Friday 23 February 2024
Standing Pole: Three Stages
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.
Tuesday 3 October 2023
Sinking qi to the dantian or to the feet?
Observing and adapting...
Friday 18 August 2023
Leading with intention...
The guiding principle of Taijiquan is to lead with intention (yi), which governs the movements. Without the proper intention, the form becomes weak, soft and lifeless, losing its foundational principles and cannot be considered true Taijiquan.
All internal systems emphasise internal cultivation, with the "mind intention” as the key. Every movement is initiated by intention, and the body follows accordingly, connected seamlessly, like pulling a thread or stretching a branch. It expands infinitely outward while maintaining a small circle within, “connecting the vast universe above and reaching the depth of the earth below”.
This kind of practice requires complete tranquillity of mind and detachment from external distractions. Though it may seem simple, in reality few can truly achieve it. Most people’s minds are restless, preoccupied with personal and social interactions and constraints.
Taijiquan can only be accomplished by channelling the correct intention. Only then will the body's joints, muscles, skin, fascia, ligaments, organs, breathing, and nervous system be relaxed in a coherent manner. If the intention is too heavy, the body becomes tense, tightening and locking the different systems and tissues so that they lack space and flexibility to move. On the other hand, if the intention is too light, it leads to slackness and lethargy, “soft like water but lacking its strength and tenacity; like scatterings of loose sand”.
Friday 14 July 2023
Thawing ice...
A body that has not realised “song鬆” is likened to a block of ice; movements can only rely on the strength of the bones and musculature to push and pull. Within the body the solid mass prevents flow and sequential movements. As a result, movements involve physical labour that is high consumption and low efficiency.
Becoming “song” is like the thawing of ice. Just as solid ice absorb heat energy to give the particles energy to move away from one another and thaw, the process of “song” enables the bones, tendons, flesh etc to become separated and not tightly bound together like one solid entity.
Liquid particles still touch each other, but they are further spaced and glide past each other and don't have a regular shape like solids do. A body that has achieved “song” through mind training moves between substantial and insubstantial, and commands the limbs, adjust postures, and maintains the necessary balance.
The analogy to melting ice goes further. When a block of ice has completely melted and turns into liquid, persistent heat continues the process as water evaporates and turns to vapour. The heat gives the liquid particles enough energy to break away from one another until they are randomly arranged and able to move freely in all directions and are so sparsely spaced they cannot be seen by the naked eyes. The result of lengthy and persistent training in any system is described as having reached “shen ming”, a divine state where skill becomes instinctive and intuitive, free of any constrain and predictability.