The Yon Ch'uan Internal school of training focuses on mental defense, resolving conflicts nonviolently while promoting physical, emotional and spiritual well being. Yon Ch'uan Martial Arts training offers youth programs of instruction designed to foster cooperation and personal growth. The youth training program and the confidence it inspires develops sills to resolve conflicts peacefully. In addition to actual martial arts techniques the program teaches children, young people and adults how to stop both physical and verbal confrontations before they happen. The training provides young people with a unique opportunity for social exchange and teaches each participant how to attain immense, internal energy, eventually reaching the full limits of their organic, psychomotor, cognitive and effective development, according to individual ability.
Yon Ch'uan Three Zone Defense training brings out in young people the qualities of humility, honesty, confidence, courage, strength and truthfulness. None of the youth defense training programs can be used offensively. (Example: a headlock or front choke escape skill can only be used for defense) It is of paramount importance that a beginning student first develop self-confidence and learn alternatives to using force to dissuade a potential physical encounter. The Three Zone Defense youth instruction combines many of the very best martial art sport skills that can NEVER be utilized in any offensive combative fashion. These skills combine the very best principles of sport Judo throws and hold downs. Also many Aikido escapes, constraint and submission skills are taught to a beginner student to avoid teaching them any dangerous combative skills that could be used offensively by an impulse-ridden beginning student. The student's safety is always highly assured. The youth character training encourages self-discipline and a non-violent attitude that teaches "rudeness is a weak person's imitation of strength."
The effectiveness of Yon Ch'uan Three Zone Defense for young people is astonishingly beneficial when the emphasis of training is placed upon the student reaching his/her full organic, cognitive psychomotor effective development. The physical conditioning promotes strength and suppleness in the joints and limbs through twisting, bending and stretching--movements that also free limbs from harmful adhesions. This greatly increases the students awareness of posture and good body alignment and improves his/her reaction reflex, perception and coordination. The Art frees its practioners to be more creative mentally, gaining more flexibility, grace and range of movement physically. Negative emotions can give way to a feeling of ease, patience and harmony. For more than 30 years, Three Zone Training methods have been field-tested with thousands of young students in some of the best public and private schools in the United States.
Three Stages of Skill Development
The student should realize that there are three stages of Yon Ch'uan practice. In the First Stage the Mind teaches Conscious Body Reaction which is extremely slow. This is the stage of learning new Yon Ch'uan movement skills. The teacher shows the student what to do with his/her mind tries to grasp the concepts and relays commands to the Body that form conscious body posture in relation to the practioners defense need. Then, later comes the Second Stage, Unconscious Body Reaction which is startlingly quick! Quickness is developed from a relaxed posture, not a tense posture. As with any practice involving the neuro-muscular system, efficiency of body response increases through repetitive use of the nerves and muscles involved. The student relax all unnecessary "parts" of the Mind and Body and FEEL his/her movement with the least muscle resistance. In this way the student will begin to slowly realize subtleties what their Mind missed during stage one. The Body is now teaching the student's mind. With patient and sensitive exacting practice this stage will eventually lead to the Third Stage. The natural harmony of Mind intent and muscle memory serves as radar so that the student's self-defense movement response harmonizes effortlessly with natures spherical flow.
Yon Ch'uan is Doing the Best You Can
Yon Ch'uan Physical Education is an exciting learning process for young people. The learning of techniques, as well as many other things, never stops. The Yon Ch'uan student emphasis is often on relating a martial principle to a principle that occurs in everyday life. Example: if a work or school assignment is tackled without complete concentration and commitment, the results are usually less than desirable. One of the primary objectives in each class session is to provide the student the opportunity to visualize and realize cognitive skill success that will help instill self-discipline, confidence and personal character.
"Those who set out to learn the exercise, do not misjudge the value of The Chinese Five Word Song."
Verses 133-134
"The Chinese Five Word Song" was written by Master Li Tung Fung during the early part of China's Sung Dynasty. Master Li learned Hwa-Yu T'ai Chi Ch'uan (Liu Ho Pa Fa Ch'uan Fa) from Master Chen Hsi-I, creator of the martial art and health exercise. Master Li Tung Fung took refuge in the mountain of Yun, southeast from the Lok district. While living on Yun, he authored the famous Chinese Five Word Song, which serves today as the only extant treatise explaining the principles of the original Liu Ho Pa Fa.
Hwa-Yu T'ai Chi Ch'uan was a closed-door martial art for almost 1,000 years. Master John Chung Li opened the door to hundreds of students in China, the United States and Europe. Master Li translated The Chinese Five Word Song and added his commentary to each of the 134 verses to help students understand the truth within Internal Martial Arts.
We are extremely pleased to announce the publication of The Chinese Five Word Song. It's filled with tremendous insights into the philosophy and guiding principles of Internal Martial Arts from one of the true masters of the 20th Century.
You can purchase "The Chinese Five Word Song" from top online book sellers (Barnes and Noble, Borders Books, Amazon.com and Books A Million).
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