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This article is a translation and transliteration of an article published in the Shaolinutaiji Magazine. Translated first into Chinglish and then into this article by Dr Paul Butler, so some words are changed but the textual content is as it should be.

Demystifying Taiji Quan

Taiji Quan philosophy is so profound, it is deserving of a lifetime’s research and study. Because this philosophy was formulated in an age where there was insufficient scientific knowledge to clearly explain its subtleties, some training methods and theory were explained in a style so that future generations could understand it in the context of their own era. However, this has led to misinterpretation and mystification of the theories, especially among modern-day Taiji enthusiasts, and beginners. For example, what is “Taiji Nei gong?” or “dantien rotation”? Many people practise a lifetime of Taiji Quan but are still unable to resolve these very basic questions.

This article suggests that, through prolonged practice and training. when the body’s joints are loosened, the tendons are stretched and elongated, when all parts of the body are co-ordinated in motion, and every gap between the joints has developed elasticity – this elasticity, the stretching of the tendon added to whole body co-ordination is what is known as Taiji Nei gong (Taiji internal skill or inner force).

Traditional Taiji Quan practice involves conscious awareness of the Dantien and what is known as dantien rotation. As far as dantien rotation is concerned, it is simply a requirement (at first) for a person to focus on the dantien region during practice. The dantien, according to the study of jingluo (meridians), is situated in the lower abdomen about three fingers below the navel. In this area there is a concentration of internal organs, mainly reproductive and excretory organs. Concentrating one’s mind intent on the dantien region has several benefits: it can lower the body’s centre of gravity making the lower plane (xia pan) very steady and balanced. It also enables massage of the internal organs, thus increasing the functions of those organs; It can focus the mind-intent (yi nien) so that when you are practising your tai chi you are actually resting your mind (meditative movement); it also enables (in time) the execution of dantien breathing, or abdominal breathing which increases lung capacity.

Long-standing practice of Taiji Quan enables the jingluo (meridians) to be open and free of obstruction, thereby increasing the circulation of blood. Internal martial artists call this Nei Qi. This form of Qi can undeniably improve the health. Many old martial texts advocated that using Qi in attacking an opponent can render you indestructible, capable of penetrating anything. If taken literally it becomes supernatural, perhaps even entering the realm of myth. Whether it is described as Nei Qi or Nei gong, as long as a method is executed correctly then it is not magical but rather a technique. In actual martial application technique is required. This technique is acquired only through long-term training of the body so that reactions are sensitive and reflexive. To achieve this there must be the utmost co-ordination of the mind and body and recognition of the precise moment of opportunity. Amongst other attributes, this requires speed, alertness, positional awareness and the execution of the appropriate technique. For example: in shuai-fa (throwing techniques) it is necessary to know where all the leverage points are and how to take advantage of them. With the use of Na fa (grasping methods) it is necessary to know the anatomical position of the reversible joints, use of a fulcrum and an understanding of the dimension and movement boundary of the joint; with Da fa (hitting method) you must have an understanding of timing and distance.

Chinese culture is steeped in allegory and religious beliefs that cannot be explained in practical terms. This has given some people the opportunity to exploit and perpetuate a condition by using myth to explain a superstition or superstition to explain myth. Unaware people can easily be led down an incorrect path. In the last twenty years Taiji Quan development and teaching in the west has been influenced and affected by this. Using such ambiguity to explain something that is quite practical is detrimental to the art. Many people who are propagating this mystical and mysterious form of Taiji are actually quite genuine in their beliefs. What are worse are those who use this to exploit the many sincere people who are striving to seek the truth.

Traditional Taiji studies have many abstract writings. How do you sort it out in your mind? If the texts cannot be explained in practical terms, if you cannot use them to elevate your Taiji skill, then surely they are of little use. Not so, In order to be able to understand Taiji you must be able to study objectively. In the research of this ancient philosophy you need to adopt a modern scientific approach. For example, using the science of the body (physiology), the science of movement (kinetics), using the science of the mind (psychology) etc to explain what appears to be shrouded in mystery. Using the study of body mechanics and movement to explain, for example, the saying “using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds”. In this way you can get away from the fanciful supernatural interpretations and concentrate instead on the reality of an ancient system that is both real and practical.

