What is Ji Ben Gong? Basic Skills in Gong Fu

Every Chinese martial arts style, or any martial arts style for that matter, builds a foundation of Basic Skills. In Chinese, these are called Ji Ben Gong, or Jiben Gong (基本功). Basic Skills are also known as Tan ZI Gong (毯子功) or Blanket Skills, which refers to the fact that they cover a broad field.

The Chang Quan or Long Fist styles have many Basic Skills in common. Yet each style also has skills that are unique to the style’s innate characteristics. Taiji Quan, Xing Yi Quan, and Bagua Zhang have some of the same Zhan Zhuang (Post Standing) methods but have completely different Basic Skills.

Basic Skills can be demanding. In Chinese Martial arts, the word “basic” should not be confused with “easy.” Some Basic Skills can be arduous and quite challenging. Basics in Long Fist, Bagua, Pigua Zhang, and many other styles, can be extremely difficult. Even in Taiji, Basic Skills, while they might not seem as physically demanding, do require diligence, perseverance, and resolve to make headway. If you become bored with repetitive work, you have not yet developed a keenness for the beauty that lies in countless, detailed repetitions.

When a skill must be repeated hundreds or even thousands of times, it is important not to execute the skill by rote. You must be mindful so that each repetition sharpens your skill and strengthens your resolve. Your legs might burn and your arms ache, but you need to stay focused on the execution of each move without disrupting your breathing and your posture, or you will become awkward and careless.

Warm-ups, conditioning, and stretching are also part of Jiben Gong. In this case, referring to these auxiliary exercises as Tang Zi Gong or Blanket Skills is perhaps more appropriate. If you are not mindful when drilling them, you most likely will lack focus when performing fundamental drills and look sloppy in the execution of even the easiest technique.

Repetitive and arduous drills require you to overcome physical pain and mental fatigue. Grandmaster Cam Hung Marr told me that the late Grandmaster Ye Yuting referred to this type of exhaustive regimen as Ku Lian (苦練), Bitter Training. Enduring bitter training is paramount for a practitioner to progress beyond rudimentary skills.