THOSE PESKY WARM-UP EXERCISES

by Phillip Starr

I remember my teacher, the venerable W. C. Chen, telling me that one of his teachers, Master Tai (who taught a form of northern shaolinquan), expected his pupils to arrive at least one hour early for class so they could warm-up and stretch properly before class. Once class was underway, Tai would lead his students through a series of additional warm-up routines that didn't change much over time. The same sort of thing was true when he undertook the study of xingyiquan and baguazhang under Master Zhang Zhaodong; class always began with a standard set of warm-up exercises, conditioning, and stretching regimes.

And so it was that Sifu Chen did the same thing. However, he neglected to explain the “why” of these exercises and most of us didn't pay much attention to them, preferring instead to focus on training that had a bit more meat to it; punching, kicking, and so forth. Little did we suspect what we were missing. And I'm sure this is likely the case with many of you, too; you rush through the warm-ups (if you do them at all) and jump right into training and concentrate on the “meat.”

Being Westerners, we tend to look at warm-up exercises as just that; ways of warming the muscles and increasing circulation so they re easier to stretch and less likely to tear during a vigorous workout. We see the warm-ups through our western eyes. And this is a mistake. In the traditional martial arts, nothing is wasted (including warm-ups); everything is directed towards the same goal and everything in connected. Everything.

Prior to training, the joints must be loosened and the muscles RELAXED (which is essential for effective stretching - it s what stretching really is). But the TRADITIONAL warm-ups, which are usually completely different from the typical Western warm-ups, include various neigong exercises, which are intended to stimulate certain organs/body functions to enhance internal health as well as prepare us for daily practice. Moreover, certain exercises are intended to strengthen and toughen various muscle groups that will be used during training.

These exercises are ESSENTIAL for strengthening, toning, and toughening certain muscle groups. The key word in this statement is toning. You don't tune a violin as you do a guitar, and you don t tone a martial arts practitioner as you would a football player. The muscles have to be toned (perhaps a better word is “tuned” ) just so. If they are not, they will be PHYSICALLY INCAPABLE of performing the movements correctly. As an example, I once had a student who had won the state title for the deadlift. He was a monster and capable of lifting enormously heavy weights. But when I put him in a proper horse-riding stance, he couldn't stand for more than 30 seconds. He'd collapse! And this angered him considerably. I assured him that it wasn't due to a lack of strength; it was due to a difference in muscle tone ( tune ).

Additionally, many of the special warm-up exercises strengthen, toughen, and tone certain tendons and ligaments. This is absolutely essential for the practice of Chinese martial arts, especially the neijia (internal martial disciplines of taijiquan, xingyiquan, and baguazhang). The process takes time and any attempt to hurry it will only result in injury and slowed progress. These exercises have to practiced REGULARLY (as in DAILY) if they are to be of any real use. Without them, you cannot possibly move from the inside correctly and/or acquire the real coiling power.

So next time you attend class, ask your teacher about the warm-up exercises and how they REALLY work. Learn to do them correctly (don't just buzz mindlessly through them) and make them a part of your daily training routine. In time, you'll notice a considerable difference!