18th Generation Chen Taiji teacher Chen Zhaokui stood out as a teacher who was able to explain Taiji using the language of the body to explain the philosophy of Taiji. The unique teaching method of Chen Zhaokui was that he could understandably and clearly explain the requirement of every part of the body for every movement. This was considered a big leap forward at the time.

The theory of Taiji Quan is as deep and as wide as an ocean. For a beginner who has just entered into the art it can be extremely difficult to understand. For instance in the process of learning a frame, the student must gradually master the movement principle. To understand one or two points is considered not bad, as it is not possible to understand every aspect at once. Improvement occurs in a systematic manner over time. For example, a requirement of all the basic movements is that the two outer extremities section (hands and feet) hold the energy, the two middle sections (elbows and knees) hold the position and the two root sections (shoulders and kua) relax. To do all of this simultaneously is very difficult so it is better perhaps to concentrate on one point at a time and then over time progress to a fuller understanding, it is due to this systematic learning that it is so necessary to continually go over the same piece of taiji so many times.

Taiji Quan as a full system has been practiced for over three hundred years and shows no signs of waning. In fact it is gaining in strength. For its continuing acceptance and understanding it has to be viewed according to modern understanding and knowledge, using this form of understanding to decipher what is very ancient.

The 5 Components Of Tai Chi Quan

Hand Form

The Hand Form is the most basic of the five component parts, but knowledge of this alone is insufficient for self-defence purposes or for the practitioner to get the full benefit of the taiji system. There are at least three stages in learning the hand Form. At first we learn the movements in a simplified, step-by-step way also known as the “Square Form”. Once we have mastered this simple method of doing the form we can move on to learn the more intricate “Round Form”, which consists of the same techniques as the Square Form, but which is performed in a free and flowing manner. After this the practitioner will be able to learn the spiral Form so that they can use the energies of the forms in a full manner and maximise the movement potential. The movements of the Hand Form come in a set sequences these are called frames, and all have a self-defence application. Slow and gentle practice of the Hand Form by concentrating on the movements will result in tranquillity of mind, relaxation of the body and improved respiration. Harder more vigerous practice will enable the full circle of hard/soft or yin/yang elements of empty hand forms and improve fitness and stamina.

Pushing Hands

The purpose of Pushing Hands is to train us in methods of applying techniques to disrupt our opponent’s centre of gravity. Such training will also increase our sensitivity and improve our reactions. Pushing Hands is one of the main keys to learning the self-defence techniques. Also training in pushing hands will develop environmental awareness and sensitivity to movement and changes.

Self-defence

Once we have reached a certain standard in Pushing Hands, we can then move on to learn the Self-defence techniques. These are modified techniques taken from the Hand Form. Practice with a partner is necessary to develop our ability in using these techniques to defend ourselves and to counter-attack. We must make these techniques second nature to us, so that in a real situation we will react instinctively and decisively. These techniques use a series of possible applications to any one particular form and it must be remembered that combinations of parts of forms as well as full forms can give an infinite number of possible applications...there is no one application to a form but a series of possibilities. Due to this the self defense part of taiji also trains the mind for mental clarity and decision making.

Internal Strength

Internal Strength can be described in part as meditation combined with exercise. Though we are concentrating on maintaining a tranquil state of mind, we are at the same time holding set postures or repeating set movements which are designed to increase our concentration. Working with the meridian system of Traditional Chinese Medicine these exercises will increase energy in the dantien area and also clear blockages in the meridians. This will give us a well coordinated body that is full of energy.

