Sure NOW it makes sense!!!

[Xue Sheng]

I no longer train Xingyi and when I did I had what I thought was a fairly good grasp on the way to execute the first posture (Splitting or I believe the Chinese is Piquan) of Xingyi 5 elements and I felt I had a fairly good idea where the power came from too.

I have been doing a lot of training of other CMA styles recently. One of which I have felt surprising similarities to Xingyi, particularly splitting. But today and all of a sudden while standing in the break room at my office the correct way to execute splitting hit me and it gave a lot more power in the actual strike (luckily I was alone in the break room at the time) and made sense as to why standing in San ti (Xingyi stance training) was soooooo very important to Xingyi.

It also made it perfectly clear what my last Sifu was saying when he said there is no moving backwards in Xingyi. As well as what my first Sifu was trying to say when he said Xingyi doesn’t retreat.

I know stance training is not well accepted these days and I am not trying to convert anyone, I am just saying what made sense before but it makes perfect sense now.

Just wanted to post that and ask if anyone else has had a sudden realization as it applies to Martial arts before and if so what was it?

XS

 

[Bigshadow]

Although I don't train in any CMA, I have had that happen quite a few times. The most recent one I can remember is... My instructor used to tell us that when we were striking it should feel structurally like pushing a car for example everything is structurally aligned and connected at the moment of impact; like when you push a car.

I only thought I understood what he meant, then one day, it just clicked and I could feel what he was talking about, and then I KNEW I truly understood where before, it was just an idea.

Oddly enough, it happened while I was demonstrating to a few newer students we have.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Cool thanks

And I am talking about any martial art, not just CMA.

 

[SFC JeffJ]

The last moment I had like that was when I realized in the jujitsu I study that the wrist-bends are kind of like "primers" for the throws. You can use the wrist techniques to troubleshoot what is wrong if you can't get a throw to work. Actually made about everything in the style easier for me after I came to that realization.

Jeff

 

[Cthulhu]

I think that's a very good illustration of why basics are so important in ANY system, and how gaining a firm understanding of those basics (not just the 'how', but the 'why' as well) is essential for understanding more advanced concepts and techniques.

Cthulhu

 

[zDom]

Just wanted to post that and ask if anyone else has had a sudden realization as it applies to Martial arts before and if so what was it?

YES. But for the life of me, I can't remember any of them right now

 

[vincehardy3]

Xue Sheng,

I don’t know if I agree with your instructor concerning “moving backwards” in Xingyi. I am by no means trying to attack your instructor, but I would say that the epiphanies come when we take the self-imposed limitations off of our minds. I practice Xingyi and distance, timing, and rhythm determine how the fists will be utilized. Whatever technique you do moving forward can also be done backwards, and you can get a totally different breakdown (bunkai) for that particular technique (fist). Try integrating Taichiquan’s yielding principle to your Piquan and see what you get. In the system that I study a retreat-step among 7 other stepping patterns is utilized with Piquan, and all the breakdowns are different. The strategy that lies within your stepping patterns will determine how you can utilize the fists. This is just my two cents—it might not amount to anything. Have a good day.


Vince Hardy

 

[Xue Sheng]

Xue Sheng,

I don’t know if I agree with your instructor concerning “moving backwards” in Xingyi. I am by no means trying to attack your instructor, but I would say that the epiphanies come when we take the self-imposed limitations off of our minds. I practice Xingyi and distance, timing, and rhythm determine how the fists will be utilized. Whatever technique you do moving forward can also be done backwards, and you can get a totally different breakdown (bunkai) for that particular technique (fist). Try integrating Taichiquan’s yielding principle to your Piquan and see what you get. In the system that I study a retreat-step among 7 other stepping patterns is utilized with Piquan, and all the breakdowns are different. The strategy that lies within your stepping patterns will determine how you can utilize the fists. This is just my two cents—it might not amount to anything. Have a good day.


Vince Hardy

Sorry, I was not clear, and I do not feel you are attacking my instructors

Of course you move backwards in Xingyi and you can generally attack while doing so, all the five elements end with a backwards motion. And Piquan in the Hebei style of PB Cheng has a backwards movement to begin the step.

What they are referring to is the general Xingyi step. As you advance forward and your front foot hits the ground and your back foot follows you stop (in Santi, if you will allow) in forward momentum you do not relax backward or move backward, at that moment. This is what they were referring to and this is what I am talking about. All forward momentum in those parts of the form. Not forward stop, relax and sit back repeat, just forward and stop.

Sorry I should have been clearer

Question: Bunkai sounds Japanese, what does it mean? Does it mean breakdown?

 

[Rook]

Sorry, I was not clear, and I do not feel you are attacking my instructors

Of course you move backwards in Xingyi and you can generally attack while doing so, all the five elements end with a backwards motion. And Piquan in the Hebei style of PB Cheng has a backwards movement to begin the step.

What they are referring to is the general Xingyi step. As you advance forward and your front foot hits the ground and your back foot follows you stop (in Santi, if you will allow) in forward momentum you do not relax backward or move backward, at that moment. This is what they were referring to and this is what I am talking about. All forward momentum in those parts of the form. Not forward stop, relax and sit back repeat, just forward and stop.

Sorry I should have been clearer

Question: Bunkai sounds Japanese, what does it mean? Does it mean breakdown?

Bunkai is a Japanese term refering to the possible application of a technique. For instance, in karate a inward with the opposite hand returning to the waist might have multiple bunkai, where one bunkai is a block, another bunkai is a jointlock, another bunkai is a hammerfist, another bunkai is a pulling motion etc... Hope that help clear things up.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Bunkai is a Japanese term refering to the possible application of a technique. For instance, in karate a inward with the opposite hand returning to the waist might have multiple bunkai, where one bunkai is a block, another bunkai is a jointlock, another bunkai is a hammerfist, another bunkai is a pulling motion etc... Hope that help clear things up.

Thanks

I am not good at Japanese terminology anymore and I had not heard it applied to Xingyi before since it is Chinese. But the Japanese term works.

Thanks again

 

[Carol]

Although I don't train in any CMA, I have had that happen quite a few times. The most recent one I can remember is... My instructor used to tell us that when we were striking it should feel structurally like pushing a car for example everything is structurally aligned and connected at the moment of impact; like when you push a car.

I only thought I understood what he meant, then one day, it just clicked and I could feel what he was talking about, and then I KNEW I truly understood where before, it was just an idea.

Oddly enough, it happened while I was demonstrating to a few newer students we have.

One can learn a lot from teaching :asian:


Acutally my most recent revelation wasn't really that positive. I realized that I had a was very confident with knowing some things. The revaltation was that...I really didn't know

But now that I train in a different style, I have a better idea of how thorough that I need to be with my teachers and training partners.

 

[Xue Sheng]

One can learn a lot from teaching :asian:


Acutally my most recent revelation wasn't really that positive. I realized that I had a was very confident with knowing some things. The revaltation was that...I really didn't know

But now that I train in a different style, I have a better idea of how thorough that I need to be with my teachers and training partners.

True one can learn a lot from teaching.

And I think it was Morihei Ueshiba who said he did no truly begin to understand until he realized he knew nothing. And I beleive that came in the form of a revelation :asian: