.1 – Tracing Life to its Roots (Ken Cohen excerpts)
    FZQ 1.2 – Hu yaozhen trained with Zhang Qinlin )
FZQ 2 –chen fake
FZQ 3 – FZQ: feng zhi qiang
    FZQ 3.1 - FZQ workshop in SF 2001
    FZQ 3.2 - FZQ interview J.Szymanski in 2000
    FZQ 3.3 - FZQ interview by Luc Théler
    FZQ 3.4 - Hun Yuang Qi gong excerpt from Luc Theler's book
FZQ 4 – major disciples of FZQ
    FZQ 4.1 – Zhang Xue Xin
        FZQ 4.1.2 - A Magical Qigong Moment with Master Zhang Xue Xin
FZQ 5 – hun yuan qigong
    FZQ 5.1 – FZQ version of hun yuan qigong
    FZQ 5.2 – Zhang Xue Xin version of hun yuan qigong
        FZQ 5.2.0 - intro
        FZQ 5.2.1 - cleanse - lower murky qi and wash internal organs
        FZQ 5.2.2 - surround and bring in energy to upper dantian
        FZQ 5.2.3 - surround and bring in energy to middle dantian
        FZQ 5.2.4 - surround and bring in energy to lower dantian
        FZQ 5.2.5 - gather qi to upper dantian
        FZQ 5.2.6 - gather qi to middle dantian
        FZQ 5.2.7 - gather qi to lower dantian
        FZQ 5.2.8 - grab and bring down heaven's yang energy
        FZQ 5.2.9 - grab and bring up earth's yin energy
        FZQ 5.2.10 – collect qi into dantian
        FZQ 5.2.11 – upper plane expanding and contracting
        FZQ 5.2.12 - middle plane expanding and contracting
        FZQ 5.2.13 - lower plane expanding and contracting
        FZQ 5.2.14 - build qi ball in hands circling about laogong axis
        FZQ 5.2.15 - revolve yang and yin energies
        FZQ 5.2.16 - massage head with qi
        FZQ 5.2.17 - massage chest and 5 internal organs with qi
        FZQ 5.2.18 - each leg - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians
        FZQ 5.2.19 - both legs - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians
        FZQ 5.2.20 - connect heaven, man, earth
        FZQ 5.2.21 - belt meridian
        FZQ 5.2.22 - open up whole body
        FZQ 5.2.23 - cup and rub whole body
        FZQ 5.2.24 - shake the feathers
        FZQ 5.2.25 - mix and nurture prenatal and postnatal qi in dantian.

Taiji

Tàijí quán (太極拳)
supreme ultimate boxing

(wikipedia):
Tai chi (simplified Chinese: 太极;
traditional Chinese: 太極;
pinyin: Tàijí),
short for T'ai chi ch'üan or Tàijí quán (太極拳),
is an internal Chinese martial art practiced for defense training, health benefits, and meditation.
The term taiji is a Chinese cosmological concept for the flux of yin and yang, and 'quan' means fist.
Etymologically, Taijiquan is a fist system based on the dynamic relationship between polarities (Yin and Yang).
Developed as a martial art, it is practiced for other reasons:
competitive wrestling in the format of pushing hands (tui shou), demonstration competitions, and greater longevity.
As a result, a multitude of traditional and modern training forms exist corresponding to those aims with differing emphasis.
Some training forms of tai chi are practiced with extremely slow movements.

Today, tai chi has enthusiastic practitioners worldwide.
Most modern styles of tai chi trace their development to one or more of the five traditional schools:
Chen, Yang, Wu (Hao), Wu, and Sun.
All trace their historical origins to Chen Village.

1 – hu yao zhen

1.1 – Tracing Life to its Roots (Ken Cohen excerpts)

Hunyuan (Primordial) Qigong: Tracing Life to its Roots
https://www.qigonghealing.com/post/hunyuan-primordial-qigong-tracing-life-to-its-roots

Jan 8, 2018, 12 min read

Early draft published in the Dragon’s Mouth (Spring 2000),
Journal of the British Taoist Association and this revision in The Empty Vessel (Winter 2008)
© Kenneth S. Cohen

The Philosophy

​

Hunyuan is an ancient, central concept of Daoist philosophy and meditation practice.
Hun means undifferentiated unity, the state of mind and being that occurs when one does not divide the world into concepts.
In other words, hun is equivalent to inner silence.
Yuan means origin or original.
The importance of Yuan is attested by the fact that it is the opening word of Qian, the first chapter of the Yi Jing (The Classic of Change).
“Original [Yuan], Penetrating [Heng], Auspicious [Li], Correct [Zhen].”
This mantric phrase may be interpreted as four stages in the creation or evolution of an idea or phenomenon;
or it may represent the four seasons.

​

Yuan is the root or antecedent of any action.
It is the creative spark or impulse, like a seed planted in Spring which is just ready to sprout.
Heng is the Summer, and represents germination and development.
The character heng originally meant a sacrificial cup used to make offerings to the Gods.
Most commentators explain heng as tong, penetrating or reaching to the Gods.
Li means to cut grain, to harvest or reap the benefits of what was grown.
It is thus the Autumn season.
Zhen, which originally included the character for tripod means steady and correct.
It also means divination.
Zhen is the winter season, when the energies of life retreat back into the ground and people return from the fields to their homes.
The spark of yang is hidden in the yin.
Winter is a time for inner work rather than outer work, a time to perfect one’s character and prepare for the coming year by consulting oracles.

​

The character yuan was originally a composite of shang the word “above” with ren, the word “person.”
Hence, yuan means the upper part of a person’s body, the head, or, as we say in English to go ahead, to be first.
Interestingly, the Chinese character Dao also contains an element that means both head and first, shou.
One of my Daoist teachers, the late B.
P. Chan, defined Dao as “the path to the origin.”
We could also interpret this as returning to the origin.
When the body Returns to the Origin, it renews itself with the energy of life, the all pervading qi of the universe.
It becomes like an uncarved block of wood– the Daoist symbol of a person uncorrupted by the stresses and worries of life.
As Lao Zi says, “See the unbleached silk, embrace the uncarved block;
reduce selfishness, lessen desire.”
(When the mind Returns to the Origin, it becomes simple and pure like a newborn babe, able to perceive the world with a fresh innocence.
)

​

Hun with yuan becomes the concept Hunyuan, the Primordial State of Being.
The term is synonymous with the word Dao itself and also with Taiji (the Undifferentiated, as in Taiji Quan, a martial art and healing art that blends yin and yang, suppleness with strength).
Philosophy and personal cultivation are not separate categories in Daoist thought.
Thus, Hunyuan is the Primal Being (God) or Beingness that both precedes and underlies all creation.
It is also the spiritual state of a person who practices Daoist meditation.
That is, a meditator’s goal is to become Hunyuan.
We see evidence of this in the two classic terms for Daoist meditation:
xin zhai and zuo wang:

​

Xin Zhai, “the fasting of the mind” –the body fasts and is refreshed when it doesn’t eat;
the mind fasts and is refreshed when it doesn’t think (Or as my old friend Alan Watts used to say, “If you are always thinking, you have nothing to think about except thoughts!
There needs to be a break for experience.”
)

Zuo Wang, “sitting and forgetting,” an old term found in the Daoist Zhang Zi classic:
the mind forgets judgment and worries and returns to a state of peace and clarity

​

We find references to Hunyuan throughout Daoist literature.
Zhang Boduan (983-1082), founder of the Complete Reality (Quan Zhen) sect of Daoism, learned “the Dao of Hunyuan”.
Lao Zi, the founder of Daoist philosophy was known as Hunyuan Sheng, the Sage of the Primordial.
(A famous biography of Lao Zi written in 1191 A.
D. is titled Hunyuan Shengji, Chronicle of the Sage of the Primordial.
) Lao Zi’s Dao De Jing is still the most important source for information about the philosophy of Hunyuan.

​
Dao De Jing, Chapter 25
There was something formed by the Primordial (hun)
Born before Heaven and Earth
So silent, so formless!
It stands alone and unchanging
It circulates and revolves throughout the Cosmos, without tiring
We can consider it the mother of all under Heaven
I do not know its name, but I designate it “Dao”
​
Dao De Jing, Chapter 42
The Dao [the primordial] gave birth to the concept of One
The One gave birth to the Two (Yin and Yang)
The Two gave birth to the Three (Yin, Yang, and Qi)
The Three gave birth to all things.

All things have yin on their backs
And yang embraced within
They blend with the Qi to find harmony.

​

My Commentary:
The Hunyuan, also designated Dao, creates Two, a polarity of complementary opposites known as Yin and Yang.
Two creates Three:
Yang forms the heavens, Yin forms the earth;
and Qi creates life.
The three could also be considered Heaven, Earth, and Human, the famous trinity of Chinese philosophy.
The interactions between the Three create all things.
Thus, all beings have yang and yin aspects:
front and back, inside and outside, positive and negative, light and shadow, obvious and hidden, masculine and feminine, and so on.
When a human being wishes to commune with the Hunyuan, he or she has only to center the mind on Qi, the energy of life.

​

What is the meaning of “blend with the Qi”?
To understand this phrase we need to grasp a basic principle of Daoist qigong exercises and meditations.
The Yang of Heaven or shen exists in the body as the light of the eyes.
Normally the light of the eyes rises like fire and moves outward towards things, “illuminating” them and bringing them into awareness.
In qigong meditation, the eyes turn inward to observe the microcosm.

The Yin of Earth exists in the body as sexual vitality.
In everyday life, it is natural that this energy seek expression;
it flows down like water, toward earthly objects of desire.
In qigong meditation, the yin sexual vitality is withdrawn;
it is made to physically rise into the lower dan tian by a special breathing practice.
This is sometimes called “The Yellow River reverses its course.”
Sexual passion becomes a passion for spiritual growth, the power of perseverance and dedication.
Thus Yang and Yin join, fire and water meet.
When fire and water meet, they create steam.
This steam, representing the unity of opposites, is the Qi, a Chinese character that shows steam rising from cooking rice.

​

The meaning of “blend with the qi” may be summarized as follows:
In Daoist metaphysics the one creates the many.
In Daoist meditation, the many returns to the one or to the Primordial.
As Lao Zi says in chapter 40, “Returning is the movement of the Dao.”

​

Similar themes are found in Zhuang Zi.

Zhuang Zi, Chapter 7:
The story of Mr.
/Ms. Hundun , a personification of Hunyuan
The Lord of the Southern Ocean was bright Yang.
The Lord of the Northern Ocean was dark Yin.
The Lord of the Center was Hundun.
Yang and Yin loved to meet at Hudun’s home.

According to the story, Hundun was very hospitable to Yang and Yin, and to return the favor, Yang and Yin offered to drill seven holes in Hundun so that, like humans, he/she could see, hear, breathe, and eat.
Each day they drilled an opening.
One day a mouth, one day an ear, and so on.
On the seventh day, as they completed their task, Hundun died.

​

My Commentary:
If we are too much concerned with the world, qi leaks out, and, drained of life energy, we die.
This is the meaning of the phrase:
“if you let it flow, you die;
if you reverse the current, you become an Immortal.”
The senses are wonderful gifts, but they are tyrants if we lose the center, the Primordial foundation of being.
A person who is aware of the center acts in a centered way.
Lao Zi says in chapter 47, “Without going out the door, you can know the world.”
The doors are the senses, the gateways of perception.
We can paraphrase this sentence:
“You can understand reality more deeply if you do not lose yourself in sensation and thinking.”

​
Primordial Soup Anyone?

​

Hunyuan, Hundun, and Taiji may all be translated “Chaos,” because they suggest a primal “soup” in which individual things cannot be distinguished.
According to A.
C. Graham’s translation of Zhuang Zi, “In Chinese cosmology, the primordial is not a chaos reduced to order by imposed law, it is a blend of everything rolled up together;
the word is reduplicative of the type of English ‘hotchpotch’ and ‘rolypoly’…” (Chuang Tzu:
The Inner Chapters, p.
99).

​

At Chinese restaurants people routinely enjoy a manifestation of the Primordial in a most mundane form, hundun soup (Cantonese pronunciation:
wonton soup)!
This is the same hundun that we have been discussing.
Here it means both Primordial and Dumplings.
There is a proverb in Beijing that states that at winter solstice one should eat hundun soup.
At winter solstice, the dark yin is exactly balanced with the light yang;
as solstice passes yang is once more on the ascendancy, and the nights grow shorter.
In the microcosm, we harmonize with the seasonal change by drinking/eating hundun soup, in which a variety of indistinguishable ingredients are cooked into the broth, and to more directly symbolize the Primordial itself, amorphous dumplings (the hundun or wontons) contain a mixture of minced ingredients.
Professor N.
J. Girardot writes in his inspiring work Myth and Meaning in Early Daoism, “Wonton dumplings, lumpy and wrinkled, contain the basic elements for life.
They float across a primordial sea waiting for their sacrificial and consumptive contribution to the continuation of the human world of alimentation.”
(p.
30)

​

A similar ingestion of the Primordial occurred in ancient China around the time of the summer solstice, the period when yin and yang are again balanced.
In southern China, it was customary to drink owl broth on the fifth or fifteenth day of the fifth lunar month (June).
The owl was the creature of hundun and the night, the time of day when forms become indistinct.
The number five and fifteen also have significance here.
According to Daoist numerology, five represents the combination of yin (2) and yang (3). Fifteen represents the numerical sum of the energy of the five major organs and is thus the primal or embryonic state from which life emerges and to which it returns.

​

However, the preferred way for Daoists to enter the Primordial is neither through the digestive tract nor through philosophical inquiry.
Rather, they practice ways of meditatively returning to the Primordial.
They plumb the depths of their minds, bodies, and Being itself through qigong practice.

​
The Practice​

Hunyuan Gong, Primordial Qigong, is a system of twelve meditative exercises, generally attributed to the famous Daoist priest Hu Yaozhen (1879-1973) and his disciple, Chen Style Taiji Quan Master Feng Zhiqiang.
Feng studied with Hu for approximately nine years.
I learned this system originally from one of Master Feng’s senior Taiji Quan and Qigong students, Madame Gao Fu (1916-2005) and also from Master Feng himself.

​

Hu was equally versed in Daoism, martial arts (specializing in Liu He Xinyi), and Chinese medicine.
Hu’s Daoist training came primarlily from Peng Tingjun, a disciple of Shanxi Province Daoist Priest Huo Chengguang.
Hu was also a student of Zhang Qinlin (born 1887), another Daoist and martial artist, who had been initiated into the Golden Elixir School of Daoism under Daoist Zuo Laipeng and trained in Yang Style Taiji Quan with Yang Jianhou (1843-1917). In 1959, when Hu was 80 years old, he added a new technique to his repertoire, reporting that he studied Taiji Ruler with Zhao Zhongdao, then age 114! (Zhao passed on four years later).

Ken Cohen with respected Masters (left to right:
Feng Zhiqiang and Gao Fu)

Among Hu Yaozhen’s famous writings are Wu Qin Xi “The Five Animal Frolics,” written in 1963 (a system he learned from Peng Tingjun) and Qigong Ji Bao Jian Gong “Qigong and Health Preservation Training” (1959). The latter work, reissued as Bao Jian Qigong “Preserving Health Qigong,” includes instruction in classical qigong systems, including Standing Post (Zhan Zhuang), Self-Massage (An Mo Gong), Qi Circulation (Zhou Tian Gong), Muscle-Tendon Transformation (Yi Jin Jing), Twenty Movements for Dispelling Disease and Lengthening Life (Que Bing Yan Nian Er Shi Shi), as well as advice on eating, sleeping, and spiritual cultivation .

I once met a Wudang Sect Daoist priest who showed me a series of exericses, which he also called “Hunyuan Gong,” nearly identical to what I had learned from Madame Gao.
He stated that these exercises were part of his Daoist training on Mount Wudang.
Thus, Primordial Qigong may be far older than Hu Yaozhen or his personal teachers.
At the same time, it could be considered far more recent.
Qigong, like other Chinese healing and spiritual arts, changes, evolves, and often improves over time.
Feng Zhiqiang expanded on Hu’s teachings, combining his lifetime of experience and research into a system he calls Taiji Hunyuan Nei Gong (Undifferentiated Primordial Inner Work) or Primordial Qigong for short.
In 1998, Master Feng published details of his system in Chen Shi Xinyi Hun Yuan Taiji Quan Jiao Cheng “Chen Style Mind-Intent Primordial Taiji Quan Instruction Manual” (Qingdao Publishing Company).

​

After practicing various qigong styles for more than 40 years, I consider Primordial Qigong to be one of the most powerful and comprehensive methods I have ever studied.
Like other qigong systems, it focuses on well being and longevity, correcting all sorts of imbalance, whether the body is too yang (as in autoimmune disease or inflammatory conditions) or too yin (as in immune deficiency conditions or depletion).
From my experience teaching many students and physician-referred clients, Primordial Qigong has the most dramatic effect on cancer.
Several years ago a Boulder, Colorado-based radio station interviewed several students who had recently completed an eight week “Primordial Qigong” series with me.
One reported complete remission from Stage 4 Breast Cancer and admitted to the radio journalist that she had not expected to even live to the end of the course.
Another reported a 25% decrease in the strength of her eyeglass prescription.
Other students noted a general improvement in energy and well-being.

​

Primordial Qigong has three roots, reflecting the three major facets of qigong:
martial arts conditioning, health, and Daoist spiritual cultivation.

​

Feng’s version of Primordial Qigong may be practiced as part of martial arts training (wu gong ) because it includes Chen Style Taiji Quan principles and skills.
Master Feng relates movements in Primordial Qigong to the Thirteen Postures (fundamental postures and skills in Taiji Quan) and to various Taiji principles such as zhong ding “central equilibrium,” xu ling “empty and alert,” and song chen “relaxed and sunk.”
The connection between Taiji Quan and the philosophy of the Primordial has a historical precedent.
We know that the founder of Chen style, Chen Wangting, was interested in the concept of the Primordial because he studied the classic of Daoist meditation, the Yellow Court Canon (Huang Ting Jing, also translated “The Gold Pavilion Classic”).
He wrote, “At present, I am old and nearing the last breaths of my life.
My only remaining companion is the Yellow Court Canon.”
The Yellow Court Canon probably inspired Chen to incorporate Daoist principles of meditation and alchemy into Taiji Quan.
The Yellow Court Canon is the earliest source of the term dan tian, the elixir field of vital energy in the abdomen, an important concept in modern Taiji Quan training.

Primordial Qigong is a method of healing qigong (yi gong).
Among the many benefits of Primordial Qigong, Master Feng includes:

improving the function of the respiratory system, digestive system, circulatory system, and nervouse system

strengthening the internal organs

increasing elimination of toxins

clearing the acupuncture meridians

Primordial Qigong also belongs to the Daoist qigong (dao gong) category because it incorporates concepts and practices from Daoism, such as xing ming shuang xiu “body and spirit cultivated in balance,” shui huo xiang jiao “fire and water meet,” and lian dan “cultivating the elixir.”
Like Chen Style Taiji Quan, Primordial Qigong emphasizes learning how to concentrate on the dan tian (and how to turn the dan tian to generate movement).
External movement is always accompanied by internal movement, and for this reason Primordial Qigong may be considered “inner work”.
To a large extent, the dan tian is the hunyuan.
It is the place in the body where yin and yang, hun (yang soul) and po (yin soul) and the three treasures (jing, qi, and shen;
essence, breath, and spirit) are harmonized and unified.
Primordial Qigong is Daoist meditation in action.

