ONE, TEN, RICE, AND BEYOND

 by Phillip Starr

一, 十, 米; yi (one), shi (ten), mi (rice)...in Chinese. These are the lines that most forms follow. In Japanese, it is referred to as the embusen (演武線, which means “martial play line” in Chinese). Almost all forms should begin and end on the same spot (known as kiten or the embusen point in Japanese). And they follow the embusen.

Many Chinese sets use a simple “yi” line, which is straight. Others may use the “shi” or, for more complexity, the “mi” line(s). And most of them stress the importance of ending on the spot where you began the form; it's a fine way to ensure that your footwork is as it should be.

But the use of the embu line has been misunderstood for some time. If you stay exactly on the line(s), you'll soon discover that many of the form's techniques can't be effectively applied (this is especially true in the case of taijiquan). To find more application(s), you have to “come off the line” for at least one step or so.

For instance, step offline at an angle and see how it affects the application(s). Bear in mind that oftentimes, only the entry is shown in the form; the rest of the application is IMPLIED and not necessarily shown openly.

The original use of the embu line was probably for reasons of practicality; practicing in a fairly small area. Back in the “old days”, there were no roomy, warm training halls. Most practice was conducted outdoors in area that were a bit...tight. The old Chinese “courtyards” (that only fairly wealthy families could afford) were quite small and getting more than a half dozen students into one for training would be tricky. I know; I've seen such places firsthand.

Strict adherence to the embu line has led to some problems in so far as correct application is concerned. This is especially true of arts such as taijiquan, much of which is intended to be applied angularly. But because it (and many other Chinese forms) follow strict lines, today's adherents struggle to force the applications to work...and they just don't. In their zeal to maintain what they think is “tradition”, devotees refuse to alter their approach and hence, their way(s) of thinking. Their minds become as inflexible as the stones into which they believe their “traditions” are carved. But such “traditions” aren't really traditions at all... they have become pitfalls.