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What
is Tai Chi Chuan
Tai
Chi has been described as magical, and it
certainly feels like magic.
Initially there is some awkwardness, the same as
learning any new thing. After some facility is
gained though, it becomes quite magical whether or
not you are "pushing hands" and engaging
in an energy conversation with someone else or
whether you are practicing the solo
"form." The magic occurs. There is so
much of you recruited into each moment, and on so
many levels that it seems there is a symphony of
sensation, perception and ability integrated into
a centrally balanced and fluid consciousness. You
are in charge, yet one with the flow. Quite
exciting, while calming and relaxing. And this
brings up another set of distinctions-unity of
opposites.
The
Chinese characters for Tai Chi Chuan can be
translated as the 'Supreme Ultimate Force'. The
notion of 'supreme ultimate' is often associated
with the Chinese concept of yin-yang, the notion
that one can see a dynamic duality (male/female,
active/passive, dark/light, forceful/yielding,
etc.) in all things. 'Force' (or, more literally,
'fist') can be thought of here as the means or way
of achieving this ying-yang, or 'supreme-ultimate'
discipline.
Tai
Chi, as it is practiced in the west today, can
perhaps best be thought of as a moving form of
yoga and meditation combined. There are a number
of so- called forms (sometimes also called 'sets')
which consist of a sequence of movements. Many of
these movements are originally derived from the
martial arts (and perhaps even more ancestrally
than that, from the natural movements of animals
and birds) although the way they are performed in
Tai Chi is slowly, softly and gracefully with
smooth and even transitions between them.
For
many practicioners the focus in doing them is not,
first and foremost, martial, but as a meditative
exercise for the body. For others the combat
aspects of Tai Chi are of considerable interest.
In Chinese philosophy and medicine there exists
the concept of 'chi', a vital force that animates
the body. One of the avowed aims of Tai Chi is to
foster the circulation of this 'chi' within the
body, the belief being that by doing so the health
and vitality of the person are enhanced. This
'chi' circulates in patterns that are close
related to the nervous and vascular system and
thus the notion is closely connected with that of
the practice of acupuncture and other oriental
healing arts.
Another
aim of Tai Chi is to foster a calm and tranquil
mind, focused on the precise execution of these
exercises. Learning to do them correctly provides
a practical avenue for learning about such things
as balance, alignment, fine-scale motor control,
rhythm of movement, the genesis of movement from
the body's vital center, and so on. Thus the
practice of Tai Chi can in some measure contribute
to being able to better stand, walk, move, run,
etc. in other spheres of life as well. Many
practitioners notice benefits in terms of
correcting poor postural, alignment or movement
patterns, which can contribute to tension or
injury. Furthermore the meditative nature of the
exercises is calming and relaxing in and of
itselfe.
Because
the Tai Chi movements have their origins in the
martial arts, practicing them does have some
martial applications. In a two-person exercise
called 'push-hands' Tai Chi principles are
developed in terms of being sensitive to and
responsive of another person's 'chi' or vital
energy. It is also an opportunity to employ some
of the martial aspects of Tai Chi in a kind of
slow-tempo combat. Long-time practitioners of Tai
Chi who are so-inclined can become very adept at
martial arts. The emphasis in Tai Chi is on being
able to channel potentially destructive energy (in
the form of a kick or a punch) away from one in a
manner that will dissipate the energy or send it
in a direction where it is no longer a danger.
The
practical exercises of Tai Chi are also situated
in a wider philosophical context of Taoism. This
is a reflective, mystical Chinese tradition first
associated with the scholar and mystic Lao Tsu, an
older contemporary of Confucius. He wrote and
taught in the province of Honan in the 6th century
B.C. and authored the seminal work of Taoism, the
Tao Te Ching. As a philosophy, Taoism has many
elements but fundamentally it espouses a calm,
reflective and mystic view of the world steeped in
the beauty and tranquillity of nature.
Tai
Chi also has, particularly amongst eastern
practitioners, a long connection with the I Ching
a Chinese system of divination. There are
associations between the 8 basic I Ching trigrams
plus the five elements of Chinese alchemy (metal,
wood, fire, water and earth) with the thirteen
basic postures of Tai Chi created by Chang San-feng.
There are also other associations with the full 64
trigrams of the I Ching and other movements in the
Tai Chi form.
