About a year ago I received the following question on one of my "Qigong Basics" videos that discuss the the use of the Bubbling Well/Yong Chuan point:
Q:
"Does this have an application in martial arts?"
There are so many different explanations out there about how to use the bubbling well in Tai Chi marital art applications in addition to the many opinions surrounding its usefulness in Qigong training. It is no wonder so many people find this point on the bottom of the foot to be such a confusing topic. That is why I created the video that deals specifically with the Bubbling Well and it's use in Qigong/Tai Chi. I have copied my response to this question below and I hope it helps bring some clarity on this topic.
A:
"...Yes, this is a large part of developing what is called a "root" in Chinese martial arts. The upward intention at the yongquan point is meant to make your foot feel a bit like there is a vacuum in the space between your foot and the floor that makes your foot "stick" to the floor. Think of your leg as a vacuum hose and the yongquan point as the end of the hose, when you stick it on the ground, the suction of the vacuum makes the hose stick to the floor.
In reality there is no vacuum suction between your foot and the ground, obviously, but the intention of having that connection with the ground brings awareness to how your feet are interacting with the ground and it will give more solid footing which is important in martial arts. If you have ever stood on one foot and felt that the foot contacting the ground seemed to roll around so that the focus of your weight was shifting all over the bottom of your foot and it felt like your ankle was moving all over the place and changing direction every split second, you have experienced the type of instability and lack of root that the intention discussed in this video and the previous video are meant to address.
That type of instability demonstrates a lack of proprioceptive awareness and a lack of integrated body movement that allows someone to control their own body, whether that is for balance in daily life activities or in martial arts. The connection of the feet with the ground is overlooked a lot in martial arts training, but when you think about the fact that having only two contact points with the ground (2 feet) is inherently unstable, it makes sense to maximize the usefulness of those contact points through specific training.
Most martial arts start with footwork training, but arts that use Zhan Zhuang as a foundational practice, start with foot awareness and connection with the ground before moving on to footwork, or at least use it to supplement their footwork. This training takes away the complexity of martial arts movements and footwork, and it just lets the person practicing, focus on developing their connection with the ground.
The ideal end-result is learning how to manipulate that connection as the practitioner learns martial arts movements and the feet take on a more active role. Additionally, this, along with the previous video and following video, help establish the foundation for silk reeling in Taijiquan."
If you have often wondered about the role of the Bubbling Well / Yong Chuan point in Qigong or Tai Chi training you should go to my "Bubbling Well / Yong Chuan Point" Qigong Basics video for detailed, free information.
If you are interested in learning more about Silk Reeling, which was mentioned at the end of my response to the question, you should check out my Silk Reeling playlist on my YouTube channel.
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