One of the most interesting aspects of Primordial Qigong is that it can, according to master Feng’s book, “strengthen the prenatal primordial qi.”
I was happy to see that Master Feng agrees with a theory that I proposed on page 33 of my book The Way of Qigong— original or constitutional qi is not fixed at birth, as is often claimed in Chinese medicine;
rather, it can be strengthened and increased through qigong practice.
According to Chinese medicine, we have three major sources of qi:
air, food, and our ancestors.
First, we can absorb qi from the environment, primarily as air, but also as light and the energy of nature.
From a scientific perspective, the earth’s natural electromagnetic field helps to maintain biological cycles, including the release of hormones that control the need for sleep and food.
A person who spends more time in nature is naturally healthier.
Second, we absorb qi from food.
Thus, diet is a major facet of Chinese medicine and qigong, and many ancient Chinese dietary theories are now confirmed by western nutritional science.
Third, we inherit qi from our parents and ancestors.
This is called “original or constitutional qi”.

​

Practitioners of Chinese and western medicine agree that we can improve our health by paying attention to breathing, exercise, and diet.
However, they also claim that our genetic inheritance and thus our basic constitution cannot be changed.
A child who is born with weak original qi is destined to disease susceptibility.
Our biology shapes our destiny.
Daoism takes a different viewpoint.
We inherit original qi not only from our ancestors, but also from the universe We cannot change our ancestors, but we can change our relationship to Heaven and Earth.
Primordial Qigong exercises and meditations teach the student to blend the subtle qi of the universe with the denser qi within the body, “like fog blending with dew,” as Madame Gao Fu once explained to me.
The practitioner creates a fluid boundary between inside and outside and learns to tap into an infinite well of Healing Power.
Not only does the body’s original qi increase;
ultimately, the practitioner becomes one with the Primordial, the spirit and healing power of all that is.

1.2 – Hu yaozhen trained with Zhang Qinlin )

WANG YEN-NIEN TALKS ABOUT ZHANG QINLIN

An interview by Sam Tomarchio

Translated by Julia Fisher-Fairchild

(Volume 4, NO.
1, SPRING 1996)

After moving to Shanxi province, Zhang Qinlin earned his living by buying and selling furs and skins.
He did not hang out a sign and start teaching taijiquan.
No one knew that he had been taught taijiquan.
During this time he entered the Gold Mountain School of Daoism (Jin Shan Pai).
Zuo Yifeng, who was my daoist teacher's teacher, was Zhang's daoist teacher.
With Zuo, he began learning neigong and daoist gongfu.
As his internal alchemy, neigong and daoist breathing improved, his taijiquan and gongfu took giant leaps forward.
It was then that he began to be on the lookout for young potential martial artists - and accepted his first student:
Wang Shanzhi.

Even though Wang Shanzhi was a pretty good student, Zhang Laoshi did not teach him Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan.
He first taught him the 81Step3, using this time to observe Wang's character, how he practiced, and what type of person he was.
Zhang wanted to see if Wang was the right "material".
He saw that Wang Shanzhi was good, but not exactly what he was either looking or hoping for, and Wang remained at the level of the 81-Step. So Zhang Qinlin was still on the lookout for young people with good potential.
It is said that not only do students look for a good teacher - teachers also look for potential students.

Then he found a man named Hu Yaozhen.
Hu, already an accomplished Xingyi practitioner and teacher, had a strong physique and worked hard.
Hu had heard of Zhang Qinlin and knew that his gongfu was great.
Zhang Laoshi saw that Hu was not afraid to train hard, and Zhang was willing to accept him as a student.
But before he actually entered the door", Hu said he wanted to challenge Zhang.
If Zhang beat him, then Hu would become his student.
[To understand this, we must remember that] Hu Yaozhen was not only very skilled, but a well known master of Xingyi.
He was the "king" of Shanxi, Hebei and Sulyuan provinces -and was known as the best xingyi master.
No one in these three provinces had ever defeated him.
He was also about five years older than Zhang Qinlin and so felt he had to challenge Zhang -- and be beaten by him -- before he entered the door.
Zhang Qinlin said, "Are you sure you want to do this?
You are not going to bow to your laoshi unless we do this?"
Then Zhang told Hu that if he (Hu) lost, he would not take him as a student.
Hu replied:
"Who are you anyway?
You just arrived in Shanxi province.
Nobody knows you.
You must be dreaming to be saying this to me."
Then Hu said, "If you win I'll be your student."
Zhang replied, "If you lose I am not going to take you."
They decided to go ahead with the challenge.

One of the key movements in xingyi is Pi (splitting) and this was the move that Hu made toward Zhang Laoshi's face.
Zhang Laoshi made a Cai and caught his hand.
The Cai was so fast and with so much energy, that Hu fell to his knees.
In xingyi, this move is made with the weight on the front leg.
Because Hu's weight was on the front leg, the cai pressed Hu forward so that he fell onto his knees in front of Zhang Laoshi.
On his knees, Hu had to look up at Zhang Laoshi and gave up.
Zhang Laoshi said, "You were defeated, now go home."
Hu quickly shouted, "No, no, no!
I want you to accept me as your student."
Zhang said, "I told you, if you lose I am not going to take you."
Hu pleaded, saying, "You must take me, I am already on my knees.
I am not leaving until you take me as your student."
Zhang Laoshi replied:
"If you want to kneel there, that is your business, but I am not going to take you."
Zhang then walked away.

Hu stayed there, kneeling and waiting for almost three hours.
Mrs. Zhang said to her husband:
"Hu is older than you.
How can you let him stay on his knees for so long and ignore him?"
Zhang Laoshi replied, "I did not make him kneel there, he is doing that by himself."
Zhang's wife, realizing that things were at an impasse, wondered what to do.
She thought perhaps that finding a sponsor to intervene, rather than have her husband and Hu deal directly, would be a possible solution.
She knew everything would depend on who Hu found to be his sponsor.
If the sponsor was good at talking with Zhang Qinlin then things might work out.
So Mrs.
Zhang suggested this, and hearing of this possibility, Hu bowed to the floor and went off to find a suitable sponsor.

Hu Yaozhen, also a member of the Jin Shan Pai (Gold Mountain School) went to a member of the older generation - someone who would have influence over Zhang Qinlin - to ask him to be his sponsor.
Because Hu's sponsor was an older brother of Zhang Laoshi's and was willing to introduce" Hu, Zhang said, Yes."
After the formalities were over, Zhang told Hu to practice only taijiquan, but Hu was not really able to let go of his xingyi.
He was already a great master, and thus it was very difficult to "throw it out the window".
Zhang kept telling Hu that his jin (internal energy) was wrong - it was a xingyi type, not a taiji type of energy.
Hu said that there was nothing he could do because he had been practicing that way for so long.
Zhang decided to teach Hu the 81-Step form of taijiquan, realizing that unless Hu was able to let go of his xingyi it would be quite difficult to teach him Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan.

Jiu Zhiliang4 from Shanxi province and in the army, was accepted by Zhang as his student.
Liu was a good person with many good characteristics, but was not able to truly relax.
Being able to relax in the 81-Step was a necessary condition to move on to Yangjia Michuan Taijiquan.
So Zhang Qinlin still had not found the person he was looking for.

​

2 –chen fake

3 – FZQ: feng zhi qiang

3.1 - FZQ workshop in SF 2001

Segments from Feng Zhiqiang Workshop
2001, 7/10-14, near San Francisco

Running translation by Brian Guan, taped by Cheryl Yonker, transcribed by Kenneth Haugan.

Note:
During the workshop, the translation refered to Feng and Zhang in third-person's voice.
For the purpose of publishing this transcript, the translated speech is modified to refer to them in first person.

...

[Feng] Qi can leak out from the perineum, there’s no way you could know, there’s no external sensation...
This qi is different from the "exhaust", those coming out from the anus...
You should relax the anus and let whatever leaks out leak out.
So when you have very low stance, qi leaks out from the perineum.
There’s no way you would know.
When qi leaks out from the perineum you can never sense it.
When you have very low stance the angle at the knee is too sharp.
Qi doesn’t flow down very easily.
We must differentiate between what is good for us and what is bad for us,
and what is damaging our body and what is nurturing our body.

... Gentle practice is more effective than forceful practice.
Lengthening is better than contracting.
It’s not just a simple matter of health, it’s also a very good stretching exercise.

[Zhang] Some of us may have noticed Grandmaster Feng has much longer arms than the rest of us.
That’s a result of practicing lengthening.
Thirty years ago when we took a picture together, I noticed in the photograph that Master Feng’s arm is about one finger longer than mine.

...

[Feng] Chen style Taiji didn’t form magically by birth.
It is formed by absorbing many schools of martial arts.
"Extending is better than contracting."

...

[Feng] Gentle is better than forceful.
Slow is better than fast.
Higher stance is better than lower.
That point about practicing with higher and lower stance:
When you are practicing with lower stance, yes, your martial ability may increase faster,
but you’re doing more damage to your own body, and you’ll never realize that you’re leaking qi.
Weight on one side is better than double weighted.
Even when you are standing upright, your weight should only be on one leg.
When you’re standing you should be relaxed and have your weight shifting from one leg to the other,
never stationary and fifty-fifty.
But not too obvious, that looks too funny.
Don’t let it be visible to an observer, but you should shift your weight from one leg to the other.
Same thing with the foot.
When you are standing you should never tighten your foot, and you should also flex it gently.
Never stay in one position.
Practicing in a relaxed manner is better than tensing up.
[Demonstration] This is a relaxed walk.
This is a tense walk.
Bagua practictioners spend lots of time practicing that walk.
The technical name for that walking is mud-waddling step.
You can only do that stepping if you are relaxed.

Curved line is better than straight line.
Even when your limbs are lengthened, they should also be curved.
The body is the same.
It should never be too straight.
There should always be a curve somewhere.
The Taiji body has five bows [Verbal clarification from translator:
as in "bow" and arrow].
One arm, the other arm — two bows.
One leg, the other leg, and your spine - your body.
So, five bows.
There is a Taiji saying that "once the body has cultivated five bows,
(and can express the spring-like power) there is no equal opponent under Heaven."
[Demonstration] This is one bow as well.
Curving the chest is also a bow.
Only by practicing in a slow and lengthening manner, you can then cultivate the spring-like energy.
Something with springiness is very strong.
If you drop it, it will never break.
But if you have something that is hard and brittle, when you drop it it will shatter.
That’s what the old martial arts masters would say.
If your body has five bows and you have this spring-like power,
you will have no equal opponent under Heaven.
Practicing martial art, you should know the theory.
Only by knowing the theory can you grasp the martial aspect of Taiji.

Again, Taiji is a long form of martial art, as in lengthening.
Xingyi, on contrary, is a shorter form.
Even though Xingyi is a short form of martial art, they use their body to complement the strength.
They use the springy, jumpy power to complement the lack of reach.
Taiji is a long form of martial art.
It’s like the body of a dragon.
Tongbei, another Chinese martial art, is another long form of martial art,
because you are always extending your arms.
Taiji absorbs the strength of all these different martial arts and forms its own unique style.
This movement in our form [demonstrates], it’s from Xingyi.
This [demonstrates] is from Tongbei.
This is from Shaolin.
This is from Preying Mantis.
This is also from Preying Mantis.
The elbow strikes in Taiji come from Baji.
Taiji is a compound of eighteen other martial art styles.
Using the theory of Taoism, I-Ching, and Chinese Traditional Medicine to form its theoretical foundation, especially yin-yang theory and the meridians in traditional medicine.

Taiji started in the Ming Dynasty, about four or five hundred years ago.
There’s no guarantee if your surname is Chen that you will master this art.
The five main styles of Taiji — Chen/, Yang/, Wu/, Sun-, Wu~ —
all use Chen style Taiji as the main foundation.
Why don’t the other styles have all these power-issuing, forceful movements?
The other styles have learned the essence of Taiji, and they don’t have all the forceful movements.
Some practitioners of Chen Taiji are getting more and more forceful in their movements.
They have not learned the wisdom of the past masters.
Yang Taiji [demonstrates] is very gentle, very big.
Why don’t they do all that?
Wu style Taiji [demonstrates], same thing.
Very gentle, very slow.
Sun style Taiji:
[demonstrates] Slow and gentle too.
Why do the founding masters of these other styles of Taiji encourage others to practice slow and gentle?
This is evidence to support that Taiji shouldn’t be fast, shouldn’t be forceful.
We must understand the basic theory of this art.

Another fact for all of us:
There shouldn’t be a classification of old frame versus new frame.
There is a classification system of big frame and small frame, but not new frame and old frame.
Taiji from Chen Village should be classified as big frame.
There is a village nearby to Chen Village called Zhaobao.
Their style should be considered small frame.
Both styles have their strengths and weaknesses.
They all have their uniqueness.
If you want to call something old frame, there is in fact such a thing as old frame, but it was before the present Taiji was formed, several hundred years ago.
That is when the old masters were still experimenting with the form.
[Master Feng’s] teacher told him that he is the 17th generation lineage holder of Chen Taiji, and he told him,
“I’m from Chen Village, and I’m considered a grandfather generation from the Chen Village,
how come people call my style new frame, and their style old frame?
I don’t understand.”
According to Chen Fake, there is only a differentiation of big frame and small frame,
not new frame and old frame.

Our style of Taiji is called Chen style Hun Yuan Taiji.
It belongs in the big frame family.
Why is it called Hun Yuan?
Hun Yuan symbolizes the orbital path of the sun, the moon, the constellations, the earth;
when everything is moving together, it is Hun Yuan.
For example, bicycles, it spins;
automobiles, the wheels spin;
ships, steamboats, airplanes, rockets;
it’s just that they have different directions of spin.
Airplanes with rotary propellers, they spin like this.
Bullets from guns they also spin.
When everything is spinning, it’s Hun Yuan.
In our own body there is circulation of qi and blood, and they follow particular meridians.
For example, up the inner leg and down the outer side.
Same thing with the arms, and also around the belt meridian.
When everything is circulating and spinning together, this is Hun Yuan.
Nothing can leave this basic foundation.
Even when we’re walking, there are also curved lines involved.
Curved lines are better.
Everything moves in the orbit of curved lines.

Let’s stop now.
We should rest our bodies, but we should exercise our minds still.

...

[Feng] There’s definitely no problem, we can finish this form by the end of the workshop.
And the fact that we can do it with such quality is a great improvement from what I'm used to.

[Cheryl] Thanks to Master Zhang!

[Feng] However, we should never be too proud of ourselves.
Even though our external movement seems to be ok, this form is very deep.
Practice diligently and hopefully one day we can do the form in such a way that whatever shape we express on the outside, the internal will follow.
Only when the external and internal are synchronized can we say our form is good.
And even then, if we can synchronize our internal and external, there are levels beyond that.
For example, we can reach the level where we are one with Hun Yuan, as in you are moving with the universe.
When you can reach the level where you are one with Hun Yuan and the universe,
it’s moving and you are part of it,
so even though you are not actually practicing the form you are part of the movement.
What is this thing, so-called Hun Yuan Qi ball?
It could be as small as a pill or as big as your body.
It could move just in your dan tien or it could move all around your body as one big ball.
If you can cultivate such a Taiji ball, then you can say you have succeeded.
However there are still levels beyond that.
Some students asked me once, "have you reached the level where you can get this one little ball of Hun Yuan qi?"
I am not there yet, that’s why I am still working very hard at it.
I am at the level where internal and external are synchronized.
The level beyond the one concentrated ball of energy is when your three senses combine into one — the three senses are your sense of sight, sense of hearing, and sense of thought — when all three senses combine into one, you reach a spiritual level.
I am not saying this to discourage you, but the level we just talked about when the three senses are mixed into one and reaching spiritual level, we may not be able to reach that in one lifetime.
Only by working hard nonstop and by making progress all the time will we be able to reach there one day.

Some student asked, "what do you mean, three senses combine into one,
and what sort of sensations would one experience?"
The three senses are the sense of sight, hearing, and the sense of thought.
If you have truly reach the level where the three senses are combined into one and become spiritual,
(even though you may not get there in one lifetime),
if you eventually get there, you reach such a high level that whatever you think about
will appear in your sight, or whatever you want to hear you can hear it.
It could be thousands of miles away, you could see whatever your heart wants to see,
or you can hear whatever your heart wants to hear.
This is not superstition.
This is achieveable if you work at it.
Work at it nonstop and one step at a time and eventually you will get there.
This is not superstition, it is my belief that this is scientific.
We are all human beings and the fact that we are human beings in this life
proves that in our previous lives we have already been working very hard.
That’s why we are human beings and not animals in this lifetime.
If you stop working hard maybe you will descend down to the level of animals,
but if you keep working hard maybe eventually you will get to that level.
It’s not something you can buy with money.

Early on there was a student, I think it was Dennis, who was asking for some stories about Hu Yaozhen,
[Editor's note:
who was one of Grandmaster Feng’s significant teachers] so I'm going to tell you a little bit about Hu Yaozhen.
Hu Yaozhen and Chen Fa Ke were both my teachers.
Both of them reached a very, very high level in martial arts.
Their personalities, their way of thinking and action, were very high and virtuous.
Chen Fa Ke was from Chen Village in Hunan Province, but his level of achievment,
there’s no other person from Chen Village that he has met that reached even a fraction of Chen Fa Ke’s level.

[Zhang] Master Feng is very humble, but he has inherited everything that Master Chen Fa Ke taught him —
his wisdom, martial arts, and his way of life.

