Daoist Principles in the Martial Arts - Michael Tophoff

Journal of Daoist Studies

Volume 6 2013

JournalofDaoistStudies

TheJournalofDaoistStudies(JDS)isanannualpublicationdedicatedtothescholarly exploration ofDaoism in all its different dimensions.Each issuehas threemain parts: Academic Articles on history, philosophy, art, society, and more(limit8,500words);ForumonContemporaryPracticeonissuesofcurrentactivitiesbothinChinaandotherpartsoftheworld(limit5000words);andNewsoftheField,presentingpublications, dissertations,conferences,andwebsites.

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Table of Contents

ArticlesGALIADORTheChinese Gate:A UniqueVoid forInnerTransformation 1

MIHWA CHOIMaterializingSalvation:ALiturgicalProgramandItsAgenda 29

ELMAROBERFRANKSecretlyTransmittedDirectPointerstotheGreatElixir 58

DANIELM.MURRAY & JAMESMILLERTheDaoistSocietyofBrazilandthe GlobalizationofOrthodoxUnityDaoism 93

XU LIYINGDaoistTemplesinModernCityLife:TheSingapore CityGodTemple 115

Forum on Contemporary PracticeSHARON SMALLNewVisionsofthe Zhuangzi 145

MICHAELM. TOPHOFFDaoistPrinciplesintheMartialArts:TheirRelevanceforIllnessPrevention 161

ADAMD. FRANKEnactingaDaoistAestheticthroughTaijiquanTraining 176

GERHARD MILBRAT&KNUTGOLLENBECKMasterLiJiacheng andtheNewWaysofInternalAlchemy 193

STEVE JACKOWICZOmManiPadmeHum inDaoistRevision 203

JEANNEWHITEFlowinginLifewiththe Yijing 211

News of the FieldPublications 223

Conferences 235

NewVenues 239

Scienceon Qi 240

Contributors 245

Daoist Principles in the Martial Arts

Their Relevance for Illness Prevention

MICHAEL M. TOPHOFF

Intimesofdiminishingresourcesandofsoaringcostsinmentalandsomatichealthcare,publichealth services should focusmoreonpreventionratherthanonthetreatmentofillness.Throughhealthmaintenanceand illnessprevention,publicwellnesscanbeenhancedand individualsufferingreduced.

Westerntechniquesforhealthmaintenancemoreoftenthannotreflect the Cartesian dichotomy of body and mind in addressing eitherphysicalormentalhealthcare.Chinesemartialartandothercultivationpractices, on theotherhand,encompass thecomplexityofhumanexistenceinitsphysical,mental,andspiritualwholeness.Martialarts,whileclearlypointingtowardsapplicationinsituationsofwarfareandconflict,canyetbe instrumental in fosteringhealthandpreventing illness.Theyhave a dual focus: enhancing health in its most encompassing (evenspiritual)sense,theyareexcellent tools forthe trainingofmindfulness.Mindfulness is today recognizedasoneof themost important ingredientsinthepreventionofstressrelateddiseasesandrecurrentdepression(KabatZinn1996;Teasdaleet. al.2000;Tophoff2003).

Although there is much overlap between forms, Chinese martialarts divide generally into external and internal styles (wai/neijia quan)(Wong1997;Diepersloot1999;Lu2006).Externalstylesemphasizemuscularincreaseandskeletalstrengthening;internalstylesmainlyaddressbody energy and mental cultivation. External fighting styles are frequently associatedwithChanBuddhist roots in theShaolinmonastery;internalstylesare linked,romantically,withDaoistshrinesandmonasteries onMountWudang. Internal styles emphasize change on amorepersonal level, rather than increase of natural abilities like speed andforce;theyseektoincreasethesequalitiesbymodifyingtheirusualpatterns of response (Lu 2006, 8). Deeply rooted in Daoism, which putshealthandlongevityinthecenterofitsteaching(Kohn2004;2006;2009;

162/JournalofDaoistStudies 6(2013)

Tophoff 2003; 2006), internal martial arts imply the cultivation of ahealthywayofbehavinginthedaytodayworldinordertopreventillnessandsuffering.

