The Truth About the Lin Kong Jing (part 1)

Everything You'll Ever Need to Know About "The

Powerful Empty Force".
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
At least once a week I get an email from someone asking me about the Lin Kong Jing.

Due to the fact that I frequent several martial arts forums many know that I study the Lin
Kong Jing.
It isn't a secret that the Lin Kong Jing is a controversial topic in martial arts circles. So,
typically, I either refer them to Paul Dong's book or I just tell them to do a lot of zhan
zhuang.
I have recently come to believe that such a response will no longer cut it.

So, over the next few weeks I'll be publishing several posts that will shed more light on the
realities of the Lin Kong Jing and outline the entire training method.
Hopefully, this will satisfy the masses. :)

What is the Lin Kong Jing?

The Lin Kong Jing literally means "Powerful Empty Force".
Specifically, the term refers to a skill in which one is able to use his or her "Qi" in a
fighting context. The "Qi" energy of the Lin Kong Jing practitioner is used to push, pull, or
in some other way incapacitate a would be assailant - all without touching them (the
"Powerful Force" is able to travel over "Empty" space).
It also refers to the zhan zhuang/qigong training method used to build the skill.
For sometime the Lin Kong Jing skill was considered by many to be a legend.
In fact, in his book Empty Force, Paul Dong lists Yang Luchan, Gou Yun Shen, and Wang
Xiangzhai (this is disputed) as some of the many famous martial artists to have mastered
the Lin Kong Jing ability.
However, in recent times there have been several individuals claiming to posses the skill
and yet were unable to demonstrate the skill under pressure.
This has led many to believe that the Lin Kong Jing is either simply a hoax or that only the
delusional would claim to have such an ability.
Yet, there are still others who believe that the skill is real and that it is the ultimate weapon
for any martial artist - those who truly possess the skill don't advertise that they have the
skill.
As I'll discuss later, the truth may be somewhere in between these two extremes

Finding a Master of the Lin Kong Jing I learned Lin Kong Jing style zhan zhuang from Sifu Charles Dragoo (a student of Richard
Mooney).
I first met sifu Dragoo at a Qigong class.
At the time I was under the impression that Qigong was more like yoga and would be
useful in helping me recover after training (I was training in a Korean/Japanese based art at
the time).
During the class sifu Dragoo would make references to how this skill or that skill would be

useful in a fight.
I was pretty confused by these statements because all we were doing were simple
movement exercises and standing postures. So, after the class I stepped aside with sifu
Dragoo and asked him to explain further what he meant.
In all honesty, I thought he was full of shit.
So, he gave me a little demo of the Lin Kong Jing skill.
During the demo sifu Dragoo was able to push and pull me backwards and forwards as well
as move my arm away from him as I was holding a practice knife against his throat - all
without touching me.
I knew what I felt during that demo and I was seriously impressed. I've been a student of
his ever since.
Through him I've learned the Lin Kong Jing Zhan Zhuang method, Taiji Ruler Nei Gong,
and Xingyiquan.
I want to point out that throughout our training together he always stressed how important it
was to actually know how to fight because the Lin Kong Jing skill wasn't meant to be, as
both he and Richard Mooney put it, an "end all, be all" skill.
During that initial demonstration and through subsequent demonstrations I noticed a few
things that I found peculiar and very interesting.
For one, I noticed that it was a very real force - I could definately feel it. However, it wasn't
truly "powerful". I mean, I could resist it if I tried.
These things and others prompted me to do a little personal research. I think you'll be
intrigued to see what I found.

The Truth about the Lin Kong Jing (part 2)

How strong is your Qigong?

"Is the Lin Kong Jing Real?"

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
Last week I talked about my background with the Lin Kong Jing.
This week I want to talk about some observations and some research related to the Lin
Kong Jing.
Hopefully, at the end of this post you'll have a better understanding of how the "Powerful
Empty Force" ability may work.
First though, I'd like to start off with some personal observations.

