Student experiences at the Liang Yi pressure point training facility (video)

Leendert Hordijk (Holland):

 　　I was studying at the FohanQuan school in Puyang city, Henan province when we went out on a trip(Richard and Sean also students at Fohan Quan) with Richand Shi. He took us to see other schools like a TagouQuan school in Dengfeng that also wanted to attract foreigners. We heard about an rumor about a Chinese martial art that used pressure point to immobilize opponents. I didnt believe it but was well intrested in it just to check it out because it seemed so unreal. So on our way back from Shaolin we drove through Zhengzhou where the master lived. We bought him some food as gift and talked with him. Then it was time for the pressure point try. I was very nervous because I didnt know what to expect. One of his students that studied at the shaolin Temple for 20 years and now a disciple of LiangyiQuan hit me. I was hit in a real strange way they used an hollow fist and hit me just above the lowest rib. I didnt feel anything next to getting hit. Then the master said he didnt hit me hard enough because he was scared to hurt us(foreigners). This time his disciple hit me harder and it felt like a sword went threw me from one side of my ribs to the other side. I was unable to make any force and the pain felt like a burning line from one side of my ribs to the other side. Then Zhang Shifu came up to me and released the pressure point. The way he removed it was by ChaosQiGong, an ancient type of Qigong where you can read more about on the website.
 　　A few weeks later we returned to study pressure points and help translate the theory of the style to english. We were learning Lao Jin(swinging force) when I asked what the master what pressure point could be used with Lao Jin and thats when I got another demonstration of LiangyiQuan. This time I was hit on the ridge of the highest right ab which made me really sick and I was unable to make force.
　　The third time I got a pressure point hit was while we were doing the video making for the site. This time I was hit on the same pressure point as the second time I got hit. For some reason I was kind of nervous(unlike the second time) before getting hit due to the camera filming it. So I contracted my ab muscles hoping it would block the punch but it didn't. And again there was this massive uncomfortable feeling, being unable to make any force and had a hard time to keep standing.

　　 Sean Jones (USA):
　　I had never really heard of pressure point kung fu until one day while I was talking with Richard Shi. He told me that he knows of a style called Liangyi Quan and that he has spoken with the master of this style quite often. Richard mentioned that we could go visit him in Zhengzhou and that I could see what getting hit on a pressure point feels like. So I ended up going to Zhengzhou with Rich, Lennie, two students who I was with at the Fohan Quan school in Puyang, and Richard. Our short trip lasted for two days. Before we went to visit master Zhang we went around to check out some wushu schools in Shaolin. Aside from that, we took a trip out to see the Shaolin Temple, where we watched a small preformance of some different styles of Shaolin Wushu. On the second day we went to see master Zhang. Before we arrived at his house Richard advised that we should stop to pick up some gifts for him. It turned out to mainly be food seeing as master Zhang doesn’t drink or smoke. When we entered his house we sat down and Richard spoke with him, while we remaind silent. Finally Richard told us that it was time to see what pressure point kung fu is like. Lennie was the first to try, next Rich, and then me. I stood up slowly because I was a little nervous. Master Zhang’s leading pupil, Sun Hongchao, came up to me, smiled and nodded. Then with the quickest movement that I’ve ever seen he hit me to the left side of my stomach. Aside from feeling like I had just been punched, my body felt a little uncomfortable. It was a little difficult to make force and move about normally. There was a small sharp pain where I had been struck. When asked how I felt I said that the actual pain wasn’t too bad. Richard told me the reason for that is because I was struck at a point that doesn’t give off much of an effect until a few days later. Instead of having to come back later though, master Zhang then released me. When he released me, using an exercise which only lasted for about five seconds, the small sharp pain that was present stopped completely. As we were leaving we thanked Zhang shifu for the demonstration and headed back to Puyang. On our way back Richard mentioned that we could go back for a week and train in Liangyi Quan. He said it wouldn’t be for another couple weeks so we had enough time to think about it.
　　 The weeks went by quickly and the time came to make a choice. Making a last minute decision we made the trip back to Zhengzhou. We spent the mornings, and afternoons practicing the Jin. When we took breaks we would listen to Richard explain the theory of Liangyi Quan. After Richard would speak to master Zhang he would repeat everything to us. We wrote down what he told us and even began helping to translate some of the theory. During our stay their we practised four of the twelve Jin. Throughout the week I found master Zhang, as well as the other coaches, to be very patient. After seven days of training we thanked master Zhang for the opportunity and left for Puyang.  

　　Richard Bacon(UK):
　　On my first full day of training at the Liang Yi facility, Master Zhang told me that to be able to effectively use pressure point techniques one needed accuracy, speed and technique. I knew I lacked all three.
　　I had briefly visited the Liang Yi training facility before with two other foreigners, on a short break from our training at the Fohan Quan school in Puyang, and we had all decided to return for a full week of training. Being the first foreigners to train in this little-known family style was certainly a privilege, though I myself was initially dubious about the nature of pressure-points – I certainly didn't believe in ‘Qi’ (pronounced ‘Chi’), and thought that the idea of a wise old master who could kill with a single touch was best confined to a 1970s kung-fu film.
　　My initial doubts about whether pressure points could be effective, however, had been cast aside on my first visit to the training facility, when I was struck in the solar plexus by one of Master Zhang’s coaches. Extreme pain has a funny way of removing such doubts (even though Master Zhang ‘released’ my pain soon afterwards through manipulating my back and chest). So though I don’t necessarily believe in the traditional Chinese explanation behind Liang Yi pressure point, I firmly believe that it is a useful and practical self-defense system.
　　We began our first day by learning and practicing Wai Bei Jin, which translates to ‘Backhand Force’ in English. Wai Bei Jin can best be conceptualized as a backhand strike against the solar plexus of an opponent who is standing to your side, facing in the same direction as you (as if you were both watching a football match or similar). Throughout the week we also learnt and practiced Li Gou Jin (Hook Force), Lao Jin (Swinging Force) and then Zhi Jin (Straight Force). It is worth remembering, however, that though we learnt how to execute these strikes with reasonably good form, a week of training was nowhere near long enough to enable us to effectively strike a pressure point using these techniques.
　　Practicing these basic strikes for seven and a half hours a day, seven days in a row (though most students will study six days a week) was grueling to say the least – by the second day my shoulders were aching, and by the last day everything between my finger nails and my shoulder blades was on fire. At times, continuing to practice really was as much of a mental battle as it was a physical one – because of the exhausting nature of the training, I would genuinely recommend that anybody considering attending the Liang Yi training facility try a week’s trial before committing to any longer training periods.
　　Outside of training, I was extremely happy with the accommodation and food – living outside of the training facility led to a much more mature and independent atmosphere than is to be found at many ‘live-in’ wushu schools. Being able to go to local restaurants and chose our own food for every meal was also a great bonus, and we ate extremely well for around only 20-30 RMB per person per day. Outside of training hours, I was also lucky enough to watch Master Zhang’s wife performing acupressure on one of the Liang Yi coaches and saw many demonstrations of Qi Gong, which included several of the younger students asking me to hit them in the stomach as hard as I could – generous offers which I had to decline!  
　　After seven full days of training, I still lacked the speed and accuracy necessary for effectively striking pressure points, but my Jin techniques had improved vastly. I cannot thank Master Zhang, his coaches and the students at the Liang Yi training facility enough for their patience and dedication.