Yi Jin Jing

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Schematic representation of the exercises of Yi Jin Jing

The Yi Jin Jing ( Chinese  易筋經 , Pinyin Yìjīnjīng , W.-G. I Chin Ching  - "Method for transforming the fascia") is a form of Qigong , which consists of a series of twelve individual exercises that flow into one another Breathing and concentration are controlled. It is considered to be particularly beneficial to health if it is practiced regularly. In the Chinese language yi means "change", jin the " fascia " ( muscles , tendons and ligaments ) and jing "methods". It is a relatively intensive form of exercise that aims to strengthen the muscles and loosen the fasciae so that they regain their natural position and state of tension over time and thus promote strength, flexibility, speed and endurance. Nowadays there are many translations and different series of exercises that are claimed to be from the original, but the exact origin of which is controversial. The exercises are seen as a key element in the physical training of Shaolin monks.

origin

Legend has it that the Yi Jin Jing was left behind by Bodhidharma after he left the Shaolin Monastery (around 528) and was found in his tomb (or hidden in the walls of the temple) years after he disappeared (or died). It was accompanied by a second text, the Xǐsuǐjīng ( Chinese  洗髓經 ), which was passed on to a student of Bodhidharma, but has not survived.

The Shaolin monks allegedly practiced the exercises but lost sight of their real purpose: Lin tells the legend that they “ selfishly desired it, practiced the skills, but fell into heresy and lost the correct way . The Shaolin monks have gained some fame for their martial arts; just because they got this manuscript. "

Both documents were written in an Indian language that the monks in the temple did not understand well. Apparently one of the monks decided that the text must contain more valuable knowledge than just self-defense and went on a pilgrimage with a copy of the text to find someone who could translate the deeper meaning into it. He eventually found an Indian priest named Pramati in Sichuan Province who, after examining the text, declared that the meaning of the text was extraordinarily profound but beyond his ability to translate it fully. Nevertheless, he provided a partial translation. After practicing the translated techniques for a year, the monk found that his physical condition had become "as hard as steel" and he felt like he was a Buddha . The monk was so grateful that he followed Pramati on all routes afterwards.

Modern scientific research

The legendary meaning arises from two introductory texts that precede the Yi Jin Jing . One of these forewords is said to have been written by General Li Jing in 628 ( Tang Dynasty ), while the other is said to have been written by General Niu Gao , a disciple of General Yue Fei ( Song Dynasty ). However, there are some inaccuracies and inconsistencies in it that cast doubt on the authenticity of the Yi Jin Jing .

In particular, it was Li Jing's foreword that led Tang Hao to ascribe Shaolin Kung Fu to Bodhidharma. Li Jing's foreword refers to "the tenth year of the Taihe period of Emperor Xiaoming ." The Taihe period fell under the reign of Emperor Xiaoming rather than Emperor Xiaowen , and Shaolin existed in his tenth year (487 AD) Temple not yet according to Jiaqing Chongxiu Yitongzhi , which states that the Shaolin Temple was built in the twentieth year of the Taihe era (497 AD). However, the Jiaqing Chongxiu Yitongzhi itself was created much later, around 1820. Li Jing's foreword also claims that he received the instructions for the exercises from Qiuran ke (虬髯客, “hero with a long beard”), a well-known fictional figure from one Tang Dynasty history of the same name by Du Guangting (850-933).

Niu Gao's preface mentions the Qinzhong Temple, which was only built 20 years after the alleged publication date of the scriptures. He also claims to be illiterate. Dictation might enable an illiterate person to write a preface, but it is almost certain that a general of Niu Gao's rank was not illiterate. In the 18th century, the scholar Ling Tingkan concluded that the author of Yi Jin Jing must have been an "ignorant village chief".

The text of the Yi Jin Jing was probably written by the Taoist priest Zining in 1624. The earliest surviving edition of the Yi Jin Jing was dated to 1827 by Ryuchi Matsuda . In the course of his research, Matsuda found no mention and certainly no attribution to Bodhidharma in any of the numerous texts that were written about the Shaolin martial arts before the 19th century.

