The Imposition of the Biànzi, the Manchu Queue
The biànzi 辮子 was a traditional way of wearing hair, imposed by manchu rulers on the local population after the conquest of China and the establishment of the Qīng 清 dynasty in 1636.
Read more...
Wen-Wu: The Civil and the Martial in the State and in the Individual
Wén 文 and wǔ 武 are, in Chinese philosophy and thought, a pair of dichotomous and complementary concepts, which refer to the civil and military spheres of culture and politics, respectively.
Read more...
Principles of Baduanjin Qigong (Eight Pieces of Brocade)
The Eight Pieces of Brocade (Bāduànjǐn 八段錦) is one of the most widespread and practiced series of Qìgōng 氣功 exercises worldwide. In this article we want to provide relevant information to understand these exercises and know the fundamentals of their practice.
Read more...
The Origins of Sun Wukong
Sūn Wùkōng 孫悟空 is the main character of the classic novel “Journey to the West” (西遊記 Xī Yóu Jì), one of the most important works of Chinese literature. However, this odd monkey-character is not an original invention of the author of the Xī Yóu Jì, in fact, we find several literary antecedents that were gradually shaping his image.
Read more...
Poetry Contests in Ancient China
Poetry has always been one of the most appreciated arts in China. In the past, its appreciation extended to all layers of society, and already in ancient times there were poetic contests (dǒu shī 鬥詩) that were practiced at festivals and banquets and adopted different forms, usually involving the consumption of wine among the participants.
Read more...
The Dantian and the Taoist Internal Alchemy
The concept of dāntián 丹田 (“elixir field”) is key to understanding qìgōng 氣功. This term remains full of mystery even in our day. In order to understand what the dāntián is, we must go back to its origins in Taoist internal alchemy (內丹術 nèidān shù).
Read more...
From “Eating Tea” to “Drinking Tea”: Tea Since Táng Dynasty
Habits in tea consumption have changed a lot throughout history. Currently, tea is consumed as an infusion, but this method began to be used only in the Míng 明 dynasty. Until then, the preparation of tea went through several very interesting stages, which gave rise to the expression “eating tea”.
Read more...
The Snake Form of Choy Li Fut
The Snake Form is one of the internal forms of our style, and gathers some of the most ancient Kung Fu techniques. The use of internal energy (氣 qi) and relaxation over external physical force predominates in the execution of techniques and movements, which imitate those of the animal.
Read more...
Everyday Items as Weapons
In many styles of Kung Fu, in addition to empty hand combat techniques, different kinds of weapon techniques are practiced. These weapons include a series of everyday objects that, if necessary, can be used in combat. We are talking about, among others, the fan, the bench, the cane or crutch, the hoe, the flute…
Read more...
The Origins of Meditation in China
By the time Buddhism began to spread in China, some indigenous currents had already developed their meditation practices. These currents are sometimes referred to as proto-Taoists because, on the one hand, they precede the formation of Taoism as a religion and, on the other hand, influenced their subsequent development.
Read more...