We had a question in our last seminar with master Chen Shiyu and the question was really hard to translate, it still is and here we will explain to you why!

The actual moment where the question came in can be watched in our video here:

The original question was:

Why this specific hand posture during Wu Xing Qi Gong?

Answer:

這是叫陰陽。這是為陰（指右手）。我們叫這個（指手指指節），子丑寅卯巳辰午未申有須亥。這個是中國的一些文化，比較複雜了。天干，十二地支。陰陽五行的一些文化啦。這你知道陰陽就行了。如果你知道了解我們中國的這些文化，你就會知道，這代表什麼意思呢（捏手指），這代表什麼意思呢（指向指尖）。所以說你把這手一拿就可以（手勢），這就是陰陽。陰陽合和為太極。

我們的西方這些學員呢，如果說不了解中國的文化的話，只能說從形體上學得很好，學得很像，但從內在上去了解它，就有點難了。

你想更好的了解內家拳，你就要了解中國的一些傳統文化。

這叫，｢寂然不動，感而遂通｣。

這個就是易經裡面的文化了。

This is called Ying-Yang. This is the Ying (pointing at right hand). We call this (pointing at finger sections), 子丑寅卯巳辰午未申有須亥 (the earthly branches). This is some of the Chinese culture, it’s more complex.

For this, it’s enough that you know Ying-Yang. If you know and understand some of the Chinese culture, you will know what this represents (touching fingers together), what this represents (pointing at the fingertip). So then you just take the hand (showing posture), this is Ying-Yang. Ying and Yang come into one is Tai Ji.

For our students from the west, if they don’t know about Chinese culture, one can learn the external form very well, very similar, but to understand it with the context beneath is more difficult.

If you want to better understand internal martial arts, you will need to know some of Chinese traditional culture.

It’s called: “Still without actions, feel and hence enlightened”.

That is the culture in Yi-Jing.

Q: Why is there a difference between male and female (hand posture)

A: 左為陽，右為陰。｢負陰而抱陽，沖氣以為和｣。它就是陽抱陰。

Left is Yang, right is Ying. “Putting down Ying and surround it with Yang. Fill with Qi to make harmony”. This is Yang around Ying (male example).

Q: (female student) I am more used to using the left hand. Some people are using more the right hand and some the left. Does this mean there is more Ying or more Yang side in a person?

A: 這沒有。這只是他的，左腦跟右腦開發，發育不同。但是陽永遠在左邊，我們中國人講左為大，右為次，中間為君主。這跟喜歡用右手，喜歡用左手，那沒關係。

在我們中國很講究，就比如說，兩個人排在一起，我們就說，左手為大。那就是說，如果你和一個你的長輩在一起，就意謂你應該讓你的長輩在你的左邊。所以左邊為大，我們是這樣。

所以我們中國文化有講，左青龍，右白虎，龍比虎要厲害，那麼是左邊為陽，右邊為陰。

所以我們的文化就是這樣子。

That is not (the case). It only means one’s left brain and right brain may have different developments or growth. But Yang is always on the left-hand side. We Chinese say left is greater, right is second, the center is the master (the term means lord/king, meaning conscience or control). As for preferring to use the left or right hand, that is not related.

In China we pay attention to, for example, two people stand together, we say the left hand is greater (大, generally can mean physically larger, or more important, or of higher hierarchical position, or elder). That is to say, if you stay with a senior person, it means you should let the senior be on your left side. So left side is greater, we do it like this.

We have the saying, on the left the green dragon, on the right the white tiger. The dragon is more powerful than the tiger. So it is left being Yang, right being Ying. It’s how it is in the culture.

Further reading of the following may help you to further understand Daoist culture and the concepts:

Recommended books (click to buy):

Sexagenary cycle

Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches