Bones Cracking Practice

[Baiyuan Laoxian]

Following on from the video on the dantian filling, here are two videos that I would like to share with you.

First, this video on bone cracking, it’s an exercise that focuses on that. We know that the late Ma Guoxing 馬國興, a writer and theorist quoted extensively by Wandering Taoist in his blog, which was precisely a specialist in this gongfu.

In this video YouTube Short, about which I can have no further information (as not supplied), we hear this person cracking his jaw. If you've ever heard of such a mastery, don't hesitate to share your knowledge.

Second, here are these as part of Wu Family Taiji (武) practice. Here he seems to be doing it on command, in the other video we could see the stretching of the jaw. As we can’t see any bodily changes, we can also cast doubt on the origin of his sounds. It is explained at the beginning of the video that this corresponds to a stage reached in the movement of qi.



Does this happen to you as part of your practice? Is it voluntary? If so, how do you achieve this result?

PS: If someone can teach me how to embed a YouTube Short video, I will be very grateful.

[GrahamB]

I can make my sternum make an impressively loud cracking sound at will. However, this is because of years of people kneeling on my rib cage, not Qi

[Appledog]

Following on from the video on the dantian filling, here are two videos that I would like to share with you.

Because I've never seen it before and have been led in a different direction by my teachers I am at a complete loss as to how the middle dantian thing works in xingyi or xinyi. I just don't understand it at all or why it is useful. It's the same thing here. I surely have never seen anything like this before, and was led in a different direction by my own teachers.

Because of that I'd have to say if this is a real practice, it must be kept very secret or is very high level -- far higher level than anyone here could hope to achieve. So no, in general, I have no idea about this and have never seen anything like it and am even unsure as if to if it would be useful.

Second, here are these as part of Wu Family Taiji (武) practice.

Does this happen to you as part of your practice? Is it voluntary? If so, how do you achieve this result?

Well that's the thing. Is it really part of Wu family Taiji practice? From my experience the training leads you in a different direction. Away from cracking your bones and towards song jing and song qing. If this is a stage in moving qi, it's possible, but there are many kinds of moving qi, and not all of them are used in Tai Chi. If I had to speculate I would say this is much like the other video.

*shrug* Something to keep an eye out for maybe? It seems so rare I will probably never see it again. I've seen a few things like that. There is some rare stuff out there.

[dacheng]

As Zhai Weichuan from Wu family Taiji on the video above is my teacher, I would write a few words about it. He is not teaching it, and none of his students I know are able to do this the way he does. He doesn't describe it as a method, but as a side effect of advanced practice. However some people say, that when his teacher Yao Jizu practiced a form, sometimes similiar sounds could be heard.

I'm not sure about it, but my guess is that maybe the sound is produced not by bones, but rather by joints in a way similiar to cracking fingers - which is explained as implosions of "vaccuum bubbles" in the liquid inside joints. In this case it is only kind of hypothesis. Anyway, sometimes I notice this kind of sounds coming out of some of my joints - rather a series of several sounds from one joint - quite often during slow movement practice. I'm not able to cause it or controll counciously.

Summarizing, I don't really know

[Baiyuan Laoxian]

As Zhai Weichuan from Wu family Taiji on the video above is my teacher, I would write a few words about it. He is not teaching it, and none of his students I know are able to do this the way he does. He doesn't describe it as a method, but as a side effect of advanced practice. However some people say, that when his teacher Yao Jizu practiced a form, sometimes similiar sounds could be heard.

I'm not sure about it, but my guess is that maybe the sound is produced not by bones, but rather by joints in a way similiar to cracking fingers - which is explained as implosions of "vaccuum bubbles" in the liquid inside joints. In this case it is only kind of hypothesis. Anyway, sometimes I notice this kind of sounds coming out of some of my joints - rather a series of several sounds from one joint - quite often during slow movement practice. I'm not able to cause it or controll counciously.

Summarizing, I don't really know

Same here, it happens to me without any intentions of doing it, but also when I want but only with external moves. It is just a milestone that shows that you have some joints that have been opened. The practice of Tongbei quan is especially effective for that matter.

[origami_itto]

As Zhai Weichuan from Wu family Taiji on the video above is my teacher, I would write a few words about it. He is not teaching it, and none of his students I know are able to do this the way he does. He doesn't describe it as a method, but as a side effect of advanced practice. However some people say, that when his teacher Yao Jizu practiced a form, sometimes similiar sounds could be heard.

I'm not sure about it, but my guess is that maybe the sound is produced not by bones, but rather by joints in a way similiar to cracking fingers - which is explained as implosions of "vaccuum bubbles" in the liquid inside joints. In this case it is only kind of hypothesis. Anyway, sometimes I notice this kind of sounds coming out of some of my joints - rather a series of several sounds from one joint - quite often during slow movement practice. I'm not able to cause it or controll counciously.

Summarizing, I don't really know

Same here, it happens to me without any intentions of doing it, but also when I want but only with external moves. It is just a milestone that shows that you have some joints that have been opened. The practice of Tongbei quan is especially effective for that matter.

