Tai Ch Form for Power

 

Grandmaster Wabu Young: “I know you, you do not know me” no doubt to a student who did not “get it” what Form does vs what Push Hands does. 

 ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ꜱᴏᴍᴇᴏɴᴇ ᴠɪꜱɪᴛ ᴍʏ ᴄʟᴀꜱꜱ ᴇᴀʀʟʏ ᴀᴛ ʙᴜꜰꜰᴀʟᴏ ꜱᴛᴀᴛᴇ ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀꜱɪᴛʏ. ʜᴇ ᴡᴀꜱ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀꜱᴛ 4 ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇꜱ ʏᴏᴜɴɢᴇʀ! ʜᴇ ᴛᴏʟᴅ ᴍᴇ ʜᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴀʀᴛɪᴀʟ ᴀʀᴛ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ "ᴋɪᴄᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴜᴛᴛ" ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴏꜱᴇ ᴡʜᴏ ᴅɪꜱʀᴇꜱᴘᴇᴄᴛᴇᴅ HIM. ɪ ꜱᴀɪᴅ, "...ʙᴜᴛ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴇᴛ ᴄʟᴏꜱᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴘʜʏꜱɪᴄᴀʟʟʏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴅᴏɪɴɢ..."   "ᴀʟꜱᴏ, ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴀɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜʀꜱᴇʟꜰ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴛʜᴇᴍ"? 

ʜᴇ ʟᴏᴏᴋᴇᴅ ᴘᴜᴢᴢʟᴇᴅ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ꜱᴀɪᴅ, "...ɪꜰ ɪ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴍʏ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴏɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴀ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ, ʜᴏᴡ ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴄᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ꜰᴀꜱᴛ, ꜱᴛʀᴏɴɢᴇʀ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ..."  ɪ ᴅᴇᴍᴏɴꜱᴛʀᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴜᴄʜ ᴏɴ ʜɪꜱ ꜱʜᴏᴜʟᴅᴇʀ,, ᴜᴘᴘᴇʀ ᴄʜᴇꜱᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ʙᴀᴄᴋ. ɪɴ ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ᴄᴀꜱᴇꜱ, ᴀ ɢᴇɴᴛʟᴇ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ʜᴀɴᴅ ᴜꜱɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜱʟᴏᴡ ɪɴᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ ᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴ ᴏꜰ ᴍʏ ᴄᴏʀᴇ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴅ ʜɪᴍ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʀᴀɢ ᴅᴏʟʟ.   ʜᴇ ꜱᴀɪᴅ, "...ᴛʜᴀᴛ ꜱᴇᴇᴍꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ʟᴏᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ; ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏ ᴛʜᴀᴛ..."?   “…glad you asked, Tai Chi Form…develops power….spar and push hands…sensitivity and finesse…”!

Proper alignment and structure

"Proper Alignment and Structure in Classical Tai Chi"

Discussion and why its a Treasure from Uncovering The Treasure: Classical Tai Chi's Path to Internal Energy & Health Paperback – May 12, 2010
by Stephen Hwa (Author)



Master Hwa correcting for proper structure and alignment. In the photos below, there is a correct structure with a straight line and there is an incorrect curved line. 

"The other topic discussed in great detail in this book is the body structure or alignment in Tai Chi Form and ts applications. Proper body structure or alignment is essential to the mobilization and delivery of energy and qi flow. It is also essential to maintain healthy joints in the body for the long haul. Therefore, some of these discussions delve deep into the nitty-gritty of the movements not usually seen in other Tai Chi books which usually emphasize the ethereal aspects of Tai Chi.

I sense there is an unspoken belief among modern Tai Chi practitioners that as long as one has the right mental state, almost any movement is a Tai Chi movement. As a result, infinite varieties of Tai Chi Forms sprout everywhere. Those early Masters who developed Classical Tai Chi Form must have had in-depth knowledge about body mechanics and its effect on joint health and energy transmission and generation in the body. They meticulously incorporated their knowledge into every move in the Tai Chi Form. After all, a bad posture will stop internal energy generation and qi flow. No mental state or wishful thinking can overcome that.
That is the reason why I pay so much attention to the details of the movements in the discussion.

