www.Longfei-Taiji.co.uk	Longfei Taijiquan Association of Great Britain
		Longfei Newsletter Volume 7 Issue 2

An interview with Professor Zhang Guande

I am publishing a rare interview with Professor Zhang Guande. The interviewer was Martin Pendzialek and Foen Tjoeng Lie. The interview was conducted with the help of Zhou Jin from the Beijing University of Physical Education who assisted with the translation from Chinese to German. Translation from German to English was effected by Stefanie Stoll (German) and Mark Atkinson of France.

This article sheds some light on the background of the professor as well informing practitioners on theory, research and practice - Richard Watson

In an interview with Martin Pendzialek, Professor Zhang explains how, due to a life threatening illness, he came to create qigong practices and this system. The combination of movement and concentration on certain acupuncture points or meridians as well as spiral movements aimed at influencing certain points, are the characteristics DYYSG. Professor Zhang also tells about successes in clinical applications for different malfunctions of the hormonal, coronary and nervous systems, joint complaints and chronic diseases, and defines the conditions necessary when practising.

At the Dao Yin Centre at the University of Physical Education in Beijing, Professor Zhang and his staff have developed more than 30 exercises which can be used in health care as well as the treatment of diseases. The system is now taught in many countries including Japan, Australia, Spain, France, Belgium, Great Britain and Germany.

Professor Zhang was born in Thangshan in the Heibei Province in 1932. In his youth he enthusiastically practised Chinese martial arts (wushu) and entered the Wushu Institute at Beijing University of Physical Education in 1955. After successfully finishing his studies in 1959 he lectured at the BUPE and a few years later he was one of the first Professors of Wushu at a Chinese university.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is a sequence of slow-motion exercises. Regular practice of which requires firm rooting to the ground, fluidity of movement, controlled breathing and concentration.

DAO = the way

YIN = to pull in

YANG SHENG = to feed the body

GONG = exercise

It is a series of physical, breathing and mental exercise developed by Professor Zhang Guande. These exercises are based on the theories of traditional Chinese medicine and are different from wushu and taijiquan, despite some similarity between the movements. These exercises are very popular with the Chinese because their effect on health care for both cure and prevention has proved very successful.

Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is a method of qigong: controlled breathing as well as concentration and physical control to enhance the flow of blood and energy, thus increasing flexibility and good physical and mental condition. Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong is recognised in China by the Sports Department, the Wushu Federation and the Health Department. It is taught officially in sports universities and Traditional Chinese Medicine universities. DYYSG is currently the most popular form of qigong in China and around the world.

"Qigong is Chinese gymnastics, the purpose of which is to promote health and prolong life. Its particular nature relies on personal practising effort, involving vital energy, breathing and movement in steady training, both physical and mental."

   Professor Zhang Guande founder of DYYSG

The DYYSG is a qigong system recently put together aimed especially at the prevention and treatment of illness. As well as different qigong methods, mainly for regulating certain organs such as the heart or the lungs, there are also taijiquan and weapon forms in Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong.

Martin Pendzialek: What were the reasons for establishing these exercises?

Zhang Guande: This is a long story. At the end of the cultural revolution I became seriously ill. Nearly all my organs were affected. I suffered from high blood pressure, disorders of the cardiovascular and digestive systems, hepatitis and tuberculosis. So things looked pretty bad for me. My doctor told me that medicine alone would not be enough for a successful treatment of these diseases. He recommended that in addition I use my experience in wushu and taijiquan to support my treatment. At the beginning I developed eight exercises to treat my tuberculosis. This was the basis for the following "Exercises of 49 Movements to Stimulate Qi in the Meridians". At this time I was only able to lie in bed. In this life threatening situation I used medication and these simple exercises until I recovered sufficiently for rehabilitation.

The system of DYYSG belongs to the moving qigong (dongong). Would you please describe the structure of the system.

