The twenty-sixth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Exercise for the Eyes”. In actual fact, this is a kind of massage exercise for the eyes.
In Luk Tung Kuen, posture 3, posture 12 and posture 19 have already focused on providing some exercise for the eyes. But this massage-typed exercise is founded by Master Ha Kinh.
Starting position: Stand upright. Clench the fists but stretch out the middle finger. Remember to keep the finger nails short since this is the massage exercise for the eyes. If the finger nails are long, one may hurt oneself.
Movement 1: Close the eyes, stroke and press the sunken San Gen region. (山根) region between the two eyes and above the nose) With the index and middle fingers of both hands, left hand for the left eye and right hand for the right eye. According to the explanation of those who practise acupuncture, this region is known as Qing Ming acupoint (晴明穴) .
The movement of both hands should be done simultaneously. The method is to stroke and press the region around the eyes in a circular motion, from the San Gen region (山根) up to the level of the eyebrow, then from the corner of the eyes down to the cheekbones and then return to the Qing Ming (晴明) acupoint. Repeat the movements for ten times.
Note: Do not touch the eyeball. Some exercisers misunderstand the eyeball as the San Gen region. It is not to touch the eyeballs but only the various acupints around the eyeballs. These acupoints include the Cuan Zheu (攢打), Ming Zhong (明思), Si Zhu Kong (絲竹空) , Jian Yang (見陽), Cheng Li (承淚) acupoints, etc.
This exercise helps to relieve eye strain and prevents crow’s – feet, cataract, floaters, and other eye disease, thus it can achieve the result of improving one’s beauty.
The twenty-fifth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Change the Breathing Method”. The movement is very simple. It is s mild exercise concerning the breathing method only.
The exercise should raise the head slightly upward with two arms akimbo. Close the mouth naturally and the tip of the tongue placed against the hard palate and breathe in deeply. Then breathe out with the mouth. After breathing out, close the mouth and breathe in deeply by using the nose. The tip of the tongue should be placed against the hard palate. Then breathe out by lowering the tongue. Do the whole sequence for ten times. Remember not to make any noise when breathing in and breathing out.
The twenty-fifth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is a Chinese style breathing method. Beginners may not understand what is meant by breathing in with the nose and the tip of the tongue placed against the hard palate and what is meant by breathing out with the lowering of the tongue.
The volume of exercise from posture 21 to 24 is quite exhausted. It is necessary for the exercisers to do some breathing exercise for the time being. Remember that exercisers should learn this posture seriously because this is one of the thirty-six postures in Luk Tung Kuen.
When doing this exercise, beginners should keep silent and avoid talking with each other. Try to concentrate and to disturb other people.
The twenty –fourth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Posture Eagle”. The posture looks like the gliding of an eagle.
When an eagle is gliding in the sky, the two wings are kept straight, therefore in “Posture Eagle”, the two arms are extended horizontally with palms facing downward. The hands should be at the level of the shoulder.
Starting position: Standing, feet apart at shoulder width. Keep the fingers straight. Extended the arms horizontally with palms facing downward, hands at shoulder level. Bend the knees.
Movement 1: When count “one”, bend the knees downward. Keep the backbone straight. Try to bend down the knees as much as possible. Then stand up slowly. When count “two”, bend the knees downward again. Do the movement for ten times.
When doing this exercise, Ha Kinh explains that this exercise is beneficial to our hearts. It is because this posture facilitates the up and down movement of the heart muscles. Other postures facilitates the left and right movement of the heart muscles. In this way, there will be a all-around movement for the heart muscles when one completes the thirty-six postures.
The twenty-third posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Bouncing up and down”. The speed of this movement is quite fast. The stretching out of the hand and the feet should be done simultaneously.
Starting position: Stand upright with arms at two sides. This is the preparatory posture.
Movement 1: When count “one”, bounce with the tiptoes and extend the arms horizontally with the feet apart at should width at the same time. Thus the body is in the form of the Chinese character “big” (大). Return back to the starting position. When count “two”, do the movement again. Do the whole movement for ten times.
