Xue Sheng
All weight is underside
It is no secret that Xingyiquan is big on Santi Shi (aka one type of post standing). Also that may a Xingyi Sifu wants you to stand in Santi for at least 30 minutes per side to get a good base for Xingyiquan. However many Sifu types back in the old days wanted their students to stand in Santi for up to 2 hours a day. However many today feel that 30 minutes per side per day is good enough just as long as you stand properly. If you are not standing properly you are not getting the needed base for Xingyiquan.
But I have also read that a beginner if he/she stands long enough will adjust to the proper stance on his/her own. However there are guidelines to follow and it takes time (more on that later)
However there is another rule of Xingyiquan form the old days that I recently came across in dealing with Post standing. You need to spend 3 years training (Xingyiquan is big on the number 3) post to get that good base so if you stand 1 hour per day for 3 years you are at 1095 hours. But you cant just train post; you also need to train the forms. Because if all you do is train post you do not learn how to move your root and you could end up with a real strong root (double weighted) but you cant move and maintain it.
There are however different types of post training in Xingyiquan that are part of this, it is not just Santi Shi. What seems to generally agreed upon as post training for Xingyiquan includes Wuji, zhan zhuang (aka húnyuán zhuāng Primordial Post Standing Yiquan stands a bit differently for this one or the translation that I read is wrong) sāntǐshǐ zhuāng (three bodies [trinity] standing) jiàng lóng zhuāng (Surround the dragon post standing) and fú hŭ zhuāng (subdue the tiger post standing)
Other post standing I have seen associated with Xingyiquan are lóng xíng gōng (Dragon standing not the same as surround the dragon), hŭ xíng gōng (Tiger standing not the same as subdue the tiger) yuán xíng gōng (ape standing), xiōng xíng gōng (bear standing).
There is also a more active type of standing similar to sāntǐshǐ zhuāng that is called zá zhuāng (pounding post standing)
Ape standing I do believe is also found in, and an important part of Dai Xinyiquan, where many believe Xingyiquan comes from and I also believe you still find it in Shanxi style Xingyiquan. Also if memory serves me the Dai Xinyi people cant understand how you can make any of this work without Ape standing.
Wuji Zhuang (there are variations)
Zhan Zhuang (Húnyuán Zhuāng)
Yiquan Húnyuán Zhuāng
Considered advanced standing posture, or so I have been told
Jiàng Lóng Zhuāng
Fú Hŭ Zhuāng
And now back to Santi Shi
The following on the stages of Santi from beginner to higher is from Di Guoyong On Xingyiquan Volume I Five Element Foundation by Di Guoyong as it applies to training santi shi. (This is a very good book that has a lot of detail as it applies to proper stances). Now here is a shock, there are 3 levels of training santi beginner, intermediate and higher. I will not go into great detail, this is more of a short summary, but I will give some idea as to what he has said.
Note: all breathing is done through the nose not the mouth in all stages
Beginner
1) Work on getting the correct posture
2) Relaxing. Once you get the correct posture you will find that your body will relax. This is not saying slack but relaxed.
3) Calm down. In other words focus on standing not what youre going to have for lunch. Eventually your mind will calm down so you can focus on just standing
Intermediate
1) Refine the posture, look for the power flow
2) Look inside and outside. Inside (internal) to make the body healthy. Outside for fighting ability. Internal is looking to develop your mind to follow the conception vessel and once you can focus your mind on that the qi will naturally follow. After that the heavenly circuit (the entire body)
3) breathing, prior to this most of your focus was on correct posture and breathing was natural. Now you can begin to work on reverse abdominal breathing (Taoist breathing)
Higher level
1) unite internal and external
2) breathing; inhale is long, deep and permeates the whole body. Exhale is fine slight and almost non-existent, and with all breathing there is no sound.
3) more relaxed
As I read, get and figure out more I shall post more.
But I have also read that a beginner if he/she stands long enough will adjust to the proper stance on his/her own. However there are guidelines to follow and it takes time (more on that later)
However there is another rule of Xingyiquan form the old days that I recently came across in dealing with Post standing. You need to spend 3 years training (Xingyiquan is big on the number 3) post to get that good base so if you stand 1 hour per day for 3 years you are at 1095 hours. But you cant just train post; you also need to train the forms. Because if all you do is train post you do not learn how to move your root and you could end up with a real strong root (double weighted) but you cant move and maintain it.
There are however different types of post training in Xingyiquan that are part of this, it is not just Santi Shi. What seems to generally agreed upon as post training for Xingyiquan includes Wuji, zhan zhuang (aka húnyuán zhuāng Primordial Post Standing Yiquan stands a bit differently for this one or the translation that I read is wrong) sāntǐshǐ zhuāng (three bodies [trinity] standing) jiàng lóng zhuāng (Surround the dragon post standing) and fú hŭ zhuāng (subdue the tiger post standing)
Other post standing I have seen associated with Xingyiquan are lóng xíng gōng (Dragon standing not the same as surround the dragon), hŭ xíng gōng (Tiger standing not the same as subdue the tiger) yuán xíng gōng (ape standing), xiōng xíng gōng (bear standing).
There is also a more active type of standing similar to sāntǐshǐ zhuāng that is called zá zhuāng (pounding post standing)
Ape standing I do believe is also found in, and an important part of Dai Xinyiquan, where many believe Xingyiquan comes from and I also believe you still find it in Shanxi style Xingyiquan. Also if memory serves me the Dai Xinyi people cant understand how you can make any of this work without Ape standing.
Wuji Zhuang (there are variations)
Zhan Zhuang (Húnyuán Zhuāng)
Yiquan Húnyuán Zhuāng
Considered advanced standing posture, or so I have been told
Jiàng Lóng Zhuāng
Fú Hŭ Zhuāng
And now back to Santi Shi
The following on the stages of Santi from beginner to higher is from Di Guoyong On Xingyiquan Volume I Five Element Foundation by Di Guoyong as it applies to training santi shi. (This is a very good book that has a lot of detail as it applies to proper stances). Now here is a shock, there are 3 levels of training santi beginner, intermediate and higher. I will not go into great detail, this is more of a short summary, but I will give some idea as to what he has said.
Note: all breathing is done through the nose not the mouth in all stages
Beginner
1) Work on getting the correct posture
2) Relaxing. Once you get the correct posture you will find that your body will relax. This is not saying slack but relaxed.
3) Calm down. In other words focus on standing not what youre going to have for lunch. Eventually your mind will calm down so you can focus on just standing
Intermediate
1) Refine the posture, look for the power flow
2) Look inside and outside. Inside (internal) to make the body healthy. Outside for fighting ability. Internal is looking to develop your mind to follow the conception vessel and once you can focus your mind on that the qi will naturally follow. After that the heavenly circuit (the entire body)
3) breathing, prior to this most of your focus was on correct posture and breathing was natural. Now you can begin to work on reverse abdominal breathing (Taoist breathing)
Higher level
1) unite internal and external
2) breathing; inhale is long, deep and permeates the whole body. Exhale is fine slight and almost non-existent, and with all breathing there is no sound.
3) more relaxed
As I read, get and figure out more I shall post more.