Kung-Fu is a special kind of skill; a fine art rather than just physical exercise of self—defense. To the Chinese, Kung-Fu is a subtle art of matching the essence of the mind to that of the techniques in which it has to work. The principle of Kung-Fu is not a thing that can be learned, like a science, by fact-finding and instruction in facts. It has to grow spontaneously, like a flower, in a mind free from emotions and desires. The core of this principle of Kung-Fu is “Tao” -- the spontaneity of the universe.
The word “Tao” has no exact equivalent in the English language. To render it into “Way” or “Principle" or “Law” is to give it too narrow an interpretation. Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, described Tao in the following words:
“The Way which can be expressed in words is not the eternal Way; the Name which can be uttered is not the eternal Name. Conceived of a Nameless it is the cause of Heaven and earth——Conceived of as having a name it is the mother of all things. Only the man eternally free from passion can contemplate its spiritual essence. He who is clogged by desires can see no more than its outer form. These two things, the spiritual way (Yin) and the material (Yang) though we call them by different names, are one and the same in their origin. This sameness is a mystery of the mysteries. It is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful."
In the “Masterpieces of World Philosophy” this inexpressible “ultimate mystery” is expressed in these words:
“Tao is the nameless beginning of things, the universe, principle underlying everything, the supreme, ultimate pattern, and the principle of growth.”
Although no one word can substitute its meaning, the Chinese have used the word ”Truth” for it -- the “Truth” behind Kung-Fu; the “Truth” that every Kung-Fu practitioner should follow.
Tao operates in Yin and Yang, a pair of opposing yet mutually complementary forces that are at work in and behind all phenomena in this universe. This principle of Yin—Yang, also known as Tai-Chi, is the basic structure of Kung-Fu. The Tai—Chi or Grand Terminus, sometimes called “the Great Extremes”, was first drawn more than three thousand years ago, by Chou Chun I. The Yang (whiteness) principle represents positiveness, firmness, maleness, substantiality, brightness, day, heat, etc. The Yin (blackness) principle is the opposite. It represents negativeness, softness, femaleness, insubstantiality, darkness, night, coldness and so forth.
The basic theory of Tai—Chi is that nothing is so permanent as never to change. In other words, when activity reaches the extreme point, it becomes inactivity, and inactivity forms Yin. Extreme inactivity returns to become activity, which is Yang. Activity is the cause of inactivity, and vice—versa. This system of complementary increasing and decreasing of the principle is continuous. From this one can see that the two forces, although they appear to conflict, in reality are mutually interdependent; instead of opposition, there is cooperation and alternation.
The applications of the principles of Yin and Yang in Kung-Fu are expressed as the Law of Harmony. It states that one should be in harmony with, not rebellion against, the strength and force of the opposition. This means that one should do nothing that is not natural or spontaneous; the important thing is not to strain in any way. When opponent A uses strength (Yang) on B, B must not resist him (back) with strength; in other words, do not use positiveness (Yang) against (Yang), but instead yield to him with softness (Yin) and lead him to the direction of his own force, negativeness (Yin) to positiveness (Yang). When A’s strength goes to the extreme, the positiveness (Yang) will change to negativeness (Yin), B then taking him at his unguarded moment and attacking with force (Yang). Thus, the whole process is without being unnatural or strained. B fits his movement harmoniously and continuously into that of A without resisting or striving.
The above idea gives rise to a closely related law, the Law of Noninterference with nature, which teaches the Kung-Fu man to forget about himself and follow his opponent (strength) instead of himself; that he does not move ahead but responds to the fitting influence. The basic idea is to defeat the opponent by yielding to him and using his own strength against him. That is why a Kung-Fu man never asserts himself against his opponent, and never being in frontal opposition to the direction of his force. When being attacked, he will not resist, but will control the attack by swinging with it. This law illustrates the principles of nonresistance and nonviolence which were founded on the idea that the branches of a fir tree snapped under the weight of the snow, while the simple reeds, weaker but more supple, can overcome it. In the “I Ching”, Confucius illustrated this:
“To stand in the stream is a datum of nature; one must follow and flow with it.”
The principles of Yin and Yang are also apparent in the Principles of Uncertainty. A Kung-Fu man learns that all fighting is based on deception. One principle of Uncertainty states:
“Where hardness is expected, softness; where softness is expected, hardness.”
Hardness or strength (Yang) is concealed in softness (Yin), and softness (Yin) is concealed in hardness (Yang). Inside the sleeping rabbit (Yin) is a rapidly beating heart (Yang). Concealed in the soft, flowing, graceful moves (Yin) of a Kungfu man are very powerful and devastating applications (Yang). These principles are carried into all aspects of deception through Uncertainty.
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