Other exercises have similar posture known as “Open and Close Bounce”. But other exercise is to stretch the arm above the head and not to bounce up and down. Other exercise aims at extending the volume of the chest and strengthening the vital capacity if the lung. This bouncing up and down exercise aims at accelerating the movement of the intestines, thus improving the digestive system.
Beginners should note that this is a rather violent exercise. When bouncing up and down, it is not advisable for the beginners to bounce too high, otherwise one will hurt one’s joints. Beginners are advised to stretch the arms and feet at the very beginning without bouncing. When one get used to the movement, then once can try to bounce up and down.
Perhaps beginners may find it difficult in doing posture 21, 22 and 23 all at one time. They may feel exhausted. Therefore one should do what one is capable of and do not force oneself. Just proceed in an orderly way and step by step is enough.
The twenty-second posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Stretch the Arm and Kick Up the foot. This is a stretching exercise for the limbs. This exercise can help to prevent disbetes and strengthen of the function of the pancreas. Moreover, this exercise can reduce the fat of the belly, the leg and the hip.
Starting position: Standing, stretch the right arm forward with the left hand akimbo. Keep the finger of the right hand straight with the palm of the right hand facing downward.
Movement 1: When ready and count “one”, move the left foot s step forward kick up the right foot. Try to touch the fingertip of the right hand. When count “two”, stand upright. When count “three”, move the left foot a step backward and then a step forward and kick up the right foot again. Repeat the movement for ten times.
Movement 2: When finish doing the right foot, stretch out the left arm with the right arm akimbo. Keep the finger of the left hand straight with the palm of the left hand facing downward. When count “one”, move the right foot a step forward and kick up the left foot. Try to touch the fingertip of the left hand with the left foot. Stand upright and count “two”. Then move the right foot a step backward, then a step forward and kick up the left foot. The movement is the same as mentioned in movement 1. Repeat the movement for ten times.
Beginners should avoid toppling down backward when doing this exercise. Since we seldom practise the kicking up movement in our daily lives, therefore, when we kick up one foot, we may find difficulty in balancing ourselves. This is especially true for the elders. Beginners should avoid kicking up too high. Try to get use to the posture first and after a long time practice, one can increase the speed of movement.
Posture 21: Draw Back the Belly and with Arms Akimbo
The twenty-first posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Draw Back the Belly and with Arms Akimbo”. The name of this posture comes from the starting position.
Starting position: Standing, move the right foot a step forward with the left arm akimbo. Keep the finger of the right hand straight. Move the right hand to the side of the pelvis and put it beside with the palm facing upward. Draw back the belly.
Movement 1: When count “one”, swing the right hand from back to front with the palm facing downward. Bend the trunk forward and try to touch the toes of the right foot. Then turn the palm of the right hand inside out with the palm of right hand facing upward. Lift up the right hand until the right hand reach the level of the shoulder. Stretch the aim forward. Keep the fingers straight. Then place the right hand at the position of the backbone with the back of the hand touching the backbone. When count “two”, swing the left hand from back to front. Bend the trunk and try to touch the toe of the right foot with the left hand. Then turn the palm of the left hand inside out with the palm of the left hand facing upward. Stretch the left arm forward and keep the fingers straight. Repeat the movement for ten times.
Movement 2: Withdraw back the right foot and move the left foot a step forward. Repeat the same sequence as mentioned in movement 1, but this time try to touch the left foot. Repeat the movement for ten times.
Note: when doing this exercise, remember not to bend the head downward. Beginners should try to keep the head in an upright position, otherwise this will cause encephalemia. Keep the knees straight. If one cannot touch the toes then just bend the truck downward. This is a stretching exercise for the toes, the joints of the knees.
The twentieth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Strike with one hand”. When strike out the left hand horizontally, bring the right hand back to the level of the chest. This movement can also be termed as “the alternate stretching out of the left hand and the right hand”.