Legendary OriginsThe origins of Chinesemartial art forms are a point of contention betweenChanBuddhistsandDaoists.Bothclaimthattheygobacktotheirreligions,presentingvarious legendsofvariouskinds.ThusChanBuddhistspointtoBodhidharma(Damo),theIndianmissionarymonk,whotravelledleisurelyonaleafofgrassincrossingtheYangtzeonhiswaytotheShaolinmonastery.Herehe encountered studiousmonkswho, followingtheoriginalBuddhisttradition,shunnedthephysicalactivitiesofdaily life in their hope of becoming a paccekkabuddha: a personallyenlightened being (Kloppenborg 1974). Since their noble striving frequently led to illness and untimely death, Bodhidharma introducedphysicalexercisesintothemonasticscheduletoenhancehealthandpreventillness.Asabyproductoftheirphysicalactivity,themonksgraduallyacquiredsuchdegreesof fitnessthattheycoulddefendthemselvesagainstpotential aggressors, albeitwithout arms (seeDiepersloot1999;Liangand Yang 2002;Hung andKlingborg1969;Shahar2007).

The benefits of physical exercises, however, have a much longerhistory in Daoism,where they are firstmentioned in theZhuangzi ofabout300BCEandaredetailedinvariousmedicalmanuscriptsfromthe2ndcenturyBCE(seeKohn2008).TheearliestclassicofChinesemedicine,the Huangdi neijing suwen (The Yellow Emperors Classic of InternalMedicine,BasicQuestions),alsofromtheHandynasty,similarlyemphasizes illness prevention. It says, To administer medicines to diseaseswhichhavealreadydeveloped...islikebeginningtodigawellaftergetting thirsty (Veith1972,105).

Followingthistradition,the3rd centuryphysicianHuaTuoemphasizedphysicalexerciseintheformofimitationsofanimalmovementtoimprovehealth(seeWangandBarrett2006).Whiletheexercisetraditioncontinued to unfold, records also document that Daoistmonks of theearly7th centuryweresowelltrainedinthemartialartsthattheycouldfightfortherisingTangrulers(Shahar2006).TheinternalmartialartsofMountWudang,ontheotherhand,aresaidtogobacktoZhangSanfengandhisobservationofabattlebetweenacraneandasnake(Liao1990).

Tophoff,DaoistPrinciplesintheMartialArts /163

Thepractices and theirmethodsaregenerallyhard to trace,since techniqueswerekeptsecretandpasseddownfrommastertostudentinonefamily orlineage.

Basic IngredientsThemostfundamentalingredientinthedynamicsofmacroandmicrocosmicchangeisqi.TheChinesecharacterdepictssteamorvaporrisingfrom cooked rice (Lai 1968, 29). It is translated variously asair, pneuma, ether, atmosphere,power, or energy. Definitionstendtobeprescientific,metaphorical,andvague.qiistheeternalpowerthatmovestheuniverse(Waysun1977);itisvital(Wong1997)orbioelectricenergy(Liang2002).Inprimordial,undifferentiatedchaosbefore creation, qi is present as pure energymatter which [has] not yetemerged (Schipper 1993,84).

Withinthehumanbody,thisenergymatterhumanizeswithinthefetusatthemomentofconception.AtbirthitsplitsintotheThreeTreasures: jing, qi, and shen. Jing is closely associatedwith sexual energyasthe raw source of sexualdesire and the feeling essence of earthiness(Winn2006,158).qi is cosmicenergypersonalizedintheindividual.Shenis spirit and consciousness, and as energy force itdirectsmental functioning.

Intheprocessofaging,the Three Treasuresgraduallyareexhausted:beginning with birth primordial energy leaks away. Internal energynegatively correlates with age; people experience it as a decrease ofhealth, illness, weakening, and death. Leakage of generative energy iscausedbysexualactivities,e.g.,lossofsemen.Vitalenergydiminisheswiththedevelopmentofemotions,whereasshendecreaseswithincreasingmindactivities(Wong 1997).

