Zhan Zhuang and Sex in Wujifa

From time to time the subject of sex, Zhan Zhuang, and Wujifa is a topic that shows up and to be honest there is no one answer to this question. The real question is one that you must ask yourself. As you know we have addressed purpose, as in ‘What is your purpose for training?’, a number of times before. Understanding your purpose and the principles of Wujifa should be enough to help guide you to the answers about this topic but we will address it in more detail.

Most Wujifa practitioners practice their Zhan Zhuang training for an hour at a time at least once or twice a day. This does not include other Wujifa practices, only the standing or Zhan Zhuang practice(s). We will use this as a starting point for answering some “basic” questions about sex and Zhan Zhuang.

Becoming aroused while practicing

When we relax, the parasympathetic nervous system (the following is an oversimplification) we could say it kicks in to play. The parasympathetic nervous system  is involved in the functions of salivation, lacrimation (tears), urination, digestion, defecation, and sexual arousal just to name a few of the systems involved. As you can tell many of these are also common so called qigong side effects.

When becoming aroused in your Zhan Zhuang practice the best answer for most people is to just recognize this as a sign of the functioning of the parasympathetic nervous system and a good sign of health. Think to yourself, ‘Nice, a sign post of health’ and don’t get distracted from your purpose and training. Getting sexually stimulated while practicing isn’t abnormal and as we say in Wujifa, it is just one of many sign posts along different paths. If you are driving somewhere and you see a sign on the road saying 100 miles to where you are driving, you don’t stop at the sign, you keep driving. The same is true with signs that show up in practice.

Now that we have talked about sexual arousal the next question is often about how often can one have sex. This is a very good question and one we should take a look at.

Is having sex a good or bad thing when training?

First lets start by asking the question of purpose. If you understand your purpose and the principles then these kinds of questions become much clearer to the practitioner. If they are unclear to you from the level of basic common sense then you might want to simplify your purpose and goals or understand why you are making something so complicated.

Many qigong Masters and teachers suggest waiting a moon cycle (28 days) or at least two weeks (14 days) before engaging in sexual activity.  Many of these schools of thought lean toward the right and see celibacy as a key to training. I’ve heard other teachers which suggest you wait 24 hours before engaging in sexual activity after Zhan Zhuang practices. Now if you practice every day or twice a day you are basically again choosing the path of the monk. Again if you choose to follow this kind of advise, simply understand how it aligns with your purpose and the principles of your training.

I’ve heard it said that girlfriends can be the biggest problem for those learning Gongfu. That a person will spend many years training and then meet a girl and forget about their practice. I believe some of the reasons behind limiting sexual activity  given to students without functional explanations is aimed at solving this problem of losing students to relationships. It may be true that rules like this can help cage a student, then again if a person gets so easily distracted then they most likely will get distracted by other things over time and they may not really be cutout for deeper practices.

Personally I have found a good loving and supportive relationship can make your Gongfu training easier and better. Although finding a good woman is the key. If you take the time, allowing good people into your life and you will find them supportive and helpful to your Gongfu goals.


So when can I engage in sexual activity?

You understand your purpose and the principles of your personal practice. You have found a good girl and want to engage in sexual activity. Leaving all the cultural and morality issues aside for a moment as these could also be addressed under purpose and principles. When can you engage in sexual activity after practicing Zhan Zhuang. There are other high level practitioners that have expressed the fact that they are not monks and enjoy sex with their wife and they have shared a couple different opinions. One is to wait 4 or so hours before or after training, eat and relax and go about a normal day and then sex is fine. They explain that this is enough time for your body to rebalance. 


Other advanced Wujifa practitioners have simply said it’s a good idea to wait an hour after or before engaging in sexual activity. They explain an hour is enough time to return to normal status, and that they would wait an hour or so after eating a big meal or after work as it just gives some space. I also know of some practitioners who practice and have sex when they feel like it after training. They have some martial skill and they say they don’t have sex every time after practicing Zhan Zhuang but if their girl is ready and the time feels right they haven’t had any problems.

So you can see there are many different answers to these questions. Are you engaged in Zuo Dao or tantric practices and the practice of Zhan Zhuang? Are you like some boxers and refraining from sexual activity until after the big fight? Are you doing a special qigong practice like Yijin Jing  (Muscle/tendon Changing) and also practicing Wujifa Zhan Zhuang? If you understand your practice and you know the principles of your practice then you already know the answer. If you don’t know you are most likely playing with an advanced practice and you should seek some personal guidance and ask your senior school brothers or teacher. 


If you just are beginning a Wujifa Zhan Zhuang practice and you simply like doing the Zhan Zhuang practice, maybe just give yourself an hour before spilling your qi as they say.  New lovers tend not to take much real advice anyway, they’re hopelessly in love don‘t you know. So some of this advice may be a mute subject, just use your common sense that's always best.

So, I hope this sheds a little light on the question of sexual engagement and Wujifa Zhan Zhuang practices. Remember in Wujifa the simple and deep practices are the real key to success. Don’t complicate your practice. You are where you are and that’s where you start. It may take work but it should also make sense. If it doesn’t your doing something wrong or you need to ask more questions before training mindlessly and losing your way.

Five Common Bad Zhan Zhuang Structural Habits

There are many different structural habits a practitioner can build into their Zhan Zhuang practice. A practitioner can often practice alone for years without noticing or worse yet never take the time to validate that they are practicing Zhan Zhuang skill sets correctly. Here are five common bad habits often overlooked by practitioners in their Zhan Zhuang training.


