Sinking Qi to the Dantian...

The term "Qi Sinking to the Dantian" (气沉丹田) is mentioned in various fields in the Chinese language, in martial arts and internal practices, in sports, arts, theatre performances, singing techniques and many more.

"Qi" commonly refers to the breath; but it also includes innate energy, the subtle essence within the organs; the body’s sensations; a person’s emotional states; and much more. 

To achieve this in taijiquan practice it may be helpful to use the term "Focus on the Dantian".   “Qi sinking to the Dantian” is the result of performing actions such as  "relaxing the chest and rounding the back", "sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows" etc.   These actions create a sensation of "loosened, grounded strength" in the lower body.  We’re using this "loosened, grounded strength" to cultivate a sense of "Qi."  The "Qi sensation" helps direct our centre of gravity toward the lower abdomen around the Dantian area, guiding it downward smoothly and eventually achieving an ideal framework of lightness above and solidity below.

The process is also helped by abdominal breathing.  It involves the diaphragm constantly contracting and relaxing, pressing on the abdominal cavity, which produces a feeling of heaviness, fullness and strength in the Dantian area. 

"Focus on the Dantian" and  "Sinking Qi to the Dantian" are about creating a certain sensation. Ultimately, it’s more about the use of "intention" rather than the use of Qi or force to achieve this.

Sensing Energy

 “Mo Jin” (摸劲), or “sensing energy,” is a lifelong journey of exploration for practitioners.  It is built upon the foundation of “Shun Jin” (顺劲), or “following energy”, in accordance with the Taijiquan principles of not resisting or losing contact, adhering, sticking, following, yielding to the opponent, and borrowing the opponent’s force. 

Through this process, one experiences the transformation of Yin and Yang within the body whilst exploring the profundity of neutralising, borrowing force, and redirecting it to overcome an incoming force.  Since Taijiquan uses small force to defeat greater force and softness to overcome hardness, its subtleties must be understood and mastered. Therefore, practitioners need to train in both “shun jin” and “mo jin”.

The training of “mo jin” starts with mutual energy feeding exercises, e.g. in cooperative tuishou practice, where partners exchange force, receiving and transforming it.  In the partner’s incoming force, one learns to perceive the speed, direction, and path, and to respond with appropriate receiving and neutralising, adhering and controlling actions, exploring the ideal outcomes. Throughout the process, practitioners must continually eliminate their inherent stiff force and cultivate the acquired relaxed, pliant, and sensitive internal energy, ultimately reaching the level of “dong jin” (懂劲), “understanding energy”.  As the Taiji classics say, “from familiarity comes understanding, and from understanding one progresses to divine realisation”.

Understanding energy is gained through the constant practice of “shun jin” and “mo jin”.   One must first know the trajectory, transformation, function, and effect of one’s own energy.  At the same time, one must also understand the direction, magnitude, speed, and nature of the partner’s/ opponent’s energy, according to the principle of Yin-Yang transformation. The aim is to match Yin with Yang and vice versa,  and ultimately to achieve a harmonious balance of both.

Expand and conceal...

 A boxing adage says: ‘Extend it and it fills the universe, withdraw it and it conceals in covertness’.   And a less metaphoric saying, ‘First seek to expand, then seek to contract’.

Based on the foundation of fangsong, when you've essentially achieved the ability to move without using force, know your range without exerting strength, found your most comfortable state during practice, and gradually gained a sense of control and feel over your body, the next level of intention-driven practice will be to  ‘extend to fill the universe,  withdraw to conceal in covertness’.

The core principle of internal practice is fangsong.  However, fangsong should also reach an optimum state.  It should be expansive and extensive;  open until you can no longer open, extend until you can no longer extend (hence ‘extend to fill the universe’).  Taijiquan facilitates this through its spiral rotational motions.  During the process, all parts of the body remain without force and without exertion.  The  extension is through release and elongating, not pushing or pulling.

