Northwest Fighting Arts
1200 SE Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214
Yichuan is a form of standing meditation that enhances the practicioner's strength and energy level. It is a form of postural training which works out deeply stored tensions and negative habits of body alignment.
There are many postures trained in Yichuan which vary in intensity and purpose. You can work health oriented positions to shore up your immune system and make your body more resilient to stress. Those who train regularly for health will attest to rarely falling ill and quickly rebounding if they do.
When you work the martially focused postures you will develop remarkable strength and endurance. You train the body to work within ideal alignments. Through the practice one develops the ability for deeply, intensely focused effort while simultaneously relaxing and rooting the body. The structural strength of a martial Yichaun practitioner can seem uncanny to those who are unfamiliar with the discipline.
The postures of Yichuan can also used therapeutically to recover from injury or illness. Many can be modified for use as physical therapy for those restricted to sitting or in bed. One of our members, an avid Yichaun practitioner, used the art to recover from a bike accident which left him with a broken hip. More about Yichuan as physical therapy
Yichaun was founded by Hsing-l master Wang Xiang Zhai. Yichuan "mind fist" teaches the practitioner to push the body and mind to the extreme limits while training to relax. In doing this, the awareness is enhanced allowing energy channels to be open and more active.
Grandmaster Wang Xiang Zhai
Grandmaster Sam Tam
| In October of 2010 Northwest Internal Arts is honored to host a seminar with Grandmaster Sam Tam on the subjects of Tai Chi, Qigong, Yichuan and Push Hands. |