The theory of the natural essence of boxing techniques

　　(1) Emulating Nature Taoism takes Laozi's ontological theory of the "Tao" as the foundation of its epistemology. It holds that all things are born of the "Tao", and the relationship among man, heaven, earth, and the Tao is: man emulates the earth, the earth emulates heaven, and heaven emulates the Tao. The Tao, in turn, follows the laws of nature and forms its own regulations. This is what Laozi referred to as "the Tao follows nature". Under the influence of Laozi's philosophical thought of "following the way of nature", Wudang Quan emphasizes nature and "emulating nature". That is to say, whether Wudang Quan emulates nature or not is regarded as one of the essential characteristics that distinguish it from other martial arts schools. "Emulating nature" serves as the foundation for establishing the theoretical and technical system of Wudang Quan, mainly manifested in: returning to simplicity and nature, Tai Chi patterns, and the changes of the Five Elements, etc. Every stage of Wudang Quan is closely related to the imitation of the structure, form, temperament and ability of living and non-living things. As early as the Warring States Period, the guiding exercises that exercised the body by "shaking the muscles and bones", "moving the limbs" and regulating breathing were known as "guiding qi to achieve harmony" and "pulling the body to make it gentle", imitating the movements of birds and beasts to achieve the effect of prolonging life. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Hua Tuo's "Five Animal Exercises" were created by imitating the images of a tiger pounced forward, a deer stretching its neck, a bear lying down, an ape leaping, and a bird flying. During the Six Dynasties and Tang Dynasties, there was a significant development in guiding Qigong. Some scholars and Taoists, based on the experiences of their predecessors, created "Baduanjin" and "Shierduanjin". From the entire system of Wudang martial Arts - guiding techniques - Wuqinxi - Yijing Jin - Baduanjin - Neigong Tu Shuo - Tai Chi, it can be seen that the imitation of the characteristics of various life phenomena in nature is the secret to bringing out its fitness effects. In its formation and development, Wudang Quan has taken inspiration from various beings and things nearby, imitating their forms, grasping their meanings, learning their strengths and applying them effectively. This all-round imitation of living and non-living things in terms of movements, equipment, names, methods, and characteristics is precisely a harmonious phenomenon of returning to simplicity and nature, and it is the application of the Taoist concept of "the unity of heaven and man" in Wudang martial arts. Heaven refers to nature. "The unity of heaven and man" means that man and nature are essentially connected, and all human activities merely follow nature. Only those who follow the laws of nature can survive and develop. By practicing the reasonable movements that extend living and non-living things, seeking synchronization, harmony and unity with nature, and integrating the human factor into the operation of numerous factors in the vast universe, one can achieve eternal existence. Bionic return to simplicity is the source of the formation and development of Wudang martial arts. In the process of imitation and transformation, humans have created great spiritual and material civilizations, developed methods and skills for adapting to nature, and in turn, actively transformed nature to become its masters. This kind of proactive power can only be realized by human wisdom. Tai Chi Chuan is called Tai Chi Chuan, but in fact, it is the natural movement of the infinite and the natural unity of Yin and Yang. The "Yi Zhuan" of China refers to the primordial unity of heaven and earth that has not been divided as Taiji. Taiji is the root of the universe and the origin of all things in heaven and earth. In the Song Dynasty, Zhou Dunyi's "Explanation of the Taiji Diagram" pointed out: "From the void comes the Taiji; when the Taiji moves, it generates Yang; when it moves to the extreme, it becomes still; when still, it generates Yin." The movement and stillness of the Tai Chi give rise to all things in the universe, depicting a cosmic evolution pattern with the Tai Chi as the central concept. The name of the martial art, Tai Chi, is to embody the unity of human beings and nature through martial arts. The saying goes, "Boxing is a minor path, but the great way of Tai Chi exists within it." That is, the fist is the Dao, and the Dao lies within the fist. The process of practicing boxing is also a process of seeking harmony and unity between human beings and nature. Xingyi Quan takes the natural unity view that "the mind is sincere within and all things are manifested externally" as its basic theory. Take the Three postures as the practice, the five forms as the methods, and the Twelve forms as the boxing. The Three Postures is the fundamental posture of Xingyi Quan, also known as the Three Talents, namely Heaven, Earth and Man. In terms of the upper, middle and lower parts of the human body, as well as the head, hands and feet, it means integrating heaven, earth and man into one. The Five Elements Boxing Techniques consist of splitting, breaking, drilling, cannon, and horizontal. The Five punches are matched according to the five natural attributes of metal, wood, water, fire and Scholar. "The shape of the split punch resembles an axe and its nature belongs to metal." The shape of the drill fist resembles electricity and its nature belongs to water. The shape of Bengquan resembles an arrow and its nature belongs to wood. The shape of the cannon Fist resembles a cannon, and its nature belongs to fire. The shape of the horizontal fist resembles a bullet and its nature belongs to earth." And the changes in boxing techniques are explained by the laws of mutual generation and mutual restraint among the