Chinese sayings...

[essence]

Good day people.

Chinese sayings which we take for granted and do not give a second thought to do contain much wisdom within them. My granduncle sits down with me and talks about these sayings, passing on his knowledge he got from his grandparents, my great-great-grandparents.

Chia Hong (Hokkien) Chi Fong (Mandarin):
Literal translation is to eat wind. Now, this Chia Hong has become the Hokkien people's way of saying "to go for a holiday". Going back into Yin Yang principles, we see that humans have a Yin cycle of 6pm to 6am, and a Yang cycle of 6am to 6pm. These cycles peak in the middle, that is 12 am or 12pm respectively. These cycles are noted by many people who seek to gain as much as possible from their martial training.

Now the best time, it is said, is during the end of Yin and the start of Yang. The Earth around you releases its energy during this period. The trees also release their essence and everything around you is giving off precious energy to turn into their Yang cycle.

This time would be around 5-6 am in the morning. It is this period of time that people will chia hong. They chia the hong that is given off, taking in the good stuff which the world around them is giving off. Thus, to have a holiday is to go to another part of the world to eat the wind there.

Shen Chi (Mandarin)
Shen Chi in Mandarin means to get angry. This literally translates to giving birth to Chi, the thing which we wish to cultivate through martial arts, to give better health and self defense.

When we Shen Chi, or get angry, the Chi grows very fast, or moves very fast. That is why we will Xie Chong Nau, or blood rush to the brain, which is a very dangerous situation.

Thinking back to a martial application, Hung Kuen teaches Nu, or extreme anger as a method of targeting different organs and to direct Chi. Also, the techniques involved in Anger emotion has an explosive power, signifying the explosiveness of the emotion.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[essence]

Another saying, or rather Mandarin term, Jing Shen or vitality.

Jing means essence, while shen means spirit. In order to have vitality, one must cultivate one's essence of spirit.

In martial arts we talk about the 3 treasures of the human body, jing, chi and shen. Without one, there will not be the others. Cultivate one and the others will follow in its growth. Jing, the essence, is found in semen and saliva. Abstinence and salivation during internal work are what will aid us in the cultivation. Jing transforms into chi and chi nourishes the shen, which is the mind. One nourishes the other.

One martial aspect I have recently come across, is that of too young a child learning too heavy a form. Pre-teen children learning Hung Gar's Gung Jee form, according to an elder is not good for their martial development. Gung Jee Kuen can be considered to be Hung Gar's basic form, but this requires certain amount of jing cultivation as the form encourages water to retain in the dan tien area.

Without sufficient jing, the water cannot be transformed into chi, and too much water will cause the practitioner to have a hard time, at a later stage, to develop chi, unless the Yang energy within the practitioner is exceptionally strong. This will hinder the practitioner's pursuit. Rather, I have been told, it is favourable for the young practitioner to start learning Ng Ying Kuen, the 5 elements. This will teach the young body the 5 elements and their relation to one's body, allowing him/her to understand the body better, giving them the ability to be better able to cultivate their jing, chi and shen when the time comes.

Therefore, IMHO, I believe Evert is correct in that TSK need not be considered a form to be taught only to that of advanced practitioners. If taught by a competent Sifu and the correct procedures are observed, TSK as the basic form will prove to be a very strong foundation for the growing Hung Gar player.

What do you think Evert?

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Hungfist]

Hello essence -

I have found this thread fascinating. I apologize for how naive I may appear about this subject but I wanted to ask a couple of questions.

I was under the impression that your chi is controlled with breath - that reverse breathing produces the martial chi and normal breathing produces healing chi. This has worked for me in the past, but I have always thought that things you believe in will work for as your mind makes it so.

I have known the term Jing Shen for quite some time, but I have never really heard it explained quite the way you put it in your 2nd post. I have often wondered about TSK and why its taught where it is. I suppose its one of those things I put down to 'ancient Chinese secret.' Sifu said it, so that is the way it is.

Thanks for listening.

[essence]

Good day Hungfist.

I am very happy that you find it interesting and am glad to answer your questions to the best of my abilities. No question is naive, in fact, I was beginning to think it a stupid idea to start such a thread.

On the topic of Chi, I have always held this to be the breath, for that is the literal translation from Mandarin. Upon my recent chats with many old time Hung Gar exponents in Singapore, I found out that Chi is much more than that. Breath is but one of the factors which constitute Chi, there is much more to the composition of Chi, and to generalise, Chi is life's essence.

Another Chinese saying, Duan Chi or break Chi means to die. Once Chi is broken, the person is dead. Therefore, Chi is much more than breath. Breathing, I believe, is firstly, to add air, which makes up Chi. Secondly to aid in Chi circulation. Therefore, what you have stated is accurate, according to what I know. Reverse breathing aids in building up martial Chi and normal breathing aids in healing.

Jing Shen was explained to me by another elder in Hung Kuen. In Mandarin, Jing Hua Chen Chi, Chi Yang Shen, translated to Jing transforms into Chi which nourishes the Shen. Indeed, many things we can learn from simple Chinese sayings.

One more little gem I was given on the development of Chi. When doing internal work, always wear a belt, something which you tie around your hip area. This is to prevent the Chi from sinking too low which will affect your fertility and cause impotence. The analogy given to me was one of a weight lifter wearing a belt to sort of allow the energy to focus in the right regions.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Nataraya]

Dear Tze Hou,

Like Hungfist I must say that I ruly like this thread too. I hope you will continue this thread, even if people do not reply. I will be certainly a person to read, digest and eventual respond.

Although I do not agree on some points, I can follow your stories. Many man, many truths. Foloow your heart and digest the information from serious practitioners and you will find your own truth.

Okay, a little story. A translation I did with my student a long time ago...........

Iron Wire Boxing is a system on its own, and can be taught to any individual, sick or healthy. The path that the practitioner will walk is (always) that of a lifetime. A qualified teacher is able to read ‘improvement’. In my family of Boxing, the last five generations were all healers, most of them as a profession. My late grandmaster taught Tit Sin Kuen to anybody who was motivated and dedicated.

If you read the books, there are signs that many masters did it this way. Therefore I extracted two parts. One of Leung Kwan and the other of Chu Yu Tsai (student of Lam Sai Wing). Personally I do NOT find any reason not to teach a weak person. Remember, there are different ways to play the art…………

Story 1:

Many martial arts experts came to challenge Tit Kiu Sam but he never lost. The reason he was never defeated was attributed to the fact that Tit Kiu knew "The art of Iron Wire Boxing". This could be one of the main reasons why Tit Kiu Sam was honored to become one of the Ten Tigers of Kwantung province (¼sªF¤Qªê 1855). Not many practitioners were taught Iron Wire Boxing, only a few received his instruction. A well-known story is that of his friend, and schoolteacher, Lee Chong (§õÁo). Lee had a lung disease and Tit Kiu Sam was shocked to observe his friends bad state of health. That is why Tit Kiu Sam made the offer to Lee Chong of daily training in dynamic yoga exercises. After several months of practicing the effects on Lee Chongs body were amazing. Lee made a complete recovery both physically as well as spiritually. Lee Chong was never taught martial arts, he was only instructed in Iron Wire Boxing. This is an important development because it shows Iron Wire Boxing was taught as a complete system unto itself.

