Tai Chi Notes
The following is made available to assist those who have taken Tai chi from me.
It is not intended to be a stand-alone reference or resource and should not be used as such.
Quick Intro
Basic Tai Chi Principles
Practice Exercises
Practice Notes
The Form, Part One
Quick Intro
Tai chi is a martial art. It is quite dissimilar from what most would recognize as such, but it is important to realize when training that Tai chi requires the focus and commitment of a martial artist.
The movements contained within the Tai chi form are, for the most part, very similar to moves in other Chinese martial arts and can be found in many other styles. What sets Tai chi apart, what makes it so unbelievably powerful, putting it in a whole different arena of martial arts, is its underlying philosophy and the application of that philosophy to movement and interaction with others. Simply applying a move from the Tai chi form in a fight is not using Tai chi, just as simply walking through the form is not real Tai chi practice. You must learn, understand, and apply the basic principles for it to be Tai chi. If you want the health benefits, you must actually do Tai chi.
We will be treating our Tai chi as a martial art, but our intent will be to make use of its health-giving ability. *Please be advised, to effectively use Tai chi in combat, what we do today would act as a simple introduction, which must be followed up with other types of Tai chi training, to include other forms, and at least five years of dedicated practice - Please do not try to use what we learn, here, in a fight. You will lose. Badly.
There are many styles of Tai chi, everything from the slow moving, dance-like form you all have likely seen, to explosive, dynamic styles with powerful punches and kicks. There are bare-hand forms and weapon forms. What we are learning today is based on the slow moving styles, Yang styles, and is shorter than most styles. It serves well as an introductory form and a warm up form for other styles.
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Basic Tai Chi Principles
The following are the basic 'rules' of qi gong (aka 'chi kung') practice, to include Tai Chi Chuan. These rules apply to most styles of qi gong I teach most of the time. When they don't apply, it will likely be made quite clear (e.g. when bending over to touch your toes, you will necessarily not be maintaining an upright, erect posture).
You'll notice these are all taken from the classics, or 'bibles', of Tai chi. I've chosen to sum and paraphrase them, here, as opposed to simply quoting the classics, for the sake of simplifying them and making them more and more easily accessible to you in your daily practice. Please do not refer to these instead of studying the classics.
1. Relax.
2. No, really, always relax. One of the most basic ideas of qi gong is the efficient use of energy. Only do what you have to. Only use the energy necessary to do the posture correctly. For example, if you're supposed to raise your hand up to chest height, do so, but leave the elbow and shoulder dropped. Don't raise them up with the hand; that would be wasted energy, unnecessary use of the muscles. Relax.
3. Sink. Very closely related to number's and two, let gravity pull you down; don't resist. Sink into the ground. Always. (Now, keep in mind the above rules and those to come. We will often be in a standing position. In those cases, don't 'sink' down until you're laying on the floor. Use whatever muscular force you have to in order to get the posture correct, but no more; default to sinking unless you have to do something else.)
4. Root. Odd sounding, outside of the context of the other rules, and so closely tied to the above rule, rooting is being solidly connected to, and into, the ground. You relax, so you that you 'sink' in the ground, so that you have solid, effective rooting. Be as if a tree with roots burrowing deep into the ground.
5. Energy for movement is generated in the feet (from your rooting). Many of these rules go together and are hard to discuss in pieces. This rule is wrapped up in at least four or five others. Basically, anytime you move any part of your body, your arm, leg, hand, etc., the energy for the movement, the mechanical momentum, comes from the feet. It's tough to describe until you get it, then you don't need it described (such is the paradox of qi gong and, perhaps, life, in general...), it is almost as if you are pushing into the ground in order to generate the force to move your body. When you push into the ground, the ground 'pushes' back and -boom-, there is your energy to move. Never just wave your arms about, without the energy to do so coming from your feet and up into your arms.
6. Tied to number five, the energy is generated in the feet, and then is directed by the waist. Your feet and legs get all this power, but it's a raw attaining it from the ground. It's the waist and hips that directs the use or expression of that energy. This is obvious in that the energy has to pass through your waist to get to the upper body, but we need to be conscious of this and actively direct it. The basic idea is to 'push' with the feet, then turn the waist to turn, or direct, the shoulders and hands. It's similar to a whip-like movement, where the handle of the whip is the feet, and the tip of the whip is the hand and fingertips.
7. Already mentioned by need, energy is expressed out the hands and fingers. This is obvious. In a punch or push, it is clearly in the hands that the energy is finally expressed. The important, overriding point is in the fact the energy begins at the feet, travels through the body, 'directed' by the waist, and is finally, at the very end, moved to the hands; the energy is not both created and used in the arms and hands. In kung fu, we say you punch with your feet. In martial arts (and Tai chi is a high-level martial art), you strike with the power and force of the whole body, not just the fist and arm.
8. Again, already implied a dozen times, the body always moves as a single entity. No one body part moves by itself. You'll never just stand there and wave your arm back and forth. The energy to do that comes from the feet, moves through the waist up the spine, out the shoulders, down the arm, into the fingertips - the whole body is engaged. This is fundamental to qi gong. The whole body is either at rest, or the whole body is moving.
9. When standing normally, feet are shoulder width apart toes pointing forward, and your weight is evenly distributed over the entire foot - heel, edge of foot, and balls of the toes. Ensure you're not leaning to the rear, i.e. standing on your heels, or leaning forward, on the balls of your toes.
