The Golden Bell Technique in the Martial Arts!

One of my favorite concepts
is the idea of ‘Golden Bell’ training.
The Golden Bell was supposed to be
a shield of energy that covered the body.
They say ‘bell,’
but really it is the ability of the student
to focus energy at the point of impact
anywhere on his body.

This concept was primarily a kung fu concept.
I believe it was ‘handed down,’
or at least inspired,
by kung fu-ists in the Boxer Rebellion.
They believed that martial arts training
could make their bodies so strong
that bullets would bounce off.
After a few dead kung fu-ists
the rumor was proven false.
But that doesn’t mean it is invalid,
it is just not valid for bullets.

I am sure there are a few specialized training techniques
the Chinese used to develop the Goldn Bell.
The way it works in karate,
however,
is very simple.

The body is a machine.
The legs are grounds,
the tan tien is the energy center,
and energy can be run through the body
and focused in certain spots.

You do the forms,
learn the techniques,
and do the techniques,
and your ‘energetical’ abilities will manifest.
Of course it will all happen faster
if you have an art that is physically correct
and has no mistakes in it.

When you do the techniques you learn to punch.
We would do something called
‘plant and push.’
We would hit with a snap on the surface,
then push through gently.
In this way we learned that impact requires weight.
And we learned to brace the body against that weight.
While we practiced punching,
our partners practiced getting punched.

We ‘dummies’ would kiai when struck,
we would breath down to the tan tien,
and bring energy up from the tan tien
and circulate it through the body.
At first we would just tighten the muscles
of the area being struck.
Get hit in the gut,
tighten the abdomen muscles
as if you are striking the attacker’s fist with your belly.
But because you are practicing the forms,
and learning to focus energy with the moves,
the tightening of the muscles
eventually is replaced by a ‘shield of chi.’
It is an actual sensation,
and it feels much like a Golden Bell.
Though it can manifest in ways
that different descriptions might work better.

I learned to take a punch without feeling the impact.
It would be absorbed by my shield of energy.
There were fellows in the Kang Duk Won,
and in other schools of the time,
who could take full power kicks to the groin,
to the face,
and to get hit in the body just made us smile.

Further,
this ‘condensation of energy’
would begin to manifest in other ways.
And these other ways
are what the true mystique of karate is all about.
These are the myths come true.
These are the source of legends.

Unfortunately,
while I saw and experienced a lot of this
back when I was training in the Kang Duk Won,
I see none of it now.
I see people with immense talent,
but I don’t see things like
people who can control their inner energy
in the manner I have described.

There are many reasons.

For one, people aren’t willing to get hit.
They would rather hit the bag,
develop power,
than learn how to take controlled punches.

For another, people use protective gear.
You can’t focus energy with protective gloves.
You can’t learn to take a punch if a chest pad is dispersing impact.

And,
people don’t understand how kata creates certain energies
and teaches one to control that energy.

And,
people don’t learn the real techniques.
Everything,
and I mean everything,
has been watered down.

The simple truth is this:
To the degree that a student is ’protected,’
to that degree he is unable to step into another realm.

True Karate is an art
that requires the student to step beyond his abilities
and beyond the restrictions
of what people think this universe is.

Hope this makes you think, and…

HAVE A GREAT WORK OUT!

Al

And thanks to everybody who picked up my book,

Advanced Tai Chi Chuan for Real Self Defense!

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