[Feng] Ever since I started learning from both of those masters,
I have never heard them say anything negative about anybody else,
and they never talked highly about themselves either.
Master Chen actually had two nicknames.
One of them was Chen So-so, and the other was Chen Useless.
Because every time somebody praised him he would say, “I’m useless, I’m so-so.”
He said it so often that people actually called him by his nicknames Chen Useless and Chen So-so.
However, in martial arts publications in Japan they called Grandmaster Chen Fa Ke “the Saint of Fist”.
[Translator's clarification: The Saint of Martial Arts]

Master Hu, similarly, never expressed his opinion about other people.
He always said, “you’re good, he's good."
He always praised everybody else.
When somebody’s martial art or life style had some problems,
he never said anything about it, he would just say “I don’t know.”
When he saw something strong in somebody's martial art or something good in somebody's personality
he would always praise them.
Master Hu was a master of five arts.
He was a master of Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and Chinese Medicine as well as martial arts.
When he meditates, I have seen him levitate for about a foot off the ground.
One time he was meditating in the house and I went to visit him with some fellow students.
We knew he was meditating, so we stayed outside the house, we didn’t want to go in and disturb him.
However, master Hu could somehow sense that we were there, and asked us all to come in.
He asked us all to come in, and said, “I’ve been meditating too long,
my legs are numb, it’s all crooked, so can you all come and lift me up?”
So all five of us said, oh that’s pretty easy, because all five of us were strong young men in our prime,
so we said, “no problem, we can lift him up.”
We tried, but couldn’t move him.
After he saw us struggle, he said “Never mind, I’ll do it myself, I’m no longer numb.”
He just walked down from the bed himself.
While we were trying, five of us each took a limb and the other took the body,
but none of us could move him.
Only when he said “I’m moving myself” then he’s coming off the bed.
When we were pulling him, it felt to us as if he was almost moving.
We felt as if he’s giving, he’s giving, but he’s never quite coming off the bed,
and when we’re out of strength he somehow moved back.
It’s almost like he’s elastic.
We were very puzzled why the teacher was doing this to us.
The teacher said, “May be you guys are thinking too highly of yourselves.
Are you very proud of yourselves, are you very proud of your strength and your achievements?
But look at you, you can’t even move an old man like me, so you must go back and do some thinking.
What have you done wrong?”
But none of us could find our own fault at first.
“I’m ok, I’m very humble, I don’t think very highly of myself.”
So we tried to help each other and say, “oh, you are arrogant in this way and arrogant in that way"
and we found our problems eventually.
My problem was… [demonstrates] When I was young I liked to walk like that (scrowling at everybody else).
Another fellow student… [demonstrates] ... full of himself.
Another one… [demonstrates] He’s never sincere, he’s always too smiley-faced on the outside.
That’s how the teacher taught us to be humble.
The lesson was to teach us that “you haven’t learned a lot yet and you’re already so proud of yourself,
you already have developed so many problems, how can you move beyond your present level?”

In my memory, both masters have never hurt anybody.
Whenever they took on challengers, they always defeat them without hurting them.
Other martial arts schools in Beijing gave Master Chen a signboard that said he is Taiji 1,
as in Taiji first person, meaning there’s nobody else higher than him in Taiji.
Everybody thought he would be happy with such praises.
However, Master Chen wasn’t happy at all, he was very upset.
He took that signboard and hid it under his bed.
People asked him, "You should hang it up.
Why do you hide it under your bed?"
He said, "I’m not the only one doing Taiji, lots of people are doing Taiji,
I’m not the “only one” in Taiji" (a possible literal translation of the words on the signboard).
All these stories are quite well-known, widely spread, even in Japan.
That’s why they call him the Saint of Martial Arts.

Grandmaster Hu, on the other hand was called “the God of Fist”
[Translator's clarification: The God of Martial Arts]
His level of achievement was also very well known, not only in martial arts,
but also in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Traditional Medicine.
There was an aura...
he gave out a visible aura when he meditates.
His scholarship in Confucianism was very well known, his definition of Kindness, Righteousness, Way/Truth, Virtue was considered to be the best in the field.
His knowledged of medicine is also very, very deep.
I have seen two or three patients who came to visit him,
and they were so ill they couldn’t walk any more, they basically came in a cart.
Master Hu just poked two needles into them and they all walked home by themselves.
Those patients called him the God-doctor.
He wasn't just using needles when giving acupuncture, he used his qi,
and he drove it all the way into the patient.
Sometimes he could foretell things before they happened.
There are certain things I probably should not tell you today, but I would say one thing:
Master Hu is not a normal person.
For example, I was introduced to Master Chen Fa Ke by Master Hu.
I told Master Hu, “I don’t like Taiji.”
But Master Hu said, “His Taiji is good.”
So I asked Master Hu, “How come you know his Taiji is good?”
Master Hu said, “Well I don’t know him yet.”
At that time they didn’t know each other.
Then I asked, “In that case how do you know his Taiji is good?”
Master Hu said, “I’ve seen him at night,” without saying anything further.
My theory is that he was able to do some sort of out-of-body visit when he was meditating.
Master Hu basically persuaded me to go and see Master Chen.
“You just go and have a look-see.
If you like it, I’ll write a letter of recommendation for you.”
So I went to visit Master Chen, and I was very, very impressed.
So that’s how I meet Master Chen and joined his school.
So it was through Master Hu's introduction that I get to know Master Chen Fa Ke.
Before Master Chen, the type of Taiji I have seen were what I saw in parks done by old people,
which was very soft and not very good.
It was only through Master Hu’s introduction to Master Chen that I started doing Chen Taiji.

Questions and Answers session on the last day of the workshop

[Brian] We have a question on standing meditation.
Basically, how should we stand?
Any tips on standing?
Some students have experienced interesting phenomena like uncontrollable shaking,
whether that's good or bad, and whether we should do anything about it

[Feng] Everyone, greetings.
This is a good question.
Standing posture is Wuji, [Translator note:
as in "ultimate nothing"].
Standing posture is posture of Wuji.
Wuji is the state before Heaven and Earth was formed, when everything was in the primordial soup,
when yin and yang were not differentiated.
Wuji is silence, not moving, is quiet, whereas Taiji, the name of our practice, is opposite.
Even though it looks as if standing posture/standing meditation there's no movement, however inside,
just like in the primordial soup, there's always something, there's always something moving.
When the internal subtle movement suddenly reaches critical level, then there's a Big Bang.
That's when the light stuff floats up and the heavy stuff sinks down.
And those that floats up form the heaven, and things that condenses become the Earth.
The Big Bang essentially causes Taiji to happen.
Taiji is yin and yang, the interplay between yin and yang.
Between the interplay of yin and yang, everything else in this world is born.
Without Taiji there's nothing, there's not even us.
Everything, all life forms.
Plants, animals.
Human being are at the top of the animal kingdom, we are spiritual beings.
The relationship between Heaven, Human, and Earth is the three pillars of the universe.
Basically, from Wuji, even though there's no apparent movement, there's always something happening internally.
When the time is right, the universe is formed, and Taiji is born.
Same thing when we're doing standing meditation.
There's no apparent movement, but there's always a little subtle shift.
And after you've been doing it for a while you could generate so much energy in your body that you'd just have to move, that's the time for you to start doing your form.
Within Wuji, even though the external is without motion, inside there is the beating of the heart, the circulation of blood, the flowing of chi.
So within the motionless external something is contained inside that is moving.

From Wuji, (Ultimate Nothingness) the one, Taiji, (Ultimate Everythingness) is born.
When Taiji is born, it separates into LiangYi (Two Forms):
Yin and Yang.
When Yin and Yang is seperated, then we have SanCai (Three Grouping):
Heaven, Earth, and spiritual beings like Human.
Then, we have SiXiang (Four Signs).
Then WuXing (five elements):
metal, earth, fire, water, wood.
Five Elements can be used as a broad classification of many things,
including our internal organs like liver (wood), heart (fire), kidney (water), spleen (earth), lung (metal).
In our form the five elements can be interpreted as forward, backward, left, right, and center.
The four signs are North, South, East, West.
Within our body, the four signs can also signify the limbs, two arms, two legs.
After five elements, comes the six harmonies, or the six couplings.
The six couplings are:
North and South couples;
East and West couples;
top and bottom couples.
That is the generic six couplings.
Within our form, the six couplings are:
shoulder and kua;
elbow and knee;
wrist and ankle.
There are a lot more numbers with significance beyond six.
We probably won't go over all of them, but we can talk a little bit about QiXing (seven stars).
Heaven has a significant constellation called seven stars, the Big Dipper,
which is used to defined direction of Heaven,
but in our form the seven stars can be seven points of contact in the technique Step Up Seven Stars,
i.e. the 2 elbows, 2 fists, knee, feet, and your head.
After seven stars we can talk about the BaGua (eight trigrams).
The eight trigrams is on our logo, each trigram has three horizontal lines.
They mark the eight directions.
After the four "proper" directions are defined, the four diagonals are therefore differentiated.
After we talk about the eight trigrams, we can also talk about JiuGong (Nine Palaces).
The nine palaces are the eight trigrams, plus you in the middle as the ninth palace.
So on and so forth.
From nine becomes ten, and ten is the turning point.
It's when the circle goes back to zero, as in, WuJi.

Let's go back to the standing meditation and involuntary movement.
Not everyone will experience it.
Some people will experience different feelings, different sensations,
when your qigong practice is up to a certain level.
Movement is one of them.
It's normal to move.
However, do not seek movement for its own sake.
The movement is a side effect.
What we want to do is keep our attention, our intention, within our DanTien,
and let the movement be.
If the movement continues without bothering you, that's fine.
But if it gets bigger and bigger, then you should use your will power, your mind,
to tell it "look, just stop it; don't move."
Usually that will take away or control the movement.
However if the movement is so big that it's beyond your control, then it's time to stop.
You should do the DanTien turning exercise, gathering all the Qi that is wandering about back into your DanTien, and stop doing QiGong.
Some movements are actually good phenomena.
However we should not seek the phenomena.
We should just focus on practicing QiGong.
So some of the good phenomena are:
If you are doing qigong and breathing, it is as if your whole body is expanding and contracting,
as if you are breathing with your whole body.
That kind of movement, regular movement, is good for your.
Another type of good movement is, when you are breathing in,
you are feeling as if your stomach is going in so flat it is almost touching your back,
and when you are breathing out, your stomach is going forward.
And again, this controllable, regular movement is good for you.
Those are good movements.
Another good feeling is, when you are breathing in,
you feel as if all the blood and all the energy in your body get concentrated into you dan tien,
and when you're breathing out all the energy goes all the way out to the tip of your limbs.
That's also a type of movement sensation that is good.
Other types of feelings are sensations, as if you can see, even with your eyes closed,
as if the sun is in front of you, or a bright light.
Or in your stomach, a bright ball.
Or if you feel as if your whole stomach is transparent.
Those are good feelings, well-known good phenomena.
Whether it's Wuji-standing causing that kind of feeling or doing Taiji and getting that kind of feeling,
it's all caused by the inner light, and is also a direct result of your practice.
It's good.

[Brian] The next question is about breathing.
How should we breathe, when standing, when doing the form, when doing qigong?

[Feng] Breathing when doing standing meditation:
What we should pay attention to is not the actual action of breathing.
You shouldn't be trying to breath, like draw in lots of air and breathe out lots of air.
That's not the main thing.
What you should be doing is thinking about breathing.
So you use your mind and intention to focus on breathing, and not the physical action of breathing.
When we are doing qigong we should be breathing in when we are opening, and breathing out when we are closing.
It should be gentle with very, very light breathing as if you are breathing in a thread of air.
You are breathing in through the nose, and when you are breathing in the tongue should be touching the upper palate.
When you are breathing out, the tongue shoud come down and touch the lower palate,
and again, breathe out through the mouth as if you are breathing out a thread of air.
However in some movements in qigong the the opening and closing is not that obvious,
or one side is opening and the other is closing, so it's not that obvious what to do with breathing.
In those movements you shouldn't be focusing on the breathing.
You should think about the movement itself.
[demonstrates] That was an example of one of the movements in qigong that has no obvious breathing implication.
So what should your mind be thinking?
Your mind should be thinking of the action, as well as visualizing that you are gathering energy from your surroundings and depositing it into your dan tien.

[Brian] Next question:
If we've learned Taiji for awhile, we cover lots of material.
And we being normal people, we have a life, so we never have enough time to practice it all.
So can Master Feng suggest some sort of timetable, schedule,
or exercises for various lengths of time, like if you only have five minutes a day what do you do?
If you have ten minutes a day, thirty minutes, one hour, what do you do?
And related to that, classic textbooks tell us that the old Chen masters did their forms thirty times a day.
Is that possible?
How did they do it?

[Feng] Good question.
Yes we are all normal people, we never have enough time.
However, we are more than normal people, even though we are normal people.
Even though we are normal people, we are practicing Taiji,
which is part of DaDao (the Grand Way) of Heaven and Earth, of Yin and Yang.
Therefore we are more than normal.
No matter what exercise we do, within all those things we've learned,
what we're doing is cultivating and nurturing our body and our mind.

If we have limited time, what should we do on a daily basis?
You should at least cover two things:
One is qigong, as many movements as you can do,
and then the 24-form. However if you don't even have time to cover those two things,
what you can do is, put the 24 aside and concentrate on a subset of qigong exercises.
And those examples he was showing us, "Heaven open, Earth close,"
or "Earth open, Heaven close," that's one.
Or "double hand open-close," that's another one.
So if you do those, that's ok.
But you need to do more than nine repetitions if you just want to do one thing.
And he's suggesting a few hundred repetitions.
At least a hundred times or two hundred times.
He's saying that because qigong is the foundation, is the core of our practice,
if you don't have time for anything else, then do the core.
However, it's best that you try to put aside at least an hour a day to do qigong as well as the 24.

An example of somebody who benefited from qigong is a forty-something year-old rich businessman in ShanDong province.
He had liver cancer, and modern medicine couldn't help him.
He went and visited lots of sacred places - Shaolin Temple, Wudang Mountain -
seeking out priests and wise men all over the place, and it wasn't helping.
However, he met me and started practicing Hun Yuan Qigong,
and he did it very diligently, more than an hour a day -
he practiced qigong and form everyday, and within a year he got rid of his liver cancer,
and his doctor was amazed and shocked.
He told the doctor that he didn't do it with medicine, and the doctor didn't want to believe him.
Anyway, we visited him, Chen Xiang and I visited him only recently.
Next time if you ever get to Shantung Province, I think we can all visit him.
He has a factory.
In his factory he has about two thousand workers.
He's telling all his workers to practice qigong at the beginning of the day every day.
If they don't do it he doesn't allow them to get to work.
I said to him, "You shouldn't have to force people, it should be on a voluntary basis,"
but the guy said "No, no way, I'm going to force all of them to do it.
Because by doing that, I'm saving on medical benefit bills by several tens of thousands of dollars every year!"

[Brian] Next question is about women and Taiji.
This question is for Grandmaster Feng, as well as Master Siu Fang.
How should women practice Taiji, and what is the difference between women's and men's practice,
and whether Master Siu Fang has any words of wisdom or perspective about women doing Taiji.

[Siu Fang] In principle there's not any big difference.
So if body permitting, you should practice more, as much as men.
But if you're not feeling well, you can reduce the amount of practice.

[Feng] Men are yang and women are yin, and we are different in that way.
The left side of our body is yang, and the right side of our body is yin.
And men, being yang, we have much more yang than yin in general, and women the opposite.
What we are doing, we want to balance our yin and yang within our body,
and that's the purpose of our exercise.
So for example, when we are doing the turning to gather and collect chi back to dan tien,
men want to draw from our side with excess, and use it,
guide it to supplement the deficient side, which is the yin side, the feminine side.
Women are spinning the other way for the same reason.
Your yin is stronger than your yang, therefore you want to draw from your yin side to supplement your yang side.

The location of dan tien for women is slightly different than men.
For men, the upper dan tien is in our skull, right behind this point in our forehead.
The name-there are several names- ZuQiao could be translated as ancestors' cavity.
And if you draw a vertical line from BaiHui, which is the top of your head,
and where they meet, inside of your skull, is the location of your upper dan tien.
This point is also called, in Buddhism, the "eye of wisdom",
and that's why some Buddha's have three eyes,
and some people giving initiation ceremonies want to draw a dot on that point.

Yesterday we talked about the three senses becoming one,
when your Taiji or your practice is at a very advanced level.
The three senses are the sense of hearing, the sense of sight, and the sense of thinking.
When these three senses are combined into one and reached a spiritual state,
then your third eye, or your eye of wisdom, will be opened.
You can basically see whatever your heart wishes to see, or whatever your heart wishes will happen.
At our level we shouldn't spend too much time training and cultivating the upper dan tien.
If your foundation is no good and you try to do a lot of head dan tien, upper dan tien work,
it's very easy to cause damage, and the types of damage you can cause basically affects your mind,
or you can simply just have a big headache.
At our level, the Upper DanTien is still useful to us, when we're doing qigong we use it as a gateway.
For certain exercises we use it as a gateway to collect qi and use it only in that manner,
because after passing through that gateway we want to store the collected qi in your dan tien,
your middle dan tien.
And you should never, at our level, use it as an energy storage area.
That's why every time, at the end of certain sets of movement or the end of the form, we do this a lot.
[Demonstration] We want to make sure no wandering qi lingers in the upper dan tien,
and we want to guide it down where it should be, which is the middle dan tien, the reservoir of energy.
The upper dan tien should be the house of your spirit.
It shouldn't be the reservoir of your qi at our level.

The middle dan tien, however, could be worked on as often as you can.
You can use it to store qi, you can use it to nurture your qi, basically you can use it to collect qi.
And when you have good collection of qi, like big amount of energy in your dan tien,
it will naturally become a big source of spirit that you can use.
That is why we talked a lot about the three dan tiens,
the upper dan tien being the dan tien for spirit,
the middle dan tien being the dan tien for qi energy, and t
he lower dan tien being the dan tien or reservoir for essence, as in bodily fluids i.e. semen.
That is why the ancients say, if your lower dan tien is full,
as in you have good collection of essence,
then your energy will naturally be full,
and if your energy is full, then your spirit is full.
It's a natural progression, so the old Taoists would train or practice or meditate
to make sure that their essence could be abstracted into qi and qi abstracted into energy.

For men, the location of our middle dan tien is right behind our navel.
It's about an inch and a half.
The location of lower dan tien is at the perineum, it's between your genitals and your anus.
And from that soft spot go up about about one and a half inches.
That's the location of your lower dan tien.
Those two locations are for men only.
The location for upper dan tien is the same for both gender.
For women the location of your middle dan tien is not behind your navel.
Rather, it's in the middle, in the center between your breasts.
Your lower dan tien is in your womb.
However, for women, you don't want to store qi,
and collect qi directly to your middle dan tien.
It is safer to collect qi behind your navel still,
and when you have good collection, when the qi is full,
it will naturally rise up to the location of your middle dan tien.
If you start by building up the female middle dan tien,
it will affect you negatively, you will have some sort of pressing sensation on your chest.
In Taoism, men are considered yang creatures and women are considered yin creatures.
However, the finer point is that men are yang on the outside but yin on the inside,
and women are yin on the outside and yang on the inside.
So in theory, in terms of speed of progression in QiGong, women should be faster than men.
So under the same conditions and circumstances,
women in general will progress much faster than men, and usually will live longer life than men.
Women have yang on the inside, that's where the draw their power from,
so if they really train as hard as the men, they'll get there faster than us.

[Brian] This next question.
At first I tried to censor it.
I thought well, some guy was just asking, you know, a stupid question.
However, I got the same question more than a few times.
So I said, well, enough people are interested in this topic, we should then ask it.
It's about sex and Taiji.
Should you do it?
Is there a need for moderation?
Is there a difference between men and women?

[Feng] If you are a young man and you don't practice qigong,
well you do it once every two or three days, that's fine.
However if you start practicing qigong and you are serious about your qigong,
then at most you do it once every ten days,
and in theory you should stop three days before it and five days after.
So basically you shouldn't do any serious qigong practice for three days before it,
as in you have to plan for it, and then five days after you don't do it.
For women it doesn't matter as much.
But they should avoid doing QiGong three days before and five days after their menstrual period.

