Chinese woodcut: Daoyin exercises, Brocade of the Dragon, 5

Jinshen jiyao is a manual of daoyin (therapeutic exercise, lit. 'guiding and pulling'). According to the preface, it was originally composed in the Tang period by Deng Xixian, and subsequently transmitted to Hundun Zi (Master Chaos). The notes and commentary are by the Ming author Lu Zhigang. This edition was published in 1593 (the 21st year of the Wanli reign period of Ming dynasty). The book is in three juan, each devoted to a separate set of practices: Jin qi long (Brocade of the Dragon), Jin qi hu (Brocade of the Tiger) and Jin qi long hu jiaogou (Brocade of the Intercourse of Dragon and Tiger). Altogether, it describes 36 poses. The techniques of Jin qi long comprise 12 poses: Jiao zu long (Dragon with legs entwined) is the fifth of these.

Picture title: Jiao zu long (Dragon with legs entwined)