Correct Body structure of Classical Tai Chi

The Correct Body Structure of Classical Tai Chi

I recall my early days of study, particularly those in which I had teachers who were long on enthusiasm and short on experience...some with only 1 year more than me.  In retrospect I recall them telling me to "sitback, sitback, sitback..." with no accompanying instructions on HOW to sitback correctly or WHY I was doing it wrong.  Obviously, I was doing it incorrectly, I thought, otherwise why would they keep repeating "sitback, sitback, sitback..." in a stacatto fashion?  Master Stephen Hwa addresses "sitback position", HOW, WHY, WHEN,  "forward position" and more in a 12 minute segment taken from a 2011 workshop.  The segment is more appropriately named "The correct body structure of Classical Tai Chi". You can go to the Youtube video of the segment by clicking on this link:

THE CORRECT BODY STRUCTURE OF CLASSICAL TAI CHI

Master Stephen Hwa: 

I went to Shanghai and a relative of mine told me his Uncle is a big guy in Yang Style Tai Chi in Shanghai.  He is also a Catholic Bishop  there and so they use the church to practice Yang Style Tai Chi. They are like this.  And then when they are older, in their “60’s”, the whole group, everyone has bone spurs in their lower back. Because the compression, the stress on the lower back caused bone spurs. You know this stress sometimes causes bone spurs, right? That unusual stress on the joints causes bone spurs. Every one of them has bone spurs in the lower back.

Student:  Master Hwa, you talk about the sensations occurring in the back, do you talk about the sensations occurring in the front as well?

Master Hwa: Some, but mostly in the back. Also, remember when he spoke?  He just raised an excellent point.  Remember, we said, going forward, all the weight has to be on the front foot? Now, the whole back is not entirely relaxed because there is a stretch in the lower back, down to the heel, try to maintain the touch of the heel on the ground.  Now, do you feel that stretch? Now you don’t have weight on it, but you should feel that stretch. You work to maintain the heel touch the ground. So the leg is kind of straight, not with bent knee.  Not with bent knee.  So you want to maintain some force on the leg to maintain the stretch. Not bending the knee.

Student: Do you sense that stretch continually when you are transferring weight back?

Master Hwa: Yes, when you are pulling back, there is more in the front now. When you are pulling back, and again using your abdomen.  Pulling your body back like this, again pulling with your back foot. There is more sensation comes more in the front. The sensation comes more in the front.  This sitting position actually is a very awkward position. But again, when we do push hands, when we do the push hands, you will realize this is such a very important position. One of the most important positions, but it is a very awkward position. A lot of people do not know how to do that correctly, a so called sitting motion. 

Okay, any other questions on this segment?

Student: Can I ask you a question about sitting back?  When you are sitting back are you tucking the buttocks and sitting at the same time?

Master Hwa: Yes, tucking and sitting back at the same time.  When you are sitting back, it depends how you do it.  You can sit deeper and deeper, the deeper you can sit the better.  With the sitting back, you still should be able to turn your body.  Because that is the purpose of your sitting back.  You sit back, you turn and the guy falls.

Student: Master Hwa, when you are sitting back are you shortening the length of the abdomen?

Master Hwa: Not too much.  If your shoulder is too much (hunched over), your turning is limited, you cannot turn very well. You still need that length of body, so you can turn.  When I sit back, it is not just sitting back, I have to turn, to redirect. If you are too (hunched over) it is harder to turn. If you keep your body stretched (lengthened) then you can turn better.

Student: It is a pelvic tilt?

Master Hwa: Yes, the crease is not abdominal, it is creased in the pelvis.

Student: The farther you are down, the more your back stretches up?

