The muscles you don't know

 Yi dao qi dao qi dao shen dong 意到气到气到身动 but first 能量路径 Néngliàng lùjìn. That means I would first add "energy path," which is the difference between Classical Tai Chi and other Tai Chi. So the older gentleman waved his hands in the air, shaking his head, and yelled, "I already know how to walk," as he left our Tai Chi class with the same shuffling steps. His actions are just the iceberg tip. That is the public attitude in learning Neijin via "internal discipline ." Our body looks for the easy neuromuscular actions for using its muscles. Those actions can cause bodily harm to ourselves. You have to lift your very young child off the floor. You bend at the waist and lean forward and over. Is there anyone who can say the back muscles are not working reflexively to keep you from falling on your face? You have your child in your grip, yet their weight continues to pull, and you need more muscle to stay erect. So, whether old or young, those muscles are mainly used to keep you upright and not lift the child. Isn't it doubtful that any messages are getting through a priori to say that type of stance can harm your body? But the adage "use your legs, not your back" may occur to some people. To others, the back pain may cause them to use their legs next time.

So, you are in Karate class and throw a punch. From my experience and reports from others, the punch's force stops at the suction-laden ball and socket shoulders. The fist clenched tightly, tightening the forearm muscles and relinquishing any muscle help from the body. Giving credit where credit is due, your body can at least eventually learn how feeble and harmful the punch was.

The shuffling gentleman presumes he is in charge of it all, including the voluntary and involuntary nerves. He is mistaken, and he is not in order and is clueless with muscles. He is what the song calls, but he thinks, "I am the very model of a modern Major-General" in his motions. He can scratch his head and nose, but he is unaware of what lies between those commands and what moves the muscles to accomplish the scratching. Teaching is at the behest of this gap in all students. "Sensations"? What sensations of students can teachers count on to facilitate learning?"

Explained very well in Master Hwa's admonition to have "Yi" (intention), then you will have "Qi," but first establish an energy path from your "internal disciplined" practice of 1/4, 1/2, and upper/lower body movement. Then we can genuinely talk of command and control with awareness.

Yi dao qi dao qi dao shen dong 意到气到气到身动 but first 能量路径 Néngliàng lùjìn, "energy path," is the difference between Classical Tai Chi and other Tai Chi.