[Brian] How about if you retain your semen?

[Feng] If you can do that, then yes, you don't have that restriction…
If you are able to retain your semen, if you have that ability,
what you should do after sex is to massage your lower abdomen and rub it or wash it with warm water to calm down the buildup.
Otherwise there will be some sort of blockage.

[Brian] Ok, now the last question, and I think after the last question we should call it a day,
because there are too many questions.
The last question or request is, we want Master Feng to recount when he first met Master Zhang.

[Feng] Whatever Zhang told us, it's the same thing.
[laughter]

[Feng] When I first met Master Zhang, I heard that he's from Shantung Province.
My impression of ShanDong people is, ShanDong is a province full of warriors,
because Shantung people are always very martial.
ShanDong men are usually straight shooters.
Their mouth will say exactly what their heart thinks, and it's very fast.
Whatever their heart thinks, they will say it immediately.
And usually, they are good people, too.
I met Zhang through Zhang's old teacher's recommendation, Chen Zhaokui,
and another teacher Li Rui Yen.
LRY is the god-daughter of Chen Fa Ke.
When we first met, we bonded very well.
We like to go to little street-side stalls and eat spicy tripes, spicy pork stomachs, and drink some.
My impression of Zhang was very good.
We use to hang out together and practice together.
However, afterwards he came to America, then we have less contact.
However, I like what he has achieved here - you are the result of his work -
I'm very happy to see the result of his work.
I hope you can all stay united and advance the teaching of Taiji,
and contribute to the well being of man kind.

[applause]

[Feng] This workshop is almost like for family.
You are very close.
You tried very hard to do cost containment.
When I visited Japan and Europe the workshops had several hundred people,
sometimes even thousands, so there's not much time for such intimate talk and practice.

[Zhang] This workshop is essentially for my students only.
And a lot of material we cover and a lot of opinions we express, is only for us only.
Usually Master Feng doesn't want to talk about such things in normal, open workshops.
When he gave lectures in Hong Kong and Japan, it's for thousands of people,
and the organizers sell tickets to such events.
When he was giving lectures in China, sometimes even in universities,
well-known universities like Beijing University, QinHua University…
These are top universities in China, and he was invited there as a guest speaker,
and he just went there without a prepared speech written up,
and he just stood up there and talked for two hours nonstop.
So he shocked all the university lecturers, they were frantically taking notes.
I wasn't there, but Feng's third daughter told me,
"my father was incredible, he just stood up there and talked to university lecturers for two hours nonstop."

This workshop is very unique, very special.
We've been hoping for Master Feng's visit for more than four years,
and planning for it, and there were lots of reasons it didn't happen before in the previous years.
We don't want to talk about those reasons.
Now that he's here, we are all very happy.
However, Grandmaster Feng is a very busy person.
He has many titles and many responsibilities back in China.
For instance, he is Vice President of the Chinese Institute of Martial Arts.
And they have lots of events to attend like meetings, and meetings, and meetings.
I understand the situation, and that's why every time we have students who want to go to China and ask to visit Master Feng, I always told them not to.
Basically, Grandmaster Feng is so busy, I don't want any of my own students to go and disturb him.
Sometimes we have students who go and visit Master Feng somehow, and basically just sit there and overstay their welcome sometimes, and disturb his rest, I don't want that to happen.
That's why this workshop has been planned in such a way that we have lots of material to cover,
but we have ample rest in between.
We want to preserve not just the living treasure of China, but the living treasure of humanity.

[Feng] All things in the universe conform to the theory of Hun Yuan.
It's circulation, it's everything.
. That cannot escape the principle.
Our form of Taiji reflects that.
And also, our form of Taiji is trying to show the original face, the root of Taiji.

[Zhang] I want to add to the last question that you've asked.
I know Master Feng for about forty years, and over the past forty years we have been great friends, and the relationship has always been good.
Even after I left China to come to the U.S., my heart is still in Beijing,
and I always thought about going back to China.
However, my work here is not done.
Master Feng cares a lot about his students.
Every time I visit him in China, he always sends his greetings to us.

Basically that's it, that's the end of the workshop,
however, I want to add that I am very happy that you've learned a lot,
and you've shown great improvement over the last few days.
However, I feel that my burden is heavy, because you've learned all these materials,
and you need to "keep and remember" them.
And when Master Feng's left America and gone back to China, it will be my work to basically help you out.

The reason why we want to form the American chapter of the Feng Zhiqiang Taijiquan Academy
is that when Master Feng is not in the U.S.,
we as an organization, can continue to work on studying this body of knowledge,
and we should all help each other in our studies.

Well, that's it for the workshop, and I wish everybody good health and happiness!

3.2 - FZQ interview J.Szymanski in 2000

INTERVIEW WITH MR. FENG ZHIQIANG,
CHEN STYLE TAIJIQUAN EXPERT FROM BEIJING
BY JAREK SZYMANSKI

Text - Jarek Szymanski;
Photos - Jarek Szymanski and courtesy of Mr. Feng Zhiqiang;
© J.Szymanski 2000

A short biography of Mr. Feng Zhiqiang
(based on the article "Opening the river of Hunyuan, establishing the manners in martial arts"
written by Pan Houcheng and published in "Hunyuan Taiji" magazine, 1/1999).

MR. FENG ZHIQIANG

Mr. Feng Zhiqiang was born in 1928.
His family was from Shulu County, Hebei Province.
His great-grandfather was famous martial artist who passed military examinations and became Wuju (successful candidate in the imperial examinations on provincial level) during Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).
Although Feng's father did not practice martial arts,
one of family relatives, Wang Yunkai, was proficient in Shaolin boxing and when Feng became 8 years old,
Wang started to teach him Tong Zi Gong (stretching exercises),
Standing Post methods, Boddhidharma's Yijinjing (Classic of Changing the Tendons, set of isometric exercises).
Feng not only learnt very fast, but inherited his great-grandfather's strength,
and at the age of 12 was able to carry 200kg heavy stone around the courtyard
(this is traditionally called "Strength Kills Four Gates" - Li Sha Si Men).
He liked to fight and many times taught bad youngsters in the neighbourhood a lesson.
Because Feng, with his big eyes, looked like a tiger, he was often called "Tiger with Big Eyes" (Da Yan Hu).

At the age of 12 Feng was sent to relatives in Beiping (today's Beijing) to learn repairing electric appliances.
One of his neighbours there was a Tongbei expert (also skillful in point striking and "Light Skill" - Qinggong) from famous Cangzhou County in Hebei Province, Han Xiaofeng.
Feng studied under Han's guidance for four years, not only learning Tongbeiquan, but also Red Sand Palm skill (hands hardening method), kicking wooden posts and striking sand bags.
Feng was able to break five bricks with one hand strike.

At the end of 40s there were two martial artists very famous in Beijing - Xinyiquan (Xingyiquan) master Hu Yaozhen from Shanxi Province, called "One Finger Shakes Heaven and Earth" (Dan Zhi Zhen Qiankun), expert not only in martial arts, but also traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist meditation methods;
the second was Chen Fake, 17th generation inheritor of Chen style Taijiquan.
At the age of 20 Feng Zhiqiang through introduction of one of his gongfu brothers (who was from the same town as Hu Yaozhen) met Hu Yaozhen.
Hu criticized Feng's practice methods saying they were "ruining his body".
To make Feng understand better what he was talking about, Hu asked Feng to hit him.
In spite of using whole strength Feng was easily defeated by Hu who only used one finger against him.
As the result Feng knelt in front of Hu Yaozhen and started his Neijia boxing studies.
Feng studied Liuhe Xinyi Quan under Hu's guidance for two years first learning Qi gathering methods, nourishing Qi, practising Intention and Qi, Santi standing, Dantian Methods, Wuxingquan (Five Elements Fists), Twelve Shapes, 24 Hands.

HU YAOZHEN (1879-1973) native of Yuci in Shanxi Province;
famous martial artist, expert in Qigong and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).
Graduated from Shanxi Chuanzhi Medical School;
learnt from many masters of martial arts (internal styles of Taiji, Bagua and Xingyi),
Buddhist and Taoist meditation, TCM;
received secret transmission of Buddhist and Taoist mediatation,
and on the basis of his experience in medicine and internal martial arts methods created "Hu Yaozhen's Still and Moving Qigong";
in 1942 in Taiyuan set up Martial Arts Academy of Shanxi Province and became its president.
Wrote several books:
"Qigong and Health Preserving", "Qigong", "Hua Tuo's Five Animals Play", etc.
According to Mr. Feng Zhiqiang, Hu Yaozhen studied Xingyiquan from Wang Fuyuan (Liu Qilan's disciple) and his disciple Peng Tingjuan, which classifies Hu's style as Hebei Xingyiquan.

Hu Yaozhen (1879-1973)

It is important to note that the practitioners in the lineage of Wang Fuyuan,
who live in Yuci in Shanxi, call their art Xinyiquan (Mind and Intention Boxing),
although in other areas it is generally known as Xingyiquan (Form and Intention Boxing)
and should not be confused with original Xinyi styles of Dai Family or Henan Moslem branch.

After two years of diligent studies under Hu Yaozhen's guidance,
Feng Zhiqiang's internal skills reached high level -
not only his Large Heavenly Circle and Three Dantians were opened,
but also there was a small ball of Qi that could circulate freely along his body at his will,
Five Bows were developed so that his body was full of elastic power.
Hu Yaozhen realised that his disciple had not only inborn talent for martial arts,
but was also a person who could in the future synthesize and bring to highest development
arts he learnt and establish his own style.
Hu decided that Feng should also study other martial arts and not be limited to only one style.
For this reason he introduced Feng to his good friend, Chen style Taijiquan expert, Chen Fake.
Hu suggested that Feng learnt from Chen while at the same time continuing his studies of Xinyi Internal Methods.
Since that moment Feng was practising even harder than before,
getting up at 4 in the morning and practising until 11 for seven hours.
He was exercising both Xinyi and Taiji, Internal and External Methods,
standing and moving techniques, single techniques and routines as well as pushing hands.
During eight years from 1950 till 1957, Chen Fake corrected Feng's routine eight times,
so that Feng was able to understand its inner meanings and true practice methods.

Chen Fake
CHEN FAKE (1887-1957), seventeenth generation descendant of Chen clan,
famous Chen Style Taijiquan master, Chen Changxing's great-grandson.
Chen became famous in his hometown for victories in leitai (free fighting) competitions held in the county
and for defeating opponents armed with spear and saber while Chen stood barehanded
(after he rejected the post offered to him by Han Fuju, local warlord).
In 1929, through Chen Zhaopei's recommendation, Chen Fake left Chenjiagou and went to Beiping (today's Beijing) to teach Taijiquan.
Very modest, used to say about himself "No Good" and for this reason became known in Beijing as "Chen No Good" (Chen Bu Zhong).
Many times challenged by martial arts practitioners
(including Bagua and Chinese wrestling experts), defeated them in great style, without hurting anybody.
Emphasized Wude (Martial Virtue) in his teachings.

Chen Fake (1887-1957)

Chen had many students, including Lei Muni, Tian Xiuchen, Feng Zhiqiang, Hong Junsheng, Li Jingwu, Shen Jiazhen, Gu Liuxin.
Shen Jiazhen and Gu Liuxin wrote a book called "Chen style Taijiquan", which was published in 1963.
The drawings and explanations for the first and second routines of Chen style are based on Chen Fake's and his son,
Chen Zhaokui's photos and introduce movements as taught by Chen Fake in his late years.
Note:
this book is a part of "The Complete Book of Taijiquan" (T029B) which is available through this site.

In 1953 Capital Martial Arts Research Society was established with Chen Fake as its president and Hu Yaozhen as vice-president.
Feng Zhiqiang was going there everyday, first helping his teachers with everyday chores, and then asking for guidance and teachings.
In this way he became Chen Zhaokui's (Chen Fake's son) practice partner.
Most of Chen Fake's disciples were afraid to practice pushing hands with Chen Fake because of pain, but Feng Zhiqiang treated this as the best way to learn true skill.
Since Feng's gongfu brothers always let Feng "enjoy" this "pleasure", at Chen Fake's late years it was usually Feng Zhiqiang who dealt with strangers coming to cross hands.

In his letter to Wan Wende of Shanghai, Chen Zhaokui wrote:
"I have one older gongfu brother, his name is Feng Zhiqiang, he's extremely intelligent,
and his skill is the best among all our gongfu brothers".

At the age of thirty Feng was already very proficient in both arts of Xinyi and Taiji
and became very famous in Beijing martial arts circles.

After Chen Fake passed away in 1957, Feng Zhiqiang, although busy with his work in electric appliances factory,
was keeping in touch with his gongfu brothers and made few simple rules to be observed by those teaching martial arts:
"first, do not make trouble;
second, do not fight;
third, if somebody comes to challenge you, I (e.g. Feng Zhiqiang) will deal with him".
It happened many times that either Feng or one of his gongfu brothers was challenged
and Feng had to deal with the challenger.
Once a Qigong master wanted to compare his skill of Bigu (fasting) with Feng.
The rule was to sit in meditation for three days with some water as the only food.
After three days Feng as usually went out to practise with his 19kg steel rod,
while Qigong master could hardly walk!

Feng was in very good relations with Chen Fake's son, Chen Zhaokui.
Before death Chen Fake asked Feng to take care of Chen Zhaokui.
Feng was often practising together with Chen Zhaokui, taking care and protecting him.
When Zhaokui passed away in 1981 at the age of 53,
Feng was very sad and was often saying that he did not take good care of his gongfu brother.

Chenjiagou is the place where Chen style Taijiquan comes from.
Every generation of the clan had its masters, and in the 17th generation the most skilfull was Chen Fake.
However, since after his arrival to Beijing Chen Fake was living in the capital,
Beijing became the center of Chen style Taijiquan.
After the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) was over,
Zhang Weizhen, Communist Party secretary of Chenjiagou, wrote a letter to Feng Zhiqiang asking him to come to Chenjiagou to teach Taijiquan.
Feng Zhiqiang visited Chenjiagou three times, teaching Taijiquan to the 19th generation descendants of the style.
Many Taijiquan practitioners of Chen clan from Chenjiagou were also often coming to Beijing to deepen their studies with Feng.
This part of the history of Chen style Taijiquan will always be recorded in the chronicles.

Feng Zhiqiang in Chenjiagou in 1979

Feng Zhiqiang in Chenjiagou

Sitting (from left):
Feng Zhiqiang (2nd), Chen Liqing (3rd;
Chen style Small Frame expert);
"Four Tigers" are standing (from the right):
Chen Xiaowang (2nd), Zhu Tiancai (3rd), Wang Xi'an (5th), Chen Zhenglei (7th)

In 1981 Feng Zhiqiang was asked by one of his friends from Beijing PE Institute to meet a foreign martial arts expert.
The foreigner, skilfull in many Chinese and foreign combat arts, came to China to look for martial arts masters, and although BPEI introduced him to many experts, he was still not satisfied and asked for meeting with Feng Zhiqiang.
Feng asked the foreigner to demonstrate his martial art and found out that although the man's upper part of the body was very strong, the lower one was without roots.
Feng asked the foreigner to hit him, and using "scaring the up to get the bottom" method
(also called "drawing into emptiness") pushed the opponent flying on the wall.
Since the foreigner could not understand what happened and found out that he was not hurt,
he asked to try again and was defeated again.
Afterwards the foreigner was full of respect towards Feng's skill and took up Taijiquan study.

In 1981 Feng Zhiqiang retired and in 1983 became the president of the Beijing Chen style Taijiquan Research Association established the same year.
Since 1981 Feng Zhiqiang has been invited to take part in many competitions in China,
and in 1984 for the first time went abroad, to Japan, to teach Chen style Taijiquan.
Later Feng also visited Mexico, USA, Singapore, Denmark, Holland, France and Hongkong.
The country Feng visits most often is Japan.
Among his student there are not only Taiji practitioners, but also Karate, Judo and Aikido experts.
He has been challenged there many times by local martial artists and gained great respect.
Same situation happened in 1986 in the US and in 1988 in Singapore.

Feng Zhiqiang has been many times invited to move abroad to stay and teach Taijiquan,
but he always refuses saying:
"My roots are in China".

He has also authored many books and video tapes/CDs on Chen style Taijiquan,
like "Practical Fighting of Taijiquan", "The Essence of Chen Style Taijiquan", "Hunyuan Method of Taijiquan", "Silk Reeling Method of Chen Style Taijiquan", "Twenty Four Elbows of Chen Style Taiji", "Chen Style Taiji Grappling Methods", "Chen Style Xinyi Hunyuan Taijiquan" and many others.

Feng Zhiqiang often says:
"It is my greatest wish is to let Taijiquan culture from China better benefit the mankind!"
.

In the first days of March this year I visited Mr. Feng Zhiqiang at his home in Beijing.
Because of annoying traffice jams I came to a place near his home quite late
and we did not have much time for the conversation.
Since he and his family were afraid that I would not find the place, Mr.
Feng's daughter came out to meet me and then Mr.
Feng also came out to greet me and we all went to his apartment.
Mr.Feng was very friendly, full of energy, often joking
(he complained about being too short because
"it was so easy for a tall person to fetch things that are put on a high shelf..."),
open during the conversation.
He answered all the question I was asking and it is a real pity the time was so short...

The questions for this interview were sent by persons who subscribed to the updates notifications of this site as well as by some members of Internet discussion lists.

Jarek Szymanski:
Mr. Feng, it is known that you studied Shaolin Standing Post methods in your youth.
How would you compare it to Neijia practice?

Feng Zhiqiang performing Neigong MR.
FENG ZHIQIANG:
Yes, I learnt and practised Standing Post exercises of Shaolin school.
The main difference between them and the methods of Neijia school is that Neijia emphasizes relaxation to greater degree.
For this I think there is certain reason in dividing martial arts into External and Internal Families.
It is also related to the methods of using Qi - External Family (Waijia) uses physical strength (Li) to drive Qi,
while Internal Family (Neijia) uses Intention (Yi) to move Qi.
Anyway, I had to give up all my external practise after I started practising Neijia.

Feng Zhiqiang performing one of his Neigong exercises

JS:
What is Qi?

MR.FENG:
Qi is a kind of driving force (Dong Li).
For example blood circulation can be explained with the term "Qi".
Internal styles say:
"exercise Intention (Yi), not Qi", "when you use Intention, your channels will not be blocked",
"exercise Qi, not physical strength (Li);
when you exercise physical strength, it will easily break";
"Intention should be focused on Spirit (Shen), not Qi;
when it is focused on Qi, then Qi will become stagnant".
There is also another saying "Where Intention arrives, Qi also arrives".
However one has to build Qi to reach this level.
Qi comes from food, from breathing, it is also given to us by our parents
and stored in the body as "Original Qi" (Yuan Qi).

JS:
You are well known as Chen style Taijiquan expert, but you also learnt Liuhe Xinyiquan.
Could you tell more about your studies of this style?

