Dictated by Grandmaster YangChenFu's student Chen Weiming
(1) Straightening the Head
Stand straight and
hold the head and neck naturally erect, with the mind concentrated on the
top. Do not strain or
be tense; otherwise, the blood and vital energy cannot circulate smoothly.
(2) Correct Position of Chest and Back
keep chest slightly
inward, which will enable you to sink your breath to the dan tian (lower
belly).
Do not protrude your
chest, otherwise you will feel uneasy in breathing and somewhat "top heavy".
Great force can be
launched from the spine only when you keep the vital energy in your lower
belly.
(3) Relaxation of Waist
For the human body,
the waist is the dominant part. When you relax the waist, your two feet will
be strong enough to
form a firm base. All the movements depend on the action of the waist, as
the saying goes:
"Vital force comes from the waist." Inaccurate movements in taijiquan
stem
from the erroneous
actions of the waist.
(4) Solid and Empty Stance
It is of primary
importance in Taichi to distinguish between "Xu"(Empty) and
"Shi" (Solid). If
you shift the weight
of the body on to the right leg, then the right leg is solidly planted on the
ground and the left
leg is in an empty stance. When your weight is on the left leg, then the left
leg is firmly planted
on the ground and the right leg is in an empty stance. Only in this way can
you turn and move
your body adroitly and without effort, otherwise you will be slow and clumsy
in your movements and
not able to remain stable and firm on your feet.
(5) Sinking of Shoulders and Elbows
Keep your shoulder in
natural, relaxed position. If you lift your shoulders, the Qi will rise with
them, and the whole
body will be without strength. You should also keep the elbows down,
otherwise you will
not be able to keep your shoulders relaxed and move your body with ease.
(6) Using the Mind Instead Of Force
Among people who
practice taijiquan it is quite common to hear this comment: "That is
entirely
using the mind, not
force." In practicing taijiquan, the whole body is relaxed, and there is
not an
iota of stiff or
clumsy strength in the veins or joints to hinder the movement of the body.
People
may ask: How can one
increase his strength without exercising force? According to traditional
Chinese medicine,
there is in the human body a system of pathways called jingluo (or meridian)
which link the
viscera with different parts of the body, making the human body an integrated whole.
If the jingluo is not
impeded, then the vital energy will circulate in the body unobstructed. But if
the jingluo is filled
with stiff strength, the vital energy will not be able to circulate and consequently
the body cannot move
with ease. One should therefore use the mind instead of force, so that vital
energy will follow in
the wake of the mind or consciousness and circulate all over the body. Through
persistent practice one will be able to have genuine internal force. This is
what Taichi experts
call "Lithe in
appearance, but powerful in essence." A master of Taichi has arms which
are as strong as steel rods wrapped in cotton, with immense power concealed
therein. Boxers of the "Outer
School"
( a branch of wushu
with emphasis on attack, as opposed to the " Inner School
" which places the emphasis on defense) look powerful when they exert
force, but when they cease to do so, the power no longer exists. So it is
merely a kind of superficial force.
(7) Coordination of Upper and Lower Parts
According to the
theory of taijiquan the root is in the feet, the force is launched through the
legs:
controlled by the
waist, and expressed by the fingers; the feet, the legs and the waist form a
harmonious whole.
When the hands, the waist and the legs move, the eyes should follow their
movements. This is
what is meant by coordination of the upper and lower parts. If any one part
should cease to move,
then the movements will be disconnected and fall into disarray.
(8) Harmony Between the Internal and External Parts
In practicing
taijiquan, the focus is on the mind and consciousness. Hence the saying:
"The mind is the commander, and the body is subservient to it." With
the tranquility of the mind, the movements will be gentle and graceful. As far
as the "frame" is concerned, there are only the Xu (empty), shi
(solid), kai (open) and he (close). Kai not only means opening the four limbs
but the mind as well, and he means closing the mind along with the four limbs.
Perfection is achieved when one unifies the two and harmonizes the nternal and
external parts into a complete whole.
(9) Importance of Continuity
In the case of the
"Outer School" (which emphasizes attack)
of boxing, the strength one exerts
is stiff and the
movements are not continuous,but are sometimes made off and on, which leave
openings the opponent
may take advantage of. In taijiquan, one focuses the attention on the
mind instead of
force, and the movements from beginning to end are continuous and in an endless
circle, just "like a river which flows on and on without end" or
"like reeling the silk thread off cocoons."
(10) Tranquility in Movement
In the case of the
"Outer School" of boxing, the emphasis is
on leaping, bouncing, punching
and the exertion of
force, and so one often gasps for breath after practicing. But in taichi, the
movement is blended
with tranquility, and while performing the movements, one maintains
tranquility of mind.
In practicing the "frame," the slower the movement, the better the
results.
This is because when
the movements are slow, one can take deep breath and sink it to the dan
tian. It has a
soothing effect on the body and mind.
