Chapter 7 Inner boxing in the second quarter

Since the Song Dynasty, especially in the Ming and Qing dynasties, a martial arts sect emphasizing internal strength has developed, and it was mainly popular in Wudang Mountains and eastern Zhejiang at the beginning.In order to distinguish it from the rigid, straight-handed and active fighting style represented by Shaolin Wushu, this school of martial arts calls Shaolin Wushu external boxing and its own internal boxing.Of course, this name itself, to a certain extent, also has the meaning of exalting oneself and belittling Shaolin martial arts.However, many martial artists later also adopted this method of distinction.In fact, it is not accurate enough to divide martial arts into internal and external martial arts.Because the Shaolin martial arts known as outsiders also have superior internal strength.And the martial arts of the inner family are not always blindly attacking from the back and stopping with silence.If this division is used to represent two different martial arts styles, that is, external martial arts are active, rigid, and vigorous; while internal martial arts are static, soft, and heavy, it is still possible.

How Neijiaquan came into being is not very clear due to the lack of sufficient historical materials, and there are various theories.The earliest mention of internal martial arts was Huang Zongxi (1610-1695 AD), a famous scholar in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties.In his epitaph written for Wang Zhengnan, an internal martial artist in the Ming Dynasty, he mentioned that there is a school of internal martial artists that is different from Shaolin external martial artists.They stopped with stillness, and their assailants were knocked to the ground as soon as they fought.He also said that Neijiaquan was founded by Zhang Sanfeng, a Taoist priest from Wudang Mountain in the Song Dynasty.Zhang Sanfeng was summoned by Emperor Huizong of Song Dynasty. On the way to the capital, he was taught by a god in his dream and created Neijiaquan ("Nan Lei Ji·Wang Zhengnan Epitaph").Huang Baijia, the son of Huang Zongxi, also said in "Neijiaquanfa": Zhang Sanfeng was proficient in Shaolin boxing, and later carried out a thorough transformation of Shaolin boxing to create Neijiaquan.Neijia boxing is mysterious and profound. Learning one or two moves is enough to surpass Shaolin boxing.These statements are strongly superstitious and obviously exaggerated.Zhang Sanfeng is a mysterious figure in the history of Chinese martial arts, and later generations often attribute the invention of some martial arts to him.Whether Zhang Sanfeng has any relationship with martial arts, due to the lack of convincing historical materials, and because there is not only one Zhang Sanfeng with the same name and surname in Chinese history, it is difficult to draw a conclusion for a while.However, at least from these statements, it can be seen that Neijiaquan was not created out of thin air, and it has a certain relationship with Shaolinquan.It can also be said that it is the product of the combination of Shaolin martial arts and internal strength.It is to integrate the inner alchemy practice based on "quietness" with the Shaolin martial arts based on "movement", so that "external training of tendons, bones, and skin" and "internal training of essence, energy, and spirit" are combined into one One.

Internal boxing has its own characteristics in martial arts. Cao Bingren of the Qing Dynasty wrote in "Ningbo Fu Zhi": There are two schools of martial arts, one is external and the other is internal.Shaolin is the most famous outsider family, and they advocate pre-emptive strikes in terms of attacking techniques, jumping and leaping [langliang].However, because of taking the initiative to attack, it is inevitable that there will be omissions. In this way, it will give the opponent an opportunity to take advantage of.Neijiaquan, on the other hand, advocates a late attack, not to strike unless it is absolutely necessary, and it is impossible to guard against once a strike is made.This kind of boxing makes it difficult for the opponent to find a flaw to attack, so the internal martial arts are more sophisticated.

There is such a legend circulating: Zhang Songxi, a master of internal boxing in the Ming Dynasty and a native of Ningbo, Zhejiang, looks very thin in appearance, as if he can't even support his clothes, and behaves politely, like a scholar.But it is this unremarkable person who has superb internal martial arts.At that time, when the Japanese pirates were rioting in the southeast coast, 70 Shaolin monks were recruited to fight the Japanese pirates. Hearing about Zhang Songxi's martial arts name, he asked to compete with Zhang Songxi.Zhang Songxi said that martial arts contests are fine, but life and death documents must be established first, so that no one will be held accountable for death or injury.So, the two sides signed a written agreement.Zhang Songxi was sitting with his arms folded in the restaurant, when a monk came flying to kick him, Zhang Songxi turned his body slightly, and gave it away, this Shaolin monk was like a projectile, fell in the air, fell downstairs and almost died, other Shaolin monks like this Was surprised.There is also a legend that Zhang Songxi built three big stones together when he was 70 years old, and then, with a bare-handed blow, the three stones were instantly split in half (Chai E's "Brahma Lu Conglu").Of course, these legends obviously elevate Neijiaquan and devalue Shaolinquan.In fact, Shaolin boxing and Neijia boxing are both excellent types of boxing. It is difficult to say which one is superior and which one is inferior. Just as martial artists often say that boxing has no level of skill, but kung fu has depth.

