MartialClub.com: Essence of Martial Arts

Drills: Zhan Zhuang - Standing Like a Tree

Zhan Zhuang means "standing like a tree" and is pronounced "Jan Juang", or, in southern China, "Jam Jong". For most people, training in Zhan Zhuang is a complete surprise in the beginning. There are no recognisable external movements, although it is a highly energetic exercise system. In contrast to many other methods, Zhan Zhuang develops our internal energy in a very efficient way, instead of consuming it.

Zhan Zhuang Chi Gong is practised in well-balanced standing positions which increase the flow of energy and build up internal strength. The Zhan Zhuang system is based on a unique fusion of exertion and relaxation which stimulates, cleanses and internally massages the whole organism.

POSTURE
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, toes and knees facing forward. Relax your hips and tummy, tuck your bottom in, with your knees slightly bent. Your heels should take 60-70% of your weight. Be sure that your weight goes to the floor and not to your knees.

Slowly bring your arms forward to form an open circle in front of your chest at about shoulder level. Your open palms face your chest, holding the ball position. Your elbows should be bent and extending away from your rib cage. Your shoulders and chest should be relaxed and your head held upright. The arms should remain relaxed and held at shoulder height.

Extend the neck upward to your own crown, look in the far distance on a line slightly above horizontal eye level while keeping the eyes focussed on a point. The tongue rests on the roof of the mouth. Breathing should be performed quietly through the nose keeping it simple, warm and friendly.

Relax. As you stand different parts of your body will tighten up or feel uncomfortable. Relax each part.

You may be surprised to discover that simply maintaining this physical
posture even for a few minutes is, at first, quite demanding. Depending upon your condition, begin with 5 or 10 minutes holding a single posture. As you improve, you may increase your time to 20 minutes or more. Some individuals hold postures up to three hours per day after years of practice.

Remember relax and keep checking yourself for correct posture and body alignment over and over.

MENTAL
The most important part consists in the mental training. There are many mental exercises that you can practice.

Pendulum
From the well balanced stance, the body should be imagined as a pendulum which is attached by the crown of the head. Your body then moves in three dimensional space, driven by the mental images like soft billowing waves which move you softly forth and back, up and down, while part of your body is being immersed in luke warm water...

The whole idea is to let your body react upon mental images, to guide motion mentally.

The body then has to be educated to alternate smoothly between relaxation and adequate tension: the key to effective movement. The moment you are about to move in one direction, the muscles go from a state of relaxation to tension. This state of tension only lasts a tiny moment, then it is immediately followed by relaxation again. This is the kind of movement that should be strived for in combat: fast and short.

Read more detailed article "Basic requirements for body posture".

Posted by Administrator on Friday 14 October 2005 - 11:17:51 PM |

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