Chung-Hua Institute

The traditional Chinese martial arts focus a great deal of time on forms training. In fact, the pre-choreographed movements of kung-fu and tai-chi forms might well be the one thing that Chinese fighting arts are most known for. These beautiful movements hide combative applications, linked together in a sequential, logical order. But let's backtrack in history for a moment, examining Chinese martial arts training retrogressively, since there's more than meets the eye here.

According to most martial scholars, the forms (known to the Japanese as kata) didn't develop until later in history. The Shaolin monks, known as the fathers of kung-fu, were thought to have begun their martial training by simply practicing individual basic fighting techniques. Each punch, each kick, each block, and each stance was practiced countless times until every facet of the movement became ingrained in the practitioner and could be repeated unconsciously. In addition, the monks practiced yogic exercises that came over the Himalayas with Shaolin's patriarch, Da-Mo, from the Indian martial art of kalaripayattu - some of which were fused with fighting techniques developed in China.

While the most obvious result of this physical regimen was to make the Shaolin monks fearsome fighting machines, it also served a much deeper purpose by making their bodies incredibly strong and flexible. Their ligaments and tendons were well developed, along with the supporting muscles that stabilize the joints during exertion. When the connective tissues such as ligaments and tendons are accustomed to a routine with a gradually increasing workload, they can accept a greater degree of stress and strain with impunity. Regular daily practice of these exercises assured the monks that their bodies would be capable of handling the stresses of vigorous exercise without fearing injuries that would befall a less prepared martial artist.

This kind of strength served them well not only in their combat training, but also in their meditation sessions, consisting largely of hours of extended sitting and recitation of Buddhist prayers, and in their daily tasks around the monastery. The Shaolin monks were a fine example of how their progressive training developed bodies with great strength, superior range of motion, and minimal likelihood for injury - despite the mental and physical demands placed on them.

Tai-chi training, while not seen as nearly as strenuous as kung-fu, also observes these basic principles of injury prevention. Traditionally, before the tai-chi player learns to walk, he must learn to stand. Standing exercises, also called standing meditation, is an integral and often overlooked part of tai-chi training. Holding each of the stances for extended periods of time, ranging from 2-3 minutes to half an hour or more, develops the lower body's connective tissues and muscles in much the same way as Shaolin training. With proper training, a tai-chi student builds what is essentially a brace around every joint in the lower body. Imagine having the support of a knee brace without wearing one!

In addition, the strict emphasis on proper posture develops the muscles to either side of the spine, acting as a brace to support the back and neck. This puts the head in such a position as to minimize any neck and shoulder strain during the day, since the head is directly supported atop the torso, instead of hunched forward. The spinal vertebrae are also decompressed slightly, as the proper vertical alignment decreases the likelihood of a spinal nerve being pinched. Proper spinal alignment also maximizes the volume of the torso, keeping the internal organs from being compressed or pinched.

When a tai-chi player begins moving exercises, the shifting of the stance is done as slowly as possible. This serves a couple of purposes. First, any misalignment of the body will become magnified, just as if viewing a sports broadcast in slow-motion. This allows the instructor to make any needed corrections promptly, helping the student to develop the muscles and awareness needed to achieve optimum posture. Second, the slow footwork allows the practitioner to work out in a no-impact environment, creating the safest possible training scenario for the joints and muscles, as tearing a muscle while moving in slow-motion is almost impossible when not bearing any extra weight. Some tai-chi practitioners have complained of serious knee pain developed after learning tai-chi, but that's more a question of the instructor's quality, rather than the safety of the art.

Even arts such as shuai-chiao, Chinese wrestling, have built-in countermeasures to prevent injury. The Paoting province style of shuai-chiao uses thirteen basic exercises, similar to yoga, to develop the strength, flexibility, and balance needed to issue powerful throws. My teacher, David Lin, told me that traditionally, newer students would stand on the sidelines in a shuai-chiao camp, practicing those basic exercises to the point of mastery - sometimes for years - before they were allowed to come in and join the regular class and practice throws. Thus, prior to exposing their bodies to the strain of throwing an actual opponent, ancient shuai-chiao students developed their bodies to handle such stress through prolonged training with basic exercises.

Shaolin forms, tai-chi walking drills, and shuai-chiao fundamental exercises all have the common thread of maximizing physical potential in a safe and progressive manner. Remember that training that might seem monotonous or boring at first might actually be preparing you to do great things with your body, whether it be a spinning jump kick, a graceful cloud hands, or a vicious throw. No matter how great your technique might be, an injury can keep you off the training floor for weeks or months at a time, so keep your two goals in mind when training - a strong, healthy body and constant, gradual improvement in your skills. In the next two installments, we'll be looking at how Chinese martial artists traditionally treat their injuries: through acupuncture and the art of "Tui-Na".