1. Collapsing / Hunching over - The structural problem of hunching is so very common and this habit can take a long time to correct so it’s at the top of the list. I have seen people really make amazing changes in their body over time to the point that they don’t even look like the same person. I’ve heard people say they can breathe better when they lose their hunch. I will say they look much younger and alive after they spent the time to correct this. So, what causes this problem? This problem is often caused by a daily life of working over a keyboard, planting rice, or by keeping your eyes down and not looking into the eyes of the king depending where you live and life style. Being aware and adjusting your posture really helps with bringing about long term change. Like any habit that took years to develop, it may also take a long time to change. Make it one of the things you check often.


2. Ankle alignment - Ankle alignment is so overlooked and is a root cause to many other problems. When people overlook ankle alignment in Zhan Zhuang and Wujifa practices, they end up making a number of other structural adjustments to their posture and that‘s why it’s second on the list of bad habits. There are many causes of poor ankle alignment such as wearing poor fitting shoes over many years to inactivity so that the resulting connective tissues in the foot and ankle become more and more distorted. Many times knee pain is caused by poor ankle alignment and trying to correct it with the hip creates a torque in the knee area as people try to re-align themselves. The best practice is to start with the feet and align them as best as possible (which again can take years, again, if ever). There are some tricks that some people have used. See Wujifa Zhan Zhuang Practice: Tight Calves and Ankles. Also seeing a qualified teacher who understands these things can really help as well.


3. Holding in the lower back and pelvis - Both the lower back and pelvis are included together here as they are rarely seen alone. When holding is found in only one of these two areas, a common response for example to relaxing the pelvis will be to tighten the lower back or vice versa, relaxing the lower back and tightening the pelvic area. Relaxing both are key for better Wujifa Zhan Zhuang practice. One of the big problems is people often store a lot of tension in the lower back and pelvis when they push themselves to hard. Simply taking a break and noticing and stretching throughout the day helps. Over at Internal Gong Fu Blogspot there is a long post about relaxing different areas of the pelvis (See: Relaxing the Pelvic Floor for Tai Chi and Zhan Zhuang). Taking a deep breath and exhale while relaxing those areas while practicing your Zhan Zhuang can help too. I’ll repeat, a simple stretch can aid in making progress and there are a lot of good YouTube videos you can look up (see comment area for suggestions). When practicing Zhan Zhuang, notice the habits of "tightening" and let yourself relax. It will take time to change a habit but it can be achieved pretty quickly (weeks or months) if you take the time and stay with it.

4. Knee Torque - Knee torque was talked about with the ankle alignment above, but there are more causes and knee torque deserves to be number four on this list because it is so common. While practicing Zhan Zhuang people often "lock" themselves into place (See: Is Your Stance Like a Dead Post) to take the weight out of their legs or to make it more tolerable by slightly torque-ing the knees in or out. The answer is to "slowly" build up to standing longer periods of time and change this habit of torque-ing the knee. Also over time the I.T. bands can be shortened and this can cause problems with the knees as well. Hip and lower back alignment as well as ankle alignment are common problems that contribute to knee torque in Zhan Zhuang practices. This is another case where a qualified instructor can really help you notice and make the changes you need to make with changing the habit of knee torque.


5. Chest/upper back and shoulder tension – Chest and shoulder tension are so common that for many it is the number one bad habit of people who practice Zhan Zhuang. You may be asking yourself why chest and shoulder tension/tightness is listed as number five on this list? This issue is listed as number five because many people who train Zhan Zhuang practices know they have this issue. If you visit or train with any high level masters or go to high-quality seminars you will see kind of adjustment being shared over and over again. It is the kind of habit that people change and keep picking back up and so it takes diligent practice to change this habit. If the muscles are chronically tense you may need to stretch often and get some bodywork like Rolfing to help speed you along the way. Most people simply need to pay attention and correct the situation and develop new habits.


I know of some instructors that will adjust the arms to a higher level for tense shoulders. This will cause the shoulder muscles to feel like they are on fire. Please don’t do this at home because you want to wait until the shoulder muscles give up, drop and relax and most people will give up way before that and develop more tightening in the shoulder muscles. A better way is to let the arms drop a little lower so the shoulders don’t have to work so hard to try to support the arms until you can understand what connection is, what relaxed is. Remember in Wujifa we say "Relaxed is not limp" and it may take some people awhile to understand what that means.


Another suggestion for the chest is to breathe deeply and exhale and simply "let the chest fall". Both this and the suggestion above don’t create a long term change directly. Only really paying attention and changing your habits over time will do that. What these two suggestions will do is give you some awareness of what a more relaxed chest and shoulders feel like.


Five Common Bad Zhan Zhuang Structural Habits - Conclusions - 


I hope this was helpful and a reminder to pay close attention to correcting any bad Zhan Zhuang habits you may have. One more quick suggestion that people sometimes find helpful, and please don’t make it a habit, is to tighten a tense area and then relax it quickly. This will also bring some awareness to the possibilities of structural change. Also, remember one of the best pieces of advice I can share, that is see a qualified instructor for assistance and verification. Many of these types of corrections can only really be made in person and hands on.


There are many more bad Zhan Zhuang habits we could add to a list like this such as: zoning out, practicing dead post, letting the mind wander, check the clock every couple minutes, and the worst of the bad habits that didn’t make the Zhan Zhuang bad habits list is not practicing at all! Feel free to share your thoughts and opinions or if I missed any other bad habits you’d like to see included in this or future list. Have a great day!

Gongfu Practice: Role, Design, and Value

The value of one’s practice or, importance it seems to merit can vary tremendously. What is important to one person can be vastly different to another. Now here is the catch, often times the value of a practice cannot be fully understood until much later, and only then, when viewed from another space and time in comparison.

