Hsing-i Training Programs

Hi folks,

Welcome to the new release of Hsing-i for Health and Martial Power - Volume 2: Water Fist and Volume 3: Wood Fist. These programs follow Volume 1: Santi & Metal Fist and I Chuanⁱ Standing Postures.

When I first experienced the power and healing properties of hsing-i, while in Taiwan, Hong Kong and China, I was amazed by what this internal art could do. All of the best internal martial artists that I knew practiced it and many attributed their success in building incredible chi to the practice of hsing-i. I created this training program in the hope that one of China's most effective healing and internal martial systems would continue to benefit future generations.

The practices contained within these DVDs are linked to the five elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The ancient Chinese found that each of these five elements corresponded to specific mental and emotional states within human beings. By strengthening and harmonizing these elements within oneself, one can achieve a deep sense of health and well being. Understanding of the five elements through hsing-i practice will help to enhance other mind/body practices such as tai chi, bagua, qigong, energy healing, massage, and even yoga.

I call hsing-i the 'Fastest Way to Build Chi' because it is extremely efficient in uncovering and overcoming weaknesses within yourself and others. It is one of the few movement forms that enables you to be more effective in all aspects of life because you learn how to directly engage your mind, will and intent. It develops follow through, concentration and focus.

My primary teacher and Taoist sage, Liu Hung Chieh, started his daily practice session with hsing-i. Why? He said it was because it made him vibrant, strong and healthy (especially important as he aged)--it was the perfect compliment to his other energy practices.

Traditionally these practices were closely guarded and tremendously hard to find. These are the DVDs that I wish were available when I was younger and I hope you find them useful.

Good training,

Click here to Jump to View Infomation on the Release of the New Volume 2 and 3

The Goals and Training Methods of Hsing-i Chuan

Hsing-i Chuan is a powerful internal martial art that focuses on yang (hard) internal energy.

Hsing-i’s goals include:

Cultivating yang methods of internal power for martial arts
Developing incredible will and intent of the mind
Allowing chi to flow vigorously and smoothly in the body to build strength and vibrant health

Hsing-i is extremely useful in developing a success-oriented competitive spirit and self-discipline, and in restoring a positive self-image to someone who exhibits a weak or damaged ego. Hsing-i is like a mountain, a solid immovable force, with light and agile footwork. Hsing-i has a powerful and aggressive penetrating energy that can go through the arm/hand defenses of an opponent like a hot knife thorugh butter.

"Hsing-i is an excellent bridge from the external martial arts to the internal." Bruce

Nine techniques and training practices of Hsing-i:

Energetic and combat intent behind a movement is emphasized more than the physical movements of the form.
Functional power in each and every movement.
Movements are designed primarily from the viewpoint of effectiveness.
Bu hao kan, hen hao yung is a classic phrase that means hsing-i does not look pretty, is just works well.
A prime strategy of never retreating.
A mentality that is completely goal-oriented.
A primary focus on developing yang, not yin, methods of internal power.
Developing the outside of a practitioner's body to feel extremely hard to someone touching it.
A main philosophical orientation toward developing internal strength and unwavering focused intent.

Hsing-i Chuan for Health and Martial Power
Volume 1: San Ti and Pi Chuan - 7 DVD Set

In this DVD training set, recorded live in Berkeley, California, Bruce covers the fundamentals of both San Ti—the core standing posture of hsing-i—and Pi Chuan or Chopping Fist.

San Ti—the trinity posture—is at the heart of the practice of hsing-i and its Five Elementsⁱ. A common story about the best people in hsing-i describes how they were made to do San Ti for between one and three years before being allowed to learn anything else. San Ti cultivates five critical processes involving:

the breath;
the legs and waist;
the arms; and
unifying the connections within the practitioner both externally and (5) internally.

"Standing builds the foundation for successfully learning all the other advanced methods of qigong and internal martial arts. Further, standing creates the context to move chi at will." Bruce

According to Taoist cosmology, the Five Elements are in effect the five energies that comprise the energy matrix in the universe. Hsing-i’s Pi Chuan (Chopping/Splitting Fist) technique is linked to the metal element.

Pi Chuan’s focus is to make the spine extremely strong and the hands as hard as steel. It is also considered a powerful health system because it builds chi and enables energy to flow correctly in the body.

Here are the Table of Contents:

Disc 1

Introduction [Standing postures and San Ti; martial relationship between hsing-i and bagua; mental attitudes and their effects; relevance to spirituality]
Preparation
Alignments and Movements
Basic Principles
Four Points Alignments
Knee Alignments
The Spine and Lower Tantienⁱ
How Alignments Increase Power

Disc 2

Making a Proper Hsing-i Fist
Initial Fist Movement
Hsing-i Mind
Second Hand Movement
Third Hand Movement
Importance of the Lower Body
Improving Your Stance
Chi Should Both Rise and Fall

Disc 3

Partner Exercise to Raise Chi and for Martial Arts
Opening and Closing Your Feet
The Ankle
The Power to Do

Disc 4

How the Hands Split in Pi Chuan
Twisting the Arms Inward and Outward
Focus on the Upper Body
Strength, Internal Power and Your Body
Basic Hsing-i Principles
"Ko" or Hooking

Disc 5

The Tiger's Mouth
Upper Body Alignments
Review and Q&A
Standing and Preventing Your Body's Chi from Becoming Stagnent
Mind Holds the Chi and the Body
Pi Chuan Martial Applications
Half Steps or Worm Walking
Martial Applications - Closing Distance Gaps and Planting Your Opponent
Where Does Body Movement Originate?

Disc 6

Different Hand Movements
Movement of Pi Chuan
Why Liu Heng Chieh Began His Day with Hsing-i
The Three Holdings
Gaze and Breathing
High, Medium and Low Levels of Hsing-i Breathing

Disc 7

Breath, Energy and Mind Become One
3 Fallings or Sinkings
Chi Falls to the Lower Tantien
Shoulder Edges Sink
Elbows Dig Downward
Other Principles of Hsing-i
3 Different Styles of Beng Chuan

"In this comprehensive set Bruce goes into incredible (sometimes maddening) detail on every aspect of the postures. But frankly if he didn’t go into it you could be practicing for years and be doing nothing more than walking through the motions...or worse. This course will separate the true student from the dilettante, the committed from the interested, and the player from the spectator. Worth more than its price."

Tim

I Chuan Standing Postures for Power - 4 DVD Set

I Chuan—mind intention boxing—uses eight standing postures to develop internal power and vibrant health. The I Chuan system was developed by Wang Hsiang Zai. He was a student of Guo Yun Shen from the Hebei Hsing-i School, a style heavily influenced by bagua zhangⁱ.

"In I Chuan, the emphasis on holding a standing posture is to develop fa jin. Fa jinⁱ is the internal martial arts technique of issuing power so that it passes through an opponent, moving him in space just as a gust of wind blows dust away." Bruce

Wang Shu Jin in a Classic Standing PostureThe eight standing postures work with chi and are practiced at heights ranging from above the head to the lower tantien (near the navel). The poses are derived from Taoism’s 200 original postures and are used to bring out the innate power of the body. These I Chuan postures have several main purposes:

To open up the energy channels
To rebalance the energies in your body
To strengthen any energetic weaknesses
To unlock the body’s latent potentials and capacities.

In this DVD training set, recorded live in Berkeley, California, Bruce Frantzis demonstrates the eight core standing postures and explains the I Chuan system and its objectives.