PARADOX
AND OPPOSITES
Excited
and calm, exercising and relaxed, soft and
powerful, yielding and overcoming, and not moving
in movement are a few of the opposites which occur
simultaneously. This very interesting exercise,
while never boring, is challenging. It challenges
your preconceived way of being in relationship to
gravity, your physical self, your mind, and with
other people. You get to look at choices
previously made on all these levels and rework
those choices. This, of course, is growth.
The Chang San Feng Theory
This
is the theory of origins adopted by most of the
major styles of Taijiquan and was first put forth
by the Yang style. The Yang style traces its
origins back to Chen Chang Xin who was taught by
Jiang Fa who was in turn taught by Wang Tsung Yueh.
Wang Tsung Yueh was supposed to be a student of
Chang Sung Chi a noted practitioner of the
Internal Boxing of the Wudang Temple. The Wudang
Temple certainly exists and their Internal Boxing
certainly existed and does share certain
characteristics like controling the opponent with
calmness. The creator of this Internal Boxing was
Chang San Feng, a Taoist on Wudang Mountain. The
Wudang martial arts bear little resemblance to the
Taijiquan we have today even though they share
some of the same characteristics.
The
Wudang Temple is still exists and there are still
Taoist sages managing the temple and they still
teach Wudang martial arts there. It is interesting
to note that there is a form called Wudang
Taijiquan practiced there. Its postures bear
little resemblance to the main styles practiced
today even though it has many common
characteristics, in terms of technique and
principles, of the major styles. The last head of
the Wudang Temple, Taoist Xu Ben Shan (1860-1932)
was skilled in it and taught it to his disciples
together with other Wudang arts. Xu spent most of
his life in the Wudang Temple having entered the
temple when young. It is unlikely that his art
came from the outside since his life is quite well
documented. But whether Wudang Taijiquan is the
seminal form of all the others cannot be concluded
since there is no firm link between the
practitioners of the Wudang arts and Wang Tsung
Yueh who is the earliest common personage of the
the early styles of modern Taijiquan. But it
should be noted that there are common theorems
between the Wudang Internal Boxing and Taijiquan.
And it is possible that Wudang Internal Boxing
influenced Taijiquan though it should be
considered a separate art.
Some
have raised the question of Chang San Feng's
existence as there is much legendary material
about him. He is recorded by reliable historical
documents such as the 'Ming History' and 'The
Ningpo Chronicles' which have no relation to
martial arts literature as having existed and to
have created Wudang Internal Boxing arts. This is
in line with the beliefs held at the Wudang Temple
itself and one can find much old material
pertaining to Chang San Feng there. According to
the available material, Chang lived at the end of
the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) and at the beginning
of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). There was a
confusion of dates as the Emperor Yung Ler used
searching for Chang as an excuse to send Yan Wang
Chu in 1403 to scoure the country in search of his
rival, the Emperor Jian Wen. Chang San Feng was
widely regarded as a Taoist saint and Emperor Yung
Ler knew that he had already died and so came up
with the ruse. Historians who have tried to
reconcile the misinformation of the Emperor Yung
Le with the earlier records have either regarded
Chang as a mid Ming Dynasty personage, possibly a
different person from the Chang San Feng of
recorded as living in the Yuan Dynasty or that
Chang had lived for a very long time, beyond
normal human life expectancy.
The
Zhao Bao style of Taijiquan also traces their art
back to Jiang Fa and Wang Tsung Yueh and
ultimately to Chang San Feng. Gu Liu Xin, the
noted Taijiquan historian, posits based on the
writings of Chen Xin that Chen Ching Ping created
the Zhao Bao style. Chen Ching Ping was a student
of Chen You Pen who created the `new frame' (xin
jia) of Chen Taijiquan which was also known as the
`high frame' (gao jia) and `small frame' (xiao jia).
Chen Qing Ping was also recorded to be a student
of the Zhao Bao Taijiquan master Zhang Yan. Wu Yu
Xiang who learnt from Chen Ching Ping retained
this high standing characteristic in the style he
passed down.
The
present Zhao Bao style is relatively low standing
and is performed in a slow manner without fa-jing
(strength emissions) except in kicks, in a manner
common to the Yang and Wu Yu Xiang styles and
those that developed from them.
This
theory can't be reliably proven, all that we can
ascertain is that the art came down from Wang
Tsung Yueh and Jiang Fa to the Chen village and
Zhao Bao villiage. It is unlikely that Chang
developed Taijiquan as we see it today though he
may have invented some of the principles that went
into the art. The works attributed to him in the
Taijiquan Classics are actually the works of Wang
Tsung Yueh. This is evident in the handwritten
manuals of Li I Yu.
