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.

Keep the Fire Burning...

According to “The Yellow Emperor's Canon of Internal Medicine",  “each breath (inhale and exhale) moves the pulse six inches”; “each day consists of 50 orbits”.  The phrase refers to the benefit of the body's meridians to run 50 cycles a day, each cycle taking about 28.8 minutes. Therefore, it is believed that any practice that is less than 30 minutes does not yield much benefit.  Qi is not able to break through blockages and regular failure to spend the minimum required time may mean that the desired health and capability results will not be realised. 

It is difficult for beginners to calm down to enter a quiet zone.  When the mind is restless and wandering it is not possible to have the sensitivity to experience and control the breath (qi), intention (yi) and spirit (shen).   Generally it takes at least an hour and half for internal feelings to permeate the body. For the body to feel warmth and lightness, and for tension to be released and the legs feel strong.  In this state of calm, the repair effect of the body and mind is optimum and gongfu progress is the fastest. 

Therefore, one should continue to practise after entering the state, and keep the state of quiet for as long as possible.  From ancient times, the basic principles of practice are often based on one ‘unit’ of time, i.e. two hours, as the body gets progressively stronger after three to five meridian cycles. 

Taijiquan master Chen FaKe said that practitioners should “strike while the iron is hot” and to “keep the fire burning”.  To not let the furnace go cold once it is lit and to keep the fire burning by consistent practice instead of having to light the fire each time you practise.

The effect of practice must be able to withstand loneliness and to devote time steadily, but it cannot be "only" measured by time while ignoring the "quality of practice".

 

"Nothing but a circle"...

 The seemingly profound Taijiquan is actually "nothing but a circle".

Taijiquan master Yang Chengfu said: "Taijiquan is made up of circles. Its entire combative capability is not based on individual techniques or set moves.  Instead it’s all about circles - vertical circles, horizontal circles, oblique circles, countless and continuous rotating circles in the limbs, waist, whole body.  When it reaches the peak of perfection, it is impossible for the enemy to break through.  An exaggerated description mentions that a drop of water cannot penetrate.  Whatever comes in contact with it will be thrown out”.

Taijiquan theorist Chen Xin wrote: "Taijiquan is spiralling  (reeling silk) method:  Forward and Backward, Right and Left, Upward and Downward, Inward and Outward, Large and Small, Positive and Negative”.  He also said, "As for the movement of hands and feet, there is nothing more than a circle. There can be no straight line.  Simply, every circle is a circle of Taiji”.

The words of these past masters explain the characteristics of Taijiquan movement.  That it is inseparable from circles. We must pay attention to and  train our bodies, hands and feet to draw and walk circles, and for these circles to be connected before and after.  Taijiquan is made up of these countless circles that are connected and unbroken to form spirals.  The traditional theory of Taijiquan called the circular and the spiral rotational movements reeling silk movements, and the circles reeling silk circles.

Chen Zhaokui added: "Although each limb makes a spiral circle, but on the whole, Taijiquan is a holistic sphere”.  From the surface Taijiquan is our body and hands and feet drawing circles, but from the overall point of view, these spiral circles are in fact our whole body rotating and rolling like a ball.  Therefore, he urges players  to have an overall concept of the body as a sphere when practising Taijiquan.

Static Balance...

Static balance is the most basic balance and the most difficult to realise. Because the most basic things are often the most overlooked. The upper and lower, left and right sides of the body plus the diagonal corners, form the potential for “octagonal support” (body structure equally supported on all fronts).  There must be balance in order to determine operational range and to execute the rules of movements.  

For instance, static balance is most often reflected in the preparation posture of a form and in standing pole. The formal preparation posture at the start of movement routines is regarded as the laying down and strengthening of these  potentials.  Cultivating the habit of keeping the eyes looking forward, the feet parallel and toes pointing forwards, and then relaxing the chest and back to sit down to find the vertical balance point, which is known as “sitting pile to find the axis”.

When the hands move up it is relatively easier to express the support strength of the left and right sides. Attention should be paid to the extrusion and forward support strength of both hands, so that corresponding strengths can be formed and the body will not lean backwards. In this way a system of coordinating and circular movements can be trained no matter how the position of  the limbs and body change.  

Finding balance in stillness enables the practitioner to progressively find balance during movements, that is,  maintain balance not only before but also during and after.