Energy is
transferred from the rear foot to the front foot,
then up the leg and up the spine to the point between the shoulder blades.
From there it emerges from the hand.
(Wolfe Lowenthal)
Beginners form
Beginners only learn the first two minutes of the Yang Cheng Fu
form; section 1.
This limitation allows you to spend time exploring the sequence and
imbuing it with some degree of
substance.
Were you to continue learning postures until you completed section 3 of the
form, the quality would be poor.
This is why you are encouraged to take as long as you need to understand
the start of the form.
Beginners frame
When you learn the Yang Cheng Fu form for the first time, the stance is high, the postures are compact and the waist turns are subtle.
Students are encouraged to work within their comfort zone.
You will not be asked to sink deep into the knees or the hips.
A more economical posture/body use reduces fatigue.
It lessens the possibility of over-commitment and redundant movement.
An easier frame makes the tai chi more accessible to beginners of all ages and
fitness levels.
Intermediate (part 1) frame
Intermediate (part 1) students are
taught the 'medium frame' version of the form.
The postures are big and open, and the form moves at a fairly regular pace.
If you look at Yang Cheng Fu's
posture, he always maintained a larger frame.
This opening of the frame improves wardoff and groundpath.
The length and width of the stance are determined by the propagation of the
ground.
What is the optimal shape for each posture?
70%
Intermediate students extend their arms to
70% of their reach (at all times) until
advised otherwise.
The purpose of having a larger frame is to build
groundpath.
You cannot omit this part of your tai chi development - it builds the foundation
for everything that will follow.
Your body needs to feel like a tree, rooted firmly in the ground. Yet the body
is also soft and pliable like water. It may sound like
a contradiction but it is not.
The relationships between hands, feet, shoulders, hips, spine, coccyx and eyes
must all become habitual before the frame gets smaller.
Do not be tempted to over-commit your feet; the length and width of your stance
is determined by your natural range.
Stepping too far makes you vulnerable and off-balance.
Martial
Not
every aspect of the syllabus has an immediate bearing on self defence.
The form was designed to create alignment and generate energy through whole-body
movement.
Martial applications are secondary.
The large frame may not feel unduly martial because it has potential holes in
the defences.
To patch the holes, you must learn to rotate your waist.
This increases the power of the posture and exercises the body at a deeper
level.
Bow tension
Having a larger frame will help you to develop 'bow tension'.
Picture yourself pulling a bow; the string is drawn back and the bow is
stretched - filling with stored energy.
This stored energy is internal tension and can only be released by letting-go
of the string.
Your body must cultivate a similar degree of internal tension - the arms, legs
and spine are sometimes called 'the 5 bows'.
Neigong is a fine-tuning of your tai chi and will assist with this important
skill.
Intermediate (part 2) frame
The larger frame is more physically demanding and will tax the intermediate
student considerably.
Intermediate (part 2) takes this work further with an increased emphasis upon
the legs and the hip joints.
Students are taught a series of very thorough leg stretches, in addition to more
challenging qigong exercises.
Eventually, the hips will open and the stances will deepen.
Small frame
Intermediate students start to use a smaller frame once they are familiar with
'folding'.
The small frame offers close-range delivery.
There is less dependence upon an overt stance.
Elbows, knees, chin na and jing become increasingly relevant when small frame is
employed.
The smaller frame is necessary for close quarters combat.
Students can only use a small frame when they can sustain groundpath at all
times, regardless of frame size.
Using the body
internally means that the external actions can
be diminished without an associated loss of power.
Frame changes
As the syllabus progresses, the form will explore large, medium and small
frame.
In self defence, the frame fluctuates relative to the needs of the situation.
As you progress, the body does less and the mind (intent) does more.
Page created 19 July 2000