More on the Queen Mother...

By Steven (Details of an object of Scythian artwork found in Tuva, Siberia, dating to the 4th Century BCE)

I finally got around to looking at a book I found at a thrift store some time ago - Twilight Goddess: Spiritual Feminism and Feminine Spirituality - by Thomas Cleary and Sartaz Aziz. I realized this book would likely have something to say about Xi Wang Mu, the Golden Mother of the West. Indeed it does. While the authors discuss some of the general information about the Goddess, they also put forth an interesting theory. Given recent discoveries in the Taklamakan Desert, not far north of the Kunlun Mountains, of seemingly Caucasian "mummies", they wonder if the "Golden Mother" may not be a memory of some blonde-haired shaman-queen of these Western people. The authors believe the likeliest origin of these remains are the Scythians. The remains may date as far back as 4,000 years. These people lived between the Kunlun and Altai ranges, which should be the right location for the Scythians at that time. Ancient accounts do mention red and blond hair amongst these tribes, which were an Aryan people speaking a language similar to Iranian. Fair-haired people among the Afghans and Pakistanis, usually attributed to the army of Alexander the Great, may actually represent Scythian ancestry. Scythian-style chariots have been discovered in Chinese archaeological sites.

A major problem is that the Scythians left no written records.

But the plot thickens...

Apparently, a fair number of Irish historians claim Scythian roots for the Celtic people, pointing to long-standing Celtic traditions. If this is a valid claim, there were certainly women warriors, wizards and chieftains amongst ancient Celtic and Pictish peoples, as well as matriarchal traditions amongst some of the tribes. The authors pointed to the legends of Queen Medb (Maeve), a wealthy, powerful blonde queen with magical powers who ruled over the western fifth of Ireland (a Queen of the West?). She could induce feelings of childbirth (labor pains) in male warriors, which bears a relation of sorts to some practices and legends in Chinese Taoist beliefs (meditation is a man become 'pregnant', the Queen Mother and her representative teaching magical methods for to Chinese rulers and sages to protect themselves and their domains). Her name meant "intoxication", which can have a number of meanings at deeper levels. Neither Queen married, but both had many lovers. The idea of Xi Wang Mu holding court atop the mystical Kunlun Mountain, surrounded by Immortals and tending the Peaches of Immortality in her splendid gardens, is mirrored by Tir na n-Og, the Land of Youth that was thought to be somewhere west of Celtic lands, and was the location to which worthy people went after death (and sometimes returned from, should the people have a time of great need).

Can they prove this theory? Not unless some new "smoking gun" is dug up somewhere, one day in the future. I do think there is likely some kernel of truth there. The more reading I do, the more I seem to find that Central Asia has been "central" to much of Eurasian history.

Publication of the Kunlun Green Dragon Form!...

Shifu Jonty has recently finished his book on the Green Dragon Form of Kunlun Mountain Fist. He learned this in the mid-90's while studying with Shifu Jason Baaht. It equates, roughly, with the first quarter of the Kunlun Quan Four Directions Form (Si Xiang Quan). For anyone interested, the book is available here .

One Small Step...

I was contacted today, via one of the forums I visit, by one of Jonty's old students. She had lost track of him over the years, and was glad to have found us. She may even try and get a training group going in her area, which could be great news.

A Figure of Controversy...

By Steven

One of the big, perennial controversies in the Pencak Silat community has revolved around the figure of Bapak Sera. The popular history put forth about him states that he was a one-armed, club-footed warrior of the Inner Badui, a rather unusual group in Indonesia. Sadly, there are some issues with that story. Personally, I don't think its the background story that makes the martial art. What's important is whether or not it works for its practitioners, and produces people who are a credit to the style.

There are few resources out there that hint at an alternate history for this Bapak Sera, but here's what I have come across so far...

Steven Plinck, one of the more respected American teachers of Pencak Silat stated that a student of Maurice de Thouars (oldest of the de Thouars brothers and the only one to have remained in the Netherlands) indicated that Sera was a nickname of a man whose real name was Eyang Hisak, aka H. Muhroji.

Steven Plinck also stated that some believed Bapak Sera was born in Cirebon, on the north coast of Java, some 130 miles east of Jakarta.

Both Steven Plinck and Willem de Thouars have indicated that family records show Bapak Sera's training included the art of Pencak Silat Banteng, from the area of Serang, in NW Java.

