How to practice overall strength

First, the basic requirements for the cultivation of "overall strength"

The "consolidation" in Xingyiquan is to consciously strengthen one's movements and ideas, so that the ideas can control the movements to an "automatic" degree, then practice boxing in a relaxed, natural and harmonious artistic conception, and finally reach the realm of "unexpected development". The pursuit of this realm can be said to run through the whole process of practicing various techniques of form and meaning. The way to reach this height is inseparable from four words from beginning to end: bitterness, sincerity, diligence and accuracy.

"Strengthening" the upper body is a hard process. In this process of tempering, we must first highlight a "bitter" word. Because this stage is an important turning point for practitioners from entry to promotion. On the one hand, in the process of pursuing accurate "shape", we will feel pain caused by strenuous muscle exercise and lactic acid accumulation, pain caused by frequent stretching of tendons and muscle fibers, and fatigue and drowsiness caused by excessive exercise ... None of the sufferings we have experienced is absolutely unbearable. On the other hand, in the process of obtaining pure "meaning", the cultivation of "inner meaning" is intangible; Invisible, intangible, it is easy to produce all kinds of confusion, and even frustrating. Therefore, the word "bitter" is the first hurdle for "strong" upper body.

Secondly, we should pursue a "positive" word in "shape" and strive for perfection in action, so that every action can reach the correct posture and strength. Strive to gradually remove the "clumsy exertion" in the action, use the strength smoothly, start from "strenuous" and achieve "relaxed and natural" and "labor-saving" through training. Because only by keeping the whole body relaxed and natural, effortless and effortless, can we ensure that the skills are not stagnant and flexible. After stretching the limbs, the whole body is smooth to ensure the correct posture. This is actually a process in which dynamic stereotypes are gradually formed.

We know that the effective way to form a correct dynamic stereotype is to increase the number of exercises on the premise of ensuring the correct posture, which requires real "diligence". Only through a large number of repetitive exercises can the cerebral cortex be fully stimulated, so that the nervous system involved in the exercise can produce a relatively stable response to this action. This process is like a child learning to walk. Without a certain accumulation of "quantity", there will be no "qualitative" leap.

With the foundation of "positive momentum and smooth progress", we can't say that we have mastered the essentials of action, because this is just a process of "learning boxing". On this basis, we have to go through a process of "knowing boxing" to achieve "strong upper body".

"Knowing Boxing" requires us to form a clear and continuous vein in our minds, and use this vein to guide our specific actions when practicing boxing. This is not an overnight effort. We should not only pay attention to proper movements in practice, but more importantly, bring the practice of Xingyiquan to people's daily life. Experience the different reaction forces and different effects caused by the different force, size, center of gravity, direction and angle in one's own movements, and then ponder the essentials of each movement of Xingyiquan in depth and detail, and gradually understand the truth that Xingyiquan "has a reason for every move". You should not only know how to do each movement, but also understand why to do it. The understanding of the relationship between "form" and "meaning" is accurate, which greatly promotes their mastery and application of these essentials.