Within thismechanisticmodelof leakage, thecure isobvious: onehastostoptheleakageandrecoverthelostenergies.Inordertoaccomplish this, theprocess that led to thepersonsbirthhas tobereversed,and thus toreturn to theprebirth,subtle stateofunitywith theuniverse(Breslow1999,139).

The Three Treasuresunify the humanbeingwithinhis very existencebetweenHeavenandEarth.Thedialecticalconnectionof theperson in the polarities ofmind andmatter reflects a holistic worldviewalso exemplified in the internal martial arts. Western approaches to


healthmaintenancethroughfitnessandsportprograms,however,usually are quite unilateral in their physical goals such as cardiovascularstrengthening. In thiswaytheyfail toaddressan importantpartof theessentialcausalfactorsinstressrelatedpathology.

DialecticsDaoist teachings center between the opposites of stability and change.Microcosmically, human beings are stabilized between Heaven andEarth,andyettheyarepartandparcelofaneternalmacrocosmicfluxofyin and yang. The circularnatureof theseprocesses canbe illustratedthroughtheDaoistparadigmofchange,whichisessentiallyexpressedinthe Daodejing as theLawofOpposites:

Whatisintheendtobeshrunkmustfirstbestretched.Whateveristobeweakenedmustbeginbybeingmadestrong.(Waley1958:187;seealsoFung1937)

Inthisprocessofchange,thecomplementarytendencytowardstabilitymustalwaysbetakenintoaccount.Ifchangeisemphasizedtoomuch,theopposingstateofstabilitywillparadoxicallybestrengthened,andviceversa.Inotherwords,theopposingforceshavetobeacknowledgedandrespectedbeforetheycanbeappliedtotheprocessofchange(Tophoff 2003,35).

In Daoist practice, however, the circular model of change is certainlynot always respected. Instead,acausallinearmodelofchange isdominantincertaintechniquesofalchemythatliterallyservetoprolonglifeandleadtoimmortality.Mastersrecommendedtheingestionofcinnabar,now known asmercuric sulfide, aquitepoisonous substance. Ifthedosewasadequate, theadeptattainedimmortality(Tophoff2003,44).

Incontrasttothis,theparadigmofnonaction(wuwei)incorporatesacircularmodelofchange:change isnotproducedbut happens.Hereimmortalityasthelinearextensionoflifeisnotanoption.However,themodelallowsforanimmortalwayofbeing,beautifullyillustratedbyZhuangziwiththemetaphorofonewhowanders throughallofcreation,enjoyingitsdelightswithouteverbecomingattachedtoanypartofit(Watson1968,6).Inotherwords,thedelightsofcreationincludelifeaswellasdeath. Thefreeandeasywandererdies,asdoesthesageofthe


Daode jing, who lives long because hemodels himself on nature; becausehemodelshimselfonnature,hehastodie(Welch1966,93).Naturehereappearsbothintheliteralandanalogicalsenseitisobservedandcontemplated.Forthisreason,thecontemplationofinneraswellasouternatureplaysa fundamentalroleininternalstylesofmartialarts.

Inner ForceTheconceptof force inthe internalmartialarts iscomplex.Ontheonehand, there is the force coming from the opponent. In full congruencewith theparadigmofnonaction, this forceshouldneverbedirectlyopposed; it is tobemetby theotherpersonwith itsopposite:noforce. Ifforceisencountered,yieldingistheanswer(Diepersloot1999,225).This,in fact, reframes the forceof the attack intoagift of energy,whichonegladlyreceives,andwhichinasituationofcombatorconflict,whetherverballyor nonverballymightbereturnedwithouteffort.1

The persons own force comes in two forms:muscle force (li; lit.strength)andinnerforce(jin;lit.suppleness). Shaolinexternalstyles center on the development ofmuscle force; however, it is limited in timeand power,beingexhausted asand whenthemusclesstarttoacidify.

