Slanted Flying

Author: Alan Sims

  • A Kowtow To The Boxers Of Old

    A Kowtow To The Boxers Of Old

    Wu Yu Xiang’s Taijiquan

    This article is based on Sun Jian Guo’s book on the Taijiquan of Wu Yu Xiang (1812-1880), and some of it’s components.

    In It are included 3 traditional fist forms, an excellent timetable of events, 2 postures from the practice of the training logs situated above the ground, some self-defense applications, biographies of several important boxers and a short lineage chart. Also included is a DVD.

    There are photos of Sun Jian Guo (student of Li Jin Fan 1920-1991) with the sword, knife, and staff and also demonstrating Fa Jing (explosive power). Two of his students are posed to begin sparring with knives. These knives are shaped like one half of a spearhead on the dull side of the blade for catching weapons in combat. The author is also shown practicing the staff with a Caucasian student in the mountains, and even Chen Xiao Wang from the Chen family, makes an appearance on page 6.

    Also included are certificates, and old manuscripts in this 286-page book, with Sun Jian Guo posing on the cover of the book in a posture from the Wu style 2nd routine called Pao Chui or Cannon Fist.
    The author has been frequently featured in Chinese martial arts magazines, and has almost 100 listed students, and his teacher Li Jin Fan, is a direct student of Li Yi Yu’s (1832-1892) student.

    The timetable of events as everything else, is written in Chinese, but not the years in which events take place, from 1634-2011.

    The 1st routine or form of Wu Yu Xiang was created by him in 1857, and called the center or main form. In 1859 he created Pao Chui, 13 Posture Knife, and 13 Posture sword. Li Yi Yu the prized student of Wu Yu Xiang, is actually the one credited with the creation of the 3rd form simply called “Xiao Jar” (small frame), in the year 1862.

    Even for one whose grasp of written Chinese is a foreign subject, the timetable is a fascinating read. Familiar names appear and disappear, associations are seen, and creations of the boxers are born.

    Some comparisons of the forms are as follows; the first routine is quite long and the stances are large. All 3 forms begin the same way, but the first form has large stances. The second form has even larger stances than the first, while the third form has small stances.

    Each photo is given a number, for example the first routine numbers from 1-374, the second routine 1-159, and the third routine 1-141.

    These photographs are large, performed by the author, and beautifully done. There are arrows outlining the movements, and instructions and commentaries. In this one book the author wears 5 different outfits.

    There are no jumps or skips in the 3rd form, as there are in the first two. In form 1 posture 159, both feet leave the surface, left hand extended forward with the right hand hidden by the body, right foot higher than the left with the left toes pointing towards the surface, leading up to the movement of striking the opponents groin.

    In posture 164-165 of the same form, there is the slapping of the right foot with the right hand, also with both feet in the air.

    The jumps in the second routine of Wu Yu Xiang are very pronounced, and when turning the pages of the book, cause one to just stop and look. In posture # 64, the author (demonstrating all 3 forms), looks up into the air, lowers his body, opens his eyes wide, spreads both arms to his sides, before springing into the air into our directional view of 9 o’clock. Both hands are at his left and right sides, similar to athletes giving each other a chest bump.

    Video of Sun Jian Guo performing Pao Chui form.

    From posture # 72 also in the second routine, from a posture resembling the Yang’s family “Crane Spreads Wings” with the weight mostly on the back left foot with hands forming into fists, the hands switch (left going down and the right coming up) and once again both feet leave the surface looking as if the author is being blown from behind by a very strong wind. The first jump lands in a bow and arrow stance, while the second jump lands in a horse stance.

    The second routine is pretty much its own form. Besides the opening and a few postures such as a large “Single Whip”, it bears little resemblance at all to the first routine, although some postures are seen in all 3 forms.

    Continue to page 2…

  • Taijiquan And Its Evolution

    Taijiquan And Its Evolution

    shen-jia-zhen
    Shen Jia Zhen

    Shen Jia Zhen’s book on the Chen family’s Taijiquan written in Chinese, is the source of the Chen first and second routines illustrated in the “Dao Of Taijiquan” by Jou Tsung Hwa.

    At the end of the commentary on the movements (44-45 in the “Dao Of Taijiquan”), Shen Jia Zhen says “this move was created by master Chen Fa Kur in his old age.” He also says in the commentary on movements 18-22 in the 2nd routine Pao Chui or Cannon Fist, “the introduction of this move is actually credited to Chen Fa Our who, in order to popularize Chen style Taiji, added on the “High Pat On Horse” and “Wave Hands In Clouds” within the sequence.”

    Hao Shao Ru’s father took out the jump kick from the Wu’s Taijiquan, and the Yang’s Taijiquan went through changes as well. In a book on old Wu style Taijiquan, there is actually a form called Pao Chui translated as Cannon Fist. It is energetic and attributed to Wu Yu Hsiang.

    It is therefore fitting that the Chen family’s Xiao Jia or “small frame” form should evolve as well. Chen Zi Ming had a book published around 1930 on small frame Chen’s Taiji with fixed isolated postures which are in several Chinese bookstores, but we are in 2016.

    Zhi Ru Lei’s book on the same subject as Chen Xin’s student Chen Zi Ming, and although written in Chinese like Chen Zi Ming’s book, has more of an instructional leaning.

    The drawings of the 64 posture form (1st routine), in Zhi Ru Lei’s book are shown with arrows, and 4 postures of Chen Jinao (1899-1971) are also included.

    alan-sims
    Alan Sims

    Chen Jinao was a student of Chen Yao and also his grandson. He also studied under Chen Xin, whose book is well known in Taiji circles. Chen Yao is the brother that Chen Xin refers to in his book when mentioning his brother with excellent Taiji skills.