The material in this book is based on the teaching from my teacher Young Wabu, who was a student of the legendary master Wu Chien Chuan. From the beginning, I was attracted to Young's teaching not only for its impact on my body's well-being but also for its logical, rational, and scientific approach. Fifty years of studying this art is truly a road of discovery. I am constantly surprised by discoveries of its benefits, its power, and its exquisite structure created by Masters of the past.

At first glance, it appears to be very complex, but gradually it becomes simpler because every element in it, no matter how minor it is, follows certain rules, and these rules form a logical structure with calculated, scientific reasoning behind it. Every element is optimized toward two objectives; martial art applications and health benefits. As a result, every element is tightly coupled with other elements even though they may appear to be unrelated. The entire structure is rooted in Chinese philosophy. It is truly a world heritage treasure."

 

 

90th Birthday Celebration of Family

Jerry Dennerline

Professor of History and Asian Studies

Amherst College

Wrote the following (italics) about the Hua Family. Jim R. "We now live in California, and our property has numerous "California Pepper Trees."  I recently discovered that swarms of Bees love those trees.  My interest in apiculture is totally piqued. As Master Hwa's 90th birthday approaches this month, I'd like to take this opportunity to post information about a book I bought in 2016  that I thoroughly enjoy now even more. "

( Stephen Hwa family surname is Hua. This is a book about his family and Hua Yizhi, noted as the "Father of Apiculture in China." )

"Hua Yizhi was both a remarkable man and the product of a unique society in a remarkable time. Heir to a family tradition of classical study, literary and artistic excellence, and local social engagement and leadership that endured for several centuries, he melded the values inherited from this tradition with the perspicacity of a modern agrarian entrepreneur. Surviving both the loss of his parents and the cataclysmic political events of the early 20th century in the small town of Dangkou in Eastern China, he expanded on the recent commercial, educational, and charitable successes of his grandfather's generation to become one of the region's most respected advocates of scientific and socially responsible rural development. A pioneer of scientific beekeeping in China as well as a sponsor of universal modern and progressive education in rural communities, he not only earned the nickname of "China's Bee King" but also helped chart his community's path through the darkest years of war and social violence to a more hopeful future. Cao Zhi Ding deserves credit for his devoted attention to factual detail, based on both archives and interviews, in balancing his abundantly evident respect for Hua Yizhi and bringing his story to life."

When you watch Tai Chi, just watch

 https://www.instagram.com/reel/CuaAe9nON9n/...==

DID YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU WATCH THIS OR ANY VIDEO FOR THAT MATTER, THE VIDEO STIMULI THAT ARE NOT CONSCIOUSLY PERCEIVED CAN STILL BE PERCEIVED LATER?

Jim R. said: Maureen Keough missed some key points because she tried to do something from a Teachable video AS she was watching. Don’t be intimidated by the challenge of how much there is to learn. Take the time to sit and watch, then watch any video repeatedly in one sitting.

Maureen said: I am trying now to watch when I am watching and to practice when I am practicing. I hope that makes sense!

Master Stephen Hwa: Yes, definitely, you need to just concentrate on watching-visual learning will subconsciously improve your movements

An experienced birdwatcher recognizes many more details in a bird's plumage than the ordinary person. Thanks to extensive training, he or she can identify specific features in the plumage. This learning process is not only dependent on conscious processes. Previous research has shown that when people are rewarded during the presentation of visual stimuli that are not consciously perceivable, they can still perceive these stimuli afterward.
https://medicalxpress.com/tags/learning+process/
https://medicalxpress.com/.../2021-03-brain-subconscious....

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."

Internal Movement

 A primer on internal movement for internal rigor mortis!

The Tai Chi Classics say:

“A feather cannot be placed, 

a fly cannot alight 

on any part of the body.”

