Taboos in practicing martial arts

Generally speaking, when it comes to practicing qi, whether it is for treating diseases or for health preservation and strengthening the body, the first thing to do is to choose the rhymes that suit one's own needs. Therefore, the rhymes are the most important basic conditions. Secondly, it is necessary to strictly abide by the taboos and combine them with the mnemonic rhymes when practicing martial arts, so that the two can complement each other and enhance each other, and only in this way can the expected effect be achieved. Therefore, the taboos in practicing martial arts are not only a matter of common sense but also must be followed strictly, just like laws and regulations. Otherwise, all efforts will be in vain and it will be of no benefit to practicing martial arts. The "precepts for spiritual practice" in Buddhism and Taoism are closely related to the practice of martial arts, and religious figures attach great importance to them. However, these precepts have purely religious perspectives and rituals, and are not entirely suitable for medical needs. We select their available components, organize them, integrate them, summarize them into provisions, and apply them uniformly. For us practitioners, this is beneficial and harmless. Regarding the taboos in practicing martial arts, when comparing the theoretical viewpoints of Buddhism and Taoism, it is found that the Taoist theory does not deviate from the material basis and is systematic, which is very in line with the scientific perspective. If one attempts to understand it fundamentally, the literature that can represent this theory, taking Zhang Zhan's "Collection of Health Preservation" as an example, can reveal its outline. He said, "The key points of health preservation are: first, to restrain the spirit; second, to cherish the qi; third, to nourish the body; fourth, to guide the body; fifth, to speak; sixth, to eat; seventh, to live in a proper room; eighth, to oppose customs; ninth, to use medicine; and tenth, to avoid taboos." Fundamentally speaking, practicing martial arts is an integrated system and a science based on material things and with life as its object, rather than an empty talk of esoteric principles. Secondly, when it comes to the broad taboos of health preservation, by integrating the key points of the classics and various writings, we can take the health preservation rules of Huangfu Long asking the Taoist priest Qingniu Feng Junda as a representative. He said: "The body should be constantly overwork, the appetite should be often reduced, overwork should not be excessive, less should not be excessive deficiency, avoid rich and greasy foods, limit salty and sour foods, reduce thinking, reduce joy and anger, get rid of excessive pursuit, and be cautious in sexual life." He also had a very incisive labor theory. He opposed "leisure and pleasure" and advocated reasonable labor exercise. He said, "A person who does not wish to be happy will not live long if he is happy." But one should not force oneself to be unable to do so, to lift heavy objects to draw strength, to dig the ground and work hard without ceasing, until one's muscles and bones become exhausted. But toil is better than pleasure. To be able to do something from morning till night and keep it going without ceasing is a great pleasure. But when one feels extremely exhausted, it is time to rest. After resting, one should continue to do it. This is no different from guiding and leading. Just as running water does not go bad and a household's pivot is not stupid, it is because of their labor. This theory of his is derived from practical experience and is based on a relative comparison with pleasure. He clearly pointed out that "weightlifting", "digging the ground", "morning and evening", "doing it constantly", "when one feels extremely enlightened, one should rest; after resting, one should do it again", which do not have a specific theory but have methods, and are rich in the perspective of loving labor and adhering to the discipline of labor, are worthy of praise and learning. In my opinion, people without illness should indeed engage in physical exercise. That is to say, for patients with chronic diseases such as neurasthenia, following this principle to do physical exercise will surely be effective as well. There is another school of thought that advocates the "Twelve Less" and "Twelve More", which describe the taboos for people's health preservation in a positive and negative way. We can adopt this approach. It says: "Think less, remember less, desire less, act less, speak less, laugh less, worry less, be less happy, be less joyful, be less angry, be less good, be less evil." To follow these twelve minor steps is the key to maintaining good health. Excessive thinking makes the mind sluggish, too much thinking makes one forget and disperse, too much desire makes one lose wisdom, too much doing things makes the body tired, too much talking makes one quarrel, too much laughing harms the internal organs, too much worrying makes the heart agitated, too much joy makes the mind overflow, too much happiness makes one forget mistakes and become confused, too much anger makes the meridians unstable, too much good makes one obsessed and unable to cure, too much evil makes one anxious and have no joy. If these twelve many are not eliminated, they are the root cause of death. This proposition, especially for patients with chronic diseases, is beneficial during the convalescence period. Secondly, specifically regarding the taboos of practicing martial arts, they are all listed in detail in terms of walking, standing, sitting and lying down below, for the comrades practicing martial arts to adopt and refer to. The first item: Avoid "preconceived delusions". This means that before practicing martial arts, one has already planned in advance, "This time when sitting, I must sit for one o 'clock, I must have a warm lower abdomen, I must breathe only a few times a minute," and so on. All these belong to preconceived delusions. Before even starting to practice, a tense situation has already been created, making it difficult to relax, which is the most unfavorable for practicing martial arts. The second item: Avoid "intentional discrimination". This means that during the practice of martial arts, one deliberately pursues certain "dynamic touch" phenomena. Once one notices that the dantian is hot, one consciously distinguishes it, "Is this heat not very hot, or is it extremely hot?" " "Is this heat one cun, three cun, two cun, three cun below the navel?" "Why didn't you go up to the rokuro Pass when this hot current rushed to the Oama Pass?" " "Why hasn't Reliu made it to Yuzhen Pass yet?" " All these and so on belong to the discrimination of intent. It causes confusion in consciousness, and even leads to the use of consciousness to guide this heat current with only a superficial understanding, violating the laws of nature and causing the deviation and drawbacks of "meridian disorder". This leads to the activation of qi, which cannot be controlled, resulting in qi flowing throughout the body, the head being coiled up, the head shaking, the shoulders shrugging, the waist bending, the back arching, the hands dancing and the feet dancing, somersaults, wild Shouting and screaming, singing softly and so on. The third item: Avoid "distracting thoughts". This means that when sitting in meditation, one's mind is not focused and the thoughts wander. Although the body is sitting while practicing, one's thoughts have completely deviated from the instructions of the practice, recalling the past, present and future events and imagining the future. One after another, all kinds of random thoughts were brought out at once. Or when one discovers the heat in the dantian, that is, due to the reality, one may think about "what someone says about the dantian", "What a certain book records about the dantian", or think "the dantian is already hot and should be able to pass through the three passes", and so on. All these belong to the category of distracting thoughts. The more one climbs, the more fragmented one becomes; the more fragmented one is, the more scattered one's spirit becomes, resulting in dizziness and a swollen head. The qi accumulates in the "ancestral orifices" (also known as the mountain root, 頞 center, that is, the root of the nose bridge), and the qi cannot return to its origin. Not only do they fail to enjoy the refreshing and invigorating pleasure, but they also end up mentally exhausted. Therefore, I lost confidence in Qigong. The fourth item: Taboo of "the mind following the external scene". This means that during sitting meditation, the "six senses" of the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind function. For instance, when one hears a child crying, a person neighing, a horse neighing, or a cart rumbling, one should not have the thought of being agitated or angry. When smelling the aroma of smoke or the scent of wine and meat nearby, one should not have the thought of wanting to eat. If there is itching or numbness on your body, do not scratch it. When the tip of the tongue rises and saliva descends to the "Hua Chi", it should not be swallowed at any time. With your eyes closed, when you see things outside, do not let your mind rest on those things. Or with your eyes closed, when you "look inward" into some kind of "light or color", do not let your mind rest on that light or color, especially do not have the thought of rejoicing or pursuing it. Realizing that when the qi movement is activated, there are "eight kinds of dynamic sensations", one should not ignore it, pursue it, or let it develop in accordance with the laws of nature. These taboos all fall under the category of following the outside world with one's heart. Once the mind is distracted by the external scene, the consciousness will not be highly concentrated, and the practice of martial arts will be in vain. The fifth item: Prohibition of "Entering the sexual room to perform essence" - This means that during a certain period of practicing martial arts, when one is energetic, sexual life between husband and wife should be prohibited. Especially for patients who practice qigong due to illness, it should be strictly prohibited. Even those who are healthy should "pass on their skills at the right time", and especially should not, relying on their solid foundation in practice, indulge themselves wantonly. One must not believe in the groundless heresy of "taking tonics from the room". The sixth item: Avoid "extreme temperature and extreme cold". This means that in the occasion of practicing martial arts and in daily living and dressing, one should neither have thick bedding or overly warm clothes, nor wear only 袤 shorts, which are too cold. Because "extreme heat depletes bone marrow, while extreme cold harms muscles." The seventh item: Avoid the "Five Hidden Injuries from overwork". This means that prolonged looking harms the blood, prolonged lying harms the qi, prolonged standing harms the bones, prolonged walking harms the tendons, and prolonged sitting harms the flesh. All these five labors should be stopped in moderation in daily life or during convalescence and martial arts practice. Item 8: Prohibition of "sitting in the wind while sweating" This means that during the sitting meditation session, one must not stand in the wind. After practicing martial arts, if you break out in a light sweat, do not expose yourself to the wind. The