The Curriculum of Zhong Xin Dao I Liq Chuan (Levels 1-8)

Curriculum of I Liq Chuan – Levels 1-4

Three Dimensions & Six Directions


“To understand the three dimensions, you must understand each plane in order to understand the sphere: how these relate as one sphere.”
~GM Sam Chin
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Level 1 & 2

Have you guys trained the movement to understand it enough yet?

You see, the basic exercises level one and basic two is all about

  • Absorb Project
  • Condense Expand
  • Three dimensions.

To understand the three dimensions, you must understand each plane of the three dimension in order to under the spherical: how these relate as one spherical.

That’s why the training of the 15 basic exercise has different dimensions, different planes: to understand the limit of each plane: to understand how each plane transforms into the another plane, so they can integrate into the three dimensions. three dimensions that we put it into the bobbing exercise and absorb-project, condense-expand, then into one big spherical energy: that itself is six energies and three dimensional planes.

With the six energies of three dimensions here we learn to make stepping, to move while still holding these six energy and three dimensions; we learn to step and learn to kick and learn to release of throwing the hands and you can punch. That’s why the first ten exercises are to get the core of the six  energies and three dimension. Then with that, you start to move: see if you can maintain the six energies and three dimensions. Actually that’s level one and level two.

Level 3

Because with the core, kicking and everything there, then we do it into the continuous movement with the 21 form, with six energies and three dimensions.

That’s why sometimes we call it a zhan zhuang movement, a “fullness” movement fullness form, a zhan zhuang form, like a standing posture form, because of the fullness, with-the action of continuity.To be able to understand to keep our attention with the action; to learn the continual movement of “yi dao, qi dao, li dao“; that means attention must be there, the energy must be there, then the movement.

That is level three. Then with that, what I mean is the level of three can go that high. Of course, there’s a minimal requirement, now what we grade you guys now is you understand the movement, you understand this and that, ok.

You have the minimum requirement to go ahead. Now you know: you have the syllabus this quality now, this criterion now to go higher. So every level now keeps on processing [advancing], keeps on going up.

Level 4

Then, in level four, with continuity and everything, and unifying, then you must have the coordination to produce power. That’s why we do the fajin exercise on level four: able to produce the power, alright.


GM Sam Chin shows a modified butterfly form in Moscow with explosive power May 2005

Curriculum of I Liq Chuan – Levels 5 & 6

Level 5 – Spinning Hands

I Liq Chuan Spinning Hands DVD
Spinning Hands DVD

In level five, you are training on point of contact, right. To see the point of contact that you are unifying with the opponent, but through unifying with the opponent there is a flow: flow, fend, roll and pivot. You must understand what is flow.

Flow is a process where you reach in to merge in to be with the opponent to maintain the present, to produce a fending force, a peng energy. A peng energy starts with meeting force: you start to meet on Point of Contact.

So attention must be there to really MEET the point of contact: meet the point of contact on contact until you see yourself as a cross.

A cross is a simplification of three dimensions: first start with cross.

With that cross, with that fullness, you bring that ball, like a three dimension ball you carry it along with you to go along the opponents point of contact, the changing point of contact: like you’re holding a ball to change the point of contact.

Holding the fullness, you’re holding the fullness to change the point of contact. So every point of contact has fullness itself. But of course you need to understand what is fullness, recognize what is fullness.

Then, with the fullness here, on the point of contact of fullness, you must be able to propel to produce the pull push energy from there. By understanding of fullness, then you start to pivot: changing the polarity to do the pull, to do the push. Hanging onto the center so that you can produce pull push by using the 3 dimensions: horizontal pull push, saggital pull push, frontal pull push. Right. That means flow, fend, roll, pivot on 5th level, but without stepping.

Curriculum of I Liq Chuan Level 6 & 7 

Level 6 – Range, Section, Footwork & Kicking

When it comes to level six, you hang onto that principle strong enough you must be so strong that your attention must be there so that when you start to step, start to kick, start to do all different exercises as you’re changing the center, so that these 4 (flow fend roll and pivot) can keep up: that you don’t lose these four qualities.

But before that, of course you have the “13 Points”, the “Five Mechanisms” there, so that you don’t lose these. Once you lose these that means, what makes you lose?