Weapons

The weapons used in Tai Chi Chuan are specific to the style that the practitioner will learn, in the main they are straight sword, sabre, and spear. In the Chen style of Taiji they also teach staff, halberd and double sword and sabre. They are usually taught after a certain degree of proficiency has been achieved in the Hand Form and the techniques of Pushing Hands and self-defence. The techniques of the Weapon Forms can be adapted for combat purposes in the same way as the techniques of the Hand Form. It is also worth noting that the weapon forms also have a health benefit to the practitioner, like all things in taiji the practitioner will learn the full system and take from it what they will.

THE SKILLS OF TAI CHI CHUAN
By Howard Choy

"How can I improve my Tai Chi Chuan?" - a question often asked by my students. It is also a question I have grappled with as long as I can remember.

I remember I posed the same question to my teacher once, the late grandmaster Yang Sau-Chung, and he tersely replied, "By practicing the form correctly!" "But how ?", you may ask. A good teacher helps, but he can't be there correcting you all the time.

Wu tu-Nan, a well-known tai chi master from China, proposed that there are four kinds of Tai Chi skills (kung). If one practices the form (or push hands or weapons, for that matter) with these skills in mind, then the form will be correctly performed and you will gradually improve your understanding of Tai Chi Chuan.

The skill of function

Tai Chi Chuan is a martial art. Each movement has a practical function. For example, when one executes the movement "step up, deflect downward, parry and punch", do we understand how these moves could be used in a self-defense situation? How to step forward, how to deflect downward, how to parry, how to punch? Not only do we need to visualize our movement, but also the distance and the posture of the opponent when performing the form. Understanding the practical use of a move will help you correctly execute that move. The direction of the body, the coordination of the limbs, the breathing and the chi flow are related to the use. The more you practice visualizing the actual use and imaging yourself boxing with an invisible opponent, the better you will be in executing the form. The function corrects the move because it has a job to do; you will gradually remove all superfluous and useless "bad habits" and reach the stage of proper Tai Chi.

The skill of relaxation

A distinction must be made here between being relaxed and being floppy and sluggish. A relaxed body is one without friction in the joints or tension in the muscles. The mind is alert and the body sunk (with a low center of gravity). A floppy body is in negative tension. It is equally as detrimental to your progress as a tensed body. Being floppy or being tense makes you sluggish. It blocks the flow of the vital energy (Chi or Qi) and we lose the resilient, springy, sensitive quality associated with soft and relaxed muscles.
Correct posture also helps relaxation. The body is held vertical at all times while performing the form. The muscles designed to keep our body upright are functioning properly.
Practicing the standing posture before the form often will help you relax your body and let go of the tension in your mind. You can also practice holding various postures of the form as a mean to achieve a truly relaxed and correct posture. When you are doing the posture incorrectly, the pain in your body will tell you where your chi is blocked and where your posture is out of alignment.

The skill of Jin

What is jin? Although the source of jin lies in strength, it is not the same as strength. Strength is a static force, jin is dynamic. When the body is relaxed and sunk, the jin is gathered and concentrated by the mind and can be released at will in various forms to a particular part of the body. Jin can be fast or slow, hard or soft, tight or loose, stiff or springy, delayed or explosive. The powerhouse of jin lies in the dan tien, released through the waist. Its energy is permeated throughout the body by the free flow of the chi. Hence the jin is intimately related to the breath and chi flow. As a dynamic force, the laws of Newtonian physics govern jin. Take the equation "F = md/t", for example. Jin as a dynamic force can be increased by a corresponding increase in the mass, distance and the speed of delivery. Although the weight of your body is finite, the mass can be concentrated by lowering the center of gravity at the point of execution. Distance can be increased without pulling back by executing your movement in a circular and/or screw action. Also, speed can be increased by proper means of breathing and muscle relation and tension at the appropriate time with correct posture.
Tai Chi Chuan is composed of eight basic movements: peng (ward off), lu (roll back), ji (press), an (push), cai (grab), lei (break or control elbow), zhou (elbow) and kao (shoulder). Each move has a particular jin associated with it. Chen style tai chi has special emphasis on "screw action" jin and "cannon" jin. Along with push hands, four main jins are also involved. They are "listening jin", "understanding jin", "neutralizing jin" and "expressing (explosive) jin.

Piczo