Magical martial arts
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, June 11, 2012
Iron skin (undamagable body)
The legendary shi ba tong ren or "18 copper men" guarding Shaolin Temple are famous for energy control that makes them invulnerable. They wear no armor but their copper-colored skin cannot be pierced. They can survive hundreds of weapon blows, without injury.
But legend goes that they are not perfect. Their weak point is said to be their reliance on the huiyin point on the ren meridian.
Iron skin (within limits) is achievable, according to Jason Yao, but it isn't practical in real fighting.
It is created by so-called rigid qigong that focuses on protection. By guiding and controlling energy, a practitioner can protect the body from punching or poking, as with a shield, Yao says. But the practitioner must anticipate the attack and move energy in his body accordingly, then maintain that internal energy status and physical posture to resist further attack. But the practitioner can only defend himself, not actively attack, Yao says.
"As you can always see in some kung fu demonstrations, the practitioner usually holds his breath and waits for the attack," Yao says. "He cannot move while protecting himself in this way."
Coach Deng also cites a qigong technique called hama gong (toad technique) in which internal energy is guided to a certain part of the body, forming a prominent and hard region or mound, which is difficult to penetrate. It is likened to the air sac of a breathing toad.
Dian xue (vital attack point)
In martial arts movies, it's common to see a master blocking an adversary's movement or momentum and stopping his voice - immobilizing him - with the strong poke of a finger at certain points on the body.
But the real dian xue is not totally effective, according to experts. There are some points in the body that can be vitalized with strong pressure, according to coach Deng. Powerfully poking or pinching these points can weaken or partially immobilize, he says.
"These points are usually located on the major energy channels; pinching can block the normal blood and energy circulation, thus paralyzing part of the body, making people feel strengthless and numb," Deng says.
According to him, the vital points in martial arts are not all identical with acupuncture points in TCM. Some points may shift location because of changing health conditions, but they do not leave the energy channels.
Of course, it's necessary to develop powerful nei gong or internal force to actually have a debilitating effect; physical strength alone is usually not enough to block an energy channel and stop an enemy in his tracks.
Yi rou ke gang (conquering hardness by soft moves)
A typical movie image of a tai chi master is that of an older gentleman in silk clothes, making the "cloud-pushing" movement with his hands as he practices in a forest. Wind energy builds with his repeated movements and in a final attack he is able to project energy that can split a tree, without damaging his hands.
The whirlwind produced along with the hand movement is, of course, an illusion. But the technique of conquering the strong with seemingly soft and slow movements is the essence of tai chi as a martial art.
The slow hand movement in a cloud pattern is an efficient way to defuse an attack and avoid direct confrontation, Yao says. Tai chi alters the direction of power with hand movements and can be much more effective when energy guidance is involved.
Health benefits
All the seemingly magical techniques require long-term practice in energy guidance through mental and physical exercise, according to coach Deng. They help improve fighting skills and provide health benefits since fluent energy circulation is required.
Many people today are interested in qigong for its health benefits and there are simple practices that can be mastered.
The exercises put less emphasis on the nei gong (internal force) practice and instead emphasizes postures and physical movements accompanied with breathing control, according to Yu Dinghai, a member of the China Healthcare Qigong Association.
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