MR.FENG:
My Xinyiquan teacher, Hu Yaozhen, was from Yuci in Shanxi Province.
His style was of Wang Fuyuan's and Peng Tingjuan's lineage.
I was studying under Hu's guidance for nine years.
Hu Yaozhen put great emphasis on standing post exercises (Zhan Zhuang).
I learnt many standing methods from him, not only San Ti Shi,
but also Embrasing Post (Bao Zhuang), Closing Post (He Zhuang),
Even Post (Ping Zhuang) and others.
Each method had to be practised for three years,
and while outside form did not really change, the Intention was changing.
The teacher was teaching different Intentions to different students,
it was very individual, and the Intentions were changing with the level of the practitioner.

JS:
Was it then something similar to Yi Quan (Intention Boxing)?

MR.FENG:
I do not know enough about Yi Quan to be able to compare the methods.
Hu Yaozhen did not teach standing methods where palms were turned outwards
because in his opinion this made Qi flow away.

JS:
Is Qi related to Dantian?

MR.FENG:
Dantian is closely related to movements of the waist.
In microscale it is the center of the body -
point between belly button and Mingmen, where Qi originates from.
In macroscale it covers whole body.
In order to develop Dantian one should start from standing exercises and collect and nourish Qi -
first focus Intention on the center of the body.
Once the Qi in the body becomes abundant, one feels warm and movement inside.
Then Dantian breathing should be used to induce the outside movement of the body with internal movement.
When Intention and Qi are coordinated, Dantian turns and Qi flows freely in the whole body.
All parts of the body move in a round way.
This is Hunyuan.
Feng Zhiqiang in Xiahuan Hunyuan Zhuang

Feng Zhiqiang performing Low Circle Hunyuan Post (Xiahuan Hunyuan Zhuang)

JS:
"Hunyuan" seems to be very important idea as you decided to add it to the name of your system.
..

MR. FENG:
Heaven and Earth are continuously revolving, stars, the Sun, all of the heavenly bodies spin and rotate.
This round, circular, coordinated movement is called "Hunyuan".
This movement should also be reflected in martial arts practice.
I learnt many martial arts and walked a very crooked path before I understood the core of Neijia arts.
I want to show other people a straight, direct path to achieve high skill.
For this reason I emphasize "Hunyuan" and the function of Xinyi (Mind and Intention).

JS:
Is Dantian movement usefull in fighting?

MR.FENG:
The body moves as a cordinated whole because of Dantian movement.
While issuing power (Fa Li) Dantian turns and the whole body power is focused in one point.
In this way the power issued can penetrate the bones of the opponent.
While issuing power the body should be relaxed, but one should be very conscious
about so-called "Shaking Power" (Dou Jin).
This power has to be focused and not scattered all over the body.
The more advanced one is, the smaller the shaking.
When we were learning Taijiquan from Chen Fake shaking the body in Fa Li was the greatest taboo to be avoided.

JS:
Is Silk Reeling Power (Chan Si Jin) the feature of Chen style only or other styles of Taijiquan have it too?

MR.FENG:
All Taiji styles emphasize Opening and Closing (Kai-He), Empty and Solid (Xu-Shi), Hardness and Softness (Gang-Rou), Contracting and Opening (Qu-Shen), Yin and Yang, etc.
Silk Reeling Power appears in all Taiji styles but Chen style emphasizes it more than other schools and the round movement of all parts of the body is its feature.
Other schools of Taiji pay more attention to Opening and Closing.
Actually all martial arts contain circular and round, Hunyuan movements.
In Xingyiquan this feature is described by Drilling (Zuan), Wrapping (Guo), Twisting (Ning), Overturning (Fan).

Feng Zhiqiang in Beizhekao JS:
What is Peng Jin?

MR.FENG:
It is a kind of power that both Internal and External styles should have
(although External styles do not use this term).
It is a protective, warding off, directed forward power, which is not weak/soft (ruan).
All Taijiquan powers should have Peng,
and the differences among them lie in different directions it is applied.

JS:
Is Liu He - Six Harmonies - the feature of only Neijia arts?

MR.FENG:
Six Harmonies mean coordination between Mind (Xin), Intention (Yi), Qi and the body.
Externally they can be understood as "arriving at the same time".
Both Neijia and Waijia should use Liu He principles.

Feng Zhiqiang performing Lean With Back (Bei Zhe Kao) movement

JS:
What do you consider to be the most important part of Taijiquan practice, most useful in building gongfu (skill)?

MR.FENG:
The skill should be build upon a strong basis of Internal Exercises (Neigong).
Hunyuan Neigong is a kind of Qigong which is a set of basic exercises
and at the same time very advanced practice method.
I was able to realize how powerful Internal Power (Nei Jin) is
when one day in the 60s in the factory I was working in a 500kg generator was falling down and I could hold it and put on the ground.
I believe it was possible only because of neigong exercises.
These exercises not only help in maintaining or regaining health but also serve martial purposes.

JS:
What about fighting?

MR.FENG:
Although martial arts are about fighting, one should not think about fighting during practice.
The fighting skill comes naturally after a certain time of correct practice.
One should practice Neigong (Internal Methods), routine, pushing hands (Tui Shou).
Pushing Hands should be practised in a cooperative way,
to get the skill of "knowing the opponent" (Zhi Bi), without any thought of fighting.
Then one should also practice single movements and their applications, free techniques, footwork.

JS:
What changes have you noticed in the last twenty years
and how in your opinion will Chen style Taijiquan evolve in the next fifty years?

MR.FENG:
The recent years showed some phenomena that were not present when I was learning Taijiquan.
Most of practitioners show a lot of Shaking Power.
As I already said, the better the skill the smaller the shaking.
Concerning the future, I believe there will be constant improvement in the skill level of the practitioners -
they will realize the importance of Hunyuan.
As old saying goes "Skill is satisfied only with clear understanding" -
it is very important that the teacher understands
and is able to explain clearly the principles of the art.

JS:
But it is a common phenomena that the skill of the next generation
is worse than that of the one before, isn't it?

MR.FENG:
This is mainly because the teachers were very conservative at sharing their knowledge.
I believe the opening of the teachers will have very positive influence on the level of their students.

JS:
Mr. Feng, thank you very much for your kind explanations and your time!

3.3 - FZQ interview by Luc Théler

Interview with Feng Zhiqiang,

grandmaster of the 18th generation of authentic taijiquan

Interview with Feng Zhiqiang, head of the 18th generation of authentic Taijiquan, original source of all Taijiquan styles of the Chen-family.
Compiled by Luc Théler during many talks in Beijing, China.
This interview is a part of the soon edited book about Taijiquan by the same author.

L:
Feng Zhiqiang, you have walked a long path to become grandmaster of the original school of Taijiquan.
How did this path of life look to you?

F:
During my childhood most people in China were forced to fight for their survival.
One had to work hard to have some food.
It wasn’t any different in my family.
Thus I had to work, ever since I was ten years old, carrying trolleys and carts etc.
Like most kids in my age, I got busy with martial arts from my early age onwards.
Dongbeiquan, the art that crosses your back, to me was an exciting fighting style, which I wanted to continue, but it all happened different in the end.
I intensively studied Liuhe Xinggyiquan, the art of gaining form through the visualisation of the six sources.
Hu Yaozhen, my master, was a great taoist medician and martial arts master.
He intensively was occupied with the inner taoist alchemy (neidan) and also has been a master of acupuncture.
His accomplishments are nearly undescribable, but this man was searching for the essence of all being and achieved great mastery.
It was him who convinced me to study with his friend Chen Fake, along with his family style of the old Taijiquan (T.
) of the Chen.
Chen Fake was a man, who hardly spoke.
He mostly occupied himself with the perfection of his legendary martial art.
He was not really interested in teaching apprentices, since it was difficult to find suitable apprentices.
In those years, one had to be patient for years before a master would start taking notice of you.

L:
I have heard that nobody dared to study T.
with Chen Fake, because people were lacking the patience to do so, and also because they were too frightened to receive one of the masters "electric pushes" and get wiped out.

F:
That’s right.
My master has been a very special person.
He never was really content with his achievements.
He continously was looking further into the sources of T.
Often he stood for hours on end in the same position and moved up and down in the silk-thread spiral (Chansiijng), which was his way of meditation.
The first path (Yilu) and the second path (Erlu-Paochui) he often practised thirty times each day, a sequence of which takes half an hour.
It is indeed like you mentioned that students were afraid to practise Tuishou (Pushing Hands) with the master.
The subtile actions of the master were so forceful that one could definitely get wiped out easily or even be hurt.

L:
It is said that you are the only one who dared to put up with such cumbersome endeavors and in the end have been the only chosen apprentice who received the knowledge of this ancient art and became Chen Fake’s succesor.

F:
It takes many years to have established all the basic techniques within your own being to even be able to take in such knowledge.
Next to my work in the factory and raising a family of five I often practised every morning at five o’clock for a few hours.

L:
During these times under the national socialists and later on the red brigade one had to keep such knowlege secret, right?

F:
Yes, that’s right.
We met secretly.
Hu Yaozhen, my first master has been a vegetarian and that already was quite suspicious,- it was good luck he hadn’t been deported.

L:
How would you describe in short the original old Taijiquan (T) school?

F:
T.
is a very ancient school of Life, which developped out of Tao and is very effective in keeping the body alive and healthy,- it supports spiritual growth and serves as self-defense.

L:
Many people talk about the Feng-style T.
,- what do you personally think about that?

F:
This movement has started in Shanghai when I was teaching there at university many years ago, and in the meantime has become known all over China, Japan and in the USA.
I personally don’t approve of it.
Under all means, I am in relation to the line of my master Chen Fake, who has passed on to me the power of the 17th generation to use in the 18th generation.
We practise the Chen-style, the oldest historically recorded T.
Furthermore the alchemy of T.
got deepened through the friendship of two great men, my two masters Hu Yaozhen and Chen Fake.
In the fifties they founded a martial arts research society.
The Taijiquan wasn’t changed, but the alchemy got deepened and corrected.
Hu and Chen both had immense knowledge and enormous talents.
Their combined knowledge lead to the fact that the T.
of the original school returned to it’s proper alchemy and dynamics.
As I have mentioned, nothing got added or extracted on a physical level,- we are talking about the T.
of our ancestor named Chen Changxin, the grand-father of my master Chen Fake.

Meister Chen Fake

L:
The essence of the combined efforts of Chen Fake and Hu Yaozhen flowed into the body of the chosen apprentice Feng Zhiqqian, who in return dictates history as worldknown grandmaster of Taijiiquan and Qigong.

F:
is choking and laughing .
..

L:
The term Hunyuan Taijiquan and Hunyuan Qigong more and more becomes the definition of your art.
How did that develop?

F:
As you have just been noticing, more and more people talked about the Feng-style Taijiquan, which doesn’t really fit, because we represent the original school of the Chen-family.
Besides,- every day new "styles" of T.
get created, which is a weird and strange phenomena.
Whoever gains real mastery (Gongfu) doesn’t need such outer forms of style.
Although one has to say that an inner evolution has been created in our authentic T.
through the combined research of Hu Yaozhen and Chen Fake.
The person who practices T.
should move as naturally as possible, only then one can talk about Taiji and only then it is the real Taiji, since Taiji stands for the creative forces within nature and the cosmos.

When practicing Taiji, it is meant to co-relate with such a creative natural cycle.
Whenever these forces are reached, they will direct an inner movement, which then again will direct the outer form.
Such a creative force or power is Hunyuan.
Hunyuan refers to the untaming and spiralling, cyclical force that enables and moves all life processes.
Real T.
is therefore not an "acted out" T.
,- it is only good, when the dynamics of the spiralling Qi is felt,- then it also becomes visible throught its expressions of smoothness and elegance.
The Hunyan must grow.
We have to seek it and nourish it.
During practice you can realize it more and more.
T. is meant to be alive and to be develloped as a natural principle.

L:
All around the world you have the recognition of being the only master who uses T.
(whilst fighting) in a well accomplished manner.
Indeed you make people fly a few yards through the air by invisible yet small contractions of parts of your body.
I know the secret.
What can you say about that phenomena to everyone else?

F:
The answer is nearly the same, but you know the answer through your experience:
knowledge and steady practice!
People often want to experience a show, but are not able to recognize what truly is behind that one,- namely the cultivation of Life.

L. Not so long ago you have talked about various principles of using energy forces of power, as you have never before mentioned in such co-relation.

F:
You mean the different levels (spheres) of receiving impulses of energy.
We do have the capacity to transfer energies in a physical form through our bodies, in which predominantly physical laws are being used.
The impulse for doing so always stems from Yi, our spiritual potential, and from our potential to visualize and concentrate, as well as from our will.
We also can move matter,- and this is what happens in Hunyan Qigong and Taijiquan, through using etheric levels.
If we manage to achieve the potential of letting Qi flow through our body in unbroken waves, in order so that we may project it outside of us, then we already have effect upon a directional level of nature and are able to influence matter without using up our own energy.
That, as you know is very effective.
The third level is Shen, the souls potential.
This has effect on all levels (spheres) and also meets up with our dream level.
Look, when you’re trying to push me away, I can break your center by changing your stand and center of gravitation through physical laws, thus you will be thrown out of your center.
This is Li, intelligent use of power (energy).
You are mastering the level of Qi quite well as you are projecting the more subtle light-energies around your body and thuswith are changing the center of gravitation of your opponent.
By doing so you will not have a deficieny in energy as happens in the use of the first (the physical level).
As your potential is growing to use Shen, you will be able to influence things on a more causal level – the finest and subtlest sphere.
We can practise this in Tuishou (pushing hands).
You can accomplish the same action with a maximum usage of either physical, energetical or soullike nature.
This is a process of maturity, which lasts a whole lifetime.
Now in my old age, I occupy myself a lot with it.

L:
Recently you have mentioned that you have estinguished animals and demons with your sword-hand (Pointer- and middle finger) whilest dreaming.
This would be Shen Gong.

F:
Hm,- you could put it that way.

L:
Let‘s return to your life-story.
A change of direction happened around the age of fifty?

F:
Yes.
In the factory, where I worked, a very heavy machine (weighing about 350 kg) was hanging down a lever, under which happened to stand a worker.
He didn’t notice that the mashine was about to fall down.
I managed to run there, push him away,- and then somewhat succeeded in catching the machine and lowering it to the ground.

L:
Upon this action you became famous over night, got celebrated as a hero and didn’t have to be secretive anymore about being a master.

F:
A lot changed thereafter.

L:
What is the biggest priority in practicing Taijiquan?

F:
Continuity.
It is of utmost importance that we integrate practising into our daily lifes, so that we may enlargen flexibility and dynamics through Hunyuan steadily.
It is like painting a picture into space.
If we paint the picture into space only once in a while, its colours fade and we will only vaguely remember how it looked like.
If we continously continue painting our piece of art, it will become more and more magnificent and gain substance.
Besides, it is very important for the body that the flexibility of the joints and "washing of the bones" is a continous process.
If we enlargen the flexibility of the joints through spiraling movements and disinterupt that process often through not having repeated practice and training, we will suffer unhealthy consequences, because a larger space of movement also needs to be nourished.
This is the same with everything else.
The more we know, the more we have to take care about how to handle that knowledge.

3.4 - Hun Yuang Qi gong excerpt from Luc Theler's book

Hun Yuang Qi gong excerpt from Luc Theler's book

I am not a Qi gong pratictioner so I don't know how much material I will have available here.
But I am very pleased to be able to post the following.
It is a chapter from Luc Theler's book on Hunyuan Qigong which will soon be published in English.
A well-illustrated German edition is already available from NEUE ERDE/Ryvellus publishers.
The book includes many diagrams and pictures.
You can visit Luc Theler's site at http:
//www.gongfu.ch/

The following chapter from Luc's book is copyrighted, it is reprinted here with the author's permission:

The fundamental principles of Hunyuan Qigong

The origins of Hunyuan Qigong go back many thousands of years to an era when those who were wise were very closely connected with Nature and themselves.
At that time, one was considered healthy when one lived in unity with the cosmos, and ill when one subdued one's own emotions.
Animals were not enemies, but rather friends.
Nature was not exploited, but rather respected.
People schooled themselves in modesty and contemplation and learned from one another.
Such Daoistic hermits - who still live in seclusion today in the sacred mountains of China - were the early fathers and mothers of these transformation techniques, which are aimed at living as one with the vast, unfathomable energy of Nature.
Following this path of perfecting existence involves the training of the adept's individual perception.
The ancient texts could help convey knowledge, but only to the extent that the trainee is prepared to explore Nature and the further development of the teachings prompted by his own creative motivation.
An elderly master can die peacefully when he knows that a capable student will continue to research his life's work.
In this manner, the teachings of the wise elders have been handed down and refined for countless years and historical epochs to the extent that the masters found potential successors who not only emulated their teachings, but also fostered life in their commitment to creation, to Dao.

The mother of all learning processes for a Daoist is Nature.
The natural scientist recognizes Nature's movement according to the law of polarity between the cosmic elemental forces of yin and yang.
Thus, the spontaneous naturalness of life - everywhere and in every form - is the fundamental principle of a Daoist.

If you have the inclination, observe Nature when you are relaxed.
Have you ever seen a straight rainbow?
Have you ever watched a tadpole swim in a straight line?
Or perhaps you have seen a straight cloud, a straight tree, a straight snake, a straight ravine, straight water, a straight head or spine or tongue?
Everything which truly exists naturally is created in the shape of a wave.
Every form of natural movement is like a wave, for everything undulates when viewed physically.
Even the movement at the very center of a laser beam is not completely straight.
It cannot be, for the laser beam is also subject to the law of polarity and moves in waves, even if this cannot be seen with the naked eye.
More about this in the next chapter.

Qi can be best imagined by placing oneself in front of a tree for an hour, remaining motionless and letting whatever happens happen.
For one should not attempt to comprehend Qi intellectually, but rather to experience it.
Nevertheless, I shall attempt to find a few words to help clarify it.
Qi is not anything "new".
Qi is a collective term for a communicative sphere in Nature which combines everything on the etheric level and makes an exchange possible at this structural level, just as in astrology, for example, where Mercury can effect the physical as well as mental state of a living being.
Qi is a connective term which the breath of the cosmos can be explicated with.
Qi, or simply vibrations, does not need to be manifested in a visible form.
There are countless types of Qi, depending on the surroundings and context it effects.
Thus, we have a certain quality of Qi for each organ in our bodies, since each organ has its own typical character and specific task and consequently, its own energy.
Biophotons are an essential component of Qi in Nature because they are the smallest carriers of light, which transfer and exchange light from one form to another.
An interesting excerpt from Marcus Schmieke's observation of the human biophoton field illustrates the scientific view of the light of life:

Biophotons are characterized by an extremely high degree of order and can be described as a type of biological laser light which is capable of interference and appears to be responsible for many effects which ordinary incoherent light could not achieve.
Its high coherency lends the biophoton wave the capability of creating order and transmitting information while chaotic, incoherent light simply transmits energy.
An indication of the coherent characteristics of biophotons is exhibited through experimentally proven knowledge that the so-called induced emission of biophontons diminishes hyperbolically, which illustrates an exclusive characteristic of coherent emission.
There are clear experimental indications that biophotons have an important regulating function within the single cells, but also between the various cells.
It is possible that the entire living organism is pervaded by a coherent biophoton field, which influences and regulates functions on various hierarchical levels of control and organization.
Single cells seem to communicate with one another with the aid of the biophoton field by creating continuous waves.
Accordingly, the biophoton field would be a rigidly structured field of information and regulation which combines the single parts of the organism in a holographic manner at the speed of light and coordinates their function with one another.
There is a broad spectrum of various frequencies and polarization and therefore, a very high density of information.
According to current developments in research, the biophoton wave is emitted from the chromatin of the cell nucleus.
Calculations show that the helix form of the DNA molecule exhibits the ideal geometric form of a hollow resonator, which allows it to store light very effectively.

Just as light is stored in the internal alchemy in the cinnabar field - the center of gravitation for the human being - it also occurs in the biochemical processes of the cells and in the macrocosmic processes of the galaxies or in spirals of climatic currents.
The body's light of life is contracted, channeled, sublimated and stored at the central continuum of gravity.
The cell is called "small space" in Chinese and is a counterpart to space, which can refer to a room or any type of spatial classification.
Be it the DNA double-helix spiral or the galactic spiral, a spiral encompasses the energy of creation, just as the embryo, the snail's shell and the sleeping snake are also wound in the spiral of creation.

The Daoist learns from the embryo of a human being or an animal, or from the cat or a sleeping snake, to store energy at the center of the coiling spiral in a restful or sleeping position, or to preserve the energy of life in this position.
The material quantity of time and space which is physically or technically perceptible can be deemed unessential when considering the ingenuity of creative constructions.
Cosmos is cosmos, whether it be micro-cosmos or macro-cosmos.
Space is space, whether it be the synonym for a body cell or for intergalactic space.
Energy is energy, whether it be a minute hormone or the sun's power of radiation.
When one observes the amazing spiral of a double helix through the most sensitive electron microscope, it is very well possible that in fact, the vastness of a galaxy can be perceived without one's realizing it - for the rule of cosmic synchronicity prevails independent of space, and this is a fractal design.
Look at the sky and you will see your inner space.
Look into your inner space - and you will discover the sky.
The teachings of Dao instruct us:
the smallest overcomes the largest, the softest of the soft penetrates the hardest of the hard;
the only tangible fact is the void, which subdues our over-stimulation and lies beyond what is happening.
It is the void which allows for free perception without ideological taint.

Modern quantum physics, in spite of its intellectual bearing, is gradually converging with the ancient knowledge of the magician:
Light is "creative", the cosmos in an unpredictably magical change.
Researchers at American universities experimented with dividing and manipulating biophoton light rays by giving the photons alternative choices of direction, reflected above a silver-plated mirror.
The result, which was amazing for the empirical researcher and logical for the natural scientist, was that it was not technically possible to predict or manipulate the path of the light ray because natural light has its own dynamics.
Therefore, it is the creativity which is capable of collecting the light, the energy, or better said - the spontaneity.
Biophotons are so spontaneous that astrophysicists assume that stars very far removed from the earth are seen as double, that the creativity of the universe is playing tricks on us and that because of the spontaneity of biophotons, time and space will be technically unpredictable factors as long as the "cold" and calculating applied science and the "warm" and creative magic of nature continue to be viewed separately.
The following is a scientific remark from the renowned physicist, John Archibald Wheeler:

Of all the characteristic features of creation, it is the elementary quantum phenomenon - the most sensational delayed-choice experiment (as briefly described - LT).
It reverts back to the past of the apparent opposition of the normal ordering of time.
The length of the distance when splitting a ray in a laboratory experiment can amount to 30 meters and last one tenth of a microsecond.
The distance, however, could just as well have been millions of light years and lasted years.
In this manner, the observing trick in the here-and-now, in congruence with its ultimate effect in one or another unpredictable direction, has an irretrievable consequence of which no one has the right to claim about the photon.
For the photon already existed long before any life in the universe.

Daoists - like the Druids, the ancient magicians of Nature - have always viewed the light of creation as something spontaneous and inspiring.
A fundamental, but most often ignored characteristic of Qi holds true even today:
creativity, the spiral.
Spirals, many thousands of years old, are seen by the hundreds in cave drawings in the Cisalpine region, and the same patterns are found in Chartres, the spiral labyrinths - influenced by the Druids - in Brittany, Ireland and Scotland.
Such types of "snake universes", as can be seen in the magical diagrams of the Daoists or African shamans, signify the spiral dynamics, the scientifically described "creativity" of the cosmic energy.
Therefore, the creative human being is capable of producing the most Qi.
For this reason, the practice of an art such as music, poetry or painting was a fundamental component of the education of future priests of Nature both in the Daoistic as well as in the Druid teachings.

Perfect tone, poetry, color, light and vibrations, find your elemental personal expression of creation and perfect your Being through perfecting the arts.

Gravitons are also of utmost importance for those practicing Qigong.
They are the smallest of particles loaded with energy which connect and attract us to the earth and the cosmos.
How we channel the gravitonal energies will be comprehensively described in the chapter entitled "Alignment".
Whoever cannot believe in the all-pervading gravitational forces of the planets and consequently, astrology, need only recall tidal power stations, where the effect of ebb and flow is economically used for energy:
turbines are powered by the gravitation of the moon, by the shifting level of water.
Immense energies are at play there, but the potential is hardly used;
the effect of trillions upon trillions of particles of gravity to which humans are not immune.
Thus, we are permeated and surrounded by various forms of vibrations, whether we like it or not.

Dealing with these vibrations - channeling, concentrating and bringing them into a natural balance - is what the term "gong" conveys:
more simply described as "work" or more elegantly as "unfolding".
There are various examples of living beings in nature which can store Qi as actual "bioelectric" energy and ensure their survival with it.
Such wonders of nature are considered role models by Daoists.
The study of such wonders has made possible the development of the most diversified life practices.

Perhaps the most impressive animal in this respect is the electric eel.
This fish, at times up to two meters long, has organs in which it can store current in order to later paralyze its victims with jolts of up to 600 volts before eating them.
Incidentally, long before the time of Christ the ancient Romans also knew about the healing effect of the meat of the electric eels and prescribed it to patients suffering from schizophrenia:
thus, an ancient form of electrotherapy.

The deer is another example of the art of concentrating energy.
It can let its entire Qi flow over its head, where it concentrates Qi in its antlers just as if they were antennae.
The deer is an effortless mountaineer due to the upward movement of its Qi;
a mountaineer that moves itself to the top of the mountain, flowing in its life energy, without any perceptible effort.
In replicating the upward movement of the deer's Qi, the natural scientist learns how to collect and increase his own Qi above his head in order to manage distances at high altitudes and the gravitational forces of the earth.

Another examples are animals such as the gazelle or even the cat, which can accomplish tremendous leaps by storing and "increasing" their Qi.
Cats are masters of Qigong, for these predators are agile and flexible due to the storage, increase and sinking of Qi.
Observe how a cat concentrates (Yi), collects its energy (Qi), and then leaps or attacks (fali).
When you also consider the fact that cats always land on their feet due to their command of Qigong, you are left in awe.

An incredible amount can be learned from the Qigong of animals.
The art of Qigong - and naturally, the matial arts which are based on it - was developed in that way.
Unfortunately, the deer's antlers have been commercialized in China as tonic medicines for the above-mentioned reasons and in the West they are considered a coveted hunter's trophy, symbolizing the hunter's virility.
In Europe the deer in fact symbolizes the God of the forest, the masculine aspect of nature.
It should appear logical as to why this is so:
male Qi typifies rising (phallus, antler - rising yang - fire), the female typifies sinking (menstruation - sinking yin - water).
When the female aspect is united with the masculine, the great art of circulating energy - the way of Hunyuan Gongfu - is attained.

The primary factor in the Daoist teachings of transformation is as follows:
storing, directing, regulating and refining life energy.
At the same time, a distinction is made between esoteric and exoteric methods which always pursue the aim, however, of increasing life energies and thereby outwitting physical and/or spiritual death.
The oldest Daoistic practice of body transformation is called Yangsheng, which refers to the body and indicates the "food" of the body (bones).
Sexual practices also play an important role in it.
The physical body, which should lead to immortality, is also included in these methods.
The body is not viewed as the Buddhist/Hindu illusion (Maya) but rather as the contrary:
as the indispensable laboratory, in order to obtain the elixir of immortality.
The religious Daoist who practices Yangsheng transcends the mind through the body in order to experience a psychosomatic enlightenment.
In contrast to the Buddhism-influenced philosophical Daoism, where the immortal spirit is striven for, in the very earliest Daoism it is the body, spirit and soul which search - in harmony with the whole - for the freedom of earthly independence.

In Buddhism one strives for a state of enlightenment, which is very abstract in the beginning and through deep meditation appears ever clearer.
It is a future state of enlightenment (Nirvana) which the Buddhist searches for through the "purification" of his karma.
In contrast, a Daoist himself strives to be spontaneous nature in the present moment and is therefore, with his endeavors, committed to the present.

Immortality should, however, never be understood literally.
Everything changes, and so there is no absolute immortality.
Above the Daoist immortality, which begins consciously at a physical age of eighty years old, stands the zhenren - the true human being.
The true human being is beyond the desires of the dissatisfied spirit, which is ultimately what the idea of immortality can be.
Immortality begins when the adept masters the directing of natural powers.
It ends when the adept has successfully moved beyond the phase of transforming and storing life energy.
Thereafter, the master can concentrate on the phase of the true cosmic phenomenon, which the spirit still bound by material things could not perceive.
Immortality in the Daoist sense does not mean, therefore, not an eternal physical life, but rather overcoming the normal span of bodily decline and birth as a conscious being of light.

Yangshen means "food of the soul" and brings about a channeling and sublimation of the etheric vibrations in the body at the mind/soul level, forming the basis for all psychosomatic structures.
Yangshen means the above-described term of transformation and freeing of the mind and soul and can, however, also mean the conscious training of the astral body in order to consciously leave the earthly temple at a given time, experiencing physical death as a liberating transition into the astral world.
Yangshen focuses mainly on the mind, the soul, philosophy, asceticism and meditation, and in the earlier Daoist Yangsheng described above also on alchemy, magic and geomancy.

The various directions have often overlapped in the course of history.
It is said that both Yangsheng and Yangshen lead to the same result of perfection, although the original Daoism and more magically oriented Yangsheng is considered a faster way to "immortality" than the ascetic way of Yangshen, which is influenced by Chan Buddhism.
The latter is, thus, the slower, but therefore certain way.
The early Daoist Yangsheng unites many shamanic elements of former times.

Three types of Qi are distinguished in the human being.
The first is the prenatal Qi, which is produced from our genetic code (Jing) and gives our body its individual characteristics.
In the second, we have the "acquired" Qi, the life energy, which we develop by eating and breathing.
The third is the etheric Qi, which we produce through our thought and concentration potential.
Qi is a term for the etheric life energy which contains life-giving light in various frequencies.
The authentic teachings make it possible for the adept to synchronize the three circles of human vitality and thereby to harmonize them, thus enabling sheer vitality to unfold.

Hunyuan is a Daoist term which is difficult to translate, but which can best be imagined as the nucleus of a human cell.
The chromatin, the genetic code which moves chaotically, that is spontaneously, is like prenatal chaos - the "primary mass", the cosmic primordial ocean.
In this prenatal and chaotic state the chromosomes are invisible, intangible.
When cells begin to divide themselves, two energetic poles are created, and the previous "chaotic" chromatin begins to spiral toward the poles until the poles have gathered enough energy to produce a single cell.
Hunyuan depicts this moment where the primary mass, or the "absolute highest" (Taiji), creates the polarity and appears in various forms only to ultimately return once again to the whole.
Hunyuan is the sacred process of the creation of a form which is created from the void.
Thus, what is typical of Hunyuan is that these processes flow in an extraordinarily circular manner.
More about this in the next chapter.

If Qi were defined as the universal energy, there would preferably be two fundamental characteristics to emphasize:
the tangible and the intangible energy.
I previously mentioned coherent energy, which affects the targeted steering mechanisms, and the chaotic, incoherent form of living light, which merely transmits energy.

For the sake of simplicity, I would like to return to the illustrative example of the body cell.
I equate the chaotic and intangible "primary Qi " in the cell nucleus - the chromatin - with the masculine aspect of the cosmos:
the Dionysian, ecstatic, dancing and occasionally also aggressive universal energy which embodies rage, which powers the heartbeat, the dance of the stars and the hormones, the sensuous feast, the overflowing, ecstatic and unlimited principle of Cernunnos, the Lord of wild things in the Celtic tradition, or Pan, the Pan Gu, who bursts out of his eggshell in order to lend his driving energy flow to building of the world.
This Dionysian, unrestrained Qi energy is without a doubt yang;
illuminating, rising, overexerting, productive, unlimited, but over-extravagant in its boisterousness - fire.
The necessary Apollonian complement to the universal Qi is the "soft" spiral female energy, which extinguishes the unrestrained male fire, the spiral of creation, the security of the ovum - the amniotic fluid, the constructive, creative moment, the very essential "sinking" of Qi in Qigong and Taijiquan, the comforting rain after the storm.
The authentic Taijiquan unites these two principles most aptly;
carried by the spiral movement of the waves in the water, the escalating whirlpool of the masculine surge is created, only to continue flowing in the perpetual stream.

Authentic Yangsheng, the original Daoist teaching of ultimate health, goes back to the initiation of emperors.
According to tradition, Emperor Qin (221-207 B.
C.), who united China, was led to the mountains of Kunlun in order to undergo the initiation rites in solitude, thus remaining true to the rule of the Emperor of the sky.
Xi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West, one of the most important Daoistic deities, Mother of the stars and Western paradise, is the keeper of the divine peach which leads to immortality.
It was the "Goddess", the female aspect of Nature, which signified initiations in the cosmic teachings, also during the time of the sons of the sky - the emperors.

The lesson of the peach is, like all myths, to be understood symbolically and depicts the initiation in the pure fruit.
The divine fruit ripened into the elixir of immortality every six thousand years.
The Daoist priests and priestesses were seen as the keepers of the sacred knowledge of the Emperor of the sky at that time.
The priesthood was the earthly family of immortals on earth - the Emperor of the sky - and therefore, also the educators and mentors of the offspring of the sky - the emperors.

The initiation and the magic of these strictly secret rites conceal the essence of the three circles in their core.
The notable ancient Chinese medicine, which was reserved only for the priesthood and the imperial family, is based on the three circles.
These three circles are connected, on the one hand, with the lunar cycles (namely with the waxing, full and new moon as well as the waning cycle), and on the other hand with the three centers of energy (the lower, animal, earthly cycle which creates sexual energy;
the middle cycle which directs the actual human level;
and the upper cycle which directs the mental level).
The meridians of the body are secondary and subordinate to these three cycles.
We work mainly with the lower cycle in this book - the gravitonal center of the being - although the other two are referred to again and again.
The exercise for "opening the earthly gate", described in following chapters, corresponds to the lower cycle, the "expanding of the middle cycle" to the middle cycle at the level of the solar plexus, and the exercise called "the cycle of the eye" to the upper cycle.
Ultimately, the essence of this emperor's schooling is to bring the three cycles into synchronic vibration.
Only when these three spheres of human life are balanced and connected, can true and complete health be spoken of, and only then is one actually in the position to enter into the fourth cycle, the fourth dimension.
You may gain insight into this mystery in my book entitled "Die Kreise des Goldenen Drachen".

The teachings of Hunyuan Gongfu go back to this time of unspoiled Daoism.
Authentic exercises for health and the training of the martial arts, which are based on the observations of animals and natural phenomena, go back in history to the very first origins of man.
Yangsheng - the teaching of transformation - and also Taijiquan, Xingyiquan and Baguazhang, in short the internal martial arts, are the conversion into practice of these mysteries, which are only seldom found in their pure form in today's world.
It is interesting to note here that the continuing history of Daoism - for example, in the monasteries in the Wudang mountains, the sacred mountains of the Daoistic martial arts and magic - arose from the rebellion of the peasants who no longer wanted to live under the oppression of the imperial family and fled to the mountains.
Daoist hermits and - according to the legend - the masters rising to the seventy-second rank took them in.
The result was that one of the most important spiritual centers of China was created on the mountain crests.
The peasants were assimilated through the energy of the sacred mountains and later formed the priesthood which has lasted until today.
The many thousands of years of China's history gave this land the widely diverse, and at times (for the Western mind) controversial periods of culture and empirical science.

Today, the exponents of Qigong, also well known to the Western world, are the exercises of the legendary doctor and master Hua Tuo, who lived toward the end of the Han dynasty from 141-203. Hua Tuo is considered one of the fathers of Chinese medicine;
it is said that he lived on the Huashan, at times as a hermit, where he tested the effects of medicinal plants.
The "exercises of the five animals", an actual original form of Qigong, which is later described in the chapter entitled "The Eight Wonders of Dao", leads back to Hua Tuo.
But also here the historiography is insufficient, for it is certainly an unlikely assumption that Hua Tuo learned medicinal properties of plants as well as Daoist Qigong from the priests living there, for they had already practiced such systems since ancient times.

Another well-known Master of Qigong recorded in history was Quan Zhongli (608-905). He is considered to have been a great Daoist magician and is reported to have created the "eightfold brocade exercises" - "Baduanjing" in Chinese - which are widely practiced today around the world due to their simple movements.
They are, however, most often only very superficially exercised because today's "adepts" lack the magical understanding of Nature.
At this time of the Tang dynasty, exceedingly diverse methods of the martial arts and body transformation were created.

Daoists did not usually subordinate themselves to an earthly authority, but rather were bound only to Dao.
If an emperor were of pure heart, they supported him, if not, they attempted to bring him to the right path, for he was considered the son of the sky.
But ultimately it was all the same to the Daoists that they were left in peace to explore the cosmos and immerse themselves in meditation.

In the eyes of many Chinese, the Daoists are only good-for-nothings who are a burden to society, for they do not earn money and, except for quite a few gifted artists among the priests and priestesses, rely on support.
On the other hand, since the founding of Zhenyipai, which allows the combination of a secular and spiritual life, there have been tremendously wealthy business people and Daoist Free Masons who have influenced the business world in all of Asia and more recently the entire world.
These circles support the monasteries and the thousands of priests and priestesses who live in seclusion.
Many hermits do not, however, wish for support in the form of safe ladders that lead up the vertical rock faces in the mountains to the caves and simple dwellings of the masters.
They also do not want the institutionalized delivery of food and mail, which limits their spiritual and ritual freedom and leads to a comfortable structure of dependence.
The simplified paths also lead the novice pilgrims to the masters.
Many priests saw themselves forced to recede to the highest mountaintops in the most remote and inhospitable regions due to the global complexity of materialism.