The Lin Kong Jing Experience.

As I said last week, whenever sifu Dragoo would "project" the Empty Force at me I could
definitely feel it - there was no doubt it was a real force.
And I wasn't alone. All of Dragoo's students could feel it. We could even feel it when we
projected at each other (though the strength of the "force" was much less pronounced).
Interestingly, we all reported the force actually feeling the same way.
Virtually every single person who has actually experienced the Lin Kong Jing describes the
energy as feeling "magnetic".
Now, when I say "magnetic" some of you may not understand exactly what I mean.
So, I want you to imagine as though you are holding a magnet in each hand and the
magnets are either pushing or pulling on each other.
That's the feeling. When someone is using the Lin Kong Jing to push or pull you it really
does have a magnetic quality - though, even the pushing and pulling of a "strong" Lin Kong
Jing practitioners is fairly weak when compared to a real magnet.
But why would the energy have a magnetic quality to it?

The Science of Qi
As I explained in part 1, the traditional definition given for the Lin Kong Jing is the act of
using one's Qi to push, pull, or otherwise harm an attacker.
But what exactly is Qi?
For a long time the idea of Qi energy was considered some sort of mystical life-force that

existed invisibly all around us and within us. Especially here in the West, the concept of Qi
carried a lot of spiritual/religious baggage.
During the middle to late twentieth century however, new research into Acupuncture,
External Qi Therapy, Tai Chi, and Qigong (pronounced "chee-gong") offered many
important insights into the nature of this energy we call "Qi".
Perhaps one of the most important findings to come out of this research was that the energy
known to the Chinese as "Qi" was in reality the bioelectromagnetic energy all living
organisms produce. Yang, Jwing Ming and Randall L. Waechter have both done excellent
jobs summarizing the research into human bio-energy and Qi.
Based on the voluminous amounts of research into human Bioelectricity (Qi) we know:
1. That the human body produces an easily measurable electrical current and
magnetic field (also known as bioelectromagnetic fields) do to the the electrical activity
of the heart, brain/nervous system, and the piezoelectric effect of bones and various
other connective tissue.
2. These bioelectromagnetic currents are ESSENTIAL to our survival - thought,
speech, perception, organ function, locomotion, tissue regeneration, ect... are all
guided by bioelectric (Qi) activity.
3. The bioelectormagnetic fields our bodies produce radiate out from us - infinitely.
4. A person's mood, proprioception, sense of direction, and even vision are all affected
by external electromagnetism.
5. There is a significant amount of research (in both the east and the west) which
shows individuals (particularly those trained in Taiji and Qigong) can consciously
manipulate their bioenergy.
6. The bioelectric energy of one person can affect the brainwave activity of another
when the two are in contact or close proximity (but not touching).
Those last two are important for our discussion.
So, based on the above 6 points it isn't really that much of a stretch to imagine that a trained
Qigong practitioner could develop the ability to affect others through the use of
bioelectromagnetic energy.
The real question is: would such an effect be all that powerful?

Does the "Powerful Empty Force" Live Up to its Name?

I've hinted at this a couple times, but I'll go ahead and be more explicit here:

The Lin Kong Jing isn't all that powerful.

I mean there is a real force - no doubt about that. I've experienced it and I've known many
others who have experienced it.
The problem is, for it to work you have to be a passive, cooperative participant to the
demonstration. At any point you could easily resist the force.
I have NEVER been a part of or witnessed a believable demonstration by ANYONE
claiming to use the Lin Kong Jing ability (or similar ability where the attacker is thrown or
moved by Qi) against a determined, non-compliant aggressor.
I'm also pretty damn sure I will never see one and neither will you.
So, then what's the point?
It is my personal belief that the Qigong/Zhan Zhuang and intent training that make up
the traditional Lin Kong Jing system aren't meant to bestow "supernatural" powers upon
practitioners. Rather the training in this system is meant to build something much more
practical.
But that'll have to wait until the next post in this series. :)

