Stillness and Movement

Understand Taijiquan form from the dual aspects of stillness and movement.

The reeling/pulling silk motion is the movement system of Taijiquan, but what of stillness?

Stillness refers to the shape and structure of the body - and is known as shen fa, or the body method.

When the body method is correct and movement principles are understood and manifested then the Taijiquan form is correct.

                                                 The correct body is often understood through static training, eg. standing pole, to carve out the right body shape.

The law of Taijiquan motion is mastered through the training of silk reeling principles.
 

Therefore correct Taijiquan practice should consist of two areas: 1. body method and 2. movement principle.

The first entry point is training the correct body and from a correct body movement follows. It is not unusual for the transition from stillness to movement to find the shape broken. A novice cannot focus on the two aspects simultaneously. The method for maintaining the correct body method is slowness - using slow motions to make sure the correct body structure and shape are kept throughout. The practice of Taijiquan must always be slow, especially before the structure is fixed and become the default positions whatever the movement.

 
Slowness is the foremost practice method of Taijiquan. It is not its aim.