FEATURES OF DIFFERENT STYLES AND MIND TRAINING
Swimming Dragon Plays with Water
Question
- Different style content has different skill features. What are the special skill features of the Dragon style kungfu?
- You generously explained to me once that Dragon patterns like Swimming Dragon Plays with Water are the most suitable ones for emphasizing the training on the mind level though we could if we wish choose any pattern from any other animal as well. Why are Dragon patterns most suitable for emphasizing the training in the mind dimension?
- How can the Dragon Strength set contribute to our Zen or mind training and vice versa?
Answer
Yes, different style content has different skill features. For example, Monkey Style Kungfu with patterns like Spiritual Monkey Emerges from Cave and Brush Leaves Search Fruit has skill features of agility and surprise, whereas Xingxiquan with techniques like pi-quan and bao-quan has skill features of tremendous force and profundity in simplicity.
As Dragon Style Kungfu has different content, it has different skill features. It is worthwhile to note that there are different types of Dragon Style Kungfu. They may be broadly classified into two main categories – broad, open Dragon Style like that of dragon forms in Shaolin Kungfu, and narrow, close Dragon Style like that of Dragon Style Kungfu founded by Pak Mei. The Dragon Strength Set and the Dragon Form Set practiced in our school belong to the first category. Examples of kungfu sets of the second category include Sixteen Moves and Dragon Form Connect Bridge.
As the content of these two broad categories is different, their skill features are different too. The skill features of the first category are long bridge, wide stance and swerving movement, whereas those of the second category are short bridge, narrow stance and coiling movement. Interestingly, the first category is softer and more flowing, whereas the second category is harder and more linear.
A common feature is that both emphasize on the training of mind, as befitting of a Dragon style. Another common feature is that both employ a lot of internal force, though the nature and the application of the force are quite different.
Dragon patterns, like Swimming Dragon Plays with Water, are excellent for mind training. The pattern, Swimming Dragon Plays with Water, is the one I use to illustrate an ultimate technique, which you can read here. Dragon patterns are most suitable to train the mind level because a strong presence of mind is required outwardly to perform the form correctly and inwardly to generate the skills effectively.
Of course, every pattern should be performed with correct form and effective skills, summarized as the six harmonies, including the harmony of mind, but it is in Dragon patterns that the requirement of mind is most urgent.
The six harmonies are the three external harmonies of hands, body and feet, which constitute form, and the three internal harmonies of elegance, energy and mind, which constitute skills. Let us take an example of responding to a common attack, the thrust punch.
As an opponent executes a thrust punch, a responder may ward off using Single Tiger Emerges from Cave, then follow with Black Tiger Steaks Heart. Even when his hand position is not exact in his warding off, his foot position not exact in retreating to avoid the punch, and his body not relaxed, he can still ward off the punch. Even when his movement is not elegant, his energy blocked, and his mind stressful, he can still ram his close fist onto his opponent.
But if he employs Swimming Dragon Plays with Water, he needs to be perfect in his six harmonies. If his hand position, body position and footwork are not in perfect harmony, he would be unable to perform the form well. He must circulate his arm over and brush off the opponent’s attack, slightly rotate his waist to avoid the full force of his opponent, and place his feet far enough to be safe and near enough to strike his opponent.
His three internal harmonies must also be perfect. His movement must be flowing and precise, his energy flow smoothly from his dan tian to his fingers to strike the opponent, and his mind must be relaxed and clear to executes all these features. The most important of course is his mind. If his mind is stressful, distracted or full of irrelevant thoughts, he would fail to execute the precise form and skills even if he knows the response. Thus, Dragon patterns are excellent to train the mind.
I find the Dragon Strength Set not only the best amongst all Dragon style sets but also in all kungfu in mind training or Zen. Mind training or Zen is not only emphasized in its combat application, an example of which is explained above, but also in solo performance of the set.
Two very special features of the set, which are not normally found in other sets, are developing Dragon force and developing lighting speed. Besides the need to have a focused and relaxed mind at the same time, a practitioner also needs to use his mind to generate a vigorous energy flow and consolidate the energy when required to develop Dragon force. He also needs a focused and relaxed mind to direct his energy flow to move his forms spontaneously at will and at lighting speed.
If a practitioner’s mind is stressful or distracted, he will be unable to perform the forms of Dragon Strength correctly. When he has achieved this basic requirement of mental clarity and relaxation, he has to use his mind to generate Dragon force and develop lighting speed. He will test out his abilities first in solo set practice, then in combat application.
Reversely, when a practitioner is well trained in Zen or mind training, he will be able to progress better and faster in his Dragon Strength, both in solo practice and in combat application.
This is particularly helpful to those who study Zen instead of practice Zen. Many people may read about Zen history and philosophy, attend Zen retreats regularly, and be able to discuss Zen intellectually, but often without their own realization they do not practice Zen.
In my early years teaching in Spain, an elderly student, Don Pedro of Cuenca, told me that attending just one chi kung course taught by me gave him more Zen benefits than all the special Zen retreats he had attended every year! He experienced what mental clarity was, and he started to smile. He suddenly realized that all the participants at the many Zen retreats he had attended were dull and stressful, and never smiled.
Those who are dull and stressful will have a chance to train mental relaxation and mental clarity at the Dragon Strength course. Only when they have attained this basic requirement, can they develop Dragon force and lighting speed. They will have a chance to test whether they succeed in developing these admirable skills at the course. Then they can employ their mental clarity and presence of mind to enhance their daily life.
Monkey Style Kungfu is different from Dragon Style
Dragon Strength in Video
Old Version of Dragon Strength
Treasure House of Kungfu Sets
Treasure House of Combat Application
The questions and answers are reproduced from the thread 10 Questions on Dragon Strength in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum.
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