My own teacher, Stephen Hwa, Ph.D., did seminars for Jou Tsung-Hwa's students and he told me in an email that Jou Tsung-Hwa was “…someone who was in search of the truth in Tai Chi, and I would like to meet him…”. Master Jou was the author of The Tao of Tai-Chi Chuan. He used the analogy of a film to explain the movement of Tai Chi. He stated that when viewed as individual, static poses, the movements make no sense. The proper motion and meaning are only perceived when the "frames" are put together and performed fluidly as a continuous sequence. The "Film" analogy teaches several core concepts of Tai Chi practice that can aptly be applied to Classical Tai Chi.
In the numerous styles, there is really only one that has a “round” form and a “square” (fang) form. The Wu Style, with all its own derivatives, often surprises people with the direct opposite requirement between Square and Round.
The direct opposite requirement is not unique, however:
I am echoing Master Hwa as I relate my own experience. Just think how one learns the art of calligraphy. My own teacher echoes this in the video link. My own experience had me learning Chinese Calligraphy, how to write in print form (brush and ink, of course). Then I studied a smidgen of cursive calligraphy. The differences between these two writing forms are analogous to the differences between those two Tai Chi Forms.
Square Form is analogous to the block printing of (pinyin) Kai Style, or what is called “Kai Shu”. The round form is analogous to Tsao Style or "Tsao Shu/Cao Shu" or the cursive script.
In Square Form, as in calligraphy, movements occur along relatively straight lines between points (the start and end points of inflection). The Round Form, with its curves, has the curves passing through those points. The Square Form is like a template for the Round Form. As you see, the curves go through the points where the lines meet.
Again, merely echoing my teacher, who was a Ph.D. engineer and scientist at Xerox Corporation. Like the Calculus of Mathematics; however, I would point out that the Round Form is like the calculus, which integrates a tiny segment of a curved motion as a straight line to form the curved motion. A Square Form is like taking one of the small straight lines and expanding it into a straight movement. The way of the universe uses principles that govern everything that appears unrelated.
To reiterate, it is in Jou Tsung Hwa’s book, The Tao of Tai Chi, where he states that movement is like individual frames in a movie. Taken separately or even 2 or 3, it makes no sense, and one sees no motion. Only when one puts all the frames together do we have the illusion of motion. In Classical Tai Chi Square Form, we see movement that indeed looks like individual frames in a film. When put together in the Round Form, we see motion.
Regarding the square form and perhaps to the critics: Although the primary purpose is to teach students to delineate what moves and what does not in "Yin and Yang", there are many, many individual “points”, “stops”, “pauses”, etc. As it was said, “changes of direction occur at those points”. It would seem, then, that, much like the individual frames in a film, many frames produce a fine product that gives us the illusion of motion.
The more “points” are present in something, such as a square form, the more capacity there is for those points to join and produce a round form. If I only have 2 or 3 points, it would be hard to see the round if I join them with straight lines. If I put 10 points in that same situation and join them, one begins to see the round very clearly. Much as in the eight straight lines joining and changing direction in the I Ching diagram *ABOVE*, and one can draw a circle around those 8 points where the lines join. It would seem as well that lines joining thusly form angles at the joints. Ideally, one would think a good place to mount an attack would be at those angles, or what are “tangents,” as well.
The points where one changes direction are referred to as "Dingdian" or fixed points; they are actually inflection points. Those starting and ending points define the curved movement in the round form. Of course, nothing ever begins or ends in Tai Chi — like ocean waves, breathing — each has its own peak and trough.
When I was learning calligraphy, I appreciated the stop-and-go of Kai Shu's strokes. It allowed me to reflect on the stroke I just did and to prepare for the next movement. The Square Form of Tai Chi will enable us to gather energy, align the joints, and gather strength at the “points”. I can prepare for the next move by gathering my energy. The pause is why the moves in the Square seem abrupt. Although it looks "robotic" in its abruptness, it is not robotic enough. Based on this, I would say that Tai Chi is not only very analogous to calligraphy, but also very scientific. In light of the Calculus, one can appreciate the mathematics as well.
Thanks
James Roach
p.s. Read about calligraphy and art at the link below. They were both outstanding artists, calligraphers, and Tai Chi teachers. They both learned from Grandmaster Young Wabu, who taught Stephen Hwa, Ph.D., who is my teacher and a Master instructor.
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