How does one practice Tai Chi Chuan properly?

By Fu Yong Hui

 

In order to learn Tai Chi Chuan well, there are some excellent guidelines and methods.  According to the traditional way of training carried down in China through the ages, there are these important guidelines and methods as follows. I have specially written them down here for my colleagues who are enthusiastic about Tai Chi Chuan to refer to when practicing Tai Chi Chuan.

 

1. Xu Ling Ding Jin: Ding Jin means that the head should be held straight (very perpendicular) with your concentration centered at the top of the head. You should not use strength otherwise your neck will become stiff, and the Chi and blood will not flow through. You should be in a state of natural void (xu ling zi ran). Without Xu Ling Din Jin, you cannot become alert, and if you practice Tai Chi Chuan in a dejected way like a sick man, art in your learn Tai Chi well?  Mr. Zheng Man Qing explains this even more clearly. He says, "Xu Ling Din Jin is hanging from the top of your head. It is like a man with pigtail (at the top of his head), which is tied to the beam and his body is hanging above the ground. Like this, his whole body can spin. But if his head faces down or up, or moves left her right, then he cannot do this." Summing up all of the above, when your are practicing Tai Chi Chuan, you must assume a perfectly straight and natural pose with the whole body like "one family," and you're Jin, Chi and Shen concentrated at the top of your head.  Do not allow any part of your body to move involuntarily.

 

2. Han Xiong Ba Bei: Han Xiong means to let the chest sink in a little. The Chi will naturally go along the spine and sink toward Dan Tien. When the chest sinks inward, the heart will at the same time withdrawal inward toward the back, will not be easily harmed when practicing "push hands." It is important not to throw out your chest. When you do that your heart will also be pushed forward and can more easily be harmed. Furthermore, when your chest is thrown outward, the chi will well up into the area of the chest, and you will become heavy on the top and light below. Your feet will seem to float in you cannot stand firmly. When pushed you will fall. Ba Bei: (push out the back) when you do this the chi will naturally sink down toward the Dan Tien and along the spine, and your buttocks will naturally draw inward. If you can let your chest sink inward (Han Xiong) you'll also naturally push out your back (Ba Bei). If you can Ba Bei, your chi will flow through the three gates (called Wei Lu guan, Jia Ji quan and Yu Zhen guan). These are located at the bottom tip of or tail bone, at the middle of our spine at the back, and at the bottom of the base or our skull bone respectively. If chi can pass through these three gates, then it will also pass through the Ren Mai and Tui Mai (located at the middle of the chest and back respectively). Not only will all illnesses eliminated from the body and life be prolonged, at the same time, whenever required, the strength of the whole body will issue forth from the back (i.e. the spine), that such force will carry off all that is before you.

 

3. Chen Jian Chi Zhou: Chen Jian means let the area of the two shoulder joints be naturally lax and droop down, and the two arms would seem to hang on strings. You should never use strength to raise your shoulders (the northern there's called this Han Jian). If the shoulders are raised, then the chi would follow upward to the shoulders and create a condition of being heavy on the top and light at the bottom. All of your strength would be tried up at the shoulders, and your whole body would not have any strength. At the same time it would become easier to admit illness because with the shoulders raised, the internal organs will change their positions and move upward, losing their comfortable natural positions. If this is persisted for long then internal illness will certainly result. Chui Zhou: means to let the two elbows point downward with the upper arms "standing" straight (perpendicular). If the two elbows are raised either to the left or right, then the shoulders cannot troop downward. If the shoulders cannot droop downward, then you cannot muster your strength in the area of the waste and thighs, and cannot throw anyone very far.

 

