Sifu Zou Yunjian demonstrates the Simplified 24 Tai Chi routine to its official melody.
Join our Group Tai Chi Demonstration on Sunday June 2nd at Kung Fu Tai Chi Day, in downtown San Jose, California.
Participants of all skill levels are welcome.
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Hi folks,
I am happy to release The Insider’s Guide to Tai Chi. It contains 100-pages of information about tai chi and you can download it here. We are going to be releasing the Tai Chi Mastery Program in a few days so stay tuned.
When it comes to exercise and fitness, you have countless choices: weight lifting, running, yoga, Pilates, biking, tennis, golf, cross-fit and other “fad” programs that come and go. With so many choices, it can be difficult to determine what is right for you.
So why learn tai chi and why take the time to really learn it right?
I believe tai chi is the future of fitness and exercise. Tai Chi Chuan translated into the English language literally means “the supreme ultimate.” Tai chi is what I call an Uber-exercise because you can do it for health, healing, martial arts and meditation.
Tai chi can totally transform your life so you feel better and more connected to your body, mind and spirit. Tai chi is one of the best practices for long-term health and longevity. Tai chi is known for helping to heal and even reverse various injuries with virtually no downsides. Tai chi releases chronic stress and builds your qi or energy.
Practicing tai chi literally rewires your body’s nervous system. Many find that once they learn tai chi they don’t have to force themselves to do exercise every day. Instead, they want to do tai chi every day because it makes them feel relaxed, integrated and whole. Many join tai chi practice groups and form lasting friends and community.
Another piece of good news is more research studies are being published that confirm what Eastern practitioners have known for thousands of years – you can prevent illness and also contribute to your own healing through applied practice of tai chi. This ongoing tai chi research offers scientific proof of its benefits and will help fuel its popularity.
Although tai chi is finally gaining mass popularity, in the West many of Tai Chi’s original teachings are unfortunately becoming more diluted and watered down. Even when I learned tai chi in Beijing, China, almost 30 years ago, it was becoming apparent that the overall skill level of tai chi practitioners was declining because few did it solely as their primary profession.
If you are considering learning tai chi or if you already practice tai chi, one important thing to learn and know about tai chi is what really gives it the power. This is the internal energetics or neigong that you put inside your tai chi form. This has been my focus where I teach these neigong both in qigong sets and within tai chi.
If you want your tai chi to really do what it can do, you have to go beyond just learning the physical movements. Learning how to use the mind to affect what is happening in the body is a key. Few in the West know how to teach these original energetic components. Fewer know the correct linking procedure so that the possibilities of tai chi can become a reality in your body.
In China it is widely accepted that you need about ten years to become a competent tai chi instructor. Those with previous experience in other internal arts might be able to do it in five years, but that is the exception. Part of the reason this is so is because a person has to fully embody the energetic components in his or her body. Just as an oak tree cannot grow in a day, tai chi teachers take time to mature and develop. They must rebuild and upgrade their energetic system.
As there are different forms being created and more teachers appearing on the scene, I encourage you to learn an authentic form and to study with the best qualified teacher you can find. This means a teacher that been properly trained and can fully embody the principles of tai chi.
I have created The Insider’s Guide to Tai Chi to provide you with foundational information to help you understand and evaluate the expanding body of material available about tai chi in the West. I’ll also go deeper to explain neigong, which is the secret that powers tai chi. Neigong translated means ‘internal energy work’ and it explains how qi flows in the body. It is what makes tai chi effective as a martial art, as a health exercise and even for meditation.
When I started learning tai chi many years ago, I found and worked with some of the best masters in China within the Chen, Yang and Wu tai chi lineages. I believe that it is my responsibility to share what they taught me with as many people as possible. This tai chi report, my blog at www.taichimaster.com, the Tai Chi Mastery Program and my live events are ways I can share what I learned with you.
I have been practicing and teaching tai chi now for more than 45 years and counting. I first wanted to learn tai chi for my martial arts and had little interest in its health benefits. At the time I was a young man that loved both doing and teaching martial arts. What I found in the internal marital art of tai chi was a system for being strong into old age without the joint and body damage associated with external martial arts.
Later, as time went on, I used tai chi to heal my own body from other illnesses. Once, in India, I contracted a deadly case of hepatitis. Tai chi literally saved my life when I used it to open up the blocked energy channels in my body. The two other people on either side of me in the hospital that had the same thing died. I have had the unfortunate luck to be in eight major car accidents – one in 1982 that broke multiple vertebrae in my back, which doctors said would likely leave me paralyzed. I initially used the Yang Style to heal my upper back and then used the Wu Style of tai chi to heal my lower back. Without tai chi I don’t think I would be walking today.
I’m now over 60 years of age and I continue to use my tai chi practice to further heal my body. Not everyone will find the results I have, solely because very few people will dedicate themselves so completely to tai chi. But you’ll find you get out of it what you put in, and everyone, regardless of age or physical fitness, can achieve life-changing benefits through dedicated, applied practice.
In The Insider’s Guide to Tai Chi I hope to provide you a practical understanding of what tai chi is, what makes it work so well, and how to choose a style, teacher and practice regimen. I created this report and have given it away because I believe that it contains essential information that will be useful on your tai chi journey, whether you end up studying with me or another teacher.
I hope you learn, practice and eventually teach this amazing art that can continually transform your life!
Good practicing,
Bruce
Founder, Energy Arts
To signup learn about the Tai Chi Mastery Program signup and click here
To download The Insider’s Guide to Tai Chi click here
Tai chi is often described as "meditation in motion," but it might well be called "medication in motion." There is growing evidence that this mind-body practice, which originated in China as a martial art, has value in treating or preventing many health problems. And you can get started even if you aren't in top shape or the best of health.
In this low-impact, slow-motion exercise, you go without pausing through a series of motions named for animal actions — for example, "white crane spreads its wings" — or martial arts moves, such as "box both ears." As you move, you breathe deeply and naturally, focusing your attention — as in some kinds of meditation — on your bodily sensations. Tai chi differs from other types of exercise in several respects. The movements are usually circular and never forced, the muscles are relaxed rather than tensed, the joints are not fully extended or bent, and connective tissues are not stretched. Tai chi can be easily adapted for anyone, from the most fit to people confined to wheelchairs or recovering from surgery.
Tai chi movement A tai chi class practices a short form at the Tree of Life Tai Chi Center in Watertown, Mass. |
"A growing body of carefully conducted research is building a compelling case for tai chi as an adjunct to standard medical treatment for the prevention and rehabilitation of many conditions commonly associated with age," says Peter M. Wayne, assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the Tai Chi and Mind-Body Research Program at Harvard Medical School's Osher Research Center. An adjunct therapy is one that's used together with primary medical treatments, either to address a disease itself or its primary symptoms, or, more generally, to improve a patient's functioning and quality of life.
Belief systemsYou don't need to subscribe to or learn much about tai chi's roots in Chinese philosophy to enjoy its health benefits, but these concepts can help make sense of its approach:
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A tai chi class might include these parts:
Warm-up. Easy motions, such as shoulder circles, turning the head from side to side, or rocking back and forth, help you to loosen your muscles and joints and focus on your breath and body.
Instruction and practice of tai chi forms. Short forms — forms are sets of movements — may include a dozen or fewer movements; long forms may include hundreds. Different styles require smaller or larger movements. A short form with smaller, slower movements is usually recommended at the beginning, especially if you're older or not in good condition.
Qigong (or chi kung). Translated as "breath work" or "energy work," this consists of a few minutes of gentle breathing sometimes combined with movement. The idea is to help relax the mind and mobilize the body's energy. Qigong may be practiced standing, sitting, or lying down.