Master Hwa: Yes, right, you find your back is kind of pulled up.  Certainly, if your step is big, your sitback is naturally quite low, OK? Now, we don’t teach the large frame.  The large frame, the step is big and it does teach you how to sit low. Now if you don’t sit low correctly, you are not sitting, your body weight is more toward the front. When you sit back correctly, the thighs have to be even (parallel).  Now my body is facing forward, if I am not sitting back, my body is facing to an angle.  On such an angle, I have a strong side and a weak side.  So when I sit with thighs parallel, my teacher checked it.  The reason he says this is “you are facing the opponent squarely and not crooked”.  If you face an angle, then you face opponent at an angle, so he is using the “thigh” guage. Most other martial arts are facing the opponent really at an angle with the body.  We are facing the opponent squarely and you will be able to redirect the opponent to either direction. If I face him at an angle, I can redirect to one side only but cannot redirect to the other very well. So you are giving a signal to an opponent that you have a strong side. So if you do push hands with “outside” practitioners.  So how can you handle him to take advantage of his weak side.  Then not falling into his trap of succumbing to being pulled by his strong side.

Student:  When I sit back like this should my thigh feel tight?

Master Hwa:  Yes, really tight

Student: When I sit back this leg muscle is very tight. I have a weak right knee so I notice this.

Master Hwa:  Then you need to take a smaller step. If one has knee problems you always keep your step small. 

Student: Could you address the importance of tucking the chin?

Master Hwa: Right, when your chin is not tucked, and people push you hard enough, you head may snap back.  If your head snaps back like this you are very weak. We constantly stretch our head up using the neck muscle to support the head rather than using the cervical vertebrae part of the spine to support the weight of the head.  In doing so, you also develop the neck muscle.  The neck muscle is important in preventing whiplash.  When you sit back you have to feel the tuck of the chin, the stretch of neck muscle and that is why you feel the back is pulled up.

 

Don't "lean" on the Tai Chi Classics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7QHPErjhs8

DON’T ”LEAN” TOO MUCH ON TAI CHI CLASSICS

Tai Chi Walk

Michael wrote that he has some questions about what he refers to as an understanding of leaning the body in Classical Tai Chi, weight distribution, Tai Chi Classics, and Yin and Yang:

"As I watched Master Hwa's video more intently, I was drawn to the movement of the lower limbs, i.e., from the hips down. Can I assume that master Hwa advocates the separation of ying-yang footing, i.e., 100% weight on one leg and the other 0%, in all postures (except the end of the single whip)? While I understand the weight shifting from one stance to another - I'm interested to know the weight distribution, e.g., brush knee twist step at the end. Is it 100% in the front leg, and the back leg is insubstantial? I'm studying the classics by zhang sang Feng, and it was mentioned that one should not lean on any side. I would interpret this as leaning forward, backward, or at the sides - but if there is 100% weight on one leg, I assume that there is a leaning force involved? "

Hi Michael, I know that Master Hwa has addressed your questions on a previous occasion. As a teacher, I would like to contribute something for discussion on Facebook if possible. In Classical Tai Chi, my teacher, Master Stephen Hwa, explains the principles of movement (the how and why) in terms of Yin and Yang. He also explains the principles in terms of "body weight distribution ."When one moves, they do not let their weight "distribute" itself in an out-of-control manner. Losing control of weight distribution is a grievous error and can have health and martial consequences. This type of error is discussed in detail in the: DVD series, Yahoo Email Group, Classical Tai Chi Forum, Classical Tai Chi Website (Table of Contents for DVD), and in the online course Classical Tai Chi at Teachable.com.

What I discuss is illustrated in the Forward Lean as seen in this video link and several other video links about ”Tai Chi Walk” on Youtube. When one takes a step forward in Classical Tai Chi, the weight stays 100% on the back foot until the front foot is flat on the ground at 0%. The practitioner will pull the body forward till the body weight 100% is on the front foot, with the back foot becoming 0%. The body weight distribution is dynamic, fluid, and continuous through all postures, with no exception.