Story 2:

Later we move with our Kwantung Chinese Medicine Dependence to Hong Kong because Canton was occupied by the Japanese. In Happy valley (in Hong Kong) my friend Zhou Tsong Fang was a director of the school, was build in the area of Po Tai Cheung. He asked me to give Die Da seminars/ lessons in that school. In the beginning I had one young student Wu Fei Yuun in my class with special attention. he did left his teacher to study Die Da with me. Fei Yuun was almost twenty years old and very clever and eager. I can say that he became the best student in that class, and I was proud to coach such a motivated student. I did the best I could do to teach him even more finer details of the art of Chinese medicine. And Fei Yuun often came to me and ask questions about the more profound aspects of Chinese medicine. he was a very hardworking student but I noticed that Fei Yuun often sits alone without speaking a word. He lowered his head to bite his fingernails and always sighs like someone who was in trouble. I find that very peculiar because young people tend to be energetic and the behavior of Fei Yuun was not natural. This behavior could affect his health negatively and I was aware of that. Therefore I was quiet concerned so I started to get his attention by performing some movements of hands and legs in order to get him interested in martial arts. And Fei Yuun was glad to learn exercises, so I start teaching him Iron Wire Boxing., After a year Fei Yuun has become a student with good health and a normal stamina. Then suddenly the war broke out and Hong Kong was invaded. The following few months I lost contact with Fei Yuun but suddenly I received bad news. Fei Yuun had died of illness in Dong Wah hospital.

Tze Hou, next time I will reply about the Belt, the stories I gather are slightly different of meaning. But we are both correct on one ESSENTIAL aspect!

Warm regards,

Evert.

[essence]

Good day Evert.

It is very nice to know that you guys are reading my thread, makes me very happy. I would dearly love to learn about what you think regarding wearing a belt during internal work. I have never realised the importance of securing that portion of my body until it was pointed out to me on Monday, no one has said anything about this to me.

In the meantime, another couple of Chinese sayings.

Chu Chi (Mandarin), Give out/release Chi (English)
Chu Chi, literally translated, means to release Chi. However, the phrase in Mandarin means to help someone take revenge, to beat up or fight someone.

From a martial perspective it is clear that when you fight, you release your Chi. The interesting thing is that the Chinese have chosen to use the term Chi, obviously signifying the importance and the role of Chi. The term has become so common that not many people see it from a martial perspective any more, although the phrase is still associated with fighting.

Bao Li (Mandarin) Exploding Strength (English)
Literally translated, Bao Li means exploding strength, but the phrase means violence in Mandarin. When you hear the phrase Chu Quan Yao You Bao Li, A punch must have Bao Li, the meaning is two fold.

Firstly, Bao Li in the sense of an explosion. The punch explodes out, fast and devastating. A phrase repeated to me a lot recently, Hong Quan Chu Shou Bu Guo San Zhao, translated means The Hung Gar exponent never uses more than 3 moves. This talks a lot about the explosiveness and the devastation the Hung Gar player is meant to inflict. Within 3 moves the opponent is meant to be maimed/dead, certainly a trait carried over from Hung Gar's involvement in overthrowing the Ching and restoring the Ming's period.

Secondly, Bao Li in the sense of violence. The punch is designed to cause extreme damage, and at a higher martial level, when used to target pressure points and the consequences it has on the receiving end, one can appreciate the violence of a punch. However, in a life or death situation, where it's either you or him, the punch should be issued with as much violence and malice as possible, hold nothing back. Again, Hong Quan Chu Shou Bu Guo San Zhao, a little treasure given to me by the elders, finish the fight in 3 moves. To do this, the punch must have Bao Li.

Although it is taught that we do not use more than 3 moves, we are also taught it is easy to kill but impossible to grant life, therefore, refrain from fighting as much as possible. The eternal opposites in the pursuit of martial arts, to use maximum force or to use no force, a Yin Yang relationship.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Suhana LIM]

essence said:

Good day Hungfist.


, Chi is life's essence.

Another Chinese saying, Duan Chi or break Chi means to die. Once Chi is broken, the person is dead. Therefore, Chi is much more than breath.

Tze Hou ni hao

Hen hau de wen chang. I'm pleased to see younger generation like you.

I agree with your explanation regarding qi. As, we the Chinese always say, "When qi gathers, so the physical body is formed; when qi disperses, so the body dies."

