Wang Shu Jin was a 20th century martial arts practitioner who gained recognition in the West for his large stature and larger-than-life martial skills. In his book "Bagua Linked Palms"---on a martial art based on turning an opponent's force against him and using deep internal energy, or qi, rather than muscular strength to execute moves---Wang described breathing and meditation techniques designed to train the body to draw qi deeply and abundantly. (See note)
History
Wang Shu Jin began studying bagua and xing yi in the early 1920s, according to Frank Allen and Tina Chunna Zhang, bagua masters in New York City and authors of "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang: The Art and Legends of the Eight Trigram Palm." After learning the meditation form called the universal post standing therapy in the 1930s, Wang made it a cornerstone of his practice and teaching. The deep breathing and circulation of qi involved in this standing meditation technique were key components of his martial arts skills.
Reputation
Wang Shu Jin gained notoriety for his ability to incapacitate even seasoned martial artists with his prodigiously large belly, note Allen and Zhang. Bruce Frantzis, Taoist arts teacher and martial artist, recalls meeting Wang when he was a 19-year-old karate devotee. In his book "The Power of Internal Martial Arts," Frantzis reports that Wang encouraged him to strike his body with full power blows. Frantzis exhausted himself while Wang effortlessly absorbed the blows. "When I kicked him in the shin, my foot hurt long afterward," Frantzis notes. Wang occasionally used his belly as a weapon, pulling opponents into it and bouncing them away, often rendering them unconscious, according to Allen and Zhang.
Technique
Universal post standing therapy uses a specific posture to allow the breath to flow deeply and evenly. In his book "Bagua Linked Palms," Wang suggests that practitioners straighten the spine from the neck to tailbone. Drop the tailbone, pointing it down toward the ground and relaxing the lower back, so that the belly can relax fully downward. Wang called this posture "embracing the belly." Holding this posture, breathe slowly, deeply and evenly through the nose to maximize the flow of qi.
Purpose
Good posture and a focused mind combined with full, slow, deep breathing develop the kind of deep internal power that Wang Shu Jin had, writes Jess O'Brien, martial arts practitioner and researcher in Berkeley, California. In his book "Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts," O'Brien notes the goal in this exercise is to draw qi or energy. Physical strength is a consequence of the strong flow of qi. Hard physical training alongside this practice doesn't hurt, O'Brien admits---Wang Shu Jin "also trained every morning with a heavy steel pole."
Try This
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Straighten your spine, relaxing the lower back down so that your tailbone points toward the floor. Rest your tongue on the roof of your mouth, between the teeth and the hard palate, advises Wang. Hold your arms in front of you as if you're embracing a tree. Drop your shoulders in their joints. Focus your mind on an invisible spot 36 inches in front of your face. Relax your gaze. As you focus, allow your breathing to be slow, deep, even and natural. Continue for as long as is comfortable.
References
- "The Whirling Circles of Ba Gua Zhang: The Art and Legends of the Eight Trigram Palm"; Frank Allen and Tina Chunna Zhang; 2007
- "The Power of Internal Martial Arts and Chi: Combat and Energy Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi and Hsing-I; Bruce Frantzis; 2007
- "Bagua Linked Palms"; Wang Shujin and Kent Howard; 2009
- "Nei Jia Quan: Internal Martial Arts"; Jess O'Brien; 2007