Neijia martial arts pay attention to the "point acupuncture method" in combat, which is to consciously click some special acupuncture points on the opponent's meridians when fighting.The acupuncture point method is designed according to the theory of meridian theory of traditional Chinese medicine.According to the theory of ancient Chinese medicine, the meridian is the channel for the circulation of Qi and blood in the human body. This channel is like a big net connecting the whole body, the inside and the outside.From the top of the head to the heel, there are a large acupuncture point every five inches, and a small acupuncture point every five inches. There are more than 300 acupuncture points on the whole body.Quickly tap some acupuncture points with fingers, elbows, knees, and toes, which can block the flow of Qi and blood.This can cause temporary disorders of physiological functions, pain, weakness, coma and even death.These points are called numb, dumb, dizzy and dead points (it is customary to say that there are 36 points, nine points each for numb, dumb, dizzy, and dead).Because qi and blood flow in the body according to a certain period of time, when it flows to a certain point, acupuncture has a greater effect.Therefore, acupuncture method pays great attention to different acupuncture points at different time points.The masters of Neijiaquan all have quite superb acupuncture techniques. For example, Wang Zhengnan (1616-1669 AD), a martial artist in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, was once insulted by a bully. Unable to urinate.Another time, when Wang Zhengnan and Huang Zongxi visited Tiantong Mountain together, they met a monk named Shanyan.Shan Yan was very powerful, and even four or five people couldn't beat him, but when he got close to Wang Zhengnan, he was hit on the acupuncture point and couldn't move because of the pain.

Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang and other boxing styles, which were later called internal martial arts, also regard acupuncture as an important technique that is not easily shown to others in the sect.For example, Taijiquan lists acupoint acupuncture (hitting the fascia), "taking the pulse" and "grasping tendons" as the four exercises, and it is the most difficult and most demanding exercise among the four exercises.The combat effect of acupoints is also the most significant among the four skills. Just as the boxing manual says, "If the membrane is knotted, the blood will not flow around. If the pulse is grasped, the qi will be difficult to walk. If the tendons are grasped, the body will have no place. If the acupuncture points are Close it, and you will feel dizzy and dark." ("Tai Chi Quan Pu" Volume 7 "Yang Pu: The Old Pu of Yang Family in the Qing Dynasty") There is also a special "Song of Hitting Points": "The body is like a bow and the strength is like a string, The acupoints are like arrows, and the hands are like arrows. When you send out on time, you must think about it, and you must not deviate from the acupoints." ("Taijiquan Manual" Volume 12 "Chen Pu: Chen Xin Taijiquan Theory in the Late Qing Dynasty") Because there are acupuncture points The point of death is related to the life and death of a person, it is not easy to grasp, and more importantly, it cannot be passed on to evil people.Ancient martial artists only adopted the method of dictating acupoints ("Tai Chi Chuan Pu" Volume 8 "Yang Pu: The Old Pu of Yang Family in the Qing Dynasty").

In fact, not only the key acupoints of internal martial arts, but also Shaolin and other foreign martial arts also have their own acupuncture methods. For example, "Shaolin acupuncture method" writes: "The method of acupuncture must first understand the selection. The portion, the length and width of one portion is also one inch, regardless of age, gender or sex, the bone size is measured by the size of the bone, and the points are selected; the interval between one and two joints is one inch, the horizontal width of the middle finger is also one and a half inches, and the first joint of the thumb is one inch. Both men and women are used to determine the whole body. If you know the key points, you can hit a hundred hits and hit a hundred hits."

According to Huang Baijia's "Neijiaquanfa", in addition to emphasizing the cultivation of internal strength and acupoints, Neijiaquan also includes 35 kinds of techniques (also called thirty-five palms or thirty-five grasps), 18 kinds of footwork, and 12 moves. , 72 or so on.Famous internal martial artists include Zhang Songxi, Ye Sinan, Wang Zhengnan and so on.After Huang Baijia, Neijiaquan was lost.

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