The forms of the Yi Jin Jing

Mural in the Shaolin monastery
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The number of movements seems to fluctuate. Eighteen should be the correct number according to the 18 arhats , but it can vary from 10 to 24, even 30. Today, the most respected sequence is that of Wang Zuyuan, which consists of twelve movements and has been adopted by most of the major TCM academies . Chang Renxia and Chang Weizhen suggested an alternative sequence of 14 movements for which they promise interesting therapeutic effects. Deng Mingdao presented a version with 24 movements, but under the name Xisui Jing . In fact, the relationship between Xisui Jing and Yi Jin Jing is overlapping. Some authors use both names for the same exercise; others tell them apart and conjure up different results and effects on the body. Still other authors have written different books and propounded different theories, sometimes not so keen on the search for truth.

The sequence of twelve movements that is common today is something Wang Zuyuan learned in the Shaolin Monastery on Song Shan Mountain . It is slightly different from the original "Image of Standing Exercise" and the "Instructions for Attack Art" (to which Guangdong sources refer). Some experts (Liu Dong) refer to a later merging of the Yi Jin Jing with Daoyin, Tuna and Xingqi methods. Wang's twelve movements, however, proved to be precisely implementable and helpful for physical health. As the name suggests, “fascia transformation” is a method of training tendons and muscles. The conception of the exercises follows the course and the characteristics of the Qi in the twelve main meridians as well as the Du Mai (steering vessel) and the Ren Mai (conception vessel ). As a result, the qi and blood flow evenly at the correct speed and without sluggishness or stagnation. Because of this effect, the Yi Jin Jing was very popular with the people for centuries and is still used in sanatoriums and hospitals for therapeutic purposes. Two historical written and illustrated routines have been preserved; one from Chen Yi's "A collection of Annals," from the Ming Dynasty ; and another more recent from 1882, the "Internal Work Illustrated" by Wang Zuyuan.

The sequence of twelve movements describes in the greatest detail what is common in many southern Chinese martial arts , e.g. B. Hung Kuen and Wing Chun , also called the Twelve Fists of Bodhidharma . They attribute twelve animals to the twelve movements that Bodhidharma studied during his nine years of meditation . The exercises were developed based on the movements of these twelve animals. They healed the ailing monks of Shaolin Monastery and contributed to the many animal martial arts in China.

Yi Jin Jing's intentions

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The main purpose of Yi Jin Jing is to transform slack and weak tendons and ligaments into strong and stable ones. The movements of Yi Jin Jing are both energetic and gentle. It requires a unity of willpower and muscle power, i. H. the use of will for the exercise of muscle strengthening. Both are coordinated through breathing.

Better muscles and tendons mean better health and shape, more resistance, flexibility and endurance. This is achieved through the following effects:

  • Postures influence the statics and nerve structure of the body
  • Stretching muscles and tendons affects organs, joints, meridians and qi
  • Torsion affects metabolism and the production of jing
  • Breathing creates more and higher quality qi
  • Active work gives body and mind (brain, nervous system and soul) balance and strength.

Energy and stamina are fundamental when it comes to qualifying for forms of training like Tuina , martial arts, or simply better health and wisdom. Another Qigong, Ba Duan Jin , with its more radical and powerful forms, was used in the past by the Xingyiquan and Tijiquan schools for the physical preparation of martial artists. The Ba Duan Jin is still the first basic exercise taught at the Shaolin Training Centers in the Song Mountains. But there is also something soft and pliable in Yi Jin Jing . The movements are energetic and intense, but there is also a kind of peace shimmering through. The Yi Jin Jing actually unites Yi (intention) with Li (strength), consciousness (yang) with muscle power (yin). The mind is free from thoughts, has a correct and kind posture, the breathing is harmonious. Internal and external movements must work together, as well as movement and relaxation. Outwardly this means strengthening and inwardly purification - uniting body and mind.