Some reasoning why we move slowly in Classical Tai Chi forms a rule that works for all varieties of sensory perception, including sensations of muscular effort. So, imagine you are holding a one pound weight in your hand while blindfolded. If a fly or a feather landed on the weight you would not know the difference, but if a little bird landed you would know. Now imagine holding a fifty pound weight.  You wouldn't be able to feel the little bird landing. It would have to be an eagle. The point is that when you increase the weight from one pound to fifty pounds, you become about fifty times less sensitive to changes in the amount of muscular force you are using to lift the weight.

Why do we care? Because if you want to make your Tai Chi movement more efficient, you have to be aware of when you are working too hard. If you slow down and thereby increase your ability to sense differences in muscular effort level, you increase ability to sense and correct any extra movement and unnecessary effort. You will be much better able to sense and inhibit this inefficient moves by moving very slowly and easily. By contrast, if you move fast and hard, you will never be able to sense and correct the problem.

There is a variety of ways to do simple movements in life, different angles for the joints to assume and literally different muscle activation patterns to execute them. As you age, you will likely use less and less of these movement possibilities until you are stuck in a narrow range of options. For example, there may be a chance you have one or two thoracic vertebrae that almost never turn to the right. You had an operation and just stopped moving that way one might say “internal rigor mortis” has set in. 

You are wondering about this, good!  The answer is yes!  Classical Tai Chi can put you back in touch with with an increase of movement options, so you can start “living in the springtime of life”.

IT CANNOT BE CHANGED

"IT CAN NOT BE CHANGED"! BUT YOU CAN CHANGE YOURSELF

"TAI CHI IS MINDFULNESS"! SO RELISH YOUR FRUSTRATION WITH LEARNING, THAT IS TRUE MINDFULNESS

I once surprised myself when I said "Guilt is of no help in learning this". I said that to a Psychologist who was a teacher at a College in Buffalo. I said it in response to his saying "...that internal discipline is hard, I don't feel like I can do it...". Notice the word "feel", now if that was only true in terms of one's body and not just the mind. My own teacher has said "Tai Chi is hard" and I have a video of him saying that. I would agree with that. Let me also say that each beginning student makes it so. Don't you just dislike that?

 

Tai Chi does not do itself. There is a saying by Grandmaster Wu Chien Chuan: "It can not be changed". It had to do with what the Wu's learned from the Yang Family no doubt because it looked different. "Grandmaster Yeung Wabu said Wu told him that Wu did not change what they learned from the Yang family and insisted that they cannot be changed.' I could see why Wu said that it cannot be changed. With all the interlocking relationships between various elements, any change would result in some collapse of the logical structure. (See Uncovering the Treasure, p. iv)

 

Tai Chi may seem hard/challenging/difficult but don't fool yourself with that thought. What is difficult is changing prior habits of body and mind. Example of resistance to change: In an election the winning candidate for governor ate the same lunch every day so he would not have to make unnecessary decisions. Was the candidate "mindful" of doing this?

It is natural for the body and mind to want to cling to information provided by the senses. eg. 

 

Once having learned to walk, as your parents taught you, of course, the body and mind resist changing to Tai Chi walking. Are you "mindful" of your resistance or do you blame the Tai Chi?

I had a student who said he was leaving Tai Chi and taking "Mindfulness Meditation". My take on "mindfulness" other than Classical Tai Chi is a discipline for a lifetime, in one's frustrations one learns to observe their habitual nature....this is "mindfulness"

 

This "observation" comes when one sees an opportunity in their frustration rather than an obstacle. How do I as a teacher and vice versa for students, react to unfulfilled expectations of self and performance. I have never heard anyone who quit say "I did not like the sensations and feelings I experienced". It is what they don't say that speaks volumes. I have never heard "I am not good at this".

 

Most times if anything, one hears: "It is not your fault as a teacher", what I think it means euphemistically is "because I don't understand what I am doing". That is an intellectual observation, dualistic thinking, what of your feelings and sensations regarding the frustration?

 

I see that many people come to Tai Chi with intellectual aspirations (moving like flowing water, relieving stress, etc.) Classical Tai Chi is nonverbal, the language of sensing and feeling. This is frustrating to students who relish thinking and concepts rather than the body.

