focused mind is a must in hand-to-hand combat. An unsettled mind por-
tends defeat. On the other hand, a good martial artist seeks to confuse the
opponent. As described in Tang Shunzhi’s (1507–1560) Martial Com-
pendium, this is done by mastering the principle of emptiness (xu) versus
fullness (shi) or deception by feints and diversions, emptiness representing
the deception and fullness the real move.
Another key principle, to negate oneself and accommodate others, is
found in the Book of History(ca. second century B.C.) and is quoted in Tai-
jiquan Theory(ca. 1795–1854). General Yu Dayou (1503–1580) describes
the martial arts interpretation and practical application of this concept in
his Sword Classic:“Flow with the opponent’s circumstances, use his force.
Wait until his ‘old force’ has dissipated and before his ‘new force’ has been
released.” This approach is derived from a popular formula, “Hard prior
to his force, pliant following his force, the opponent is busy and I quietly
wait, know the timing, let him struggle.” This principle is key not only to
conservation of one’s own energy, but also to the timing for use of force
and the type of force to use.
Stability is a key principle regardless of school. Basic training invari-
ably emphasizes developing firm, rooted stances. Examples are the widely
practiced Horse Riding Stance and the Three-Part Stance of xingyiquan
(hsing i ch’uan). Effective issuance of force is primarily dependent on the
lower body, up through the waist, and so the saying goes, “The feet hit sev-
enty percent, the hands hit thirty percent.” This does not mean kicks out-
number punches, but that the majority of force in a punch is generated from
the feet through the waist, not independently through the arms and hands.
To breathe with movement as described in the story of the Maiden of
Yue means to breathe naturally. Generally inhale when amassing force and
exhale when releasing it. Emitting a sound when releasing force was con-
sidered a normal phenomenon even among past practitioners of taijiquan,
but this practice came to be viewed as uncouth in twentieth-century soci-
ety, as the martial arts came to be practiced more as exercise than as fight-
ing art. Releasing force involves combined psychophysiological focus, and
even taijiquan theory compares release of force to shooting an arrow.
Finally, with special reference to boxing, Tang Shunzhi, in his Martial
Compendium,explains that there are two main categories of fighting tech-
niques, long fist (changquan) and short hitting (duanda). The former in-
volves changing overall form or stance and is used to close the gap between
opponents. The latter involves maintaining one’s overall form or stance for
close-in fighting. Tang also explains that individual forms have inherent
characteristics. They change in transition when executed, but ultimately re-
tain their essential nature.
Stanley E. Henning
Written Texts: China 747