When qi, an energetic quality that nourishes, warms, transformsand rises, (as) the life forceof thehumanbody (Despeux2006, 52), isallowed to freelycirculate and to increase in thebody so that tendons,sinewsand ligamentsbecomesupple throughtraining, then inner forcearises. Inner forceisanexpansionforce,characterizedbyresilienceandvitality,producedthroughtheintegrationoftheentirebodyasunity.Itisdirectedbyintention(yi),thedirectionalaspectoftheconsciousmind,generatedbyclearthinking andonepointedfocus.

Wheremuscleforcefollowsalinearpattern,innerforceoperatesinacircularway.Throughthisinnerforcethebodymanifeststhedynamicsofapparentoppositesstillnessandmotion, tensionandrelaxation.As

1InJapaneseZen,eventheexistenceofanenemyisdebatedandconceivedasanimageofthemind.AsZenMasterGannopointsout:Ifanopponentfightsyou,itmeansyoulacktrueinsight.Solvethekoan:Originallynotonethingexistsandnothingwillobstructyou(Stevens,2001,17).


Brechernotes, thestance in inner force islikea flywheelwhich,whenturningextremelyfast,looksstatic (1998,95).

Qicannotflowfreelynotwhenthemusclesaretense;itonlyflowswhen they are relaxed. The intention, moreover, can direct the innerforce outwards, where qi acts like gunpowder: its explosive force iscalledbringingforth force (fajin/fali). It isthehighest levelofmartialarts training (Brecher 1998).The explosivecharacterof inner forceproducedintheformofouterforcecomesfromthebodyasawhole,goinginstantaneouslyfromastateofextremerelaxationtoamomentarystateof extreme, highly focused tension, only to return directly to stillness,thusreflectingtheyinyangparadigmofchange.

AttitudeInmartialarts,therightattitudeconducivetohealthylivingfollowstheDaoistviewofthebodyanditscultivationamicroscopicreplicaofthemacrocosm,itisalsotheimageofthecountry...andcorrespondstotheDaoist vision of the inner world and to related physical exercises(Schipper1993,104).2

The Daodejingexpresses theDaoistperspective beautifully:

Whodealswiththe state. ..asthoughitwerehisbodyIsthebestpersontobeentrustedwith therule.WholoveshissubjectsasiftheywerehisbodyIsthebestpersontocommitthestate. (ch.13;seeWaley1958,157)

Illness preventionmeans to keep the person healthy in a state ofproperqi.Balanceor innerharmonyrefers to thedialecticsofcalmnessandmoveability where qi is constantly refreshed and nourished. Theprocess of freefloating qi in the body, however, implies a profoundmetabolic interchangebetween innerandouterworld inordertonourishandtorenewthevitalenergy.Whiletheintentiondirectstheqioutward as in bringing forth force, theperson also receives qi from the

2ThisviewstandsinstarkcontrasttotheBuddhistteachingsthatviewthebodyasahindrancetotrueinsightandasourceofillusionsandfalseconsciousness: This physical body of yours, Chan master Linji says, can neither expoundthedharmanorlistentoit(Sasaki1975,8).


environment.Hereagain, aprerequisite for this tohappen ismindfulness,whichenablesthepersontoexperiencetheincomingstimuliasagiftinwhateverform.Inthisway,incomingenergycanbeinvestedinonesownreservoirofinnerforcesothatapositivefeedbackloopcanbeestablished.

The concept ofmindfulness is based on the Sanskrit smriti,whichoriginallymeans remembranceandistranslatedinto Chineseasnianwhichconsistsofthewordsfornowandmind.InaBuddhistcontext,the word means recollect, reflect, or a moment (Soothill and Hodous1937, 258). Characterized by awareness and an attentive openness towardthepresentmoment,mindfulnessisacontinuousmeditativestatewhichis,sotosay,continuedintotheactionitself(Tophoff 2003,123).