Getting startedThe benefits of tai chi are generally greatest if you begin before you develop a chronic illness or functional limitations. Tai chi is very safe, and no fancy equipment is needed, so it's easy to get started. Here's some advice for doing so: Don't be intimidated by the language. Names like Yang, Wu, and Cheng are given to various branches of tai chi, in honor of people who devised the sets of movements called forms. Certain programs emphasize the martial arts aspect of tai chi rather than its potential for healing and stress reduction. In some forms, you learn long sequences of movements, while others involve shorter series and more focus on breathing and meditation. The name is less important than finding an approach that matches your interests and needs. Check with your doctor . If you have a limiting musculoskeletal problem or medical condition — or if you take medications that can make you dizzy or lightheaded — check with your doctor before starting tai chi. Given its excellent safety record, chances are that you'll be encouraged to try it. Consider observing and taking a class. Taking a class may be the best way to learn tai chi. Seeing a teacher in action, getting feedback, and experiencing the camaraderie of a group are all pluses. Most teachers will let you observe the class first to see if you feel comfortable with the approach and atmosphere. Instruction can be individualized. Ask about classes at your local Y, senior center, or community education center. The Arthritis Foundation (www.arthritis.org; 800-283-7800, toll-free) can tell you whether its tai chi program, a 12-movement, easy-to-learn sequence, is offered in your area. If you'd rather learn at home, you can buy or rent videos geared to your interests and fitness needs (see "Selected resources"). Although there are some excellent tai chi books, it can be difficult to appreciate the flow of movements from still photos or illustrations. Talk to the instructor. There's no standard training or licensing for tai chi instructors, so you'll need to rely on recommendations from friends or clinicians and, of course, your own judgment. Look for an experienced teacher who will accommodate individual health concerns or levels of coordination and fitness. Dress comfortably. Choose loose-fitting clothes that don't restrict your range of motion. You can practice barefoot or in lightweight, comfortable, and flexible shoes. Tai chi shoes are available, but ones you find in your closet will probably work fine. You'll need shoes that won't slip and can provide enough support to help you balance, but have soles thin enough to allow you to feel the ground. Running shoes, designed to propel you forward, are usually unsuitable. Gauge your progress. Most beginning programs and tai chi interventions tested in medical research last at least 12 weeks, with instruction once or twice a week and practice at home. By the end of that time, you should know whether you enjoy tai chi, and you may already notice positive physical and psychological changes. |
Although tai chi is slow and gentle and doesn't leave you breathless, it addresses the key components of fitness — muscle strength, flexibility, balance, and, to a lesser degree, aerobic conditioning. Here's some of the evidence:
Muscle strength. Tai chi can improve both lower-body strength and upper-body strength. When practiced regularly, tai chi can be comparable to resistance training and brisk walking.
"Although you aren't working with weights or resistance bands, the unsupported arm exercise involved in tai chi strengthens your upper body," says internist Dr. Gloria Yeh, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School. "Tai chi strengthens both the lower and upper extremities and also the core muscles of the back and abdomen."
Flexibility. Tai chi can boost upper- and lower-body flexibility as well as strength.
Balance. Tai chi improves balance and, according to some studies, reduces falls. Proprioception — the ability to sense the position of one's body in space — declines with age. Tai chi helps train this sense, which is a function of sensory neurons in the inner ear and stretch receptors in the muscles and ligaments. Tai chi also improves muscle strength and flexibility, which makes it easier to recover from a stumble. Fear of falling can make you more likely to fall; some studies have found that tai chi training helps reduce that fear.
Aerobic conditioning. Depending on the speed and size of the movements, tai chi can provide some aerobic benefits. If your clinician advises a more intense cardio workout with a higher heart rate than tai chi can offer, you may need something more aerobic as well.
Selected resourcesTai Chi Health www.taichihealth.com Tai Chi Productions www.taichiforhealth.com Tree of Life Tai Chi Centerwww.treeoflifetaichi.com |
We all know about the importance of exercise – especially as we are living longer and want to age positively and enjoy those extra years coming our way. With 50 becoming the new 40 or even 30, 60 the new 50, we are all looking to embrace life and have the health and energy to live it to the full, but for many of us hitting the gym just doesn’t appeal. So what about more gentle alternatives?
There are always new exercise crazes hitting the tabloid headlines – but more traditional forms of exercise such as Tai Chi have stood the test of time – and been applauded by institutions such as the Harvard Medical School for delivering health benefits.
Said to be the equivalent of a brisk walk, this gentle exercise format encompasses the process of slow, gentle movements with breathing techniques which have elements of meditation, strengthening the body while focusing the mind. Tai Chi has been proven to address physical, mental and emotional health issues.
I know my own introduction to Tai Chi was on a holiday in the Caribbean several years ago, where our very flexible and lively instructor informed us that he had walked away from the stress of corporate life, discovered Tai Chi, and trained to be an instructor. Our collective jaws dropped when he went on to tell those of us who had just been wobbling on one leg while he performed the sequence perfectly, that he was approaching his 80th birthday. A birthday he believes he would not have seen had he continued with his stressful life.
We have touched on the importance of balance and flexibility in previous articles, and the importance of acting now in order to ensure that we are flexible later. We should think of our bodies as our ‘flexible friends’! In fact Tai Chi is thought to be so beneficial in this respect – with claims that regular activity such as Tai Chi can help reduce falls in the elderly by 45%, some residential care homes much like Amherst House care home in Horley, are now building Tai Chi into their weekly programmes. Due to the seemingly gentle nature of the exercise Tai Chi is also used in many rehabilitation programmes.
The history of Tai Chi goes back more than 2000 years with its roots in Yin and Yang. According to the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain, Tai Chi promotes the flow of ‘Qi’ energy through meridians or pathways through the body, assisting the free flow of energy, aiding relaxation and reducing stress.
Stress in the body is a key contributor to premature ageing. Tension and stress contribute to many health conditions and Tai Chi is an excellent way to combat the stresses and strains of modern life as it concentrates both the mind and the body in its movements.
As Tai Chi does not place a strain on bones or joints it is an excellent form of exercise at every age.
A fabulous alternative to the gym!
Tai Chi Chuan or any Tai Chi is a type of Kung Fu so at some depth it’s a martial art, but it’s also more than that. It’s a healing art, and a meditation in itself that can help one’s balance. It provides a tangible mind/body/spirit connection, as well as a deeper connection with one’s surroundings. It can do wonders for the ailed as well as athletes of all types. It’s also a folk dance (the only way I can fake the ability to dance is by repeating Tai Chi moves).
Tai Chi is a physical art that betters one’s well-being and it’s also a metaphysical art that provides a way to cultivate energy. Tai Chi is all about developing grounding and rooting. Since it is done standing and walking, the meditative nature of Tai Chi is highly applicable and transferable to the rest of our day as we walk and stand around others.
There are four main forms of Tai Chi: Chen, Sun, Yang and Wu and there are many different styles within each. No matter how different they are, each contain some of the same practices and entirely the same theories.
In Tai Chi, there is not one superior type of posturing, there are only more dedicated practitioners. The interesting thing about Tai Chi, as opposed to practically everything in the postmodern world, is as long as you keep in mind certain concepts you can’t do it wrong, you can only refine it. In this way there is constant potential to learn more from the same movement.
In Tai Chi a couple movements are just variations of yoga's warrior poses, only done with less of a deep stretch. And in the form I practice there are a couple of movements that involve brushing oneself, tapping certain body parts and even adding a moderate stomp. In Tai Chi, there is infinite variation and change is good. Being flexible and accepting of new ways to do things and new forms to do is a big lesson. It’s said that in the long form there is a variation of every movement possible and there is definitely a reflection of every martial art, healing and internal art.
One of the simplest healing arts, a primal uncle of Tai Chi as I was taught, is called bone tapping. Bone tapping is about healing yourself using your own touch. Because grounding is so important and because so few people do actually ground, the following procedure is both a grounding and healing series:
Using any part of your hands and fists begin to tap yourself. Begin with your calves and shins, the harder the better, but keep it reasonable. Exhale as you tap throughout the series, and definitely as you begin tapping the abdomen. Breathe out the tension, do not tense up. Bone tapping is primal, like the instinct to walk around after getting slightly hurt.
Hit the sides of the calves, the backs and even knock on the shins and/or rub them downward. Hitting the back of the knees is said to stop varicose vein formation. Even though it’s called bone tapping, one begins by and primarily taps next to the bones. The basic premise is that this sends vibration father and deeper, and vibration eliminates tension and inflammation, preventing all sorts of distress and disease. Continue up to include the thighs and legs all over. Proceed to the coccyx and the lower back, then the front equivalent and continue upwards tapping the chest, back, shoulders, arms, neck, chin and head all the way to the crown of your head. Then, and this was and is considered a moderate secret, end by tapping the softest bones of the body, the clavicles or collar bones.
Tai Chi Chuan and Yoga are not only intimately related, but sourced from the same vein. We can trace practically all martial arts and internal arts back to or back through India. Since all meditative movement originates from the same place, let’s all come together in a meditation for peace and unity of humanity. If every meditator, if every yoga practitioner, and Tai Chi and Chi Gung practitioner all perform their practice out in the open for all to see maybe we can raise awareness of our healing, meditative and intuitive movements. Maybe we can share an idea or movement with someone (like on how to properly tap your body to heal for instance) that might help them! In this way we can change things. So today, bust out your form, or rock some sun salutations, or meditate in a place you normally would not and see what happens.
