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The Practise of Taijiquan

Taijiquan is a number of choreographed movements known as the Taiji Forms. Considered to be an inspired form of Qigong. There are five major styles, Chen, Yang, Wu, Woo, Sun. Also lesser known styles such as Hao, Li, He, Song, Zhaobao, Zhang Sanfeng.

The are varying numbers to these Forms, ranging from 24, to 108, depending on the respective schools and the method of counting.
When practicing Taijiquan the forms are practiced slowly. The movements should contain and exhibit the following characteristics :

Relax the body, cultivate a quiet mind, breathing should be natural, all the movements are circular in content, exhibit both softness and firmness, co-ordination of lower and upper limbs with the trunk is essential. The Form should be even, continuous, gently flowing, light and agile. One should exert the correct amount of force, there should be expression.

Whether one is learning traditional or newly compiled Forms, Taijiquan's characteristic features should be maintained and expression given to its essentials.

The following quotation is taken from a lecture :

"Taijiquan often referred to as Ta'i Chi Ch'uan has gained popularity during the latter half of this century, as a physical exercise beneficial to health, well being, balance, harmony, mental equilibrium and the promotion of internal strength.

When practising one should remain erect and comfortable, relaxed, calm and natural. The mind should be concentrated and serene, consciously guiding the movements, so as to reflect the requirements spoken of in the ancient boxing manuals.

'First in the mind, then in the body'
'Use the mind to move the Qi'
'Use the Qi to move the body'
'The will and the Qi are the monarch'
'Commanding the bones and flesh which are the subjects'
Breathing should be deep, natural and regular and as far as possible, in time with the movements and the exertion of the force. One should not be tense, or use awkward strength, and remember the principle.
'The Qi is not harmful when the spine is straight'."
Delivered by a distinguished Taijiquan Expert - Master Li Tian-Ji, 1912-1996.

Practise Methods

Taijiquan's practise method is the same for all styles, consisting of three elements:
Individual Form Practise, Hand and Weapon play,
Dual Application and Combat Practise.
Push Hands.

The most widely practised part of the system will be the Individual Routines. As we have discussed earlier, these vary from style to style in length, speed, time, complexity, strength and strenuousness.

Individual practise can include single posture practise such as the Taiji 37 Postures, Taiji Internal Exercises, Taiji Standing Pole, and Taiji Basic Skill Exercise. Dual application and combat consists of two persons working together to develop the applications from the Forms.
Push Hands is used by all Forms of Taijiquan to develop and test the individuals equilibrium skills, high speed reactions and introduce combat skills taken from the Taiji Routines.

Posture

Posture should follow the principles descried in Yang Cheng-Fu's 10 Essential Points:

? Head: Held naturally as being supported by cotton from the centre of the crown. Tongue resting on the roof of the month. Eyes level following the dominant limbs.
? Neck: Erect, without tension.
? Shoulders: Relaxed, soft and sloping.
? Elbows: Always lowered and natural, never lift above the wrist.
? Chest: Relaxed, never puffed out in army fashion. Do not slump shoulders and collapse the chest.
? Back: Spine erect, pelvis tilted forward, relaxed.
? Waist: Soft, flexible, relaxed and sunken.
? Bottom: Tucked in.
? Legs: Firm and solid, feet rooted, knees not locked.
Method of Moving and Training

When practising Taijiquan, the body should remain relaxed and natural. The movements should be slow, smooth and light. Though movements should be agile and light, they should remain centred and rooted. Movement should contain the principle of spirals and arcs, co-ordination and continuity. Mind involvement is implicit in the instruction 'the mind leads the movements', a meditative stillness in motion in degrees is illustrated in levels of attainment. Breathing should remain natural, deep, long and smooth. With continual training breathing will combine with movement, but should never be forced for this purpose. In each movement the whole framework of the body must be in use, the four limbs, trunk and head should move as one. One part moves, al the component parts move. This movement should be from the centre of gravity.

For the novice, the most important thing is to remember these points and grasp the priciples. Each movement of the Form should be practised many times. It is not necessary to look for quick success. Benefits are progressive, persistent practice is the mode for a high level of achievement.
In China, it is a common practise to train early morning and evening, repeating the Form many tmes. If time does not permit, it is recommended to practise at least once a day.

The actions of the feet should be light but firm and take an example from gentle movements of a cat while the legs should illustrate the principle of distinguishing substantial from insubstantial.