‘Withdraw and conceal in covertness’  involves not using strength during the process of contracting into compactness.  Compactness does not mean small movements but refers to movements that are retracting, with the limbs rolling back in, and the body contracting and concealing so that intentions cannot be detected by others . Practising compactness is about practising yielding and neutralising.

 Although the external appearance of the movements shows expansion and contraction, in essence, we are practising the release and withdrawal of internal energy. The two forces can combine and even intersect. This is practising two functions. Ultimately, the body should be trained to open and close freely and with agility.

Doing nothing, accomplishing everything...

Taijiquan is a process of  nurturing one’s character and cultivating one’s mind, ultimately achieving the state of "doing nothing, accomplishing everything."

"With no thoughts, the spirit clears; when clear, the mind and intention settle." Only when the mind is calm and the spirit stable can the body relax, the energy sink, and the spirit concentrate, thereby reflecting the refined nature of Taijiquan 

Therefore, first eliminate feelings of anxiety and impatience, clear the mind of desires, stay calm and composed, execute every move with discipline, and gradually, through long and regular practice,  difficulties will be overcome.  Achieving effortless transformation comes with cultivation and unhurried practice over time, until it arrives naturally within your own capabilities and mindscape. 

Throughout practice one must adhere to the principles of relaxing the body, focusing the mind, and stabilising the spirit. Strive to achieve lightness, softness, roundness, evenness, sinking, steadiness, and tranquility. Gradually, the entire being merges with nature, as if the whole body is bathed in the atmosphere, entering a state of emptiness, extremely relaxed, extremely peaceful, extremely light and agile. This is what is referred to as, "Lingering along the way, moving calmly without haste."  At this stage of practice, one is fully immersed, finding great enjoyment in the process. 

The goal is attainable but cannot be forced. Practitioners must have a correct understanding and perspective of their practice, the process of moving from intellectual understanding to physical mastery and the emphasis on the integration of principles and techniques and diligent and meticulous study.  A dedicated approach that naturally leads to realisation and mastery. 

Synchronising the Hands

Taijiquan practice requires the two hands to achieve "mutual attraction and mutual connection."  From an external perspective, it is the coordination and synchronisation between the two hands. From the aspect of internal strength or the practitioner's personal sensation, it is as if there is a rubber band between the two hands, providing both outward tension and inward pull.

The "mutual attraction and connection" of the two hands play a crucial role in terms of the attack and defence aspects in Taijiquan.  The upper limbs are the primary “weapons” for attack and defence, and the hands, being the extremities of the upper limbs, are the "vanguards". Therefore, the quality of the movements of the two hands directly determines the effectiveness of defence and attack.

Hands movements are expressed in three fundamental ways: double-opening, double-closing, and one opening and one closing. Opening movements involve centrifugal force where the hands move  outwards away from the body; closing movements involve centripetal force where the hand move inwards towards the body.  

Taijiquan movement principle incorporates continuous opening and closing movements from beginning to end. The opening and closing not only apply to the hands but to the entire body. The quality of the opening and closing determines a practitioner’s level of proficiency.

The coordination of the hands in attack and defence follows its own rules and its own unique and logical sequence of movements. By adhering to these rules, the combinations of hand movements (in conjunction with the various requirements of body and foot movements) can evolve into a myriad of techniques and applications, transitioning from “having defined moves to having no defined moves; where every place has no moves yet every place has moves.” 

(June 2024)

TCM and Taijiquan's Starting Movement

Following on from the subject of the previous post regarding the requirements of the commencement  movement:  

Why is it emphasised that the starting stance be "feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly wrapped inward?”

From a functional/martial arts perspective, having the feet shoulder-width apart allows for easy movement forward and backward; wrapping the toes inward enables stability, allowing for roots to be established and force to generate from the ground.

As an internal martial art, Taijiquan incorporated some complex principles of TCM to optimise the body’s internal mechanisms besides health preservation. Its commencement or preparatory posture opens up the body's blood and qi circulation, allowing the six major meridians to be unblocked, thus preparing for the next step of training involving “shou yan shenfa bu” - hands, eyes, body method, foot work.