ninth item: Avoid "tight clothing and belts" - This means that before practicing martial arts, one should take off their clothes and belts. One must not tie their body tightly, as this would impede the smooth flow of qi through the meridians and affect the functions of the "river chariot movement" and the "circulation of the celestial body". The tenth item: Avoid "gluttonous fat and sweet food". This refers to the issue of diet during the practice period and in daily health preservation. It is forbidden to eat and drink according to one's own preferences. For instance, obese people tend to prefer salty, spicy and rich meat products rather than sugar, which is a taboo. One should follow the doctor's instructions, strictly abide by the "dietary therapy" and the regulations on taking nutritional supplements. Item 11: Taboo of "跂 hanging feet on the bed" This means that when practicing exercises and in daily life, when sitting on the edge of the bed or on a chair or stool, the soles of the feet should be placed flat on the ground. They should not be suspended in the air, neither touching the sky nor the ground. If this habit persists for a long time, it may cause heavy feet and lower back pain, and even lead to the condition of "blood stasis". The twelfth item: Avoid "holding back urine for a long time". This means that during the practice of martial arts and in daily life, one should not hold back urine for a long time without stopping. Even when sitting cross-legged, one should remain calm and composed. After urinating, one should sit up again. Especially in daily life, after a full meal, it is advisable to urinate upright, and when hungry, it is better to relieve oneself while sitting. Article 13: Avoid "Scratching and itchy touch". This refers to the situation where during the practice of Qigong, the qi channels are flowing, and a "moving touch" is noticed on the body, where there is a phenomenon similar to small insects crawling between the skin. This phenomenon is called "itchy touch". Especially in the area from the top of the head to the forehead, cheeks, temples, beside the nose and the lips, the sensation is particularly sensitive. At this time, one must not scratch the itchy area with hands, as it will hinder the circulation and convergence of qi and meridians. Item 14: Taboo of "Sudden Cry and Shock" This means that during the practice of martial arts, one is suddenly startled when someone suddenly calls out. Therefore, it is necessary to choose a quiet environment in advance and make arrangements in advance, paying attention to the people around, so that they do not disturb you when practicing. In case of such an accident by chance, one should remain calm and respond calmly. One must not be angry or resentful, or else the qi and meridians will be disrupted. Item 15 The taboo of "rejoicing at the scene" means that when practicing martial arts, one discovers various "dynamic touches", such as "the dantian heating up", "the three passes in reverse", and a series of other scenes. Facing these "dynamic touches", one believes they are "good phenomena" of martial arts, and for a moment of joy, deliberately pursues them, involuntarily increasing the intensity of breathing, thus causing the breathing techniques to go against the natural laws. Faults that cause deviations. Especially for those who specialize in practicing the "Pure and Quiet Method", it is more likely for them to experience "joy at the scene". Although they will not suffer from the deviation problem like those who practice the "moving Method", due to a lifetime of joy, their thoughts have already "divided into two" rather than "converging into one purpose". That is to say, the originally highly concentrated thoughts were attracted by a certain external scene and distracted to that "scene". At the same time, as the thoughts alternated between concentration and dispersion, in an instant, the scene that had been displayed when the thoughts were highly concentrated vanished in the blink of an eye like lightning. The result is an empty joy, and in turn, it will give rise to thoughts of regret and remorse, causing restlessness and inability to sit down any longer. As a result, there will be no progress in one's skills. Item 16: Avoid wearing sweaty clothes for a long time. This refers to a common practice in both dynamic and static exercises. Some people with Yang deficiency often sweat a lot during the initial practice period, and their clothes get wet. They should not continue to wear them. Instead, they should dry the sweat with a towel. In summer, it is especially advisable to take a hot bath once and then change into dry clothes. There are also some people with a lot of "dampness" who, during their practice of martial arts, will sweat yellow, staining their clothes yellow and making it difficult to wash off. One should practice the exercises while informing the supervising doctor, and combine it with medication to treat dampness or dietary therapy to remove dampness. This can achieve twice the result with half the effort. Item 17: Taboo of "sitting up when hungry or full" This means that it is not advisable to practice when hungry or full. One should not start sitting up until two hours after a meal. Because "when hungry, the Yang of the stomach moves; when full, the Yin of the stomach congeals." From a scientific physiological perspective, the stomach cramps when hungry and becomes congested when full, which are interrelated. Note: Whether it is dynamic or static exercise, it is not advisable to practice it when hungry or full. There is only one type of exercise specifically for the spleen and stomach to treat diseases, called "Hua Gong", which should be practiced after a full meal in accordance with the method to