    Also shown and discussed in the book are Chen Boxing and his teacher Chen Kezhong as well as past lineage practitioners.

    I would like to give special mention to Jay Dunbar, an original student of Jou Tsung Hwa, and an editor of the Taiji newsletter. Ralph Rodriguez and Pai Diaz are two very good martial from the Taiji Farm. Charles Wang was responsible for the translations from Shen Jia Zhen’s book, along with all of the wonderful students of Jou Tsung Hwa.

  • Jou Tsung Hwa’s Chen 1

    Jou Tsung Hwa’s Chen 1

    I intend to continue in this article to present the Tai Chi Farm exercises which have been explained in a series format in my previous articles.

    While writing about the exercises, I almost neglected one important aspect. They are not to be practiced as an end, but as a tool. This tool is seen as the living embodiment of the Tai Chi principles. These principles are meant to be visible in one’s everyday movement, one’s push hands practice, and if possible, one’s practice in sparring.

    But nowhere are the principles displayed in the exercises more showcased as they are in the Chen1 form of master Jou. But even having said that, it is best that they are practiced to such an extent that their traces can be seen in all of one’s Tai Chi forms.

    From at least 1980 till the time of his transition, Jou Tsung Hwa had been working on a Chen1 routine
    (he stated that the 1st routine came after Cannon Fist) that got away from where the Chen routines he had seen were headed. Independent hand and foot movement, push hands wrestling, and other non-Tai Chi elements were what he was against.

    Master Jou’s version of Chen1 is very different from the standard routines that we are used to seeing. There are more leg raises, some moves are more reminiscent of the Yang form, and the “Wave Hands In Clouds” reminds me a little of the Hao form. Actually, the Tai Chi Farm exercises are more of a clue to the Tai Chi Farm Chen form than anything else. There is contraction and expansion, intense spiraling, a great deal of matching of different parts of the body, and total whole body movement.

    Tai Chi Farm Exercise

    Place the left foot to the left of the right foot and to the front with the left heel raised and the toes facing 9:30 or 10:00. The weight of the bodt is on the right foot which is solidly on the ground with the toes facing approximately 2:00 or 2:30. The right hand is placed gently on the abdomen where it remains. The head and the eyes face forward with the abdomen relaxed. Begin to contract the abdomen as the head and eyes and body turn towards the left hand which is rotating the left palm upwards as the left heel turns towards the right front reaching the maximum movement with the abdomen fully contracted and the left palm facing the sky and eyes facing the palm with the head upright. Reverse the movement and return to the original position. From the original position, begin turning the body towards the right as the left palm begins turning and ending facing downward with the body now facing 2:00 or 2:30 [the same direction as the right toes]. At this point, the abdomen is fully expanded. Reverse the movement and return to the original position. After enough repetitions, switch feet and hands. The right hand remains on the abdomen throughout th entire exercise.

    Both hands can be placed over both feet, or the opposite palm can be used instead. Also one foot can be raised entirely off the ground. Ultimately, one has to find out the angles and placements best for one’s self.

    There are quite a few of these Tai Chi Farm exercises with some being more complicated and difficult than the one[s] presented here. Some of them I don’t like and nver practice, and some of them I really like and almost always practice. Any variations that I present are not of my own making so as to keep what I learned pure.

    Although I have spoken of some of the original students in Piscataway previously, I must once again thank Tai Chi Farm students Bob Arietta for his valuable instruction of these exercises and Mike Goldstein.

    Most of all I must thank my Tai Chi instructor Larry Banks whom I have also written about. The idea for this series on the Tai Chi Farm Exercises and other experiences was inspired by Loretta Wollering’s presentation of Master Jou’s 6 part interview on YouTube in 1994 at the Tai Chi Farm.

  • A Moment Of Inspiration

    A Moment Of Inspiration

    I began my studies in the art of Tai Chi Chuan under the instruction of Larry Banks, who was one of the original students of Jou Tsung Hwa in Piscataway, New Jersey. It was through Larry that I met and associated with Mr. Jou as we addressed him during those times and some of his other students as well.

    After 1984, Master Jou as he was later addressed, shifted most of his teaching to my knowledge to the Tai Chi Farm in Warwick, New York. Most of the students from the New Brunswick area didn’t visit the farm too much, and a new group of students emerged.

    One day while at the Tai Chi Farm, Master Jou walked over to me and started talking. The scene itself was kind of strange, as no one else seemed to be around as he started talking about old people and the fact that most of them had no root. As root is sometimes confused with balance, he was not talking about balance. He then showed me some movements wherein he pulled his toes together gripping the ground or the dirt beneath his feet, while simultaneously also opening his hands with the palms facing down as the toes were then expanded and flattened on the surface. In conjunction the abdomen was expanded as the palms were facing down and then contracted as the palms were slightly raised and turned upwards with the toes pulling together.

    This would have been enough for me as I pretty much got the point, but then he did something that really caught my attention.

    He began to jump up and down repeatedly, each time leaving the surface as quickly as he landed on it. To add emphasis to what he was doing, he was talking while jumping up and down, all the time saying “I’m not old, I’m not old.”

    I do remember him telling me earlier, that what he was showing me [ the exercise itself ] was “very important”. I remember also that shortly after this, the pulling in and alternate relaxing or expanding of the toes was incorporated into the Tai Chi-Chi Kung breathing form that we practiced from his book “The Dao Of Tai Chi Chuan”.

    I would like to go into greater detail in the future although I’m not interested in posing for photos, but as I only use the explanations that I have, I feel that they should suffice for now.

    Although I feel that Jou Tsung Hwa was more than a master and more of a genius, so were my feelings regarding Larry Banks who I considered to be a martial arts genius. I hope that this will serve as an introduction worthy of the two.