4.      Song Yao Song Kua: Yao (the waist) is the Lord of the body. Kua (the hips) is the hub center between the upper half and the lower half of the body. If you cannot loosen the waist and hips, you're body will become a stiff as a stick, and fall with one blow. If you cannot loosen your hips, the upper and lower halves of the body cannot turn easily, and your chi cannot descend to the soles of your feet (called Yong QuanXue). If you cannot "grow roots," the center of gravity of your body will not be stable. Zheng Man Qing said, "Yong quan (the soles of the feet) must have roots otherwise be the Yao (waste) will not have confidence. You may strenuously practice until you die and yet fine no remedy." These are really sincere words and earnest wishes. If you can loosen your waste and hips, your movements would become naturally lively, and you can change from void (yin) to full (yang) and vice versa easily. Quan Jing (the tenets of martial art) say, "the commands and intentions originate from the waist."  It also says, "If you have areas where you cannot find opportunity or power, your sickness is to be found in the waist and thighs." Mr. Zheng Man Qing in his posthumous work says, "Formerly when his master, Yang Cheng Fu taught him Tai Chi Chuan, he would everyday repeat several tens of times, 'Loosen, loosen, must loosen, must loosen completely,' or he would say the opposite, 'Not loose, not loose, not loose the way you get beaten.’" You must loosen until the waist is so resilient that can be broken a hundred times and there are no bones. In learning Tai chi Chuan, if you realize the condition of Song Yao Song Kua, all others will be easy. In the discourse on martial arts, it is said, "Yao (waist) is like the axle of the chariot, whereas Kua (the hips) are like the flag." All these grow to illustrate the important nature of the waist and hips in regard to the practice of Tai Chi Chuan

 

5. Xu Shi Fen Qing: (void in full must be clearly distinguish). In learning Tai Chi Chuan, the primary requisite is the clearly distinguish between void and full. Void is yin and full is yang. Briefly speaking, when you practice Tai Chi Chuan, you must never place your body weight on both legs. If you put your body weight on the right leg, then your right leg and left-hand are full, and your left leg and right hand are void. If you put your body weight on the left leg, then your left leg and right hand are full, and your right leg and left-hand are void. It is necessary to make the distinction clearly, and therefore your movements will be light and lively without the use of any strength. When it is said that you walk like a cat, and use strength like drawing silk, this means your movement should be light and lively. If you do not distinguish clearly between void and full, then your steps with the clumsy, and you cannot turn around easily, with the result that you can be lead around by others. Distinguishing between void and full can be compared with the example of the use of a pair of compasses (the kind you use to draw a circle) or the peddling of a bicycle. When you use a compass, you must first have one hand full and one hand empty before you can spin it around easily to draw a circle. If you have a compass in each hand, then you cannot spin either one. It’s the same with the example of the bicycle. If the right leg applies pressured downward, then the left leg should be lax and follow upward in accordance with movement of the right leg.  When the left leg presses down, then the right leg must become lax and follow upward in accordance with the movements of the left leg. Naturally, you can then go as fast or slow as you please, and your movement forward will not be impeded. But if you press with both legs at the same time, and the pressure is equal on both sides, you'll stop altogether and cannot move it all. When the discourse on Tai Chi says, "double weightedness impedes movement, whereas weight on one side facilitates it," it illustrates this principal.

 

6. an Xia Xiang Sui: (top and bottom should follow one another). This means when practicing Tai Chi Chuan, the limbs and the upper body or part should not be allowed to move involuntarily. When you want to move, then the whole body, top and bottom, inside and outside, all move together like one family. Once you move there must be nothing that does the move. The tenets of Tai Chi Chuan say, "Your feet should have roots, and your strength rises through your thighs. Your waist is the focal point of all movement. Your form reaches your fingertips. And your vibration reaches your hair. Your strength comes from your feet to your thighs, to your waist, and all these together complete one Chi." Your feet move, your waste moves, your hands move, glance and indeed every cell of your body all move together in accordance with your intention and chi. In this way only can it be said the top and bottom follow one another. If any area does not follow, then the force of your whole body may become scattered and cannot be concentrated at a point of thrust in the direction of greatest effect.

 

