[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
Shi Yi, 1948, page 33)
Chen Long Xiang and Li Min Di who studied with Li Ya Xuan, who trained directly under Yang
Cheng Fu had this to write about Yang Shao Hou in their book 'Yang Shi Taijiquan Jing Jie'
(Yang Style Taijiquan Essential Explanation):
"movements fast and sunk, boxing frame small and strong, everywhere seeking
compactness". (Chen Long Xiang and Li Min Di, Yang Shi Taijiquan Jing Jie, 1992,
page 34)
Yang Zhen Ji, the second son of Yang Cheng Fu has this to say of his uncle Yang Shao Hou's
boxing:
"frame high movements small and alternating quick and slow." (Yang Zhen Ji, Yang
Cheng Fu Shi Taijiquan, 1993, page 4)
Yang Shou Hou had few disciples, one of them was the famous master Wu Tu Nan who lived to
be 105. Before Wu Tu Nan died, he published a book in which he recorded Yang Shao Hou's
boxing set and the only known photographs of the set being performed by Wu himself. He writes
this concerning how the form is performed:
"This set of small fames has two hundred over movements, these must be performed and
completed within a time of around three minutes." (Wu Tu Nan, Taijiquan Zhi Yan Jiu,
1984, page 100)
Wu lists the small frame set as consisting of 73 postures in total. According to Wu, Yang Shao
Hou told him that this set was passed down to him by his grandfather Yang Lu Chan. (Wu Tu
Nan, Taijiquan Zhi Yan Jiu, 1984, page 97-98)
Wu Tu Nan's student Xu Zhi Jun wrote a book on the small frame In it he states the set should be
performed within 2 minutes. (Xu Zhi Jun, Yang Shi Taijiquan Xiao Jia Yi Qi Ji Ji Ying Yung,
1991, page 36)
Yang Cheng Fu himself is known to have taught a set called Taiji Chang Quan (Taiji Long
Boxing) which consisted of both fast and slow movements. As Gu Liu Xin records this was the
case with Yang Cheng Fu's early form:
"When he gave demonstrations in the 'Zhirou Wushu Association" during his early days
in Shanghai, which was setup by his disciple Chen Weiming, an editor working in the
'Qing Dynasty History Institute', he performed the movements of kicking with speed and
force. Later, however, to suit the needs of treating chronic disease, he changed them into
slow movements with inner exertion of force. And in such movements as punching
downward and punching the opponent's pubic region, he only made imitations instead of
manifest exertions of force, thus making the set of movements continuous and evenly
paced." (Gu Liu Xin, in his introduction to 'Yang style Taijiquan' by Yang Zhen Duo,
1988, page 7)
This quick kicking is present when we view the film of Tung Ying Jieh doing his long Yang
form in Thailand in the 1940s and serves as a visual record of such a method of doing these
postures. A film of his son Tung Fu Ling doing the form also shows this. (A video containing the
above footage is available from Master Alex Dong)
Taiji Long Boxing was taught by Yang Cheng Fu and the set he taught was recorded by Chen
Wei Ming .(Chen Wei Ming, Taiji Jian, n.d., page 32) Chen Wei Ming also expanded the set as
the original set consisted of only 59 postures. Others who have studied under Yang Cheng Fu
also expanded their sets to include over 100 postures. Yang Shou Chung, Yang Cheng Fu's
oldest son who assisted his father in teaching his classes, taught a variant of the set recorded by
Chen Wei Ming but the set in remains essentially the same. (Xie Bing Zhong, Zhong Guo
Taijiquan De Xue Yue Shu, 1992, page 157-160)
Taiji Long Boxing is also described in the Encyclopedia Of Zhejiang Martial Arts where several
sets of it are listed. The description of the practice of states that the movements in the set 'have
both fast and slow' (Various, Zhejiang Shen Wushu Quan Ji Lu, 1988, page 291) that 'this fist's
unique characteristic is sometimes fast sometimes slow, alternating between fast and slow'
(Various, Zhejiang Shen Wushu Quan Ji Lu, 1988, page 292)
Mah Yueh Liang, the son-in-law of Wu Jian Quan is recorded as having seen Yang Cheng Fu
practice a set of fast Taiji when he came over to push hands with Wu Jian Quan at his home. The
Wu Jian Quan style itself has a set of fast Taijiquan which is being transmitted by Mah. Mah and
his wife Wu Ying Hua, the daughter of Wu Jian Quan, and their student Shi Mei Lin authored a
book in 1987 titled 'Wu Shi Taiji Quai Quan' (Wu Style Taiji Fast Boxing). It is also interesting
to note that the Wu Yu Xiang style also has record of a fast set though information on this set is
scarce.
Master Yang Yu Ting who was the primary promoter of the Wu Jian Quan style in Beijing has
this to write about training speeds in his works which are recorded in Master Wang Pei Sheng on
the third stage of practice:
"Vary the speed of practice from time to time: the normal; the slower than normal; the
faster than normal; as slow as you can without showing any discontinuity of movement
and wavering of attention; and as fast as you can without exhibiting any rash and
incorrect movement or a hasty and careless attitude. However, most of your practice
should be done at normal speed or slower than normal speed." (YangYu Ting, recorded
byWang Pei Sheng in 'Wu style Taijiquan', 1983, page 213)
The Wu Yu Xiang Style also has a fast set that is sometimes also called 'Feng Quan' or Wind
Boxing. Information on this is scarce and the set very rare, we are fortunate that the set itself has
been recorded down by concientious catalogers of the martial arts. Consisting of 96 postures, it
emphasizes both neutralising energy and emitting energy. (Various, Sichuan Wushu Da Quan,
1989, page 1663-1664)
Zhao Bao style also records a fast method of doing the set which is practiced after proficiency in
doing the set slowly. Zhao Bao has a secretly transmitted short advanced form that can be
appended to or can preceed the large form or practiced entirely on its own, called Quan Mao or
Boxing Cap because it can be capped at the end or at the beginning of the normal form though it
is usually practiced at the end. Consisting of 22 postures, it includes jumping kicks and
vigourous toe slapping. (Zhao Zheng Fu, Zhao Zao Chao, Wudang Zhao Bao Da Jia Taijiquan,
1995, page 159-164)
The Existance Of Other Frames Of Practice
The Taijiquan Classics state, in Li I Yu's 'Notes on Push Hands and Form Practice' (literally
translated 'Walking Frame Hitting Hands Practice Important Words') that:
'Daily practice of fthe form is training to know oneself. While moving, first ask yourself
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