Incorporating a TCM perspective, standing with feet shoulder-width apart helps open the three yin meridians on the inner thighs: Zhu Taiyin ( spleen  meridian),  Zhu Shaoyin (kidney meridian) and  Zhu Jueyin (liver meridian).  The inner thighs stabilise the legs as they swing forward and backwards to walk and run. They are also critical for support and movement for lateral (side-to-side) movements.  For example, strong inner thighs are crucial for sports such as basketball, tennis, squash, horse riding etc.

"Toes slightly drawn inwards" opens the three yang meridians on the outer thighs: Zhu Taiyang (bladder meridian),  Zhu Shaoyang (gallbladder meridian), and Zhu Yangming (stomach meridian):  the proper flow of energy through the Zhu Taiyang  enables the muscles of the back to hold the body upright with ease. The Zhu Shaoyang meridian, translated as The Lesser Yang meridian, covers the largest area on the side of the legs, trunk, and head. When the energy is flowing properly through the meridian there is balance between movement and muscle tone in the front and back of the body. The subtle shift of the transfer of movement from front to back is responsible for balance, coordination, and the dynamic range of motion that is possible with the body.

(May 2024)

TCM and Taijiquan

Not just in Taijiquan, but almost all martial arts styles, commencing movement often begins with stepping out with the left foot rather than the right. This probably requires an explanation using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. 

According to TCM, the left side is associated with the liver, while the right side is associated with the lungs. The left side represents liver qi, and the right side represents lung qi. Stepping out with the left foot first opens the blood vessels, then stepping out with the right foot activates the respiratory mechanism. This is because blood circulation is slower than respiratory circulation. By opening the blood vessels first and then the respiratory mechanism, blood and qi can achieve balance. If the right foot were to step out first, it would activate the respiratory mechanism before the blood circulation, making it difficult for the blood to catch up during practice. 

In TCM, the concept of "left liver, right lung" does not align with Western anatomy. This is not because TCM is unaware that the liver is on the right and the lungs above, but because TCM focuses on the functional properties of the organs' qi movement rather than their physical locations. So, while the liver is on the right, its main function, which is associated with blood, moves towards the left (yin qi moves to the left, ascending); and while the lungs are above, their main function, associated with qi, moves towards the right (yang qi moves to the right, descending).

(April 2024)

 

Refining Shenfa

The significance of practising forms lies not in the precision and beauty of the actions but in  refining the quality and proficiency of the body - shenfa (body method) - during the process. Practice is only meaningful if the aim is to achieve this; unless the emphasis is on shenfa, it serves little purpose beyond performance. If forms are practised for aesthetics rather than cultivating shenfa, practitioners tend to focus on speed, strength, and flashy movements, and lose the essence of slow and mindful practice. If a practitioner can develop shenfa within the complexities of different forms, then they would have achieved the essence of gong (trained skill).  

Although single movements are often used for refining shenfa, the purpose for form training that involves the intricacies of multiple movements is the same. Push hands is another avenue for this. The cultivated shenfa allows for smoothness and proficiency even in combat situations – aligning oneself and adapting to changing environments. Shenfa is not a set of rules; it is both the goal and the outcome of training.  It is the essence of gongfu.

(March 2024)

 

Standing Pole: Three Stages

Traditional standing pole training can be divided into three stages: 1) to seek relaxation 2) to seek stillness 3) to seek wholeness. The first stage, which is the hardest to push through, can be further divided: the first step is to experience relaxation of the shoulder and neck muscles; the second step is to experience relaxation of the waist and back; the third step is to experience relaxation of the dantian (abdominal muscles), and the fourth step is to experience relaxation of the hips.

It is difficult for beginners to discern which parts of their bodies are tense or relaxed - “having a body that is in an undifferentiated state of chaos between yin and yang”. Understand standing pole practice as a process of gradually experiencing tension and relaxation within the body by maintaining a static structure - “realising the Dao through slow practice”, using simplicity to seek a profound path.