Conclusion Now, I realize that for a lot of you I've made quite a few claims that really require
documentation. I understand that and I have provided a list of links that should help you
with further research. I'm not going to spell out everything for you. I want you to come to
your own conclusions.
I also understand that it isn't easy to approach material like this with an open mind. Before
meeting sifu Dragoo I would have called all this bullshit.
So, I know how you might feel. But I'm confident that if you take a look through the
"Suggested Reading" list and really READ the articles you'll see that the topics discussed in
this series aren't really all that weird or implausible.
Train Hard,
Josh Skinner

The Truth About the Lin Kong Jing (part 3)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4
"The softest things in world overcome the hardest things in the world"
~ from, The Tao Te Ching

In the last part of this series on the Lin Kong Jing we talked about the relationship between
Qi and Bioelectricity.
I also provided significant proof that the bioelectricity (or Qi) of one person could affect the
nervous system of another.
During this post I want to discuss the REAL purpose behind Lin Kong Jing training.
We're going to cut through all this superhuman bullshit and look at the real reasons Lin
Kong Jing training is important for all martial artists.

"Superman Where Are You Now?"

In part 2 I wrote a few lines that ended up getting me several hate-filled emails. Here's the
snippet these people didn't like:
"I have NEVER been a part of or witnessed a believable demonstration by ANYONE
claiming to use the Lin Kong Jing ability (or similar ability where an attacker is moved or
thrown by Qi) against a determined, non-compliant aggressor.

I'm also pretty damn sure I will never see one and neither will you."
I write two measly little sentences and end up with like 20 emails telling me how much of
an arrogant dumb-ass I am!
And they can all be summed up the same way: "...uuummm, like how do you know there
aren't...like, ya' know Shaolin Masters or ninjas or something out there who can knock
people out with their Qi? You aren't the world's only authority on the Lin Kong Jing!"
I have two responses for those people:
1) Prove it. - If you make the claim that somewhere out in there, there are "hidden warriors"
who do have superhuman abilities, then the burden is on YOU to back up that claim. I'm

not saying that these people don't exist either, but the Lin Kong Jing system I was taught
doesn't teach anyone to throw people around using "Qi".
2) You're right, I'm not the ONLY authority on the Lin Kong Jing. However, I'm
approaching the subject from a very practical standpoint. I'm speaking from personal
experience and I do my best to provide research and evidence to support my claims. If
you'd rather delve into the more mystical/spiritual/esoteric aspects that's fine, but that isn't
what I'm about and that isn't what (Un)Caged Fighter is about.
It isn't like I'm someone trying to "debunk" the Lin Kong Jing. I'm just trying to trying to
get rid of all the bullshit surrounding it.
And I'm not the only one who will tell you that Lin Kong Jing training WON'T turn you
into Superman.

Sigung Mooney (2000)

Both Sigung Richard Mooney and Sifu Charles Dragoo have mentioned multiple times that
the Lin Kong Jing isn't the "ultimate martial arts technique". In fact, Mooney wrote in an
article for Kung Fu/Qigong magazine (and a book review on Amazon.com) that the Lin
Kong Jing was not an "...end all be all technique." and that the skill didn't work 100% of the
time (just like any other technique in a fighter's arsenal).
I think most people miss the point when it comes to the Lin Kong Jing.
When people think of the "Powerful Empty Force" they tend to get an idea in their head
that the "Qi" acts like some sort anime-style blast or a Jedi force-push.
People begin to think the Lin Kong Jing is like every other technique and can be used much
like a punch or kick - only from a distance and without having to touch the person they're
fighting.
Well, truth is, it isn't anything like that at all.

"Dude, You're Shielding!"

To be perfectly honest I once thought that through the training of the Lin Kong Jing I'd end
up being able to Ki-Blast the shit out of any would be attacker.

Hadouken!!!

But, over time and with a considerable amount of training and personal research, I have
come to believe that the training method for the Lin Kong Jing and the skill itself have a
very different purpose.
Based on my training, research, and conversations with my Sifu (Charles Dragoo) I assert
that training for the Lin Kong Jing is useful for:
1) Building Physical Strength - Qigong, and in particular Zhan Zhuang (which makes up
the majority of Lin Kong Jing training), are known to build significant amounts of physical
strength.
This increase in strength is due to the way Qigong improves the function of your nervous
system. I'd like to note that Qigong's ability to improve strength has been observed by both
researchers (also here, here, and here)* and strength coaches.
Training for increased physical strength is called "Shi Jing" by Lin Kong Jing practitioners
and much of the training method has its roots in Xingyiquan and Yiquan.
2) Improved Focus - Because of the various meditative and focal visualizations Lin Kong
Jing practitioners get a pretty damn good mental workout.
Practitioners note an improvement in reaction speed, ability to handle stress (particularly in
a fight), and ability to relax. All great things for a fighter.
3) Weaken/De-motivate Your Opponent - This is the most "esoteric" benefit of Lin Kong
Jing training so bear with me.
In part 2 I established that the "Qi" (bioelectromagnetic energy) of one person can affect
the brainwaves and, thus, the mental state of another.
Now, this is an important fact, because if properly trained individuals can consciously
control their Qi and project it outside of their bodies at specific targets (which we know
they can; also here) then that person can literally influence another on a very subtle (which

I don't mean as a synonym for "weak") level.

This can be very useful for the fighter.

You see, it is well documented that electromagnetic radiation that falls within the ELF
(extremely low frequency) range has the potential to produce feelings of anxiety, fear,
memory loss, weakness/loss of coordination, and even hallucinations in human beings.
Primarily due to the fact that the pineal gland and other parts of the brain are sensitive to
changes in the electromagnetic field of the surrounding environment.
Can you guess what range the frequency the human bioelectromagnetic field falls within?
Yep, the ELF range.
So, it isn't at all out of the question that one human can influence another and cause feelings
of fear and anxiety and perhaps even make another physically weaker (even if only
slightly).
In fact, we've all experienced that person who just seems to exude negative energy. Every
time you interact with this person you feel drained of energy, anxious, and you yourself
begin to have negative thoughts and emotions.
Or, perhaps you've had to spar with or fight someone who seems to project
nearly unconquerable levels of confidence. You find it difficult to attack and defend against
this person; you don't feel as strong, but when fighting or sparring with others you can
perform at normal levels.
And that is the key to the Lin Kong Jing!
It's an extra line of defense that sits somewhere between situational awareness and actual
fighting techniques.
It helps you win the fight before it even starts.**
And it's in that sense that the "Powerful Empty Force" is "powerful". Not in the overt, overthe-top way most people imagine it.
The power comes from its subtlety.

Start Training!
Alright, so by now you guys should have an understanding of what the Lin Kong Jing
REALLY is, how it may work, and why the ability is useful to you as a fighter. At this
point I want to start going over the actual Lin Kong Jing training methods.
Most of the material I want to save for the next two posts but today I will go over the
introductory Qigong method called "Pushing and Pulling Hands Qigong"

Conclusion I'm not the only guy in the world who has trained in the Lin Kong Jing system of martial
qigong. But I am one of the few who still talk about the skill. Plus, I'm trying to be as open
and honest about it as I can. I'm not here to sell anyone anything ***.
There are still a couple more posts in this series and I want to do my best to address some
of the controversies surrounding the Lin Kong Jing and its practitioners.
I also want to make it clear that my view points SEEM to contradict other's who teach and
train the Lin Kong Jing. However, it is best to remember that I don't know everything
(shocking, right?) and my view points are personal - based on my training and my research.
I have nothing but respect for Sifu Dragoo and Sigung Mooney. In fact, I consider Charles
Dragoo to be a friend and confidant. And I gain great value and insight every time I read an
article by Sigung Mooney. Where we differ in opinion on the Lin Kong Jing comes down
more to semantics than anything else (at least IMO).
Because at the end of the day we all value the Lin Kong Jing for practical application. To
quote Sigung Mooney: "[we]...wouldn't practice the art if it didn't work."

The Truth About the Lin Kong Jing (part 4)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

We're finally to the part of the series, "The Truth About the Lin Kong Jing", that most
people have been waiting for:
The actual practice itself.
We're done with theory. Now, it's time to get to work.
Like the rest of the series, my approach to Lin Kong Jing training varies in serveral ways
from the "traditional" method. Personally, I feel like these variations are improvements.
But, I'll let you judge that.

Stand Up Like a Man Last week I introduced you to the Pushing and Pulling Hands Qigong method.
This qigong acts as a "warm-up" for the Zhan Zhuang, or Standing Meditation, exercises
that form the meat of the Lin Kong Jing system.
The traditional Powerful Empty Force system consists of roughly 12 different Zhan Zhuang
postures intended to develop 3 subsets of the Lin Kong Jing ability *.
This is way too many postures
It isn't a surprise that the Lin Kong Jing system has so many postures as it is closely related
to Yiquan. But, then again, I've always thought Yiquan had too many postures as well.
To simplify things I want you to focus on 4 of the most important postures:

Double-Weighted Posture 1 - "Hands on the Water"(bi-lateral)

You'll be standing with your feet about shoulder width apart or slightly further. Shift your
weight so that all of it rests evenly across the whole surface of your foot. Lightly clench
the ground with your toes.
Next tuck your butt in as though you are going to do a slight "crunch" while standing. This
will cause your lower back to flatten slightly. As you tuck your butt in you will also tuck
your chin in slightly. This will cause the top of your head to rise up a small amount.
Place your tongue to the roof of your mouth, behind your teeth, and begin breathing
through your nose. You can utilize either the Buddhist or the Taoist breathing method. (mix
it up with both)
Now, bring your arms up with your elbows bent and palms down as shown in the pictures
above. Make sure you keep your shoulders relaxed and your armpits "hollow" (imagine as
though there are golf balls in your armpits).
A good visualization for this posture is to imagine your hands are resting on top of the
surface of water.
Double-Weighted Posture 2 - "High Embrace"(bi-lateral)

This posture is virtually the same as posture 1, except the arm position.
Instead of "resting your palms on top of water", you'll be doing a high "embrace" type

posture. Keep the hand high (fingertips about forehead level) and make sure to leave
several inches of space between the fingers of each hand.
All other postural requirements remain the same.
"Single-Weighted" Posture 1 - San Ti Shi (uni-lateral)

I've discussed San Ti Shi Posture in detail here.

"Single-Weighted" Posture 2 - "Empty-Step Embrace" (uni-lateral)

This posture is very similar to San Ti except for the hand and arm position.
Your going to be holding you arms in an "Embrace" type posture with the lead hand held
about face level and the rear hand at about heart/chest level.
Make sure you relax your shoulders and keep the "golf balls in the armpits" visualization.
During all of these postures make sure you allow yourself to relax (but not so much that
you break posture). You should feel your weight sinking into the ground beneath you.
There are other aspects to "rooting" but these will be good for now.
Also, strive to maintain an "aliveness" in your postures - you should feel as though you

could "spring into action" at any moment.

"How Long and How Often Should I Hold These

Postures?"
There are all kinds of crazy stories about martial arts masters having new students hold
Zhan Zhuang postures for ridiculous amounts of time. I've heard as long as two days!
And all of this was to prove how serious the student was about training.
Other stories describe how some instructors would teach nothing but Zhan Zhuang for as
many as three years - again to test the seriousness of the students.
Initially, my instructor, Richard Mooney, and Paul Dong all suggested that Lin Kong Jing
practitioners should perform Zhan Zhuang training for roughly and hour a day followed by
an hour and a half of seated meditation.
That's two and half hours of training nothing but standing and sitting still!
It's also WAY TOO FUCKING MUCH.
Look, I'm a huge fan of Zhan Zhuang but it is simply irresponsible to tell your students to
perform this much standing every day.
Lucky for me, sifu Dragoo ended up telling me the truth.
According to my instructor, a Lin Kong Jing practitioner need only "stand" for about 10-20
minutes a day. In my own training I have found that the 10-20 minute time length is
perfect.
We're looking for quality not quantity.
So, here is what a typical 12 minute session would look like:
* Warm up with some Joint Mobility Drills and Pushing/Pulling Hands Qigong
1. San Ti - hold for 2 minutes each side
2. Double Weighted Posture 1 - hold for 2 minutes
3. Single Weighted Posture 2 - hold for 2 minutes each side
4. Double Weighted Posture 2 - hold for 2 minutes.
* Finish with 3 reps of "Gathering Clouds".
Pretty simple stuff.
1-2 sessions of this routine daily is more than enough Zhan Zhuang training.
In the beginning you want to focus on your breathing and maintaining the posture. As you

become more and more comfortable in the stances you can begin to add certain
visualizations.
Now, Lin Kong Jing training has several visualizations and "meditations" you can use, but
early on (and especially for those who are interesting in developing a strong fighting
ability) the "Creating a Sense of 'Enemy' Drill" is the most important.

Creating a Sense of "Enemy"

Now this visualization is great for a few reasons

It helps you overcome come the fear of fighting.

It helps develop the right "intent" you will need should you find yourself in a
violent encounter.
It helps you develop more self confidence and may help you project that self
confidence so any would-be attacker may think twice before trying anything. (this is
the real Lin Kong Jing)

This visualization is incredibly simple.

In Paul Dong's book, and the way I was originally taught, a special stance was used for this
visualization. But I don't like the stance and prefer to use either one of the "Single
Weighted" stances or just a standard fighting stance.
In general I just use a typical Muay Thai/Kickboxing style stance.

Now get in stance and face a wall/heavy bag/tree. Next, imagine as though what you're
standing before is actually a very strong opponent or attacker. This person wants to kill you
and everyone you love.
You really have to get this image in your head and really experience the emotions it creates.
Feel your heart rate increase. Feel the anxiety and anger, but control it - direct it at your
target. Feel yourself becoming ready to attack at any moment. Your whole body should feel
as though you are about to lash out at this person.

It has to be real in your mind.

Hold this visualization for 2-5 minutes while standing in your your stance.
Another way you can use this visualization is just prior to and during a
shadowboxing/heavy bag session. Some of the best fighters in the world visualize beating
their opponent during training before they ever step inside the ring or cage with them.
You don't have to do the drill every day, but the more often you do it the better results you
will see.
Make sure you spend a time daily in silent seated meditation to help balance out this drill.

Conclusion We're almost at the end of the series.

In the final post I want to address some of the controversies surrounding the Lin Kong Jing
and give you guys my opinions on them.
Also, I want to point out that there are other meditations and visualizations utilized in the
Lin Kong Jing system. Some are useful while others are not. I'll be creating a post on power
development used in (Xing)Yiquan and the Lin Kong Jing which will have the drill I have
found most useful. But I want to wait and have that as a stand alone post. So, you guys will
have to wait until then (I promise it won't be too long).

Train Hard,
Josh Skinner
* Paul Dong talks about three different versions of the Lin Kong Jing ability. One version deals with using
"Qi" to attack pressure points, other focuses on developing large amounts of physical power called "Shi Jing"
or solid force, and the third type is a more general type of "Qi" which focuses on knocking people down with
your energy.

A fourth type of Lin Kong Jing is the type I teach and develop. It focuses on the development of "Shi Jing" and
a powerful fighting intent/spirit.