Chán Sī Jīn 纏絲劲

### **Importance of the Basics, 'Chán sī jīn'** **[纏絲劲]**

First, the "silk-reeling energy" (*chan si jing*) is developed through the feet, up through the waist and out through the arm. The arm punching forward is thrown by the twisting motion of the waist, feet, and legs. But, equally important is the withdrawing arm, pulling back with as much power as the one thrusting forward.

The entire body is held in a relaxed state until the punch is fully extended and the body set in a bow stance. At that time, for one split second, everything is tightened, as the fist makes contact with its imagined target, then relaxation immediately occurs.

Initially, this exercise is done slowly. Often the punch is held in the bow stance to check for correct alignment and can be held for a number of relaxed breathing counts. As the practitioner's foundation is further developed, the punches are speeded up, going from horse to right bow stance, right bow stance to horse stance, and horse to left bow stance.

Attaining the proper structural alignment in this relatively simple looking exercise is extremely critical, for it is incorporated within almost every moving posture and fighting application of the system. As part of his daily drills with Chiang Kai-shek's bodyguards, Grandmaster Liu insisted that they execute at least one-hundred of these punches in sets of two, one to each side. Liu continued this regimen on a daily basis well into his late seventies. However, these postures are only the beginning. The next step in the developmental process calls for more dynamic movement and more complex technique.

Chansi Jin is also the main Jin method of Bajiquan. Many Bajiquan fans understand "Cashi Jin" easily, but Chansi Jin is not so easy to understand. It is generally believed that "big twist" and "small twist" are wire-winding strength. Yes, "wrap" is one of the "six big openings" of Bajiquan, but "six big openings" are a technical method, not referring to Wrap the silk. In order to thoroughly understand this strength method, the author has to spend more time exploring and digging deep.

What is "Zang", "Shuo Wen": "Rao Ye". The meaning of winding. "Cihai": "①The meaning of bundled and surrounded. ②Tangled, the planetary experience. "Hanshu? Wang Mang Biography": "Six-year-old Zangxingji." Ju Ye. Xingji is fighting, between the morning glory.'"

What is "silk", "Shuowen": "The silkworm spit out." It is the silk spit out by the silkworm. "Cihai": "Silk, by extension, is everything that resembles silk. Such as spider silk, steel wire, lotus root silk, and hair silk."

What is "jin", some people call it "power", some people call it internal power, and some people call it "jin". (The ultimate goal of Bajimen practice is internal power, not external power. This is what this school calls the "three powers" instead of The reason why it is called the "Three Forces Method." The author will elaborate on the difference between strength and strength in another article). "Said Wen": "Strong also." Strong meaning. "Xu Hao? Duan Note": "The strong, the bow is powerful." Refers to a powerful and elastic force. "Cihai": "①It means as strong as a crossbow. ②It means as violently as wind and thunder."

Mr. Kang Gewu defined "jin" in "A Practical Encyclopedia of Chinese **Wushu** ":

"The strength of martial arts is a kind of force that is integrated into martial arts technology expressed through physical movement. This force is produced through the orderly coordination of breath respiration and muscle relaxation and contraction under the control of consciousness. Well-trained people , Can feel the breath, the spirit is everywhere, the muscles contract or relax with the domination of consciousness (jin to), so that the limbs produce movement (shape to). The unity of mind, energy, strength, and form can make the whole body's internal strength gather into The whole energy can be released through a certain part of the body. Wushu energy training emphasizes the combination of static exercise and dynamic exercise, and the combination of internal power and hard power. This kind of training can often induce human potential and achieve defense. Strong strikes can break the extraordinary ability of strong strikes when attacking."

After understanding the original meaning of the three words "cangsijin", we can temporarily define "cangsijin" like this: it is a kind of guiding by the mind, which makes the soft limbs like silk powerfully surround certain enemies. Position, make it under control and defeat.

Let's take a look at the explanation of "Changsijin" by the old senior door:

Mr. Liu Yunqiao said: "Wangsijin is the force that makes the cross-strength rotate, roll through, and twist out. It circulates without interruption, flexible and keen, and can be sent out sharply."