Thisstatehastobecultivatedcarefully.Todoso,onecanmakethebodythebasis,theroot,thefoundationofthecultivationprocess,anchoroneself inphysicalityandtransformtheverynatureofbodilyexistence(Kohn2006,3).Ingeneral,onecouldstatethatallinternalstylesofChinesemartialartsaremindfulnesstrainingintheircultivatingthestillnessof thehereandnow and the livelymovementof qi.This cultivation isnot to be limited to sparsemoments; it has to develop into a lifestylewherestillnessandmovement,activityandrestareinterwovenwithinacyclicaldialectic.

Movement in StillnessWithinahealthyorganism, thedynamicequilibriumofyinandyang isalwaysmaintainedinahealthydialecticofexpansionandcontraction,ofmovement and stillness. This coexistence can be experienced throughseveralwaysofmartialorstandingmeditations. UnlikethemorequietistBuddhistsittingmeditations,here theentirebody is trained in itsvitalfunctioning of connecting tissue, joints, ligaments, tendons, cartilage,andmuscles.Instandingmeditation,ontheoutside,thepersonseemstobe almost in complete stillness, yet on the inside there is thevigorousinterplayoftensionversusrelaxation,contractionversusextension.

The nonultimate or nopoles state (wuji) is like the empty,primordial stateof the universe, before yin and yang separated and tookformandstructure.Sinceqi here doesnothaveyinandyang,itistransparent to the entire universe (Liang 2002). In no poles, the person


stands straight and upright for fifteen minutes, with the eyes open.3

Since the levelsof emotiondecrease in stillness, it ispreeminently appropriateinsituationsofstressandtension.

Thethreebodyposture(santishi)originallyreferstohumanityinthecontextof thepolaritiesofHeaven(yang)andEarth(yin).It isamoredemanding form of standing meditation. The constant actioninnonaction of contracting and extending the connective tissue in the samestance is ademanding formofworkor gongfu.Asconnective tissue intheentirebodyisexercised,qiflowseasilyandtheinnerforceincreases.Using intention,we focus themindwithout focus: it becomes an openmind,beholdingtheworldanditswonders.ReflectingtheBuddhasnofear mudra, this posture leads to the state of nonanalytic thinking,whichenablesthe adepttorespondspontaneouslytothetotalconfiguration of any given situation, rather than focusing on any single aspect(Diepersloot 1999,37).

Standingform(zhanzhuang)isanotherofstandingmeditationthatwas developed byWang Xiangzhai (18851963), the founder of MindBoxing(yiquan).Herethepractitioneremanatesstillnessastheactivityofstanding istotal,affectingeveryorgan,bone,andtissue(Dong1993,70).As away to train the inner force, it servesbothmartial andhealthdevelopment.Infact,Wangremarks,theacmeofmartialartsabilityliesintheparadoxthatonlythemovement(ofqi)cultivatedinstillnesscanproducestillness(ofmind)inphysicalmovement(Diepersloot1999,74).

Stillness in MovementWhere standing forms of meditation within the martial arts manifestouter stillness and inner movement, movement forms in martial artsmanifesttheopposite instillingthemindwhilethebodymoves.

Qigong(orthemartialcontextWugong)isthepracticeofqi cultivationthatintegratesbreathing,movement,andmeditation.Itisthefoundationofthe internal force (Hung1969).Here, intentionplaysacentralrole: themorethemindisfocused,themoreqi develops(Cohen1997,93).Breathing in qigong is usually natural and not produced, however,

3InDaoistsittingmeditation,suchasoblivion,theeyesaresemiclosedorclosed,tobetterobserveinternalprocesses.Nopolesisthebeginstanceofthemartialarts.Herewakefulnessisofhighimportanceandtheeyesarewideopentothesurroundings.


somealternatebreathingtechniquesalsooccur,suchasDaoistreversedandembryonicbreathing.Originatinginnopoles,theprimordialstateofemptiness,Daotakesforminyinandyangandtranslatesintoaseriesofgongfumovementsthatarebothapplicableincombatandconduciveto illnessprevention. It is at thecoreof the internalmartial art styleofGreatUltimateBoxing(taijiquan).

