Tai chi chuan is
like a great river rolling on unceasingly.
(Chang San-feng)
Different
It is important to understand the difference between form and
drills
in order to train both correctly and understand their relevance and application.
A form is open and expansive in its scope, a drill is narrow and
closed.
Form
Form teaches the way of moving associated with a particular
style of tai chi.
Every style of tai chi has its own characteristic shape.
The Yang Cheng Fu form is known to be round and flowing, slow moving and calm.
It trains the body to adopt a form of movement that possesses a unique shape.
The shape encourages a certain attitude in the student; a physical demeanour.
The form repeats many of the same movements throughout the sequence; introducing
new themes, variations and revising existing patterns.
It represents a general, underlying approach to movement and self defence.
The malleable nature of form allows you to apply the postural curves in any
manner that feels appropriate providing it conforms to the tai chi principles.
Drills
Drills are different to form; they are short sequences repeated a
number a times, and always focus upon a very limited application.
They take a form posture and consider small circle applications that
might extend from that movement.
Focussing in this manner enables you to see hidden possibilities of further
application suggested by the form posture.
A drill is just one possible application but can lead you to see more choices
within the posture.
Drills are usually two person sets but should be trained solo as well.
If you want to train speed and power, perform the set as slowly as you can.
The responses become second nature.
It would be a mistake to focus too heavily upon drills, for they only
represent a slither of form.
Drill collector
It
is not difficult to create a drill.
Drills are just a string of flowing strikes that hinge upon a movement principle
taken from a form posture.
A few drills are worth training, but they need to offer a diverse range of
approaches, otherwise they become variations on a theme.
Do not become carried away accumulating drills, or you will become a
'drill collector'.
A drill is a means, not the end.
Circle
Form represents a general physical approach to self defence, with
large sweeping curves and spirals.
A drill is much more sharp, relying to a greater extent upon rapid waist turns
and spine movement for power.
In self defence, the form manner of moving may lead you from the outer range of
combat to the inner circle, but it is usually the drilled responses that
complete the event.
Drills allow you to switch direction without warning and strike using any part
of the body available.
You must find power over a shorter distance, and consequently use the body more
extensively.
Freeform
Remember that both forms and drills merely represent tools for
training certain ways of moving the body.
Ultimately you will have to forget all about what you have learned, and just see
what comes out.
If you do not engage in
freeform self defence with other people, you will never be
capable of using tai chi in self defence.
It is imperative that you do not withhold your strikes. Moderate the power, but
make every strike count.
The ideal training partner is the non-cooperative opponent. They attack you and
they also try to mess up your counter.
Explicit
Form must always be reasonably abstract if it is to affect your general approach
to movement.
Too much specificity reduces the potential applications and hampers your ability
to learn the flavour of the style.
Form must serve to train a way of being, a style of moving - not
merely explicit applications.
Its role is to open up possibilities, not close them.
A form exists to be a source of inspiration, a wellspring for ideas - implicit,
not explicit.
The more simple, subtle and suggestive it remains, the greater the
scope for application.
Page created 28 April 2001