Ethan Indigo Smith is an author, philosopher and yoga practitioner. He currently resides in Tahoe City, California where he writes, snowboards and teaches yoga. He first learned chi gung in Canada after hurting himself on a snowboard trip and has been practicing meditative movement of some sort ever since. For many years he practiced chi gung, bone tapping and tai chi, he learned predominantly from Sam Edwards of Eureka Productions. He began integrating many systems towards refining his snowboarding. A practitioner friend, from a family of practitioners and body workers, introduced Ethan to The Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, which he has been practicing for eighteen years. He currently practices in the Tahoe area and teaches Tibetan Fusion at Mountain Lotus Yoga Studio, a fusion of chi gung, asanas, and the Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation. Recently Ethan has been developing his meditation practice, learning Buddhist meditations from Khenpo Ugyen Wangchuk, and grounding meditations from The Reno Psychic Institute and Christian Michael Steele. Ethan has written several books, including a metaphilosophy titled The Matrix of Four, The Philosophy of The Duality of Polarity, which looks at individual and collective consciousness and the idea of the righteous rebel. He also wrote 108 Steps to Be in The Zone, a look at the numerical significance of 108, related meditative movements and many helpful concepts. He also wrote Tibetan Fusion on the combination of chi gung, the Five Tibetan Rites and meditation. He recently finished The Little Green Book of Revolution, in which he explores Native American Indian culture vis–à–vis the pollution and politics of the postmodern world. Facebook: Ethan Indigo Smith
The original books on Tai Chi Chuan were not written as explicit training manuals with step-by-step instructions. Instead, they emphasized the underlying concepts and principles, and provided a set of guidelines for Tai Chi practice. These early works, known collectively as the Tai Chi Classics, were mostly short and concise, and also rather abstract and written in poetic language.
Much like the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali provides a core set of ideas for the study of Yoga, the Tai Chi Classics provides a framework for exploring both the energy cultivation aspects of Tai Chi as well as a map for discovering the sometimes hidden martial arts applications.
Rather than follow the academic model of translating and commenting on the Classics, we are going to take a practical approach. Once again we’re going to walk through the entire Primal 13 form, but this time instead of hand placement and foot placement we’re going to emphasize Yin and Yang, compression and expansion, and the various forms of expressing Tai Chi energy. Many of the Primal 13 form guidelines are drawn from the Song of Secrets for Training the Thirteen Techniques, and you can find the full translation in the Student Resources area.
Tai Chi Chuan is based on cultivating, unifying and controlling the life energy of the human body. This primal, vital energy is called Qi in Chinese, Ki in Japanese and Prana in the Yoga traditions of India. In the West, Qi is the idea behind “The Force” in STAR WARS.
The Force is what gives a Jedi his power. It’s an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us and penetrates us; it binds the galaxy together.
― Obi-Wan Kenobi
In classical Chinese thought, when you move your muscles you are using a bio-electric form of energy known as Li. This is purely physical. But when you blend vital energy (Qi) with physical energy (Li) and consciously control it with the mind you develop a special kind of force or power called Jen or Jing. It is this mind-body blend of Jing which powers the Thirteen Postures.
Five of these postures relate to the footwork of Tai Chi, which is responsible for moving the body smoothly and with stability, balance and “base.” These five stepping patterns – known as the Five Steps or Wǔ Bù (五步) – are called Step Forward, Step Backward, Turn Left, Turn Right, and Central Equilibrium. The remaining eight postures refer to how Jing is expressed in Tai Chi fighting techniques.
The Eight Energies are also known as the Eight Gates or Bā Mén (八門) and are connected back to the Tai Chi Compass. These eight are further divided into the four Primary energies or the four directions, and the four Secondary energies or four corners. The Primary energies are Ward Off, Roll Back, Press Forward and Push. The Secondary energies each blend two of the Primary energies to create Pull Down, Split, Elbow Stroke and Shoulder Stroke.
All movements in all forms of Tai Chi are based on these thirteen building blocks as they continuously combine, separate, and recombine during each individual posture and transitional move. As we walk through the Primal 13 form, we will explore each in turn.
The standing at attention posture prior to opening the Tai Chi form represents Wuji, the primordial single Source and the perfect unification of a non-dual, non-polar reality. As you first form the intention to move in your mind, you are seeing the appearance of Taiji, the primal magnetic pull towards duality and action.
As you pour your weight into your right leg, that leg is becoming Yang. As the left leg becomes weightless and steps out to the side, that leg is becoming Yin. As you pour weight back into the left leg to come to a 50/50 equal-weighted stance, you are now experiencing the opposite side of Taiji: the return to balance and unity. This moving into an equally weighted stance is also our first look at Central Equilibrium.
Zhong Ding is the energy of balancing Yin and Yang around the center. The center is the single point where your weight sinks into the Earth. This point may be exactly centered between the feet in an Equal or 50/50 stance, forward or backwards in an Unequal-Relative (60/40, 70/30 or 80/20) stance, or directly under the body in an Unequal-Absolute (100/0) or single-leg stance. Zhong Ding requires the body to be correctly aligned and completely relaxed.
Lifting your arms outward in front of your body, you are experiencing Expansion. As the elbows sink, the arms float down and the legs slightly bend to lower the body towards the Earth, you are feeling Rooting and Sinking. The lifting of the hands away from the body and the lowering nearer to the body should also be generating a feeling of Sphericality or circularity.
Opening the Form introduces the creation and reintegration aspects of Taiji, the Yin and Yang aspects of body posture, concepts of Expansion and Compression (Sinking), and the unique Tai Chi concept of using circles to guide movement.
The Opening the Form sequence allowed us to concentrate on one Taiji principle at a time. Now as we move into the Hold the Ball posture we will “layer” concepts in a complex matrix of principles and energies.
Pouring your weight first to the left leg and then to the right, turning to the Northwest before sinking into the rear right leg combines Yin and Yang with Spiral motion, which you will continually see throughout the Tai Chi form. Sitting back into the right leg, it becomes active or Yang while the left leg becomes inactive or Yin. The turn of the body to the Northwest corner should be powered by the waist, and the rest of the body simply follows as a single unit.
As the arms round out into the “Hold the Ball” posture, every surface and joint should have a feeling of “roundness.” The armpits, elbows and wrists should all be open and rounded. As the arms are raised (a Yang motion) the body sinks into the Earth (a Yin motion). Both of the arms should be active. The bottom left arm should feel like a cradle, actively supporting the idea of the ball. The top right arm is likewise active, as if the ball were filled with Helium and the top arm must press inward to keep it from floating away. The pressing towards the center feeling of the arms is Compression, while simultaneously the mind creates the outward-pressing feeling of the imaginary ball (Expansion).
Complex Matrix: Yin + Yang + Circle + Spiral + Compression + Expansion; all in a single Tai Chi posture.
The transitions between the postures are just as important as the postures themselves. Our first transition is from “Hold the Ball” into the “Ward Off” position of the Grasp Sparrows Tail sequence. This transition illustrates the second of the Five Steps: Step Forward.
With the bodyweight on the rear leg, the front leg steps forward and the front foot is placed down on the heel. As the bodyweight pours forward, the toes are placed down. Carefully pour the weight forward being prepared to reverse direction at any moment. The bodyweight should ideally pour into the heel of the front foot, but never more forward than the middle of the foot.
In this transition, you are stepping forward into the Bow and Arrow Stance or Gong Jian Bu, most commonly called simply the Bow Stance (Gong Bu or 弓步). This stance is the single most common stance in Tai Chi and provides a stable base from which to absorb or express force.
In the Bow Stance, the front foot is pointing straight ahead with 60 percent of the bodyweight resting on it. The shin should be perpendicular to the Earth with the weight carried by the large bone of the tibia in the lower leg and pressing directly into the heel. The back leg is firmly set into the ground while supporting the remaining 40 percent of the bodyweight. The knee of the rear leg is slightly bent, and the toes of the rear foot are pointed out at 45 degrees. The head and body are upright and perpendicular to the ground. From the torso to the feet, this posture is identical to Yoga’s Virabhadrasana Warrior One pose.
(Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, Push)
The famous Grasp Sparrows Tale sequence encapsulates all four Primary Jing energies into a single, simple sequence. While we practice it as one sequence, with each motion flowing into the next, to really understand the energies we’re going to slow down and examine them one by one. The first energy is Ward Off, expressed as you Step Forward into the left Bow Stance, round the left arm forward and float the right hand to the hip.
Peng is a form of Jing that responds to incoming energy by adhering or sticking to it, and then bouncing the incoming energy back like a large inflated rubber ball. It is the primary Yang or “projecting” energy force in Tai Chi, and can be equally defensive and offensive. Peng is expressed by the entire body as a whole, unified in your center and grounded. When one standing in the correct Peng posture, it is almost impossible to move them.
Peng puts a curved barrier between you and your opponent; creating a buffer zone that prevents the first shock of an incoming attack from penetrating your defenses. This buffer zone also gives you the critical microsecond to avoid being overwhelmed by an attack, giving you neurological space to to deflect, absorb or counter an attack.
Peng energy can be compared to the type of force that causes wood to float on water or a balloon to inflate, or a garden hose to fill with a torrent of water. It has a “bounce off” sensation, like the feeling of rebounding off of a beach ball or Yoga ball. It is Peng that enables the Tai Chi fighter to hit opponents and cause them, as the Chinese like to say, “to fly away.”
Imagine a young mother standing on a crowded beach pier, searching frantically for her child. After a moment, she spots her toddler climbing up the pier railing, some 60 feet above the ocean. As she rushing to grab her child, anyone in her way would literally be “bounced away” by her singularly-focused forward energy. This is Peng.
When moving, receiving, collecting, and striking, Peng Jing is always used. Peng Jing is Tai Chi Chuan’s essential energy. The body becomes like a spring; when pressed it recoils immediately.”
– Kuo, Lien-Ying, “The T’ai Chi Boxing Chronicle”
From the Ward Off posture, your weight pours backwards into the rear leg. Your feet do not move from their placement in the Bow Stance, but as your weight shifts more onto your back leg you are now in the Four-Six Stance or Sì Liù Bù (四六步). While the feet are the same, the weight distribution is the exact opposite of the Bow Stance. Now 60 percent of your bodyweight is supported on your rear leg, with the remaining 40 percent resting on the front leg. The “taking a football and passing it behind you” motion is the second Primary Jing known as Roll Back.
Lu is a redirection energy which leads the opponent’s incoming force into emptiness, and causes them to step or lose their balance. The greater the force of the opponent’s attack, the greater the resulting loss of balance.
To continue with the football analogy, Roll Back is similar to Lucy and the football in the Peanuts cartoons. Charlie Brown runs in with an incoming force, and as Lucy pulls the football away poor Charlie Brown looses his balance and crashes to the Earth. Cartoonist Charles Schulz was obviously a Tai Chi master as well.
While Roll Back energy can be useful on its own, in combat applications it is most always paired with another energy such as Press or Ji Jing. This allows you to avoid an incoming attack through redirection, and then counter-attack while your opponent is off-balance.
From the Roll Back posture, your body pivots back to the original direction and the weight pours back into the 60/40 weighted Bow Stance. As the hands “catch the butterfly” and carry it to the forward facing line, you are expressing the energy of Press.
Ji is a compression energy expressed as a pressing or squeezing motion away from the body. This is usually an offensive tactic used in short-range fighting. Ji requires both hands to work together, usually either with both hands overlapping or the back hand bracing the wrist of the forward hand. The compressive force is consciously directed into a very area, such as trying to push a ball down into deep water and not let it roll off your hands and float back to the surface.
The Press motion ends as the bodyweight comes fully into the Bow Stance. The hands then separate and the palms turn forward as your bodyweight again pours towards the rear leg. This time, instead of stopping at 60 percent or 70 percent, your full bodyweight compresses into the rear leg. The front leg becomes weightless and the toes lift up. The front heels rests lightly on the Earth. This is known as the Empty Stance or Xu Bu (虚步). As you sit back into the empty stance, your elbows are sunk towards your ribs and both palms are facing the forward horizon.
With the Push motion, we catch an incoming force (the giant rolling stone) and push it away using the palms. The push is not linear but actually moves upwards in a shallow arc. The power of the push, however, is not just with the hands.
While called “Push,” the Jing of An is commonly misunderstood and therefore practiced and applied incorrectly. In the Tai Chi Classics, the hand motion is described as “settle the wrist.” This means to press the base of the palm forward, and this can be done either as an offensive or defensive technique, with either one hand or both hands together. If done quickly, this Push can appear like a strike. The downward “Push,” however, is not with the hands but with the legs. The power of An comes from unifying the whole body, pushing into the Earth with the legs, and allowing the rebound energy to flow through the hands.
In classical Yang-family Tai Chi, the four Primary Energies (Ward Off, Roll Back, Press and Push) are presented together in the single “Grasp Sparrows Tail” sequence. This sequence is considered so important that it is always repeated on both the left side and right side to make sure the concepts and techniques are completely grasped. As we move forward through the Primal 13 form, you’ll see variations of these Primary forces, as well as the Secondary forces created with two Primary energies are combined.
From the very Yang, expanding motion of Push you now transition into the very Yin motion in the first half of Catching Stars. You will again sit back into an Empty Stance, but in this variation you will keep the front foot flat on the ground. The back leg is fully Yang, supporting 100 percent of the bodyweight while the front leg is weightless or Yin. As the elbows sink (also a Yin motion) the palms rotate towards each other to illustrate Pull Down energy.
Cai blends the energies of Roll Back and Push to create a new form of Jing energy used for powerful redirection. Cai also means to pluck and then take away, as in plucking an apple from a tree or a grape from a vine. Pull Down techniques will often intercept or adhere to an incoming force and forcefully redirect it into the Earth, typically with the fingertips or palms. Just like Roll Back, a skillfully executed Pull Down can lead an attacker to an unbalanced and vulnerable position.
Cai Jing is sometimes translated as “grabbing energy,” but there should be a clear distinction. Usually grabbing implies a committed, forced control, such as grabbing someones wrist. The forceful grab often creates tension in the body, and if the opponent is stronger they can unbalance you as you struggle.
Instead of thinking of this action as a grab, think of it as a “catch,” such as catching the throwing star between the palms or catching a Frisbee with fingertips and thumb. Once you have contact, you move with the force of the incoming attack but apply a “snapping” or jerking type of energy to redirect that force to a new line. Usually you will align this redirection with gravity, either pulling straight towards the ground or pulling it into your own “ground path” or connection point with the Earth.
Following the “catch” motion of Pull Down, you again reverse direction and pour your weight forward into the Bow Stance. As the hands and arm come up in the Brace With Blade technique, you are expressing a variation on Press Energy or Ji Jing. In the first variation you pressed with the back of the left hand and braced with the heel of the palms. In this variation you are pressing with the blade of the forearm – the sharp edge of the ulna or pinky-side forearm bone –and bracing near the wrist.
The Press energy is identical, but instead of a single point where we are applying pressure, now we are applying pressure along a plane. You should also see the seed idea of Ward Off or Peng Jing in this motion, with a similarly curved forward arm and open, rounded joints.
From the Bow Stance used in the Catching Stars sequence, the rear, right foot steps up right beside the left foot in a position similar to the attention stance in which we started the form. Once again we are going to explore the energy of Central Equilibrium, but this time in an Unequal-Absolute (100/0) or single-leg stance. As the hands trace a giant circle in the air and then cross and lift along the centerline, the weight pours from the left leg into the right, and the left knee raises into the Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg posture, Jin Ji Du Li (金雞獨立).
The Golden Rooster stance is similar to Empty Stance and serves the same purpose: to set up kicks. The knee lifts straight up allowing the lower leg and foot to point downwards, naturally aligned with gravity. The raised leg should now be able to kick at any point.
As you extend the leg in the heel kick and press both palms forward, be constantly mindful of your balance, your connection with the Earth and your “ground path.” Imagine that an attacker were rushing into you but you were able to brace him away with your foot on his hip and your hands on his shoulders. How would his incoming force impact you? Ideally you should absorb his force by sinking into the Earth and redirecting his momentum into the ground, rather than by leaning in and trying to match force against force. Instead of requiring muscular strength, you should use structure and alignment to brace against the Earth.
Without withdrawing from the Front Kick position, stay in Central Equilibrium and lower the front foot again into the toe-up Empty Stance or Xu Bu. As with the Golden Rooster posture and this same foot position in Push, the weightless front foot is positioned to be ready to kick at any moment. The elbows sink, drawing the hands into the staggered Play the Lute posture.
In the transition from Play the Lute to Single Whip you will be exploring multiple Tai Chi concepts. As you form the left hand into a hook and then pin it into position, you begin to experiment with the idea of moving against resistance. For example, instead of just pinning your left hand in the air, imagine that you are holding a cable connected to a very large kite on the beach. The winds coming off the ocean are pulling very hard on the kite and threatens to pull you off balance. Instead of leaning backwards, imagine turning your entire body so that you are bracing against the pull of the cable with Bow Stance. The stepping transition from empty stance to Bow Stance uses a spiral energy called Turn Right.
You Pan is the energy of a radical change of direction to the right side. This can include stepping or sliding the base foot as you pivot and step or kick to the right. Stepping right can be done to avoid incoming force or to gain advantage in your position. Movement to the right is associated with the Element Fire.
At the conclusion of Step Right into Single Whip, you are back in a Bow Stance, but for the first time in the form it is a right Bow Stance and with an important anatomical difference. Your left Bow Stances so far have been applying pressing or pushing force in a forward direction. In Single Whip – with the stationary rear hand – you are now exploring Pulling Force (as in the pull of the kite cord).
With Pulling Force instead of Pushing Force, the hips are no longer squared and facing forward, but are opened to a side angle. In fact, if you flatten the hands and extend both arms in a straight line both forward and back, you would be in a perfect Virabhadrasana II or Warrior Two posture from Yoga.
The “Hold the Ball” posture becomes a reset point for the Primal 13 form. From Single Whip you take a half-step up with the back foot and then sit back into the “Hold the Ball” posture, now facing Northeast. This posture is sometimes described as “gathering Qi,” and can be used as a moment of quiet to refocus your intent before beginning the sequences on the right side.