Martial applications here emphasize welcoming the opponentratherthanresistinghim.Thiscanbeexperiencedasaflowingandgentle interplay of inner and outerworld, as ametaphor for thepower ofyielding, reflecting the teachingof theDaode jing: Thebest officers ofcourt()circumspecttheyseemed()watchful,asonewhomustmeetdangeroneveryside() yetyielding,asicewhenitbeginstomelt(Ch.XV,Waley,1958,160).

IncontrasttoGreatUltimateBoxing,whichusesdefenseasattack,themartialartofFormIntentionBoxing(xingyiquan)usesattackasdefense (Liang2002,xxi). Itdynamically integratesmovementwith intention,usingthesystemofthefive phases(Lu2006,2930).Here,too,practitionersrealizecontractioninrelaxationandmanifestrelaxationincontraction. In striking out, inner force as directed by the intention takesformasanalmostexplosivebringingforthforce.Traininginthisformworks towarddevelopinga strong, focusedmind inanalert, agileandresilientbody.

Themartial art ofMind Boxing (yiquan) interweaves stillness andmovementwhilecultivatingconscious,focusedintention.Itistheartofnoform. Its founderWangXiangzhaiadvocatesthepracticeofstillnessandthecultivationofmindand intentasprimarypractice.Inthisway,the organism can rediscover its innate ability of natural movement(Diepersloot 1999). Starting with the standing form, the practitionermovesintoaseriesofslowmovementsthatflowwithmanifestedintention.Althoughphysical efforthere isminimal,concentration, attention,andmindfulnessareintense.Thepracticeleadstosurplusenergybuildingupinthebody(Dong1993).

ApplicationsFeasibleandpracticableapplicationsofmartialartsmaketheirwayintodailylifeindifferentways.Somebasicstandingmeditations may wellbe


practicedspeciallyinthemorning,others,likenopolescanbedoneatoddtimes,suchasinthecheckout lineinthesupermarket.

Likewise,naturalandmindfulbreathingandqigongexercisesmaybecomepartofonesdailyrepertoire.Moving inthewayofGreatUltimate Boxing not only benefits health but prevents stress in contact orconflict with the outside world, because it exemplifies going with theflow instead of resisting it. The still positions inMind Boxing help totrain the connectivity of tissue and muscles and it fosters strength ofmindandintention.Theinterplayofrelaxationandtension,essentialforhealthmaintenance,canbepracticedinFormIntentionBoxing

Adeptscanusetheserelativelyeasypracticeswithinalifestylethatalso involves preventing illness through healthy eating, avoidance ofintoxicants, and appreciation of landscapesboth inner and outer.Allthisisdone,asKristofer Schipperdescribesit,inordertoremainingalert,masterof oneself,upright and lucidtoenter lifewith a firmstepandleave it with an equally firm step (1993, 214). It greatly contributes tomakingusasmuchaspossibletheartisansofourowndestiny.

Immortalityinthiscontextdoesnothappeninthefuture,butrighthereandnow.Itdoesnotimplythenegationofbiologicalprocessesanddoesnotdenydeath.Instead,itpointstoahealthylifewhereweexperienceeachmoment in itscompleteness, inawayas if there isnoend.This as if quality is fundamentalnot only tounderstand immortalitybutalsotointernalizeitindailylife.Thisperspectiveofimmortalityallowsusto preventillnessbymaintaininga healthylife fromonemomenttothenext.Torealizethis,developingonesownautonomygoeshandinhandwithbuildingaprofoundandnourishingconnectionwiththeoutsideworld.

Toenterandleavelifewithafirmstepthismeansthatdeathisa reality even in the context of immortality. In theDaoist paradigm, Imayargue,energymatterbecomeshumaninthefetusatthemomentofconception and dehumanizes again at death. The cyclical nature ofchangetakes form in apotentiallynever endingprocessof transformation,asonewavefollowsthenextone.

