Three core principles...

 The Three Core Principles for Beginners of Taijiquan are: 1. loosening the arms 2. moving the waist 3. rooting into the legs. These fundamentals are essential to create correct structure, strong posture, smooth energy flow,  balanced movement and gradually  internal strength.

1. The arms are the extremities (final links) in the energy chain and must be supple, responsive, and coordinated with the body.  This can be achieved by observing the core principles 四松三随 "Four Loosenings and Three Followings":

Four loosenings - Sink the shoulders (the *Jianjing* 肩井 acupoint relaxes);  Drop the elbows (the *Quchi*曲池 acupoint retracts); Settle the wrists as if pressing on water (maintain subtle energy in the *Shenmen*神门 acupoint ); Extend the fingers (the *Laogong*劳宫 acupoint remains hollow).  

Three Followings - Arms follow the torso (waist movement drives the arms);  strength follows qi (coordinated with breath);  shape follows intention (the mind guides the motion).

2.  The Waist is the conduit of power, connecting the upper and lower body through rotational movements and driving Taijiquan’s spiralling energy.  Waist movement is distinct from hip movement.  Beginners often confuse the two, leading to excessive hip swaying.  Its essence lies in the “three axes of motion”:  

Vertical axis, the foundation of upright posture. (*Baihui* to *Huiyin* 百会-会阴 line forms the central axis);  

Horizontal axis, like a millstone turning horizontally (*Mingmen* to *Shenque* 命门-神阙 line serves as the waist-rotation axis); 

Sagittal Axis, that acts as the flexion-extension axis for forward-backward undulating motions.

3. Rooting into the legs is the foundation of Stability.  Ground the body like roots of an old tree to develop strong legs that act as the base from which all power originates. The core Principles for rooting are the 三沉四稳 "Three Sinkings and Four Stabilities":

Three Sinkings - Sink energy to the the feet  (qi to *Yongquan*涌泉), feet planted on the ground; 

Sink force to the hollows on the knees (jin spring-loaded to *weizhong*委中); 

Sink intention to the earth’s core (rooting like a tree). 

Four Stabilities - Stability when single-leg weight-bearing;  

Stability in transition between empty and solid (catlike footwork);  

Stability in rising and falling (screw-like spiral boring motions); 

Stability in explosive force (spring-loaded push off).  

These methods interlock to form Taijiquan’s energy cycle:  Loosened arms channel energy to the extremities.  A mobile waist trains multidirectional power and circulates energy through the meridians.  Stable legs generate power from the ground.

Forms: Gongfu's treasure maps

 The Form (Taolu 套路) is like a living history of martial arts.  Each form is like a treasure map, containing the crystallised wisdom of past masters. For example, the expansiveness and dynamism of Changquan (长拳), the unique body method and harmony of Taijiquan （太极拳）, the characteristic evasive footwork of Baguazhang（八卦掌）—these distinctive methods are all passed down through the vehicle of the forms or taolu. 

Through the taolu, practitioners get the key to understand the philosophies and techniques of various styles and systems,  trace their development,  integrate the essence of different periods and regions, and broaden their martial arts horizons.

The taolu is an effective approach that allows more people to access systematic martial knowledge and skills.  It provides a standardised method of transmission to ensure that techniques are accurately transmitted without the loss or distortion of skills.

However, the criticisms of forms today are not entirely unfounded. These criticisms primarily stem from situations where practitioners learn only external movements  without understanding the underlying philosophy, techniques and training.  There is indeed a phenomenon where some enthusiasts are content with merely memorising the sequence and the superficial aspects of a form, neglecting the profundity behind it. 

This superficial approach reduces a taolu to mere combinations of movements, stripping them of their original meaning and value. It is akin to reciting the lines of a poem without understanding the concept and emotion—the poem becomes hollow and lifeless.  Similarly, practising taolu  without the support of techniques and training methods can only offer visual appeal but fail to deliver the true benefits of martial arts in combat, health, and other practical applications.

The Method and Goal of Fangsong...

 Fangsong 放松 (releasing tension) is at the core of Taijiquan practice. It is both a method and a goal by which one can develop acute sensitivity to accurately perceive the ground’s gravitational and reactive force, enabling fluid movements and transitions.

Fangsong must be both orderly and effective:

1. Orderly relaxation: Relax gradually in an orderly manner following the sequence of points, lines, surfaces, and the entire body. A correct starting point is like an electrical switch or a water valve, determining the overall movement. When the starting point relaxes, related areas naturally follow.

The line refers to the direction in which the intent of relaxation flows and the path it takes. The intent of relaxation starts from a point, moves along the line, spreads across the surface, and reaches the entire body.

2. Effective Relaxation: Effective means achieving a clear distinction between insubstantial 虚 and substantial 实 (between emptiness and solidity), creating a sense of flow between internal intention and external form. In Taijiquan, the feature of distinguishing between emptiness and solidity is lightness and heaviness. The basic method to achieve this is to relax downward (partial sinking) in one area to create a sense of weight. The corresponding area naturally becomes light . The shifting of heaviness and lightness within the body generates the continuous feeling of flow.