Northwest Fighting Arts
1200 SE Morrison St. Portland, OR 97214
Yichuan is a discipline in the internal arts utilized to enhance strength and energy. Practicing involves holding a posture or series of postures for anything from (at the beginning) several minutes to (advanced) a couple of hours. These positions vary in focus from health oriented to developing remarkable structural strength for martial application.
“In January of 2008 I was involved in a bicycle accident that resulted in a fractured hip. My experience in the emergency room and following up with the specialist was disheartening. When I told the doctors that I practiced martial arts, I was told I would have to give that up for a long time and that I might not ever be the same again. The follow-up with the specialist was better, but not by much. They found I was fortunate, as far as hip injuries go, and the fracture of my greater trochanter was being held in place by muscle and wouldn’t require surgery. As far as recovery, I was told that I could begin to put weight on the injured leg as soon as it didn’t hurt and that because I was young, I should be mostly back to normal within a year. Though according to the doctor the prognosis for returning to the martial arts was still a distant goal.
The clearance to put weight on my injured leg was all I needed. Within two and a half weeks of the accident I was training in Yichuan. I couldn’t yet walk without crutches but I could stand and balance my weight between my feet. I started with ten minutes of the pile (embrace the tree) stance, twice a day. By the end of the first month I had added ten minutes of the p-chuan (a more intense and martially focused Yichuan position) stance for each leg and practiced the pile stance for half an hour. At four weeks I was able to walk, limping, with a cane. At six weeks I put the cane away and was practicing full Tai Chi forms. I waited to start kicking again until the three month mark when bone strength was guaranteed. At that time I had no limp and could move freely.
This summer, a year and a half after the break, I passed my instructors test with the Thai Boxing Association. I entirely credit my full recovery to practicing the Internal Arts. I am certain that years of practice prior to the injury gave me a sound basis and the body awareness needed to speed my recovery. Though it would likely be a slower process for someone new to the art, Yichuan would still be an excellent option for restoring your body from injury. Though physically sound, I still consider standing to be the core of all of my practices and with it I am able to push myself to limits I don’t come close to approaching at other times.” -Russell
