The Five Animal Frolics of Master Jiao Guorui
The Frolics of Master Jiao are a delightful set of walking qigong movements that can greatly improve the quality of your life. The original set of Animal Frolics was developed by the ancient Chinese doctor Hua Tuo (140 – 208 CE). He developed the original set of movements by observing the movements of five animals: Bear, Crane, Deer, Tiger, and Monkey.
Since then, there have been many versions of the Frolics developed by different teachers. The version described in this book was developed by Master Jiao Guorui. Master Jiao’s Five Animal Frolics was influenced by Master Hu Yaozhen, and Master Zhou Qianchuan. He was also influenced by frolics that were edited by Gao Shiguo, and the frolic illustrations edited by Wang Liting. Master Jiao’s Frolics are five sets of basic movements which form a flexible practice. Each Frolic is made up of five movements. The whole set of five frolics contains 25 movements. With Master Jiao’s movements we have a rich synthesis of a wealth of Five Animal Frolic styles.
Additionally, Master Jiao integrated teachings from the 13 Postures of Taiji into the frolics. In this way, you can also build your skills with the Eight Methods of Taiji while practicing the frolic movements.
Finally, the neigong practices taught by Master Hu Yaozhen are incorporated into the frolics. Each frolic has its external aspects (the postures and movements) and its internal aspects (mindfulness of internal qi movement and the development of a state of tranquility).
You can use your present state of health to help you decide which frolic to start with. For those needing to slowly build bodily strength, practice the first one or two movements of a single frolic. By slowly increasing the number of repetitions of a single movement, you give your body time to build strength gradually. As Master Jiao stated: “Men or women, young or old, weak or strong, everyone can practice it.” (1) He recommends that those with weaker constitutions practice the Bear and Crane frolics, that older students practice the Bear frolic, and that female students practice the Crane frolic.
By practicing gently and slowly, the frolics can be mastered. These movements are rich enough to engage both new and seasoned students for a lifetime of practice.
Since then, there have been many versions of the Frolics developed by different teachers. The version described in this book was developed by Master Jiao Guorui. Master Jiao’s Five Animal Frolics was influenced by Master Hu Yaozhen, and Master Zhou Qianchuan. He was also influenced by frolics that were edited by Gao Shiguo, and the frolic illustrations edited by Wang Liting. Master Jiao’s Frolics are five sets of basic movements which form a flexible practice. Each Frolic is made up of five movements. The whole set of five frolics contains 25 movements. With Master Jiao’s movements we have a rich synthesis of a wealth of Five Animal Frolic styles.
Additionally, Master Jiao integrated teachings from the 13 Postures of Taiji into the frolics. In this way, you can also build your skills with the Eight Methods of Taiji while practicing the frolic movements.
Finally, the neigong practices taught by Master Hu Yaozhen are incorporated into the frolics. Each frolic has its external aspects (the postures and movements) and its internal aspects (mindfulness of internal qi movement and the development of a state of tranquility).
You can use your present state of health to help you decide which frolic to start with. For those needing to slowly build bodily strength, practice the first one or two movements of a single frolic. By slowly increasing the number of repetitions of a single movement, you give your body time to build strength gradually. As Master Jiao stated: “Men or women, young or old, weak or strong, everyone can practice it.” (1) He recommends that those with weaker constitutions practice the Bear and Crane frolics, that older students practice the Bear frolic, and that female students practice the Crane frolic.
By practicing gently and slowly, the frolics can be mastered. These movements are rich enough to engage both new and seasoned students for a lifetime of practice.