Yes but it is extremely difficult; the majority of Chinese
martial artists, are open to the idea that some people have
uncommon "genius" for martial arts. However, such people are
exceedingly rare. From a Chinese Kung Fu viewpoint, this is what
mastery of martial arts requires;
1) Humility, and it is cultivated, often, through janitorial
work. In the Shaolin temple, the children who first enter the gates
spend the first 3 years there, doing nothing but sweeping,
scrubbing floors and yes cleaning toilets, only at the age of 8,
does any actual martial arts training begin. In the internal
schools, specifically Tai Chi Chuan, janitorial duties last for a
whopping 10 years, however I believe that during those 10 years,
the Tai Chi trainee is made to stretch, and hold the Zhan Zhuang
posture (google it) for long hours. The first 10 years of actual,
serious martial Tai Chi Chuan training, involves heavy physical
conditioning through janitorial work, which also serves as
psychological conditioning to instill humility, in addition to
develop a strong flow of chi, which requires flexibility and the
constant practice of the Zhan Zhuang posture. The Zhan Zhuang
posture, unclogs any blockages of chi in the body, and by the
begining student's 10th year, all chi channels have been unblocked,
and actual Tai Chi training can begin.
2) Physical conditioning which begins with flexibility, in most
forms of Kung Fu, this is what usually follows janitorial work. All
Kung Fu schools in China, demand total flexibility, roughly
equivalent of that of a female Olympic gymnast. You are not taught
any martial arts, unless you are that flexible first.
3) From flexibility, they move you on to strength conditioning,
which involves a lot of stance work, "exotic" calisthenics like the
kind you see in Kung Fu movies, they may have you do upside down
hand stand pushups for example, until you can do 1,000 of them, and
hold the horse stance for 2 to 4 hours. Some weight training may
also be involved, specific to the muscles used in the martial art
most predominantly. For example, part of the reason Bruce Lee was
such a forearm fanatic, and emphasizes his forearm muscles so much,
is because Wing Chun uses a lot of "trapping." That is, trapping an
opponent's arms, so that they are open for a hit to the head.
Hence, although Lee trained his whole entire body, he placed
special emphasis on the forearms, muscles specific to his main
martial art (Wing Chun).
4) Finally, Chi Kung, and Nei Kung, depending on style. All
styles of Kung Fu, use Chi Kung, no exception. Chi Kung is known in
the west as an exotic sequence of often circular movements,
designed to promote better breathing, and to a point that's true,
but, different styles of Kung Fu emphasize different things. Some
styles of Chi Kung for example, send chi only to the bones, to
promote bone health. In the Shaolin temple a form of Chi Kung known
as "marrow washing" is used. In the Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan,
abdominal Chi Kung is used. That is, while breathing in and saying
"heng" with the wind passing through your vocal chords, you suck in
your gut as hard as you can, and when you breathe out, you say
"ha." That method of abdominal breathing, is designed to bathe the
entire body with Chi, every single tissue. Different Kung Fu
schools also, have different methods of Nei Kung. I'm sure you have
googled the Zhan Zhuang posture by now, or seen it before, that
"tree hugger" posture. Although the most highly regarded method of
Nei Kung ("internal work"), it is not the only one. Take for
example the Shaolin horse stance, that is, holding the horse stance
for 4 hours; that qualifies as Nei Kung. Assuming the horse stance
position, lowers the Dantian in a manner which circulates the chi
to every single muscle in the body, in due time, making the muscles
work in total harmony with each other, the purpose of the horse
stance, is to harmonize the muscles so that they work as a single
unit. Look man, a martial art can use Chi stuff a lot, and still be
considered "external." How can I put this another way? In Shaolin
Kung Fu, although Chi is used to protect the body, your primary
weapons are your muscles and bones, and any way, you are trained to
use them in self defense, in Tai Chi Chuan your main weapon is your
body's own energy, hence why the Zhan Zhuang is emphasized, that is
development of the Chi to the point where it is so potent, it can
be used in a fight. Harmonizing the flow of Chi, causes the body to
more readily absorb the Chi of the air itself without conscious
thought (at the master level), and, it also has the effect of
harmonizing the muscles. The Mabu (horse) stance, harmonizes the
muscles through the use of Chi, and gets them to work together,
however the Zhan Zhuang, it pretty much does everything but see,
that is precisely why the Zhan Zhuang posture, although seemingly
simple, even silly looking, is that much more difficult to master.