Bapak Willem de Thouars states that Bapak Sera was born in Cirebon in 1860. He further states that his student, Mas Jud (who is another figure of great controversy) had dealings with the Outer Badui.

Bapak Victor de Thouars gives an alternate birth year of 1783, with his death occuring in 1885.
Pendekar William Sanders cites a book, Learning Silat, by Mr. R. Asikin, which states that Mbah Kahir, the creator of Pencak Silat Sera, Pamacan and Cimande, had a well-known student named “'Bapak Sera', who had many students in Depok, Bogor, Jakarta, Tangerang, and Banten.” He said that when he spoke to historians at Cimande Village, they suggested that this man was likely an early student of Mbah Kahir who was fond of his earliest art and had “Bapak Sera” as his nickname.

O'ong Maryono, well-known for his scholarship and skills in Pencak Silat, indicates that Sera appears to be a Betawi (or Jakarta) style heavily influenced by Kuntao (Indochinese martial arts).

Its unlikely we'll ever know for sure who this man really was, or much of his actual history, but I tend to give quite a bit of credence to some of the above information. I lean towards the birth date of 1783. The information from Mr. Asikin is likely to be good, as he has nothing really at stake in presenting it. His book was not about Pencak Silat Sera, specifically. The thing is...Mbah Kahir started teaching Cimande around 1760, and died in 1825. If this man, Bapak Sera, studied with Mbah Kahir, he had to be born well before 1860. It might well be that he had dealings with the Outer Badui. Over time, this connection may have become more important in family history. The Sera of the de Vries and de Thouars families does not bear a lot of resemblance to the art of Sera as seen in the practice of Pendekar Sanders' Pencak Silat Pukulan Cimande Pusaka or in the Suwanda family's art of Pencak Silat Mande Muda. The idea that this man had also trained in Pencak Silat Banteng could account for this difference. O'ong Maryono's observations could indicate influence from yet another, as yet unknown(?) source.

The Original Breath of the Great Yin...

By Steven
When I started to develop an interest in the Kunlun Shan, one of the things that I found interesting was the figure of Xi Wang Mu, the Queen Mother of the West, the Mother of All Creatures, the highest embodiment of Yin, and greatest of all female Taoist deities.

She dates at least as far back as the Shang Dynasty, maybe farther, one of her names being found on oracle bone inscriptions. One of her ancient names is Mother of the Golden Tortoise, a reference to the ancient practice of turtle shell divination. Xi Wang Mu appears to be a survival of China's (and Taoism's) shamanistic roots.

Yu the Great (legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty), King Mu (of the Zhou Dynasty), Qin Shihuangdi (first emperor of the Qin Dynasty), and Han Wudi (Martial Emperor of the Han) are all said to have had relations, both good and bad, with the Queen Mother of the West. It even appears that said relationship may have been important to the legitimacy and success of their reign.

She is said to dwell atop Kunlun Mountain, in her palace beside the Turquoise Pond, surrounded by her delightful flowering gardens. Xi Wang Mu guards the Peaches of Immortality, which grow on a great Tree in the garden that is said to be a ladder between Heaven and Earth used by spirits and shamans. This is clearly a World Tree/Axis Mundi symbol, and likely a survival from her shamanistic roots. She is attended by a host of Immortals and fairies, as well as her Jade Maidens. Other unusual figures associated with Xi Wang Mu include Qingnaio, a raven with three legs; a white tiger (a symbol of the West); a seven-horned white stag; a nine-tailed fox; a dancing frog, and the moon-hare. She has definite associations with birds. She may sit on leopard or fox pelts. She wore the nine-starred crown. The imagery goes on and on.

The idea that Yang (masculine energy) requires Yin (feminine energy) in order to attain Immortality or transcendence is a fundamental part of real alchemy. Contrary to the literalists, the transmutation of lead into gold was not meant to refer to actual metals, but spoke of the transformation of the base (lead) into something refined (gold, the only metal that doesn't rust/decay). Androgyny, or a balance between opposites (the Yin-Yang symbol), has long been key for those who wish to evolve, and seems to be the reason for the Goddess' prominence. This symbolism is important to the stories of the Queen Mother of the West and the various kings and emperors who had dealings with her.

