ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF BONE MARROW CLEANSING OVER ONE-FINGER SHOOTING ZEN OR GOLDEN BRIDGE
One-Finger Shooting Zen
Question
If your main concern is combat efficiency, what would be the advantages and disadvantages of Bone Marrow Cleansing over One finger Shooting Zen or Golden Bridge?
Sifu Roeland Dijkerma
Answer
All the three internal force training methods -- Bone Marrow Cleansing, One-Finger Shooting Zen, and Golden Bridge -- are excellent for combat efficiency as well as good health, vitality, longevity, mental freshness and spiritual joys. It is important to bear this in mind when we single out combat efficiency as the criterion of comparison among the three arts.
It is also importance to bear in mind that the advantages and disadvantages mentioned are relative. To say that Bone Marrow Cleansing is advantageous or disadvantageous in a certain aspect of combat over One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge, it does not mean that this aspect, whether advantageous or disadvantageous, is not found in the latter two arts.
The third point to bear in mind, of course, is the presumption that all other factors were equal. If we say that Bone Marrow Cleansing is more advantageous than One-Finger Shooting Zen or Golden Bridge in one particular aspect, it is presumed that all other factors were equal, which is seldom true in real life. If a One-Finger Shooting Zen practitioner is more skilful, he would have more benefit in the aspect in question than a Bone-Marrow Cleansing practitioner.
Bone Marrow Cleansing at the skin level makes a practitioner very sensitive in his arms. Hence, he will be more effective in sensing his opponent’s movements as well as emotions when their arms are in contact. As mentioned above, this would be true when all other factors were equal. If a One-Finger Zen practitioner or Golden Bridge practitioner has trained Wing Choon Sticking Hands or Taijiquan Pushing Hands, he would be able to sense his opponents more effectively despite having less sensitive arms.
Bone Marrow Cleansing at the flesh level make practitioners arms and body very powerful. The other two arts are also very powerful -- even more powerful than practitioners who train specific external methods. In other words, the arms of practitioners of any of these three internal arts are more powerful than the arms of practitioners who train the external art of Iron Arm by striking poles. Practitioners of any of these three internal arts are able to take punches and kicks on their body without sustaining injury more effectively than those who train Iron Shirt by conditioning their body by repeated hitting. The reason is that the force and protection of the internal martial artists are from chi and radiate from inside, whereas the force and protection of the external martial artists are from conditioning and effected from outside.
But amongst these three internal arts, Bone Marrow Cleansing is relatively the most powerful in this aspect, followed by Golden Bridge, then by One-Finger Shooting Zen. This does not necessarily mean that Bone Marrow Cleansing is better than the other two. If an opponent is stronger, Bone Marrow Cleansing practitioners would be hurt the most, Golden Bridge practitioners less, and One-Finger Shooting Zen practitioners the least.
Bone Marrow Cleansing at the meridian level is very effective in overcoming internal injuries sustain in combat. One-Finger Shooting Zen is also effective, but not as much as Bone Marrow Cleansing at the meridian level. Golden Bridge by itself may aggravate internal injuries. But chi flow induced by Golden Bridge can clear internal injuries. In this case, one performs Golden Bridge for a short while to produce enough internal force which he then uses for a vigorous chi flow. If he prolongs in his Golden Bridge training, the accumulated internal force would be detrimental to internal injuries.
Bone Marrow Cleansing at the internal organ level, when directed to the kidneys and gall bladder, make practitioners courageous. Being courageous certainly enhances combat efficiency. One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge also bring such benefit, but are not as cost-effective. On the other hand, if it deviates into sheer bravado, it becomes disadvantageous.
Bone Marrow Cleansing at the bone marrow level cleanses nerves as well as strengthens bones, resulting in quick reflexes and righteousness. These qualities greatly enhance combat efficiency.
It is worthy of note that we are comparing five levels of skills in Bone Marrow Cleansing with the two techniques of One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge where only one skill, i.e. developing internal force, is implied. In theory any technique can be used to generate the five levels of chi flow in Bone Marrow Cleansing, but in practice I choose the best techniques, which are Lifting the Sky to generate chi flow at the skin level, Separating Water to generate chi flow at the flesh level, Pushing Mountain to generate chi flow at the meridian level, Carrying the Moon to generate chi flow at the internal organ level, and Turning Head to generate chi flow at the bone marrow level. Hence, it is no surprise if you find there are more advantages in Bone Marrow Cleansing than in One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge because we are comparing five techniques and five skills with two techniques and one skill.
Though it is not the best choice of techniques, but if a practitioner is skilful he can employ One-Finger Shooting Zen or Golden Bridge to generate chi flow at the five different levels. In other words, he uses the technique of One-Finger Shooting Zen or of Golden Bridge to operate the five skills of Bone Marrow Cleansing. In such a case, One-Finger Shooting Zen and Golden Bridge will have all the advantages mentioned above.
Golden Bridge
The above question-answer is reproduced from the thread 10 Questions to Grandmaster Wong on Bone Marrow Cleansing and Eighteen-Lohan Art in the Shaolin Wahnam Discussion Forum
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