The equation of “Benefits - Costs = Value” is such a personally subjective concept, can it even be rationally understood at any given moment? Then imagine trying to understand the viewpoints of the multitude of long and short term moments all coming together as if they were facets of some larger design. Pictures of glimmering gems. Gems that could have been, simply pieces of glass shining in the afternoon sun. So, what does any of that really mean when it comes down to your gongfu practice?

In Wujifa the seemingly ordinary is often practiced for long periods of time. “Refining the ordinary until they become extra-ordinary” is a common saying. Depth is discovered both in a moment and over time.

“One’s heart is like one’s energy, they cannot be measured directly, only viewed through their actions to which they abide.”

Value is like beauty, and so it is with Wujifa and gongfu. Watching someone practicing Zhan Zhuang can be like watching a concrete pylons in the hot dessert sun in some forgotten parking structure of what pretended to be a life once upon a time. Watching someone first hand experiencing the gongfu of zhan zhuang can also be as if in the presence and majesty of a might redwood connecting, reaching forth, as one discovers it’s place between earth and sky.  How can it be that both can share such a different experience? How can something as simple as standing around have such different processes? How does one place valve on one process or discard another?

“A rut serves its purpose when one finds himself ankle deep in the mud.”

A Buddhist friend tells me “leave them alone, its fine as it is…” The meaning being that there is a lesson to be taught in what there is to experience. Take away the experience and the perfect lesson may also be lost. Understand that your quest may take you years to uncover, and the pointlessness only understood once you wash the mud off of your feet.

It seems there may be an unseen role, design, and value in what is happening that may not always be readily understood outside the moment. Understanding is a process of doing, and experiencing. Knowledge is not mere data, or methods gathered. Yes, methods and data can “artfully” point a direction. In direction there are some seemingly meaningful equations, in which the value is often simply a formulation of subjective understandings at that given moment in time. Growth is full of transformations.

What do you stand for?

You may have heard these questions before around these parts “What do you stand for?”  The answer may honestly be that you don’t know. As you go through life you get to experience life and how you open and connect with life or, how you disconnect and remove yourself from engaging with it.

The question of “How do you know?” is one worth discovering and exploring. Which leads to the question of, “Where to start?” In Wujifa we say “You are where you are and that’s where you start.” So simply stop for a second, notice and discover where you are standing, "your stance in life" right now. Gongfu is noticing this over time and revealing a simple meaning in the role, design, and value you bring to this exploration.

What do you stand for?

What do you stand for? This is such a simple question and yet this simple question is one of many that can uncover the principles and beliefs held at ones very core.  When one sincerely explores this question not in word but in action and in the doing then both conscious and unconscious answers can be revealed if you keep an open mind to the question. What do you stand for?

What do you stand for? Some may say to develop, explore, and notice mental and physical connection or even to help develop internal strength of some kind.  What is the presupposition that these practitioners stand upon? What else do they notice? What else are they putting time and energy into? What happens when people start asking these kind of questions? What do you stand for?

What do you stand for? Some say to simply stand and others say they find it simply enjoyable. There are so many types of drugs in the world. There are many types of medicine and even placebo effects. There are also so many forms of nutrition, nourishment, and sustenance. Without awareness a drug, a medicine, even nourishing foods can lead one to a place where it is insensible. What do you stand for?

What do you stand for? Is it to solve some sort of puzzle or to stand on your principles? Is it to be part of a practice that you believe will make you better in some way? Is it to be part of some group or organization? Is it because you were told too or simply standing alone on faith? Are your reason coming from somewhere deep inside or motivated by some external forces? What do you stand for?

What do you stand for? Does it change as time passes? Does it grow, develop and evolve over time? Does the answer reveal different faces and answers? Is what your stand for some kind of reflection, a mirror, a manifestation of something more? Do why, what, where, and when, like reason, form, place, and time simply present an opportunity to practice learning how to observe? Are there different chunk sizes that are most useful like bricks are useful in building a wall, or how walls are useful in building a home? Does chunk size have anything to with the Wujifa saying “You are where you are and that’s where you start!”?

What do you stand for can be, fundamentally very personal or even superficial, yet the question can still be asked and explored. Many would say that this one question can be so very helpful to making progress and at another time a waste of valuable time.  You are where you are and that’s where you start.

As for an answer to this question simply remember if the answer is at hand what is there to worry? If there is no answer, worrying isn’t going to help. The question “What do you stand for?” is simply a question. Ovation or disdain or ignore it all together.  As the heavy weight boxer Muhammad Ali said “The man who views the world at fifty the same as he did at twenty has wasted thirty years of his life.”  And as the erotic writer Anaïs Nin said “Life is a process of becoming, a combination of states we have to go through. Where people fail is that they wish to elect a state and remain in it. This is a kind of death.” Just simply remember “You are where you are and that’s where you start.

No creature is fully itself till it is, like the dandelion, opened in the bloom of pure relationship to the sun, the entire living cosmos. ~D.H. Lawrence

Wujifa Zhan Zhuang Practice: Tight Calves and Ankles

A fairly common sticky point in people’s Zhan Zhuang practice(s) shows up in the arena of tight calves and ankles. There are a number of reasons for this; from simple tension, misalignments, prior injuries, and poor postures. Many times these problems haven’t happened over night and have been years in the making. The good thing is that we will be taking another look at this today.

First of all there are a number of ways to practice: lying down, sitting in chairs, and a number of different postures. If you’re just starting out be sure to find someone who can help you start out on the right foot as they say. If the standing postures are too difficult ask about seated or laying postures. Also, just because you are seated or laying down doesn’t mean they aren’t difficult. Some postures can be very advanced and other postures more helpful and simplified for those who do not have the ability to practice standing or even certain seated postures.

