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I've recently started Zhan zhuang.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhan_zhuang
I have found it to be much harder than "standing still" sounds at first glance. Longer sessions can tire the muscles quite a bit and paired with deep breathing it sometimes makes me dizzy. But I must say that I am enjoying it - I feel calm during practice and pleasantly invigorated right after. I have found it to be beneficial both pre- and post-training. I think you can pretty much do it on your own, once you get the basics down.
An interesting aspect that I want to discuss further:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiquan
Yiquan is closely related to Taikiken (or Ikken) which is often practiced as a complimentary art by Kyokushin Karateka.
http://the-martial-way.com/history-of-taikiken-in-kyokushin-karate/
http://www.kyokushinkan.org/en/?page_id=235
Very interested to hear opinions on Zhan Zhuang / Yiquan / Ikken from our Kyokushin (and other Karate) representatives - @shinkyoku, @Azam, @AshiharaFan? @Jukai, @Tayski, @Jimmy Jazz, @Ryukyu Damashi ?
Any Kung Fu / Qigong experts here?
Have you tried it? Did you like it? Did it have any effect on you?
Thanks.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zhan_zhuang
Zhàn zhuāng, literally: "standing like a post", is a training method often practiced by students of neijia (internal kung fu), such as Yiquan, Xing Yi Quan, Bagua Zhang and Taiji Quan. Zhan Zhuang is sometimes translated Standing-on-stake, Standing Qigong, Standing Like a Tree, Post-standing, Pile-standing, or Pylon Standing. It is commonly called a form of Qigong, despite the differences from other Qigong methods in Zhan zhuang's orientation.
I have found it to be much harder than "standing still" sounds at first glance. Longer sessions can tire the muscles quite a bit and paired with deep breathing it sometimes makes me dizzy. But I must say that I am enjoying it - I feel calm during practice and pleasantly invigorated right after. I have found it to be beneficial both pre- and post-training. I think you can pretty much do it on your own, once you get the basics down.
An interesting aspect that I want to discuss further:
"Wang, a student of Xing Yi Quan, created a method of Kung Fu-based entirely upon Zhan zhuang, known as Yiquan, "Intent Fist." Yiquan's method of study is Zhan zhuang plus movements that continue the feeling of the Standing Post in action."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiquan
Yi Quan, "Yi" meaning Intent, (but not intention), "Quan" meaning boxing. (...) Yiquan is essentially formless, containing no fixed sets of fighting movements or techniques. Instead, focus is put on developing one's natural movement and fighting abilities through a system of training methods and concepts, working to improve the perception of one's body, its movement, and of force.
Yiquan is closely related to Taikiken (or Ikken) which is often practiced as a complimentary art by Kyokushin Karateka.
http://the-martial-way.com/history-of-taikiken-in-kyokushin-karate/
Taikiken is a Japanese martial art, greatly inspired by Yi Quan (or dachengquan), a Chinese system of martial arts. Taikiken was founded by the Japanese Kenichi Sawai (1903-1988) after losing to Chinese Wang Xiangzhai (1885-1963) – the founder of Yi Quan. Impressed by the technique of Wang Xiangzhai, Kenichi Sawai learned Yi Quan with his student Yao Zongxun and then with the master himself, Wang Xiangzhai.
http://www.kyokushinkan.org/en/?page_id=235
Ikken is a parallel, Chinese martial art heavily stressed by Kancho Royama and other instructors during Kyokushin-kan seminars. It is the name currently used for an martial art Sosai Mas Oyama practiced, Taikiken, and incorporated into his synthesis of Kyokushin. At its core is the training of Ki (or Chi in Chinese) energy. Westerners who’ve never seen Ikken might think it similar to Tai Chi, although it is very self-defense oriented (one might say fight-oriented) in that the goal is to learn destructive (and therefore defensive) physical power that transcends the normal sources that we tend to think of when looking for power (i.e. our muscular-skeletal system).
Very interested to hear opinions on Zhan Zhuang / Yiquan / Ikken from our Kyokushin (and other Karate) representatives - @shinkyoku, @Azam, @AshiharaFan? @Jukai, @Tayski, @Jimmy Jazz, @Ryukyu Damashi ?
Any Kung Fu / Qigong experts here?
Have you tried it? Did you like it? Did it have any effect on you?
Thanks.
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