Cultivating Kung Fu: Practice, Nourishment, and Mindset

To master Kung Fu, one must diligently practice; however, merely practicing won't necessarily lead to success. I believe,When practicing boxing, it's important to occasionally play with it, demonstrate it, and even practice without actually practicing. If there's no place, you can practice in your mind,boxing at a bull's strength place. Practicing in your mind is actually playing with boxing. This playing is not idle or frivolous; it's aboutsearching, probing, and essentially finding the core strength and feeling.

Confucius studied the I Ching, the three codes of Wei, putting in extreme effort, but ultimately said that one must understand the spirit of the I Ching, which cannot be achieved without playing with it. Why? I think it's becausehaving mastered the basics, one must approach them with a relaxed and detached attitude, much like a child playing a game – very serious and engaged, but still enjoying the process. Therefore, Confucius made an excellent summary: 'Learning without thinking is futile; thinking without learning is equally unproductive.'Taking boxing as an example, 'learning' is about putting in the effort, 'thinking' is about 'playing with' it. When practicing, one shouldn't simply brute-force; one must probe to see if the core strength is correct, if the movements have a purpose – this is when true mastery is achieved, and the mind will naturally come into play, allowing the Kung Fu to truly take shape. The 'playing' is a remarkably high level, because of a good attitude, without utilitarian thinking, not constantly thinking about getting out of Kung Fu, and not letting oneself become tense. Inner Kung Fu is all about this mindset. When the mindset is correct, the heart and intent align, and one can move towards the ethereal. When one is tense, everything disappears. During boxing practice, one should move about freely, swaying and shifting, finding the feeling – this is 'intention'! After understanding, one starts to cultivate; first cultivate, then understand. Inner Kung Fu is a relationship of cultivation and understanding, but a layer of cultivation followed by a layer of understanding – if not cultivated, not understood, if cultivated and understood, it's a continuous process. After much effort, a moment of insight may appear, seemingly out of nowhere, immediately drawing a picture – a sudden breakthrough! Seeing the blossoming of a flower and gaining insight; like a lifetime of devotion to a sword, diligently honing it to a needle—

What is 'nourishing' Kung Fu? How do you 'nourish' it?

'Nourishing' Kung Fu refers to maintaining and extending the life of a boxing technique. Everyone who practices boxing knows that they practice, appreciate, play with, and use it, but many people overlook 'nourishing' it. Boxing is not just a specific form; it also has abstract content. From this point of view, boxing's life is eternal. However, when it comes to individuals, boxing's life may be like their health – it can flourish or decline. Some people's boxing life is like a fleeting flower; others can maintain it permanently, even growing with age—

Studying theory to 'nourish' Kung Fu

Any boxing style has its own ideology and thought, and it's far more mysterious and powerful than its form. While some people can mimic styles and appear to copy them perfectly, they lack a deep understanding of the underlying principles, don't know why it works, can't feel its magic, and become dissatisfied – they will voluntarily abandon it and unable to deepen it. This is the second main reason for a boxing technique's short lifespan.

Combining life with Kung Fu to 'nourish' it

First,

try to avoid habits that contradict the movement patterns of Kung Fu. For example, Tai Chi requires softness and tranquility; in daily life, one should strive to avoid unnecessary force and tension. Secondly,

try to implement boxing principles in all aspects of daily lifeto adapt to the times and to the location, always 'nourish' Kung Fu. Practicing Qi, Shen, and Yi has a positive influence on the preservation of boxing techniques; it can be practiced anytime and anywhere. It's a lie to say that you don't have time to practice Kung Fu – waiting in line, riding the bus, reading the newspaper, chatting—all these can be opportunities for practicing Kung Fu. If one stops training, they'll forget they're practicing Kung Fu, and that's how much time they've spent practicing; but some people are good at finding opportunities to insert boxing into their lives—they 'are in Kung Fu' while walking, talking, sitting, and lying down. Eventually, this will result ina longer and more vigorous boxing life. Cultivating the mind and body to 'nourish' Kung FuThe body and mind are the carriers of Kung Fu; anything that is harmful to the body and mind is also harmful to Kung Fu. The seven plagues, unbalanced diet, irregular living habits, overwork and overexertion, and excessive emotional fluctuations—both internal and external factors, will reduce the body's and mind's ability to adapt to and carry boxing techniques, affecting their focus and commitment, and shortening or damaging the life of boxing techniques. In short, it's like starting a business—it's easy to start, but difficult to sustain. It's easy to practice Kung Fu, but difficult to 'nourish' it.

Only those who are deeply in love with Kung Fu will regard it as an integral part of their lives, diligently caring for and preserving it, ensuring its long-term survival.

'It's like resting while practicing Kung Fu' means:

When practicing Kung Fu, focus your mind and body, and coordinate every part of your body both internally and externally, upper and lower, left and right, all limbs, and your entire brain—It's about being quiet and focused during practice, with every part of your body coordinated. Practicing Tai Chi requires softness and tranquility; in daily life, one should strive to avoid unnecessary force and tension.

The process of practicing Kung Fu is also a process of rest and relaxation; the whole body, both internally and externally, cannot be tense, every muscle must relax, achieving a state of calm and tranquility. The function of Tai Chi in eliminating fatigue, restoring strength, pleasing the mood, and relaxing the nerves is to maintain health and wellness—it's not a tiring physical labor, but a process of health and wellness. It should be to make one feel more comfortable as they practice. 'It's like resting while practicing Kung Fu' is a method of thinking that is in line with the natural law of things and the principle of health—it's also a clever way to practice.

During boxing practice, the whole body, both internally and externally, cannot be tense, every muscle must relax, achieving a state of calm and tranquility. PS:

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