Explanations
of Nei Gong (Internal Skill)
Principles
Excerpts
from the book "The True
Teachings of Yang Jianhou's
Secret Yang Style Taijiquan"by
Wei Shuren
Historical
background of Yang style Taijiquan
as passed down by late Wang
Yongquan
For
more than half a century people
in China and other countries
have learnt about and to a certain
degree understood Taijiquan,
while health aspects of Yang
style Taijiquan attracted special
attention all over the world.
However very few people know
that during the transmission
of Yang style Taijiquan, its
true essence has almost been
lost and forgotten because old
masters kept it secret.
Happily, the lineage that has
been secretly passed down from
Yang Jianhou in Beijing, has
fairly completely preserved
the practice methods and Kneading
Hands (Rou Shou, i.e. Pushing
Hands) techniques of original
Yang family boxing. This is
because of all the energy and
efforts that Mr.Wang Chonglu
and my teacher Wang Yongquan
poured into as well as subtle
inspiration that cannot be forgotten.
The origins of this art should
be traced back to the end of
Qing dynasty (1644-1911). At
that time Mr.Yang Jianhou was
summoned to the residence of
Bei Lei and Bei Zi to teach
Taijiquan to the members of
the imperial family. Since at
that time the Qing dynasty imperial
family members and aristocrats
enjoyed high positions and lived
in comfort, it became fashionable
to pay attention to good health.
Most "bigwigs" learnt
Taijiquan only because of fashion
and considered it just another
entertainment to divert themselves
from boredom and did not really
practice hard.
Only the oldest grandson of
emperor Xuanzong, Pu Lun Bei
Zi had become extremely interested
in the skill that Mr.Yang Jianhou
was occasionally revealing during
the classes, and was often inviting
Mr.Jianhou to his residence
asking for guidance, paying
very high salary and showing
special favor to him. Because
of dept of gratitude for Pu
Bei Lun Zi's recognition and
appreciation as well as special
treatment, Mr.Jianhou gradually
passed to him secret art of
Yang family Taijiquan.
WANG
CHONGLU
At that time there was a servant
at Pu Bei Lun Zi's residence
called Wang Chonglu, who was
very interested in martial arts.
Wang was receiving waiting upon
Mr.Jianhou when he was coming
to Pu Bei Lun Zi's residence
to teach boxing. Wang, already
skilled in boxing, when listening
to Mr.Jianhou's very clear explanations
of boxing principles, realized
this art was out of ordinary
and contained the ultimate principles
of all times, heaven and earth,
all things of creation; moreover,
Wang noticed that the practice
method taught by Mr.Jianhou
was utterly different from everything
he had seen before, and truly
was the best martial art he
had been yearning for day and
night. For this reason he was
particularly venerating Mr.Jianhou,
very careful in all respects
all the time, showing him every
consideration.
After some time Mr.Jianhou was
moved by Mr.Chonglu's sincerity
and often taught him one or
two boxing postures in free
time. After few years Chonglu
became very skilful at Taiji,
and since he was honest, sincere
and kind-hearted, Mr.Jianhou
thought high about him and gladly
accepted him as indoor disciple.
WANG
YONGQUAN
Wang Yongquan, Chonglu's son,
was interested in martial arts
since childhood and when seven
started to study Buku ("wrestling"
in Manchu language) and became
very sturdy and his movements
were strong and vigorous. At
the age of eight he often accompanied
father to Yang's house. Mr.Jianhou
liked Yongquan as he was a very
bright kid and allowed him to
learn martial art of yang family.
Mr.Jianhou ordered him to accept
Yang Chengfu, Jianhou's third
son, as his master. Since then
father and son often went to
Yang's house in the western
part of the capital to study
martial art.
Yongquan
was also often sent by
his father to Yang's house
to help manage household
affairs and could often
hear Jianhou's and Shaohou's
(father and son) discussions
on boxing techniques.
Sometimes in the height
of his enthusiasm Shaouhou
would call Yongquan to
come and cross hands to
feel his strength hence
prove his point; since
Yongquan had good basics
in "Buku" and
knew how to fall and was
not afraid of it, every
time he was hit by his
gongfu uncle's (i.e. Shaohou's;
since Yang Chengfu was
Wang Yongquan's master
- Shifu, gongfu father
- and Shaohou was Chengfu's
older brother, then Shaohou
was Wang's Shibo - gongfu
uncle; word "uncle"
used later in the translations
should read as Shibo -
gongfu uncle; note from
translator) swift and
fierce power and tumbled
several times on the ground,
he would immediately stand
up and move close to Shaohou
waiting for another show
of uncle's skill; for
this reason Shaohou liked
him a lot.
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Wang
Yongquan (1904-1987)
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At that time
Shaohou, also called "Mr.
Big", used to strike showing
the opponent no mercy and became
famous for his fierce and malicious
power. People who had a taste
of this power and were flung
by him high up would tremble
with fear and not dear to come
close to him again. However
Yongquan would do what he could
to cross hands with uncle Shaohou
to feel the direction of his
strength (Jin), the power and
timing, although hit and thrown
on the ground. He could only
feel the strength and would
not dare to ask uncle what power
he used. During several years
Yongquan was imperceptibly influenced
by what he saw and heard and
was able to comprehend it. For
this reason, and because of
instructions he received earlier
from Mr.Jianhou and later from
his father, Mr.Yongquan received
true transmission of Yang family
Internal Skill (Nei Gong) and
Power Methods (Jin Fa), and
had high attainments in Kneading
Hands (Rou Shou). After that
for the next decades all along
he kept practicing the original
early methods of Old Six Routines
(Lao Liu Lu) that he had learnt
together with his father from
Mr.Jianhou; the movements he
taught were different from the
postures and methods his teacher
Yang Chengfu taught when he
(i.e. Yang Chengfu) went south
to Shanghai and other places.
(...)
(1)(2)(3)
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