It's a great indicator, IMHO. The "bubbles in the liquid" make the sound. The liquid itself is synovial fluid, which lubricates, cushions , and protects the joints. It's a non-newtonian fluid that becomes rigid under sudden pressure.

When we start releasing the tension keeping the joints stuck tight together it creates room for more synovial fluid to accumulate. This means we move smoother and our bones are better able to transmit sudden force through the frame without getting damaged.

Snap crackle and pop all over the place doing a good form because it's increasing that space actively, which is what causes the bubble that causes the sound.

[Quigga]

IMO what's shown in OP is something very different than popping your knuckles or hips or knees.

I went through a phase where I could pop each and every joint in my body. Every single vertebrae and my jaws as well. But the sound was like cracking fingers. The popping also diminishes the more open, smooth and connected my body gets.

In OP vid it sounds like old, strong wood is creaking. Like a tree in a storm. Or maybe a old rustic barn.

I think the sound is produced by strong connective tissue / fascia rubbing against the bones - and not by the joints; as popping the joints can't explain such a continuous noise imo.

I only saw one other video of this skill over the years. It was called a very rare skill back then as well.

As for it's usefulness or effects, I have no idea.

[origami_itto]

IMO what's shown in OP is something very different than popping your knuckles or hips or knees.

I went through a phase where I could pop each and every joint in my body. Every single vertebrae and my jaws as well. But the sound was like cracking fingers. The popping also diminishes the more open, smooth and connected my body gets.

In OP vid it sounds like old, strong wood is creaking. Like a tree in a storm. Or maybe a old rustic barn.

I think the sound is produced by strong connective tissue / fascia rubbing against the bones - and not by the joints; as popping the joints can't explain such a continuous noise imo.

I only saw one other video of this skill over the years. It was called a very rare skill back then as well.

As for it's usefulness or effects, I have no idea.

I don't put any stock whatsoever into noises on grainy video. Very little faith in video in general.

[Quigga]

I'm careful with criticism as a) I have no clue about what's shown, b) the gent in OPs vid is dacheng's teacher and dacheng is a respected user of this board.

On the topic of sounds:

The scariest ones have been in the pelvis, lumbar, sternum especially and initially the jaws.

The sternum ones only happened a handful of times then disappeared. It literally felt like something stretched to it's max and the big knot inside of the rope got popped in one loudly audible pop. Afterwards I felt extremely relaxed, felt something rushing / flowing through this area for 1-3 minutes or so, and my posture got adjusted.

When moving my head side to side to stretch the neck, I can create sort of like continuous breaking twig like sounds. This is just adhesions in the fascia getting loosened. I can do it over and over back to back.

[origami_itto]

I'm careful with criticism as a) I have no clue about what's shown, b) the gent in OPs vid is dacheng's teacher and dacheng is a respected user of this board.

On the topic of sounds:

The scariest ones have been in the pelvis, lumbar, sternum especially and initially the jaws.

The sternum ones only happened a handful of times then disappeared. It literally felt like something stretched to it's max and the big knot inside of the rope got popped in one loudly audible pop. Afterwards I felt extremely relaxed, felt something rushing / flowing through this area for 1-3 minutes or so, and my posture got adjusted.

When moving my head side to side to stretch the neck, I can create sort of like continuous breaking twig like sounds. This is just adhesions in the fascia getting loosened. I can do it over and over back to back.

Ah I missed that. Wasn't paying much attention. The noise in the video sounds a bit much though. Recording is an art. My comment is about that, the uselessness of using video as proof of a phenomenon, more than about trying to doubt his achievement. At best a reminder. Instructive only with direct guidance and context. Video like this, interesting at best.

[Quigga]

Well who knows what the Chinese characters say and why it isn't being taught publicly or to his students? I don't.

[Baiyuan Laoxian]

Nothing secret here and the characters are pretty easy.

[Quigga]

Would you mind roughly translating some or all of it if it doesn't bother you too much?

I haven't come around to learning Chinese yet

[Baiyuan Laoxian]

I have to specify that I do not have any relation with the people on the video. I am not there to sell what they are teaching. In my opinion, I prefer the first video with the guy in red, which is closer to something that can happen in my practice, which it is that this bone cracking will appear as a result of the maximum stretching the joints.
For the second video I share the same doubt with other people, but as Zhai Weichuan is kind of a recognized practitioner of Wu 武 style taiji, already mentioned by other members of this forum.

[yeniseri]

Everyone (to the last man ) who integrated 'Bones Cracking Practice" into their conditioning has employed elements that one may have and has
experienced in the throwing elements of shuaijiao and integration in part, or in whole, a greater use of wing chun mechanics (probably an erroneous use here
but I am talking mechanics of trapping, qinna, and similar grappling principles within that martial context.

Recently, I have seen more of what can observed to be MMA conditioning on many levels with a boxing element (again conditioning, pressure testing, etc)
that allows any "iron body qi shield" to fall like a house of cards on a day without wind (a calm day) . I am talking function and utility, nothing more.
A blind man utilizing bones cracking practice can surely overcome a sighted one training qi power!