The words lean, leaning, leaned, etc. are certainly fine in English are they not? However, I think an understanding of "leaning" in Classical Tai Chi should encompass the thought that one should take the Tai Chi Classics with the proverbial "grain of salt." The Classics are, as Master Hwa has said, "attributed to various authors." Regardless of who wrote them, we did not hear of them until Wu Yu Xiang "found them in a Salt Shop." The Classics, for one, do not specify what they mean by "lean." Did the mythical Zhang Sanfeng mean don't lean at all, don't lean too much, etc.? Then there is the definition: 倾斜 This is defined as "incline, tip, bias, slope, etc. I cannot find "lean" defined as "incline" in Chinese. Lean in Chinese is more like "thin" as in a lean piece of meat. I like "incline" better than "lean" for Tai Chi terms, etc. and in pinyin, one says "Qingxie."

The term "incline" is used in the Wu Family Gold Book as elucidated by Grandmaster Wu Kung Cho. He means you do not "incline" by breaking at the waist. You see a lot of "breaking at the waist" in some styles of Tai Chi; it is painful to watch. Master Hwa does use the term "lean." In his explanation, he makes it work in English where "incline" would not. He does not caution against it, as does Zhang Sanfeng; on the contrary, he tells us how and why we need to do it. It is discussed in detail on page 56 of his treatise in the book "Uncovering the Treasure." I think there is a crucial point about not "breaking at the waist" when he says: "The head, the body, and the back leg form a straight line in the lean forward." With that in mind, one can readily see that breaking at the waist would break the straight line and any energy flow.

To sum it up, I think the Classics, while having some key insights, are often filled with "contrariness" and can be very cryptic. I would not conflate basic principles of Classical Tai Chi to the often contrary statements in the Tai Chi Classics; hence "take it with a grain of salt."

An award for Classical Tai Chi of Buffalo

 Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Classical Tai Chi of Buffalo Receives 2022 Buffalo Award

Buffalo Award Program Honors the Achievement

BUFFALO December 6, 2022 -- Classical Tai Chi of Buffalo has been selected for the 2022 Buffalo Award in the Martial Arts Activities category by the Buffalo Award Program.

Each year, the Buffalo Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Buffalo area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2022 Buffalo Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Buffalo Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Buffalo Award Program

The Buffalo Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Buffalo area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Buffalo Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Buffalo Award Program

CONTACT:
Buffalo Award Program
Email: PublicRelations@citiesaccolade.com
URL: http://www.citiesaccolade.com

We are happy to announce that Classical Tai Chi of Buffalo has been selected as the Winner for the 2022 Buffalo Awards in the category of Martial Arts Activities. Notice to other winners in Buffalo is happening over the next few weeks. The entire list of winners will be posted on our website after all recipients have been contacted.

Fajin(s)

 

Ken L. asked: hi, i have a question for master Hwa, is fa jing the same as internal movement?

if not, can you explain more about fa jing and how to do it?

Master Hwa replies:

The term “fa jin(jing)” may be explained as ‘thrust of power”. It could be a “sudden burst” but it could also be extended over a period of time.

Yes, practice of internal movement is the practice of fa jin in a deliberate and systematic manner so that one could perfect the technique of fa jin. In addition, the practice of Tai Chi Form is also important to fa jin by building up your internal energy as well as providing a proper body structure base where you can launch fa jin effectively. One example is the topic of “heel on the ground” discussed in Forum 3. Another example is the body posture. Remember in the video, certain movements resulted in the posture of the body leaning forward forming a straight line with the back leg. This is ideal posture for “forward fa jin”. When you sit back with weight all on the back leg, a defensive posture, this is ideal for “side-way fa jin” with turning motion, such as ward-off or neutralization. If one try to “forward fa jin” while sitting on the back leg, with the body perpendicular to the ground, there is not much support to counter act the reaction force from “forward fa jin” and his body will likely tilt backwards losing much of the forward force. In the Form you are practicing, when ever your hand is moving forward, the forward arm is always at the same side of the body as the back leg, forward right hand with right leg at the back, and vice versa. This alignment provides better structural integrity of supporting the fa jin than that of forward right hand with left leg at the back.

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