Martial Art, not martial sport
- By Janis McGrath
- Published 04/16/2008
Janis McGrath
I am co-owner of an internal martial arts/healing arts school. We teach the arts of Hsing yi, Ba Kua, Tai Chi, and QiGong. Our students are dedicated individuals willing to do the hard work it takes to achieve excellence and spiritual growth. I am the written voice of my partner who has taught martial arts for 15 years. He rejected a death sentence by western doctors and sought healing and life through the Eastern Healing and Internal Martial Arts.
Hsing Yi class at the Internal Martial Arts School. In Hsing Yi, John teaches the students to form a solid, stable, spring-like structure to drive forcefully toward the center of their opponent. Each movement is both offensive and defensive and always linear. John tells his Hsing Yi students, "I don't want you to do ordinary things with your body. I want you to do extraordinary things. I will teach you to be flexible and powerful. It won't be easy. If you want easy, you should join a gym."
His instructions get more detailed. "Drive your leg with your heel like your opponent isn't even there. Lock your shoulder into your center. Hollow out your back. Not enough. More. When your opponent gives you pressure, lock him in; keep your back rounded; drive with your heel; lock your hips; lock your knees; drop the kua in and take a step; step through your opponent; crease your chest, put you elbows in line with the center of your chest, the center of your power. Get your structure and take a driving step."
John reminds the students, We are working on the inside, not the outside. Let those others in martial sport
Later, Tai Chi class. While John worked with the adults on the Yang style long form, I worked with the kids on improving their Yang style short form. They love to do repulse monkey. It comes naturally to them. They call it repulse spider monkey. The cross-hands position becomes a butterfly to them. They ask about the martial application of repulse monkey. I explain that swinging the hand below the waist becomes a groin strike. I demonstrate, but don't actually hit them. The two boys decide to strike themselves in the groin and they're both surprised how much it hurts. The adults waiting for the following QiGong class struggle not to laugh at the innocence of the kids.
The last class of the night is Dao Win QiGong. We relax and oxygenate our bodies, working specifically on balancing the liver, spleen and heart channels. The last ten minutes are spent in emotional release forms. The struggle never ends to set aside the stress and worries of the outside world and focus on the breath, just the breath.
