TELLTALE SIGNS

 TAO OF MARTIAL APPLICATIONS

Video Link

Tai Chi 13 Methods, aka 13 Postures, aka 8 Energies and 5 Steps aka 8 Gates etc.

CANNOT “STRUM” UNLESS USING FINGERS ALSO FOR A PARTICULAR KIND OF FAJIN IT REQUIRES PALM, BUT THERE ARE OTHER KINDS, FIST, ETC.

NOTICE MASTER HWA’S PALM NOT SIDE OF HIS HAND ON MY SHOULDER

NOTE: THERE ARE TELLTALE SIGNS IN THE PRACTICE METHODS OF MANY STUDENTS ; FORM,  PUSH HANDS THAT APPEAR TO REFUTE THESE METHODS!  I’LL ADDRESS ONLY ONE WHICH I FEEL IS QUITE IMPORTANT AND THAT IS HOW THE HANDS ARE USED! BELIEVE IT OR NOT YOUR “FORM” PRACTICE GREATLY IMPROVES THE “TACTILE ACUITY” OF YOUR HANDS. YOU CANNOT SENSE “TING JIN” IF YOU ARE TOUCHING AN OPPONENT CARELESSLY.  YOU KNOW YOU CAN PUSH A DOOR ETC. WITH THE SIDE OF YOUR ARM BUT AN OPPONENT COULD NEUTRALIZE THAT AND COME BACK ANGLED. THE PALM AND FINGERS HOWEVER CAN SENSE MUCH BETTER. HENCE THE SAYING OF A TEACHER IN PUSH HANDS “YOUR HANDS ARE NOT MEAT HOOKS SO DONT USE THEM THAT WAY”. I’LL CONTRIBUTE MORE SOON, THIS IS JUST AN APPETIZER. SEE BELOW:

Classical Tai Chi is based on many of the principles outlined in the Tai Chi Classics, which provide a framework for exploring both the energy cultivation aspects of Tai Chi and its martial arts applications. The 13 methods, or postures, are a core component of Tai Chi practice and consist of 8 energies and 5 steps.

The 8 energies, also known as the Eight Gates or Bā Mén (八門), are:

Peng Jin (Ward Off): This energy is associated with the Tai Chi’s essential power of flexibility and resilience, often seen as the first move in many Tai Chi forms.

Lu Jin (Roll Back): This energy is the reverse of Peng, involving pulling or rolling back against an opponent’s force.

Ji Jin (Press): This energy combines two forces as one, representing dexterity and adhering to an opponent.

An Jin (Push): This energy involves listening and pushing, often used in sinking and creating pull force.

Cai Jin (Pull Down): This energy is associated with the inward drawing of silk, often used in yielding and controlling an opponent’s strength.

Lie Jin (Split): This energy is used for expanding the body to compress back in for a strike.

Zhou Jin (Elbow): This energy involves turning and elbow striking.

Kao Jin (Body): This energy involves turning and body striking.

The 5 steps, or Wǔ Bù (五步), refer to the footwork of Tai Chi and are responsible for moving the body smoothly and with stability, balance, and “base.” They are:

Step Forward (Chin Pu): This step involves placing the front foot down on its heel and moving forward while maintaining balance.

Step Backward (Tui Pu): This step involves stepping backward with the toe first and carefully transferring weight to the backward-moving foot.

Turn Left: This step involves turning the body to the left while maintaining balance and stability.

Turn Right: This step involves turning the body to the right while maintaining balance and stability.

Central Equilibrium: This step involves maintaining balance and stability in the center, often seen as a neutral stance.

These 13 postures form the basis for all techniques in Tai Chi and are essential for practitioners to understand and master in order to achieve the health benefits, martial applications, and graceful movements associated with Tai Chi practice.

Appearance of Reality is sometimes an illusion

 AFTER FINISHING THE LESSONS, A BEGINNING 

 by Jim Roach

Review Upper Body as a "Beginning" Video Link

Jim Roach said:  I include the video link and the Forum information as an example of "...reality illusions..."!  With Tom Kostusiak, I arranged the 2011 workshop, where you can see this video and many others that were shot. Watching another video of students doing "push hands" is a perfect example of "reality illusions." People's lower bodies and hips were all over the place, and there was no apparent intent to stabilize hips and turn the upper body. Master Hwa's suggestions are "spot on"!

by Master Stephen Hwa, excerpted from Classical Tai Chi Forum 10

"Several of you have indicated that you were either finished or nearly finished with the lessons. You have made a very good beginning. Now, you can start to take the long and rewarding part of the journey in which you will gradually improve every aspect of your form playing and enjoy the fruits of tai chi. Remember that “sometimes the appearance of reality is actually an illusion.” My students in class often told me that they thought I was moving a certain way and tried to do the same. Later, they found out that their observation was not correct. That was why I incorporated different views in my video, so you could see my moves from different angles and lessen the chance of a wrong impression. 

 

Using a fresh eye to review the lesson video could also uncover any misinterpretation of my movements. The other thing to remember is that “you perceive that you are moving a certain way, but in fact, you are not moving that way.” I met one student who had finished the lessons from the video. One problem I observed was that when he tried to internalize his movement away from the arm and shoulder, his movements initiated from the chest area. He would scrunch his chest to start an upper body movement. When one of the students in my class makes the turning movement, she does stabilize the pelvic area, but the turning movement is initiated from the upper abdomen area. 

 

In both cases, the concentration on the internal position is too high. It has to be in the navel and below. When done right, you will feel the tight connection to the lower body through the buttocks. My 12-year-old student in the class commented succinctly: “One thinks that he is not doing external, so it must be internal.” It is not an either-or situation. There is an intermediate region, which is neither external nor very internal. Learning Tai Chi often follows an unexpected path: advancement followed by periods of stagnation and even a turn for the worse. This is because, at this stage, you still have not built a firm foundation under your form practice. 

 

Once familiar with the movements, you may become careless, neglecting some of the fundamentals in the form playing. You can test this by critically looking at how you do the tai chi walk. My experience with my students in class is that such reviews often showed missing details, which they had done correctly years past. Learning the square form will help build a firm framework of the form."