Some Kunlunquan History

[Note: This is a very rough and quick translation of some historical notes on Kunlunquan. I'm not sure where I copied the Chinese from; I'll add that in when I find out. -Jonty]


昆仑拳是旧时由一位走江湖的黄辉龙老师傅传授,
Kūnlúnquán is ancient times from a place Jianghu of Huáng Huīlong (Huīlóng or Huīlŏng) old master teacher transmitted,
[Note: Jianghu ("Rivers and Lakes") is a semi-fictional place where many traditional stories and legends are set. Not sure which pronunciation of Huáng Huīlong is correct.]

黄师傅原籍山东省省济南市人,
Teacher Huáng’s birthplace Shandong Province Jinan City,

年龄虽已60多岁, 但他白天奔 跑市, 镇, 乡村卖药,
even though he was over 60 years old, still he ran around the market, city, country villages selling medicine,

晚上传授技艺，
at night he transmitted and taught his skill and art,

由于当时官府有 “禁武令”，传艺只好闭门偷偷摸摸地进行,
because at that time there was an official “Martial Ban Decree”, he was forced to transmit his art closed-door secretly,

三更起练，五更收场，以免招祸，故传习的人数不多。
in the dead of night rise practice, early morning receive market, so as not to provoke calamity, is the reason (there are) not many (practitioners of this style)

[Note: The Chinese used to divide the night into two-hour segments called "更" or "changes". "三更" means "Third change", and is often used to refer to the middle of the night. "五更" Would be the very early hours of the morning.]

解放后，昆仑拳得以新生，建国以来在丰顺传授昆仑拳的有丘展华师傅。
After liberation, Kūnlúnquán became newborn, establish nationally in order to return to Fengshun [county in Shandong] transmit teach Kūnlúnquán’s have name open illustrious (possibly name Qiu Zhanhua) teacher.
[Note: I think "Kunlunquan has a name for open and illustrious teachers" is close to the meaning, but it may be something like "Kunlunquan has named Qiu Zhanhua as teacher". ]

昆仑拳流传丰顺, 揭阳, 揭西，近年来深圳, 珠海两市均有传人。
Kūnlúnquán circulate transmit Fengshun , bring out into the light, divulge to the West, recently return to Shenzheng, Zhuhai both towns equally have teachers.
 

昆仑拳的风格特点：眼巧, 心灵随变化，要求练习者，攻击时凶猛, 刁滑，讲究吞, 吐, 浮, 沉，每发招出手均要 向对手要害部位攻击，桩马较高，发招呼气收招吸气。 Kūnlúnquán’s Wind Style Special Points: Eye clever, Heart/mind follows changes, demands practicer, attack strike now fierce and abrupt, cunning and slippery, explain study carefully swallow and spit, float and sink, each issue send out hands equally demand toward facing/correct hand demand injure place attack beat (each time you send out your hands you must injure what you attack), stake horse higher, issue provoke exhale, gather provoke inhale.

Si Xiang Quan - A Kunlunquan Form

This is the Four Directions Form, as demonstrated by Huang Shuangqing, a Kunlunquan practitioner in Shandong Province, China. Jonty learned a similar version of the form in Kunlun Mountain Fist.

Da Luoquan - An East Kunlunpai Form

Here is a clip of the "Rollback" Form from the Eastern branch of the Kunlunpai. So far, I've been unable to find out who the practitioner is, or where this was filmed. But I like it.

A Little Background on Kunlun...

The Kunlun Mountains (崑崙山) form one of the longer mountain ranges in Asia, stretching for some 3,000 km between Tibet (to the south) and the Tarim Basin, Takla Makan and Gobi Deserts (to the north). The highest point in the range is the mountain Kunlun Goddess, at 7,167 meters. They are one of the Earth’s remote places, and are only crossed by roads in two places. Kunlun is famous for its jade, and was the source of the Jade Road, an ancient set of trade routes, stretching as far as the Mediterranean, SE Asia, and China, and predating the more famous Silk Road by millennia.

There are five sacred mountains in Taoist cosmology. Pride of place, the center, goes to Kunlun. It is considered the central axis of the Taoist universe. Shrouded in clouds and mist, dangerous and mysterious, its high peaks are a symbol of the unknowable Tao, as well as a symbol of the link between Heaven and Earth, body and spirit. Kunlun is also believed to be the Taoist Paradise (Shangri-La?) and the home of Xi Wang Mu (西王母), the Queen Mother of the West, an ancient Chinese goddess who lived atop Kunlun in her palace, tending the Peaches of Immortality. It was believed, in the past, that Kunlun could move about at will, that it existed both within and without the world, that it was everywhere and nowhere.