strengthen the spleen and stomach, aid digestion and eliminate food accumulation. This is another matter and is not subject to this restriction (detailed description of Hua Gong later). Item 18: Taboo on "Heaven and Earth Disasters and Monsters" This refers to the sudden changes in the climate of heaven and earth, rather than the normal phenomena of the four seasons and the reasonable laws of the 24 pentacles. Thus, a theory that combines meteorology with the practice of martial arts. That is to say, one should not practice martial arts during weather changes such as strong winds, heavy rain, thunder, lightning, sudden cold or heat. Taoism believes that the sudden changes in the climate of heaven and earth are due to the disharmony of the "qi transformation" of the "Yin and Yang of heaven and earth", which leads to these abnormal phenomena and is called "disaster monsters". It has a direct impact on the human body, so it is not suitable for practicing. At the same time, in order to prevent the influence of these disasters and monsters, the methods of breathing in and out the "Nine Internal and External Qi" were studied. For the sudden arrival of the twelve abnormal weather conditions, there were meticulous methods to deal with them with ease, so as not to affect the unfinished practice that was being practiced (some people could sit for several days without getting out of their meditation). And it can also be used to test the depth of one's own skills. However, those with shallow skills cannot talk about such profound applications. Item 19: Taboo of "Occasionally listening to true words" This specifically refers to those who are just beginning to practice martial arts. This is a piece of advice that must be followed by a fellow student of a teacher or a fellow patient in a nursing home, not for superstition or conservatism. Because the deficiency or excess of each person's internal organs is different, the diseases they suffer from also vary from person to person. Therefore, the methods and approaches of practicing Qigong for each individual must be in line with their actual needs, and the individual's practice mnemonic should be determined accordingly. Although the basic principles of breathing exercises remain unchanged, the effects are quite different. For diseases that are not truly of the same type and type, it is absolutely not advisable to treat all diseases with a single method or approach. Therefore, to prevent beginners from being driven by curiosity, asking each other about the mnemonic rules, and randomly trying out practice methods that do not suit them, which could lead to unfortunate deviations, it is forbidden to "occasionally listen to the true words" and not to ask or try randomly. Only after having a solid foundation for practicing martial arts can one freely experiment with any method. Asking random questions out of curiosity and trying blindly are definitely not beneficial to practicing martial arts. Item 20: Taboo "drowsiness and tilting 欹" This specifically refers to the phenomenon of drowsiness and drowsiness during the practice of static qigong, as well as a tilted posture. This is an obstacle to the practice of qigong. The instructor should correct it in time, or the practitioner should get up and move around voluntarily. Don't force him to sit any longer or let him remain drowsy. Item 21: It is forbidden to "sit in a rage". This means that those who practice martial arts should not do so after they have been extremely angry. Because anger causes the qi to rise, it will be contrary to the qi meridians of breathing and guiding, which can cause disorder in all meridians. Item 22: Avoid "sitting in a state of excessive joy". This is in contrast to "sitting in a state of extreme anger". One should not practice martial arts after experiencing excessive joy. Because when one is happy, the qi descends, which is contrary to the qi meridians of breathing and guiding, causing the meridians to become disordered. It has the same adverse consequences as practicing martial arts after a furious outburst. Article 23: It is forbidden to spit without restraint. This means that when practicing martial arts, one's body fluids should always be full and one should not spit frequently. Because saliva is a very good body fluid and is the foundation for refining body fluids into essence, it should be swallowed slowly. (Note: For those who are ill and cough up thick phlegm, it is another matter.) Health preservation experts attach the greatest importance to this kind of tonic. When practicing martial arts, it's particularly obvious that one mustn't throw up. Item 24: The taboo of "being suspicious and slack" is in contrast to "diligently practicing and persevering", and it is also the greatest taboo for those who practice martial arts. Some people only have a five-minute enthusiasm. At first, they are driven by curiosity and a "give it a try" attitude, but lack the determination to firmly believe in and persistently practice. For the first few days, I practiced Qigong with great difficulty, but I felt there was no outstanding effect. Therefore, I suspected that Qigong therapy couldn't cure my illness. Because of this doubt, I developed a lazy and slack attitude. So I practiced it carelessly for a few more days. Eventually, I gradually stopped. In the end, there was no benefit at all. All that was left was the impression of a few times of sore back and numb legs, feeling uncomfortable, which was deeply engraved in my mind. Regarding this taboo, comrades who practice martial arts must pay special attention. Otherwise, everything about practicing martial arts will be out of the question. Excerpted from: Zhou Qianchuan, "Qigong Medicinal Bait Therapy and Deviation Surgery for Treatment"