By 1982 I was able to continue my work at the Beijing University of Physical Education and decided to develop further methods to help people. First I developed the so-called standing elements, forms such as heart, lung, stomach-spleen, muscle-bone, kidney, health preserving and the 49 movements qigong. For the elderly and sick people I developed the sitting forms of the heart, lung, muscle- bone and health preserving qigong. In addition there are forms of brain and eye qigong, as well three taiji palm forms and a sword form. So there are five levels in the DYYSG system:

1 Basic exercises and four regulation exercises (body-breathing-mind-qi/blood)

2 Exercises for various disorders of different functions

3 First and second DYYSG Taijiquan Palm forms (39 movements in each)

4 DYYSG Taijiquan Sword form (33 movements), Staff form

5 Simplified DYYSG exercises

Each exercise includes an explanation of the theory on the basis of TCM as well as the experiences of practitioners of this form of exercise.

What is the meaning of the name "Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong"?

Dao yin is the classical name for qigong which I wanted to preserve. I added the words "yang sheng" to form a unit and create the name "Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong" in 1974. The name describes the regulation of the body, breathing and mind regulation with dao yin exercise to stimulate the meridians to conduct the qi. It is a form of self exercise to improve physical and emotional health and thus the quality of life.

In terms of qigong, what are the particular characteristics of DYYSG?

Attention should be given to the following characteristics:

The direction of the mind is regulated by the physical movement combining the exercises with attention. Various methods are used:

1 Retaining attention on an acupuncture point or area (Yishou)

2 Conducting attention along the meridians (Yinian)

3 Practice the large and small circulation

I selected different acupuncture points and areas for different diseases, e.g. Laogong (pericardium 8) for cardiovascular problems, Shangyang (large intestine) for respiratory diseases and dantian for stomach-intestinal diseases. When engaged in practice, attention should be focused naturally, flowing light as a thread of silk.

The breathing should engage the participation of the pelvis/abdomen, it should be light, regular and deep. Specific methods are presented for various diseases. For disorders of the cardiovascular system the method of heart qigong "calm down the heart and regulate circulation" can be used, here exhaling is slow and longer. The exercises of the lung qigong "benefiting the respiratory system" also emphasise exhaling to support the recovery function of the body and the activity of the alveoli. For disorders of the digestive system, the abdominal breathing is emphasised, massaging the internal organs to promote the circulation of blood and the flow of qi in this area.

A further characteristic of DYYSG exercises are the spiralling, wringing movements of the extremities to stimulate certain points at the wrist and ankle. During the resting positions and in motion, tension and relaxation are combined, as relaxation on its own is not enough to stimulate acupuncture points and meridians. So during exercise a soft stretch without tension is applied. Only through combining softness, slowness and flow of body motion, can breathing and attention be regulated. Finally, acupuncture points and meridians are pressed / massaged with fingers and hands.

The DYYSG exercises are used in China for health preservation as well as clinical therapy. What experiences and results have there been in the treatment of illnesses?

There is a lot of feedback from experiences with results. In the province of Shanxi there is a medical university with attached hospital where DYYSG is used. They report that our methods can regulate various functional disorders of hormonal, cardiovascular and nervous systems, emotional disorders and chronic diseases.

For the methods to take effect, especially in the treatment of illness, the following requirements should be met:

1 The patient should exercise the movements according to the set standards

2 It is important to prepare and post-evaluate the exercises

3 The speed of the movements should be regular

4 The transitions with breathing and weight shifting should be flowing and done precisely

5 The steps should be exercised according to the standards

6 The eyes should be combined with the attention on specific acupuncture points.

So the experiences in that hospital show the main

principles of qigong: movements are combined with the regulation of breathing and attention.

Should the DYYSG exercises be used medically separately, or can they be combined with other therapeutic measures? Are there aspects which people who are ill need to consider when exercising DYYSG?

I think that Dao Yin Yang Sheng Gong can be directly combined with other therapeutic measures. Of course medical diagnosis is a very important prerequisite before recommending the right exercise. Also instruction by qualified teachers is needed. DYYSG cannot replace medical treatment. However people with chronic illness are often able to reduce the intake of medicine after consultation with their doctor.

