The thirty-sixth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “the Stretching of Legs”. As the name suggests, it is a stretching exercise of the tow legs, the left and the right. This stretching exercise also includes the stretching of the thighs and the lower legs.
Starting position: Move the left foot a step forward. Clench the fists.
Movement 1: Hold back the two fists to the side of the waist. Bend the front left leg. Keep the body upright and press the front leg. Such pressing will enable the stretching of the muscle of the lower leg. Then stand up and return to the starting position.
Movement 2: Stretch the hands forward and clench the fists. Draw back to the level of the waist and try to lower the trunk. Bend the front left leg. Straighten the back leg. Heels up. Stand on tiptoes. This movement is to strengthen the right leg.
Movement 3: Withdraw back the left foot and take the right foot a step forward. The method is the same as described above. But this time it is to stress the left foot. When one finish doing this posture, the entire Luk Tung Kuen will come to an end.
The thirty-fifth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Standing on One Leg”. The exercise is easy to learn. As the name suggests, the exercises try to stand on one leg only. The posture can be roughly divided into two parts, the first part is to stand on the left leg and the second part is to stand on the right leg. This is also another type of stretching exercise.
Movement 1: Stand on the right leg only with the right arm akimbo. Bend the left leg backward and hold the tiptoes of the left foot with the leg hand. Then stretch the right arm sideward until they reach horizontally. Keep the fingers straight. Stand for 130 seconds. If one cannot stand for so long a period of time, do what one is capable of.
Movement 2: Stand on the left foot only with left arm akimbo. Bend the right leg backward. Hold the tiptoe of the right foot with the right hand. Stretch out the left arm horizontally and keep the fingers straight. Stand for 30 seconds.
This exercise helps to facilitate blood circulation. Beginners may discover that by stretching out the fingers for about 100 seconds, they may fell paralysis. It is because blood has not yet reached the fingertips. After a long time of practice, the feeling of paralysis will vanish. If one can stands on one leg for 130 seconds and has no felling of paralysis, this mean that one can achieve the desirable result.
Posture 34: The Burst of Plum Blossom for Six Times
The thirty-fourth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “The burst of plum blossom for six times”. It is an exercise for five parts of the body, that is, the neck, the shoulder, the hand, the chest and the knees.
Starting position: Keep the two hands straight but do not use effort. Raise both hands from the waist and then bring the two arms back to the two sides. Then use effort and keep the fingers straight. Try to press down. Turn he head to the left and count “one” and turn the head to the right and count “two”. Do the turning for six times. Raise both hands from the sides until they reach a vertical position. Turn the palms outward and bring the two hands down on the knees. Bend the knees slightly and twist the knees in a clockwise direction for ten times and then in an anti-clockwise direction for ten times. Posture 34 thus comes to an end.
This exercise can produce very good effects. The pressing down of both hands downward enables the internal organs to have some throbbing. The raising up of the arms enables the muscle to have some stretching. The turning of the head to the left and to the right is beneficial to the joints, thus prevents rheumatism. Those who suffer form rheumatism can try to do this exercise.
The thirty-third posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Tow Dragons Spit Pearls”. This posture is roughly divided into three parts.
Movement 1: Stand upright, feet apart slightly. When count “one”, stretch out both arms forward. Clench the fists with palms facing upward and the back of the hand facing downward. When count “two”, turn the palms upside down with the palm facing downward. When count “three”, withdraw both fists back to the knees. Remember to keep the head upright so as to avoid encephalemia. When the two hands are at the level of the knees, move the two hands between the two legs, the back of the left hand should face the back of the right hand and lift up the trunk. Then clench the fists again at two sides. Bend the upper arm slightly and place the left fist on the top of the right fist at the backbone and count “five”. Bend the trunk backward, use the hands and the fists to support the body. Then bend the trunk forward and count “six”. After bending forward, then bend the trunk backward again and count “seven”. This comes to an end of movement 1.
Movement 2 helps to practise the forward-bending and backward-bending of the backbone. It can strengthen the backbone.
