Taijiquan Jin

Jin is not strength, but the improvement and refinement of strength. Jin is not posture, but action. Posture is the preparation and completion state of the action, while the action is the process that joins one posture to another. Jin is not spirit, or expression, or aesthetic, although it can take on a spiritual expression and look very beautiful. Jin is not qi, but it needs qi. Jin is not a substance, but it depends upon a substance to accomplish it. Jin is neither intention nor willpower, but it requires the guidance and concentration of intention and willpower.

The Role of the Kua - Pt 2

 Continuing from the last post about the “kua”....

In discussions of Taijiquan, there is much confusion and misunderstanding about the Chinese word “kua”, which is not adequately represented by the English translation to “the hip". It is helpful therefore for practitioners of Taijiquan to be clear what the kua refers to.

In Taijiquan the common Chinese term "kua" refers to several different areas around the hip joints:

1. At the top of the thighs on either sides of the huiyin point. The common Chinese saying in Taijiquan is "one kua is kua, two kua is dang" (taken singly it refers solely to the kua ; when both sides are utilised the dang ie the crotch is formed). The instruction for “kua drawn and gathered inwards” or the common mistake of “protruding dang” refer to this part. Only with adduction in this area can the body's natural load sink to the soles of the feet, which is very important in Taijiquan practice. It makes it possible for the dang to be kept level.

2. The connecting point of the inguinal crease, thigh and lower abdomen. Actions of the kua include: "tucking", "pulling", "closing", "wrapping", "biting", "twisting" etc. The twisting and wrapping of the kua are important actions in the transition between substantial and insubstantial and during stepping. When the stance is low, the kua enables the lower abdomen to drop firmly to the top of the thighs. The waist mentioned in the phrase "the crux of the action is in the recess under the waist" refers to the soft tissue under the ribs, and the "recess" refers to the kua; the two are closely connected. When the kua is wrapped, the waist and recess becomes a whole that also facilitates the sinking of the shoulders.

3. Above the inguinal crease, just above the thigh, the part that joins the femur to the pelvis. 

Instructions such as to “loosen kua”, “sink kua”, “ settle kua”, “lower kua”, “deliver kua”, “fold kua” etc all refer to this area, playing crucial roles in Taijiquan practice. Changes in the direction of the chest is enabled by the pliancy of this part.

4. The hip bones on the left and right sides of the buttocks. ·This is the area affected when the kua is pushed forward or sideways due to stiffness and rigidity. If the hip joints are pushed forward and stick out, the buttocks will not sit in between the legs, and the dantian and body’s core will be misplaced. Stretch and extend the muscles and ligaments around the kua to enable more movements and flexibility in the area.

The Role of the Kua

 

The "Kua" is not a familiar word to the layperson, but people who practise Taijiquan are very familiar with the word. This is because the “kua” plays a key and decisive role in the practice of Taijiquan:

1. It is the bearing that connects the upper and lower planes of the body. The coordinating actions of the kua enable the upper plane to rotate left or right that in turn put into motion the actions of the four limbs.

2. It allows the transmission of strength. The body’s natural load can be transferred to the bottom of the feet by loosening the kua, making the upper body light and the lower body stable. The rebounding force of the legs and feet on the ground can be transmitted to the waist through the rotation of the kua.

3. It uses folding and tucking motions to adjust the height of the body. In Taijiquan the height of the body and the usual half squat/sitting position are achieved by the folding and piling of the kua.

4. It is a generator of the body’s power source. Pushing off the ground starts with either "loosening and sinking" or "rotating and sinking", using the ground's rebound force, which is then transmitted sequentially to the hands.

In the Taijiquan context, "kua" is not muscle, tendons or joints and bones. The whole area that connects the thigh bones and pelvis is collectively called "kua".

In discussions of Taijiquan, there is sometimes confusion and misunderstanding about the Chinese word “kua”, which is not adequately represented by the English translation to the "hip". It is helpful for practitioners of Taijiquan to understand what “kua” encompasses.

