Hsien Hsia Kung Fu
Harsh and uncompromising in its objectives, it's really no surprise that this martial art is considered to be on the verge of extinction. The name Hsien Hsia can be translated into "Great House of the Ancients," and fittingly describes the morgue-like quality of this ancient martial art's teachings. Not helping this situation one bit are the traditional teachers of Hsien Hsia. They follow three rules when it comes to instructing their pupils:
1. Answer no questions. A dignified silence is the usual response, even to the most reasonable inquiries. If pressed, a teacher might respond, "All answers are contained within the teaching. A superior student will learn without causing annoyance."
2. Respect the Ancient Predecessors. In other words, stick to reading the texts and don't try to improvise. As the teacher would say, "Reading from the sacred texts is true. Any other teaching is false."
3. Change Nothing. Teachers of Hsien Hsia are convinced that everything about the school is perfect. Students will learn what is expected of them, when it is expected of them. Others are free to leave. The point of this rigidity is that Hsien Hsia promises its students Enlightened Immortality through a course of Internal Alchemy. It may take many decades to achieve this state, but as the elders might say, "Those who are unsuitable are false, and not worthy of Immortality."
Students who undertake Hsien Hsia are absolutely prohibited from engaging in other martial arts. The use of any Chi Mastery or use of Chi of any kind is prohibited. According to the texts, "Idle indulgence in Chi trickery is false." About half of all the teachings are the Chi Chung, or "Control of Breath," describing the Too Yin, or "ancient breathing exercises." This means that students spend at least two hours a day simply practicing different techniques of breathing in and out. All of this might lead you to assume that the teachers are themselves boring and colorless. Nothing could be further from the truth! Believe it or not, most teachers of Hsien Hsia are quite eccentric, funny and entertaining. Most are Taoists in alignment, and many of them have weaknesses for drinking, gambling and partying. The teachers simply believe that they should honor the style by teaching it in the old way.
Comments