Float, sink, swallow & spit

[Lau]

Ls,

In the fukien / hakka connection thread float sink swallow and spit was mentioned. There even was an article attached on tun to. Where do you find all this information and why can't I read chinese ?? I will surely have it translated and feel free to post more pak mei articles !

Since float sink swallow spit is important in a lot of styles, I think it may be interesting to start a separate thread on it. I come from the Pak Mei style and this is, in short, how I got this explained : Swallow and spit refer to te breating pattern where spitting is the breathing out and swallowing is compressing the air in the lower part of your lungs. Swallowing is mostly used with downward and pulling techniques and spitting with forward or rising techniques. Floating and sinking is about moving and rooting. Where float means being light when you move and sinking being heavy when you root.

How does this compare to your thoughts on this subject?

Regards, Lau

[MorCup]

For me floating is the rising up through the back area helping techniques such as bil jee (simplest example) to come up under incoming strikes to the upper gate (head area) so as to parry/deflect/bridge (using your wrist area to pop their arm upwards) and continue on to strike the person.

While chum is basically the opposite in that the spine/back compreses and as the shoulders drop so does the level of your downward pointing elbows. That way you can sink and bridge overtop of strikes coming towards your middle or lower gate, control their arm with your sinking elbow, and continue on into their body at such a downwards angle that causes their body to collapse or fold just above the hips.

I do like your take on moving and rooting though and I agree that it has its place as a piece in the puzzle.

I also agree with your take on tun tou. I think if one looks at the effect the breathing has on the body - how the body actually does swollow and then the lower abdomine spits out...

Basically for me FCTT is a power generation method using the spine/body which finds its outlet through the hands and influences the application/play of techniques.

Regards

[Fatman]

Another way to look at it is the way you affect your opponent. Your technique can be used to float, sink, swallow or spit your opponent to break their root.

Just another way of looking at it

[softforce]

Nice thread,

Here are some more views to ponder. Fau, chum, tung, tou also work using each other and are related to yin and yang. For instance, tung is yin and tou is yang. Yin drains chi and power from the opponent while yang overloads and destroys him.

Regards

Rob

[Fatman]

Another very interesting way to look at it