Hunyuan Gongfu stems directly from the roots of Daoism, and has maintained an uninterrupted lineage from master to student up to today.
I have taken on the responsibility of carrying on the lineage properly from Feng Zhiqiang, who still bears the magic of ancient China.

The origins of Hunyuan Qigong stem mainly from the "Art of form from the power of the mind from the six treasures of unifying the heart and concentration (Liuhe Xinxingyiquan)", the origin of the later Xingyiquan from the alchemic internal schools of religious Daoism, the Daoyin;
the evolving of the "exercises of the five animals";
the breathing and meditation techniques of "Tuna Fa";
and the " The art of Taijiquan" from the authentic Taijiquan.
Through my own personal explorations in all modesty, there are additional alchemic elements which have sprung from the origins of the Taijiquan, the Wudang pai, the school of the polar star as well as the Huashanpai, the celestial axis, the secrets of the sacred Chinese mountains.
In their original form, which hardly exists today, these ancient Daoist life practices include not only medicine and martial arts, but also the systems of transformation, which cover all areas of life - the arts of changing resonance, vibrations.
Strictly speaking, the term Qigong is only partially true, for one could just as well mention Neigong, Gongfu, Jingong or Shengong.
You will learn the reason for this in the course of the book.
In summary, one can label all these levels as internal mastery - Neigongfu.

Carrying over the authentic systems to today is without doubt a wonder when you think what the world has experienced recently.
Vegetarians, for example, were considered counter-revolutionaries and thus, interrogated and tortured during the cultural revolution in China.
Healers and masters of the internal martial arts as well as priests and monks, when recognized as such, were banished in re-education and disciplinary camps.
My elderly teachers experienced this no differently.
Under the Nationalists before them, it must have also been dire.

The key figure of today's Hunyuan Qigong is the Grand Master Feng Zhiqiang from Peking.
He entrusted to me the continuation of his ancient, almost extinct traditions into the future.
His most important teachers were Hu Yaozhen, gifted healer (doctor), and Master of Liuhe Xingyiquan (1890-1973) and his friend Chen Fake, the legendary Master of Taijiquan (1886-1957).

My spiritual father, Grand Master Feng Zhiqiang, is in his seventies and in the best of health (he is still without gray hair), and one of the most well-known and important masters of the martial arts and Qigong in the world today.
He is, for example, the official head of the Chen-style Taijiquan, the authentic shadow boxing.
Feng Zhiqiang is one of the few people in this world who, as a bearer of culture, carries the legacy of the wisdom of thousands of years of history.
A master of an extinct art - which I, as his successor, will carry on in the uninterrupted line of transmission in remembrance of the countless ancestors and in honor of and gratitude to all masters.

4 – major disciples of FZQ

4.1 – Zhang Xue Xin

4.1.2 - A Magical Qigong Moment with Master Zhang Xue Xin

October 20, 2010 7:43 PM MST
Violet Li, Tai Chi / Examiner
SPORTS / RECREATION / COMBAT SPORTS

Master Zhang Xue Xin currently residing in San Francisco, California
is a senior US Disciple of Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang of Beijing, China
and studied both the Lao Jia (older and traditional) and Xin Jia (new and improved) style of
Chen Tai Chi Quan system created by 17th generation Chen family standard bearer Chen Fake
and the Hun Yuan system created by Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang.

At 83 years of age both Zhang and Feng are truly among the “Last Dragons” of Chinese martial arts,
according to St. Louisan, (Sifu J.) Justin Meehan who first studied with Feng in 1981
and studied with Zhang ever since 1991
and who is a senior US disciple of Master Zhang
and Midwest Regional Directorof the USA Feng Zhiqiang Hun Yuan Association under Master Zhang.

“These two Masters practiced diligently
and sometimes at risk of their lives
during the Chinese Cultural Revolution
to present to us the treasure of authentic and traditional Tai Chi Quan (also spelled Taijiquan)
so that we would not lose these treasures of Chinese culture
and be able to pass them along to future generations,” commented Master Meehan.

As a youth, Master Zhang was very athletic and strong.
First he studied Shaolin and then Shuai Jiao.

He admitted that he looked down upon Tai Chi because he thought Tai Chi was soft
and without real fighting ability.
During a personal contest with a student of Grandmaster Chen Zhao-Kui,
Master Zhang was not able to throw the person despite his Shui Jiao wrestling background.
Then he realized the true power of Tai Chi.
Even though it was forbidden to learn or practice Tai Chi during the Chinese Cultural Revolution,
Master Zhang secretly took private lessons at Chen Zhao Kui’s (son of Grandmaster Chen Fake) home
and practiced the authentic Chen Style Tai Chi diligently to perfect the art.

Master Zhang also studied with the highest level Chen style masters outside the Chen village,
including Feng Zhiqiang and other Chen Style Masters of the time.
Grandmaster Feng Zhiqiang, who was a senior disciple of Chen Fake,
created the Hun Yuan system by distilling the essence of the Chen style Tai Chi
with the Taoist Qigong and Xin Yi of Grandmaster Hu Yao Zhen,
who was recognized as one of the important Qigong and martial arts masters of modern China.

The Hun Yuan system attempts to combine all the original influences of Chinese culture that went into the creation of Tai Chi Quan,
including traditional Chinese medical theory,
Taoist practice and understanding,
traditional Chinese philosophy and internal martial art mastery.

Master Zhang not only practiced the Tai Chi Quan forms, Push Hands and Qigong of Feng
but he also mastered the Chin Na (joint locking) skill of Chen Zhao Kui who lived with him on many occasions.

Zhang is credited with being the first to publically teach the
intricacies of the Chan Szu Chin Silk Reeling exercises of the Chen system,
later expanded on by Feng, to US students.

He also mastered the secret Tai Chi Stick (bang) exercises created be Chen Fake and his son,
Chen Zhao Kui for Chin Na and Internal strength mastery.
He has been referred to as one of the “highest level” teachers available in the US.
What strikes most however is his youthful vigor and martial art ability even at the tender age of 83.
He recently completed a 2 day workshop in St Louis where he taught non-stop
for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the afternoon and then 3 hours at night on Sat.
and then two more 3 hour classes on Sunday.

In the morning of Sunday Oct 10, Master Zhang taught Hun Yuan Qigong.
First he taught the Wuji standing post, which is a still form of Qigong.
He repeatedly urged the attendees to relax their body
and keep the mind still.
Then, he taught the moving form of Qigong which consists of 12 movements
(see the list below).
According to Chinese meridian theory, stillness creates Yin
while movement creates Yang.
Master Zhang explained that it is important for a practitioner
to practice both the still form and moving form to reach the balance and harmony within one’s body.
The moving Qigong follows all Tai Chi fundamentals.
Master Zhang constantly reminded attendees to keep the head suspended (Xu Ling Ding Jing),
folding the arm and hands while opening and closing the hands (Kai He Zhe Die)
and use Dan Tian (similar to the body “core” concept) to lead the movements.

For those who do not understand Tai Chi or Qigong,
they probably will not pay much respect to these movements
because all these seemingly simple movements may only appear to be big or small arm circling
with the exception that Master Zhang squatted all the way down and stood up gracefully.

The hard part is not just doing them correctly externally,
but in knowing how to initiate the movements internally.
Master Zhang gave very detailed instruction on how to rotate or move Dan Tian.
Sometimes he allowed students and Tai Chi Examiner to actually feel his Dan Tian movements
by placing hands over his abdomen and back to get a clear idea how it works.

It felt like a baby or a ball was inside and turning:
sometimes turning right and sometimes left,
sometimes in big circles and sometimes in small circles,
sometimes it splitting in the middle and
sometimes it coming to the center, and
sometimes moving slowly and
sometimes really fast.
Those are the Qi movements.
He generously shared the information about the meridian system
and how each of the movements relates to it and to the various pressure points.
He highlighted the health benefits of each movement as well.

The complete name of the Hun Yuan system is Hun Yuan Xin Yi Chen Shr Tai Chi.
Xin and Yi mean mind and intend.
It is critical that a practitioner pays full attention to the movements
while practicing and guiding the Qi circulation within.
Master Zhang earnestly advised attendees to be mindful and listen to the Qi movement.

Hun Yuan Qigong teaches the practitioner how gather Qi from the surrounding environment,
how to accumulate Qi in the Dan Tian,
how to circulate Qi throughout the body,
and finally how to merge the energy field of the individual with the energy field of the Universe
(thereby uniting Heaven, Earth and Human Being, which is the ultimate goal of Taoist practice)
Since I did not dress warmly, my entire body felt really cold that day.
He asked me to put my hand in between his hands without touching while he was opening and closing them.
He just waved his hands a couple of times.
While his palms were about a couple of inches away from my hand,
I felt warmth coming from his hands;
and within a second, my forearms felt warm too.
I was totally surprised by this effect.
I turned around and told the attendees what I just experienced.
While I was talking, suddenly I felt there was “static” in my hair.
Before I could even ask myself “what was going on”, my head felt warm;
swiftly the warmth traveled down to my neck, shoulders, elbows, fore arms, hands and
simultaneously the warm feeling also moved down to my chest, spine, and knees.
Then I heard a voice behind me saying “I am giving you Qi”.
Later I asked others how he did it;
I was told that Master Zhang just placed one hand over my head.

It was the first time that I was given Qi.
It is hard to describe how it really felt.
It was definitely different than walking up to a fireplace or a space heater.
Both heating elements provide the heat but it takes a while for the entire body to warm up
and the part of the body which is not close
or radiated directly by the heat source may warm up slowly.
During summer time, when I step out of an air-conditioned room into the Sun,
my skin may feel really hot but inside my body, it might still feel cold.
The Qi phenomenon was amazing.
The warmth just flew through my body like a current gently, quickly and pervasively.

What is Master Zhang’s secret?
Besides his access to high level teachers and learning while in China,
it probably has much to do with his strong self-discipline.
Normally, he practices Hun Yuan Qigong and Tai Chi twice a day:
once in the morning right after he gets up for half an hour
and the other one in the early evening for about an hour.
Between those times he teaches 6 hours on the weekends at Golden Gate Park
and San Jose for group classes and Wed. evening Push Hand classes.
During the rest of the time his days are filled teaching private classes to disciples,
private students and also some famous teachers who study privately anonymously.
Even when he is taking a break he is always doing internal exercises
often using the Tai Chi stick to exercise his internal engine, the Dan Tian.

Master Zhang not only has the power to give Qi.
He also has the power to throw people off.
During Sunday afternoon’s Push-Hands Workshop,
he and Sifu Justin’n 18-year old son Jason Meehan pushed hands.
Jason Meehan is a Missouri All-Star High School Football Player.
He is an inside linebacker.
At 6’3”, he weighs 220 pounds and is all muscle.
According to ESPN 2011 College Football Recruiting,
Jason is currently ranked 91 among 475 players nationally.
He also won the ICMAC National Championships for the Adult Heavyweight Push Hands category twice (2008 and 2009).
But after a few rounds of pushing, Master Zhang “borrowing” Jason’s strength,
sinking his own Qi, utilizing the Jing from Silk Reeling,
and applying a little bit Chin Na skill, crashed Jason down.
It was quite awesome!
For more information see Master Zhang’s website at www.Silkreeler.com
and view Master Zhang Xue Xin doing the first 5 movements of Tai Chi at YouTube.

12 Form Hun Yuan Qigong Names
_x0018_ Lower the Qi and Cleanse Internal Organs
_x0018_ Gather the Qi to the Three Dan Tians
_x0018_ Two Hands Rub the ball
_x0018_ The Three Dan Tians Open and Close
_x0018_ The Sun and Moon Turning
_x0018_ Circular Extension and Contraction
_x0018_ Single Leg Ascending and Descending
_x0018_ Double leg Ascending and Descending
_x0018_ Belt Meridian Grinding
_x0018_ Heaven and Earth Open and Close
_x0018_ Collecting Qi to the Dan Tian
_x0018_ Health Massage Techniques.

© 2006-2015 AXS Digital Group LLC d/b/a Examiner.com
SUGGESTED LINKS
_x0018_ Unveil the mystery of Medical Chi Gong by Dr. Kevin Chen
Violet Li
Tai Chi Examiner

5 – hun yuan qigong

5.1 – FZQ version of hun yuan qigong

Hunyuan Qigong 混元内功 no music
video 48min
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bikd_He5Gww

book pdf
https://metrowesttaichi.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Book-hunyuan-qigong-feng-zhiqiang.pdf

5.2 – Zhang Xue Xin version of hun yuan qigong

    FZQ 5.2 – Zhang Xue Xin version of hun yuan qigong
        FZQ 5.2.0 - intro
        FZQ 5.2.1 - cleanse - lower murky qi and wash internal organs
        FZQ 5.2.2 - surround and bring in energy to upper dantian
        FZQ 5.2.3 - surround and bring in energy to middle dantian
        FZQ 5.2.4 - surround and bring in energy to lower dantian
        FZQ 5.2.5 - gather qi to upper dantian
        FZQ 5.2.6 - gather qi to middle dantian
        FZQ 5.2.7 - gather qi to lower dantian
        FZQ 5.2.8 - grab and bring down heaven's yang energy
        FZQ 5.2.9 - grab and bring up earth's yin energy
        FZQ 5.2.10 – collect qi into dantian
        FZQ 5.2.11 – upper plane expanding and contracting
        FZQ 5.2.12 - middle plane expanding and contracting
        FZQ 5.2.13 - lower plane expanding and contracting
        FZQ 5.2.14 - build qi ball in hands circling about laogong axis
        FZQ 5.2.15 - revolve yang and yin energies
        FZQ 5.2.16 - massage head with qi
        FZQ 5.2.17 - massage chest and 5 internal organs with qi
        FZQ 5.2.18 - each leg - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians
        FZQ 5.2.19 - both legs - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians
        FZQ 5.2.20 - connect heaven, man, earth
        FZQ 5.2.21 - belt meridian
        FZQ 5.2.22 - open up whole body
        FZQ 5.2.23 - cup and rub whole body
        FZQ 5.2.24 - shake the feathers
        FZQ 5.2.25 - mix and nurture prenatal and postnatal qi in dantian.

Hun Yuan Qi Gong
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_q58CohLZo

5.2.0 - intro

Transcript

在冥想中增加身體治療能量氣的供應。
 in meditation to increase the body supply of healing energy qi.
它透過強調和預防來改善健康和活力。
 it improves health and vitality through the emphasis and Prevention.
它可以提高免疫系統、培氣。
 it improves immune system and cultivates qi.
渾元氣功融合了產前、產後之氣，
 hun yuan Qigong exercises mix the prenatal and postnatal Chi,
並修練人體三寶——
 and cultivates the three treasures of the human body -
精：隨性食而消散的生命精氣；
 jing: the life essence that is dissipated with sex and food;
沈：精神和意識；
 Shen: the spirit and awareness;
氣：生命能量；
 Qi: the vital energy;
這些練習也有助於從天上引入陽氣
 the exercises also help bring in the yang energy from the heaven
以及來自大地的陰能量
 and the yin energy from the earth
與人體元氣結合。
 to combine with the human vital energy.
這些能量在人體內的培養
 the cultivation of these energies within the human body
可以改善練習者的健康和武術方面。
 can improve the health and the martial aspect of the practitioner.
整個練習過程中的外在身體動作都與
 the external body movements throughout the exercises are used with the
意（正意）引導內氣。
 yi (proper intention) to guide the internal energy.
告知從業人員支付費用的重要性
 the practitioner is advised of importance of paying
適當注意意而非外在的運動。
 proper attention to the yi rather than to external movement.
混元氣功練習應從無極勢開始。
 hun yuan Qigong exercises should begin with a wuji stance.
無極式時，雙腳分開與肩同寬；
 in the Wuji stance the feet are shoulder-width apart;
雙腳平行或腳趾可能稍微向外，
 the feet are parallel or the toes may point outward slightly,
如果它能讓練習者感到更安心。
 if it will make the practitioner feel more at ease.
腳趾輕微抓地
 the toes are slightly grabbing the ground
在地面和湧泉（腳底中心）之間創造一個空間。
 to create a space between the ground and yong quan (center of soles).
膝蓋略彎曲；
 the knees are slightly bent;
尾骨稍微內收但放鬆；
 tailbone slightly tucked in but relaxed;
背部挺直；
 back straight;
肩膀下沉並放鬆；
 shoulders sunken and relaxed;
胯下（腿部/臀部摺痕）凹陷；
 kua (leg/hip crease) sunken;
身體和頭部懸空；
 body and head are suspended;
下巴稍微內收；
 chin slightly tucked in;
嘴巴閉著；
 mouth closed;
舌頭自然接觸前牙後面的硬腭；
 tongue touching the hard palate behind the front teeth naturally;
遠觀片刻，收意回上丹田；
 look far away for a moment and collect the intention back to the upper dan tien;
並將氣降到中丹田；
 and bring the Chi down to the middle dan tien;
眼睛輕輕閉上；
 eyes are lightly closed;
自然呼吸；
 breathe naturally;
尋找中心；
 search for the center;
建議每個練習至少重複九次。
 it is recommended that each exercise be repeated at least nine times.
（或9的倍數，這是宇宙中自然的「正」循環）
 (or multiples of 9, which is a natural 'positive' cycle in universe)
渾元氣功25功功法名稱一覽
 Hun Yuan qigong 25 exercises name listing
1.清——降濁氣，洗臟腑
 1. cleanse - lower murky qi and wash internal organs
2.圍繞上丹田引入能量
 2. surround and bring in energy to upper dantian
3.圍繞中丹田引入能量
 3. surround and bring in energy to middle dantian
4.圍繞、引入能量下丹田
 4. surround and bring in energy to lower dantian
5.集氣於上丹田
 5. gather qi to upper dantian
6.集氣至中丹田
 6. gather qi to middle dantian
7.聚氣下丹田
 7. gather qi to lower dantian
8、奪天陽氣
 8. grab and bring down heaven's yang energy
9.汲取地陰之氣
 9. grab and bring up earth's yin energy
10.收氣入丹田
 10. collect qi into dantian
11.上平面伸縮
 11. upper plane expanding and contracting
12. 中間平面伸縮
 12. middle plane expanding and contracting
13. 下平面伸縮
 13. lower plane expanding and contracting
14.雙手抱氣球繞勞宮軸轉圈
 14. build qi ball in hands circling about laogong axis
15. 陽陰能量旋轉
 15. revovle yang and yin energies
16.理氣按摩頭部
 16. massage head with qi
17.以氣按摩胸部及五髒
 17. massage chest and 5 internal organs with qi
18.每條腿－導氣三陽三陰經
 18. each leg - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians
19.雙腿－導氣三陽三陰經
 19. both legs - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians
20.連結天、人、地
 20. connect heaven, man, earth
21.帶子午線
 21. belt meridian
22.打開全身
 22. open up whole body
23. 罩杯並搓揉全身
 23. cup and rub whole body
24. 搖動羽毛
 24. shake the feathers
25.丹田內氣與產前、後氣相調養。
 25. mix and nurture prenatal and postnatal qi in dantian.
運動後用無極守丹田片刻
 guard dantian with wuji stance for a moment after exercise

5.2.1 - cleanse - lower murky qi and wash internal organs

練習一號
 exercise number one
降濁氣，洗臟腑；
 to lower the murky Chi and wash the internal organs;
其目的是清除體內陳舊的濁氣；
 the intention is to wash out the old stale murky chi from the body;
這項練習的目的是
 the purpose of this exercise is
透過八會（靠近頭頂）從宇宙引入新鮮的能量
 to bring in fresh energy from the universe through the bahui (near top of head) and
透過腳底湧泉穴將舊濁之氣推出。
 push out the old stale murky Chi through the yong quan points on the soles of the feet.
掌心朝上，舉臂聚氣。
 the palms are facing up while the arms are raised to gather the Chi;
氣透過頭頂的百會穴帶入體內；
 the Chi is brought into the body through the bai hui point at the top of the head;
手臂舉起時吸氣；
 inhale as arms are being raised;
吐氣，手掌下垂，將濁氣壓出；
 exhale at the palms of being lowered to press out the stale stagnant Chi;
透過鼻子吸氣
 inhale through the nose
舌尖自然接觸硬腭；
 with the tip of the tongue touching the hard palate naturally;
透過嘴巴呼氣，舌頭放在下牙後面，
 exhale through the mouth with a tongue down behind a lower teeth and
嘴巴微張以呼氣；
 mouth is slightly open to exhale;
吸氣和呼氣時巧妙地轉移重心（在左腳和右腳之間）；
 shift weight subtly (between left and right foot) while inhaling and exhaling;
做這個練習九次
 do this exercise nine times
吸氣吐氣...
 inhale, exhale...

wuji stance

guide qi back to dantian three times.
the purpose is to move the energy from the yin tang (third eye accupressure point) to the middle dantian.
Qi is drawn in through the upper dantian and is deposited in the middle dantian.
raise the arms and hands upward and outward in front of the upper dantian, with wrist relaxed.
hands gather energy into the yang palm and guide it down to the middle dantian palm.
Then stay in wuji stance for a while.
(wuji stance after each exercise goes through same details as this)

5.2.2 - surround and bring in energy to upper dantian

exercise number two
to surround and bring in energy to the upper dantian.
the purpose of this exercise is to keep the intention on yin tang (third eye accupressure point)
to cultivate the shen while qi naturally descends to the middle dantian.
this is the only exercise in which the intention remains in uppper dantian.
inhale as the hands reach out to gather qi into the yin tang (third eye accupressure point).
exhale as the shoulders relax and the Chi descends naturally to the dantian.
shift weight naturally.
exhale inhale,... inhale exhale.
do this exercise nine times.

5.2.3 - surround and bring in energy to middle dantian

exercise number three
to surround and bring in energy to the middle dantian.
the purpose of this exercise is to massage the kidneys
as the qi moves back and forth from the front dantian
to the ming men (kidney/lower back area) to cultivate qi.
inhale as the qi goes to Ming men.
exhale as a Chi goes to the front dantian.

inhale exhale inhale exhale.
shift weight subtly as a qi moves back and forth
between the ming men and dantian.
do this exercise nine times.

5.2.4 - surround and bring in energy to lower dantian

exercise number four.
to surround and bring in energy to the lower dantian.
the purpose of this exercise is to cultivate the Jing ('essence' energy from 3 treasures).
your mind/intention remains on hui-yin point (at perineum) as the qi goes up to the middle dantian.
inhale as the hand scoops up qi upward from hui-yin (at perineum) to the dantian.
the body is relaxed.
and exhale.
shift weight subtly.
do this exercise nine times.
inhale exhale inhale exhale.
guide chi back to the dantian 3 times.
wuji stance.

5.2.5 - gather qi to upper dantian

to gather Chi to the upper dantian.
the purpose of this exercise is to direct qi from the upper dantian to the middle dantian
with external movements.
the intention should follow the qi down to the dantian.
shift the weight subtly.
do this exercise nine times.
...
qi goes down to the middle dantian.

5.2.6 - gather qi to middle dantian

exercise number six
to gather to chi to the middle dantian.
the purpose of this exercise is to use the external movements to bring the chi to the middle dantian.
the intention should follow the Chi down to the dantian.
shift your weight subtly.
watch master Zhang as he does the movements and as he breathes.
inhale exhale...inhale exhale
do this exercise nine times.

5.2.7 - gather qi to lower dantian

it's a size number seven together key to the Lord on 10 the purpose of this
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exercise is to use external movement to guide the Chi up through the way yin to
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the mainland to the front on 10 and back again to the way yin to complete the
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circle to mix a chi internally in the vertical plane through this internal
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mixing the prenatal and postnatal Chi are blended together to cultivate the
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bottle FG which benefits the health and martial aspect of the practitioner in
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know and scoop the Chi to the Ming men exhale as G goes to the front done 10
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inhale exhale shift the weight slightly and
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subtly do this exercise 9 time
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guy de qi back to the Don ten three times
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which he stands
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5.2.8 - grab and bring down heaven's yang energy

exercise number eight to grab and bring down the heavens yang energy the purpose
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of this exercise is to grab the yang energy from the heaven and bring it to the Don 10 to supplement a yin energy of
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the body with arms and hands raised and
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palms facing up use the hand so grab the yang energy and pull it down to the Don
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10 to achieve the internal yin and yang balance watch master Xiang as it does
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this exercise
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inhale exhale
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shift the weight subtly
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do this exercise nine times
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Oh
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5.2.9 - grab and bring up earth's yin energy

exercise number nine to grab and bring up the earth Ian energy the purpose of
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this exercise is to grab and raise the Earth's in energy into the body to the
0.591666666666667
ming moon and back to the front on ten to supplement the yang energy this
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exercise will also achieve the yin and yang energy balance internally which can
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benefit to health and wash your aspect of the practitioner inhale as a hands
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and toes grab slightly as the energy is brought up
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inhale the Chi to the Ming men to the
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front down 10 and exhale
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inhale exhale
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the energies are being mixed internally
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shift the weight subtly coordinate the shifty with the movements do this
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exercise nine times
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inhale exhale
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inhale she to Ming men the front Don tan and exhale
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guided she back to the Don ten three times
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gucci stance
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5.2.10 – collect qi into dantian

exercise number 10 to collect sheet into the Don tune sink relax the body and
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breathe naturally there are three sections through this exercise section one the purpose of this exercise is to
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use external movements together the Chi through the yanked all down to the Don
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ten watch how master Shan coordinate his weight shifting with his hand movements
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as a trunk turns the hands move diagonally across it to draw the Chi
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through the Yin Tong to the Don 10
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turn shift weight sink and relax
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all movements are very free-flowing and natural
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section 2 the purpose of this exercise is to use external movements together to
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cheat into the dawn 10 in this section of the exercise that she is gathered and
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drawn straight and do into the Don 10 breathe naturally should wait subtly
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while turning and sink the paw
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watch master Shan as he does this exercise
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section 3 the purpose of this exercise is to use external movements together to
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achieve from the surrounding environment and draw it up through the hunter on to
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the Don 10 breathe naturally and let the cheek cultivate in the Don 10 shift
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weight turn body observed matter Shawn
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as he does this exercise
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guy de qi back to his aunt anne three times
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you Fugees deals
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you
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5.2.11 – upper plane expanding and contracting

exercises number 11 12 and 13 for the upper at the middle and a lower plane
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both hands parallel with expanding and contracting motions the purpose of these
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exercises is to open and close the internal with external movements the
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intention is kept on the inside now go by compressing and on the outer local by
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expanding compression expansion
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compression expansion try to feel the silk pulling
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energy by expanding on the outer logo and the repulsion energy by compressing
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on the inside la goal coordinate the shifting with it a hand and arm
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movements breathe naturally and do this
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exercises nine times each this is the
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5.2.12 - middle plane expanding and contracting

exercise for the middle plane
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compression expansion compression
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expansion shift weight subtly and
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breathe naturally observe Master Zhang as he does this
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exercise hands and arms are open and
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closed this is the exercise for the
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5.2.13 - lower plane expanding and contracting

lower plane expansion compression
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expansion compression ship wait subtly
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they coordinate the hand movements and the weight shifting breathe naturally
0.95
movements are very natural
0.959722222222222
you
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guy de qi back to the Don 10 3 points
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moochies did
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5.2.14 - build qi ball in hands circling about laogong axis

exercise number 14 with a lao gong as accessed turn parallel hands forward and
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backward there are two sections to this exercise section 1 the purpose of this
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exercise is to turn the internal and external Chivas and to invigorate the
1.00902777777778
internal organs observe master Xiang as he does the movements the inner logo
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points are facing each other while the hands are making circular motions like
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train wheels on the vertical plane the Chi ball is rolled side to side at the
1.02083333333333
same time the internal and external circles are rolling and turning together
1.025
the rolling motions of first board you do 30 times and then backward 30 times
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weight is shifting subtly
1.04652777777778
section 2 the purpose of this exercise is to move the good chief and allow
1.05
going into the heart lung and chest areas and to draw out the bat chief from
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these areas observe master sha as he does two movements the palm lagu points
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are placed directly on the nipples which are connected to the heart to draw out the bad Chi into the palm shake the
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hands to get rid of the bad she wrote
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the hands vigorously to warm the palms this exercise is good for the heart and
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repeat these actions three times again the palm lagu points are placed directly
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on the nipples which are connected to the heart to draw out the bad Chi into
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the palms
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I
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shake the hands to get rid of the bad Chi
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and rub the hands vigorously
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you locker points to nipples
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breathe naturally
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shake hands to get rid of the bad Chi
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finish with forearms and palms how upright and fingers pointing up shake
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hands like you're screwing on a light bulb until you feel the sensation of the
1.13819444444444
chief filling each fingertip
1.14236111111111

5.2.15 - revolve yang and yin energies

exercise number 15 to reball the Yang and Yin energies the purpose of this
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exercise is to massage and invigorate the internal organs Circle the inner
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logo of both hands around the abdominal area on both sides of the body for the
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ribs of the pubic bone circle 30 times inside
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and 30 times outside while you're doing these circles shift weight subtly and
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breathe naturally
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ah
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shake and turn hands like the previous exercise
1.2125

5.2.16 - massage head with qi

exercise number 16 to massage to hit the Chi the purpose of this exercise is to
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use a chi to massage the head clean out the line and have a clear focus the
1.22013888888889
intention is to remove the cheat up the back of the head and down the front of the face to encourage the microcosmic
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orbit flow breathe naturally and do this exercise nine times exercise number 17

5.2.17 - massage chest and 5 internal organs with qi

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to massage the chest and five internal organs with Chi the purpose of this exercise is to encourage the
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continuation of chi flow in the microcosmic orbit from the throat down to the Don 10 use alternating palm log
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goals to brush down the center line Lynette to the Don 10 and use the
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fingertips to scrape the sternum and just shake off the bat energy
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this is the smooth down to chi engine massage to internal down the center line
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from the neck to the Don ten
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shift weight steadily as you're doing this and breathe naturally
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observe master Xiang as he does this exercise
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guy de qi back to the Don ten three times
1.27847222222222

5.2.18 - each leg - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians

youjizz dance exercise number 18 for
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each leg chi flows through the three yang in three and meridians the purpose
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of this exercise is to stimulate the three yang meridians on the outside of each leg the three yin meridians on the
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inside reach leg to move the Chi Alana proper path up and down the lake meridians this benefits the legs there
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is continuous movement from one leg to the other nine times each side for a total of eighteen times
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exhale as the cheek goes down the outside of the leg along the juice anyang inhale as the chicos up the juice
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onion and connects with the left with a belt meridian
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exhale inhale
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exhale the Chi goes down the juice anyang inhale the cheek goes up the
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juice onion across the belt Meridian down the juice on young up the juice
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onion observe Master sha as he does this
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exercise observe his hand motions and
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his turns
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shift weight subtly
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ah
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ah
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guided she back to the Don ten three times
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Oh cheese dance
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5.2.19 - both legs - guide qi 3 yang and 3 ying meridians

exercise number 19 for both legs chief goes to the three yang with B and
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meridians the purpose of this exercise is to stimulate 23 yang meridians and
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the three en meridians in both legs and to move the Chi along the proper path up
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and down the lake meridians this exercise help straighten the legs hands
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palms and local simultaneous go down on both legs on the outside and cross this
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over the in sep two simultaneous massage upward along the inside bow legs and
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comes across the built meridian
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and goes down the outer legs
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inside legs don't Meridian the outer
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legs
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inhale as the Chico's up the juice on the end on the inside and connects with
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a belt meridian exhale as a Chico's down the outside of the legs of wanna juice
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anyang exhale as the Chico's donna juice
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anyang inhale as a Chico's of the juice onion
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guide achieve attitude on ten three times
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butchie's deals
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5.2.20 - connect heaven, man, earth

the purpose of this exercise is to connect heaven to man and earth, the three planes.
the Chi moves along the macrocosmic orbit (all the energy channels in the body)
while connecting heaven man and earth
through the bai hui (head) and yong quan (feet) points

watch how master Zhang coordinates his weight shifting with arm and hand movements
the chi goes from heaven to earth to man to heaven,
heaven earth man heaven.
now he reverses the cycle:
earth heaven man,
earth heaven man, ...
the exercise is done nine times;
watch master Zhang as he does his exercise.
now he does it on the opposite side:
heaven earth man,
heaven earth man ...
watch his weight shifting and arm and hand movements.
now he reverses the cycle:
earth heaven man, earth...
earth heaven man earth.
He is connecting the bai hui (head) and yong quan (feet) points.
guide the chi back to the dantian 3 times.
wuji stance.

5.2.21 - belt meridian

exercise number 21 with grinding motion to lead to chi through the belt Meridian
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the purpose of this exercise is to move the Chi horizontally along a belt
1.68958333333333
Meridian like a grinding stone in order to invigorate a massage the internal
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organs contained therein this exercise starts with a small horizontal circle
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sent and ends for the large circle set breathe naturally throughout this
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exercise observed Master Zhang as he performs this exercise moving his arms
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and hands shifting weight and turning everything is done naturally the Chi is
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moving internally along the built Meridian in a small circle set the hands
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are circling with the palms facing down in the front of the body and is circling
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the weights are built meridian
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breathe naturally in a large circle set
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circle the hands the palms facing down in front of the body and circle the ways
1.73402777777778
of built Meridian in slow motion observe bastard Sean as he does this large
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circle set breathe naturally shift
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weight subtly
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watch is coordination
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you
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Oh
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each of the circle set you do 9 times the right and nine times the left
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guy the Chi back to the Don 10 three times
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with cheese kids

5.2.22 - open up whole body

exercise number 22 to open up the whole body.
the purpose of this exercise is to open the body inside and outside.
open the body as if to envelop the entire universe and
you open the inside body so as to let out all sickness and disease.
this exercise invigorates the internal organs.
watch master Zhang as he performs this exercise.
opening and closing his body with weight shifting.
the hands are crossed,
with palms in front of the middle dantian,
then raise the arms up with the palms facing outward at chest level.
chest and body open as arms rise and separate.
chest and body closes as arms and body go down

now he is doing the reverse.
watch the master shift his weight naturally and breathe.
all his movements are coordinated.
(as he does) open and close
each exercise is done nine times.
guide the Chi back to the dantian three times.
wuji stance.

5.2.23 - cup and rub whole body

exercise number 23 to cop the rub the whole body the purpose of this exercise
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is to prevent that nation of chi tiger mom way Guan
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wake one
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soul song Lee
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sure Sally
1.96458333333333
stretching tendon under the armpit
1.97013888888889
arms relaxed swing arms with body weight to hit the shoulder well
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lesage arm yin and yang meridians
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shoshone yen so Shannon so Xian yang sha
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Shan young
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hit ming moon with a hollow fish
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quantel
2.03125
juice on me
2.03888888888889
we're young behind a knees underneath
2.04652777777778
I incra no crees don tim
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you
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massage legs yin and yang meridians
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built meridian
2.09097222222222
Rep kidneys with bodyweight moving up
2.09583333333333
and down guide achieve to Don ten three
2.10347222222222
times Bujji stance
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5.2.24 - shake the feathers

exercise number 24 to shake the feathers the purpose of this exercise is to
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loosen the body and the don t n shake the legs front and back side to side
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inhale hope this breathe gently and
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shake da don t
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shake hands inhale hope breath shake the
2.14930555555556
whole body you
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guide achieved back to the dawn 10 3 times
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wuji stance

5.2.25 - mix and nurture prenatal and postnatal qi in dantian.

第25功，調養丹田先天後天之氣。
 exercise number 25 to mix and nurture the prenatal and postnatal Chi in dantian.
此功的目的是調和丹田的產前、產後之氣。
 the purpose of this exercise is to mix the prenatal and postnatal Chi in dantian
並滋養增強體內的真氣
 and to nurture and increase the vital Chi within
這有利於練習者的健康和武術方面。
 which can benefit the health and the Martial aspects of the practitioner.
你以與肩同寬的姿勢開始；
 you start in a shoulder width stance;
手掌輕抵丹田；
 palms resting gently against the dantian;
開始以順時針小圈移動手掌；
 start moving the palms in small clockwise circles;
逐漸增大圓圈的大小
 gradually increasing the size of the circles
直到大圓圈覆蓋整個腹部和胸腔。
 until the large circles cover the whole abdomen and ribcage.
從小圓圈開始到大圓圈，畫36個圓圈。
 make 36 circles starting with small circles to large circles.
然後逆時針方向翻轉圓圈，
 then reverse the circles in a counter clockwise direction,
從大圓圈開始到小圓圈。
 starting with large circles to smaller circles.
轉24圈，最後以無極勢結束。
 make 24 circles finally ending with the Wu ji stance.
女性應該以相反的方向進行這項練習。
 women should perform this exercise in the opposite direction.
練習結束後，用五極勢守丹田片刻。
 guard the Dantian with the Wu ji stance for a moment after the exercises.
這是為了修煉真氣。
 this is for cultivation of the Chi.
如果時間允許，只要您感覺舒服，您就可以保持這個姿勢。
 if time allows, you can remain in this stance for as long as you are comfortable.
Z大師煉完功後，正在排除多餘的氣。
 Master Z. is now brushing off excess qi after finishing the exercises.
還可以練習混元太極拳。
 one can also practice hun yuan taiji form.
現在張老師和他的學生們將示範24式太極拳。
 master Zhang and his students will now demonstrate the 24 taiji form.
這是 48 段太極拳的簡化版本，五分鐘內即可完成。
 this is a shortened version of the 48 taiji quan orm which can be completed in five minutes.
這已被作為中國的比賽形式之一。
 this has been used as one of the competition forms in China.
我們希望您喜歡這盤錄影帶以及本系列中的其他馮志強錄影帶。
 we hope that you have enjoyed this tape and the other Feng Zhi Qiang video tapes in this series.
(end of FZQ 5.2 – Zhang Xue Xin version of hun yuan qigong ⏹️)