When you sense frustration, relish that instead, take the opportunity to notice your habitual nature and what you do in its light, this is "mindfulness".

 

The problem is however as you say, people don't want to do the work on a superficial level, but it runs deeper, give credit where credit is due, they catch a tiny glimpse of their habitual nature and they don't like it, then they really don't want to do the work

 

TAI CHI WALK COMPARED TO EVERDAY WALK

TAI CHI WALKING LINK

THERE IS WALKING AND THEN THERE IS TAI CHI WALKING WHERE THE USE OF ABDOMINAL AND BACK MUSCLES IS PRIMARY. BOTH ARE EXPLAINED BELOW:

"TAI CHI INTERNAL WALK uses core power(internal energy)instead of leg power(external energy). This video teaches how to walk this way and its benefits."

"EXTERNAL" OR EVERYDAY WALKING AND THE OBVIOUS QUESTION:

Are the abdominal muscles active during normal walking?

"It may be surprising, but electromyographic (EMG) analysis of the abdominal muscles has demonstrated that the abdominal muscles are quite inactive during walking on a flat surface" (Sheffield & Major, 1962

SEE THIS LINK FOR INFORMATION ON ALL REFERENCES CITED IN THIS POST

https://www.unm.edu/~lkra.../Article%20folder/abdominal.html).

"EMG analysis is the scientific method of measuring the muscle’s electrical activity and contractility during movement, very similar to the way an electrocardiogram (ECG) measures heart rhythm. The rectus abdominis and external oblique muscles exhibit little electrical activity in an erect posture unless the trunk is inclined backward or laterally and/or resistance is applied to the torso (Walters & Partridge, 1957). The internal obliques, on the other hand, are in a state of tension while sitting, standing, and walking, to help stabilize the pelvis" (Floyd & Silver, 1950; Walters & Partridge, 1957).

Anything goes!

 

Marty S. has left a new comment !

"Like anything else to be proficient in tai chi the practitioner must put the time in. As a practitioner of over 40 years, I've learned and I am still learning. 

With that said if you are interested in learning tai chi as a self defense you must practice push hands with many opponents and then practice sparring with many oponents.

You can not get the feel and practical ability without having the experience of sparring. "



Thanks:


It is true that one must "practice push hands and sparring with many opponents" as an integral part of martial training in Tai Chi.  In the case of Classical Tai Chi however, push hands and sparring are taught after one can show at least some rudimentary internal discipline.  Practicing even push hands before that physical internal development is putting the cart before the horse. All it does, is to confuse the student and merely gives one the illusion of progress.  Notice, I say "physical" internal development, because merely having the right mental attitude aka an "internal demeanor"  does not confer physical internal discipline.  We have spoken extensively of Internal Energy, and to reiterate, it occurs inside the body with the physical turning of the body at the core, using a compact frame not the hips, kua, etc. of a large frame.


Now we have to go a bit off the beaten path from our discussion of internal energy to deal with self-defense.  The reason is that in self-defense...anything goes and we are not limited to using internal energy/internal discipline.  I  do agree with your assertion however about push hands/sparring  being an integral part of self defense training, but with the stringent caveat that it also has severe limitations which are overlooked.  My own 40 years of experience and research tell me that sparring, push hands, weapons, etc. are good martial training but unfortunately most often give people the "Illusion" that they have self defense ability.  


 In all self defense situations however,  I learned the hard way that "anything goes" which Tai Chi in a controlled push hands and sparring does not teach.    I also have rather unfortunate experience with personal self defense in light of violent physical attacks. As it has been said, one can be attacked by people and wild animals but what holds one in stead is an accurate appraisal of one's integrity.  In other words, not only an  honest assessment of one's own abilities and/or limitations martially, but ask yourself do you honestly want to hurt someone or do you simply want to just defend yourself. I've met many people over the years both teachers and others who seem to take enjoyment from the hurt that others have to endure at their hands. 



