HaN SHI YI qUAN - Q & A
Q. What is Yi Quan?
There are different styles of Yi Quan that is being taught and explained today. All of which originated by Master Wang Xiang Zhai. Each of these systems has transformed to what they are today mainly based on ones understanding of Master Wangs words, understandings which originated by ones own past experiences. This is where there is a problem, ones own past experiences?
Q. What is Han shi Yi Quan?
1.Kung Fu. That is to say Yi quan is a fist method.
2. A method to help one understand and experience nature, oneself, and void. But most importantly with an emphasis on not using ones own past experiences and understandings! Commonly in martial arts and many of the things that we do in our daily lives, repetition, techniques, and hard work is the goal/answer of the practice, where the practice becomes the answer to the question. With Han shi Yi Quan the question to the practice always leads to another question. It is a method/language of communicating between each other, of communicating a feeling, of something intangible, not with words, but with the movement of ones own body with testing by the communicator. The communicator is assessing weather one is here in this moment or if one is repeating a learned movement ,turning the movement into a technique. This is what Master Wang emphasized in his practice. Is this possible within your art?
Q. Why is void, and the question am I here or not, stressed?
Quite often we are led by our minds, minds that can only reside in the past or future. Whenever we repeat a movement or technique, we are using our minds. This is being trapped in the past, this is when we have the answer to the question. Whenever we have an objective, goal, relying on cause and effect we are using our minds. This is being lost in the future. If we are in the present/void every movement is a new movement, cause and effect occur at the same time. Movement then becomes an action out of void, out of inspiration, out of movement with nature/universe. Why did many of the greatest sages, martial artist focus on this as the most important aspect to be in to understand?
Q. Why is understanding nature important?
In nature/universe/present, we can say that differentiation exist, but when this becomes discrimination there is a problem. In nature there is no good or bad. In nature who is bad, the tiger killing its prey, the tree stealing the nutrients in the ground the carbon dioxide in the air, or the light overpowering the dark? When we discriminate we cause our own distress, our own suffering in our minds, minds which judge good or bad. Nature does not judge. If we judge our opponent by his looks, his past wins, are we limiting ourselves? If we judge other martial arts, religions, healing methods are we limiting ourselves?
Q. Society has set rules and values of good and bad, is this natural?
Should we run away and live in the forest, escape society? From the moment you came into this world, you originated from within society, we all have a mother and father. With a society of three people minimal rules and regulations are required, basic rules about interaction and support, all of which aid in our survival as a group. When we have a group of 100 people, more rules are required in order for the group to survive. When we reach 300 million, more rules and regulations are required. Is escaping and or hiding from society natural? Is it Natural to live alone in a cave? This survival in society is the Nature of mans social adaptation. Mans social nature and pure Nature are one. Is escaping from it in a landscape of the mind natural?
Q. How is this martial?
Master Wang once said “one who relies on technique will be poor at technique”. Technique relies on the mind, mind relies on reaction. Whenever you are reacting you are one step behind your opponent. If you move with void you move at the same speed as the universe, infinite. Whenever you rely on cause and effect, objective with your strike, power occurs in only one moment in space and time. If cause and effect become one as it occurs in the state of void, every point of ones movement become a strike. This can only occur if one moves through and not past the natural structure of ones body. Every point of the body moves as one, in unison, without any point working harder then the other, without specificity. Which method is more effective? Technique with specificity, or wholeness without direction?
Q Can a blind man describe an elephant to someone who has never seen one?
Have you ever heard teachers of martial arts exalting Void as being a goal to achieve? Do you think void is the most important aspect in your own practice, but with only faith and diligence as the method to achieve it? Have you ever found that to be an aspect of martial art instruction which is unintelligible, or worse?
Why should this be important to me? By understanding void, the origin of nature, one begins to understand oneself. This is actually simple, with no mystery around it. By being able to do more and more ones own movement and express oneself truly, you become more and more free from the influences, illusions of ones own mind. Are you being clouded by the influences inside of your mind?