The Yin and Yang of Taiji Philosophy...

In China the traditional transmission of the practice of Taijiquan has always been verbal and conspicuously few written descriptions of the art have been passed down. This is because the philosophy that underpins the practice has long been recorded in the literature and works of sages and literary men of past generations, and there was deemed no need for anymore redundant description.

The way of Taijiquan practice is actually the physical movement and the inner change of mind and spirit generated by the Yin and Yang of Taiji philosophy.

On Movement and Stillness

The combination of movement and stillness in Taijiquan means that the combined practice of static fixed postures and dynamic form routine is necessary. The form routine is in itself divided into movement and stillness, conversion/transition movements being the dynamic phase and end postures being the resting phase. Every moving phase must be completed with a resting phase, which in turn influences and assists the moving phase.

Quiet static practice promotes the accuracy of mo...vements and improves the internal power. There are specific static exercises, such as standing pole, sitting meditation, or single posture or fixed posture training. But they are preconditions for dynamic training. Dynamic practice refers to the whole set of a routine or several combinations of movements. It improves the flexibility and connectivity of Taijiquan movements.

In Taijiquan there is stillness within movements and movement within stillness. It requires practitioners to possess the mental capability to accommodate the idea that only the ingenious combination of both will enable and improve the quality of movements and the skill level of Taijiquan.

Training Gong

One often hears the phrase in Taijiquan, “training ‘quan’ without training ‘gong’, in the end all efforts come to nothing”.
 
The acquisition of “gong” takes effort, but where the effort is placed makes a big difference. ‘Quan’ is movement-based and therefore movements and postures play major roles in one’s acquisition of skill. However, people often mistake training “gong” as learning more movements. As a result they learn many forms and put all their effort on "quantity"... rather than on “quality”.

Taijiquan does not only attach importance to training the outside (physical) shape but also to internal (mental) practice. The failure to do both are often manifested in movements that are undefined and empty, and/or excessive and superfluous, or else stiff and clumsy. Wrong habits become embedded and corrections become very difficult, which not only affect the acquisition of ‘gong’, but also reduce the health and fitness as well as the functionality of Taijiquan.

Quantity and quality are the unity of contradiction. Without quantity, there is no quality. But quality is more important than quantity. The high level of Taijiquan is mainly reflected in its high quality. The "quality" of Taijiquan mainly refers to its “nei gong” (internalised skill), which includes “nei yi” (mental intention), “nei qi” (intrinsic energy) and “nei li” (internal force)- manifesting in the coordination of mental intention, guided qi, and trained strength. Mental intention is the prerequisite, guided qi is the core, and trained power is the result. They are the main standard by which to measure the quality of one’s movements and also the foundation of Taijiquan health and fitness as well as its functionality.