The underlying principles of Wu Shu/ Kung Fu Massage are explained and some key examples and exercises presented which enable practitioners to make health and strength gains that will improve their martial arts in a number of surprising ways. Ways in which External Qigong activity aids body-conditioning are also outlined.
Introduction
“After Wu Shu Training Wu Shu Massage!” runs a well-known martial maxim. Dynamic techniques, often performed at breath-taking speed, at full extension may need to be performed time-and-again in day-long competition and will have been rehearsed many times, in preparation. Wu Shu Massage describes the process of putting everything back in its proper, ideal place so it can be safely drawn upon ‘in extremis’ at the next time of asking. Wu Shu massage can also be performed before Wu Shu exercise, in preparation for such exertions.
This process also includes ensuring that arteries and veins remain at their proper depth and that their course in an appropriate linear one. In general, it usually brings about improved resilience of the skin and enhances the quality of underlying muscles.
Examples
Shoulders
With your right hand massage the top of your left-shoulder 30x anti-clockwise then do the same to the front-facing portion of the same joint. Repeat the exercise with your left hand on your right shoulder.
Shoulders are notoriously weak spots in martial-arts training and by systematically strengthening and improving these in advance you can save yourself a lot of future grief. In terms of kinesthesia or ‘muscle-memory’, this helps programme your shoulder muscles to stay ‘dropped’ when punching and increases punching power accordingly.
Arms
Use your left arm to massage the outside your right anticlockwise from top to bottom and back 30x, then do the same to the inside before repeating the exercise on your left arm with your right for the same number of times.
This stimulates Qi flow along a number of meridians and, if persisted with will increase arm strength and blocking abilities in particular.
Pectoral Muscles
With you left hand massage your right pectoral 50x anti-clockwise, then use the base of your left-fist to strike it three times, firmly. Repeat the exercise with you right hand and fist and left pectoral similarly. The massage orients the muscle-fibres correctly and the pounding then compacts them.
Anti-clockwise Massage
This literally helps to turn back the clock and keep the body’s surface healthy and relatively young- looking. It also facilitates the elimination of stale Qi (a process as vital as the assimilation of fresh Qi) via what is known as ‘Qi-Breathing’. This is part of External Qigong (Wei Gong) and will lead to increased success in Internal Qigong (Nei Gong) practice if the two approaches are practised together.
‘Sifu Wo Lei’ is the nom-de-plume of Feng Shui Consultant Peter Allsop M.Ed. who also publishes ‘Red Dragon Martial Arts Ezine’. Longevity Training, Iron Shirt, 5 Elements Qigong, Daoism, Chinese metaphysics and Astrology feature among his interests alongside gem and crystal Feng Shui. Senior Student of GrandmasterYap Leong, Peter also teaches Shaolin Kung Fu and Qigong in Yorkshire and Derbyshire U. K. as Shaolin Fists International Area Instructor for the region.Discover more at: http://www.sheffieldkungfu.com.
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