Archive for the 'Hip' Category

What is the use of suppleness?

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by
thomas
2 months, 3 weeks ago
in Energy, Foot, Head, Hip, Knee, Posture, Principle, Pushhands, Shoulder, Structure, Taiji and Waist
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Q: Tai Chi seeks to be supple but what is the use of suppleness?

A: Seeking suppleness enables you to separate your body into pieces. If an opponent pushes against your forearm, your elbow doesn’t move; if against your elbow it moves, but not your shoulder; if against your shoulder it moves, but not your body; if against your body it moves but not your waist; if against your waist it moves but not your leg. This process leaves you as stable as a mountain. When you discharge your opponent, then it is from the feet through the legs to the waist, body, shoulders, elbows, and hands - all connected as one unit, discharging energy like an arrow toward its target. If you cannot relax, your whole body becomes one piece and, even though it is strong, a stronger person will be able to push your one piece and cause you to be unstable. Thus the use of suppleness is crusial. With it you can be one unit attacking and fragmented parts defending - able to be relaxed and hard, agile stepping forward or back, and substantial and insubstantial as needed. Whit these abilities you will then have all of the Taichi function.

Reference: T’Ai Chi Ch’Uan Ta Wen, Questions and Answers on T’Ai Chi Boxing Chen Wei-Ming ( Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo & Robert W. Smith ) North Atlantic Books 1985
ISBN: 0938190776

Page: 27

Thirteen Important Points in Taijiquan

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by
thomas
1 year, 8 months ago
in Chest, Classic, Energy, Head, Hip, Martial Art, Posture, Principle, Shoulder, Structure, Taiji and Waist
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Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows; contain the chest and pull up the back; the qi sinks to dantian; an intangible energy lifts up the crown of the head; loosen the waist and kua; distinguish empty and full; upper and lower follow one another; use mind intent, not strength; inner and outer are united; intention and qi interact; seek stillness in movement; movement and stillness are united; and proceed evenly from posture to posture. These thirteen points must be attended to in each and every movement. One cannot neglect the concept of these thirteen points within any of the postures. I hope that students will be cautiously attentative, and test and verify these in their practise.

Yang Chengfu (1883-1936) The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan translated by Louis Swaim
ISBN 1556435452

p. 12-13

Master Huang’s 14 Important Points

Published
by
thomas
2 years ago
in Breath, Chest, Energy, Foot, Head, Hip, Knee, Martial Art, Mindset, Posture, Principle, Shoulder, Structure, Taiji and Waist
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Master Huang Xingxian1. Calmness
- use Deep Mind (Xin) to calm and balance the energy.

2. Suspend the head
- empty the neck, send intention (Yi) to top of head.

3. The gaze is level
- use peripheral vision to be aware of left and right.

4. Loosen and open the chest
- ensure breastbone and upper-spine vertical, supporting the hollow space between them.

5. Sink the shoulders, drop the elbows
- shoulder-blades slide down the back to sink the shoulders, shoulder muscles loosen to droop the elbows.

6. Sacrum central and vertical
- lift the perineum slightly, draw the coccyx down and forward and loosen the lower back.

7. Loosen the waist and inguinal regions (Kua)
- waist controls the upper-body, inguinal regions are the base of the waist.

8. Breathe deeply
- breathe in, ribs expand, diaphragm sinks, abdomen in.
- breathe out, ribs relax, diaphragm rises, abdomen out.

9. Three harmonies, internal and external
- internal: Spirit (Shen) with Intention (Yi), Intention with subtle energy (Qi), subtle energy with body energy (Jing).
- external: shoulders and inguinal regions, elbows and knees, hands and feet.

10. Hands follow the body
- use the trunk to yield and neutralise, the hands to follow to protect the trunk and to prepare to attack.

11. Steps respond to body movements
- change the steps to support body movement.
- hands are like swinging doors; whether you win or loose depends on your steps.

12. Differentiate empty (Yin) and full (Yang)
- meet fullness with emptiness and emptiness with fullness.

13. Smoothness and continuity
- one thing moves, all things move.
- co-ordinate upper-body with lower-body.
- Deep Mind (Xin) and Intention (Yi) determine the speed of the movements.
- use Intention (Yi) to naturally harmonise the breath with the movements.

14. Use Deep Mind Intention (Yi), not insensitive strength
- relax the body, use Deep Mind Intention, then the senses and feelings will be very responsive.

Reference: Relax, Deep Mind Taiji Basics Patrick Kelly 2. ed. New Zealand 2004
ISBN: 0-476-00425-x

Red.: The book is rare to find. Patrik Kelly is a student of the late Master Huang Xingxian a famous student of the renowned Taiji master Zheng Manqing (Cheng Man-Ching).

Links:
Master Huang’s 20 Important Points by Wee Kee Jin http://www.taijiquan.co.nz/