Movement 2: Move the left foot a step forward. Stretch both arms forward with the palms facing upward. Clench the fists. The method of clenching is the same as the method as described in posture 11 with the palms still facing upward. Then withdraw back the two fists to the waist. Bend the elbow. Then palms are still facing upward and count “two”. Turn the palms upside down with the palms facing downward and count “three”. Then unloose the fists. Bend the trunk and stretch the two arms in between the two legs and count “four”, the back of the left hand should face the back of the right hand, raise the hands upward until they reach the level of the shoulder, move the two hands backward until two fists touch the backbone and count “five”. Then bend the trunk backward and raise up the body and count “six”. Then bend the trunk backward again and raise up the body and count “seven”, In this way, movement 2 comes to an end.
Movement 3: withdraw the left foot and move the right foot a step forward. Stretch the hands forward, clench the fists, withdraw the two hands to the level of the waist. Bend the elbow. The palms are still facing upward and count “two”. Bend the trunk and stretch the two arms downward in between the two legs and count “three”. Move the two hands backward until they touch the backbone and count “four”. Bend the trunk backward and count “five”. Bend forward and count “six” and bend backward and count “seven”.
Note: When bending backward, keep the front leg straight and bend the back leg slightly. When bending forward, keep the back leg straight and bend the front leg slightly.
This exercise can help to strengthen the waist and it can prevent arthritis.
The thirty-second posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Jogging”. This is a very common exercise. But the clenching of fists during jogging is different from the other exercise. The method of clenching the fist has been described in posture 11. Jogging is not common to the athletes but most people use this exercise as a means to practise breathing. When the exercisers practise jogging, there is no need for them to pay to the speed, just do what one is capable of. On the whole, there are some restraints. One should not do the jogging for more than 250 times, otherwise one will feel exhausted. When jogging, one should swing the two arms. It is in this way that one can increase the volume of respiration and the muscle especially the two legs have a time to relax. After doing thirty postures, we need an exercise to relax ourselves and jogging is the best exercise.
Starting from the 1980’s, Hong Kong has advocated jogging. At that time, jogging has been a popular exercise throughout the whole world. Even President Carter also suggested jogging during his official visit to Japan. Hong Kong had tried to do a test on the advantage of jogging and find that it can increase the volume of respiration and the body will not suffer from the lack of oxygen.
Posture 31: Waist Massage Exercise (Left for Male and Right for Female)
The thirty-first posture of Luk Tung Kuen is know as “Waist Massage Exercise”. The exercisers try to bend the trunk and do the massage on the armpit, the chest and the belly.
This posture can be roughly divided into two parts. Do the massage on left rib first and then the waist. Master Ha Kinh explains that in practicing this posture, the male should do the left side first and the female should do the right side first.
Starting position: Stand upright, feet apart at shoulder width. Place the right hand on the top of the head with the palm facing upward. Bend the trunk to the right. Keep the fingers of the left hand straight and do the massage on the armpit of the right hand, form the armpit down to the breastbone and then down to the waist. When finish doing once, place the left hand again on the armpit of the right hand and do the massage again. Repeat the movement for ten times.
Movement 2: When finish doing the massage exercise on the right hand, do the massage on the left hand. Place the left hand on the top of the head with the palm facing down. Bend the trunk to the right. Place the right hand on the armpit of the left arm and do the massage, from the armpit down to the breastbone and then down to the waist.
The characteristics of Luk Tung Kuen are that it contains not only stretching exercise but some massage exercise.
The thirty-first is not only a massage exercise for the armpit but it is a stretching exercise for the waist. It can strengthen the waist which in turn facilitates metabolism.
Posture 30: Cover the Ears with Hands and Press the Fingers
The thirtieth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Cover the ears with hands and press the fingers”. This exercise is good to the ear and the brain. It is easy to learn.
Starting position: Put the hands on the back of the head and cover the ears with the palms. Thus the fingers are touching the back of the head. Remember that the middle finger of the left hand should point to the middle finger of the right hand.
Movement 1: Place the index finger of the right hand on the middle finger, then slap the index finger down to tap the back of the head. After tapping once, place the index finger again on the middle finger and tap again. Do the movement for ten times.