Mr. Huo Wenxue said: "The practice method of Wangsijin is to turn the cross-strength into a circle, and roll the drill to support the strength. This kind of strength is endless. You must make this kind of strength flow through the whole body. This jin is a deliberate jin that flows throughout the body, and jin cannot be interrupted. It must be continuous, freely flowing, and sensible. Usually we use our mind to turn around our feet."

Mr. Kang Gewu said: "Silk-wrapping strength is a strength that governs the continuous winding, arcing, and circle-drawing of limbs. This strength is like silkworm winding, hence the name."

After reading the statements of the three predecessors, we not only have to ask: the definition of Wangsijin is understood, but what should we do to make the crossjin rotate, roll through, and twist out? Only then can this energy flow through the week, permeate the whole body and continuously, come out at will, and feel it? How do you control the continuous winding, arcing, and circling of the limbs? To understand these issues, we should further trace the root cause.

The name of Chansijin actually originated from Chen Xin, the Chen Taijiquanist in the late Qing Dynasty and the early Republic of China. He said in the book "Chen Style Taijiquan Illustrated": (1) Silk essence, silk wrapper, the method of luck in luck, unknown to this is an unknown fist."

(2) "The whole body is full of enthusiasm, and its energies are all generated in the heart, into the bones, and reach out to the skin. It is a kind of non-several energies. , The cultivation is the awe-inspiring spirit."

(3) "Hetu is actually the ancestor of the silk-wrapping essence, single-opened like a single word, the two ends of the note are spread around it is a Taiji circle diagram, the wrong one is the silk-wrapped diagram, the double is the scorpion diagram, and the double is the four corners. When opened, it is a square diagram, to a triangle, five corners, six corners, seven corners, eight corners, and nine corners. They are all square diagrams. They are all derived from one life and two. That is, the "Yao Dian" contains: "The sun and the moon are intricately intertwined. Born from a single word, I’m not going to talk about this picture, and I’m not going to talk about it, because it’s better to use the thigh and brachial in a fist, so it’s been extended.’”

(4) "The one hundred and twenty-eight hexagrams of Tai Chi birth are wrong. In the picture, the sixty-four hexagrams are upside down and wrong. In Ming Taijiquan, the large and small circles have about six layers, which are related to the skin, muscles, and tendons of the human body. The six layers of tendon, omentum, condyle, and brain marrow are compatible. The circulation of blood and the cohesion of the spirit can be tested on the size of the circle up and down, ascending and descending, in and out, and when entering and exiting, and those who can get the ring know it. ."

(5) "A poem with silk-wrapped vigor:'The original realm is endless, and it is formed by the formation of meaning.... Once there is no barrier, you will suddenly realize the space.'"

According to Chen Xin’s elaboration, we can see that the silk-winding is related to the movement of the celestial universe, and belongs to the category of the human body to adjust the heart, nourish qi, and cultivate the inner strength of the gods. It also coincides with the dynamic changes of Taiji, Baji (Bagua) and Zhouyi principle. why do you say so? Mr. Wang Dayou gave us a satisfactory answer in the book "Universal Holographic Self-discipline":

"When the cosmic vitality is in harmony with yin and yang, the gas disk is called Wuji, also known as'chaos'. The Wuji gas disk is a microcosm of the universe. The Wuji gas disk evolved into the Taiji gas disk, which is called the'Taiji body' because of its three-dimensional spherical shape. , The inner center of the rotating sphere produces two streams of gasification energy, called Tai Chi spiral arms. The Tai Chi pattern formed by the Tai Chi Qi disc is the common pattern of the structure and biochemistry of all universes, so it is suitable for the known and unknown universe. Various things, such as the schematic diagram of the structure of the Milky Way, the schematic diagram of the planetary material mainly derived from the solar wind, the schematic diagram of the fan-shaped structure of the interplanetary magnetic field, etc. are all Tai Chi gas disks.

The rotation of the earth can also throw out the north and south poles with geomagnetic spiral arms from the core. Human beings are centered on the midrib and spine, and vortex out of the body cyclone arm, emitting internal energy-the glow life field. The human abdomen is the Taiji body of the whole body, the navel and its central area in front of the Mingmen acupoint in the spine is the Mingmen, namely the nucleus of the human body, and the limbs are the Taiji arms. Headed by Shang Dan, there is a whirl at the top, which is the center of the Tai Chi plate on the head. Xia Dan is the foot's Yongquan point, which is a cyclone, and the feet merge into a complete human form. In terms of the palm, the inner labor palace on the palm of the hand and the outer labor palace on the back of the hand are the center of the Tai Chi pan.