Wudang
Taijiquan
Wudang
Taijiquan is the main component of the Wudang
martial arts. It is an orthodox school of Chinese
Gongfu. It is called an internal art because the
actions demonstrate both strength and grace and
the internal energy is combined with the external
performance. It is singular in the martial arts
field and has long enjoyed a great reputation.
Principles
Wudang
Taijiquan highly stresses the fullness of internal
energy, breath, and spirit. The mind directs the
breath which further activates the body for
defense as well as attack. The eight criteria that
Wudang Taijiquan stresses when playing are:
lightness, easiness, roundness, evenness,
flexibility, changeableness, steadiness and
precision. The motto for practice is: Be relaxed,
complete, prompt, and sudden. The intent continues
even when the force goes out. The breath will
still go through the body when your intent is
complete.
The
peculiar principles of Wudang Taiji are to be hard
and strong inside, round and smooth outside and to
strike out quickly, so quickly the opponent does
not notice. Force is exerted through stretching
the body, especially the legs. Remain still if the
opponent doesn't move, but strike earlier if he
starts. Force starts from the backbone. Even
though the opponent starts first, gain the upper
hand. Move like waves of the Yangzi River flowing
to the ocean, one after another, never stopping.
Distribute energy when moving, but collect it when
stopping. The energy should neither be overdone
nor not enough.
Bend
or stretch by judging the opponent's actions.
Stretch as he is bending. If he is lengthening,
contract. If he is contracting, lengthen. Lower if
he is raising; raise if he is lowering. Meet the
opponent with leaving, sticking, linking, and
following. Be soft when he is hard. This is called
leaving. Step back when he is attacking forward.
This is called sticking. Quicken if he is
quickening. This is called linking. Slow down if
he is slowing. This is called following.
There
are many points to remember in application: Stand
on the left to attack right; stand on the right to
attack left. Keep a certain angle with the
opponent. If one is against several, make arrays
of three cai (heaven, earth, man) two yi (yin and
yang), five elements (wood, metal, fire, water,
earth), eight gua (directions/trigrams), nine gong
(bagua plus the center) and so on. Whether to
attack or to defend depends on the mind and the
spirit. The mind and the spirit are followed by
the seven fists (the hands, head, eyes, feet,
hips, elbows, and knees). Don't attempt to take
more nor to take less. Neither stand too close,
nor too far away.
Pressing,
spinning, cutting, thrusting, and smashing
downward are called the Five Elements. Stepping
forward, stepping backward, elbowing, shouldering,
back hip thrust, head thrust, side hip thrust, and
sweeping are called the Eight Methods. There are
also may hitting methods in all directions, such
as front, behind, left, right, up, and down
strikes.
For
each stroke and posture, the joints are in line
with each other. The movements of the palms should
be natural, relaxed, and quick. The fists and the
feet should be flexible and changeable. The mind
should be astute and the strikes should be
ruthless. "As steady as a mountain when not
moving; as quick as thunder when in action,
leaving no time for one even to cover his
ears." The Classics say "Be as flexible
and easy as cotton when contracting. While
dodging, extending, shifting, jumping, and turning
be like a dragon." They also say
"Contract like a cat and be soft like cotton,
but shake the body like a tiger and be as hard as
steel." Move the body as a Changshan snake.
The tail would respond if the head were hit; the
head would respond if the tail were hit. If the
middle section were hit, head and tail would both
respond.
Push
up, toss, tread, kick, and knock if the opponent
is attacking from the upper part. Fence, wrestle,
bisect, press, and push if he is attacking from
the mid-part. If he is attacking from the lower
part, immediately split, slice, chop, cut, burst
and use hips, shoulders, and elbows to hit. In
general, choose postures according to the
opponent's. Judge whether to attack or to defend
by judging whether he is contracting or
stretching. Step forward if he steps back; step
back if he steps forward. Do not continue fighting
but exert energy and overcome. The Classics say
"Strive forward as soon as you grasp the
chance. Do not withdraw merely because of your
hesitation."
The
purpose for practicing Wudang Taiji is not only
for practical use but for maintaining health as
well. Self-practice and playing the forms are good
for bodybuilding and character cultivating, thus
to gain long life. But when applied to others, it
is a real martial art. Whether to strike or to
kick depends on the circumstance. The Classics
say, "Regard a man as grass. Attack him as if
walking. Combine the outside actions and inside
breathing. Assume your courage in this way and you
will master this martial art." |
