Twelve shapes are traditional routines with both form and spirit, imitating the life forms and fighting skills of twelve animals. Including dragons, tigers, monkeys, horses, snakes, chickens, swallows, harriers, snakeheads, storks, eagles and bears. Compared with Five-Shaped Boxing, it adds many techniques, postures, legs and footwork, with rich images and strong comprehensive strength, which can improve physical fitness and change people's spiritual temperament.
Xingyiquan evolved from Idea Boxing (Idea Liuhe Boxing), which was originally spread by Dai Longbang in ten forms: dragon, tiger, monkey, horse, chicken, swallow, harrier, snake, eagle and bear. Later, Li Luoneng, the originator of Xingyiquan, created the shapes of eyebrows and herring, which made Xingyiquan similar to Xinyi Boxing, but most of the boxing methods were different, making its attack methods more comprehensive.
One of the Twelve Shapes of Form and Meaning-Dragon Shape
Dragon is a deified animal in the ancient tradition of China. The magical transformation of dragons can be seen everywhere, with Longteng, Yunlong, clouds and fog, and rivers and seas churning. Dragon spirit training, the spirit comes from the eyes, the strength is obviously in the claws, and the strength comes from the waist, starting from the point where the lower lip sinks. In terms of action techniques, we should learn that it has "the method of finding bones" and "the trend of three folds", hovering back and forth and changing ups and downs. When it jumps out of the hole, it should be as light and vigorous as a dragon. When falling and diving, it hits the ground like a thunderbolt, which is both quick and lively. Therefore, although the dragon form is simple, it is difficult to practice the action strength. Be sure to get used to wearing three joints from the ups and downs, flexible and vigorous movements, with both form and spirit, rigidity and flexibility. If you can practice and understand this, you will get the wonderful meaning of dragon shape.
The Second of the Twelve Shapes of Form and Meaning-Tiger Shape
Tigers have the courage to pounce on food, which can not only hit the buttocks, but also sweep the tail, so they are called "three unique tigers". It jumps over mountains and streams, and it is fierce and unusual. It is not surprising to be called "the king of beasts". As the saying goes, "a tiger holds its head early before pouncing on food", that is, before pouncing on food, it always shrinks its body and legs, puts its two front legs under its head and forehead, and accumulates strength to be ready to go. By kicking its back, it shows its waist strength, so that it can jump forward not only vertically, but also quickly and powerfully, especially when its claws reach its mouth, so that the animals being pounced on can't resist falling down. Even the last pounce in its running has fully possessed this feature, which is the place where tigers pounce fiercely and the origin of "holding their heads" to take care of it. When we learn to practice the tiger shape, we must understand its techniques and study its main points, so as to have both form and spirit and achieve good martial arts results.
The Third Meaning of Twelve Shapes-Monkey Shape
Monkeys are sensitive, elves. "Boxing Classic" says that "monkeys have the spirit of climbing mountains skillfully", and its lightness is really incomparable to other animals. When we study and practice the monkey shape, whether it is from forward to backward, from swaying to flashing, or jumping and prancing, whether it is "hanging the seal", "falling the rope" or "climbing the pole", we must start from the intention, and we must unite our hands and feet to move all over, and sharpen our learning skills for a long time so as not to miss the exquisiteness of the monkey shape.
The Fourth Kind of Twelve Shapes —— Horse Shape
"Boxing Classic" said: "A horse has the strength of hoof and the courage to run." . Therefore, when we learn the shape of a horse, we just learn its lightning-fast characteristics. Training horse shape is inseparable from the foundation of form and meaning technology. We should gradually learn from the training of "like crossbows" and "like locusts". It's not running around jumping around. Only by combining "grasshopper step" with lightness and stability can the technical force of "moving big and moving small" be exerted. Whether it is a single horse or a double horse, we should give full play to the waist strength and lower limb function of shape and meaning. The fist sutra says: "The foot is not lost, and the news depends on the back pedal." "Falling to the ground like the wind" just shows that its legs are pushed forward and pushed back, and only the right side can reflect the superb technology of "practicing boxing like a horse running". The horse-shaped arms contain the power to pounce forward in the drill, and its wrist joint has the technical function of buttoning the wrist and planing inside, which also fully embodies the subtlety of "three parts of boxing are invisible"
The Fifth Meaning of Twelve Shapes-Tuo Shape
"Boxing Classic" said: "You have the essence of floating water, and you can transform it into beauty." . Modern people write books because they are homophonic, so they mistakenly think they are learning. In fact, the giant salamander is a kind of Chinese alligator, also known as the pig female dragon. It is fierce, sleepy and can swim, with only its head and back exposed in the water. When swimming in a straight line, the palm of your hand is in the shape of a bus palm, which is not light. The shape we practice is floating on the water and moving in a curve. The shape of the palm is that the thumb and forefinger are separated and the other three fingers are curled. This palm clearly imitates the light claws of insects, not the big slap of catfish. The actual shape is the homonym of the former candidate. In the old boxing spectrum, it was marked as "cutting stocks", commonly known as "sesame oil" and also called "oil seller" in taupe. An insect no more than an inch long and with six long legs. It often appears on the water after rain. The animal kingdom calls it a "water tourist", transliteration is called "silver reed", which is a small animal we want to learn. It floats on the water, swims in a curve, is light and fast, and has the essence of floating water.