After our research, we found that the Taiji diagram is actually a form of air spiral. The spiral arm of the Qi spiral movement is the S curve of the Taiji diagram. At different rotation speeds, that is, 8 revolutions per second, a mutual-wrapped Taiji diagram is formed; at 12 revolutions per second, a half-wrapped Taiji diagram is formed; at 16 revolutions per second, a mutual-wound Taiji diagram is formed; at 20 revolutions per second, it is formed Formed an overwrapped Taiji diagram; when more than 24 revolutions per second, a concentric circle diagram is formed. In these types of Taiji diagrams, the mutual embrace Taiji diagram is the normal Taiji diagram; the half-entangled, mutual-entangled, and over-entangled Taiji diagrams are the ancient Taiji diagrams; the concentric circle Taiji diagram is also the water and fire Kuangkoo Taiji transmitted by Chen Tuan and Shao Yong Figure. But between 20 and 24 revolutions per second, there is another kind of Tai Chi diagram. This kind of Tai Chi diagram includes Chen Xin Tai Chi diagram from He Tu.

This shows that the ancients had different levels of self-cultivation under the state of gasification function, or that the ancients had different levels of their own innate channeling functions, and saw (internal and remote vision) Tai Chi images with different rotation speeds of the universe and the human body. The length and tightness of the spiral arm; the centripetal and eccentricity of the Shuangyi are all related to the rotation speed of the Taiji body. It can be seen that galaxies, cosmic bodies, microscopic particles, organic life genes, etc., whether they are materialized spiral arms or gaseous spiral arms, their spiral arms have different rotation speeds, and they exhibit the same changes in the above-mentioned Tai Chi diagram. "

Mr. Wang Dayou’s passage reveals two secrets to us: First, it shows that the winding strength is produced in the movement of a circle. The winding effect and the magnitude of the strength are determined by the speed of rotation and the difference between the centrifugal line and the shaft. The angle of time is determined. In other words, the faster the speed, the more effective the twisting will be. The larger the angle, the larger the circle will be drawn. A large circle can roll off or entangle the enemy's attacking hand; the smaller the angle, the larger the circle will be. The smaller it is, if the speed is extremely fast, it will give off a flutter and drill energy. When the angle is close to zero degrees, the circles become almost concentric circles, and the shots and feet are already spiraling, like a bullet shot from a gun. , That is, forward high-speed exercise, and clockwise high-speed rotation, coupled with the hardness of its own pointed tip, the power can be imagined. The second is to show that the true connotation of Zangsijin is the same as "Cross Jin". It emphasizes "the unity of man and nature", which means that the mind of oneself is infinitely enlarged. Just as Chen Xin said, "The whole body is Zangjin. It's all in the heart, and those who get it in the heart can get the aura of the awe."

Therefore, we say that Cangsijin has the duality of internal gong cultivating mind and external gong usage. In the practice of internal gong, it is based on the mind, in harmony with the sky, opening up the large and small weeks, leading the qi to flow throughout the body, and reaching the end of the qi and feet; in the use of external skills, the waist should be as flexible as the axle, and the limbs should be practiced. It is as soft as a silk rope. It is kept in the best condition when applied, and the speed and strength of the movement are controlled with the mind. The rotation of the waist spine drives the limbs to wind and twist. Just like the gearbox in the engine of a car or tank, the human consciousness is the switch, the human waist and spine are the main shaft, and the hundreds of limbs are numerous gears. When the main shaft rotates, more than a hundred gears will rotate. As soon as the shaft stops, the gear stops rotating, and the main shaft rotates faster, and the gear rotates faster. When encountering enemies, you should master your own machine flexibly and flexibly. Fingers can be wrapped, hands can be wrapped, arms can be wrapped, elbows can be wrapped, feet can be wrapped, legs can be wrapped, body can be wrapped, waist and spine are like spirals. The hands and feet are like swinging circles, allowing one's own skills to be supernormal, just like "snakes wrapped around hamster vines wrapped around trees, mixed sky and silk tied with immortals", so that the opponent cannot escape.

