Principles of Chùn Yuén Quán – Part 1
The first principle is posture. Why is this the first when in other skills like Qìgōng 氣功, Tàijíquán 太極拳 and Wing Chun, the first principle is relaxation and the second principle is posture? This is because Chùn Yuén training is more physical, of course, it is more physical than Qigong, but it is also more physical than Tàijíquán and Wing Chun, even though all three are martial arts. When training martial arts we need to be fit and have a strong body, and so if we need to fight we are strong and fit enough. Therefore Chun Yuen concentrates on the physical body first and so this is why posture is the first principle. Posture relates to the bones in the whole body and so the whole skeleton. We need to have a good posture and then our bones will be good which means the skeleton will be in good shape. The opening movements of most of the forms in Chùn Yuén, go from Chùn Yuén Stance to Step Forwards and Bring Up the Qi. In the first position, Chùn Yuén Stance, the back must be straight, the legs are also straight and together. Then we step forwards and bring up or Qì in order to lift up our spirit, open or chest and make the posture upright.