Cheers.

[essence]

Good day Suhana.

Thank you for the compliments. I am more than pleased to carry on our Chinese culture.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Suhana LIM]

Tze Hou ni hao

It's my pleasure. Btw, where is your next posting on this matter? I'm wating for "shen"," hun", "po".

xie xie.

[essence]

Good day Suhana.

I take it Shen as in God and Hun as in soul, but I do not know what Po is. Maybe use it in a phrase?

My take on Shen and Hun, please, as this would be a discussion on religion, the post would be an expression of my belief and I do not mean to be blasphemous nor do I intend to offend anyone. I apologise in advance should anyone be offended.

With regards to this topic, I find the recurring theme of the number 3. In Chinese religions, Taoism and Buddhism, we find a trinity, Buddha, the Goddess of Mercy and the Jade Emperor. Together, this trinity oversee the world and its inhabitants. Again, the world is divided into 3, Heaven, Earth and Hell. The soul is able to exist in all 3 realms depending on cultivation or if the person has been evil.

The ultimate goal would then be to enter Heaven. To do this, the Taoists turned to cultivation and consequently, immortality. The Buddhist seek to attain enlightenment to break free of the eternal cycle of birth, old age, sickness and death. In order to do this, both have formulated their version of martial arts, generalising, internal and external arts respectively, however, both have differing reasons for the development of martial arts.

Taoism: The main theory behind Taoism is the balance of Yin and Yang, everything has an opposite and is also a part of its opposite. Therefore, they developed martial arts as an expression of this theory. Taoism seeks to end mortality and attain immortality through the cultivation of Dans, elixirs. The belief, if one is immortal one would be with the gods, thus be in Heaven and break free from the physical world. The internal arts are an expression of this belief, cultivating the Field of Elixirs within the body, the Dan Tien.

Buddhism: Their purpose of practicing martial arts are of a different purpose. To attain enlightenment, one must cultivate one's spirit. To cultivate the spirit, one must have a strong mind. To achieve a strong mind, one must have a fit body. This is the rationale behind the Buddhist's development of martial arts, which was one of the reasons Damo taught what was to become Lohan Kuen to the monks.

There is a recurring theme of 3 going through many religions in the world. In Hinduism, we find the trinity of Vishnu, Shiva and Brahma. In Christianity, we find the trinity of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. What I have been seeking an answer for is why is this a recurring theme?

In the Chinese world, the theme of 3 carries on to the soul. The 3 treasures, Jing, Chi and Shen, cultivation of this nourishes the soul. When the soul is nourished and being cultivated, one can then hope to attain immortality.

Further into Chinese religion, we find the soul has 3 fires, one on the forehead and 2 more on the shoulders. Many fortune tellers who claim they have a 3rd eye (again the number 3), say that you may run into bad luck if they see your fires are dim.

These 3 fires are what ward off bad luck and keep the person safe. If someone's fire is dim, then that person is more than likely to run into something bad soon, that person is also vulnerable to evil spirits. Remember when we were young, our grandparents and parents always say when walking alone at night and you hear someone call you from behind, don't look back? Everytime you look back, you blow out the flame, making you vulnerable to possesion and/or being spirited away.

Gamblers hate people patting their shoulders for the same exact reason. Patting the shoulder will extinguish the flame, thus making them run into bad luck and thus, lose money.

No idea why the number 3 is a recurring theme throughout. In witchcraft, the number 3 is a special number. It has a beginning, a middle and an ending. Maybe the recurring theme of 3 has a significant purpose, maybe not. Maybe one of you can shed some light on this for me?

Again, the post is an expression of my personal opinion and beliefs, and I apologise if I have offended anyone.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Suhana LIM]

Tze Hou ni hao

Adding to the number 3 (three). We also believe that human have "Trinity of Luck". They are: Dien Chai, Ti Chai, and Ren Chai. To be able to reap the maximum to your luck in life, you should know how to utilise the three of them.

