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Old 05-16-2012, 05:54 PM   #26
Chris Li
 
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Dojo: Aikido Sangenkai
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
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Re: Aiki, Iki, Kokyu, Heng-Ha and Aun, Part 2 - Breathing deeper...

Quote:
David McNamara wrote: View Post
I have a cultural question. Following your blog I went looking at Heng Ha breathing and I found that a description of generals Heng and Ha

http://www.chinahistoryforum.com/ind...erals-heng-ha/

So general Heng is actually spitting ("hoicking a lurgey" according to the school kids across the road) or forefully exhaling, hence the contracted abdomen

I understand Heng usually but not always refers to inhalation in Taiji which would be different from the cultural understanding above.. So I was wondering if in Japan the common cultural understanding, not the martial artists' version, is whether the Un/Heng figure is inhaling or spitting. Just wondering if the imagery has changed when it moved countries or whether this association of Un/heng with inhalation is purely a martial artists conception.
Actually, as I understand it the figures came first, and the novel (in which they were given some interesting "powers") actually came along later.

Best,

Chris

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