Since there are so many different ways to practice let’s start with a basic Wujifa Zhan Zhuang standing posture. The basic standing post posture, feet parallel about shoulder width apart, lining up the body over the feet, arms at your side and bending your elbows so your forearms are parallel to the ground, palms of hands facing each other. Then bend the knees slightly and the feeling is “as if” you were going to start to sit down.

Now, let’s talk about the ankles and lower legs. It is becoming more and more common to find beginners having problem showing up with tight ankles and associated tightness in the tendons and ligaments of the ankle and lower leg. I’ve seen people who try to move slightly deeper into posture and end up shifting their weight into their toes or even start to rise up off their heels or losing their balance because of this problem.

Of course if tight ankle tendons, ligaments and calves are a problem remember doing basic warm-up like circling of the ankle and simple stretches can help. Still there are a number of people who have deep set patterns in their body that took years to develop and it will take some time to change or re-pattern these. No worries, assuming you are healthy enough to practice standing postures such as a basic Zhan Zhuang posture there is a trick, method, or as we like to say in Wujifa “medicine” that has worked very well for a number of people with this sort of problem. This method uses an artificial aid placed under the heels or heel blocks to compensate for the shortened tendons and calf muscles.

Heel blocks can be as simple as a piece of sturdy wood an inch or so thick placed under the heel to start with. This allows the shortened ligaments of the ankle and calf to relax. This way they are not put under as much stress as with the more aligned basic Zhan Zhuang posture. Then over time the block can be sanded down or thinner blocks used. Some people have even used books and placed them under the heel, removing a page every couple days until the ‘medicine’ isn’t needed any more. Always make sure that whatever “method” you use that it is sturdy enough and won’t slide out from under your heels. As you can see this heel block method aims toward allowing the body to let go and re-pattern slowly and more naturally over time and for many people with this kind of issue this is a much better way to learn and grow. Of course you can always practice in a higher posture and slowly over time allow yourself to sink down. That is a good method too. Having more than one option is always helpful to gaining insight and making progress in your practices.

Remember eating bitter may be a good medicine, as they say. At the same time forcing the body to do something it isn’t ready to do isn’t. Sometimes taking the easier road may be the right medicine or method for your practice. The bottom line is, use common sense, be practical, and like all good gongfu learn and grow over time.

Wujifa Two Feet and What Does This Mean?



Beginning Wujifa Zhan Zhuang practice starts with a basic foot alignment


In Wujifa our feet are shoulder width apart and parallel. What does this mean in our standing or basic Wujifa Zhan Zhuang practice? They say a picture is worth a thousand words and so I spent some time here drawing a picture for you. I hope this clears up a few questions. Yes in the beginning you might stray as your personal body may not allow this placement, yet you can allow yourself to slow discover how you can adjust toward the intention of this picture.



A helpful thing to start with when aligning the feet is to imagine a line that travels from the center of your heel to the second or third toe. Due to the types of shoes people grow up wearing there can be some deformity of people’s feet and so there can be some variation to proper foot alignment. It’s a good idea to take a little time and to get to understand your own feet as they are a foundation to you standing practices.


Shoulder width - Once you have a good idea of the vector that travels from the heel to that second or third toe you want to get both feet in proper alignment with each other as well. Proper alignment in our basic Wujifa Zhan Zhuang standing practice is to have the feet shoulder width apart from each other (see picture above). Many people practicing Zhan Zhuang standing with their feet to far apart. The feet should be under the hips and under the shoulders. That would mean the distance between the second or third toe of each foot would typically be slightly less than foot apart (approximately eleven or so inches) depending on your body type and size.


Feet parallel – This would mean that the line you imagine being drawn between the center of the heel to that second or third toe of each foot would be parallel with each other. Look at the picture above to get a good idea of what feet parallel means. Remember that many people’s feet are mis-shapen and allowances can vary. Also many people carry a lot of stress in the glutes and lower back. You can read more about this in the blog post here call Basic Tips for Zhan Zhang and Pelvis. 


The feet are the foundation of your Zhan Zhuang and basic Wujifa standing practice. Taking the time to get in touch with this concept of the placement of the feet will change and help you as you explore the wonders of the powerful practice.

Also see the blog post: Zhan Zhaung Alignment

Wujifa System Talks More on Basic Stance or Zhan Zhuang Practices

Here is another Wujifa practices video on basic stance or Zhan Zhuang training. This series is called “Wujifa System Talks” that cover fundamental Wujifa or general practices as view through the Wujifa system frame work. In this series you will find more on the “Method” and practice as possibly helpful or even obtrusive to making real progress in you standing or Zhan Zhuang training.


Here is a link to YouTube for those who enjoy watching their videos there.

Principles are a deeper way of practicing as opposed to only training in basic methods that are all too commonly misused these days. Yet, as we say in Wujifa “You are where you are and that’s where you start.” All too often people start blindly following the methods of a system and fall asleep forgetting to probe further and asking themselves the harder questions. Methods you see are like drugs, they can be helpful if used with caution. All too often people end up becoming addicted to their methods and the depth in their training proceeds to stops right there. What are the basics, what are the basic principles? How can I refine and develop a deeper understanding in these elusive principles?

In Wujifa basic stance or Zhan Zhuang is a good place to start. Still you need to learn to eat bitter and seek validation from school brothers or others who are more skilled than you. Seek what you feel and what is at the edge of your understanding. Be willing to make mistakes and ask for help. Train often and focus and stay awake. Develop your intention and awareness in the process. These keys will help you find your way as you train and develop in your Wujifa training as you start on the path.

Is your stance practice like a dead post?

What is your zhan zhuang practice becoming? The number one problem people have practicing zhan zhuang is dead-post standing. This means being rigid and non-living, doing the practice as if one has a stick stuck you know where.

The second big mistake in dead post standing is when the mind over thinks and over controls instead of simply guiding growth, development, and understanding as one practices.