That is the reason that, the truth is, serious internal martial
arts work is in fact far more brutal. Assuming you have a strong
work ethic, you actually stand better odds of surviving the Shaolin
temple, than you do Wudang mountain.
The point I'm making here is that it is difficult enough to
survive having a teacher there, much less studying on your own.
Besides before you even learn any martial arts, you need to
emphasize Chi development and flexibility, together, both having
equal importance, and only after you have achieved superior health,
can strength conditioning with martial arts moves training begin.
If you do everything backwards like me, your moves will be sloppy,
no matter how much you correct them.
First the body must be balanced and harmonized, then the
training can begin, if you are planning on doing that stuff on your
own, stretch, stretch, and keep stretching, until you're like an
Olympic female gymnast, you don't need to be a contortionist, but
you DO need to be that flexible. Also "pretty flexible" won't be
enough; Olympic Female gymnast, or not at all. Also, as best you
can you need to train in either the Mabu, or Zhan Zhuang, depending
on what you want (internal or external). Between those two the Mabu
stance is easier, believe it or not. I'm not kidding around here,
the Zhan Zhuang, can be overwhelming, if you stretch before hand,
to loosen the muscles, sometimes you may feel a potent flow of
energy between your finger tips. On some days it may flow so
strongly, you may even hear it; chi will actually make noise, if
its flowing strongly enough. Remember though, just because you have
those few "lucky moments" that does not make you a master. So long
as good health, outstanding good health and being lean and
physically fit as is proper for a man or woman, ellude you, as long
as perfect calm and peace are not yours all the time, not just when
you meditate, or shortly after you meditate, you are not a
master.
The gold standard of what a "master" is, if anything, of any
discipline, was set by Lao Tzu. A true master, has the following
qualities;
1) Outstanding, almost unnatural good health.
2) Calm and peaceful, no matter their situation, a very small to
non-existent ego.
3) The flexibility of a newborn baby, which is your actual goal
when stretching, actually.
4) The body of a physically fit 18 year old minus the acne, and
youthfulness, even into middle and old age.
Lots of people who practice Tai Chi and Nei Kung, have had
moments when they feel their gut heat up, or they feel a potent
flow of energy course through them, what means is not that you have
attained mastery, but that you are making progress, that is the
warning I read from an obscure Chinese gentleman. You must keep in
mind that the mark of mastery is good health, but it is good health
that is outstanding, almost unnatural. A man who is not lean, or at
least lean far as they way he is built, is not healthy. In the
western world good health is defined as not being sick, either with
a long term, or short term illness however in the east, at least in
olden times the way "good health" was defined, was someone
possessing outstanding, glowing health. A healthy man, is lean, and
his muscles are naturally, reasonably well toned, and if he so
chooses to build strength, he will gain strength quickly, while a
woman, a healthy woman will have the *cough* pliability of an 18
year old girl, and perfect skin.
Yes there is a gold standard, and Lao Tzu talks about it
frequently in his Tao Te Ching; the Chinese believe, that different
people require different disciplines to perfect the spirit, some
require martial arts, because they are physically and mentally
weak, and need self-confidence, some require caligraphy because
they do not know how to be delicate or gentle, while some, require
medicine, the study of medicine because they have little compassion
for others and need to learn it. Whatever discipline has fallen on
your lap, that is the discipline meant to perfect your spirit, at
least that is what a Chinese Daoist would say. If your spirit has
been perfected and purified, through that discipline, and you
almost glow you are so healthy, then you have become a master.
Remember a strong flow of Chi, assuming you have studied that on
your own and stretched hard, does not mean you have reached mastery
so long as glowing health and good habits ellude you, you are not
even close.
