A Brief Discussion on Wudang Taiyi Five Elements Boxing and Longevity for Middle-aged and Elderly People

Throughout history, human beings have been in pursuit of health and longevity, as the beauty and happiness of life are inseparable from health. With the arrival of the peak of population aging, the United Nations has called on the world to "build a society that is shared by all regardless of age". To arouse the world's concern for the elderly, prolong life, slow down aging, and yearn for health and longevity is the eternal pursuit of humanity and has become a new topic of common research for all countries around the world. As is well known, throughout history, at home and abroad, there is no elixir of immortality. Where there is birth, there is death. This is a law that all life in nature does not resist. However, from my over 60 years of martial arts practice, especially after being directly taught the Wudang Taiyi Wuxing Quan by my master Jin Zitao in the 1980s (hereinafter referred to as Taiyi Wuxing Quan), I have deeply realized that scientifically and reasonably practicing the Wudang Taiji Neijia Quan can improve the physiological functions of the human body, prevent diseases before they occur, delay aging, and prevent diseases and aging. Tai Chi and Wudang Neijia Quan are important and indispensable means and remedies for prolonging life. The phrase "Tai Chi Moves every morning" in the ancient Chinese "Ten Elders' Longevity Song" all discuss that Tai Chi and Wudang Neijia Quan are the secrets to good health and longevity. Aging is the natural enemy that affects the health and longevity of middle-aged and elderly people. How old can a healthy person live exactly? As early as over two thousand years ago, the earliest medical book in China, "Huangdi Neijing", had records: "Live to the fullest and pass away at the age of a hundred." This means that the natural lifespan of human beings should be over a hundred years. If someone dies before the age of a hundred, it is considered that they have not lived to the fullest and are called "premature death." Modern geriatric researchers have proved through long-term field investigations and scientific research that the maximum human lifespan can reach 100 to 160 years. However, why don't the vast majority of people live to this age? The main reason is the lack of effective control over aging. So, what exactly is aging? Aging refers to a series of physiological system and morphological changes that occur with age, which leads to a gradual decline in the body's adaptability to the internal and environmental aspects. Aging is a phenomenon of life. From a biological perspective, starting from the age of 25, a person's metabolic process capacity decreases by 7-8% every 10 years. Due to the metabolism of the elderly's body, When the level drops, the physiological functions of various organs in the body cannot be fully mobilized and exerted, leading to muscle atrophy, mental decline, poor physical condition, weakened resistance, being plagued by diseases, accelerated aging and shortened lifespan. Therefore, taking active measures to prevent and treat geriatric diseases and combat premature aging, and extending the time for middle-aged and elderly people to contribute more to the four modernizations, has significant practical significance and is also an issue that we martial arts practitioners need to study and solve without hesitation. Second, persisting in the practice of Taiyi Wuxing Quan is an effective means to prevent aging and decline. Why is Taiyi Wuxing Quan considered an effective means of anti-aging and preventing senility? This is because: (1) From the perspective of the Tai Yi Five Elements Fist's movements and theory: The Five Elements Fist was developed by Zhang Shouxing of the Longmen School of Taoism on Wudang Mountain based on the thirteen forms of Tai Chi of his ancestor Zhang Sanfeng, and combined with the fitness "Five Animal Exercises" of the famous doctor Hua Tuo at the end of the Han Dynasty, as well as the traditional Taoist schools' breathing exercises, guiding exercises, and combat techniques. Theoretically, Taiyi Wuxing Quan places more emphasis on the theory of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements. Therefore, its routine directions, routes, and the layout of dividing Yin and Yang and the Five Elements, stepping on the Eight Trigrams, and passing through the Nine Palaces. During the exercise process, the emphasis is on the mind rather than the strength, on transformation rather than resistance. It requires the mind to be in harmony, the body to be smooth and supple everywhere, the waist to rotate with the steps, the body posture to be upright and not deviated, the gait to be in a solitary shape to move evenly and slowly, and the movement to be free and easy. The movement is like the movement of a snake, and the force is like a silkworm spinning silk. With the overall flexible force, it restrains and restrains the body, overcomes the body's hardness. The ingenuity of its movement is extraordinary, and its theoretical essence is just like what Huatuo said: If the human body is constantly