To close,  I think that in being honest with myself and my own abilities  that the experience of sparring and push hands is  wishful thinking when it comes to being mugged by a large group of people. Sparring and push hands is wishful thinking when it comes to someone trying to run you down with their automobile.  Sparring and push hands is wishful thinking when it comes to someone confronting you with a firearm from 5 feet away.  I think you see my point and I'm sure you would agree that sparring and push hands have their uses but we should also be aware of their limitations.  Hence, my feelings that martial training may often give people the illusion of self-defense in one time situations but internal energy is for life.

Dual purposes of Tai Chi

 I'm not a diplomatic teacher, and that sometimes turns people off...I can make no apologies.  I am not diplomatic here.  There has been too much belittling of Tai Chi and I explain that below. I teach students to also check their reasoning in Tai Chi.  My teacher does not pussyfoot with me either, he calls me on it when my reasoning is wobbly or way off.   

Dual purposes here in this video link

When you view the video, read my blog and Facebook, in-depth,  I think you'll find the raison d'etre of Classical Tai Chi is not stress and inner peace.  Many things call themselves Tai Chi but are merely exercise or "wine and cheese" excuses to socialize...they are not Tai Chi.    In my experience, those Tai Chi's all cut corners in learning. Take out movements here, take out moves there, and pretty soon it does not resemble what should be passed on.  You do all that cutting of corners and the whole logical structure collapses. There has been way too much of that  


In my experience, those things like stress relief are "perks" however that come with much, much time, not a fad of the month club.  Tai Chi's existence is to enable one to attain longevity while living like a young person ( while living in the springtime of one's life). This takes time to come. 


Many people don't think Tai Chi is a martial art.   Yang Wabu (my teacher's teacher) was a top-notch martial artist when he met his teacher Wu Chien Chuan. Yang was already a Master of Pekkwar Monkey Boxing and versed in numerous other external styles martial arts .  He was well-known in Hong Kong. Yang told my teacher that he could not mount an attack against Wu because Wu would just keep him off balance.  That is Tai Chi as a martial art. 


 I talk to many people who not only don't think Tai Chi is a martial art, they run the other way when you tell them it is.   In light of things like Tai Chi for seniors, Tai Chi for spiritual growth, Tai Chi for stress relief, Tai Chi for idiots (name of book on Amazon) Tai Chi for arthritis, Tai Chi for Fibromyalgia, Tai Chi for kids, etc. is there any wonder why people think that way? I am a martial artist but above all, I'm here to right the Tai Chi ship not cater to Heinz's 57 varieties of Tai Chi. 


Tai Chi has to achieve 2 purposes, be there for martial ability and be there for health.  It comes from martial artists, for instance, Wu Chien Yau and his son Wu Chien Chuan were bodyguards in the Imperial Palace and officers in the Manchurian Banner Guard.  They learned from the Yang Family (martial instructors of the emperor's family), and Yangs learned from Chens. Wu Chien Chuan (bodyguard/soldier) was a teacher of Young Wabu who was the teacher of Stephen Hwa who is my teacher.  

Can "Controlled Falling" (ordinary walking) improve balance?

 Classical Tai Chi walk goes to numerous dimensions of movement  (video)

Can everyday walking improve your balance?

I told a friend I was going to write this article. They said they vividly recall the time when they broke their femur from attempting to learn rollerblading. One of the family dogs had run in front of them and they crashed onto their side. OK, enough of the anecdotes but I just want to add that their Doctor did not tell them to "take walks" and improve their balance.  The reason being he knew that the friend practiced Tai Chi. However, he was familiar enough with its pros and cons to know that it may not keep beginners from falling on rollerblades.  Taking a walk will not improve balance and here's why:  It is well-researched that everyday walking improves cardio. Walking, however, just keeps you moving your body in one dimension, let's call it "X" and most often that is forward and upright.  Tai Chi multiplies those dimensions, let's add in "Y" and "Z" as you see in the video, side, back, up, down, bending, arms, legs, angles, etc. Your area in which you can viscerally learn postural stability is multiplied, and its size is increased. One learns to "catch" themselves and right their balance in any situation where they go off-kilter. How's that for logical reasons for you to start learning Classical Tai Chi?