[Extreme Martial Arts] Rising Sun, Bright Moon, Tidal Waves

Author: Jeffi Chao Hui Wu

Time: 2025-8-25 Monday, 3:59 AM

[Extreme Martial Arts] Rising Sun, Bright Moon, Tides
Since 2020, I have almost uninterruptedly arrived at Sydney's eastern beach every morning at dawn. I listen to the tides, watch the morning glow, and greet the sunrise. Sometimes the moon still hangs in the eastern sky. In recent years, I have started practicing Lingbu Zhuang, Tai Chi, Tai Chi Sword, and Xingyi Quan every morning, followed by guitar practice. This is the quietest, most focused, and complete time of the entire day.
In June 2025, Sydney entered winter, with temperatures stabilizing between 6 and 9 degrees. The cold wind mixed with the damp sea breeze hits my face, yet I remain in a single layer of clothing and thin pants, summer attire that is breezy and not stifling. Standing in Zhuang for three minutes, my body naturally warms up; after five minutes, beads of sweat begin to emerge; after ten minutes, I sweat evenly all over, breathing delicately and steadily. This is not a forced effort, but the result of six years of consistent practice that naturally activates my vital energy.
By the seaside before dawn, the sound of the tides intertwines with the wind, and the air carries a sharp humidity, with cool fine sand beneath my feet. I adjust my breathing, relax my shoulders, and exhale deeply and steadily. I remember the winter of 2024, when the dim moon still hung in the sky, and the tide's sound gently ebbed and flowed. I closed my eyes and walked Lingbu for thirty minutes, my breath merging with nature; in that moment, I experienced what it means to achieve "unity of movement and stillness."
After six years of persistence, I have not only recorded my daily heart rate, temperature, and time but also the details of my practice. The record for standing on one leg with eyes closed is over forty minutes for each foot; in low-temperature horse stance, I can hold for thirty minutes, my legs trembling but not sore, with breathing remaining steady; in slow practice of Tai Chi, each transition is naturally smooth, with movements steady and breathing deep and stable. All these data are meticulously documented, including complete videos, timestamps, and practice logs, representing the most authentic accumulation.
At the moment the sun rises, the world brightens. The red-orange morning light filters through the clouds, falling on the sea and on my breath and movements. In that moment, my breathing naturally calms, and my vital energy seems to flow rhythmically; my movements gradually stabilize, and my breathing naturally extends. The tranquility of the moonlight makes it easier for me to calm my mind, stabilizing my spirit, warming my body, and allowing my heart to float free of distractions.
I once wrote about my insights in an article, "Kung Fu in Sleep," detailing years of natural breathing accumulation; "Forty Minutes of Eyes Closed on One Leg" vividly describes my physical practice process; "Tai Chi in Middle Frame" and "Qi Attacks Illness, Skill Cures Illness" also record the environment and skill levels. Authenticity, data, and accumulation are the common threads of all my practice writings.
Scientific explanations can help me understand my past physical sensations. The spectrum of dawn leans towards the red-orange band, stimulating mitochondrial activity and enhancing cellular repair capabilities; the low-frequency sound waves of the tides, close to the step frequency of Lingbu, easily synchronize with my breath, while the high concentration of negative ions by the sea permeates my alveoli, naturally improving breathing efficiency. The stimulation of the cold environment, combined with a stable training rhythm, continuously optimizes my body's metabolism and the flow of vital energy.
However, science cannot fully explain my changes. At the moment the sun rises, the world is without language, and my breath and heartbeat gently intertwine; amidst the ebb and flow of the tides, my heart becomes clear; in the early morning when the moon has not yet completely faded, my breath and movements merge repeatedly, as if my body is in dialogue with nature. Six years of accumulation have witnessed my body gradually stabilize, moving from scattered thoughts to steadiness.
In that environment, day after day, year after year, one can truly experience it.
Now, I am increasingly clear that these six years of practice are not just about martial arts, nor just about energy, but about a synchronization of "heaven, earth, and humanity." The rising sun is the ignition of my body's vital energy; the tides are the harmony of my breathing rhythm; the moonlight is the source of my mental tranquility. The power of nature is never loud, yet it permeates my body in every practice, changing my structure, breathing, vital energy, and state of mind.
Scarcity is not due to complexity, but because of authenticity and persistence. Six years of data are worth countless theories. Whether it is the stability of standing practice in low temperatures, the ease of standing on one leg with eyes closed, or the smoothness of Tai Chi in middle frame, behind it all are the practices of every dawn, the records of each breath, and the accumulation of every drop of sweat.
I know that this way of cultivation is rare. It rejects artificial environments, indoor comfort, and shortcuts. It requires time, patience, and the integration of body and nature. The rising sun, bright moon, and tides have never missed a morning practice, but they have all witnessed my six years of morning training, the stability of my vital energy, and my body's journey from fluctuation to steadiness, from immaturity to gradual stability.
This is why I wrote "Rising Sun, Bright Moon, Tides." Not to amaze anyone, but to document the reality of six years of persistence, to record it, and to remind myself that in the silence of heaven and earth, only persistence can allow one to hear the deepest voice.
— A Living Epic of Natural Energy Cultivation
The accumulation of six years has allowed me to form a clear framework of natural energy.
The rising sun is the switch that ignites vital energy. Every day at sunrise, my breath and vital energy naturally activate in sync, calming all movements and emotions. The tides are the metronome of my breathing. The waves come in waves, driving the frequency of my breath, deep and steady, with my body naturally moving with the tide, my stance more stable and my power more precise. The moonlight is the source of my mental tranquility. Whether it is a quiet night illuminated by a full moon or a dawn with a crescent moon, the cyclical rhythm of the moon phases always allows my spirit to settle, warming my dantian and keeping my breath even.
This deep practice allows every detail to be authentically recorded. I have complete logs of heart rate, temperature, training duration, and practice periods, with videos of standing on one leg with eyes closed featuring precise timestamps. These data have transformed practice from "feeling" into a truly "verifiable" stage.
For six consecutive years, I have arrived at the seaside at 4:30 AM sharp, until the first ray of sunlight spills over the horizon. Regardless of scorching heat or freezing cold, I have never missed a day. In low-temperature conditions, I can hold horse stance for over thirty minutes, with my breathing remaining stable; while standing on one leg with eyes closed, I can maintain over forty minutes on each foot. This is not a display, but a natural presentation of six years of accumulation.
2190 days, with daily records of temperature, humidity, tide height, wind speed, heart rate, sweat volume, and even the subtle fluctuations of surface temperature, have all been completely documented. These data cannot be replicated in any laboratory.
The feedback from my body after practice is clearer. Cold is no longer a stressor, but a natural state. My dantian remains warm, my breath steady, and my mind calm and undisturbed. The turning, changing stances, and power generation in Tai Chi naturally merge, with the flow of vital energy becoming smoother, and distractions completely dissolved.
From a scientific perspective, these accumulations have clear empirical significance. Long-term adaptation to low-temperature environments, balanced flow of vital energy, and the resonance of breathing rhythm with the sound of the tides have significantly improved my postural stability. All of this constitutes a unique database of natural cultivation.
This is not merely a practice journal, but a true epic of natural energy cultivation.

Source: https://www.australianwinner.com/AuWinner/viewtopic.php?t=697317