Relaxation of the body and mind makes us ask what is real relaxation and what does in mean in Taijiquan and to the Chinese. To pay attention 100% to the movements and eliminate all extraneous thoughts will bring quietness to the mind and nervous system. Relaxation of the whole body implies conscious attention to all parts of the skeletal framework, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons and internal organs. Relaxation also means opening and stretching of the joints and limbs. The overall benefits to the Taiji practitioner is a feeling of deep sunkeness and heaviness. This heaviness is the key to rooting and sinking the Qi to Tan Tien and the earthing of Yongquan Acu point in the feet. The most repeated word in Taijiquan is 'relax', or is Chinese 'Sung'. In the West it is common to interpret this idea as collapse, as if throwing oneself down in an armchair. This of course has nothing to do with the previous description. The feeling of sunkenness and heaviness should not be confused with softness and floppiness. This form of relaxation disolves rigidity and stiffness. The development can progress deeper over the years with training and closely resembles what can be observed with infants. Notice when a baby grasps your finger while remain relaxed. You can experience a feeling of great firmness in their grasp. This feeling of heaviness in not confined to any specific part of the body but to the whole. The resultant rootedness gives a clue to Taiji force, a form of tenacious energy arising from emptiness (Jing). This is referred to in the Taijiquan anecdote, "The needle hidden is the cotton wool". We have a similar expression in the West, "The iron fist in a kid glove". So Taijiquan relaxation gives rise, or perhaps it would be more correct to say lower the gravity, induce heaviness, bring about sunkenness which in turn lays a foundation for vigorous action. This organisation requires obvious use of the mind and can help in the understanding of "Let the mind lead the Qi, use the Qi to move the body".

The spiralling arc like movements of Taijiquan should manifest from the legs and waist and conform to a principle found in nature. While a strong flat wind can be destructive, the spiral of a typhoon whirlwind wreaks havoc in its capacity to lift and uproot objects in its path. This is also seen in the undertow in tidal movements of the sea.

The movements of Taijiquan should be initiated in the legs, controlled by the waist and expressed in the hands and fingers. All parts of the body should move in step, illustrating a balanced whole. It is the actions of the legs and waist which combine to form the basis of all Taijiquan actions.
The spirit should be lifted to Baihui Auc Point on the top of the head (Heaven). Sink the energy to the feet Yongquan Acu Point (Earth), bring the concentration to Tan Tien (Humanity). This represents a traditional Chinese view of mans place in the universe, but it explains the contradiction in sinking and mobile agility and helps understand Yang Cheng Fu's essentials for practise. Lift the spirit, sink the energy, mind in Tan Tien.

Tui Shou Practise
(Push Hands)

Historically, Taijiquan first surfaced as a martial art and whilst the majority of practitioners train for the health benefits, there is a nucleus of students who still pursue and gain martial insights to the Forms of Taijiquan.

These insights can be researched by exploring the priciples of Taijiquan's 13 Kinetic Postures, Tui Shou (Push Hands), Ta Lu (Expansive Pulling), Jing, Fajing and the application of the Hand Forms.

The Thirteen Kinetic Postures:
? Peng: Ward Off.
? Lu: Roll Back (pull).
? Ji: Press or Squeeze.
? An: Push.
? Tsai: Pluck.
? Li: Split or Twist.
? Zhou: Elbow Stroke.
? Kao: Shoulder Stroke.
The Four Directions:
? Jin: Step Forward.
? Tui: Step Backward.
? Ku: Look to the Left.
? Pan: Look to the Right, and
? Zhongding: Central Equilibrium.

To understand Tui Shou (Push Hands Practise) and Ta Lu (Expansive Pulling) it is necessary to study the 13 Basic Elements (Fire, Water, Metal, Wood and Earth). Zhongding is to connect with the earth. Without this connection one cannot successfully manipulate the 13 Postures. If Zhongding is absent it is impossible to support the principles of substantial and insubstantial.

Tui Shou and Ta Lu are important elements in Taijiquan training. While opinions vary as to the degree that these functions compliment/supplement sparring and free fighting, they nevertheless have combat attributes of a unique nature. Tui Shou is practised with a partner. The first requirement is to acquire the ability to Stick (Adhere) to an opponent. This in turn facilitates tactile listening. Through listening ones neutralising skills develop. These skills should develop alongside the ability to root oneself. These techniques progress and become the groundwork for the ability to uproot and opponent.

Quote for the Journal of Beijing Institute of Physical Education.

"Taiji Hand Pushing is one of the most useful means for the realisation of internal power. By Hand Pushing one may gain the momentum of indomitable spirit, a solid fisting frame with the feet placed firmly on the ground. A body posture that can withstand an attack from eight directions and most importantly a really superb skill to know oneself and the opponent. To know oneself and the opponent is the skill to 'understand the operation of force executed by an opponent.'

However this skill as such will never be easily acquired until the practitioner begins to throw himself into the exercise of Hand Pushing"
In the practise of Taijiquan Forms, Tui Shou, Ta Lu, an essential understanding of the principles can be obtained. Principles in accord with Zhongding (Rootedness) and the other 12 Kinetic Postures.

Jing:

The Substantial Energy (Internal Strength) of the 13 Kinetic Postures.

Fajing:
The understanding and ability to use Substantial Energy (Jing) to uproot an opponent.

All styles of Taijiquan movements embrace martial arts application sequences. These are not always understood by non martial artist and the uninitiated. Some consider the applications to be hidden in the nebulus movements of the forms

.
In the Yang Style Longform these applications number 37. The rest of the Forms are repetition. The rule of application varies from school to school, also to some extent to the innovative imagination of practitioners. In the training of applications and Two Man Routines, one should not deviate from applying the principles drawn from the Taiji classics.

Since the 'Quan' in Taijiquan means Fist it would be fair assumption that when a school or teacher referes to his system/curriculum as 'Taiji', the dropping of the fist element implies that he teaches the health and relaxation aspects of Taijiquan and excludes the applications and fist methods.