shaken, the grain energy will dissipate, the blood vessels will be unobstructed, diseases will not occur, and the person will be as immortal as the household pivot. This fully demonstrates the significant and positive significance and role of Taiyi Wuxing Quan in health preservation and martial arts training. It is beyond doubt that it can be used in combination with medicine to treat certain diseases. The theory that exercise can replace medicine, but medicine cannot replace exercise, precisely conveys this scientific principle. From the perspective of health preservation and fitness in Taiyi Wuxing Quan, human beings are divided into Yin and Yang, which are formed by the Five Elements. When the Five Elements generate each other, Yin and Yang are in harmony; when they counteract each other, Yin and Yang are out of balance. Those in harmony avoid diseases, while those out of balance accumulate chronic diseases and develop medical principles. However, the Five Elements Boxing, based on the numbers of the five forms that are mutually restrictive, regulates the balance of Yin and Yang, emphasizes internal regulation and nourishment, reaches the balance of Yin and Yang, expels evil and supports the body's vital energy, follows the natural course, and requires continuous practice to ensure the harmony of Yin and Yang and prolong life. This fist also incorporates the pictographic movements from Huatuo's "Five Animal Exercises". Tiger-shaped exercises for strengthening the lungs, ape-shaped ones for strengthening the kidneys, deer-shaped ones for strengthening the spleen, bear-shaped ones for strengthening the liver, and crane ones for strengthening the heart make the effects of anti-aging and disease-removing exercises even better. Especially in boxing, the way of opening and closing, moving all parts of the body and touching the upper palate with the tongue, connects the true qi of the Ren and Du meridians to flow through the human body, which is of great benefit to health. In addition, when practicing Taiyi Wuxing Quan, apart from the movement of all muscle groups and joints throughout the body, it is also necessary to combine it with even deep breathing and diaphragm movements. Try to achieve a calm mind, a long mind, full concentration, overall unity, and internal and external unity. In this way, it will have a positive impact on the central nervous system. This helps balance the functions of the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, skeletal system, metabolic function, digestive function, and eliminate the threats posed by obesity in the elderly. It can improve and maintain the functions of the human body's systems and organs, and play a role in health preservation, fitness, disease prevention, longevity, anti-aging and anti-aging. Second, it is required that hardness and softness be combined, with hardness hidden within and softness manifested on the surface. There should be softness within hardness and hardness within softness, and the strength of flexibility should be seamlessly integrated into the whole. Thirdly, when the internal energy flows, there is both movement and stillness, stillness within movement, and movement within stillness. Stillness is used to control movement, and the combination of movement and stillness, with the mind and heart interdependent, integrates health preservation and martial arts into one, achieving a state of spiritual return and contentment. Not only does it achieve the effects of self-exercise, self-treatment, anti-aging, and prolonging life, but it also integrates boxing techniques with Qigong, becoming a dynamic Qigong. Therefore, it can be concluded that Taiyi Wuxing Quan is an excellent health-preserving and medical exercise for middle-aged and elderly people. Although it cannot make people live forever, it can indeed achieve the purpose of curing diseases and prolonging life. Iii. Matters to Note When Practicing Taiyi Five Elements Boxing Based on my years of practice in studying Taiyi Five Elements Boxing, the cultivation of this boxing cannot be achieved overnight. It requires methods, time, and gradual progress. Without laying a solid foundation, it is difficult to achieve the effect of fitness and disease prevention. Therefore, the following points must be noted. (1) To learn and master the basic theoretical system, one must understand the principles and methods, explore the laws of research and practice, and carry out scientific training. Modern science has proved that internal qi is a kind of material flow and an objective existence latent in the human body. However, the emergence of internal qi must be subject to specialized training and the mastery of internal laws. According to the Wudang Neijia: Boxing originated from the I Ching and its principles were developed in medicine. If one wants to practice Taiyi Five Elements Boxing, they must first learn the basic theoretical system of the Taiyi Five Elements School and explore the laws of cultivation from it. As we all know, the eight and twelve extraordinary meridians of the human body are interrelated with the five internal organs. Therefore, the three joints are