The post turtle could be a symbol for both of these problems. Just look at the picture above. A stiff rigid pole with all the life stuck on top, over thinking and trying to figure it out. As we say in Wujifa, "the method is not the truth."

Like the punch line to the joke about the post turtle:

The old man says, "When you're driving down a country road and you see a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle. You know he didn't get up there by himself. He doesn't belong there; he can't get anything done while he's up there; and you just want to help the poor, dumb thing down."

The post-turtle is further explained: He did not get there by himself. He cannot get down. And he can only see in the direction he has been turned.

Visit and Read: Zhan Zhuang Alignment
Visit and Read: Wujifa Triangles
Visit and Read: More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Posted via email from Wujifa at Posterous

Different ways to train Zhan Zhuang

There are many different ways for training Zhan Zhuang in different martial arts. Some focus more on imagination as a process for discovering the feeling, others more as a Zen meditation, and others still as an endurance or structural practice. There are many different flavors of Zhan Zhuang or standing meditation practices.

In Wujifa, (without going into the philosophy of the triangles) Zhan Zhuang is first practiced to discover structure, then connection. This is a very functional place to begin, as it calibrates the body and the mind to be able to work with more advanced practices.

In many martial arts, what is considered basic training in one art is considered to be the secrets in another. For example, one martial art may have the practitioner working with a weapon, because he’s not ready yet to engage in hand to hand combat. In another martial art, they might say the person’s not ready for a weapon until they can work empty-handed. In Wujifa, weapons are seen as an extension of the body, and/or tools for calibrating the structure.

Wujifa practice’s first focus is to get the body functional within a certain basic structure. When one first starts working with stance and structure, they may notice how the mind wanders, and the method of structure is a way of starting to engage intent of the alignment of the body. After one starts to make fascial connections and can maintain a good relaxed, balanced structure as an intention and as a physical practice, additional mental focuses can be engaged in a more practical way with the kinesthetic experience gained from practicing the structural intent.

The common mistake when people engage in various mental aspects is to only imagine leaving behind the function of structure. By focusing on the structure first, the imagined connections become less subjective in the sense that the physical responses of a connected aligned body will be verifiable. It is always important to verify the results one is getting lest one’s mind drift off into a fantasy world and that person becomes unable to produce any physical results or applications.

Another issue with many arts is only to work on the physical, and they forget to bring along the mind. We start by engaging the mind for the beginner in seeking the feeling. This feeling is the fundamental process of true Wujifa practice. Once one gets to this stage, noticing the intention and how this is engaged with the body takes one to the next level.

Also Read: A System of Martial Arts Training and Objectives for Wujifa

Zhan Zhuang Alignment

When practicing Standing, or Zhan Zhuang, getting good alignment is one of the common difficulties for beginners. The method for Zhan Zhuang alignment in Wujifa is called “One Two Three Four, One Two Three Four”. The two sets of One Two Three Four are different and complementary sets of alignment points.

The first set of alignment points are: (these links open new windows)

1. The feet are parallel.

2. The knees are over the feet.

3. The hip/inguinal crease/kua are lined up over the feet and knees.
4. The shoulders are lined up over the kua, or inguinal crease.

Looking at the foot first, draw a line from the center of the heel to the second or third toe. If we do this on each foot, these would be two parallel lines. This is what we mean by the feet are parallel. In this model, we extend these lines using visualization which will let us calibrate the accuracy of how parallel these lines truly are. Using these longer lines, small mis-calibrations will be easier to notice. It’s important to mention that the feet are only about a foot to a foot and a half apart. Many people stand with their feet much wider when standing. We will not address that method in this post.

Next, apply the same process to the knees. From the center of the knee cap to the center of the area on the back of the knee, we create two lines again and extend these visualized lines as we did with the feet. If the knees are turned out, the backs of the lines will intersect behind your body. If the knees are turned in, the fronts of the lines will intersect in front of your body. The aim is for the two lines to be parallel and over the two parallel lines of the feet.

The same method is applied to the hips from the center of the inguinal crease and center of each glute. If we tuck and tighten the glutes to pop the inguinal crease out in the front, the lines will intersect behind your body. If we tuck and crunch in the front with relaxed glutes, the lines will intersect in front of your body. (These are just two of many common misalignments.) Rolling the femurs out, relaxing the glutes, and relaxing the belly and lower back simultaneously corrects many common mistakes and will allow these visualized lines of the hips to be parallel, which will allow the parallel lines to stack up, over the knees and over the feet. If the lower back is arched, the lines in front of your body will be tilted down. If the lower back is tucked, then the visualized lines in front of your body will tilt up. What we seek is to have the visualized lines parallel and level with the ground and with each other.

For the shoulders, somewhere between the acupuncture points L1 and L2 and the outside of the shoulder is the point on the front (depending on the person) and the back point is relatively on the same area in the back. If people hunch forward, which is a common mistake, the extended visualized lines will intersect in the front. If the chest is puffed up with the shoulders pulled back using tension in the rhomboid and other upper back muscles, the lines will intersect behind you. Keeping the spine straight and allowing the rib heads to turn or relax naturally will allow the chest to relax and keep the shoulder lines parallel and over the hip, knee, and feet. This is the first set of alignment vectors.

The second One Two Three Four of basic standing Zhan Zhuang alignment consists of the following four points:

1. Inguinal crease "in"

2. Tailbone and lower back relaxed and sinking "downward"

3. With the spine straight and the rib heads relaxed, the sternum drops "downward" without hunching the back or shoulders.

4. The head relaxes "back and upward", maintaining a natural relaxed curve through the cervical vertebrae.

In the Wujifa system, we address the second model of One Two Three Four as puzzles. These puzzles are figured out over time through training.