Note that the Primal 13 form includes a small kick to the rear before stepping out of the “Hold the Ball” posture. This kick is omitted in many of the Yang-style forms, but added here to illustrate the idea of opening the line or creating an opening (Yin) before spiraling forward with a step or kick (Yang).
(Ward Off, Roll Back, Press, Push)
The entire “Grasp Sparrows Tail” sequence is now repeated on the right side. Rather than simply repeating the notes from the first section, here let’s venture a little deeper into the Yin-and-Yang, forward-and-back motions within this sequence.
As you move between Ward Off, Roll Back, Press and Push (Peng, Lu, Ji, An), your bodyweight is continually moving from one leg to another. Energetically, each leg is toggling between Yin and Yang with every move. Technically, you are also moving between Step Forward and Step Back, although we are reserving discussion of “Step Back” until a later technique.
At a more subtle level, you should not only try to differentiate between Yin and Yang or “insubstantial and substantial,” but also feel how the energy moves your entire body as these forces go back and forth. Tai Chi author Scott Meredith calls this effect, “Sloshing.”
Sloshing speaks to the magnetic, tidal forces at play when Yin and Yang energy is in motion within the human body, but in more practical and less poetic language. It involves the constant change between forward and back, heavy and light, and how this creates a palpable, rhythmic momentum. Professor Zheng Manqing described this phenomenon in his concept of “swing and return,” in which the momentum from one movement initiates the next.
The internal feeling to look for is like water sloshing side-to-side in a heavy bucket that is half full of water. Imagine how the weight of the water would feel as moved side-to-side with the rhythm of your steps as you carry the bucket. As long as you keep walking slow and steady, the water never slows down to the point of stopping and never speeds up to the point of splashing. Momentum swells the water forward, carrying your movement forward, and gravity pulls it back down, guiding your body back with it.
Becoming sensitive to this rhythmic momentum applies not just the the Grasp Swallows Tail sequence, but to the entire Tai Chi form.
For the “Carry Water to Temple” sequence you begin by stepping both feet together again like in the attention stance, but with one subtle but significant difference: the legs are not in 50/50 weighting. In the previous Bow Stance, the weighting was 60/40 towards the front right foot. As you step up this time, maintain that Unequal Relative weighting with 60 percent of the bodyweight still on the right foot. In this posture, the difference will be impossible to see but can be felt.
Prior to the earlier “Front Kick Left” posture you traced both hands in a large circle from top to bottom. Now you’ll reverse that line by arcing the right hand upwards, tracing the circle from bottom to top and then starting to descend again on the left side of the body. The knees will bend as the hand descends and your weight will sink into your heels. Remember to not round your back, but keep the spine long and straight.
As the left hand intersects the circle and the forearm hooks the imaginary handle of the water bucket, your hips should be pressing back and your shoulders should be stacked over your heels. As the right hand braces the left wrist and begins to lift, the weight distribution shifts from right 60/40 to left 60/40. The shift is small, but prepares the left leg for the transition to come.
As you lift this heavy bucket of water, it is not your arms carrying the weight but your legs. Lift your gaze and feel the cascade of weight-bearing alignment from your neck to shoulders to spine through the hips and into the heels. In this posture the body and legs form the exact same shape as Utkatasana, or the “Fierce Pose” in Yoga.
Energetically, “Needle at Sea Bottom” is one of the more challenging postures in the Primal 13 sequence. By comparison, it is somewhat similar to the Ardha Baddha Padmottanasana pose from Ashtanga Yoga: the single-leg forward fold.
From the “Carry Water to Temple” posture, you will pour your weight from 60 percent to 100 percent into the left leg, then step the right leg back. As you pour 100 percent of your bodyweight from the forward left leg into the back right leg, you come into the False Leg Stance or Xuán Jī Bù (玄機步). The “False Leg” stance is different from the “Empty Leg” stance in the placement of the weightless front foot. In the “False Leg” stance, the toes lightly touch the Earth while the rest of the foot is suspended.
Holding the “False Leg” stance, the right hand arcs downward towards the left toes in a single-hand variation of Pull Down. In the “Catching Starts” variation of “Pull Down,” both palms were used to catch the incoming force. In “Needle at Sea Bottom,” the tip of the thumb pinches against the base of the index finger on the right hand. Keep the spine straight and bend at the waist to lower the hand towards the Earth. Your gaze should follow the hand.
With your bodyweight lowered and compressed into the back heel, you now have a massive amount of potential energy to express. As you unleash the Step Forward (Jin Bu) energy here, you must carefully and consciously control it.
From the “Needle at Sea Bottom” posture, first lift your gaze to the horizon. Lift the toes of the weightless front foot and set the heel down. Press into the Earth with the rear leg, pour the weight fully into the left leg and then step forward into the right Bow Stance. Despite the power, this step should be completely controlled. Do not “fall” forward into the right foot, but set the right heel down first and then pour your weight forward. You should not bounce in this step, but rather roll forward like a powerful locomotive on smooth tracks.
As you surge forward the right elbow traces a vertical arc upwards. In the final posture the elbow points straight ahead with the tip approximately level with the tip of your nose. The right forearm is parallel to the ground and the right palm is covering your right ear. The fingertips of the left hand lightly point at the tip of the right elbow in acknowledgement of Elbow Stroke power.
Zhou Jing is the power generated by striking, pushing or controlling with the elbow. The Elbow Stroke can be applied as a powerful attack at very close range, knocking your opponent off balance and possibly striking vital targets. Skill with the Elbow Stroke can also be used to coil the opponents arms for control, or to neutralize an incoming attack or attempt to grab and hold you. Elbow Stroke can be used vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or in a spiral motion.
Especially in light of the earlier focus on “Sloshing” and rhythmic momentum, the next posture and the following transition will feel paradoxically static. The feet do not move and the weight does not shift. The energy, however, does not stop.
For the short duration of this posture, you are Mickey Mouse with your wizard hat and wand, fully in control of the surging waves in Fantasia. You have summoned a massive surge of forward energy with Step Forward; now sustain it. Even without moving you should still feel this almost tidal momentum of energy continuing to flow forward. It is vital that you keep the back heel firmly pressed into the Earth during the entire posture. If you lift the heel you will break the energy connection.
As you surf this wave of forward energy, you are also exploring a second variation of Elbow Stroke. The first variation was a vertical/rising stroke; this one is a horizontal stroke. The forward right elbow will arc down and sink to your ribs. The fingertips of the left hand will follow as the left elbow circles up and across.
In the final posture the left elbow is pointing to the East in line with your heart. The back of the left hand should be pressed against the center of your chest with the left wrist gently braced by the right palm. This position illustrates how Elbow Stroke power can be linked to unified with the whole body structure.
During the two Elbow Stroke postures you have been maintaining a tidal flow of forward energy. Now that overwhelming surge is going to swing back and flood into you. Although you have already moved back and even stepped back in the form, here is where the energy of Step Back really begins to have meaning.
To transition, release the braced left wrist, sink the left elbow and turn both palms to face the Eastern horizon in a very “Wait, dude, I don’t want any trouble” guarding posture. The hands are up to protect the heart and vital organs, but the arms are still relaxed. From here, simply “catch” the return flow of energy and step back with the right foot. The hands should stay put but the arms should straighten and lengthen as you step into a left Bow Stance. Do not bounce or “fall” into the rear leg, but rather glide with the energy of Step Back.
Tui Bu is the energy of stepping backwards to open space or lead an opponent into emptiness. When stepping, the rear leg touches down toe first, then the heel is planted and braced as bodyweight is poured into it. During stepping you should always be prepared to return the moving foot forward if needed. Backward movement is assocated with the Element Wood.
The most common backward steps in Tai Chi come into Empty Stance or False Stance. In this particular transition, we are going to step from a right Bow Stance into a left Bow Stance. The longer step allows you to really feel the flow of stepping back, as if you are being washed ashore by that incoming wave.
This wave does not simply lap the shore, however. Like the previous forward energy, this is sustained. As your right heel touches down, feel your body brace against the incoming surge. Let the rear foot pivot outwards and brace flat against the Earth, square your hips forward and press your palms outwards. You are now feeling the Yin/Earth energy of the Bow Stance.
Before, the Bow Stance was used to express power with the Press and the Push. These are Yang/Metal energies. Now you are absorbing or receiving power and becoming still, solid and immovable. Your body is like the exposed spur of a great stone that is mostly buried in the Earth. Any incoming force will simply flow through you and into the heart of the planet at your feet.
From your stable left Bow Stance you’re going to step up and forward into the Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg posture. However, we have to divert that tidal flow of energy from East-West into Up-Down first. To do that, we are going to insert a transitional Empty Stance.
