The "Squatting Monkey" Exercise of Dai Family Xinyi

1. Squatting Monkey Stance is as important for Dai family Xingyiquan as Santishi for Xingyiquan. Until now the practitioners were required to stand for the first three years before they take to walking. The saying was "San Nian Zhang Liang Nian Bu" (Three years of standing, two years of walking) is obligatory.

2. The origin of Squatting Monkey Stance and how it was incorporated into Dai family Xingyiquan is not very clear. Dai family Xingyiquan is closely related to Henan Xinyi Liuhe, which in its pure form existing in Luoyang (Ma Shi - Ma Family) does not include anything similar to Squatting Monkey Stance. Moreover, Shenfa (Body Method, developed on the basis of Squatting Monkey Stance in Dai family Xingyiquan and idea of contracting/opening) can only be found in Zhoukou branch of Xinyi Liuhe (Mai Shi - Mai Family). There are stories both in Shanxi and Henan saying, that Mai Zhuangtu visited Dai family and probably learnt their Shenfa.

Dai family Xingyiquan practitioners claim that Squatting Monkey Stance was created by Dai Bomiao, Dai Longbang's grandfather, on the basis of his experience with Daoist breathing exercises. Others say, that Squatting Monkey Stance was created by Dai Fengzhong on the basis of Daoyin and Qigong (Neidan) exercises he learnt from famous Daoist monk, Bo Shan.

3. Description:

Squatting Monkey Stance has always been considered the most treasured part of the system as being the key to its understanding, especially in terms of power and body mechanics. As such, it has been kept secret and is taught only among in-door (Ru Men) disciples. Being one of them, I can only describe the practice as detailed as it appeared in Chinese martial arts magazines. Hope you would understand.

Squatting Monkey Stance is also called Dun Dantian (Squatting Dantian) and is one of the five standing exercises which are generally called Hunyuanzhuang (All-balanced Standing).

Feet are kept together, body weight is equally distributed on both legs.

Legs are bent and held tight together (Jia Tui), the tips of knees should not exceed tips of toes (legs are Round), legs are turned inside (Guo
Kua)

Body is contracted so the back is humped and chest contracted (Han Xiong Ba Bei), hips rotated up (Shou Tun) - Round.

Chin/head is raised so the neck is Round, eyes looking horizontally.

Arms are kept in front of the body down with palms on knees pointing to the front, shoulders and elbows down (Chen Jian Zhui Zhou).

Breathing should be natural, mind quiet/not disturbed.

Three Rounds - Legs, Body, Neck - are gathered together into one Form (San Yuan Ju Yi).

The stance looks like a squatting monkey - hence the name.