Ideally, this, as well as the next several rules, is practiced anytime you're standing, e.g. waiting in line somewhere.
10. Knees are 'open'. That, is they're neither locked, nor bent excessively. In fact, most joints should be open, which is a relaxed, neutral state.
11. 'Hips tucked under' is a saying oft repeated in qi gong practice. What this means is the buttocks and hips are pushed slightly to the front to align more directly under the spine. When done correctly it almost feels like you're sitting on your hips even though you're standing. What you are actually doing is reducing the rearward curve of the lower part of the spine.
12. Shoulders are completely relaxed, arms loosely hanging at your sides. In following the rule of relaxation and efficiency of energy, in the standing position the arms have no function so they are completely relaxed and open.
13. The shoulders may also have to be pulled back ever so slightly. We definitely don't want the chest jutting out, like in a military stance, but we don't want the shoulders rounded forward either. Many people have this tendency, so you may have to correct it.
14. While the whole body is relaxed, sinking, and well rooted in the ground, there is a slight elevation of the head. There are many classical sayings that speak to this. Essentially, you should ever so slightly push up from the very top of the head straight upward. (The saying goes 'Head held as if suspended from above'.) It may also be necessary to tuck the chin in slightly. This corrects the jutting forward of the head and neck. Again, these are meant to reduce excessive curvature in the spine, straightening it to maximize its role of supporting your body weight.
15. In general, this erect, vertical spine is maintained throughout. There are obvious deviations, however, as will be obvious when required.
16. In all movements, pay attention. The classics say you use your mind to control movement, not your muscles. This has many layers of meaning and is fundamental and essential to Tai chi practice. For now, interpret it to mean always pay attention to every movement of your body. When your hands moves, your mind, your focus, is there; when you step, you are paying close attention to the heel contacting the ground, then the edge of the foot, then the balls of the toes, and so on. Eventually, you will actually feel your body movement responding directly and immediately to your mind; there's a distinct 'effortlessness' to it. If you get distracted, immediately pull your attention back to the movement. Don't allow yourself to remain distracted. Don't allow your mind to wonder. This is all fundamental to Tai chi and the health benefits derived from practice.
17. No extremes. Never extend full or lock-out a joint. Never lean so far forward the knee goes beyond the toes. Maintain centeredness, even when extending (punching, kicking, etc.). At all times, you should be balanced, centered, and stable. At any point in the form you should be able to freeze in place and be centered and balanced, completely stable.
18. In learning the form there is a paradox that must be faced; you must find comfort in it. In performing, you must always strive for perfection, yet not be concerned with the outcome. When practicing Tai chi, aim to make it perfect; care about it deeply; practice with the utmost sincerity, but don't be attached to how 'good' or 'bad' it is. You will have days where your ability seems to have tripled over night, and you will have days where you feel as clumsy as your first day. Neither of these is better or worse than the other - Simply strive for perfection.
19. Neither too fast, nor too slow (again, avoiding extremes). Don't speed through the form; keep it slow, but don't make it uncomfortably slow or force yourself to go slow. Again, some days you'll feel as if you're moving through molasses, as if you'd really have to force it to go faster. Other days, it'll seem like you're simply in a rush. Which day is better?
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Practice Exercises
Walking/Stepping - alternating distribution of weight; maintaining centeredness, stability, upright posture; practice maintaining mental presence
Cloud Hands - movement directed by waist, expressed out to arms, through fingertips
Stand & Twist - movement directed by waist, grounded in feet, expressed out arms/hands like a whip
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Practice Notes
Breathing - just breathe naturally
Routine - Generally, it's better to warm up before doing your Tai chi; Ideally, whatever your warm up
(yoga, qi gong, Ba Duan Jin, another Tai chi form, stretching), you should do it long enough to where
you can feel your energy freely moving around with the movements; it's like unlocking (unblocking) your
qi; If you haven't developed such sensitivity, yet, try and do warm ups for at least ten minutes;
following the warm up, you may do your Tai chi 'for real'; following your Tai chi practice, you may
want to sit and do ten minutes of meditation; your Tai chi will likely calm/empty your mind like
nothing else, giving you a great opportunity to 'cultivate' that emptiness (which is the true source
of health) through seated meditation; during this meditation, simply sit comfortably and experience
the emptiness, be present to the calm; overtime you will discover the source of the mind, and realize
that emptiness is actually not empty, but brimming with the undifferentiated potential of everything;
it is nothing, yet everything..
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The Form, Part One*
1. Qi shi - Commencing
From natural stance, raise the body slowly up, with the arms rising directly up in front of
the body, palms facing down; return to natural stance
[Transitory Holding Ball on right]
2. Yema fenzhong - Wild Horse Part the Mane (3 times, left, right, left)
Left side - Step out diagonal left; as shift weight to left foot, slide left hand up, right hand
down; transitory Holding Ball in between
3. Baihe liangchi - White Crane Spreads Its Wings
4. Louxi aobu - Brush Past Knee 3 times
4. Shouhui pipa - Playing the Guitar
5. Daojuan gong - Repulse the Monkey 4 times, ending L hand forward
* For convenience so the practitioner may reference and study at home, this style of Tai chi is based on that described in the text:
"Tai Chi Chuan: 24 & 48 Postures with Martial Applications" by Liang Shou-yu and Wu,
Wen-ching, out of YMAA Publications.
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