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I can teach you Quan

“ I can teach you Quan but not Gong”

The fact is that there is a difference between those who go to practice with a teacher once a month, and those who go everyday and a further difference between those who go three times a day.

One of the fundamental reasons for practicing the Internal Martial Arts is to develop jin/jing (Internal Strength), this internal strength is in sharp contrast to li (external force), external force is that force, strength produced whilst lifting weights, or executing numerous press ups etc.

If your practice is based upon the building of Li strength, you will find it difficult to cultivate your Jin/Jing. Unless you give up this practice then your joints will not be able to open and to release resulting in the blocking of these important energy gates, without opening and releasing the qi cannot flow freely throughout your system, Jing needs flexibility in the heart, mind and body for it’s cultivation.

External strength often stagnates becomes stiff and causes blockages in the qi flow; therefore it does not have any connectedness to the rest of the body. Jing on the other hand is not so easy to develop, it accumulates over many years of specific practice, it as a longer learning curve than Li but reaches those parts that the external strength never sees, as Master Cheng pointed out it takes many years of stacking the tissue paper.

When one has cultivated their Jin/Jing then it can give greater confidence to your practice, develop your health and well being, literally change your life, but be aware of abusing it for it is easier to lose than it is to gain.

Jing is developed through years of diligent ‘pile standing’ and ‘silk reeling’ exercises, which are to be found in all Internal Chinese Boxing systems. This Jing can be cultivated by both genders, once developed it is powerful, flexible and spontaneous – like the power of sneezing. One of the purposes of practice is to cultivate one’s jing and qi thereby ensuring a free flow of energy throughout the body’s cellular system.

However, it is at this point that we should be reminded that one can teach Quan (way of the fist), but not Gong (diligent practice, hard work), basically you get out what you put in, it is that simple. For example if one’s lifestyle dissipates one’s energy on a regular basis, then Jin/Jing will be more difficult to cultivate.

It takes time, patience and perseverance, as well as belief in oneself to ensure cultivation, training can be a roller coaster ride, try to hard and you may create blockages, becoming frustrated with your practice just creates further blockages so remain calm and focused. The Chinese say that the ‘bitter’ in practice must be tasted, the roots dug deep, it is not just about smelling the blossoms, there can be physical discomfort when first practicing standing exercises, aching is a sign that the body is having a workout, do not be afraid of aching, do not entertain pain, pain causes further blockages, but you must persevere day after day, year after year.

The cultivation of Jing/Jin is one of the great pleasure of practicing the Internal Chinese Martial Arts, but it is not an end in itself, it is only part of the process, part of the whole jigsaw that eventually leads to complete harmonisation with the one thousand and one things.

‘You can skip Quan, but you cannot skip Gong’

When one has cultivated their Jin/Jing then it can give greater confidence to your practice, develop your health and well being, literally change your life, but be aware of abusing it for it is easier to lose than it is to gain.

Jing is developed through years of diligent ‘pile standing’ and ‘silk reeling’ exercises, which are to be found in all Internal Chinese Boxing systems. This Jing can be cultivated by both genders, once developed it is powerful, flexible and