Principles of Tai Chi
"Yield and overcome."
-Lao Tzu
1. Substantial and Insubstantial: Substantial is yang and insubstantial
is yin. In the beginning, it is critical to be aware of the shifting
of the weight from one foot to the other. When the weight is on one
foot, then that foot is yang and the other foot is yin. This is the
foundation of establishing rooting. At a higher level, be aware of
the substantial and insubstantial of the hands as well. Thus, when one
hand is yang, then the other hand is yin. At the highest level, there
is also substantial and insubstantial of the opposite hand and foot.
For example, in "brush knee twist step," the forward striking hand is
substantial or yang, and the same foot (rear) is therefore yang also.
2. Chi is moved like a curved thread through nine pearls: The body has
nine curves (the fist joint, the wrist joint, the elbow joint, the
shoulder joint, the spine, the waist, the hips, the knee joint, and the
ankle joint). The chi is moved through these nine joints, so that when
one part of the body moves, the entire body moves.
3. Relax "Sung": Tai Chi is known as movement meditation. Thus, the
mind (awareness) and chi (breath) are united with movement (in the
present moment). The movement is effortless because there is no self.
One becomes a detached observer. The muscles are relaxed, and the chi
is moved through the ligaments. Beginners need to pay particular
attention to the shoulders since the muscular tension is most profound
at this point. One needs to relax the shoulders, and drop the elbows
while practicing the form. Sung is closely related to Peng Ching.
4. Keep Alignment: The body must be upright, keep the neck and the back
straight. The tail-boned is tucked in so that the buttocks are not
sticking out. The chest is not sticking out, nor the upper back
hunched forward.
5. The source of movements is in the waist and spine as in a wheel
revolving around an axle: The waist is rotated around the spine like a
wheel revolving around an axle. In this case, the axle is perpendicular
to the ground. Thus in movement, the waist is moved horizontal to the
ground and rotating around the spine.
6. Stay at the same height: Except for movements such as "Single Whip
Squatting Down," stay at the same height while doing the form.
7. The step is light like a cat: When one is aware of substantial and
insubstantial, the step will be empty and light. In Tai Chi foot-worked,
the step forward is first with the heel then the whole foot. In the
step backward, the ball of the foot then the whole foot.
8. Peng Ching: It is potential energy. The whole body must have peng
ching at all times while doing the form. It has the sensation of
fullness or extension through the joints. It is the culmination of
correct postures of three parts: arms, legs, and back. The correct
posture for the arms is to drop both shoulders and elbows, and the
wrists are straighten. The correct posture for the legs is to keep
the buttocks tucked in and the knees bent, the step is light with
distinction between solidity and emptiness. The correct posture for
the back is to keep the back straight, so that the rotation is around
the spine, with the receiving points at the two shoulder joints and the
two hips joints. Peng ching's eight gates or positions are as follow:
Peng, Lu, Chi, An, Tsai, Lieh, Chou, Kao.
9. Fa Jing: "The root is at the feet, 'Jing' is generated from the
legs, controlled by the waist, and expressed by the fingers." It is
striking energy. This is preceded by collecting energy through the
nine joints equally, with the spine as the main point of collecting and
striking. The strike is through the hands, one solid and the other
empty, and focus on the opponent's center. Collecting energy is like
drawing a bow, and striking energy is like releasing an arrow.
10. Spirit, Mind, and Chi: The mind moves the chi, thus there has to be
a mind intent before the chi arrives. At the highest level of the
spirit, the mind intent and chi arrive at the same time.
Tuan Tran
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