Deathitselfmaybeasourceofadeepanxietyandoftencontributesto feelings of isolation anddepression.Naturally, the death of a lovedoneoronesownimminentdeathcausesgriefandsorrow.TheZhuangzihasthestoryofQinShi,whowenttomournLaoziandleftaftergivingthreeshort wails.Adiscipleaskedhimwhether hethoughtit was proper


tomournLaozilikethis.Hesaid,Ofcourse,continuing:Themasterscomingtoearthwastimelyandhisdeparture, natural(ch.6;Wang1999,47).Atimelycomingandnaturaldeparturehavenothingtodowithjoyorsorrow.AncientDaoisttextspraiseadetachedperspectiveasthekeytothe emancipationfrombondage.

Likewise,one tries toholdon to life, tograsp it, to freeze themomentbeforedeath in an immortal eternity.Daoistprinciples,however,brought to life in themartial arts, arevalid in their application to suchmomentsofcrisis.Theyimplytheprofoundunderstandingofthe nonactionparadigm,wherechangeflows along innaturalness. In that sense,andinmartialartsterms,wemayconceiveofdeathasagiftoflife.Accepting thedialectics of birth and deathmeans the realization of innerfreedominthesenseofboth truepersonalautonomyand intimateconnectionwithnature andtheuniverse.

ApplyinginternalstylesofChinesemartialartstoillnesspreventionthusenablesustomeetdeathasahealthypersonwhenthemomenthascome.Itistheprivilegeofourpersonalfreedomwhenandhowwedecidetomeethim.

Research EvidenceThehealthbenefitsofmartialartspracticeincludeincreasedselfrelianceamong the elderly, fewer falls, higher exercise capacity, betterbalance,and various benefits to the immune and autonomic nervous systems(Burke et al. 2007; Macarie and Roberts 2004). Practicing martial artstendstoenhanceselfesteem(Weiseretal.1995)whilereducinganxietyanddepression (Cai2000).Also, traditionalmartial arts are effective inreducingaggression(Zivinetal.2001).Thesebenefitsareaconsequenceof enhanced selfregulation (Lakes et al. 2004). For this reason,Woodwardsuggestsusingmartialartsasatreatmentmodalityforyouthswhoareatriskforviolence(2009).Inreviewing the researchliterature,Bindersummarizes studies about the longerterms effects ofmartial artspractice. Thefindingsofmostofthesestudiesshowthatthispracticeleadstopositivepsychosocialchangesintheparticipants (2007).

Beyondthephysicalpractice, meditationandmindfulnessarerichindeliveringbenefits,asis demonstratedinavastbodyofresearch. Effects includepositive changesinthecardiovascular system(Delmonte1984),bloodpressure(Cort1989),and bloodchemistryinthesenseof


loweringlevelsofstresshormones (Sudsangetal.1991).Inaddition,mindfulnessmeditationiseffectiveinreducingpain,painrelatedbehaviors,recurrentdepression,anxiety,eatingdisorders, andchangesinmoodandsymptoms(seeKabatZinn1996;Teasdaleetal.2000;Specaetal.2000;Segaletal.2002;Hlzeletal.2011). MindfulnesstrainingthroughSensoryAwarenessshowedsignificantchangesinthesenseofimprovementon:increasedawarenessofglobalbodilystates,heightenedsubjectivefeelingofwellbeinginthebody,ininterpersonalrelationsandsocialrole(Tophoff 2003).

ConclusionInternalstylesoftheChinesemartialarts, bothintermsofphysical practicesandastoolsformindfulnesstraining,arehighlyusefulinstrumentsforthepreventionofillhealth.RooteddeepinChinesehistory,theyintegrateandactivatecertainkeyDaoistprinciplesandmakeactiveuseofthe dialectic reciprocity ofmovement and stillness in both meditationand training. Easily integrated into daily life, they enhancehealth andvigorwellintooldage.Seenfromtheirpracticalapplication,theDaoistconceptof immortalityappears asa stateofmind in thepresentratherthanatransformative,spiritual,ormythologicalgoal. It isawayofdescribingthegoaloflearningtomeetlifeinallitsdimensionsandthusalsodeathasafullyhealthyindividual.Modernresearchconfirmstheefficaciousnessofthesetechniquesand thevalidityof their applications.

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Daoist Principles in the Martial Arts - Michael Tophoff