The Chinese moving and martial arts together with TCM have experienced worldwide interest for some years. What do you think about this development and what should people outside China pay attention to, in order to be able to appreciate these cultural treasures?

The Chinese moving and martial arts have become increasingly popular in the West. I think this is due to the high technological and scientific progress in the past century. Every person wants to enjoy good health and has the right to keep it. The Chinese moving and martial arts offer specific methods to do this and to fight the high stress and the resulting disorders and illness, especially in industrialised countries.

Therefore it is necessary to find and restore man's original relation to nature. People's need for calmness, balance and nature is directly related to the high developments in technology and science which separate us from nature's laws.

I wish that people in the West will continue to apprehend the background of Chinese arts. There is a difference between the extreme competitive sports with high physical pressure and the traditional Chinese moving arts. Taijiquan and qigong support physical and emotional health and help preserve life energy and physical functions of the body by slow and soft movements. Qigong and taijiquan help maintain the inner organs.

I also suggest people continue to support the friendly exchange between cultures and further comprehend the Chinese cultural treasures. These arts offer the possibility to understand Chinese culture through moving exercise.

Martin Pendzialek: Professor Zhang, thank you for the interview.

There are some interesting insights in this interview for practitioners of DYYSG, but much of the information is equally relevant to the practice of taijiquan and the other related internal arts.

Appendage to the interview with Professor Zhang Guande

Dao yin is the ancient term for energetic physical exercises, with simple routines people can practice to conduct qi within the body. Yang sheng which can be translated as "nursing life" is a Daoist term for methods to maintain health. These include taking care of the body, physical exercise, meditation, healthy nutrition, and in some schools also includes sexual techniques to cultivate energy. Professor Zhang developed DYYSG on the basis of the classical theories, the school to nurse life and longevity. It is also based on the theory of TCM. Apart from the traditional exercises of dao yin, he further developed new exercises based on his knowledge and experience in wushu and taijiquan, also including research on motion from sports science.

The system of DYYSG offers many different possibilities for movement, not only for ill people and health preservation, but also practitioners of wushu and taijiquan. Emphasis is also laid on the artistic and philosophical background of the traditional Chinese culture, indicated in the many names of the movements, very often describing stories from Chinese culture.

The system of DYYSG also includes a specific greeting gesture and a "song". The song is a separate form, independent from all the other methods, combining various movements of the system with qigong exercises and taijiquan movements to present the DYYSG system. The "song" therefore has no special therapeutic effect but is intended as a demonstration form. Professor Zhang composed a poem which accompanies the movements together with music.

"Health Preservation Qigong" is read in Chinese as "Dao Yin Baojian Gong". The name refers to an exercise with eight movements. Officially this exercise is meant to promote health and prevent illness, for example of the cardiovascular or digestive system.

The exercise of 49 movements to stimulate qi in the meridians consists of movements for the preservation of health, to support the immune system and target treatment of various illnesses, in particular lung, stomach and intestinal cancer as well as chronic disorders of the cardiovascular, respiratory and digestive systems.

Brain qigong is an exercise consisting of eight movements with self massage, performed seated. Apart from protecting against illness, ailments such as headache, migraine, trigeminus, neuralgia, facial paralysis, tinnitus and deafness can also be treated. The exercises consist of a stroking, pressing massage of the face and the head. Apart from attention to the points, the hand movements are followed attentively.

Note from DYYSG

Since this article was published, Professor Zhang has created some new exercises. The DYYSG system now includes:

1 Two foundation exercises, the Tai Ji Jin

2 Three hand forms the Tai Ji Zhang

3 A stick form, Tai Ji Bang

4 Two Fan forms, Tai Ji Shang

5 Two sword forms, Tai Ji Tian

6 A sabre form, Tai Ji Dao

Richard Watson

Longfei Newsletter Volume 7 Issue 2 Table of Contents