The three stages of learning Taijiquan

Beginners - Mould the right shape (xing)

1.  Grasp the sequence of movements.  Be clear what the arms and legs are doing; where the start and end points of each movement are; lay down the correct movement habit.

2.  Observe the core postural requirements.  Carry out the basic requirements in all movements: an insubstantial strength holding up the head; sink the shoulders and drop the elbows; contain the chest and stretch the back; loosen the waist and fold down the buttocks.

3.  Be accurate with footwork.  The human body is likened to a tree, the feet are the roots, the body is the trunk and the arms are the branches and leaves. Correct foot placements and footwork is the entry point to stability and agility.

Intermediate - Understand jin (cultivated controlled strength)

1. Differentiate the fundamental jin: soft and hard, substantial and insubstantial, round supportive strength and whole integrated strength.

2. Remember the duality of yin and yang. Within the different aspects of jin, soft/hard, dynamic/static, insubstantial/substantial, store and release, seek a dialectical unity within the contradictions, and gradually and naturally achieve the right degree of harmony.

3. Understand the 'reeling silk' mode of movements.  Movements are continuous and uninterrupted; during changes and conversions the rotational movements ensure connection and smoothness; each action is linked to the next; the posture changes but the jin continues, until whole integrated jin is achieved.

Advanced - Sync with intention (yi).  Move the spirit (shen).

1.While training shape (xing) and strength (jin) pay attention that the inner gongfu is also improving. Mainly in purpose, disposition, countenance, etc. Cultivate and improve these higher and deeper levels of effort, so that yi guides the qi and qi spurs on the jin. Xing, jin, yi and qi become one.

2. Practise how to use intention to move the spirit, to make imagery become reality.  The spirit should habitually register every move and every posture, concentrating attention on all aspects. Use the eyes to express the intention and spirit. In accordance with the content of each action, sometimes “the hand leads the eyes” and other times “the eyes lead the hand”.

3.Skill is reflected in heightened focus and concentration emphasising both internal and external aspects, the unity of both body and the spirit.

From entry to intermediate and finally into the advanced stage, the three stages are interrelated and mutually reinforcing.

On Cultivation...

 

The cultivation of the internal method is to physically and mentally temper the spirit, the intention, the energy and the physical shape (shen, yi, qi, xing). This practice is not carried out casually, but through a specific process of physical and mental adjustments, to make the mental state (state of consciousness) and physiological state (body and movements) from the state of "scattered thoughts” and "disintegration and disjointed body" to a state of inner tranquility (a quiet mind), focused consciousness, unobstructed qi and blood distribution, and physical  relaxation (loose, stable, slow and uniform). 

To do this it should be clear that it is a long-term process of physical and mental training (xiu yang) - "xiu” is to amend, modify, and repair what do not conform to the requirements of Taijiquan principles; “yang” is to nurture, cultivate and develop a physical and mental state in line with the requirements of Taijiquan.  This process should be carried out from beginning to end, with the adjustment of body and mind being the prerequisite of practice. There are a few perspectives to consider: 

“From wuji taiji grows” is a well-known expression. In this context a person who has not trained and incorporated the taiji principle is said to not have anything (wu),  and those that had is said to “have”(something).   The  Daoist term "wuji" also refers to the body. Therefore the body that is silent and still is said to be in a state of wuji.  As soon as the mind indicates an action, or the mind takes on an idea taiji occurs as the body changes from “nothing” to “something".  This involves the activation and movement of the spirit, intention and energy. This "something coming out of nothing" also refers to the process whereby Taijiquan practitioners accumulate and produce a special energetic state and a new kind of biomass through long-term practice and understanding - as the old timers of taijiquan said, "something’s in the body" or  "gongfu ascends the body".   Making something out of nothing is the general principle of Taijiquan practice, by stripping away and discarding the superfluous followed by cultivating and rebuilding.

Understand the distributions of weight and centre of gravity.  The key is to distinguish substantial and insubstantial.  Approach it in two areas. Firstly, from physical adjustments -  using the feet, adjust the centre of gravity (substantial) so that the body is centrally balanced, then adjust the body by placing the weight on the sole, centre of the foot or heel as appropriate, so that the whole body is balanced front and back.   Different movements have different positions to balance each other. Secondly, from mental adjustments - using mind intention. Wherever the mind intention is, qi follows and concentrates (substantial).  As there is less concentration of  qi in the opposite direction, it is therefore insubstantial.  Pay careful attention during the process of practice. In addition, in  movements, if there is strength forward, then the mind should be backward; If there strength at the back, then the mind should be at the front and so on.

Circularity and connectedness.  Generally speaking, circles mean several things. First, in the composition of an action, there should be roundness in the running process of each action. Second, the various parts of the body should be kept round. If it is not, it is easy to become stiff, stagnating qi circulation and flow. This is the so-called "correct method is revealed in a circular space".  To achieve roundness according  to Taijiquan theory sayings such as  "the armpit holds a hot steamed bun", "rein in the waist control the qi to brace the crotch" are coined to help learners.   Connectedness  and continuity is mainly divided into three points: 1. the continuous and connected flow of actions - no matter what the postures all movements along the process should be uniform and the conversion between the movements should be continuous. 2. qi continuity - in every action, not just the body but also the energetic flow must be continuous and connected.  3. the mind intention must be continuous and unbroken.  In order to improve the energetic quality and integration of the hands, a simple method is to imagine a sphere within the hands during both expanding and gathering movements.  The ball expands and contracts but should never be dropped. This is a simple way to train the habit of continuous and unbroken actions using mind intention.

The Vital Role of the Kua

The force of Taijiquan is mainly structural force, the most important source being the use of rebound force from the ground. Therefore, any Taijiquan action must have the ability to adjust its own structure to form a connection with the ground.  To do this, “opening” the kua is very important.  If the kua is not open, strength becomes disconnected at the hips and the force from the feet (ground) cannot travel up and therefore cannot transmit to the hands.  At the same time upper body strength cannot go down into the feet (ground). The  direct result is the inability to on the one hand neutralise an opponent and on the other to emit power to displace an opponent.

The kua is in the position of the middle section according to the three-section movement principle.  The two sections of the root and shoot should be pulled in opposite directions, whilst the middle section should connect the root and the shoot. 

If the kua is locked,  strength becomes broken at the hip, the knees become disconnected structurally, which leads to knee pain and injury.  The knees cannot be held in place when required and forcing them only compounds the problem.  Other parts of the body (including the axis) also cannot truly be held in situ, because the body’s force is not grounded. If the force is not grounded, jin is not whole but becomes dissipated.  The effectiveness of Taijiquan cannot be separated from the state of the kua. The so-called waist-crotch conversion, which is a significant skill for defence and attack, actually refers to the ability to sustain and support the body between the conversion of the two kua and is very important to bear in mind when training the frame.