Saturday, July 1, 2023

The Science of Tai Chi from an Engineer

Youtube link to video 





I talk about this video: "Master Hwa has said his background as an Engineer helped him learn. I'm sure that background helps him pass on Classical Tai Chi so it is not lost to the sands of time. Here he talks about Springs as intrinsic musculature that uses Internal Energy through the methodology of Internal Discipline. He also speaks of springs while "...in the springtime of life..." at 89. When a force applies to linked springs, the same pressure applies to each spring. So, your arm is linked to the shoulder and the core, not the hip joints. When three springs connect in series, the result is a longer and flimsier total spring, depending on how much force is absorbed or deployed. That applies if springs are the same size. However, an "arm" is weak, a "shoulder spring" is somewhat stronger, and a core/waist/abdomen&back "spring" is the strongest. Since the springs have different spring constants, the displacements are different. So, pushing with internal energy from the core delivers the strongest force first, and the "weaker" springs fall into place to deliver Fajin (a burst of power)."

I told him: "Very thought-provoking, thank you, Sir! The closed captions instead of default are quite thoughtful. I think this will be the “gold standard” for Tai Chi regarding Scientific thought. The analysis and subsequent redesign to accurately reflect the science you learned from your teacher is quite an accomplishment. Not only that, but as shown in the content and presentation, it seems to reach all levels for the betterment of others and is quite admirable."

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