Beginners typically have tense muscles, although years of habit make them oblivious. Soreness and discomfort experienced in these muscles are indications of tension. The first step in standing pole is to relax the commonly used muscles that have resisted gravity to maintain the body’s structure and function. By relaxing these muscles the less frequently used muscles (referred to as inert muscles) are forced to come into play, helping people to become aware of them and gradually allowing them to move, and ultimately making them as flexible and useful as the regularly used muscles.

The term "changing bones and tendons" simply involves altering the muscle engagement patterns in the body. Standing pole training is challenging, involving at least two stages. The first is the physical stage, with sore muscles, profuse sweating, trembling limbs, and shoulder and arm soreness. The second is the psychological stage, where it's difficult to control the restless and agitated mind. Beginners often face the physical challenge first, as soreness and fatigue set in before they experience any mental process. Therefore, addressing the physical issue is the initial step in standing pole training. Often the most fatigued areas are not the legs but the shoulders and neck. When the legs tremble, standing can be endured because of strong legs, whereas the soreness in the shoulders and neck accompanied by fatigue make it difficult to persevere.

The key to navigate through the "bones and tendons" challenge is relaxation. Standing is not about staying motionless but sensing internal body movements. If the shoulders feel sore while standing, don't stiffen, and try a subtle shoulder adjustment. The minute movement helps to alleviate the soreness and to feel the location of internal tensions. Relax the sore muscles, allowing the muscles in the shoulder blades and upper back to support the weight of the shoulders. Once the strength of the shoulder blades comes into play, the tension in the shoulders is released, facilitating the successful passage through this phase of standing. Noticeably the clavicles no longer lift as prominently as before, and the distance between the shoulder blades on the upper back expands.

Standing pole also trains wholeness "zheng", which involves overall body coordination. Many people think that phrases like "unmovable when struck, unyielding when pushed..." represent "zheng", which is not entirely wrong. They demonstrate the effectiveness of standing pole training, but "zheng" goes beyond these aspects. The true essence of "zheng" is achieving a unity and coordination of the entire body. When you touch with your hands, you should feel something under your feet, and there should be movement in your waist and hips. Over time as your skills deepen, your body's form naturally undergoes changes. 

Six Essential Elements...

The 6 essential qualities and expressions of practice:

Loose but not slack

Taut but not stiff

Light but not adrift

Heavy but not static

Fast but not disordered

Slow but not disconnected 

Transforming Yin and Yang

The practice of Taijiquan adheres to the principle of "transformation of Yin and Yang". The training program focuses on gathering Yin to generate Yang - “Yin condensing leads to Yang" and "Yin flowing results in Yang” - accumulating qi to transform strength.

Based on this philosophy, each posture in Taijiquan encompasses the movement principles of opening and closing, filling and emptying, coiling and releasing, light and heavy, conceal and manifest, alternating slow and fast, soft and firm etc. with the central energy guiding the body's coiling and spiralling movements.

The movements involve multi-directional spiralling and coiling, such as left and right, up and down, inside and outside, large and small, advance and retreat, clockwise and anticlockwise, which form the fundamental concepts of Chen-style Taijiquan.

In these integrated circular movements there exist the hidden processes of transformation, starting from Wuji (the state of formlessness) to Taiji, then the differentiation into Yin and Yang, and ultimately returning from Taiji to Wuji—a cycle encapsulating the interplay of "filling and emptying." This process involves transitions from the formless to form, from small to large, the transformation from Yin to Yang. Subsequently, there is the shift from large to small, from form to formless, resulting in a return from Yang to Yin. Within these circles, attention should not only be given to the generation of Yang and the descent of Yin but also to the recognition that Yin contains Yang, Yang contains Yin, Yin contains both Yin and Yang, and Yang also encompasses both Yin and Yang. They mutually support and complement each other, and represent the unfolding and fruition of Taiji.