From beginning to end it is
continuous and not broken.
It is circular and again resumes.
It revolves and has no limits.
(Yang Cheng Fu/Chen Wei-ming)
Misconceptions
Tai chi beginners always learn the form in a piecemeal manner - they move slowly
from structure to structure in a stilted fashion.
This allows attention to be placed on the accuracy of posture.
Unfortunately it has a serious drawback in that it leads beginners to regard form as being a sequence
of structures.
Tai chi is the movement itself, not the structure.
The 'tai chi classics' describe the form as being like a great river rolling on
unceasingly - it is one long movement.
Robot-like structures seem to miss the point; your body must become liquid and
flow.
Shape the movement
Form 'postures' serve simply to shape the movement.
Without shape, the movement would be random and meaningless.
A posture provides focus, intent and purpose.
Posture teaches you how to transmit the
groundpath easily and economically, without discomfort or
muscular strength.
Curves are the best shape for the transmission of physical force in tai chi;
energy is released and then it returns again.
Sharp angles break the flow of movement, so your body must to learn to bend and
re-shape itself.
Our intention and line of force must be linear, but the spine and waist action
create circularity.
This is called 'square on the inside and round on the outside'.
Without the linearity, the force is blunted. Without the circularity, the force
is projected but does not return.
You must find the essence of each so-called 'posture' and find out how its
movement works.
Adjust your body so that physical tension does not prevent that movement from
flowing.
Scaffolding
With the scaffolding of 'form postures' in place, a beginner
can add neigong to the moving structures.
The intermediate syllabus builds the structure to a point where the scaffolding
is no longer required.
At that stage, it is actually an impediment.
The advanced syllabus frees the essence from the scaffolding.
Very few students reach this stage of practice.
Inexperienced students interpret words like 'formless' to mean various things
including 'freedom of expression' - which really involves doing whatever you
please.
'Formlessness' is a condition where you are essentially doing
tai chi all the time.
Even though the advanced form looks to have less precision, the structure exists
within the movements.
The form is not ignored - it is absorbed.
This is the very heart of the word 'internal'.
Standing in your own way
The training is
concerned with the storage and release of energy.
We need to emulate water, allowing our bodies to become a medium for the
transmission of movement.
Tension is the enemy of movement.
The more tense you are, the less you can move.
Stiffness is not strength, it is just stiffness - do not stand in your
own way.
Kinetic energy
In order to reach and strike the opponent, you must
move.
This movement is 'kinetic energy'.
Our way of moving creates waves of kinetic energy as you practice
the exercise.
Neigong deliberately restricts certain movements, twisting the
elastic tissue.
Potential/stored energy is built up and then released as kinetic energy.
You cannot strike an opponent with anything but movement.
Page created 23 March 1999