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| Chen Taijiquan's Ren Mingming |
A
central tenet of Daoism is the idea of going with the flow, moving calmly
through the circumstances in which we find ourselves. The coronavirus is
affecting all of our lives in ways that nobody predicted. From the perspective
of our school, we had to cancel this year’s May trip to Chenjiagou to train
with Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing; and Chen Ziqiang’s seminars in April have been
cancelled, following travel restrictions by the Chinese authorities to prevent
the re-entry of the virus that they have got some measure of control after some
very tough times. On a broader and more
serious level, at home in the UK we’re in the first day of a type of lockdown never
seen before in peace time. The draconian measures include: the immediate
closure of all shops selling
"non-essential goods"; the
closure of libraries, playgrounds,
gyms, arts/culture venues and places of worship; banning gathering of more than
two people (excluding people who live together); and, perhaps most soberingly
the postponement of weddings and baptisms, but funerals will be allowed.
With the ongoing pandemic
we are collectively faced with a threat that inevitably focuses minds on the
value of health and the fragility of people in our communities who don’t have
physical robustness and resilience. Or, for want of a better expression, who don’t
have the “money in the bank” of a strong immune system. Beyond external
behavioural practices such as washing hands, social distancing, self-isolation
etc., it is this strong immune system that offers the best defence against the
virus.
Taijiquan is an art
that is clearly suited for developing just such core aspects of physical
health. Drawing heavily from China’s ancient health practices and the ideas of daoyin tu-na or leading and guiding
energy and breathing methods. The time-honoured way of gaining benefits from
these practices flow from and follow a process of quiet, precise and extended
cultivation, and a strengthened immune system is one of the rewards for putting
in the effort over time. Today’s fast-paced society, however, often demands
instant and easy solutions to complex situations. People are encouraged to
believe that Taijiquan is an instant and easy solution to their health and
exercise needs. Starting to train Taijiquan from this narrative it’s small
wonder that only a small minority of people commit to the rigours, not only
physical (which must always be at a level that is appropriate to the age,
fitness and health status of the practitioner) but also the degree of
mindfulness and attention to detail required. In the following passage Chen
Xiaoxing speaks about the fundamental role health training plays in Taijiquan: “Taijiquan can be
considered in three stages. In the first stage, the aim of training is
predominately for improving physical fitness... In the early stages, you must
stay strictly in line with the traditional rules of practice and closely follow
the requirements that have been laid down. Training in a step-by-step manner
and placing strict demands upon yourself throughout the process. These
methodical steps lead to health and wellbeing. By approaching training in this manner for an extended period of time
you can achieve a unique and unexpected result.”
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| Chen Xiaoxing - "The first stage of Taijiquan training is predominantly for improving physical fitness |
Chen Xiaoxing
obviously is a Taijiquan expert talking about the benefits of the art he
practices, but what does the science say? Or to be more precise what do the Chinese
doctors and scientists who, up to now, have been at the frontline of today’s
pandemic say? Few are more qualified to speak on the subject than Chinese
epidemiologist Zhong Nanshan. Zhong an articulate and incredibly youthful
looking eighty-four year old earned international fame for managing the SARS
outbreak and was renowned for refuting the official line which
downplayed the severity of the crisis. Online periodical The Diplomat, whose strap
line is Read the Diplomat: Know the Asia Pacific, reported how the Chinese
media refers to him as the nation’s “SARS hero”. Despite his advanced age (born
in 1936, he was 13 years old when the People’s Republic was founded), Zhong was
appointed to lead the National Health Commission’s investigation into the novel
coronavirus. “Zhong is a public figure who regularly speaks out about China’s
health issues from food safety to air pollution and has a reputation as someone
who puts public health first… He has been lauded for his own health regimen.
Despite qualifying for a senior citizen discount he has been photographed in
muscle tees flexing his biceps, swimming laps and shooting hoops. He was an outstanding
college athlete in the 1950s, to the point where the Beijing Municipal Track
and Field Team attempted to recruit him as a full-time athlete. Zhong, however,
was determined to become a doctor and declined the offer”.
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| Zhong Nanshan - still flexing in his eighties!! |
Zhong first came
to know about Taijiquan in 1972 when one of his patients who was suffering from
a serious autoimmune condition made a better than expected recovery. The only
thing he was doing beyond the normal treatment routine was Taijiquan. Zhong
became fascinated by this and has trained and researched Taijiquan since then.
In a recent Chinese TV interview he detailed some of the reasons why he
felt Taijiquan was such an effective form of exercise: “In China we have a very
good form of exercise – Taijiquan. The first benefit is that the exercise can
be done within a small space. Strength is generated by quietness. It is
especially good for training leg strength, training a person from the lower
body upwards. Taijiquan is usually performed from a half squat position which
pumps blood through the body and makes the lower body very strong. This quiet
strength doesn’t adversely increase or affect the speed of one’s breathing [it
doesn’t make a person pant or over-exert in terms of their breathing]. But it
is very good to train your muscles, blood and bones”. Zhong’s expertise spans both Western and
Eastern disciplines. He was educated at the Beijing Medical University and finished his residency
training in internal medicine in the university hospital. In the 1980s, he
completed further training at the St Bartholomew's Hospital in London and the University
of Edinburgh Medical School. It is his belief
that Traditional Chinese medical theory/practice complements Western medicine
and should not be seen as an either or.
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| Zhong Nanshan on Chinese TV on the benefits of Taijiquan... |
We often hear the
claim that Taijiquan is good for health. During this crisis it is obviously
important to encourage people to exercise and take care of themselves until we
come through the other side and get back to normality. In fact exercise is an activity that is
encouraged in the government directives during the period of national lockdown.
At this time it is important for practitioners to honestly assess the art they
are learning and teaching. For sure much of what passes for Taijiquan is often little
more than arm-waving sessions led by teachers who are at best inexperienced and
at worst clueless about what Taijiquan actually is. Trained to its full
potential it is a wonderful system that provides benefits and challenges at all
stages of practice. Speaking during the
challenge of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic Zhong recommended: “Through my study [of respiratory diseases], at
this particular time, I find that combining medication that dilates a patient’s
respiratory tract, Taijiquan training and walking – the three together markedly
improve the health and quality of life of people with chronic respiratory
problems. Even though it doesn’t alter lung function, it very obviously
improves the exercise capabilities of a person…”
