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Chinese Wand Exercise

Chinese Wand Exercise 竹棒運動
CWEsunrise.jpg
Also known as Chinese Wand
Focus martial arts
Country of origin China

Chinese Wand Exercise is an obscure ancient exercise system, related to the martial art Kung Fu. The “wand” in Chinese Wand Exercise is a 48-50” long dowel, 1” in diameter, (wood or bamboo, for example), used as a fulcrum for balance, form and posture. “It’s the pyramid effect, with you as center.” “Seventeen gentle bending, twisting and lunging movements flow in exact order, specially designed to get the blood circulating more efficiently throughout the body. These exercises are done in gradual, easy ‘Stages’ while using an original Chinese deep-breathing technique” and chi energy, and can be easy or more challenging as the individual chooses.

Together they exercise every major muscle in the body and take no more than 20 minutes to complete. The relative ease of the 17 moves (11 standing and six floor exercises) engage all the organs and muscles of the body together in harmony rather than separating out one part of the body from another. This produces a more efficient way of staying fit and healthy by increasing and balancing the chi energy.

“Chinese Wand prevents illness and delays the aging process of many cells.” Together, they exercise the entire body safely and gently. Chinese Wand was known as a “preventive” of disease while acupuncture was the “treatment.”

Although awareness of its existence is recent, Chinese Wand is said to be thousands of years old. It was passed down through Grand Masters and kept private for the use of the succeeding Chinese rulers and their families. They were devised for the emperor to slow down the aging process and maintain perfect health.

The exercises were derived from studying animals at play in nature, hence some of the names of the forms: “Springing of the Tiger,” “Raising of the Bird’s Wing,” “Panda Rolls,” to name a few. Chinese wand is not by itself taught as a method of self-defense.

It should be noted that the source of all current information stems from Bruce L. Johnson, who is currently the only known living Grand Master of Chinese Wand.

According to Johnson, when he was 19 he learned the exercises from 93-year-old Grand Master Ch’eng in 1945. He and two Navy buddies, all wrestlers, were exploring Shanghai and were amazed by an 80-year-old rickshaw man’s ability to pull a wide rickshaw with the three muscular seamen up and down the steep hills of Shanghai. Johnson pursued the slight Chinese man who eventually led him to the slender, regal Grand Master. Upon meeting Dr. Ch’eng at his home in Shanghai, the tall, 235-pound 19-year-old was unable to take down the 130 lb. Ch’eng who, seemingly inexplicably, fended him off and left him lying on the floor after each of three increasingly aggressive advances. He used an ancient “spinning” technique. Johnson, convinced that he had to learn everything this man could teach, was soon accepted as a student by Ch’eng, who was no doubt impressed and amused by the young headstrong man’s potential and enthusiasm for learning all he could. Eventually Dr. Ch’eng, having lost his sons in the war between China and Japan, trusted Johnson enough to pass on the knowledge and techniques he would need to become the next Grand Master.


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