Yiquan "breaking hands" and methods of practical use

Author: Wang Xiangzhai

Translated from Chinese by: Andrzej Kalisz

From translator: This is excerpt from a small book written by Wang Xiangzhai in 1959. It was
presented by his daughter Wang Yufang to her disciples and was published in 2002.

Contents list:
1.Introduction
2.Complete and balanced strength,
3.Accumulated strenght of triangles,
4.Single weight issuing power,
5.No method as a method, method without thinking,
6.Raising and pressing, swallowing and spitting out, sinking and lifting, separating and
closing,
7.Form and force being one, not revealing mind,
8.Body moving beyond patterns, method without thinking (the main part, describing 5
postures and 21 methods),
9.Discussing methods.

1. Introduction

Martial arts methods are divided into schools and branches, all of them based on forms and
techniques. But those forms were create artificially, so this is not the science of natural abilities.

Yiquan „breaking hands” is not about using forms or fixed techniques, but it is absorbing good
points of all martial arts. This is the meaning of expressions like „there is no advantage which is not
absorbed” or „collecting the great achievements of the ancient”.

Yiquan „breaking hands” primarily demands force being complete and balanced, secondarily there
should be accumulated force of triangles ready for issuing, and then the method of single weight
issuing power. It is extremely important that there is not even the slightes action which is not a
method. But method should be without thinking. Ultimately the form and force should become one.
Mind should not reveal form. Yiquan „breaking hands” is different from other martial arts because
it stresses developing natural alive strength and is not focusing on partial methods.

There are not too many patterns of yiquan „breaking hands”, but just opposite – they are very few.
However while the form is simple, the mind content is rich and there is always readiness to reply to
multitude of actions. The force which is used is a kind of three dimensional force. It is not just the
force of point, surface, path, like in other arts. This three dimensional force is not a superficial
technique, but is a way of issuing power. When you can master this way of issuing power, it means
that you moved over half of the martial art way. This is what I have and others don't.

Learning yiquan doesn't depend on how old you are, what level of your skill, on body being strong
or weak, it's not about number of methods, movements being fast or slow, but about sincere
strength. If you have this sincere strength and you can use the method of three dimensional issuing
power, you will easily achieve proficiency. You should practice this kind of issuing power everyday,
to increase natural alive strength, othewise you will not develop this skill. This is what is called
„acuired returning to natural”.

Here I want to describe how to train natural alive strength, to achieve the state of „happening
without expecting”, „reaching without knowing”. When taking something as an example, you
should be able to apply it in other ways too. I hope that the readers will not be limited by what I say,
but will forward to what I didn't say. Only this can be of a value.

...

9. Discussing methods

Yiquan „breaking hands” includes 5 postures and 21 methods. Most important is using strength.
When making contact with opponent and issuing whole body power, it should be as using the wave
of power of universe, revealing your natural alive strength, and not using partial superficial
methods.

If training persistently for a long time, you will achieve proficiency, developing the ability of
„reaching without knowing”. You should not learn too many different methods. If there are too
many methods, they will limit you during a fight, making you hesitate in your actions.

I wrote this text while being old and not in good health. I often have feeling that I'm not able to put
in words what I really mean. Anyway to put it shortly: 1 – complete and balanced strength, 2 –
accumulated strength of triangles, 3 – single weight issuing power, 4 – no method as a method,
method without thinking, 5 – raising and pressing, swallowing and spitting out, sinking and lifting,
separating and closing, 6 – form and force being one, not revealing mind. Learning this through
personal experience means passing over half of the path of yiquan.

I often think that the science and knowledge has no limits, and it is really difficult to express by
writing what I would really want to express. My real hope is that from what I wrote you will be able
to understand what I haven't written.