Three Stages of Chinese Wushu Practice
After thousand of years of growth, Chinese Wushu has developed into many schools of thoughts and each school has its own special practice methods and techniques. As a knowledge system, though classified into several categories and schools, all Chinese Wushu follow similar practice methods. According to the common disciplines of Chinese Wushu, the Kungfu exercises can be divided into three stages or levels, including refining spirit into qi (visible strength), qi into vitality (invisible strength), and vitality into void (refined strength). Refining the spirit into qi refers to the primary stage and attaches great importance to exercising basic techniques, eliminating excess tension and developing strong strength. Refining qi into vitality is the intermediate stage and gives profound attention to eliminating strong strength, cultivating soft strength and nurturing internal force by Xingyiquan. Refining vitality into void refers to the senior stage and gives great importance to exercising extreme soft strength and accessing the supreme level of combined boxing and morality.
The Wushu learners repeat the basic techniques to gradually eliminate the excess tension and cultivate the strong strength during the primary stage.
The basic technique is the introduction to Kungfu and consists of stance, footwork, arm, waist, finger and eye exercises. After mastering the basic techniques, one can start quan (boxing), which is the actual beginning of the primary stage. The basic technique exercises are regarded only as the preparation work for this stage.
Refining the spirit into qi aims to refine strength. One who does not use his natural strength in Wushu fighting uses his raw power or excess tension. Such strength will fade away with the aging of physiological functions and does not belong to the strength of Wushu. The strength of Wushu refers to the immediate explosive power that relies on physical coordination generated by the soul on his waist. Such power is strong and fast—and can hit objects as suddenly as a flash of lightning.
The immediate explosive power is the burst of strength from key joints of the human body, including the shoulders, elbows, wrist, crotch and knees. Strength from whichever joint belongs to the resultant strength of the human body on the basis of the synchronous cooperation of joints and instantaneous explosion of power. Visible strength can be produced without preparation when the practice reaches a certain degree. The Wushu learner can generate great power by joint movements in limited space, and such power is commonly referred to as cunjin (explosive strength).
To resolve problems in the primary stage, one must learn Chaiquan (splitting set exercises). Chaiquan means to split the offensive and defensive movements from the set exercises and study the functions and usage of the movements in real combat. Chaiquan is one of the key trainings in technique exercises.
After learning the basic techniques and several set exercises, one can learn Chaiquan to practice several actions, which lays a firm foundation in hand, footwork, eye and body exercises. Simultaneously, one can gather the qi scattered in the body in dantian to eliminate the excess tension and grow strong strength. Once the excess tension is eliminated completely, the body will be full of strong strength, spirit and vitality. The body then becomes strong, and the steps steady. The visible strength has been achieved, while the exercises benefiting the bones are completed. This brings one to reach the level of refining spirit into qi.
People who complete the primary stage are usually strong and vigorous, and have sharp eyes. Sometimes, they are hot-blooded, unyielding, impetuous and proud of their martial art techniques. If they pursue further study to enter a senior level, such characteristics can be refined.