Together with Shaolin, Wudang, Ermei, and Kongdong, Kunlun is considered one of the five major martial schools of China. Kunlun is known for its skills with the sword. There are a number of Taoist sects and martial traditions associated with the Kunlun Mountains. Of course, claiming a connection to distant Kunlun is similar to ascribing your art to a nameless Taoist hermit or monk in the mountains (or to Bodhidharma, for that matter).

The arts of Kunlunquan, Kunlunpai (divided into West and East branches), and Kunlun Mountain Fist all appear related, and claim a connection disappearing back into antiquity. These styles may display a Hakka influence (though some claim the influence went the other direction). There is a strong Cannon Fist element to the arts, and there is a resemblance, in some forms, to Chen Taiji. Jonty was lucky enough to study Kunlun Mountain Fist in the mid-90’s with Shifu Jason Baaht, before his death in 1997. Clips of Kunlunquan from a set of Chinese VCD’s by Huang Shuangqing are what generated interest in the art for me. Very rare here in the West, we are currently researching the art in an attempt to find out more.

Bapak Willem de Thouars uses Kunlunpai in the title of his Kuntao Silat organization, but ascribes a strictly symbolic reason to his choice of names. Additionally, there are Indonesian martial artists that claim a connection to the Kunlun region, dating back many centuries.

Some people claim an origin in Kunlun for Bagua, including the practitioners of Lama Dorje’s (Max Christenson) Kunlun Bliss, a system of “shaking” Qigong. No one that I am aware of has yet substantiated such claims, however. Bagua does have a Kunlun Fan Form, named in honor of Dong Haichuan, who was sometimes called the "Hero of the Kunlun Mountains".

The Muslim Chinese style of Tantui may have its origin in the Kunlun region. It is certainly a possilbility, given the Central Asian locale.

Some Taiji styles, especially Yang Michuan, have a Kunlun sword form, as does Hung Gar Kung Fu. Again, however, this is likely symbolic.

Wild Goose Qigong, or Dayan Qigong, and the related Kunlun Shan Qigong, maintain a Kunlun origin for their energetic health practices. There are Bagua-style circle walking practices found in these Qigong styles.

There are also some Youtube clips of something called Kunlun Goddess Yoga, but I don't have any information about it at this time.

One of our aims is to increase our knowledge of these arts. Additionally, we would like to increase public interest in them, as we feel they are worthy of further study.

Hello There...

 My name is Jonty Kershaw. I breathe martial arts.

My training in the martial arts started when I was 4. My father, a student of  Mitsusuke Harada Sensei, had me in the back yard trying to punch holes in newspaper. Martial arts has been in my life ever since. I have been through different stages in my growth as a martial artist, starting with the Japanese/Okinawan arts, moving to the harder and more acrobatic Chinese arts, then to the more internal Daoist martial arts. The last six years has been mostly devoted to studying the Indonesian arts.

I recently "met" Steven Vance online. My main Chinese style, Kunlun Mountain Fist, is suspiciously similar to the art of Kunlunquan, and we got to discussing the possible history and connections of these two arts and all the other arts that claim the name "Kunlun." We also both have a similar love of the Indo arts and a distaste for the politics involved in studying them.

We have started this association as a sort of modern version of the traditional "martial arts preservation societies." We don't know exactly where this will go, but for now we will be focusing on researching the Kunlun and Indonesian arts, and also writing about the role of the warrior in the modern world.

If you love the martial arts and are willing to set aside ego and politics, we invite you to join us.

Let Me Introduce Myself...

My name is Steven Vance and, at this point, I am one-half of the newly formed Golden Flower Warrior Association. I'm entering my mid-forties, have been with my wonderful wife, Gina, for about twenty-five years, and have two daughters, one son, and two grandchildren (with one more on the way). I've worked in a variety of jobs, including nine years of service with the US Army as a combat medic, where I served in Operations Desert Storm and Iraqi Freedom with the infantry (the 101st Airborne Air Assault Division and 2nd Stryker Brigade/25th Infantry Division respectively). At present I work for the Veterans Administration, at the Portland VA Medical Center, in its combined MICU/SICU.