That sustained flow of tidal energy pouring into your Bow Stance is now going to reverse direction (“slosh” or “swing and return”) and flow forward again, carrying you with it. Pour all of your weight into your forward left foot and step the right foot up with the toes aligned near the arch of the left foot. This is identical to the posture we use in “Hold the Ball.” Depending on your balance, you can either touch the toes lightly on the ground or keep them slightly hovering (like a half-inch). Either way you should be in an Unequal-Absolute (100/0) single-leg stance with all of your weight still on your left leg.
Your movement should not stop or even pause here, but continue flowing right into the “Golden Rooster” posture. The right knee simply raises straight up with the shin and toes pointing straight down.
As with the “Forward Kick Left,” your hands have traced a giant circle during this transition. From the palms-forward guarding position in left Bow Stance, the hands will lift and trace both sides of the circle from top to bottom as you step forward into Empty Stance. The hands will meet at the bottom of the circle and then lift to heart level as you raise your knee into “Golden Rooster.” The hands then uncross and press forward with palms facing outward as you lift your right heel and kick.
Your right heel presses forward, both palms press forward, and your weight sinks fully into the left leg. From here, clinch both hands into fists and sink your elbows to draw the fists back to your chest. As the hands draw in, the knee bends (and possibly raises just a bit) and the shin and toes drop back into the “Golden Rooster” posture. The right shin and both forearms should be perpendicular to the ground – straight up and down – and the knuckles of both fists should be approximately shoulder height with the palm-side of the fist towards your chest.
In one fluid motion, draw the fists towards your hips by pulling backwards with your elbows. As the fists move down, sink your bodyweight into your left leg and place the right heel on the Earth in preparation to move to Bow Stance.
As you pour your weight forward into the 60/40 right Bow Stance, the fists open and the hands trace a large diagonal circle that starts at your hips and peaks forward at head-height. If someone was standing right in front of you, you have just slapped both of their ears.
As fun as that might be, don’t be so eager to whack someone that you lean your upper body forward. As with all of the Bow Stances, your body is upright with your head and shoulders balanced over your hips.
From the forward energy of “Box the Ears,” you now sit back into the “Play the Lute” posture again, just with the right side forward. Your bodyweight pours back into the rear left leg as the toes lift on the now weightless right leg in Empty Stance. Keeping the palms open, let the elbows sink and draw the hands into the staggered Play the Lute posture.
The concept of Reeling Silk or Chán Sī 纏絲 is derived from ancient Chinese art of silk-making where threads of silk are drawn from the cocoon and stretched onto a rotating reel. To successfully draw out the silk the action must be smooth and consistent without jerking or changing direction sharply. Pull too fast and the silk breaks; too slow, it sticks to itself and becomes tangled. Therefore silk reeling movements are continuous, cyclic, spiralling patterns performed at constant speed with the “light touch” of drawing silk.
This resembles the strands of spun silk. Winding silk energy is applied in pushing hands when opponents probe, use locking maneuvers, neutralize, vie for control, and practice tactical movements around each other’s space.There are six methods of winding silk energy: inner, outer, upper, lower, forward and backward. They are applied from anywhere on the body: the arms, legs, hips and waist, with the body moving continuously, with endless circularity, wrapped together like intertwined filaments of silk.
– Wu Kung-tsao
Reeling Silk is not shown as much in the Yang family styles, but is central to the principles of Chen and Wu style Tai Chi. In these systems you will also hear the terms Silk Reeling Energy or Chán Sī Jīng (纏絲精) and Silk Reeling Force or Chán Sī Gōng (纏絲功). In this posture you will use Silk Reeling Energy to simultaneously explore “Stepping Left” and the power of “Split.”
Stepping Left in this posture is the identical, mirror-image stepping pattern that you used to step into “Single Whip.” The weightless right foot steps back and becomes your base as the left foot spirals and steps West into a left Bow Stance.
Zuo Gu is the energy of a radical change of direction to the left side. This can include stepping or sliding the base foot as you pivot and step or kick to the left. Stepping left can be done to avoid incoming force or to gain advantage in your position. Movement to the left and looking to the left is associated with the Element Water.
You have already practiced “Reeling Silk” energy with the spiral right step and the spiral motion of the right hand as you moved into “Single Whip,” we just didn’t emphasize it there. Here, the smooth, continuous spiraling movements are everything.
As you withdraw the right foot you will pivot at the shoulder and raise the right elbow. Your goal is to place both hands side-by-side, both palms to your right side, with the left hand fingers pointing up and the right hand fingers pointing down.
Imagine that there is a large cocoon with a single ribbon of fine silk pinned right at your palms. Gently scoop up the cocoon and spiral your body to the left moving first from your hips and letting the hands gently follow. Your right elbow will tuck under, returning to your ribs as the right palm turns upwards. Both palms will be facing the sky as they cradle the cocoon, left hand forward and right fingertips close to the left wrist.
Press the ball of the right foot firmly into the ground as you pivot and Step Left, as if you are pinning the silk-stand to the ground. Without breaking the ribbon of silk, extend your hands and your energy to the West to draw it out.
Lie means to separate, to twist or to offset with a spiral motion, often while making immobile another part of the body (such as an arm or leg). Splitting uses Yin and Yang energies to hold one part static while extending another, often destroying an opponent’s posture and balance.
In the Part Wild Horses Mane posture, repeated on both left and right sides, we explore the final form of the thirteen Tai Chi energies. While simple in appearance, the interplay of energies is complex, emphasizing Yin and Yang, balance and off-balance, spiral force, and then infusing all of that into Shoulder Stroke.
To reset, pivot on your heels to point both feet directly North and sink your weight into this Equal 50/50 stance. Pivoting directly from a Bow Stance, your feet are likely at or greater than shoulder-width distance. This is the mother of all stances in Chinese Kung Fu: the Horse Stance or Ma Bu (馬步). Bring both palms to your centerline at the front of the body: right hand with fingers pointing up and palm towards the West, left hand with fingers pointing down and palm towards the East.
Pour all of your bodyweight into your right leg. Trace a circle with the left foot, tracing forward to the North, brushing the right foot, then dramatically drawing the left foot behind you in an arc before stepping the heel down with the toes pointing West.
Bring your attention to the outside tip of your left shoulder (the head of the humerus). Push off your right foot as pivot your hips to the left and imagine a line of energy extending from your right foot through your body into the edge of your left shoulder. Feel the rotation in the socket of the scapula as the hands slide past each other and the left palm extends West and the right palm moves towards the waist.
Kao energy uses your shoulder, combined with your full body force, to attack or defend against an opponent. This can be a block, a push or a strike with the shoulder or upper back, often with the goal of unbalancing or knocking an opponent down. Kao also implies an angular motion such as leaning or inclining.
This posture resets with a pivot back to Horse Stance and a return of the hands to the centerline. This time the left hand with fingers pointing up and palm towards the East, and the right hand with fingers pointing down and palm towards the West.
Repeat the Part Wild Horses Mane sequence, pivoting to the East and extending the right palm with full attention on the line of power generated by Shoulder Stroke.
For this final sequence you will begin by pivoting on your heels to reset back into Horse Stance. Both hands come to the centerline as you face North, wrists crossed over the heart, left hand outside and right hand inside, with both palms facing your chest.
Lift your energy (but not your bodyweight) as you look up. Follow this energy with your hands, turning the palms over and lifting them towards the sky. Let your toes open slightly as the hands separate and trace the circumference of a giant circle in the air. Bend your knees and sink low into Squat Stance or Zuo Dun.
Your gaze arcs downwards with your hands to find the Lotus blossom between your heels. Lift the hips to fold forward at the waist as your hands pluck the Lotus blossom with your fingertips. Again sink your bodyweight into the Squat Stance as you lift your hands, head and heart. Your gaze should be to the far horizon past your fingertips as the palms face the sky with arms extended.
Reset for the Closing Posture by closing both hands into fists and drawing them back to your ribs by pulling with the elbows. Forearms should be parallel to the Earth, fists held with the knuckles down in a horizontal line. Press into the Earth and raise your body into the Horse Stance, pivoting on your heels to bring both feet parallel.
Complete the reset by drawing the circle with the right foot and setting it down in the original position, then drawing the circle with the left foot but setting it down closer to place the feet at shoulder-width distance.
In the Closing Form our focus now shifts to Breath Work or Qigong 气功. Pay close attention to inhalation and exhalation and moving the arms and body with the breath.
Breath in deeply and place both hands in prayer position in front of your hearth. Exhale as you sink your weight and point your fingers to the horizon, separating the palms by a fist’s width. Breath in deeply and extend the arms to the horizon at shoulder height, turning the palms towards the Earth. Exhale fully as the arms relax to hang at your sides and the legs straighten. Breathe in deeply as you pour your weight into your right leg and bring the left foot beside the right. Exhale fully and pour your weight equally into both legs, returning to the original attention posture where we started.
Softly return to normal breathing and simply stand quietly for a few moments, allowing the buzzing, flowing energy to settle into its natural rhythm. This is an excellent time for a short meditation, simply following the breath without effort, or a short prayer of gratitude for the day, the day’s practice and your life.