Five elements, and the unity of man and nature is reflected through boxing. (2) The mystery of the overall Wudang martial arts lies in the emphasis on the effect of practicing boxing through the integration of body and mind. This is the concrete application of the "universe as a whole" perspective in the overall boxing. Wudang martial arts place great emphasis on purifying the spirit, believing that the mind should first lead the body, and then the body should follow the mind. To practice martial arts, one must first purify the mind, eliminate distractions, and have a state of mind that transcends the disputes of the mundane world. This is called concentrating the mind or entering a state of tranquility. Only by concentrating one's mind and entering a state of tranquility can one remain fully focused and conscious during the practice of boxing. Through physical activities, one can diligently cultivate the body, transform one's temperament, and enrich the mind, thereby achieving the effect of maintaining a dignified character and conduct and enhancing physical fitness. Tai Chi, Xingyi, Ba Feng and other types of boxing sets place more emphasis on "internal strength and external cultivation", believing that the human body is the carrier of martial arts, and the strength of martial arts is closely related to the strength of the carrier of martial arts. The carrier can be divided into internal and external aspects. While external strength is important, what is even more crucial is internal strength - internal strength. The essence of internal strength and external cultivation is to achieve internal strength and thereby overall robustness. Although the various schools of Wudang have different understandings of qi, the meanings they endow and how to practice it, they all agree that practicing qi is the fundamental condition for achieving the integration of body and mind. Martial artists believe that when there is qi, one lives; when there is no qi, one dies. When qi is abundant, life force is strong; when qi is deficient, life force is weak. To maintain physical fitness and cultivate one's nature, it is necessary to cultivate the fundamental source of human life - qi, to enhance life force. This is the most fundamental. This back-and-forth process from the inside out and then from the outside in can help perfect the human body, this small universe, and further recognize the life value of the original source of all things in the universe - the primordial qi. Promote the free movement of the spirit, body and internal organs in accordance with life. The overall performance of boxing is also reflected in the various elements and links that build the Wudang martial arts techniques. From the perspective of movements, all require the drive of the dantian, starting from the waist, then the chest, back, shoulders, arms and hands. The transformation methods of stretching, undulating, flipping, tilting and returning in the physical movements of Wudang martial arts can be said to be movement methods centered on the waist. The waist is the general hub of the upper and lower limbs. When the body changes according to the characteristics of the combat, it is indeed necessary to move the body according to the combat requirements of the movement. However, no matter how much it changes, it always follows the principle of "the main axis driving the force". It is accomplished through the hips, chest, head and limbs. This is the foundation of the full, smooth, natural, harmonious and complete unity of Wudang Quan. Wudang martial arts not only emphasize the procedural nature of physical activities but also attach great importance to the rationality of rhythm. Rhythm is different from the rhythm of martial arts movements, but it is also embedded within them, with both distinctions and connections. In the martial arts movements of Wudang, the essence of the spirit and the rhythm of the form are both intangible and tangible. Rhyme essentially represents inner emotions, while form refers to the laws of body movement. "Without rhyme, there is rigidity," and "without rhythm, there is no standard." Specifically, the law refers to the undulation, amplitude, range, time and interrelationship of movements. For instance, the rules such as opening and closing at every turn, having momentum in movement, twisting and tilting, turning and retaining the body, seeking stillness in movement, circuitous body techniques and the regularity of shaping the body are all manifestations of the law. Violating these rules would result in the loss of the integrity of the martial arts. Rhyme is the inner emotion that realizes the rhythm, which is the activity of thought and the forerunner of the rhythm. Without a profound understanding of the overall essence of the action, it is impossible to make the sensation of the thought movement accurate and error-free. For instance, when performing actions like stabbing a sword or splitting a knife, there should be a sense of touching the real object. "Those who stab extend, and those who split reach." "Stretch" and "reach" are the requirements for the body to touch the physical object. This sense of touching the object is the artistic conception. All the movements in Wudang martial arts carry offensive and defensive connotations. To reflect these connotations in physical training, one must first focus on inner emotions. This is what is often referred to as having two senses: understanding the combat nature and experiencing the sense of reality, and understanding the mechanical rhythm and experiencing the sense of rhythm. Only by focusing on rhythm can the uniformity of the interior scene and the exterior image be achieved. In conclusion, with the waist as the axis and the rhythm reasonable, it further embodies the characteristics of Wudang martial arts, such as the integration of internal and external, upper and lower, offensive and defensive, and overall unity, as well as the principle of "following nature".