Pengda-jin is designed by nature to stabilize the lower torso during forceful action.

 “Everything is difficult to know in the beginning:
But once understood nothing is difficult.”
- Chinese Proverb

ImageEditor’s Note: Portions of this article were excepted from the author’s two bestselling books, Combat Baguazhang, The Nine Dragon System Volume 1 and 2, published by Beckett Media; or www.beckettstore.com

Standing near his garage wall in the early dawn light, the tiny Chinese man in the Pendleton shirt did not look all that impressive.

“You grab me, push me into wall, do hard, fast, do now!” he commanded. At 17 I was five inches taller and outweighed my 78-year-old shifu Li, Long-dao by some 25 pounds, but one does not argue with one’s gong-fu master even if one is ignorant enough to think there just might be a chance.

Before my hands brushed master Li’s shirt, his palms rose beneath my elbows. At the same time he made a sharp sound. My head rocked back, I was airborne, flying three feet up, and eight feet back. I landed in an inglorious heap on the soft grass. Helping me up, he smiled and said, “Now we work on hu-huhan, the tiger shout power.” Thus began my introduction to another layer of Li family internal force methods.

How is it possible for a 175-pound man to propel a 200-pound teenager as effortlessly as if tossing a pillow across the room? The power for this feat is not magic. The answer is simple and natural, but not easy to understand. It involves timing, body mechanics, and using a technique discussed by many but understood by few.

 (AppCarMountain1-2-3 Photos here)

Confusing Terminology
Many factors must come together to produce this power. Each must be known and trained in realistic way. In Chinese internal martial arts and qigong health exercises, there is a technique called reverse breathing (fan huxi). The problem is that there are two methods: one for martial art and one for qi development. Using the wrong method for martial art can be dangerous to mental and physical health.

During both practices the abdomen is drawn inward then pressed outward. In qigong, the abdomen goes in on the in breath and outward on the expiration. The purpose for the qigong reverse breath is in stimulating qi energy. In qigong the respiratory diaphragm expands downward, massaging the intestines and digestive system. It also improves blood circulation through the veins.
Coupled with breathing, this yoga-like action should be performed with intention and concentration, not fast and hard as in the martial technique that carries the same name. In fact, some people who have used this type of action repeatedly and rapidly for martial art prowess have suffered from increased anxiety and irritability. Increased cranial pressure has also caused stroke. Clearly not what one needs for self-defense.

A famous taijiquan teacher calls the martial technique breathing without breathing (wuxi-zhixi) and my shifu called it tiger shout power (hu-huhan). At other times he said it was expanding internal force (pengda-jin). The basic purpose of this method is simply to produce a unified structure in the lower torso for the transfer of force (jin) from the legs through the torso to the arms for pushing or striking. This is known as whole body power (zhengti-jin). Such energy only occurs when body, mind, muscle and force vectors are all in accord. This article discusses how pengda-jin is applied in self-defense application for striking/pulsing energy (fa-jin) and pushing force (an-jin).

(PengDaJinIllustration here)

Not Really a Breath
First, understand that in martial practice the so-called reverse breath it is not really a breath at all. Therefore, to prevent confusion I will now call the martial technique pengda-jin. In the martial practice, there is no need to worry about inhaling or exhaling; this will be done naturally by the sound made during the discharge of force.

Pengda-jin is an action designed by nature to stabilize the lower torso during forceful action. This is the real goal, and without which there can be no true fa-jin or an-jin. This natural physical action in humans is similar to tiger’s roar. When activated by a sudden effort the pelvis will tuck under, tightening the abdominals and lower torso to form a drum-like structure around the lower abdominal cavity. This stabilizes the spine and creates a solid structure between the pelvis and ribcage. Without this pressurized area we are not capable of transmitting full body force to the upper extremities.

As you shout during a forceful movement, the thoracic diaphragm and the pelvic diaphragm move toward each other. This pressure pushes against the taut muscles of the abdomen, side and back, creating a dense internal structure. A study was conducted using normal breathing versus pengda-jin tactics with subjects breaking standardized plastic re-breakable boards. The study found a 25-percent increase in palm and fist striking power to subjects using normal breathing methods.

Image(PushBig Pole  in this area)

Experience Pengda-Jin
To feel the power of this method, place both hands on a solid wall, heavy bag or post. Put one foot back and one forward to assume a back-weighted stance (shown in the photo). Tuck your pelvis to flatten the lower lumbar curve and lift your head to the sky as you press from the ground into your torso and arm. Find the power pathway from the ground to the pole. As if you were trying to push the pole over, exert a large amount of force into it from your whole body. Notice the action of your lower torso. It will make the pressurizing action without a breathing movement. This will happen even if you do not take a breath.

Try the same thing again, but do it fast and give a shout or grunt as you exert the force. On the shout you will naturally exhale; it should feel as if your energy is sinking into your pelvic cavity and stabilizing your body. You will feel the same action in your abdominal cavity—only stronger this time. This is the expanding with internal force or pengda-jin in action. When attempting to feel this energy, the duration of the action should be short. Once the student understands this principle, it can be practiced in standing and moving exercises slowly at first and then more rapidly when you want to discharge whole body power.

(PengBagTrainingSEQUENCE1-2-3-4 here)

Give the body time to accept these new changes and adapt to them before you try to produce pulsing forces. It is not recommended to train the fast striking or pulsing phase (fa-jin) at first. Work on feeling the connections by pushing (an-jin), then moving on to fa-jin. Don’t do heavy fa-jin more than a few times each session. Train carefully; if done to excess the internal pressure can damage your health. With time and patience you will discover the power of the tiger shout power.

Bio
John P. Painter holds a Ph.D. in Chinese Naturopathic medicine, is a member of the Inside Kung-Fu Hall of Fame and director of The Gompa in Arlington, Texas (www.thegompa.com). For more information please contact Dr. Painter at