A boxing adage says: ‘Extend it and it fills the universe, withdraw it and it conceals in covertness’. And a less metaphoric saying, ‘First seek to expand, then seek to contract’.
Based on the foundation of fangsong, when you've essentially achieved the ability to move without using force, know your range without exerting strength, found your most comfortable state during practice, and gradually gained a sense of control and feel over your body, the next level of intention-driven practice will be to ‘extend to fill the universe, withdraw to conceal in covertness’.
The core principle of internal practice is fangsong. However, fangsong should also reach an optimum state. It should be expansive and extensive; open until you can no longer open, extend until you can no longer extend (hence ‘extend to fill the universe’). Taijiquan facilitates this through its spiral rotational motions. During the process, all parts of the body remain without force and without exertion. The extension is through release and elongating, not pushing or pulling.
‘Withdraw and conceal in covertness’ involves not using strength during the process of contracting into compactness. Compactness does not mean small movements but refers to movements that are retracting, with the limbs rolling back in, and the body contracting and concealing so that intentions cannot be detected by others . Practising compactness is about practising yielding and neutralising.
Although the external appearance of the movements shows expansion and contraction, in essence, we are practising the release and withdrawal of internal energy. The two forces can combine and even intersect. This is practising two functions. Ultimately, the body should be trained to open and close freely and with agility.
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