9 Soft Explosions Philosophy from Zhang San Feng

In this post:

• Further Explanations for Martial Arts and Philosophy Students
• Comparison with Jin Hong’s English explanation in most famous Wuxia of all time – Legend of the Condor Heroes

Poem – Zhang Sanfeng

Freeze the emotion; sure the intention
Abstract the body, recharge the energy
Kill the heart, awaken the consciousness
Sink power to spring point, explode

Jin Hongs version

思定则情忘，
体虚则气运，
心死则神活，
阳盛则阴消。

“Clear heart, Emotions departed.
in an empty body, qi can spread
A dead mind, Yet the spirit lives
For Yin thrives, but the Yang is shed”

– Master Ma Yu, Scarlett Sun, Elder of the 7 Immortals of the Quanzhen Sect

Introduction

• This philosophy is to help you observe philosophy. It is a training system to follow. It covers the essence, function and goal.
• Firstly, my character, ambitious, wants to get to the end without going through all the steps beforehand — so the first part of the poem helps me improve this character trait.
• This is a system to reach moving meditation.
• Way to awaken 8 Consciousness

Couplet One: Freeze the Emotion, Sure the Intention

Freeze the Emotion

1. The emotion here refers to Tai Chi Martial Art emotion. But we live in personal, human, ego-style emotions to support us to get what we want.
2. Taiji Emotion is a harmony-free feeling that goes extreme to both sides
3. If you don't have it, you can’t freeze it
4. Freeze our emotions because our emotion is what stops us from reaching high-level martial arts.
5. How to freeze it means to continue in the present to freeze it by sure the intention continually.

Sure the intention

• Two levels – low-level and high-level
  • Low level:
    • Remind yourself to talk to yourself: power from foot, laser line up, shoulder relaxed, balloon.
    • Mental power guides you to live in the present moment.
    • Do it, then feel you are not doing it, stop, practice again.
    • This includes MELODY – la la la, say it inside, or 123, say something to be aware, present and disciplined.
  • High-Level Intuition – Feeling:
    • Feel it without saying it.
    • Copy someone really good at something — copy style.
    • Morph that feeling into martial arts through relaxation, stretching, dancing.
• Tai Chi has two sides:
  • Mathematical: angles, structure, mechanics
  • Artistic: flow, nature, emotion
• Using the map in a new place metaphor:
  • At first, you use a map carefully. Later, you move naturally.
• Tai Chi:
  • Two extremes: logic + abstract
  • They must harmonize.

Couplet Two: Abstract the body, recharge the energy

Abstract the body

• Energy runs through abstract motion.
• Abstract the body is to move in a way that makes it feel empty.
  • Like ocean waves vs. robotic dance
  • Playfulness and fluidity help develop this feeling
• Abstract feeling gives direction to how to recharge energy.

Recharge the energy

• Drop first, then recharge
• Regular energy must be transformed into Qi
• Let go first, then move Qi
• Water-like — charge, relax

Jing -> Qi -> Shen

• Free from Jing (physical strength)
• Create new energy from foot upwards
• Qi exists naturally but must be cultivated to be useful in martial arts

Couplet Three: 心死则神活 – Kill the Heart, Awaken the Consciousness

Kill the Heart

• Heart refers to all 8 consciousnesses
• Most translations blur "heart", "mind", and "spirit"
• Shen = awakened consciousness
• Literal: Heart dies, god lives
• This step requires training; it's not instant
• Awakening order: Emotion → Mental → Physical → Psychological ("I")
• Awakening leads to creative force:
  • Art power – natural being
  • Scientific – precise, detailed
  • Joyful intuitive balance

Practice this:

• Relax fully
• Vulnerability and softness lead to no tension
• Use this to create power in movement (e.g., like in Shrek)
• Progress: princess → water → steam
• Four elements in harmony:
  • Earth Power – Empty Heart Being
  • Water Flow – Diamond Force Awareness
  • Fire Power – Ice Cold Emotion
  • Wind Speed – Timeless Free Heart

Awaken the Consciousness

• Naturally happens once you follow the above

Sink power to spring point, explode

• Notes from Sifu: you can substitute “flow” for “explode” — procedure is the same, but function shifts.