Yichuan For Physical Therapy

Y ichuan is a discipline in the internal arts utilized to enhance strength and energy.  Practicing involves holding a posture or series of postures for anything from (at the beginning) several minutes to (advanced) a couple of hours.  These positions vary in focus from health oriented to developing remarkable structural strength for martial application.

In January of 2008 I was involved in a bicycle accident that resulted in a fractured hip.  My experience in the emergency and following up with the specialist was disheartening.  When I told the doctors that I practiced martial arts, I was told I would have to give that up for a long time and that I might not ever be the same again.  The follow-up with the specialist was better, but not by much.  They found I was fortunate, as far as hip injuries go, and the fracture of my greater trochanter was being held in place by muscle and wouldn't require surgery.  As far as recovery, I was told that I could begin to put weight on the injured leg as soon as it didn't hurt and that because I was young, I should be mostly back to normal within a year.  Though according to the doctor the prognosis for returning to the martial arts was still a distant goal. the clearance to put weight on my injured leg was all I needed.  Within two and a half weeks of the accident I was training in Yichuan.  I couldn't yet walk without crutches but I could stand and balance my weight between my feet.  I started with ten minutes of the pile stance, twice a day.  By the end of the first month I had added ten minutes of the p-chuan (a more intense and martially focused position) stance for each leg and practiced the pile stance for half an hour.  At four weeks I was able to walk, limping, with a cane.  At six weeks I put the cane away and was practicing full Tai Chi forms.  I waited to start kicking again until the three month mark when bone strength was guaranteed.  At that time I had no limp and could move freely.  This summer, a year and a half after the break, I passed my instructors test with the Thai Boxing Association.  I entirely credit my full recovery to practicing the Internal Arts.  I am certain that years of practice prior to the injury gave me a sound basis and the body awareness needed to speed my recovery.  Though it would likely be a slower process for someone new to the art, Yichuan would still be an excellent option for restoring your body from injury.  Though physically sound I still consider standing to be the core of all of my practices and am able to push myself to limits I don't come close to approaching at other times.

You can find more information about Yichuan at www.nwfighting.com/yichuan.html.  There is also an excellent book on the subject called Warriors of Stillness: Vol 2  by Jan Diepersloot