Six of the Twelve Shapes of Form and Meaning-Chicken Shape
"Boxing Classics" says, "Chickens are independent and brave to bully". There are chicken-shaped tear handles (reflecting its courage to bully the weak and fear the hard) or chicken-shaped four handles (reflecting its independent shape). The names are different because the focus of the pursuit is different. Chicken shape is included in one of the traditional Xingyiquan routines because of its great changes in movements and rich strength. In addition, it has the characteristics of smooth strength and close connection, so it is cherished by the predecessors of Xingyi.
There are many skills to be mastered in chicken-shaped routines, such as: being independent and steady, being light on the shelf, being crisp when eating rice, and "breaking dawn" and "shaking feathers", which are both skillful in pulling out bones and muscles and explosive in twisting the waist and shaking the body, especially the chicken's "bullying the soft and fearing the hard". It is not afraid of violence and aliens. Its eyes suddenly split, its wings and feathers spread, it suddenly leaps and falls, and it also grabs and pecks. It's really awesome. These fully show the cock's qi, courage and wisdom, and we need to make use of them.
The Seventh of the Twelve Shapes of Form and Meaning-Swallow Shape
"Boxing Classic" says: "Yan has the skill of copying water essence and hitting water." It is agile, low-grazing, soaring, flexible and sensitive, and is unique among birds. When we learn to practice the swallow shape, whether it is "copying water", "pecking mud" or "hitting water", we must seek it in the light spirit cooperation. When practicing, the movements are required to be alive but not floating, solid but not stagnant, to be long and far, to rise quickly, to fall lightly and consistently, and to achieve the realm of light jumping, smooth ups and downs, solid strength and pursuit.
Eight of the Twelve Shapes —— Eagle's Shape
The harrier is a kind of raptor. It is small but sensitive. "It is smart to enter the forest." Its "form" and "meaning" have been integrated into the common techniques of form and meaning practitioners. The boxing classics say "get up and leave", and getting up and leaving is not only to accumulate strength, but also to protect and fight. In particular, the action of "eagle harrier turning back" is a shortcut to master "looking at eyebrows, cutting shoulders and breaking arms", from which eagle harrier can not only practice the god of turning back, but also mobilize the energy of his whole body. It has become a classic movement for lovers of form and meaning. I hope you can learn from simple forms and few changes, so as to learn and refine.
Nine of the twelve forms and meanings-snake shape
"Boxing Classics" said: "Snakes have the ability to pull weeds and are good at entanglement." The whole body is flexible and runs through the whole body. Used in boxing, the activity is in the waist and the strength is in the crotch. Therefore, there is a saying of "snake-shaped hip beating" in traditional martial arts. It's a pity that many people don't know what they know, and it's really a big mistake to think that "hitting the shoulder" in the game. Although you learn to practice snake-shape, you have to combine rigidity with softness, open and close Liang Ming, connect the whole body, and strive to be complete in twists and turns, so that you can master it. If you can be proud of yourself, you will get wonderful things that are inspired.
The tenth of the twelve forms of form and meaning-bird platform shape
The scripture says, "The bird platform has the ability to erect its tail." Tapirs (bad horses) and pigeons have the wrong words. So it's similar to an ostrich. An ostrich only walks well, but has no vertical tail, so it doesn't know what it is. Bird platform, also known as rabbit stork, is a kind of baby eagle with short tail. People call it "bald-tailed eagle", which is obtained by hunters. When I was young, I ground my claws (because the original claws were too sharp, so as not to damage the rabbit hair when I grabbed them) and fed them to catch rabbits. Yetai often stands with high branches, with his head down and his tail down (that is, vertical tail), in order to spy on cunning rabbits and wild birds in order to catch the sick. Because it is generally unknown, there are many speculations. In boxing, because people use their arms to learn how to use their tails in front of them and use their ribs to make them stand upright, they use "rib-belly boxing". Because Xingyiquan has reached a superb level, in its 14 style of play, only people's "rib-belly" can't hit people hard, so Li Luoneng added it.
Twelve of Twelve Shapes —— The cooperative performance of eagle and bear
Eagle is a kind of raptor, which often hovers in the sky, overlooking birds and animals. At a glance, birds and animals can't escape. Because of its fast speed, sharp claws and unstoppable front, we should learn the essence of its capture and the sharpness of a glance. Bears are beasts. Although they are slow, they are powerful. Therefore, people stand up straight, their necks hang down, their arms shake, and the tree breaks. So people learn to practice his vertical neck strength and swing arm, and train for a long time to refresh themselves and increase their strength.
Eagle Xiong Er has no single routine because of its unique ability. In the past, there was an eagle-bear half-wit method for boxing, saying, "It rises like a bear and falls like an eagle", and there was an eagle-bear joint performance in form and meaning, so that its pitch was in harmony with Yin and Yang, making its ups and downs turn accordingly, and it opened and closed in one breath. Therefore, the traditional practice of eagle and bear co-acting can also kill two birds with one stone.