The definition of distill is – To extract the essential meaning or most important aspects of.
When I began my Tai Chi practice about 8 years ago I was thinking about how fascinated I was when I first saw it. I remembered thinking this looks like a lot I have to memorize and I wondered whether I was breathing properly and what direction should I be facing now?
My teacher Mark Lord (a student of Yang style practitioner Mr. Liu Hsi-Heng) started his class and I stood attentive determined to “learn” how to do this Tai Chi thing.
He was an amazing man to say the least. With a calming presence he had always started the class by reminding us that there were 5 principals that should be thought about throughout our daily practice. To this day they have served as a constant reminder of what is truly important in “learning” Tai Chi.
He was able to distill generations of wisdom into these simple principles that he felt were so very important to understanding the practice of Tai Chi.
The first was Relax. No tension. He used to say “Relax don’t collapse.” There is a difference in staying relaxed but still being aware of your body and collapsing and having no structure to speak of.
Second was to “Suspend the head top.” Mark often described it like a plumb line. I always imagined my body was like a marionette puppet. Suspended but hanging free. My head always in line with my spine, straight and centered.
Third was “Turn don’t twist.” This is probably one of the more challenging principals. I always imagine my body from the waist up to be between two panes of glass. So any direction I have to move, my upper body can’t “twist” but has to move within the glass frame. It is meant to keep the spine in alignment so the flow of “chi” can be maintained and there’s no tension in the body form twisting.
Fourth was “Separate the weight (clearly).” Often postures in the practice of Tai Chi require us to move and distribute weight in our legs. Sometimes evenly and sometimes one leg can carry all of our weight. Mark used to say one leg was heavy like a mountain and the other was as light as a feather. That distinction seemed “clear” enough to me.
The Fifth principal was the “Beautiful lady hand.” This was defined as a straight wrist.(Not bent or closed off to the flow of chi.) Not tense but straight, ready to receive, sensitive and full of flowing energy. Certain moves in the form break from this principle, but it is a steady reminder that we must allow for our body to stay in alignment with natural energy flow and not “close off” our chi.
I continue to use these guiding principals to maintain good habits and I’m reminded Tai Chi should be practiced with a sense of simplicity and strong “rooted” fundamentals. Enjoy your practice and I hope these basic principles help you in whatever form of Tai Chi you practice.
Above all, your movement should feel natural and always be mindful of your breathing. If you feel like your swimming in air chances are your doing something right.
The use of the eyes in traditional Tai Chi Chuan is an often misunderstood or even unknown element of training in many schools. So then, what is the importance of the eyes in the training of Tai Chi Chuan, and how does one train the use of the eyes? This article will focus on the use of the eyes in order to build a strong foundation based upon the principles of movement in the beginning stages of training.
The proper usage of the eyes will help unite the mind and body. The eyes assist in training the body to move in the right manner according to the principles of Tai Chi Chuan. Generally, the body will turn towards the direction in which the eyes look out towards. In fact, if you are looking straight forward or in the wrong direction then the eyes may actually even be a detriment to the proper turning of the waist which we want to achieve in our practice of Tai Chi Chuan.
I was taught to follow the movement of the lead hand, then as the movement is finishing, “head up and look far away” as I was often instructed to do. Now, depending upon the specific style and intent of the move, what may be the lead hand for some may not be the lead hand for others. Basically, the lead hand is the hand that is “leading” the direction of the movement.
For example, let’s look at the movement “Brush Knee Twist Step” from the Traditional Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan starting from the previous posture “Play the Pipa”. (Stylistic differences will vary)
As the weight shifts into the right leg to allow the left leg to empty for the step, the right hand drops, circles out and up to the right. When the step is completed and the left heel touches the ground the right hand should have circled up to the area by the right side of the head (height of the hand will vary depending on style). The eyes will follow the movement of the right hand as it circles out and back closer to the body.
As the weight shifts into the left foot, the right hand and arm drop in front of the right chest and then releases away from the chest with the palm forward. The eyes will follow the movement of the right hand until the weight has shifted approximately 3/4 of the way forward at which point you look far away in the direction of the right hand.
One thing to note is that when the eyes are looking in the direction of the hand, they are not focused on the hands itself. The area of focus for the eyes is just beyond the the hand, and slightly ahead of the direction in which the hand is traveling. You are not focusing on one point, but rather it is a soft focus of that area.
So then the the focus is in the direction of the movement of the hands, and not the hands themselves. While the eyes follow the lead hand, the other hand is not forgotten. Try keeping both of the hands within the peripheral vision of the eyes. With training, the following of the hands become more of a mental focus rather than visual. When they eyes look far away, they look beyond the person that may be in front of you, past the wall that is behind them, and past the buildings and hills beyond that!
This method will help to train the body to move in a more unified manner. The use of “whole body” movement is one of the hallmarks of traditional Tai Chi Chuan. By following the movement of the hands with the eyes, it allows a process that starts to train the mind-intent. The eyes connect with the movement, the mind connects with the eyes, and with time the mind connects with the physical movement without the need of the intent of the eyes.
Some might argue that you should train to never take your eyes off your opponent, even an imaginary opponent while doing the slow form, and that this method violates that rule. I would argue that such an opinion is short-sighted. Using this argument, then one should not practice slowly either as slow movement would not be effective in a fight. The slow movements of the traditional long form are a method of training the body to move according to the Tai Chi principles and the methods of using the eyes in this manner are part of this training.
If you watch old films of some of the masters, sometimes you can catch them still doing this training of the eyes on some movements, maybe even looking down at the hands.
As one gains more experience and matures in their training of Tai Chi Chuan, the movement of the body becomes unified. The practitioner acquires what is known as a “Tai Chi body”. At this stage the body and the mind begin to be united. The waist starts to turn as needed for the movement at hand. The following of the hands with the eyes is not so important at this stage, as the mind intent is now trained. This becomes very important for when you will use your Tai Chi Chuan as a martial art. Even so, if you watch films of some of the old masters, sometimes you can catch them still doing this training of the eyes with some movements, maybe even looking down at the hands.
The Tai Chi martial artist does not want to take his attention away from their opponent. It would certainly not be a good idea to focus on the direction of your hand movement in a fight situation. When the practitioner of the traditional styles of Tai Chi Chuan journey through the training syllabus of their styles, all the different elements of the training syllabus take into account the training towards proficient martial skills and work together to achieve that goal.
Yang Zheng Ji wrote about the usage of the eyes in his family’s Yang style of Tai Chi Chuan. Here is a section from his book on the Yang style about the usage of the eyes. To see the full translation about the usage of the eyes in Yang style Tai Chi, click here to view the article.
Yang style Taijiquan is very particular about the method of using the eyes. Tradition has it that when Yang Cheng Fu pushed hands or engaged in combat, when emitting jing would look at the opponent and the opponent on receiving the strength would fall in the direction which he looked. Looking at Yang Shao Hou’s precious image, his eyes appears to have brightness shooting forth, this is a result of long term training fully concentrating on the eyes as well as the internal qi.
How can the eyes help? It is more than just having the direction you look towards helping to guide the movements of the body. Using the eyes in the proper method will also help you remain consistent in keeping the focus of your attention on the training of your movements with having less distraction from your practice. The use of the eyes in this method is essential in building the connection of the mind intent, the mind leading the body, and ultimately a higher level of achievement in Tai Chi Chuan.
A few months back, I was on a business trip with my wife. After a long day at an alternative health conference, we decided to stop in a cafe for some refreshments. Just for fun, I asked the server for a “Tai Chi latte”.
I figured it was worth a shot. I didn’t get a cosmic latte, but I did get a delicious cup of Chai Tea, which was almost as good.
If you don’t get the joke, then keep reading. You will soon. Along the way, you’ll also learn about the difference between Qi Gong and Tai Chi. As a bonus, you may also develop a taste for chai tea.
If you’re confused about the difference between Tai Chi and Qi Gong, don’t fret. You’re not alone. Even among Tai Chi teachers (mediocre ones, at least) there is a ton of confusion and misunderstanding. So grab a cup of chai tea, relax, and read on. You’re sure to learn a few things.
Let’s start with some working definitions so that we have a good springboard to jump from:
So why is there so much confusion out there? Why, for example, does WebMD offer an overview of Tai Chi and Qi Gong — but nowhere do they even mention that Tai Chi is a martial art? I’m not sure how they could overlook such a simple and important fact. Perhaps they need a delicious cup of Chai Tea to help clear their minds?
Before we go any further, we need to fix some terminology. When people say Tai Chi, what they really mean is the art called Tai Chi Chuan.
The word “Chuan” (拳) means Kung Fu or Martial Art. So Tai Chi Chuan really means Cosmos Martial Art or Cosmos Kung Fu. In other words, it is an martial art that follows the natural laws of the cosmos.