The first puzzle that we normally address is the inguinal crease "in" and lower back/tailbone "down". This is different than tucking. As we’ve mentioned in other posts like "Basic Tips for Zhan Zhuang and the pelvis", and in the first model explained in this post, the femur heads roll out, creating a feeling of widening in the lower back, the glutes relax, and the lower back relaxes. This allows the inguinal creases to go in, the lower back to lengthen, and the tailbone to sink.

The next puzzle is the combination of points two and three. When the lower back sinks correctly, many people tend to hunch forward or lean backward. Keeping the spine straight and vertical and then allowing the rib heads to rotate is the key to understanding the relationship between points two and three, and is the aim of “Three” in this set and model.

In point number four (the head back and up), in connection with number three, many people pull the head forward, or back in a military “Attention” posture both which make the neck rigid. We correct this common problem by guiding them to straighten and elongate their spine by relaxing. Next we have them look up to the ceiling, and then bring their chin down by allowing the head to pivot on the top of the axis bone at the pinnacle of the spine. This results in the ears lining up over the shoulders in a natural way. Using this method allows a person to understand what is meant by the head back and up in a relaxed natural way.

An important point to remember is not to force this alignment. Some people have hunched for many years or stood with their feet turned out for many years, or have carried a lot of back tension for a long time, thereby shortening muscles in those respective areas. The mistake is to force this alignment instead of relaxing into it. So we bring the alignment as close as we can, challenging ourselves slightly so the muscles can relax and open in the problem areas. As we practice over time, we continue to adjust the parallel lines to where they will stack naturally and create better connections throughout the fascial systems of the body.

As one understands this more, one also understands how the method is not the truth, and how the connection of the fascial system of the body is what is being sought. Ultimately, these methods of alignment can be bent or broken slightly to the level of fascial connection manifested through this kinesthetic process.

Also check out: More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement
Also check out: Keys for Developing the Inguinal Crease, aka Kua, with Wujifa Side to Side Practice
Also check out: The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...
Also check out: Wujifa Two Feet And What Does This Mean

More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Here are more basic functional things to look for or a functional aim to understand while practicing your Zhan Zhuang (standing post practices), and for when you practices movement as viewed through the Wujifa system. Many people will find these helpful for other practices as well. Development and understanding of fascial connections or pathways are keys for strong powerful movement. Many internal arts like Taiji or other “internal martial arts” may also seek this kind of connection which links the body.

More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Standing Practice (Zhan Zhuang)

A. Beginner’s targets for functional standing practice and body awareness:

1. Learning to adjust structure and to discover relaxed balance. Remember “relaxed is not limp” although depending on the level you are at this can be understood in a number of ways.

2. Sinking the weight... As one starts to understand this first point they will feel an area in the quads about the size of an United States twenty-five cent piece or fifty cent sized area about 6 or 8 inches up from the top of the knee or almost half way up in the center of each quad get very warm, if the weight hits other places then something may be off in the structure and one structure should be adjusted accordingly. Although some people may feel general heaviness in the legs, as one learns to adjust their structure more clearly they may discover this smaller fifty cent sized area as they get a little more understanding. Many people will also get very warm and sweat a lot. This is just a sign post and this should be viewed as only one of the many "byproducts" of one's training. More important is that fifty cent sized area. If it gets too heavy one can adjust their stance a little higher, although it is possible to stand with legs almost completely straight and still get this weight down into the legs like this. A common mistake is the feeling hitting the knee area; this is commonly caused by holding in the pelvis or lower back, or even by tightness in the ankles.

3. Fascial connection… For most people (but not everyone) the next functional step is when they start to notice the feeling of fascial stretch in the lower back or the thoracolumbar fascia area of the body. This is another good sign in understanding. This means they have started to understand the correct way to widen the femoral heads by relaxing the glutes and relaxing the lower back while keeping the shoulders over the hips, etc. A few people will feel this fascial stretch in the upper back first, although if it’s the first or second thing noticed the key is to connect the whole back. It can take some time to develop the correct feeling. As one continues to develop, so too does the understanding of this suggested fascial stretch as just one of many ways to move as one connected whole.

B. Mental aspects of physical development

1. Development of neural connections both in the mind and body: as one practices, the neural pathways in the mind and the body also develop. As we understand the feeling of physical connections so do the pathways in the mind and body that send information. They also grow and develop and become more functional. Like a simple path in the woods that is traveled often becomes a road and then later a highway as they get used over time. Neural pathways develop in the same fashion.

2. Intention and how you notice is important as well. Learning to eat bitter is a common saying. What I mean by this is that some people will notice opportunity as they practice. This is a good method. Some may want to notice what is wrong, yet if you go one step deeper you can notice there is opportunity in there as well. This can even be suggested as a deeper understanding of being open. I will say at times it is good to be critical of what one is doing, although noticing opportunity in this is still possible. Imagine later if sparing the difference in noticing an opportunity or noticing what is wrong. Building in this kind of intention early on is a good idea.

3. Moving Practices

A. Learning to move and maintain a functional structure and to relax and balance: remember relaxed is not limp. Maintaining a good structure will help one understand this idea of not being limp better as well.

1. As you develop those good fascial connections made in doing a good stance practice movement can be very helpful as well. As you start to move these fascial connections and pathways also come into play here. Your understanding of the feeling will be very helpful as you start to move. Also, movement can help you gain a greater understanding of these connections as you continue to do your Zhan Zhuang or standing.

2. The feeling of movement is a wonderful way to notice breaks in fascial connections and pathways. Sometimes people will believe they have them so getting good verification of proper movement is necessary when you start out on this path. Although if you can discover some of these while standing you can simply stop moving and double check to see if the connections you’ve discovered in standing are still there. As I said before, there are a number of pathways in the body, so different movement may take some time to understand.

