Not just in Taijiquan, but almost all martial arts styles, commencing movement often begins with stepping out with the left foot rather than the right. This probably requires an explanation using Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory.
According to TCM, the left side is associated with the liver, while the right side is associated with the lungs. The left side represents liver qi, and the right side represents lung qi. Stepping out with the left foot first opens the blood vessels, then stepping out with the right foot activates the respiratory mechanism. This is because blood circulation is slower than respiratory circulation. By opening the blood vessels first and then the respiratory mechanism, blood and qi can achieve balance. If the right foot were to step out first, it would activate the respiratory mechanism before the blood circulation, making it difficult for the blood to catch up during practice.
In TCM, the concept of "left liver, right lung" does not align with Western anatomy. This is not because TCM is unaware that the liver is on the right and the lungs above, but because TCM focuses on the functional properties of the organs' qi movement rather than their physical locations. So, while the liver is on the right, its main function, which is associated with blood, moves towards the left (yin qi moves to the left, ascending); and while the lungs are above, their main function, associated with qi, moves towards the right (yang qi moves to the right, descending).
(April 2024)
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