Kung Fu begins with sensation. Those fortunate enough to encounter a wise teacher are blessed. Through direct contact with the teacher, and listening to the energy, one directly perceives what Qi is and captures the feeling of Qi. Under the guidance of a knowledgeable teacher, this sensation becomes more acute, and Kung Fu advances.
But for those without the chance to meet such a teacher, how can one capture the feeling of Kung Fu?
Imagine going on a barbecue outing—how do you ignite the entire grill? Firstly, choose an environment with minimal wind. Use the most easily flammable material as kindling and surround it with charcoal. Ensure there is space between each piece of charcoal; airflow is crucial for combustion. At this point, a small match is enough to ignite the entire barbecue.
Internal energy is inherent in every individual. Everyone has a natural sensitivity to internal energy, much like how you laugh heartily when watching a comedy and feel sorrow during a tragedy.
Some accomplished traditional Chinese medicine practitioners classify people based on their innate sensitivity to internal energy (see "Questions about Traditional Chinese Medicine," pages 274-277 and 352-353). They categorize individuals into four types: extremely sensitive meridian type (Type A), sensitive meridian type (Type B), insensitive meridian type (Type C), and extremely insensitive meridian type (Type D). The classification is determined through the following test:
Extend your left hand, form a sword finger with your right hand, and draw a circle about 10 centimeters away from the palm of your left hand.
If you feel something with just one stroke, you are Type A.
If it takes a moment to feel, you are Type B.
If there's no sensation even after a minute, you are Type C.
If there's no sensation regardless of how much you stroke, you are Type D.
The purpose of this classification is only to give you an expectation of the difficulties you may encounter, not to determine who can or cannot succeed. While Types A and B may experience quicker results, Types C and D face greater challenges. However, with perseverance, even Types C and D can eventually capture the sensation. Additionally, everyone's sensitivity may vary based on different states, such as after exercising or when in a good mood. As long as you are alive, everyone has the innate ability to learn internal skills; it's just a matter of varying levels of capability, similar to different barbecue grills having different ignition difficulties.
Returning to the barbecue analogy, the palms are the most sensitive areas for sensing internal energy. This is the kindling. Everyone has their own time and space least disturbed by the external world. This is the environment. The muscles and bones should not be tense but relaxed. This is how the charcoal is arranged. Once settled, cradle the ball between the palms in the most comfortable way. You can stand or sit, without exerting force or tension, allowing the mind to settle, the spirit to rise, and sensing the palms like a "Bluetooth pairing," mutually "listening."
At this point, feel as if there's a basketball between the palms; take a moment to sense and remember the feeling. Then let the basketball gradually transform into a balloon. During this transformation, let the mind capture the changes in the sensation between the palms and remember them. Next, let the balloon slowly morph into a large soap bubble, being careful not to let it burst. Again, let the mind capture the changes in the sensation between the palms during this transformation and remember them.
This process doesn't need to be too lengthy for beginners; 3-5 minutes are sufficient. Keep writing tools nearby, and after each session, jot down your feelings and any questions.
If you sense something intangible filling the space between the palms, with the palms repelling each other like magnets, do not try to enhance the effect, and don't make squeezing movements to intensify the sensation. Let it happen naturally; quietly observe the "emptiness" between the palms. If you feel comfortable, let this comfort be transmitted from one palm to the other.
If you can sense the "ball" within the "emptiness" between the palms, you are experiencing what "relaxation" is. This "ball" can be small or large, and the palms can only passively open and close according to the sensation. The larger the expansion, the better the state of "relaxation." Remember this feeling; it is the spark you've ignited. Though the spark is small, it is the first bucket of gold in your practice. Though the spark is small, it is the spark that kindles the blaze. As the saying goes:
"In places where the sun doesn't reach, youth naturally comes.
Moss flowers are as small as rice grains, yet they still learn to bloom like peonies."
—Yuan Mei, "Moss"
Internal energy, like moss flowers, naturally comes in the state of "relaxation." What is the state of "relaxation"? It is the state where your palms feel "empty." The more "virtual" and "empty" your hands feel, the better the state of "relaxation" and the stronger the Qi. Transitioning from a basketball to a soap bubble is the direction and principle of this transformation.
This is your initial experience with Qi, where you capture the feeling of "relaxation" in Kung Fu. This sensation is not intellectual knowledge; it is not a definition woven with words. It is the result of experience, much like love, where you need a mutually interested partner to feel what it's like for affection to be reciprocated. Without experience, the martial arts classics of the ancients are mere familiar words.
With the guidance of a wise teacher, this experience comes conveniently and quickly. The teacher demonstrates the state of relaxed internal energy directly to the student. Using the words of Sifu Wang Zhongming: "Send my comfort to the other person." Students must capture this "comfortable feeling" through personal experience, thus grasping the concept of "relaxation."
Being able to relax allows internal energy to dissipate and merge with the space. In other words, only when there is the objective effect of internal energy dispersing can it be called the "relaxation" of Kung Fu. This objective effect serves as the foundation and standard for the exchange between teacher and student in the process of teaching and learning internal skills. This objective effect allows you to discern which "masters" are truly wearing the emperor's new clothes.
Without the guidance of a wise teacher, through the experience of holding the ball, you also have the opportunity to capture the feeling of Kung Fu. When you can differentiate between different sensations while holding the ball, you need to learn to forget. When you can "hear" the sensation of the balloon as soon as you hold your palms together, you can discard the basketball. After some days, when you can "hear" the sensation of the soap bubble as soon as you hold your palms together, you can skip the basketball. After some more days, you can forget about your hands. This means feeling as if the palms are absent, allowing the Qi to permeate beyond the range of the palms. At this point, you have achieved some initial success.
This initial success, through continued practice, will continue to grow. Whether standing in a pile or practicing forms, you need to "express" and "replicate" the feeling of "relaxation" as much as you can.
Victoria BC, 2024
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