Crazy 'Crystallization' Punch Drill
Towards the back of my bestseller (in Category) martial arts book AXE Advanced Xingyi Energetics, I included a brief chapter on how to work the same Xingyi full body charge, with punch crystallization effect, using a drill from the sister art of Yi Quan. This may or may not feel more accessible to some people than the actual full Xingyi techniques, for that purpose. If you don’t know what I mean by punch crystalization effect, please get hold of the full book. I can’t rewrite the whole thing here. But basically it means propelling the tangible energy charge (like an electrical torrent all the way from feet out through arms and into fist on every striking technique.
Since the entire art of Xingyi is geared towards cultivating you to be able to do that, why did I bring up this apparent tangential drill? It’s just that this may actually be more accessible to some people, to begin to really feel what I’m talking about, and after feeling it in themselves and learning to control it somewhat, they can then transfer that knack over to the full XYQ art. Also this takes less space than Xingyi, and for people who have medical issues with their feet this isn’t as brutal on them for prolonged work. Plus, the experience of the power generation in this is just out of this world,
However… for a teacher/author, this Yiquan energized punch work has a downside: it looks totally ridiculous. I’ve written that XYQ itself, the technique inventory per se, it’s not really combatively applicable until fully internalized and energized. But at least you can make it look kind of badass while practicing even before you have the slightest conception of its true energetic effects. But with this stuff it’s just laughable looking (from combative viewpoint) right out of gate. You’ll see what I mean in the video below. It’s strange in a way, because this was taught to me during a long hot Beijing summer of extremely intensive YiQuan training (6.5 12 hour days/week) by one of the toughest, most combatively feral teachers I’ve ever had, the redoubtable Master Yao Chenguang, son of legenday Yiquan great, Master Yao Zongxun, innermost disciple of Founder Wang Xiangzhai.
That’s me and Master Yao, back in the day (reproduced from my graphic training manual INFUSION). Actually you can tell right away from that photo how goofy the Yiquan punch drills are going to feel. But believe me you don’t want to spar that teacher lmao.
The English names kind of mimic Western boxing, jab, cross, hook, uppercut, overhand, etc. I explain more in the AXE book, but I want to show the video here, so you can try them if you want. The point of these is ENERGY CHARGE work, NOT PHYSICAL WORK. You must understand this or it’s all a waste of time.
Here is the chapter intro from AXE book, you can get the basic idea:
When you work these, use your mind to time the energy upsurge (Rebound from your feet) perfectly! The best way to begin though is, don’t try bringing it up from your feet if your internal power isn’t strong enough yet. Here’s a training secret: when you work these at first initial the (tangible) charge from your waist, sacrum, and lower back. Then as the strike develops, make sure to extend the charge fully out your striking arm and into your fist at ‘impact’. (Not much physical impact!)
Keep a good form but you MUST stay relaxed or you’ll never get the power to channel.
Don’t clench your fist, just make a good fist-like shape.
Work fairly slowly and carefully, it’s all mental.
These looked super goofy to me at first. I’ve been a boxer since my teens and this looked like a parody of Western boxing, like clown boxing. But it’s an awesomely effective internal power regimen.
Speaking of relaxation and boxing, make sure your arms are loose. There’s a good Western boxing drill you can use to check arm relaxation while maintaining control of form and motion. That’s the “machine gun” speed bag drill, below. You should be able to do this no problem if you are relaxed. (Note that in the ‘Fast’ segment the motion was too fast fast for the cam’s frame rate. No timing alternation has been done on this clip).
Now here’s the reference video for the Yiquan work. Pay attention not only to the (crazy!) punches, but also note:
the slight but definite body/hip rotation
the subtle but definite weighting change between ‘jab’ (slightly back weighted or 50-50) vs ‘cross’ (60-40 front weighted).
the slow timing
You don’t actually need the target ball (棉花球) for the core energy work. I just included that as a prop since that’s how he taught me, but you can just do the energy work in the air, no problem at all.
Feel the uprushing charge on every strike! Otherwise it’s pointless pantomime.