Most people leave off the Chuan, especially in America. The term Tai Chi has become ubiquitous. It has gotten to the point where if you say Tai Chi Chuan, people look at you funny. After scratching their heads for a minute, they eventually say, “Oh, you mean Tai Chi!”
When you say “Tai Chi”, it’s technically incorrect. But that’s the phrase in common usage, so good luck trying to change it. Believe me — I’ve tried. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.
In an effort to better educate people about these arts, I myself have adopted the term Tai Chi. That’s the only way people understand you. And if they don’t understand you, then you’ll never be able to educate them, no matter how much free Chai Tea you offer them.
Nevertheless, it’s important for us to understand the difference between Tai Chi (a philosophy) and Tai Chi Chuan (an internal martial art). I’ll explain more about this later.
But first, let’s talk about spelling. Chinese is really confusing for Americans. The fundamental problem is simple. How the heck do you spell a word that looks like this:
Well, there’s more than one way to skin a cat, and there’s more than one way to spell a Chinese word in English. Over the years, there have been different attempts at phonetically spelling Chinese words. The two most widely known spelling systems are called Wade-Giles, and Pinyin.
The Pinyin spelling system was developed in the 1950s. Today, it is the official way to transcribe Chinese characters into Western writing. But it didn’t become the official system until the 1980s.
Before the 1980s, other systems were also used, notably the Wade-Giles system.
If you know both systems, you know that Pinyin is the superior one. But that doesn’t matter.
People typically just use what they are familiar with. And in America, people are more familiar with Wade-Giles. That’s why you’re used to seeing the spelling “Tai Chi” (Wade-Giles) as opposed to “Tai Ji” (Pinyin).
If you write an email to a friend and say that you’re taking Tai Ji, she probably won’t understand what you mean. There’s a good chance she’ll think you’re at Starbucks drinking Chai Tea. In that case, she’ll probably be wondering why you didn’t invite her to join you.
If you write that you’re taking Tai Chi, she’ll immediately have a clearer picture of what you mean. Most Americans, without even knowing it, recognize the Wade Giles spelling for Tai Chi.
What about Qi Gong? The Wade Giles spelling is Chi Gong. But today, the Pinyin spelling (Qi Gong, or Qigong) is more widely recognized.
Why? Probably because the art of Qi Gong didn’t make it to America until much later than Tai Chi. Whereas Tai Chi came here in the 1960s, it wasn’t until 20-30 years later that people started to hear about Qi Gong.
Although Qi Gong is more widely recognized, it is also more widely mispronounced. Actually, Tai Chi is also widely mispronounced. Chai Tea, perhaps thanks to Starbucks, is usually pronounced correctly.
Before we talk more about pronunciation, let’s quickly talk about dialects.
There are dozens of them in Chinese, but the two main dialects are Cantonese and Mandarin. Of the two, Mandarin has been adopted as the national dialect of China, and it is becoming the worldwide standard for speaking Chinese.
I’ll use the Mandarin pronunciation for that reason, and also because it’s the one that I speak best.
Keep in mind that it’s only the dialect that varies; the writing remains the same. For example, if you had a newspaper article in Chinese, both the Cantonese and the Mandarin speaker would be able to read and understand it. But if they read it out loud, it would sound completely different.
There is no perfect comparison for English speakers. The best comparison would be someone with a thick Scottish accent who you could hardly understand. You could both read the same books, but reading those books out loud would sound pretty different.
Here are the correct pronunciations using the Mandarin dialect:
Don’t make the mistake of saying “Key Gung” for Qi Gong. The first word should sound like “chee”, not “key”. This one annoys me to no end when I hear it from instructors. I would rather them “Chai Gong” than “Key Gong”. At least Chai is tasty.
Most people also also mispronounce the “Chi” in Tai Chi. It should sound like the letter “G”. It should NOT sound like the “chee” from Qi Gong. But, since it’s already in common usage, it’s a tough battle.
If you thought that the Chi from Tai Chi meant energy, then prepare to have your mind blown. The “Qi” (chee) from Qigong does indeed mean energy; but the Chi from Tai Chi does not.
Don’t worry. You’re not alone if you thought this. I would venture to guess that 60% of people who practice Tai Chi are misinformed. Unfortunately, the same is true of many Tai Chi teachers.
In fact, I once met a Tai Chi teacher who tried to argue with me on this point. He thought I was crazy to suggest that the “Chi” from Tai Chi didn’t mean energy.
He’s entitled to his own opinion, of course, but not his own facts. If you encounter a teacher like this, it’s probably best to go find a new one.
So technically, Tai Chi (or Tai Ji in the Pinyin spelling) means “Cosmos”. The typical translation of Tai Chi Chuan is “Grand Ultimate Fist”. It’s an awful translation. It shows a lack of understanding of classical Chinese, as well as Chinese philosophy. As I said earlier, the translation should be Cosmos Martial Art or Cosmos Kung Fu.
Of course, Tai Chi Chuan is based on the flow of Qi (energy), hence the confusion. To eliminate the confusion, a new spelling of Tai Chi Chuan is often used: Tai Ji Quan. This is more correct, but as I said, it’s not widely recognized by Americans.
What about Chai Tea? Well, be prepared to have your mind blown AGAIN! Guess what the Hindi word for tea is? Yep. It’s chai. So when you say “Chai Tea”, you’re actually saying “Tea Tea”. Which is fine, since tea is so delicious.
The Chinese philosophy of Tai Chi is an ancient one, and it predates the art of Tai Chi Chuan by many centuries. This philosophy permeates Chinese culture and history. The symbol for this philosophy is one that you instantly recognize:
This symbol is called the Tai Chi Tu (Tu just means “symbol” or “diagram”). This concept was adopted by Zhang San Feng, the founder of Tai Chi, not invented by him. For example, long before Zhang San Feng was born, the Tai Chi philosophy was already in use in Chinese medicine.
So technically, if you use Tai Chi without the Chuan at the end, then it’s not clear if you’re referring to the philosophy, or to the martial art. And since Tai Chi Chuan incorporates the philosophy of Tai Chi, it gets even more confusing for many people. But now that you understand the difference, you can educate them, perhaps over a delicious cup of Chai Tea.
What if you wanted to order a delicious Chai Tea latte, but you didn’t know what it was called? Even worse, what if you didn’t know that such a thing existed! This is exactly what happens to a lot of Tai Chi students.
Many people go to learn Tai Chi, but what they are really looking for is Qi Gong. They just want some simple, enjoyable exercises to improve their health. They want results, and fast. They don’t want to learn long, complex routines, and they certainly aren’t interested in martial arts. But that’s exactly what they’ll get if they go learn Tai Chi.
Qi Gong is a better option for most people, especially in the beginning. A simple Qi Gong exercise like Lifting The Sky gives you a powerful tool for cultivating health, without all the difficulty of Tai Chi. This is why all of my students begin with Qi Gong. No exceptions.
But later, after practicing Qi Gong for a few months, you may change your mind. You may want to learn something that builds strength, flexibility, and balance in addition to health. You may also want to have the option of blocking a punch or neutralizing a grab should you ever need it.
Why might you want to learn a martial art like Tai Chi? In my experience, Tai Chi is the perfect martial art for people who think they’re not interested in martial arts. Why? Because it emphasizes using internal power rather than external strength; because it teaches you to use softness rather than aggression; because it teaches you to relax rather than tense.
These skills are not only useful in fighting, but also in daily life. For example, being able to relax under pressure is something that could easily save your life on the highway. In fact, it saved mine years ago when I it helped me to avoid an oncoming truck that was trying to pass a tractor trailer on a small, country road.
If you’re already thinking that Tai Chi sounds like the perfect art for women, as well as non-aggressive men, then you’re exactly right. As a small-sized man (5’8″ and 145lbs), this is why I finally settled on on Tai Chi as the perfect martial art for me. After trying just about every martial art under the sun, I finally accepted that I would never be able to compete with big strong guys when it comes to strength.
Luckily, I don’t have to.
Many of my students are bigger, stronger, and younger than me. Why do they have so much trouble handling me in sparring? Because I don’t play their game.
I don’t use strength. I use Tai Chi.
My Tai Chi is powered by the internal strength that I develop through Qi Gong. Because of that internal energy, I can handle a big and strong attacker despite my small size. And more importantly, because Tai Chi makes me relaxed and peaceful (as opposed to tense and aggressive, like many martial arts), I can still sit down, relax, and savor a delicious cup of Chai Tea.
Drop me a comment below if you have any questions. And if you haven’t already gotten your free e-books and your free lesson, then make sure to grab them here.
Best regards,
Sifu Anthony
I’m Anthony Korahais, and I used qigong to heal from clinical depression, low back pain, anxiety, and chronic fatigue. I’ve already taught thousands of people from all over the world how to use qigong for their own stubborn health challenges. As the director of Flowing Zen and a board member for the National Qigong Association, I'm fully committed to helping people with these arts. In addition to my blog, I also teach online courses and offer in-person retreats and workshops.