Then it is the turn for the left hand. Do the same movement as has been done by the right hand and do the movement for ten times. Remember to cover the ears with the palms. Other traditional Chinese exercise has a posture known as “Wu Tian Gu” (鳴天鼓) and the movement is similar to this posture. But the posture “Wu Tian Gu” is to use the right hand and the left hand to tap the back of the head at the same time and one needs to do the movement for forty-nine times.
This posture is good to the eyes, the nose, the ears, the mouth and the nervous system of the brain. It can prevent tinnitus, watery eyes, allergic rhinitis. This posture forces the ears to receive some pressure, thus when we tap the back of the brain, the tears will not fall into the ears, thus prevents otitis media.
The twenty-nineth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Spread Out the Hands”.
Starting position: Stretch out the two arms horizontally until they reach the level of the shoulder. Keep the fingers straight with the palms facing upward.
Movement 1: Turn the palms of both hands upside down with the palms facing downward. Keep the fingers in a flexible stage. The fingers should look like falling down. When count “one”, shake both hands. The movement looks like the shaking of hands after washing the hands. Shake the hands twice and clench the fists. Bend the elbows until the fists touch the taiyang acupoints. Then strike out horizontally and unloose the fists. Keep the fingers straight with the palms facing downward. Repeat the cycle for ten times.
This exercise is to prevent someone from being seized with cramp and promotes the movement of the joints. The several massage exercises that mentioned above are rather mild. After the exercisers practise several mild exercises, it is good for them to do some violent exercises.
The twenty-eighth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Twist the Waist”.
This is an exercise to benefit the internal organs. Shift the attenition to the dantian (丹田) and twist the waist. This promotes the movement of the intestines and thus promotes the digestive system. Besides, this exercise can help to prevent constipation, hemorrhoids and facilitates metabolism.
Starting position: Stand upright with arms akimbo, feet apart at shoulder width.
Movement 1: Breathe in deeply and withdraw the belly. Then twist the waist. Twist to the right side first and then to the left and count “one”. Return the belly to the original position. Repeat the movement for ten times.
Movement 2: Repeat the same twisting. Twist to the left first and then to the right.
Note : When doing this movement, keep the upper apart of the body upright and twist the waist only. Pay attention to the breathing method since one should breathe in deeply.
The twenty-seventh posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Exercise for the Neck”.
This is a massage exercise for the neck rather than a stretching exercise for the muscle and the joints. The method of massage is easy to learn.
This posture can be roughly divided into two parts. The first part is to raise the head upward slightly. Move both hands upward from the jaw and do the massage. The second part is to move both hands upward from the neck. One should not raise up the head too high.
Movement 1: Stand upright, with feet slightly apart. Touch the region above the Adam’s apple with the palm of the right hand and the left hand should be at the position of the chest. When start doing move the hand upward above the jaw. Then use the left hand and do the same movement for ten times by using the left hand and ten times by using the right hand.
Movement 2: Touch the left side of the neck with the palm of the right hand. The left palm should be ready at the position of about five inches in front of the right side ofthe neck. When ready, move the right palm from the left side of the neck to the right and move off the hand at the position of the Adam’s apple. Meanwhile, move the left hand from the right side of the neck to the left. Do ten times for each side.
Note: When doing movement 1, remember to use the force of the palm. While doing movement 2 remember to use the force of the fingers.
This helps to reduce the fat of the jaw and prevent thyroid gland goiter. But if one only practises this posture without doing the other postures, on cannot achieve the desirable effect.
Besides these two movements, there are two other movements. The two movements are to strike the face and to strike the head.
When finish doing the above-mentioned movement, we do the movement of striking the face. The method is to use the first joint of the fingers of both hands to strike the face in a circular motion from the earlobe upward to the forehead and back to the taiyang acupoint and the Bai Hui acupoint (百會穴). Do the up and down striking for ten times.
Although the entire posture is a massage exercise, the method of using the fingers is different. When we do the second part movement, we use the finger joints of all the fingers to do the massage. When we strike the face, we use the first joint of all fingers while we strike the head, we use the fingertip.
This massage exercise is beneficial to the blood circulation of the head and the joints and nerve endings of the fingers and facilitates the sense of touch.