In the history of Bajiquan, there are countless Bajishu moves from Luotuan Village in Cangzhou, which has been recognized by the whole world. Han Huiqing, the former Dean of the Central Academy of Traditional Chinese Arts, said that the silk-wrapping power passed by Han Huiqing is original and profound. His grandson, Mr. Han Zhenjiang, is the master of the author. Master has a thorough understanding of the twelve kinds of silk-wrapping power, especially Big wrap and small wrap are very different from the "golden thread wrap" introduced in various books and magazines today. These two silk-wrapping strengths are very clever. If you get the true story, you can definitely defeat a strong man with a big waist with a petite body, defeat a strong man with a small force, and break a thousand catties with cleverness. In the words of the master, "I can use 100% for the enemy, and I can also make it 100% useless for the enemy. What is a trick? It is a trick if I train and win." Here the author can reveal a little secret about "Xiao Zang" alone. First, it requires skillful routine practice and certain skill training to use Xiao Zang well; the second is to rely on mind to call out internal energy (the unity of heaven, earth and man, which is the overall strength. , It’s very simple. It’s just a layer of window paper. Master doesn’t point it out. I dare say that no matter how high a person’s understanding is, I can’t master this stunt.); The third is to understand the connotation of winding, silk, snail, and spin, and the structure of human bones. ; The fourth is to master the size, angle and range of the effort. If you want to hurt you, you must hurt (take the tendons), you want to be disabled (take bones), and you want to die (take acupuncture points). It is completely controlled by my mind. I know exactly how much the enemy is controlled. If you don’t do this, you can’t say you’re really good at learning, and it’s easy to get hurt. Nowadays, it is a society under the rule of law, and it must not be used at will. This is one of the important reasons why the predecessors of the past dynasties were very strict in choosing disciples and Bajiquan was not as widespread as Taijiquan. Passing it to good people can benefit society, and passing it to bad people harm society. In August 2006, the author met an eight-handed master in Shanhaiguan in Beijing, who was also a re-passed disciple of Mr. Han Huiqing. He was Mr. Wang Pengxiang, who had appeared on the "Sports World" program on CCTV. As a family, he also told the author The secret of Guo Xiaocang, because we are the same ancestor in Bajiquan and we can talk very well, so my husband is not conservative with me. At that time, I asked him, "Can a skinny person like me use a small wrap for a big man?" Mr. Wang just smiled, "With your twenty years of savvy and skill, you can definitely hit a hundred hits." So we talked and tried, and it was as easy as Mr. Wang said. From this, the author perceives that Bajiquan is indeed very mysterious and profound.

**Chán sī jīn** [**纏絲劲] 'Silk Reeling'**

      The one-punch should have moved or slid about three to four feet. The movement resembles the side-to-side step of a crab. Done properly, the movements display a predominately relaxed, but powerful *chan si jing* expression. Traditionally, the student is asked to do about one hundred of these punches per day. They can be broken into sets of ten or twenty, but the last posture requires the horse stance to be held for a couple of relaxed breaths.===

This training is carried over the practitioner's whole lifetime. As the student becomes more comfortable in the movements, further corrections in structural alignment are made. The eventual outcome is for the student to move continuously while keeping the relaxed structural alignment. If done properly, punching power is greatly increased because it now involves full body usage.

Another addition to this movement is the employment of stomping (*duo bu*) while keeping the height of the moving posture fixed but low. Bobbing up and down between punches simply dissipates power. Stomping helps teach the student to drop the weight of the body from the *kua* area. With deep relaxation, this stomp is done with the entire lower body and not simply the leg. Without relaxation, it is possible to severely damage the knee and/or hip area, especially if training on concrete floors. Beginning practitioners often force the stomp rather than letting the entire body control the force. Although a loud sound can be made, it lacks a deep resonance and often has a shallow, slapping-like tone to it.

A more subtle principle embodied in the movement is the development of two important energies: xujing and fajing. *Xujing* literally means "to store or save money". This requires that the stomach area (*dantian*) fold inward at a slant, with knees bent. Almost like a crouching tiger, the movement unfolds and expands into a short burst of power. Although basic to almost all baji movements, it is very difficult to master and requires consistent, supervised practice.