Some classically recurring points in Yi Jin Jing can be described as follows:

  • Most movements are done with open hands; the fists are only clenched to stretch the tendons.
  • The names of the individual movements vary, but often the basic idea remains the same for each movement. For example: Wei Tuo greets and offers something (Nanjing Ac. From Tuina); Wei Tuo offers gifts to Heaven (Liu Dong); General Skanda holds the club (Zong Wu-Li Mao).
  • The exercises are performed standing; sometimes leaning forward, but never sitting or lying down.
  • The eyes are always open.
  • The movements are slow and pronounced; Face and body appear relaxed.
  • All areas of the upper body (especially the shoulders) are active and moving.
  • Dynamic tension determines the movement.
  • All parts of the body work together.
  • There are different ways of practicing the same form of Yi Jin Jing : according to the basic rules, according to the body shape, according to the time of practice and according to the general state of health.

According to the traditional tradition, the practitioner develops as follows:

  • The first year of training gives back physical and mental vitality .
  • In the second year the blood circulation improves and promotes the meridians.
  • The third year allows the muscles to become more flexible and promotes the (internal) organs.
  • The fourth year improves the meridians and stimulates the bowels .
  • The fifth year washes the soul and stimulates the brain .

The five rules of Yi Jin Jing are:

Quiet
Like still water in the lake reflecting the moon, a calm mind allows energy to be drained.
slowness
To use and stretch muscles intensely, to achieve maximum stretch, to move qi and xue, slow movements are required.
strain
Each movement must be carried out to the end.
Remain
Effectiveness comes from holding tension for long periods of time.
agility
The trunk and limbs need to be stretched so that blood and energy can circulate.

Breathing is controversial in Yi Jin Jing . Many modern springs insist on deep, controlled reverse breathing to develop strength and vitalize the body more thoroughly. Other sources indicate that this often creates undue stress and pressure on the body. Robert W. Smith pointed out in his article in JAMA from 1996 that there are typical differences between the northern and the southern way of breathing. The southern variants do not seem to have developed a system for regulated breathing or working on qi. In his work “Breathing in Tai Chi and Other Martial Arts”, Smith not only analyzes the experiences of Tai Chi veterans and classics, but also well-known fighters. He concluded that the most effective breathing, for both martial arts and health purposes, is a mixture of classic abdominal breathing and slow subconscious breathing aimed at explosive exhalation of the type that typically accompanies an attack in martial arts styles.

Culture and art

The Yi Jin Jing is the subject of Louis Cha 's wuxia novel " The Smiling Proud Wanderer ". In the story, the Shaolin Abbot teaches the protagonist Linghu Chong to use the skills described in the Yi Jin Jing to heal his internal injuries.

In Manhua " Dragon Tiger Gate" Shibumi ("Evil God of the Cloud of Fire"), the supreme ruler of the Lousha sect in Japan, mastered this legendary Qi technique. In the comic, the Yi Jin Jing is divided into seven levels ("pagodas"). Except for the first two, all levels have a characteristic color: 3rd = pink, 4th = yellow, 5th = blue, 6th = silver and 7th = black. The “ black pagoda ” is therefore the most powerful and dangerous of all. Someone who masters this level is practically invincible.

See also

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Egger, p. 63
  2. ↑ a b Boyuan Lin: Zhōngguó wǔshù shǐ 中國 武術 史 . Wǔzhōu chūbǎnshè 五洲 出版社, Taipei 臺北 1996, p. 183 (Chinese).
  3. ↑ ibid. Lin (1996): pp. 182-183
  4. ↑ Jiaqing chongxiu yitongzhi嘉慶 重修 一統 志. The Ricci Institute Library Online Catalog.
  5. ↑ Shahar 2008, pp. 167-168
  6. ↑ For a brief synopsis of this character's tale, see Liu, James JY The Chinese Knight Errant. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967 ISBN 0-226-48688-5 , pp. 87-88
  7. ↑ Lin 1996: 183
  8. ↑ Shahar 2008, p. 162
  9. ↑ z. B. Cheng Zongyou's Explanation of the Original Shaolin Staff Method or Zhang Kongzhao's Boxing Classic: Essential Boxing Methods .