Long ago in a time of antiquity, there came masters of various mysterious skills. Some of these masters were Taoist, some were Buddhist, some were unknown save for their enigmatic lives and presence in far away places, caves, forests, hermitages. Others were skilled mendicants, physicians, monks and so forth, that lived among the populace in their respective places in monasteries, palaces, and others who had ordinary practices but extraordinary skills, and kung fu masters or traditional physicians.

As a result of such a rich heritage, we in the modern age have had bequeathed to us a treasure house of valuable skills and techniques worthy of study and development. Fortunately, the Chinese government has made it a priority to preserve as well as expand upon the vocabulary of Traditional Chi Gong, Traditional Daoyin, and Traditional Chinese Yoga first by compiling what is known and then by adding to its further development.

I respect the efforts of so many esteemed professionals enlisted in the Chinese effort to promote and spread Wushu, TaijiQuan, and other traditional exercise systems for the national good and profit. However, I have a fondness for the traditional ancient techniques in their more original form and have learned from my own experience how incredibly effective these exercises are.

What Is Yoga?

Many People believe that Yoga is nothing more than a series of rigorous stretching and strengthening exercises that utilize various complex postures, called asana. Nowadays, the "traditional" yoga is being replaced by popular modern versions which are trained and certified by individuals with limited credentials, more like a fast-food service than the ancient respected way of studying with a master for decades, who himself studied for even more decades and trained in ever greater subtleties of his art.

Yoga, which is known to refer to all kinds of self-restraint, in fact encompasses a vast array of techniques covering not only physical postures, but internal development of organs, control of endocrine system, control of mind, control of emotions, and the use of one aspect of a person (emotional or mental control) to conquer other aspects; for instance, Bakti Yoga is the use of Devotion to conquer attachment to the body and fear of pain and to raise the consciousness to the highest enlightened mind. An example of Bakti Yoga most westerners would recognize would be the religions of the Bible: Judaism, Islam, and Christianity. So in a correct understanding of what Yoga is or is not, we can see that these religions are a form of Yoga. There are other kinds of self-restraint as well.

Traditional Chinese Yoga

The systems of traditional Chinese exercise are Yoga systems in the strictest sense, and are used for the same purpose as all other commonly known systems of yoga. They can be used for the narrower intent of just physical improvement, or therapeutic use to heal and recover from illness and injuries. They are also often used to elevate the mind to a higher state or function. For instance, the use of traditional Chinese meditation, also considered traditional Chinese yoga, would be used to develop super cognition, another aspect of the enlightened mind.

The Comprehensive system of traditional Chinese Yoga consists of the following: Daoyin, WeiGongLianXi, NeiGongLianXi, TaijiQuan (and other internal Kungfu), Buddhist Martial Exercises, YinJinJing, ShiShouJing, Various ChiGong breathing exercises (Pranayama in Hindu system), the Various Systems of Bakti (Devotional) practices such as Taoism, Buddhism, Zen, and so forth. This is by far not an exhaustive list.

At Wujido Martial Arts, we teach the following systems of Traditional Chinese Yoga in our course work. The course is divided into beginner, intermediate, advanced, and master level.

Level 1 Description

DAOYIN: Mild to rigorous postures stretching and extending the limbs and exercising the meridians (acupuncture) for opening the channels of Chi, restoring and maintaining health, and life-extension (the longevity/immortality exercises). Level 1-mild

CHIGONG: This overall system is of three kinds: medical (therapeutic), Martial (fighting), and spiritual (establishing foundation for religious practice) Level 1-Basic

TAIJIQUAN: The basic universal Tai Chi routine of 24 movements (Yang Family). The form is modified from the universal version by adding Chen style reeling silk training, which increases the effectiveness of the routine for Chi development, and actual applications with further training.

ZHAN ZHANG: Esoteric and Root training which amplifies and intensifies the internal development stage at this level so the beneficial effects of Chi development can be experienced at a faster pace.

Traditional Chinese Meditation: Basic meditation instruction in the Great Celestial Path of Taoist Meditation rooted in producing the elixir for immortality. Medically speaking, from a Western point of view, it has a positive effect of HGH release and Endocrinal Balance and fortifies the brain and nervous system. This results in an amazing and incredibly improved sense of well-being and comfort, often immediately but definitely over time, with sharper focus and ultimately a more perfectible cognition.

After at least 18 months of practice (148 training hours) in Level 1, a practitioner goes to Level 2 after examination and evaluation, and after reaching a certain uniform standard of skill and understanding. This level includes further TaijiQuan training, the 48-movement routine, TaijiJian (tai chi sword), traditional Yang and Wu style TuiShouLianXi, more advanced Daoyin training (level2), more advanced ChiGong (level 2), further training in Traditional Chinese Meditation, Five Animal Play (level 1), and forms applications.

The process being similar to the previous levels, we then examine the practitioner for evaluation purposes and for promotion into the level 3 programs. Level 3 programs include advanced TaijiQuan instruction in the original routine (103 hand form) and additional weapons routines, level 3 Daoyin, advanced Tui-Shou, Meditation, ChiGong, and so forth.

Level 4 brings the practitioner into master instructor training and requires many years of dedicated study and work. This level is of course for the most ardent and ambitious students of Traditional Chinese Yoga.