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| Subject:
The Tai Chi Chuan Classic |
Author:
Chang San-Fang |
Upload time:
2007-11-20 16:14:10 |
Content:
Whenever you move or raise hands or legs, all motions should be relaxed and agile and every movements of the body should be connected together continuously. The flow of the chi inside the body should set in motion the corresponding flow of movements, while the spirit and will should be brought inside the body and down to tan-tien. The whole body should move in a controlled and harmonious fashion with the internal and external unified.
Keep the movements of the solo exercise from having any omissions, flaws, or defects. The movements should be free of any protrusions and pits or imbalances.
The start of each movement should root from the foot and use the waist as a pivot for control and balance in the transferring of the internal force to the fingers. In brief, the, the generation of the internal force in Tai Chi Chuan should start from the sole, pass through the leg, the waist and then trunk. The whole process should be integral with no flaws. So, we can have balance and confidence of being able to stabilize ourselves when advancing and retreating and so we can get right timing and advantage in meeting with opponents. If some one can not get a good opportunity and a superior position in the movement, he should fell his body frame disordered, unguided and not harmonized. When this happens, the one should find troubles from the waist and legs and the perfection and integration of movements.
Whether coordination the upper and lower parts of the body, the front and rear parts, or the left and right parts, give yourself the best advantage, maintain the superior position, and thus you will not fall into a losing situation. All of this is more a matter of inner consciousness than of actual physical position. So, as the upper body engages in attack, one should be aware of the rooted internal force in the rear. One must balance a defensive yielding on the left with an attacking advance from the right. When intending an attack to the upper parts, one must be aware of the lower parts, namely the solid leg of the opponent. If you want to lift and move an object, use a certain amount of force to 'break it loose'. When the rooted chin of the object has been broken, take the opportunity that its imbalance presents and push it away without hesitation.
When advancing or retreating, the substantiality and insubstantiality of the two legs must be clearly differentiated. Although the body, hands, and legs have their own substantiality and insubstantiality, in application one should follow the diagonal fa chin and use the waist as the pivot for the whole body’s substantiality and insubstantiality. To summarize, every substantial motion, whether or insubstantial, should be continuously treaded throughout the whole body, the upper, lower and peripheral parts. There should be no sign of a break.
An earlier name for Tai Chi Chuan was 'thirteen postures Long Boxing'. 'Long Boxing' refers to the similarity of the solo exercise movements to the flow of Long River, or the waves of a vast ocean, which roll smoothly and endlessly. 'thirteen Postures' refers to the pa-kua (eight trigrams), which represents the eight basic techniques of movements, and the wu hsing (the Five Elements according to Chinese alchemical philosophy, i.e. gold, wood, water, fire, earth), which symbolize the bive basic ways of stepings. The eight hand techniques are Peng(Ward-Off), Lu(Roll-back), Chi(Press), An(Push), Tsai(Pull), Lieh(Quick Reaction), Chou(Elbowing), and Kao(Shouldering). The five ways of stepping are Chin Pu (Step Forward), Tui Pu (Step Backwards), Tso Ku (Turning to the left), Yu Pan (Turn to the Right), and Chung Ting (Central Equilibrium).
The correspondence between the techniques of the use of the body and hands and pa kua is as follows: corresponding to the four cardinal directions (or front, back, left, and right) are Chien(Ward-Off), Kun(Roll-Back), Li(elbowing), Kan(Pull). Corresponding to the four corners (or right rear, left front, left rear, right front) are Ken (Pull), Tui(Quick Reaction), Chen (Press), and Sun (Shouldering). Symbolizing the five basic ways of using the legs with the Five elements we have: Water (Step Forward), Fire(Step Backward), Metal (Turn to the Left), Wood (Turn to the Right). Earth (Central Equilbrium). The eight hand techniques together with the five ways of using the legs are called the 'Thirteen Postures'.
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