The Way of Martial Arts

M O N T H LY INTERACTIVE LESSONS TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR DA I LY LIFE

B Y M A S T E R E R I C S B A R G E

Lesson 32

Threes the Charm

Three is a popular number, trailing only one and two in popularity.
Threesomes, triplets, triumvirates and trinities abound in every culture --
but no country seems to have selected the number three to define important
groupings as much as China has.
In this lesson I will present several of the more common
and essential trinities that you should be aware of as a stu-
dent of Chinese health arts and martial arts. Theyre not in
any particular order. The importance of each to you will
likely depend on your goals and level of interest and under-
standing in the many aspects of your training.
The term San Bao translates as three treasures, and Ive
heard the term being used to describe more than one of the trinities listed
below. Ill leave it to you to determine which should rightfully be called
treasures.

SETS OF THREE

Buddhism, Confucianism, Taoism These are the

three major philosophies/religions of China, each of
which has had a profound influence not just on martial
and health arts, but on every facet of Chinese culture. Our
Shaolin practice is rooted in Buddhist principles, the ethics and
wu-de that we follow are steeped in Confucian values, and the
internal arts that we practice are based on Taoist principles
Ying/Yang, Wu-Hsing, Pa Kua These are the three natural laws that
describe the cosmos and universe from the traditional Chinese perspective.
Yin and yang are the dual forces of nature, the wu-hsing (five elements)
describe the relationships between the various physical properties within
nature, and pa kua (eight trigrams) describes the characteristics of the ever-
changing components within nature.

Tai Chi, Hsing-I, Pakua This trinity describes the three most common
internal martial arts practiced in China (and at The Peaceful Dragon.) Tai
Chi is of coursed based on the theory of yin and yang, hsing-i is based on
the five-element theory, and pakua as the name conveys is based on the per-
mutations of the eight trigrams.

Upper Dantien, Middle Dantien, Lower Dantien -- These energetic

points of the body are key for chi kung, meditation and healing purposes.
The upper dantien, sometimes referred to as the third eye, is between the
eyebrows. The middle dantien is at the center of the chest, and the lower
dantien is centered below the navel. The upper connects us spiritually with
the heavens, the middle controls our emotions and heart mind, and the
lower is our central reservoir of energy that connects to and fuels the whole
body.

Jing, Chi, Shen -- In the traditional Chinese model of the human being,
the jing (sexual essence) gives rise to the chi (energy), which in turn con-
verts to shen (spirit). The ultimate quest is to continually move from the
coarseness of jing to the refinement of shen. These are often referred to as
the Three Internal Harmonies.

Hands/feet, elbows/knees, shoulders/hips This refers to the Three

External Harmonies. When coordinating movement for chi kung or com-
bat, in each pairing the lower and upper extremity must be synchronized.

Yi, Chi, Li Yi (mind intent) directs and guides the chi (energy) which
results in li (physical manifestation). For example, to help cure an injury
you can think of sending your energy to the injured area, resulting in faster
healing. Or in combat you have the intention to parry a kick coming at
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you, which sends energy to your arm and results in the physical move-
ment of your arm to deflect the kick.

Head, Tongue, Hui Yin Point This refers to the Three Liftings. When
doing internal practice, we lift the head as if from a string above, lift the
tongue to the roof of the mouth, and lift the hui yin point (perineum) to
round off the chi circulation.

Chin, Elbows, Chi This refers to the Three Sinkings. Slightly tuck the
chin, drop the elbows, and sink the chi to the dan tien during your inter-
nal practice.

Heaven, Man, Earth -- This trinity places us between the earth and
heaven, and philosophically reminds us that we must be balanced between
the practical elements of the earth, and the energy of the heavens (atmos-
phere).

Raise, Center, Sink Based on the above trinity, these three are some-
times referred to as the Three Powers for Tai Chi: Raise your spirit and
awareness, Center your focus at the dan tien, and Sink your weight to
root to the earth.

Lower, Middle, Upper Basin This refers to level of your stance when
practicing chi kung movements, such as circle walking or stance training.

Lower, Middle, Upper Gate Refers to the legs, torso or head as target
areas to pay attention to in combat, or as energetic sections of the body to
focus on in chi kung.

Speed, Power, Technique The three external variables that play a vital
role in determining your level of kung fu combat excellence.

Mind, Breath, Posture The three categories we develop in any practice

of chi kung.

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Religious, Martial, Medical The three primary types of chi kung tradi-
tionally practiced in China.

Hand, Torso, Mind These refer to the three methods we employ when
performing our kung fu. At a low level, our power is derived from the
extremities only; at the intermediate level we integrate the entire body; and
at the advanced level we defeat the opponent with the mind.

Hand, Waist, Foot When executing an attack or a defense, we must inte-

grate the stepping, turning of the waist, and functioning body weapon
(often the hand).

Coarse Strength, Forced Breath, Extended Chest This refers to the

Three Harms in internal martial arts. The not only harm your combat skill,
but will diminish your chi and shorten your life as well.

By no means is this above sampling exhaustive, but it is a good start to

familiarize you with many of the trinities that can aid your understanding
of the arts you are practicing. Perhaps youll be more alert and attuned to
others as your read, study and train more in the future.

E X E R C I S E O N E

Having read the above list of trinities, pick three (I chose this number
for obvious reasons) that you either werent aware of or havent paid much
attention to in your training. Make them the focus of your analysis and
contemplation as your practice this month.

A S S I G N M E N T

Explain whether the examples of trinities Ive presented in this lesson are
contradictory towards each other, or complementary towards each other.
Send your thoughts to me at lessons@thepeacefuldragon.com. Please put
Lesson 32 in the subject line.

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R E C O M M E N D E D R E A D I N G

The Power of Internal Martial Arts

By Bruce Frantzis

This book explores through interesting anecdotes and analysis the trinity
of the Internal martial arts of Tai Chi, Hsing-I and Pakua. The author is
one of the more experienced internal martial arts stylists in America who
trained with several top Chinese and Japanese masters. Not only will you
better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each of the three styles,
but youll get some good explanations of many of the trinities encom-

SSSS
passed within the styles, some of which I outlined in this lesson.

Every month a book or article will be suggested by Master Sbarge.

Reading about topics related to the arts you are training in will help you get
the most out of your practice. Just remember that reading can never replace
your practice! Each months recommended reading is purely optional,
though Master Sbarge may on rare occasion ask that you do read a particu-
lar book.
For additional reading suggestions by Master Sbarge, go to
http://www.thepeacefuldragon.com/books.shtml. For any book or other
item you purchase through The Peaceful Dragon websites link to
Amazon.com, a percentage is automatically sent to The Peaceful Dragon.
We appreciate your support of our school.

Note: All Peaceful Dragon students are urged to complete monthly

assignments because they are important for you to fully benefit from
your training.

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