B. Continuing to understand the feeling which is different than understanding the method of movement:

1. Method can be looked at like a medicine, although the drug is not the answer. There is a feeling that one is seeking to understand and explore and in Wujifa we believe this is how progress is made. Understanding the feeling of movement while maintaining fascial connections is one of these.

2. Development of neural pathways is also key. There can be many many pathways that one can explore here as well. There can be the intention of movement. There can be the intention of what the movement is for or what the movement is doing. Either way, noticing the feel of how the body moves brings awareness. I’m not sure how many will understand what I said here. Attention is different than intention. “Noticing” the feelings while practicing is what I’m getting at. This is a very deep subject and as one understands attention and intention even more neural connections can be developed and explored.

C. Learning to maintain the weight being sunk down and moving while maintaining facial connections:

1. Learning to move while keeping the weight in the legs is key here. When you move, the same principle applies here. I’ve seen people who have gotten the feeling of sinking the weight have a hard time at first just doing a few movements. As you develop, this will get easier. At the same time, don’t short change yourself when you train.

2. Remember the neural pathways; what you do to compensate also builds different pathways in the mind and neural connections to the body than when you choose to practice correctly. Always seek the opportunity to grow and develop as you practice. Yes, there is always opportunity and that is what you should seek. Notice when you choose to compensate and when you choose to explore more. This should give you insights to where there can be some nice opportunities for future growth.

D. Developing how intention and feeling connect with movement and furthering the development of neural connection in the mind and body.

1. Opportunity is in the noticing. Noticing the feelings and connections while moving is so very important as we have said before. Paying “attention” by noticing is a big key here.

2. Intention,” what are you doing and why…” There are many levels of engaging this depending on what and where you are and your skill level. Make sure you are clear on what the intention is while moving and paying attention to the fascial connections and the feeling. Remember, what you do is what you are building in and that is one reason the Chinese call this kind of deep training gongfu even if your gongfu is making tea.

Also check out: Basic Tips for Zhan Zhuang and the pelvis

Also check out: Keys for Developing the Inguinal Crease, aka Kua, with Wujifa Side to Side Practice

Also check out: The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...

More ways to follow this Wujifa blog

There are more ways now to follow the Wujifa blog. The goal here is to share as much free and useful content and pointers as possible. In saying that many might find some of this information helpful, like those who practice Zhan Zhuang (stance practice), Taijiquan, or other Internal Martial Arts.

So feel free to join up and comment at these other places. We can now be found on:
Twitter @wujifa
Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/cultivationandpractice
Facebook at the Wujifa fan page

We will be posting a few new Gao style Bagua Videos recorded back in 2000 from Taipai, Some Bagua videos from 2006 in Beijing, and of course some more Wujifa basic trainings and Kau development practices videos and Zhan Zhuang pointers in the next few weeks.

Please feel free to post comments and or questions or suggestion. You can post them here in the comment area or at any of these other places...

The following 45 functional points are some of many statements used and remembered, as one trains in their Wujifa and gongfu practices. These hints and pointers are commonly returned to, referred to, and explored as lessons or as simple puzzles to aid one in discovering the deeper meaning(s) that one seeks to explore with their Wujifa, qigong, gongfu, and/or their internal martial arts practices. As in many internal martial arts, gong fu, qigongs, or other practices of these types, it’s commonly found that these saying that are frequently used in Wujifa are aimed toward providing the opportunity to explore the depth that can be discovered in one’s own trainings, skill sets, and even in daily life. Take some time and explore these for yourself as you may discover the deeper understandings of these may change as one’s level of understand develops with time.

45 Gongfu Hints and Pointers

When we think of “intention” we might notice this word suggests an aim or goal, a target or an objective, even a purpose or a meaning and a plan. When we think of “order” we might think of a command or request, a sequence or an arrangement or even a harmony. When we notice the word “direction” we might notice a directive or direction as a means of regulating or focusing, to supervise, manage, or lead. Direction can be a way or a heading, a bearing, a target or to govern.

In many deeper teachings the goal can sometimes be to understand the real meaning of simply one or a few words. That is to understand the feeling of the word or idea more than to simple just know the word.

• You are where you are, and that’s where you start.
• Relaxed is not limp.
• Relaxing in one area will aid relaxation in another area. The body is connected.
• Connected is not locked.
• Connected is not stiff.
• Structure is not rigid.
• Easy isn’t necessarily ease.
• Ease isn't necessarily easy.
• Don't rush it, it'll happen faster.
• Your strength is your weakness.
• Your strong point is your weak point, your weak point is your strong point.
• Attention is different than focus.
• Noticing changes everything.
• It’s better to fall down than quit.
• How would a baby learn?
• Now I know what the "Chi" is? (Laughing)
• Match is not living.
• Pay attention to the minutest details for the largest gains.
• Your questions reveal where you are, your experience, and what you’re working on.
• Practice a pattern until the feeling reveals itself to you. Pay attention. Notice.
• What's your purpose?
• Why are you doing this?
• If you can’t feel your body, then what’s the point of having a body?
• The purpose of the method is to feel.
• Feeling is a key, as kinesthetic is to foundation.
• Feeling is a key. Grounded is foundation.
• How do you know?
• There is no end to feeling, understanding, and being aware.
• The method is not the truth, once you get the feeling, get rid of the method.
• Once you get the feeling, principle is second nature.
• The method is not the truth.
• The method is a medicine.
• The various (suggested chi flow) feelings are signposts. Don’t confuse the signpost for the actual destination.
• Using imagery is a trick (a method, a medicine) to get the intention to move.
• Monkey mind and stallion – keep the monkey busy so the stallion runs freely.
• A small step, no matter how small, starts the momentum. Keep taking small steps. Many small steps will take you a long way.
• One small step for “a man,” a giant leap for most of mankind!
• Practice the ordinary until it becomes extra-ordinary.
• Technique -> Form -> Principle -> Philosophy
• Three Rules: 1. Be responsible for your own development – be, response-able 2. Be rational and functional 3. Experiment, try, feel, get results
• A good lesson teaches to where the student is. A not so good teacher teaches where the teacher is.
• Different People learn in different ways.
• Once you get the feeling, the principle is second nature.
• Going to McDonald's

