WUDANG FIVE IMMORTALS TEMPLE

Wudang Sword – Wudang Jian – Wudang Swordsmanship

Five Dragons Patriarch Lü’s Seven Stars Sword

The Wudang Sword training involves alchemical and internal energy cultivating methods, combining soft flowing movements with explosive emissions of power. This sword forms are a treasure of the Pure Yang linage because they were passed down by Lü Dong Bin, an exceptional swordsman wielding the Yin Yang Sword. It is said that Wudang’s Pure Yang Sword is the first sword under Heaven. The practitioner learns to unify his body and breathing with his weapon, and to harness the power of the 7 star constellation (The Big Dipper).

CONTENT:

• Basic Pure Yang Swordsmanship
made up of 49 movements
• Five Dragons Patriarch Lü’s Seven Stars Sword
consisting of 63 movements
• Sword: Theories, Talisman’s, Incantations, Hand Seals
• Firming basics
• Yielding basics
• Attacking basics
• Defensive basics

Hard and soft support each other,

fast and slow follow each other,

moving clouds-flowing water,

body and sword unify.

    Overview on Wudang Kung Fu :
« Wudang Five Dragons Patriarch Lü’s Bagua Zhang »
and « Wudang Five Dragons Patriarch Lü’s Seven Stars Sword »

The Wudang Kung Fu that we teach was passed on during the chaotic war times, by the Immortal Master Wang Zhi Dao from the Five Dragons Temple in Wudang Mountains.

Afterwards the Immortal Master Liu Li Hang disseminated and developed it in the midst of society.

In 1999, the Immortal Master Liu Li Han returned to Wudang and transmitted his knowledge inside the Daoist gate at the Wudang Mountain’s Heavenly Horse Peak (nowadays the Five Immortals Temple, White Horse Mountain). Daoist Arts such as longevity, healing, way of the elixir (inner alchemy), and other were transmitted from the Five Dragons Temple in the Wudang Mountains, therefore the two words « Five Dragons » were added to their names.

The representative characteristics of the kung fu forms transmitted by the Immortal Master are:
– fist : « Five Dragons Patriarch Lü’s Bagua Zhang (Eight Trigrams Palm)»
– sword : « Five Dragons Patriarch Lü’s Seven Stars Sword »
– gong : « Five Dragons Pure Yang Body Protection Skill »
– longevity : « Five Dragons Skill to Expel Diseases and Prolong Life»
and various other methods transmitted one-to-one secretly.

In addition, there are also Daoist arts from inside the gate, Qi Gong, Way of the Elixir (Inner Alchemy), Daoist Medicine and others.

The Immortal Master’s method of teaching is separated in two types: inside and outside the gate. Outside the gate the laymen disciples, people in society, have no strict requirements; the emphasis is on the form and structure of Taolu (set sequence of movements); the aim is to achieve a healthy body. Inside the gate the disciples must hold on to the precepts to cultivate. To chant the scripture, to practice sitting meditation, to refine the elixir, to cultivate the Dao, one must have compassion, protect life, help others, according to the principles of becoming an immortal and attaining the Dao. Therefore there is a great difference between every student’s requirements, study content, aim and purpose.

The theoretical foundation of fist, sword and forms are established on the ancient Chinese Yi Jing (Book of Changes), Eight Trigrams, Yin Yang theory. Special Daoist methods and arts are combined with the sparring methods to save one’s life and protect one’s body. Unifying with the universe’s higher powers and with the wisdom of higher dimensions, one attains a strong and healthy body, saves life, subdues demons, and guards the Way and the purpose of cultivating and becoming an immortal.

The Yi Jing (Book of Changes), the Eight Trigrams theory, is the theory of the movement of everything in the universe – to use our current knowledge, from the small Dao of the atom, electron, proton, quark, to the great Dao of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, the Milky Way, everything follows the law of the circular movement of the Dao.

Therefore in the midst of the forms that we transmit, the stepping is on the circumference of symbols and the pathways are inside their energetic fields, using the different directions of rotation of the sun and of the Earth, circling along and counter-spinning around them.

Concerning the requirements for the body, it is relaxed, open and natural. Heaven and Man unify.
风吹荷花。左右摇摆。飞云流水。穿连不断…

Wind blowing in the lotus flower.
Swinging left and right.
Flying clouds flowing water.
Threading continuously without break…
Walking the pathway, one steps on the tip of the foot in correspondence with the seven stars above, slowly revolving, quickly spinning, like a shooting star. Large circles, small circles, all are the eight trigrams.

Concerning the requirements for the thoughts, body and spirit unify, as walking on clouds.

In correspondence to above, Three Terraces, Big Dipper, Sun, Moon, Seven Stars, stepping on the Yin Yang, Five Elements, Eight Trigrams, Nine Palaces, Four Directions, Ten Dimensions merge as an organic whole. Pre-heaven essence, qi and spirit, post-heaven intent, qi and strength, unify as one. This is Daoism’s thought of the unification of Heaven, Earth and Man emerging in the midst of the form.

Therefore this kind of ancient forms are different from other Kung Fu forms in their intrinsic qualities. In the past the highest skill of the practice was secretly transmitted inside the religious gate.

Some of the unique movements and stepping patterns that are performed by High Priest during Daoist Ceremonies and Rituals can be found inside the martial transmission from Five Dragons Temple so in the middle of the Kung Fu world one have an opportunity to comprehend the universe, the great Dao, human life and the sublimation of oneself.

We don’t speak here about the requirements for the physical structure of the movements, we just explain briefly the theories of the forms in order to allow those who have more destiny to be able to explore, comprehend, study and elevate.

Just like the ancient master said about the names of the movement at the beginning of the form:

– 不别山 « Don’t lock the mountain’s gate » : don’t close the knowledge of the great gate ;
– 十方皈戒  « Ten directions take refuge and comply to the precepts » : in the ten direction those who have destiny can study higher theories, and thus elevate themselves ;
– 玄之又玄  « Mystery within mystery » : the inner content of the great Dao is too profound ;
– 万法归真  « Ten thousand laws return to the Truth » : each and every life will return to the inner Truth of the universe.

Simple explanation of important terms:

1 – High Priest: Daoist Priest or a Daoist Master who can connect with Heaven and Earth, ghosts and spirits, higher dimensions, and who has achieved a clear understanding and cultivation.

2- Ceremonies: Rituals during which High Priest uses fixed methods and patterns to connect with Heaven and Earth, ghosts and spirits and with the life of higher dimensions.

3- Daoist Space: the place where the Scriptures are taught and the laws expounded to pray for blessings and ward off calamities, to connect with Heaven and Earth, ghosts and spirits, to perform ceremonies.

 

种种无名是苦根
苦根除尽善根存
但凭慧剑威神力
跳出轮回无苦门
道以无心度有情
一切方便是修真
若皈圣智圆通地
便是升天得道人。

“The myriad things without a name are the root of bitterness
When the root of bitterness is completely severed, the root of kindness comes into existence
However rely on the ‘sword of wisdom’*, the Great Spirit’s power
Leap out of the wheel of transmigration through the gate of non-bitterness
The Dao employs the cessation of the heart-mind to deliver from affection
All these convenient methods are for cultivating realization
If one complies with the wisdom of the sages, communication with earth will be consummate
And one will ascend to heaven having achieved the Dao.”
– Taoist Evening Scripture-

*The knowledge of the lineage of the masters of past generations is called ‘the sword of wisdom’,
which also refers to the brilliance emanating from such knowledge.
The sword also creates the imagery of cutting the root, precisely the root of bitterness.