A Few Words on Taijiquan Fajin

The characteristics of Taijiquan fajin is the combination of the linear rebound strength generated from the ground and the spiral rotational strength of the body (left-right rotation, top-bottom folding), together with the optimisation of the body’s integrated strength, and in relation to the precise contact point of a target.

Fajin is actually a combination of displacement and spherical movements; but in addition to that, at the precise moment of fajin, as well as pushing from the ground the waist and arms unfold, resulting in the characteristic explosive power. Many Taijiquan players find it difficult to execute fajin, or are not doing it properly.

The reason may be that whole body power is not integrated. The actions of generating force from the ground and the rotational spherical movements of the waist and upper limbs are not synchronised and its implementation is interrupted.

The second reason is insufficient tuishou experience and skill - to realise what is over-reaching and under commitment (too hard or too soft); to know when to neutralise force and when to take advantage of gaps; to not be always in a passive position; and not able to sense the best moment for fajin.

‘Listening’ skill and fajin are closely linked. Without this realisation a player may only be able to bear or overcome forty percent of an opponent’s power, and emit only about twenty percent of his own power (the ideal suggested is at least eighty percent). Fajin needs to be crisp, delivered to the intended point and produce the desired effect. Cracking away randomly with no intention and no content is a common sight with many practitioners.

 

A Few Words on Zhan Zhuang

When doing zhan zhuang practice, people often place their focus on qi. This may be over-emphasising one aspect of zhan zhuang. Although standing does produce a sense of qi, it is a natural phenomenon and a reaction of the body during practice. Feeling it but not being able to control it means you cannot bring it forth and utilise it. Although Taijiquan is a practice that cultivates internal gongfu, "internal" is not only qi; the bones, muscles, tendons and ligaments etc and the viscera are also "internal" aspects. 

 

From the beginning Taijiquan practice involves all these things. So zhan zhuang first, regardless of qi, must involve loosening and extending your muscles and bones etc with correct alignment. The main areas to loosen and extend being the shoulders and kua. The sign that the basic loosening process is in place is when you are able to hang the two arms and maintain a half circle position for an extended time. The length of time you can hold depends entirely on the degree of looseness and relaxation you have achieved. The sign that the kua is released is when the body's power and weight are able to go downwards to the ground through the muscles at the back of the legs (not the muscles in the front of the legs that causes knee pain and injury).

Fixing Basic Skills...

So when people talk about Taijiquan practice and go through the repertoire of forms they can do, sweating profusely as they complete their training, what in fact are they training? Many people practise Taijiquan forms diligently everyday but are not aware of the importance of jibengong, the fundamental mandatory skill.

 

How is the form supposed to be practised? Through static posture, through simple movements, and through the coordinations of different actions - in order to extract the qualities of expanded and buoyant strength (peng jin), loose and heavy strength (song chen jin) and integration of the different strengths of the body (zheng ti jin). Once the basic skills are in place, put them in each movement and posture, according to the different form in order to experience them in different settings. The actions may be different but the requirements cannot change. Only when these requirements are encompassed in every action of every form you practise, then your practice is successful and meaningful and you are in fact practising Taijiquan.

 

 

Unlocking Taijiquan's "Genetic Code"

To get the most out of your Taijiquan practice, you must be able to unlock its ‘genetic code’, to decipher the set of rules and information encoded within the pattern and arrangement of the art. Only then can you practice its essential wisdom, its intrinsic quality and will it hold its lasting appeal. Only in this way can you get the returns you wished for when you took up the practice; to benefit from it every time you practice; to "do it ten thousand times and feel it ten thousand times."

Taijiquan requires practitioners to access the inner wisdom (capabilities) within themselves - "seek the cause in oneself."   This is the most fundamental element, and is also the only way to the essence of Taijiquan.