relaxed and supple, and the nine orifices are interconnected. The true essence of Taiyi can then flow along the five elements and eventually nourish the qi and return to the elixir, achieving the effects of nourishing the body internally, treating diseases externally, anti-aging, and prolonging life. (2) To master the Taiyi Five Elements Quan, one must first master the Nine Palaces Rotating Twelve Poles Method, which is the key to entering the field of hip joint relaxation. One should practice the basic dynamic techniques solidly, pay attention to the position of the fist posture and hand shape, and control the direction of each move and posture. One cannot change them at will or make a wrong move, which will affect the entire route of the Quan. Only with accurate external appearance and smooth internal energy can one achieve Only in this way can one achieve the artistic conception of "complete and unified qi, naturally formed", reach the three joints and nine orifices, which is conducive to the unity of the whole and the internal and external, and then enter the guidance of internal qi, the cultivation of mixed primordial qi, and the formation of internal elixirs. (3) Avoid being overly eager for quick success. Grasp the overall picture and the unity of internal and external aspects, pay attention to gradual progress, and persevere. For beginners, it is essential to strive for relaxation, evenness, and elimination of clumsiness. Not only should the posture be correct, but also one should achieve flexibility, softness with firmness. Start with relaxation and softness, transform firmness into softness, then accumulate softness into firmness, and finally reach the practice step of returning to softness. Maintain unity throughout complex and coherent movements. Only by laying a solid foundation can it be conducive to the formation of boxing forms and the improvement of techniques. Strive to achieve overall relaxation, be calm and focused, flexible and flexible, continuous and unbroken, have both spirit and form, integrate internal and external aspects, maintain a balanced body posture, and allow Yin and Yang to be in harmony, so as to achieve the unity of internal and external aspects. However, one must not aim too high or be eager for quick success, as this may lead to deviations. Besides, the key is to persevere and focus on consistency. Working hard for three days and then slacking off for two will not be effective. One should not be impatient, bored, calm and composed, and follow the rules. Cultivating a noble and upright spirit through practice and walking on the platform, achieving the cultivation of both body and mind, will naturally lead to success. (4) Environment, time and clothing selection for practicing Taiyi Wuxing Quan. Taiyi Five Elements Boxing is a small form that can be practiced on the abbot's ground without being restricted by the venue, but it must be flat. It is best to choose a park, a forest, a square or a riverside place where there are flowers and grass all around, the air is fresh, the environment is quiet, the climate is humid and there is no pollution. The best time to choose is generally in the early morning and evening. It can be said that "practicing boxing in the second or fifth watch" is the best time. It's from 5 to 7 in the morning and from 9 to 11 at night. It can be adjusted according to the changes of the four seasons. Also, remember not to practice boxing immediately after a full meal. Pants should be loose and soft to facilitate squatting and forming postures during boxing practice. Shoes should be flat sports shoes and cloth shoes to facilitate movements such as spinning, jumping and leaping during boxing practice. Comfortable shoes and socks can facilitate the smooth flow of qi and blood in the lower limbs. (5) Believe in science, dispel superstition, and strengthen medical supervision. Although Wudang Taiyi Wuxing Quan is an important means of fitness and disease prevention, which can regulate and improve physiological functions, enhance physical and mental health, and delay aging, it is not an elixir of life and cannot cure all diseases. Practitioners of martial arts should still believe in science and dispel superstition. Those who are ill should practice martial arts under the guidance of doctors and on the premise of receiving medical treatment, in combination with their own actual conditions. Only when both sides are organically combined and exercise according to the individual and the illness can better results be achieved. Dear middle-aged and elderly friends, although we cannot reverse the aging process, we can delay and slow down aging through scientific physical exercise. Wudang Taiyi Five Elements Boxing and Wudang martial arts, as a form of self-cultivation and health preservation for curing diseases and prolonging life, will undoubtedly make you feel that "eighty is not old, ninety is still young, and when one reaches a hundred years old, the setting sun is infinitely beautiful." Make up your mind and take part in martial arts training! Embrace tomorrow with a healthy body and bring health and happiness into the 21st century.