Because you drop back to habit. Normally, because you lose something, you’ve dropped back to a different habit or your mind has been disturbed by a different thought. So until you can hang onto these flow fend roll and pivot, these principles that action follow your action, how you move and do action here, you need to adjust the movement: to align to these principles.

When the principle tries to go off, you need to adjust yourself to keep that principle there; if you adjust yourself, that means you are moving to adjust. When you’re adjusting and moving yourself to keep that principle there, to hold there that means that action is right.

It’s not through thinking I should move this or I should move that, no more. It’s because I’m seeing this principle and I’m trying to maintain this principle that my actions have to adjust to this to maintain that. My actions have to support the principle.

When the action supports the principle, the action is correct. Understand?

So, if you can do this, that’s what I call “you cannot think any more”; the thinking process is less now, the habit is less now because you have to back up this principle.

So you can hang onto this principle now. You can hang onto this principle and reverse that: hanging onto that principle tells you what to do.

This means that the principle is a guideline no, it guards you and protects you now. So, in this sense. When you reach this point I say it’s “a point of no return”. It means you are starting to melt off your old habits already. That means the melting pot starts to melt all other things already: so now it’s only principle now.

All these transitions you need attention; the higher you go you need more attention. So slowly all things melt off. The training itself is that you must have the right understanding to approach. If it’s not, you can never, never understand. You can never be there.

Because you cannot think. Once you think and fall back into thinking you’re not with that principle enough. Understand. You guys follow me now?

Alright. That’s why we say when it comes to level six, its so hard. Because its “yes” or “no”, you cannot be “maybe”. You cannot maybe anymore.

Level five is like this: you cant maybe any more. Are you there or not there? If you’re not there, you’re not there. That kind of thing, you see. That’s why level one to level four, you’re still okay.

When it comes to level five, “Yes” or “No”. If you can’t produce the fullness, you can’t pivot, I can’t say you can, because you cannot: because you’re not there. Yes? You see.

When it comes to stepping in level six, with flow, fend, roll, and pivot. When you first start to step: OK every principle breaks off, so how can you say it’s “yes, it’s there”? Its not. No way it can be “yes.” Unless you keep on stepping and keep on moving and you still have that thing (attention/ connection) over there, then yes. Or no. Alright?

This is what I want to tell you guys you must understand: the curriculum, the criteria, because as students go further and higher, as an instructor what to see, what to grade, what to look into, what to train, how mental should be. Alright?

I talked up to here, up to level six.

Level 7 & 8 Sticky Hands

“You cannot control on defense; you can only control on offense.”
~GM Sam Chin
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Level 7 – Upper  Hand

There’s level seven, level eight. Each has its quality.

Level seven, because it’s flow. When it comes to flow same flow: flow means maintaining the point of contact, maintaining that you can keep the point.

Because sticky hands is to keep the point, that you can keep 90 degrees direct to the center for maximum to control and maximum to control is also maximum you can read. Anything that is direct, it’s the maximum information; if it slightly slides off, less information.

So you must be maximum there to get the flow, to change with change, to maintain over there.

There’s a flow. “Flow” with “fend”: because fending from here is not only building one ball of defense here; you must also have a shield, have a shield that the opponent cannot penetrate. Moving with a ball that they cannot penetrate because on here you must understand center-to-center: that means that you can meet his center, that means stop him. Stop him from hitting.

That means the movement turns into more precise now. Because you stop, you cut, you stop your opponent with fullness. If you want to control, you still need to control the point, but it’s more free action now.

Now, control: what is control?

Because fend is defense, so when it comes to control you must understand what is offense.

You cannot control on defense; you can only control on offense.

So, in order to control on offense, you must know where is the half line. On level five and Level six, you are still maintaining the defense of meeting: keep on meeting, meeting, meeting to see the relationship of the line from point to the feet and to all the centers: center to center and to all the centers, that’s still on level five and level six: keep on meeting, meeting. (But under Instructor Level 3 there’s something different; I’m not going to talk about that). But on level seven, under control, you must pass the half line to pass the offensive, so for your opponent to hit you, he must neutralize your offensive in order to get into you, so you must always be one step ahead to control. Alright.

Of that control, of course, you are sticking to the hand and also must understand all the centers themselves: center-to-center.