yiquan

[AnotherMonkey]

What does one actually do in Yiquan?
What do they try to accomplish in what methods?

Is the standing to learn to relax the muslce that one doesnt need? Is it to build strong stabilizer muscles? Is it something completely else?

The Shili, tasting force, meaning to have a certain amount of strength in all directions while moving?

And yes, I looked for teachers in my area
But didnt find any.

[Taste of Death]

What does one actually do in Yiquan?
What do they try to accomplish in what methods?

Yiquan has eight postures for standing meditation. Traditionally one just stands in each posture for as long as one comfortably can then change to another posture (ex: 5 minutes in each one for 40 minutes total). But in hanshi yiquan we move through all eight fluidly with a resisting partner holding onto our arms (different hand placement for different zhuangs). This is how we begin testing the zhuangtai (body state). Without the correct zhuangtai the movement is not internal and one is not doing yiquan. The body state (or condition) involves holding the bao and fingertip extension. Bao is an embracing quality in the body with all joints open. We embrace with body, arms, legs, etc. The fingertip extension is every bit as important as bao. Using one's mind (intent) the fingers extend well beyond the target, making the torso and arms feel empty (or hollow) to one's opponent. The fingers grasp and pull one forward. Yiquan, like xingyi, is a spear art. The spear not only goes through the opponent but into the wall or tree behind them. One must keep extending. And, yes, this is done "internally" and with the mind (intent). Yiquan is the art of awareness. The zhuangtai allows one to respond with one's body, not techniques or applications although yiquan has plenty of those.

Is the standing to learn to relax the muslce that one doesnt need? Is it to build strong stabilizer muscles? Is it something completely else?

Yes, if using the old method. But not in Han Shi Yiquan.
The standing is what creates the internal aspects of the art.

The Shili, tasting force, meaning to have a certain amount of strength in all directions while moving?

Shi li is being able to move with zhuangtai. When one moves it is hard to hold onto the feeling. We want to reach a wu (nothing) state. Be like a buoy in the water. Let the current and waves move you but stay afloat and tethered. When most people move their intrinsic energy comes out of them. We want our opponent to fall into us. When he touches me he becomes part of me. When I move he moves. I want to find the feeling (zhuangtai) and hold onto it.

[nicklinjm]

Great description from TOD. Although I have only practiced the most basic aspects of Yiquan, I think you will never understand Yiquan if you are fixated on muscles / muscular force. Based on my limited training and the masters I have met, all of the sensations TOD is talking about (extension / contraction) are to do with training the tendons and fasciae of the body. As one Yiquan teacher said to me in Shanghai, "when I practice Shi Li, in my static posture I have already stored force [xu li], so when I issue force it is just a case of releasing the bow".

Just my .02, YMMV, etc etc

[Appledog]

Hello! I am editing this post to point out that users here cannot delete their own posts. I do not understand why users have the ability to edit their posts but not to delete their posts.

Originally I wanted to have a "cool post count" of 108, or something like that (something associated with Tai Chi) but that does not seem possible here.

[Yeung]

Did you mean Master Hon Sing Yuen’s 8 Stand Postures as in the following link:

http://cstang.www3.50megs.com/english/g ... llery.html

[Wanderingdragon]

https://youtu.be/I7lnqybrXkA

[wayne hansen]

https://youtu.be/0KqzP1TpKgU

I like this clip

[Taste of Death]

Did you mean Master Hon Sing Yuen’s 8 Stand Postures as in the following link:

http://cstang.www3.50megs.com/english/g ... llery.html

I used to do a variation of Han Xing Yuan's 8 Postures that Henry Look taught me.
http://i-chuanusa.org/postures.htm

This is what I do now.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7PY0RzmkS08

[Yeung]

A translation of a quote from Ye Xi Sheng 叶希圣，a student of Hon Sing Yuen （Han Xing Yuan 韩星垣）:

Yi quan is a method of learning, and is not a system of martial art.

[MaartenSFS]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJYSHi5Wcy0

Found this. Very interesting..

[AnotherMonkey]

So there are the postures, but what are you doing when 'holding' them ?

[Taste of Death]

So there are the postures, but what are you doing when 'holding' them ?

On another thread strange said it was like holding a woman and steverowe said it was like holding a woman with large breasts and I am going to say it is like holding a woman with large breasts from behind.

One must capture the elusive internal feeling and hold onto it. It is similar to a punt returner in American football. As soon as he catches the ball he may be hit by a 6' 2" 250lb man who can run 40m in under 4.5 seconds or have to dodge several men like that converging on him. He has to be ready to move in any direction with power in a split second. The body is receptive to the ball he must catch and the men who wish to tackle him. He has to bob and weave his way upfield while maintaining his body state. It is completely different from a kick returner who can sprint up field 20+ yards before encountering a tackler.