I've been involved with martial arts, off-and-on, since the mid-1980's. I started out with fencing (high school) and a Korean art called Hap Do Sool, then moved on to SCA light weapons fighting ( the shinai, and a little naginata) and a modified form of Muay Thai (Tony Gneck, college), back before it was the "in-thing". Over the years, my training became intermittent, between the demands of military service and employment in corporate America, raising three kids - one with multiple medical issues, and life in general. Nevertheless, I have had exposure of one sort or another to Bujinkan Ninpo Taijutsu, Aikido, Wrestling, and several other arts. I received Level I Army Combatives Training (BJJ for Dummies...lol). It was Silat and Kuntao Silat that really captured my imagination, and I have trained with people from Pendekar William Sanders' organization (Pencak Silat Pukulan Cimande Pusaka) and Guru Jim Ingram's organization (Amerindo Silat), as well as having been involved with the Malabar Kuntao Silat distance training program, while I was deployed in Iraq. I've had at least some exposure to the arts of Al Colangelo, Guy Savelli, Victor de Thouars, Chris Burbeck and Eric Kruk.

Now that my children are grown, I'm seeking a return to much more regular training. I am a distance student of Pendekar William Sanders (Cimande) and Laoshi Yang Yusen (Gao Bagua).

Recent research on the Chinese art of Kunlun Quan, which interests me quite a bit, led me to Shifu Jonty Kershaw. We hit it off, and decided to engage in this joint venture. Both of us are martial arts junkies (obviously), share an interest in Indonesian, Indochinese and Chinese internal arts, and are so tired of the politicking and BS that seem such an ever-present part of the martial art scene. We have decided to start an organization that will foster research into the various aspects of martial culture - the fighting skills (of course), healing arts and herbalism, qigong/neigong and other energetic arts, martial history, philosophy...pretty much anything that constitutes traditional (and emerging) warrior culture.

We love learning. We want to have a good time doing it.

And we are looking for like-minded individuals.

Daoist Naming Conventions: Hidden Meaning in Movement Names, Part 3

Republished from Dirty Dao.

Section III:
Internal Medicine

    One of the main areas of study in Daoism is health and longevity. The Daoists have developed quite a collection of tools in this area.



  Above is a picture of the Neijingtu, or “Internal Classic Diagram.” On the surface, we see a stylized map of a mountain range. If you look closely, you will see a map of the human body (the mountains represent the spine). This diagram very cleverly hides the secrets of Daoist internal practices.

    The general imagery you should be thinking of is simply of a mountain with a moon above it. The mountain represents the spine, and the moon represents the head.
    So, movements with names like “Moon Knocking on Mountain Gate” might have new meaning for you. “Ride Tiger, Push Mountain” or “Ride Tiger Back to Mountain” might now mean taking advantage of your opponent’s aggressive attack to attack the spine. Hold Moon to Chest might involve holding your opponent’s head to your core and breaking the neck or choking the opponent out.

    Other more cryptic names may be referring to the classical names of acupuncture points or channels.

    It’s important to remember that to a Daoist, it would be wasteful and poor Dé (efficient use of power) not to merge your healing work with your fighting work.

Daoist Naming Conventions: Hidden Meaning in Movement Names, Part 2

Republished from Dirty Dao.


Section II:
Animal Styles

     Just like Shàolín, the Daoist martial arts have animal styles. They tend to be much less imitative than Shàolín arts, and these days you won’t see many specific animal forms. You will find many movements with animals in them; especially white animals. The white animals seem to originate in the Kunlun? mountains, between China and Tibet.
    The two main animals you will see are Dragon and Tiger. These represent the two main fighting strategies of the arts. Often a third animal, usually a bird, will represent the third strategy of escape.
    Dragon is counteroffensive and clever. This is your first strategy; to neutralize your opponent’s attack and then respond.
    Tiger is preemptive and dominating. It starts the fight and keeps the opponent one step behind.

    These two animals tend to create each other: Counteroffensive turns into offensive, for example, and when Tiger fails to keep the initiative, she falls back on Dragon.

    The Daoist arts usually generate their power from the ground, but there are times when this is not a good option; you have to pick up your feet and move, or you just don’t have a good foundation. This is where the footwork of the bird styles come in.

