Published in Energy,
Foot,
Head,
Hip,
Knee,
Posture,
Principle,
Pushhands,
Shoulder,
Structure,
Taiji and
Waist .
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
Published in Chest,
Classic,
Energy,
Head,
Hip,
Martial Art,
Posture,
Principle,
Shoulder,
Structure,
Taiji and
Waist .
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
Published in Breath,
Classic,
Energy,
Martial Art,
Mindset,
Philosophy,
Principle,
Qigong,
Shoulder,
Structure,
Taiji and
Waist .
Having the above four, then you can return to concentrated spirit: if the spirit is concentrated, then it is (continuous and) uninterrupted, and the practice of chi (breath) returns to the shen (spirit). The manifestation of chi moves with agility. (When) the spirit is concentrated, opening and closing occur appropriately, and the differentiation of substantial and inubsubstantial is clear. If the left is insubstantial, the right is substantial, and vice-versa. Insubstantial does not mean completely without strength. The manifestation of the chi must be agile. Substantial does not mean completely limited. The spirit must be completely concentrated. It is important to be completely in the mind (heart) and waist, and not outside.
Not being outside or separated, force is borrowed from the opponent, and the chi is relased from the spine. How is the chi released from the spine? It sinks downward from the two shoulders, gathers to the spine, and pours to the waist. This is chi’i from the up to down is called “closed”. From the waist the chi mobilizes to the spine, spreads to the two arms and flows to the fingers. This is chi from down to up and is called “opened”. Closed is gathering, and opened is discharging. When you opening and closing, then you know yin and yang. Reaching this level your skill will progress with the days and can do as you wish.
Red.: from Li Yi Yu’s Five Character Secret (Calm, Agility, Breath - to gather the chi, The internal force - the complete chin, Spirit - Shen concentrated).
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: 55
With your feet shoulder width apart,
slowly raise your arms as if lifting a ball.
Breathe in with the upward movement.
Turn your arms outwards and gently
lower them back to the start, breathing out.
Don’t hunch your shoulders or stiffen your arms.
Make at least 30 complete circles with your arms.
Reference:
The Way of Power: Reaching Full Strength in Body and Mind Lam Kam Chuen Gaia Books Ltd 2003
ISBN:185675198
Page: 11
Red.: This wonderful exercise is normally used as a warm-up exercise before Zhan Zhuang (Standing Pole Exercises) together with 2 others exercises for the hips and knees. This basic exercise is done to relax, loosen and free up the energy passage for the shoulders. The shoulders are one of the 2 big roadblocks that prohibit energy to travel freely to the limbs, the other being the hip.
Relax the chest.
Raise the back.
Enclose solar plexus.
Protect the cheekbones.
Lift the head.
Suspend the solar plexus.
Loosen the shoulders.
Sink the elbows.
Be evasive.
Avoid conflict.
Reference:
Tai Chi Touchstones: Yang Family Secret Transmissions by Douglas Wile
Sweet Chi Press, April 1989
ISBN: 091205901X
Page: 27
1. Calmness