7.  ei Wai Xiang He: (Your interior and exterior must correspond) This means that in learning Tai Chi Chuan, one first trains the mind, then the body and limbs. The tenets of Tai says, "the mind is the commander, and the body its orderly." It is also said, "Yi Chi (your intention and Chi) are the master, and your bones and flesh are the servants." If your intention can be the master, then naturally your Shen (spirit) will pierce through the top of your head. If your spirit can reach the top of your head, naturally your alertness will be brought into play. When your alertness is brought into play, naturally your movements become light and lively. The main point in learning the Tai chi forms (stances) are encompassed in Xu Shi Kai He (the extending and withdrawing or opening and closing of void {yin} and full {yang}). When we say opening, we mean that not only do the hands and legs extend outward, but the intention must also open out. When we say closing, we mean that not only do the hands and legs withdrawal backward, but the intention must also follow suit. The tenets of Tai Chi speak of, "you must have three combinations on the interior, and three combinations on the exterior."  By the three interior combinations, we mean that the heart and intention must combine, the intention and chi must combine, and chi and strength must combine. By the three exterior combinations, we mean that the shoulders and hips must correspond, the elbows and knees must correspond, and the hands and legs must correspond. In the tenets is the following: "When the form opens out, chi withdraws; when chi opens out, the form withdraws." This statement has puzzled many a colleague in Tai Chi, who after exhausting their life energy, still fail to appreciate its profound principal. I have therefore set out a few of the stances in the form of Tai Chi in order to explain:

In the opening stance of Tai Chi Chuan, "the form opens and the chi closes; the chi withdraws and the form extends." In Bai He Liang Chi (white stork spreads wings), the form opens and chi closes. In "Peng," both the form and chi open. In "Lu" the form and chi close. In "Ji" and "An," both the form and chi open. Generally speaking, in a withdrawing movement, both form and chi close; and in extending movement, both the form and chi open. When deflecting a blow from the enemy, both form and chi close. When dealing a blow at the enemy, both form and chi open. In understanding this when learning Tai Chi Chuan, you are not only protecting your health and preserving life, it can also be said the you are gradually entering the innermost recesses of the profound principles of Tai Chi.

 

8.  Xiang Lian Bu Duan: (One's movements must be continuous and never broken). In practicing Tai Chi Chuan, it is most objectionable to use one's after-birth brute force, intentionally starting, and then as though you have come to the end, stopping after delivering one blow. In this way, you can easily be taken advantage of at the time when your new force has not yet been summoned. This is why in practicing, you should use your intention and not your strength so that in the stillness there is motion; and although there is motion, there is stillness, from the beginning to the end.

 

9.      Dong Zhong Qui Jing: (Strive for calmness whilst in action) In practicing Tai Chi Chuan, it is absolutely forbidden to leap about in one breath so one is streaming with sweat, and panting like a buffalo. One should use calmness to control one's action, using one's breath to control one's movements, and making one's movements correspond with one's breathing. Although you are inaction, you are calm. The slower your movements can be made the better. When your movements are slow you can then breathe deep and long, and your chi will sink to your Dan Tien and naturally you will not suffer from palpitation and panting; your chi will naturally penetrate your bone. Some people ask: in Tai Chi Chuan, if the movements are slow and strength should not be used, how then would one be able to block one's enemy and protect one’s self? Little is realized that in Tai Chi Chuan, one strives at "Subduing one’s self to follow one's enemy."  Thus when he does not move, you remain still. When he moves slightly, you move first, and when his strength approaches your body, your intention (or mind) has already penetrated his flesh three inches. How abstruse this is!  The tenets of Tai Chi says, "In your stillness you sense movement, although you move yet you are still.  Because your enemy changes, he provides you with the opportunity to demonstrate the miraculous." Du Xin Wu, Grand master, said, "movement and stillness have no beginning; changes have no end; here void, here full; naturally natural."  This saying has a meaning that is extremely profound. I hope that students will carefully realize it.

 