There are many more of these enlightening saying used in the Wujifa system and throughout many different styles of internal martial arts, Taijiquan, Qigong and Taoist and philosophical practices as well. I would like to end this article on helpful gongfu hints and pointers with something written by Jurgen Habermas in his Theory of Rational Reconstruction and explored by Lawrence Kohlberg’s system of Morality.



"The model of “rational reconstructions” represents the main thread of the surveys about the “structures” of the world of life (“culture”, “society” and “personality”) and their respective “functions” (cultural reproductions, social integrations and socialization). For this purpose, the dialectics between “symbolic representation” of “the structures subordinated to all worlds of life” (“internal relationships”) and the “material reproduction” of the social systems in their complex (“external relationships” between social systems and environment) has to be considered." Jurgen Habermas Theory of Rational Reconstruction



“…a rational person, one has an insight into the validity of the underlying principles and has committed oneself to them.” Lawrence Kohlberg’s system of Morality page 71

The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...

The basic concept of "sitting down" is an important one when you are first learning Wujifa standing (Zhan Zhuang). So, with this in mind I will do my best to sharing some helpful information on this and a few other helpful bits to explore. On that note hopefully you find something below to help as well with your own personal Qigong training.

The Concept of "Sit Down" in Wujifa Standing...

One of the opportunities we get to develop in Wujifa is intention. Overtime you will develop different ways to "allow" your intention, one is by simply playing with some of the basic concepts of Wujifa practice while you are learning and training. Of course if you train Wujifa you are well aware of the basic ideas of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4 that are methods to help you discover the feeling of aligning your structure are one of these tools. Although as we know this example is only a method or opportunity for discovering the feeling of alignment. The ideas of 1, 2, 3, 4 and 1, 2, 3, 4 as shared in this practice are simply a method or frame work to notice and discover the feeling of a relaxed structure. The focus is on getting and developing the feeling of connection and developing these. The connection that you'll develop when you have a relaxed aligned structure.


Now I will say I have noticed over the years that it is pretty common for people to make the methods of discovery more important than simply discovering more deeply the feeling of a relaxed connected and aligned body. Also, those who have often discovered this, that is developing your intention, can also be very useful as well not only in Wujifa but in so many areas of your life. Now, I will say at times it can be useful to do something (methods) to help one in discovering these insights. If I were to share one simple thing here, I would say "Be congruent with the intention" with the understanding this is very important for developing/development of neural pathways in ones brain and strengthening the connections both in this brain and in the body.
Learning to notice the "feeling" of your development and how it changes is a good step on the path. Also, learning to simply notice the different feelings is a good habit to develop. Many times a new person might feel that there is so much new information they need to track "all" this different data or in the process they put all their faith in the methods and data, and "methods" becomes their primary focus.
When you are first learning and practicing Wujifa it is true that focusing on certain methods can be productive. Although, as students, we also need to be aware that these are not the primary focus or intention. Actually I will suggest that even this noticing of the feelings in a way is actually another "method" as well, as you progress, and is not a primary focus, as you grow and develop these connected movements.
So, you might ask “What is the primary focus?” I would suggest that simply the metod of being “congruent” with how you connect and move and respond functionally in a unified and productive way can be a good idea that can help you with developing the so called “feeling” of the intention that Wujifa can assist us with as we train.

All that being said I would like to share something that I believe is another good "method" for developing some of the feeling that can be very useful when starting out with basics in Wujifa qigong. Many have heard that sinking the weight so the top is light and the bottom is heavier is one of those feelings one can discover and play with that is helpful both for those who have practiced for a little while and even for the person who is relatively new to Wujifa standing practices (Zhan Zhuang). In saying this, what I will also suggest looking for the feeling of "sitting down" or the process of sitting down.
As we know in basic Wujifa method of 1, 2, 3, 4, and 1, 2, 3, 4 that the discovery of the feeling of the inguinal crease area. What we also call “1” in this paradigm is the inguinal crease. The inguinal crease is suggested as "in" and "2” in this model the sacrum is "allowed" to relax "down" by relaxing the lower back (This is different than tucking and take a while for some to get). So, the common feeling for many people is the feeling "as if" they are starting to sit down on lets say a bar stool.
I would suggest that people should "relax and allow" their practice to seek and develop this for awhile until they build in the feeling, as well as the commonly suggested feeling of light on top and the lower parts heavy. As you might discover this "image" of sitting down can be helpful for people who want to allow the noticing of this feeling while standing. Remember, continue to notice this intention of sit down in a relaxed way (Remember the Wujifa saying "Relaxed is not limp"). Over time if you play as suggested here you may start to notice how much this will contribute to your Wujifa stance practice (Zhan Zhuang).

If you have any questions... as always... feel free... and ask…

Also check out: More on Zhan Zhuang and Movement

Also check out: Basic Tips for Zhan Zhuang and the pelvis
Also check out: Zhan Zhuang Alignment
Also check out: Keys for Developing the Inguinal Crease, aka Kua, with Wujifa Side to Side Practice
Also check out: Wujifa Two Feet and What Does This Mean