Chris Meistre

Chinese I Ching Coins are very important ingredients in the practise of Feng Shui. It’s a very powerful symbol of abundance.

The coins are round in shape, with a square hole in the center. The circle is used to represent heaven, while the square represents earth.

When used or worn by people, it creates a cosmic trinity of luck. This is Heaven + Earth + Man (or perhaps rather person ). The coin has a Yang side and a Yin side. The Yang side is represented by four Chinese characters. These 4 characters represent the reign of each of the Chinese emperors during a dynasty. On the Yin side of the coin you’ll have 2 characters. Whenever you use these coins, the Yang side will always be facing up.

The most popular coins are the ones that focus on the Ching Dynasty. When compared to the other dynasties, the Ching Dynasty is believed to be the most powerful. All the other dynasties usually fell in less than a century.

The Chinese coins where a creation of the advisors of the emperors and that is why these coins are such powerful representations of wealth, prosperity and endless fortune. They also provide protection against danger and harmful energies.

Coins are sometimes used in groups to activate their power even further. These are in multiples of 3, 6 or 9, and most of the time a red thread is used to bound them together.

The significance of these numbers:
3 – trinity of heaven, earth and mankind
6 – heaven luck
9 – represents the wholeness of the universe

Everyone knows the Yin Yang symbol, and for each of us it has a different meaning. Some might associate alternative healing with it, others associate martial arts with it and then there are those that think of spirituality whenever they see it. We see this symbol almost every day in different places, and it’s good to see that a symbol like the Yin Yang can be so universally accepted by people for different reasons.

Yin Yang

People use it as tattoos, on martial art clothing, in jewelery, and website logos. And each time you see it, you can bet that it has a different meaning to the person that used it than to the person that created it.

Images of the Yin Yang Symbol

Where does the Yin Yang symbol originate from though? I searched and researched a bit and found the answer to be quite fascinating. It stems from ancient Chinese Astrology.

After observing the universe for quite some time, they found that it is changing every day. Based on this they were also able to observe seasonal and annual changes and cycles happening.

They decided to start measuring and recording these changes. They observed the sky at night, and recorded the position of the Dipper. During the day they would watch the shadow off a 8 foot pole.

Dipper

With this they were able to determine four directions. Sunset in the direction of West, sunrise in the direction of East, the shortest shadow is South and the longest shadow is North. During the darkness of night, the direction of the Polaris star would be North.

While determining the four directions, they noticed the seasonal changes as well. Whenever the Dipper points towards the East, it would be spring, and when it points to the West, it would be fall. When the Dipper’s point shows towards South, it is summer and when it’s North, it’s winter.

Using the 8 foot pole at a right angle to the earth’s surface, they were also able to determine that a year’s length is 365.25 days. This was done by recording the positions of the shadows.

Now it becomes a bit more complicated. Using the year’s cycle, they divided it into 24 equal segments. Some of the segments include the Vernal Equinox, Autumnal Equinox, Summer Solstice and Winter Solstice. Then with six concentric circles they divided the segments into 24 sectors. On this diagram they marked the length of shadow every day using the 8 foot pole.

Marking it in different colors for the Summer Solstice (Yin) and the Winter Solstice (Yang) you were left the following image:

Yin Yang

You will see the ecliptic angle of 23 26’19″ marked on the image. This is the apparent path of the Sun around the Earth. Not saying that the Sun rotates around the Earth! Perhaps this image will provide a clearer understanding of what I mean to say:

Ecliptic Angle

Wu Xing can be translated as the 5 Movements, 5 Steps or 5 Elements. Whatever you call it, this system is used to describe the interaction and relationships between everything and anything. The most common place to find this is in alternative medicine practices and martial arts.

The 5 elements of Wu Xing are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

These five elements generate four cycles. Two of these cycles are mentioned here as an example of how it can be interpreted..

1) Generation

This is a creation cycle. It can be described as the following:

• Wood eats Fire
• Fire creates Earth (ash)
• Earth bears Metal
• Metal carries Water (i.e. a bucket to carry water)
• Water nourishes Wood

Generation

2) Overcoming

This is a destruction or destroying cycle. It can be described as the following:

• Wood separates Earth (i.e. roots of a tree)
• Earth absorbs Water
• Water quenches Fire
• Fire melts Metal
• Metal chops Wood (i.e. an axe)

Overcoming

Everything in the Universe can relate to these 5 elements in their 4 cycles. Below is a table of examples I have been able to find on the Internet.

The first short weapon form that I’m learning is the Cain Form.  Strange weapon you might think, as did I.  Thinking more about it though, you realise it’s actually quite a practical application, especially consider most of us will be walking with walking sticks sooner or later.

It’s not just there to teach you how to fight using a cain, but instead I see it as having an easier way of teaching you the basic workings of short and even longer weapons (staff).  Once you can grasp and feel comfortable doing the Cain Form, I’m sure the other weapon forms will come easier as you’ll already have this basis.

I’ve learned up to about 70% of the form now.  There’s a lot of repetition in the form, so it comes easy to remember all the moves, but the difficulty is remember what fits where!  When I first heard about this form, I really thought it would be a slow paced form to make it appropriate for all people that actually use walking sticks…. WRONG.  It’s quite fast paced with some nice moved in there.

I’m really enjoying being part of a Kungfu school again.  It’s still a long way until I’m on the same level as fitness as what I used to be, but I’m getting there.  I initially found it very strange that we go right into the forms at this school, whereas with the previous school we did a LOT of basics before we moved onto the forms.

But the teacher mentioned something on Thursday evening that made me realise why they do it like this.  The forms and basics we’re learning now are more there to practise our coordination, build on our stamina and get our fitness levels up, rather than for self defence purposes.   I’ve stopped with the Ninjitsu training for now to see how it goes with the Kungfu classes, but I think we’ll carry on with that for the meanwhile.  It’s nice to see the contrasts between the chinese and japanese martial arts.

The Tai Chi classes are very nice as well.  I’m finding it easier to learn with someone being there to show you the way, than trying to work it out from the DVD we’ve got.  I really think the DVD was just not put together well.  There are a lot finer things to it than just imitating moves you see.  The way you walk, the way you move, the way you move your hands, which of your hands your eyes are following, etc, etc.