10.  Yong Yi Bu Yong Li: (use your intent {mind} and not your strength) Tai Chi Chuan is a kind of profound art where you use your intent (mind) and not your strength. Therefore it should not be looked upon as any kind of martial art. To look at it as such would deprive it of its art value and its philosophical foundation. Hence, the tenets of Tai chi says, "How do we accurately speak about using the body? Is that our Chi and mind (or intent) is Lord, and our flesh and bones are but servants."  Because of this, when you practice, your whole body should be completely relaxed. There should not be a single iota of brute strength remaining within your bones and sinews, your blood adds pulses to bind your body. Then only can you lithely affect changes, and spin around as you wish. There are people who are puzzled as to how can one develop strength without using strength? Little is it realized that the human body has a network of passages (through which our vital energy {chi} circulates) which is like streams and rivulets running into large rivers. When the streams, rivulets and rivers are not in any way blocked and water runs naturally from its distant source far and wide along these waterways, then you will gain incomparable strength. The network of passages in are bodies (called Jing Luo) is just like that. If there's nothing to cause a blockage, then our blood and chi will naturally flow to all parts of the body, and wherever you intend, your chi will follow. If you continue to practice for long time, every day you will receive this injection of blood and Chi that circulates through your whole body without stoppage or stagnation at any time, your real Chi will become abundant. Naturally, all illnesses cannot develop, and there's no question of your life being prolonged. For those who have learned Tai Chi Chuan well, their outside appearance is soft is cotton, distinguished and learned. Butt inwardly, he is firm and strong, and nothing can stand in his way. The tenets of Tai Chi say, "Be extremely soft first and then become extremely strong." In the case of the expert, his two arms are like iron wrapped with cotton, and weigh very heavily. When you touch his hand, your whole body would feel as if under great pressure; you'll have difficulty to breathe; you would lose your center of gravity, and cannot control yourself. When practicing Tai Chi using strength instead intent, your blood and chi in your whole body will fill up (block) your network of passages, as though you have tied yourself up. The result is that your body would become stiff and unstable, and would move as if one pulls you by a hair. I therefore hope that students will pay particular attention to this point.

 

 

Tai Chi Chuan Method of Breathing and Chi Direction

By Chan Yen Lin

 

Some people call Tai Chi Chuan "an inside family fist." There three reasons for doing so. First of all, Confucianism discriminates again foreign influences. Secondly, the Tai Chi Chuan technique concentrates upon grabbing the joints of the opponent’s body so that whatever bodily harm is inflicted is internal and invisible to the opponent. Third of all Tai Chi Chuan concentrates upon directing the Chi to circulate inside the body (to cultivate vigor, Chi and spirit).

The basic breathing of Tai Chi Chuan uses the nose only, not the mouth. This differs from the common people who use the nose to inhale and exhale through the mouth. After mastering Tai Chi Chuan to a higher level, the Chi inside the chest can separate into two levels (usually people called this " pre-birth chi" and "post-birth chi"). When exhaling, the upper level chi (post-birth chi) is breathed out from the nose and at the same time, the lower-level chi (pre-birth chi) sinks to the Dan Tien. When inhaling, the upper level chi is breathed in from the nose and, at the same time, the lower-level chi rises from the Dan Tien, along the spinal cord to the area between shoulder blades. When a person can achieve this technique, we call it "unobstructed Chi" (the chi is able to circulate through the body freely).  Everyone who practices the correct form of Tai Chi Chuan for a certain period of time and to a certain level may achieve this "unobstructed chi." However, the beginner does not have to concentrate upon this breathing technique, but concentrate instead on the forms for the correct movement and postures. The only requires for beginners are slow movements, natural breathing, and relaxation of the entire body. If there's too much pressure to push the chi to sink to the Dan Tien, it will head in the wrong direction. This may cause intestinal diseases or hemorrhoids may flare up.

After practicing to a certain level, we have to know how to breathe. If we do not understand the breathing theory then we cannot strive to attain the highest level of Tai Chi Chuan. The Tai Chi Chuan classic, "Thirteen Posture's: Comprehending the External and Internal Training," states: "able to breathe, one may be agile and alive." Meaning that the breathing and movements must coordinated. When one should exhale, then one must exhale; when one should inhale, one must inhale since inhalation is insubstantial whereas exhalation is substantial.  If performed correctly, the body will be agile and alive. Otherwise, one cannot distinguish the substantial and insubstantial, and the meaning of practicing Tai Chi Chuan is lost since Tai Chi Chuan emphasizes the substantial and insubstantial.

Usually a teacher teaches the student to learn Tai Chi in two parts: internal and the external. The internal is breathing while the external is the forms. If both parts are taught simultaneously and the student is unable to get it right, then there'll be difficulties. Therefore, the beginner should let the breathing be natural  and not emphasize the breathing technique. After a period of time, the student will have practiced the forms well and will be able to naturally understand breathing technique. This is not because the teachers are unwilling to teach the breathing technique. In this chapter, we study the breathing knowledge. Therefore we cannot avoid discussing the breathing technique in detail simply due to the above problem.

