(translated from Taiwan Wu Lin Magazine)
Yi Zong has many special characteristics, there are three that most obviously stick out, Tian Gan, San Shou, and Wei Zhao. The ten big Tian Gan are the special training methods from Wu and Zhang’s Ba Gua. Other styles have never heard of this training but they may inadvertently have similar training methods. The training purpose of Tian Gan is opening your range of motion and extending your body’s power range.
Many martial arts have different frame sizes in which they practice. However, before you want to practice small frame you must first pull open your structure and practice a large frame. The larger frame you practice, the more relaxed you want your mind and body to become. Only then will your power be able to reach an even deeper level. This is the same as when the Tai Ji classics talk of [ You first need to extend, then you can become more compact]. Ba Zi Gong is a Xing Yi set that comes from the Tian Jin area, its function is nearly the same as Tian Gan, to extend the bodies power range. After following Zhang’s training methods both his students and disciples found that their ability to use their southern shaolin skills had improved greatly. There is another training methodology called San Shou that Yi Zong uses that is absent in other schools. This style of San Shou is distinctly different than other styles of San Shou or San Da. Yi Zong San Shou is a training method that aims at teaching neutralizing skills within the conceptual framework of sticking, adhering, and using Fa Jin. This practice helps develop lots of body methods and stepping methods while also developing realistic fighting training.
Wei Zhao: Wei =feed, Zhao= technique. This means that the teacher will do the techniques with the student in order to give them the right flavor and corrections. When people talk about transmission this is the direct way for a teacher to transfer information to the student. By doing the application continuosly on the student, the teacher is showing how the energy is expressed. Sometimes painfully. Also, when the student sees the movements demonstrated over and over with concepts that help them explore the movements. They are able to understand the principles expressed in the forms.
