Gymnastics 139
The Face: Rub the hands until hot, then rub the face with them, high
and low, all over, no spot to be left un-rubbed; then spit on the palms
and rub them warm and apply them several times to the face. While
rubbing, the breath, by the mouth and nose, is to be closed. The aim
of this exercise is to brighten the countenance. The more you rub the
better the color. This is the cure for wrinkles; with this action you will
have none.
The Ear: 1. – Place the hands over the ears, then rub them right and
left and up and down several times. This is to hear distinctly and
prevent deafness. 2. – Sit level on the ground with one leg bent and
the other extended. Stretch forth the arms horizontally with the
hands perpendicularly towards the front as if pushing a door, and
twist the head 7 times to each side, to cure ringing in the ears.^4The exercises are not directly related to fighting. Apparently, while at the
Shaolin Temple, Wang studied methods that were primarily therapeutic rather
than martial. Instead of hand combat, the Illustrated Exposition of Internal Tech-
niques teaches the prevention and cure of disease. Occasionally, the text goes as
far as intimating the possibility of immortality. The connection to fighting is
implicit only; to the degree that the exercises contribute to one’s health, they
will also provide a foundation for his martial training. It is instructive therefore
that according to his own testimony Wang’s martial practice was motivated by
therapeutic considerations:
As a child I was weak and was always fed medicines. My late father was
constantly worried about my health. During the Daoguang jiawu year
(1834), when I was thirteen years old, I accompanied him to Jiangxi,
where he assumed the post of tax circuit intendant. At the time a guard
commander named Zhou Jiafu, from Laiyang [in Shandong] was
stationed there. He excelled in fighting and was practicing the Sinews
Transformation Classic (Yijin jing).
My late father had him teach me, and within less than a year I
significantly regained my strength and was able to lift ten jun (approx i-
mately 300 pounds). During the xinchou year (1841) I returned to my
native town [Fushan, Shandong] to prepare for the examinations. I
traveled together with the Laiyang [martial artist] Xu Quanlai, and I
thoroughly studied his technique.
During the Xianfeng jiayin (1854) year, I stayed with my late elder
brother in Guanzhong (Shaanxi), where I met the Lintong native Zhou
Bin. Zhou was the most famous martial artist in Guanzhong. I frequently
traveled with him, and we also journeyed together to Henan, where we
visited the Shaolin Temple. We stayed there for over three months, and
obtained the monastery’s Illustrated [Exposition] of Internal Techniques
(Neigong tu) as well as spear and staff manuals before heading back.^5