The details of the method are: when practicing the forms, one exhales when extending the arm and inhales when withdrawing the arm; one inhales when rising and exhales when sinking; to lift is to inhale, to lower to exhale; when opening up, one inhales; when closing, one exhales. When turning the body and in between movements, there should be a "little breathing."  A "little breathing” is taking short breaths quickly and has the quality of relaxation and stoppage. Generally, breathing is used to lead the movement. Movement must be coordinated with the breathing. The body opens up and chi closes. The chi opens up and the body closes. In push hands, to push is to exhale; to press is to exhale; to rollback is to inhale; to ward off is to inhale; to neutralize is to inhale. If one is rolled back by an opponent, there should be a natural "little breathing." This "little breathing” should direct the mind to calmness. When the mind is calm, then one is able to see and hear the opponent’s movements and avoid being caught off guard. If one is pressed or push by an opponent, one should inhale. However if one is unable to inhale, then one should exhale because the chi from inhaling circulates to the hands and legs. Therefore, when one exhales to the extreme, there should be conversion to inhalation; and when one inhales to the extreme, there should be conversion to exhalation. Inhalation and exhalation should be converted alternately.

In big rollback, to strike the face is to exhale; to push is to exhale; to shoulder strike is to exhale; to rollback is to inhale. If one is shoulder struck by an opponent, one should inhale. If one is rolled back by an opponent, there should be a "little breathing." When turning the body and just before pushing, a "little breathing" should occur. When performing other footwork and before striking, there should be a "little breathing" as well so that one is calm and able to see and listen as well as have the sticking power. The method in which the breathing is performed in the use of knives, swords, spears and sparring is the same as that when practicing the forms.

The method to circulate the energy is separated in two types: from pre-birth to post-birth, and from post-birth to pre-birth. The first is from the front to the back, meaning that the Dan Tien chi travels down to Hai Ti and reverses to the tail bone, travels long spine to the Yu Zhen up to the Tian Ling, down the forehead and the nose to Ren Zhong, to the throat, chest and naval and finally back to the Dan Tien. The second is from the back to the front, meaning that the Dan Tien chi heads up from the naval to the chest, throat, Ren Zhong, forehead, reaching the Tian Ling and down to Yu Zhen and continues along the spine to the tailbone, and finally reaches the Hai Ti and returns to the Dan Tien.  Note, the second is the opposite of the first.

This type of "chi moving method" may seem very vague at the beginning, but after a long time, one will be able to fully understand and achieve it. These two types of inner chi circulations must be used during solo practice as well as in sparring practice with an opponent and in striking practice. Otherwise, even if the strike is made with much power, it is still not good enough. Tai Chi Chuan masters not only can use the inner chi circulation method but even can listen and know the opponent’s inner chi: when it rises or lowers, moves to the front or back, moves left, right, up or down. This kind of supreme technique is never achieved until after a few decades of good training. Of course, for the beginner, this is difficult understand.

There are two sounds "Heng" and "Haah" produced with inhaling and exhaling (the great masters can also use mouth or naval to do their inhaling and exhaling). The masters, when they practice, whether in solo or with an opponent, their mouths produce these two sounds naturally for three reasons. First, it makes the internal chi smooth and comfortable: the internal organs will not get hurt by pressure. Second, the internal power can be released completely; none of it remains inside. Third, it scares the opponent (if an opponent experiences fear, their movements become loose or scattered, their mind gets lost, their footwork becomes undisciplined and therefore they are unable to defend themselves and one has a chance to win). Therefore, the two sounds of "Heng” and “Haah" are very useful and the learner must pay close attention to them. One makes the sound "Heng" when one is neutralizing the inner chi is inhaled. The sound "Haah" is usually produced when one grabs or strikes and the inner chi is exhaled. The old Tai Chi Chuan classic of Ching Chyan Lon dynasty states: "Hold the Dan Tien to practice internal kung fu. The two chi’s of Heng Haah are wonderful. Move open, quite close, bend and extend following your opponent. Slow or fast, respond, follow the theory and understand thoroughly."  Another Tai Chi Chuan old classic states: "to apply (push hands) on forth and back earlier or later, to close or to strike is like an arrow. It cultivates a lot. One chi "Haah" then push far away. It needs to be taught by mouth and secretly then open the door and see the sky."  From that we can understand the two sounds of "Heng Haah" are marvelous and infinite.