    White Crane’s lower body skills  teach how to fight from one leg, a situation which may come up every time you take a step. Its upper body skills are perhaps the most sophisticated in the Daoist martial arts, which is why you will see so many movements in Tàijíquán with White Crane names.

    Phoenix teaches fast, moving footwork rather like Bāguàzhăng (Not a coincidence), and fast targeted jabs.

    Other animals you may come across are:

    White Ape, which teaches stamping power and “loose arm” skills. This animal is the main reason the Daoist martial arts look like they have Xíngyìquán mixed in.

    White Snake, which teaches throwing techniques and grinding entries. (Think of White Snake Creeps Down.)

    Dragon Horse, which teaches trampling techniques.

    Keep all this in mind when you look at a movement named “Dragon Wanders, Tiger Sits,” for example. The movements might not look much like the animals, but the names have meaning.

Daoist Naming Conventions: Hidden Meaning in Movement Names, Part 1

Republished from Dirty Dao.


Daoist Naming Conventions:
Hidden Meaning in Movement Names
by
Jonty Kershaw
www.brokencircle.org

Introduction

There is a lot of lost information in the world of the martial arts. Those of us who study it face the prospect of having to gather as much knowledge as we can from the meager sources available and sift through it, trying to find the secrets that even our own teachers might never have learned. This article is intended to help the searchers in their search.

One area that should be explored is the meanings of movement names. There is a rich hidden language here that can hint at or even fully explain the intention of the movements.

I have divided this article into three sections, based on the sources of the names. They are:

Proverbs and Sayings

Animal Styles

Internal Medicine

These naming conventions are specifically for the “Daoist Martial Arts” family. Other traditions such as Shàolín have their own naming secrets. I hope this article will inspire you to look a little more deeply in all of them.


Section I:
Daoist Proverbs and Sayings

The Chinese are famous for their proverbs and sayings, and the Daoists are no different. Here are some examples of movements named after Daoist sayings.

调花接干
Diào Huā Diē Gān
“Move Aside the Flowers to Reach the Trunk”

The Daoists have a number of expressions that refer to the structure of a tree, especially how much more important the trunk and the roots are than the branches and leaves.
This expression refers to brushing aside unnecessary details in order to focus on the truly important core of the issue. In the martial arts, this usually refers to a move that quickly dispenses with the opponent’s defenses to reach the torso.
(This phrase has often been mistranslated as something like “Transfer Flower, Connect to Wood.”)

揽牛尾
Lăn Niú Wĕi
“Grasp the Ox’s Tail”

In Daoist parable, there are stories describing how an experienced herder can steer a massive ox by simply controlling its tail. This is a beautiful example of Dé in action.
Movements with names like “Grasp the Ox’s Tail” or “Move a Thousand Head of Oxen With Only Four Tails” refer to moving your opponent’s entire body using the small joints. (The four tails would be your opponent’s fingers.)
Yáng Lùchán, the founder of Yáng Tàijíquán named his small-joint manipulations sequence 揽雀尾, “Grasp the Sparrow’s Tail,” probably to express how much more difficult the art of yielding is.

Stop the Cart at the Edge of Cliff

There are a number of proverbs and metaphors in China that describe your life as the path of a cart. Phrases such as “Following the path of the overturned cart” describe repeating someone else’s mistake.
Movements with names like these will usually involve changing direction or intention before failing.

Stir Clouds to Pass Through Fog

“Clouds” and “Fog”, like the flowers of our tree, are distractions or obstacles to be dealt with. (Think “Cloud Hands”)

Use of Imagery in the Martial Arts

Republished from Dirty Dao.

This is something that modern martial artists struggle with when it comes to the traditional martial arts:

Often the terminology in the traditional martial arts is flowery and quite physically impossible. The reason for this is that when communicating with the body (in other words, the part of the subconscious that deals with the body), telling it exactly what to do produces the wrong result. Here's a classic example:

"Straighten your spine."

The result will be that the student will tighten the muscles of the back, leading to a spine that is inflexible and, yes, bent.

"Imagine that your body is relaxed, and that it is hanging from a rope attached to the crown of the head."

The result will be that the spine will naturally straighten without losing its natural flexibility. The head will be slightly bent forward, which is necessary for a straight spine.

The second choice is actually quite impossible, but the body responds correctly.

Indonesian Martial Arts

Blah Blah Blah.