Starting position: Stand upright, feet apart. Stretch the left arm to the left horizontally until the left arm reach the level of the shoulder. Keep the finger of both hands straight. The palm of the right hand should face downward. Bend the elbow of the right hand until the right hand is at the level of the chest with the thumb touching the heart.
Movement 1: When count “one”, stretch out the right hand horizontally to the right. Meanwhile, bend the elbow of the left arm at the same time until the hand reach the level of the chest. When count “two”, just bend the elbow of the right hand and stretch out the left hand. Repeat the same movement for ten times.
The speed of this movement is quite fast. The body should be kept upright. Beginners should do what one is capable of. Avoid overdo the exercise, otherwise, one will hurt oneself.
This exercise is beneficial to the muscle of the chest. By doing this exercise, one can prevent thrombosis.
The nineteenth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Stretch the fingers and twist the hands”.
Starting position: Stand upright, two feet apart, extend the arms horizontally at shoulder level with the palms facing downward. Keep the fingers straight.
Movement 1: When count “one”, twist the trunk, the neck and the head to the left. Keep the fingers of the right hand straight. Bend the elbow of the right hand with the hand at the level of the chest and eyes are looking at the middle finger of the left hand. When finish doing, turn to the right side.
Movement 2: When count “two”, twist the trunk, the neck and the head to the right. Keep the fingers of the left hand straight. Bend the elbow of the left hand with the hand at the level of the chest and the eyes are looking at the middle finger of the right hand. When finishing doing, return to the left. Do the same movement for ten times.
This exercise is good for those who has hypertension since the arteries and veins will have some exercise. Attention will be focused on the middle finger of the hand, thus the trunk and the head will get some exercise.
The eighteenth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “To Shovel the Mud”. T he posture looks like the movement of shoveling. It is another kind of stretching exercise.
Starting position: Stand upright, two feet apart at shoulder width. Keep the fingers straight. Keep the two hands at the level of the belly, about three inches away from the navel.
Movement 1: when count “one”, keep the knees straight and bend the trunk. The two hands are shoveling down just as one who is shoveling the mud with the palms facing downward. When the hands are almost touching the necks, slowly straighten the trunk. Then slowly bring the two hands down to the sides and return the starting position and count “one”. Repeat the same procedure for ten times.
The speed of this movement is quite fast. The entire movement should be finished in about five seconds. This exercise can produce the result of mass therapy. It is also a stretching exercise.
The seventeenth posture of Luk Tung Kuen is known as “Breathing in”. This posture is quite complicated. It emphasizes “breathing in”, therefore, the method of breathing of this posture is different from the other postures. This time the exercises use the mouth to breathe in and the nose to breathe out. We perform a lot of movements during this posture.
We use the nose to take a deep breathe in posture 15 and 16. In this posture, we change the method of breathing. This method of breathing is the only one that does not use the method of natural respiration. It aims at training the brain in commanding the respirative organ to use the unnatural method of respiration. This in turn benefits the trachea.
Starting position: Stand upright, two feet apart at shoulder width, aims at sides.
Movement 1: Swing both arms from back to the front and bend the trunk downward. Breathe in deeply. The method of breathing is like the method of drinking soft drink. When the two hands are at the position of the hip, form the two hands in the shape of an arc with the palms facing upward.
The middle finger of the right hand should point to the middle finger of the left hand. The shape of the hand is like someone who is lifting up a stone. Raise the two hands (in the shape of an arc) upward until they reach the level of the chest. Close the mouth naturally, the tip of the tongue placed against the hard palate and breathe out from the nose. When the two hands are at the level of the chest, stretch out the two hands with the palms facing outward. Then turn the palms inside out and bring the arms back to the sides, and count “one”. Repeat the whole sequence for ten times.
When doing the swinging movement at the very beginning, the speed is quite fast. Then slow down the speed. Since this movement emphasizes deep breathing, therefore if we perform the movement slowly, we can breathe in and out deeply.
Note: Keep the feet straight. This posture not only benefits the respiratory organs but can reduce the fat of the belly.