Sam Kauw = Three Teachings, which are Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism.

Hun= the soul that ascends at the death and become spirit(shen).

Po= the soul that stays with the corpse, in some cases it will become ghost.

Cheers.

[Nataraya]

Attached two of my favourite Classical sayings:

1. Yau Sut Fong Waai Hei. (Mandarin: You Shu Fang Wei Qi)

“To have both the art and its methods is ‘rare’”.



2. Faat Sut Yi Yi Yat. (Mandarin: Fa Shu Er Er Yu)

“Method an art are two, and yet one”.

Kindest regards,

Evert.

[essence]

Good day people.

As we have gone onto Chinese proverbs, let me add 2 of my favourite kung fu ones.

Quan Ben Wu Fa
Translation to English would be The Fist Originally has no Methods. Very simple yet very deep, like Bruce Lee said, "When I mastered martial arts, a punch was after all, a punch."

This proverb helped me a lot, especially when I look fruitlessly for the meaning behind something, then I think back and realise Quan Ben Wu Fa and take things on a more simplistic level. Clears out a lot for me.

Quan You Sing Fa
Translation to English would be The Fist Comes from the Heart. At the deep end of any system, I believe, is to make the techniques and principles of that system a way of being, a way of moving, thinking and reacting to situations.

When the person has become rooted in the system's principles through practice, the fist would come from the heart. This eliminates the need for thought, which, IMHO, is the penultimate stage in the martial training. Your instinct becomes the art, you become the art personified, which, I am sure, many of us are striving towards.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

[Nataraya]

Hungfist, I was reading a book and notice a section which you might like. It explains the nature and meaning of Jing Shen.

Jing Shen are the mystery of Life. The spirits Shen impregnates the essence Jing; they create life and give it duration.
It is the strength of the Shao Yin, because the Kidneys (Shao Yin of the foot) are the base where the essences are composed and re composed, and because the heart (shao yin of the hand) by its emptiness, can be the dwelling-place of the spirits. It is the high and deep relationship of heaven (Heart) and Earth (Kidneys) that operates this living mystery/ Heaven/ Earth in movement is seen in that which descends from on high in the image of good, of Virtue, of solar fire (Heaven), and in which ascends from below in the image of water rising, of clouds (Earth). This is the relation of the Essences of the spirits. Life exist only through their joining and their cooperation. Animation without form is as impossible as form without animation.

A small summary (in the back of the book):

Jing Shen is the vital spirit, the animating of the essence. It is human vitality at its most subtle level of expression. It is the active totality of life active for life’s clear and conscious governance. The essences fasten the spirits in place and give them a way to be expressed. The spirits free the subtlety of the essences for the higher operations of life

Source: Rooted in Spirit. The heart of Chinese medicine.

Kindest regards,

Evert.

[Suhana LIM]

essence said:

Good day people


Quan You Sing Fa
Translation to English would be The Fist Comes from the Heart. At the deep end of any system, I believe, is to make the techniques and principles of that system a way of being, a way of moving, thinking and reacting to situations.

When the person has become rooted in the system's principles through practice, the fist would come from the heart. This eliminates the need for thought, which, IMHO, is the penultimate stage in the martial training. Your instinct becomes the art, you become the art personified, which, I am sure, many of us are striving towards.

Warmest regards,
Tze Hou

Tze Hou ni hao

I like this maxim It is very true. To master the art it takes time, patience, and perseverance.

That's why there is also old saying in martial art, "DO THE MOVEMENT A THOUSAND TIMES, IT WILL BECOME NATURAL."

If we keep on practice the movement, it will become natural. When it's natural, it's truly ours- that can be produced instinctively under great pressure at any time. So we don't have to think first, it will automatically come out. If we still have to think what movement should we use , then we NEED MORE PRACTICE.

Cheers.