When inner and
outer move as one,
The harmony of wholeness is experienced.
(Lao Tzu)
External strength
The conventional use of strength involves the application of force at a given,
specific moment in time. If the aim is to break an arm, the individual
exerts
for a moment and the effect occurs.
The problem with this is that it is tiring. It wears you out.
Exerting the
muscles is not very energy efficient because most of the effort accomplishes
nothing; it feeds back into you when resistance is encountered.
'Internal strength' is altogether different. Exerting never occurs.
The limbs are
imbued with strength at all times, so an arm break would be performed with no
more force than raising a glass of water to your mouth.
Where does the power come from?
It comes from unifying the body and projecting a wave of kinetic energy (jing)
throughout the entire structure as and when necessary.
It is the wave that
breaks the arm, not the local muscle strength.
Qigong
Start your quest for internal strength by
standing still; qigong is the foundation of
tai chi.
It involves static postures and slow-motion movements that are easy to
perform.
The static postures are held for lengthy periods, often up to an hour.
The moving sets are small groups of exercises, with about 10 repetitions
each.
Energy & muscle
Qigong operate on two levels simultaneously; they encourage the healthy flow
of energy and they strengthen the structure of the body.
This process of building strength is seen by many people to arise from the
energy flow alone but this is rather misleading.
Qi
does not move the bones,
muscles do.
Nerves direct the muscles and energy
fuels the entire system.
Without energy, nothing would happen, but without muscles there would be no
strength.
Muscles turn energy into motion.
This is not to be confused with gym work or weight training. The degree of
muscle usage in qigong must be minimal.
The aim is to employ the tendons, ligaments and fasciae for increased
strength and support.
You must only use the degree of muscle strength necessary to hold the limb
in place; and this is always far less than you first realise.
Tree hugging
Most students begin standing by ‘hugging a tree’/‘holding a balloon’ at
chest height.
Essentially, the arms are positioned in a circular shape and the fingers are
lightly opened.
This innocuous exercise quickly becomes a challenge.
The skill is to maintain the posture without in any way ‘holding’
the posture.
Muscle usage must be minimal. Psychological ease and relaxation
are paramount.
The posture must be natural and comfortable. Do not strain the knees by
squatting.
The idea is to let go.
This is not easy. A lifetime of tension will pain you and the temptation
will be to hang on.
Liz Koch, author of The Psoas Book maintains that you must reach a
stage where the body feels safe and begins to shake.
This shaking is quite disconcerting. It is not muscle fatigue. It is the
product of deep
relaxation.
All the stored tension in the joints and vertebra is being let out.
The shaking cannot be forced or contrived. It is accomplished by not-doing.
By stopping the habit of tension.
By letting go.
Daily standing for 15-20 minutes will produce the required outcome providing
internal relaxation takes place.
Moving qigong
Moving qigong is similar to standing qigong except the onus is now upon
smoothness and relaxation in movement.
No extraneous muscle usage is permitted.
Alignment,
softness and breath are important.
Each exercise can be used as a training ground for whole-body
movement.
Instead of just moving the arms and shoulders, every part of the structure
is involved.
Even the simplest movement should spiral from the toes to the fingertips.
Performed correctly, this is just as difficult as standing qigong.
The body is trained to coordinate left and right, upper and lower, along
with cross-patterning.
The muscles serve only to move the bones and must never stiffen or tense.
Tight joints prevent
movement.
These exercises are designed to facilitate fluidity with strength.
Qigong is not something that is trained for a while and then discarded.
The student comes back to it repeatedly as they get better at
tai chi.
As the ability to move with internal strength increases, the exercises can
be re-evaluated and trained with a new emphasis.
A movement that once connected the arms to the back now becomes a means of
training energy discharge.
Qigong changes as you
change.
From simple to complex
Moving qigong is much easier to practice than form.
The coordination is simpler and the health benefits more immediate and
tangible. Form takes much longer to learn and quite a long time to actually
perform competently.
Anyone can do qigong. There is a lot less to think about. The exercises are
focussed and clear. You need not complicate matters by thinking about self
defence applications or any other concerns.
It is also important not to get caught up thinking about qi. Let the energy
take care of itself. Keep your mind on the exercise. Intention leads the qi
and the qi leads the blood. Breathe and relax.
Once you are competent at qigong, take what you have learned into form. Form
is essentially moving qigong with
extra features. The extras include increased balance and
coordination, martial application and energy emission.
Form
Form is not slow-motion kata. It is not moving yoga. Tai chi has
internal content.
To gain the internal, it is necessary to
address how the movements are performed.
A beginner is taught to move their arms and legs in a particular way.
This lays the groundwork but is more about spatial orientation than anything
else.
The student learns which way to face, where to step and what to do with the
hands.
There is no internal work occurring at this stage.
To understand form, consider a caterpillar or a snake and how they move.
Every action is generated by an
undulating wave that causes every part to
shift in the required direction. Form is like this.
Instead of moving the localised limb by itself, the framework twists and the
striking tool is spun outward.
The movement of the limb is in harmony with the torso and power is
developed.
Physics is important in tai chi.
The body parts must be aligned at all times with strength in mind.
Aesthetics are not the concern in real
tai chi; priority is given to
alignment and the way in which the body is used.
Each movement within the form offers a whole array of potential strikes and
skills.
The emphasis is placed upon the movement itself.
The so-called posture simply serves to
shape movement. It is not a static pose.
It is not a fixed application.
The form is not as specific as other martial arts kata.
It is much more embryonic.
Every movement provides angle, direction and power.
The exponent finds strength in every nuance.
The skills and insights learned through standing and moving qigong must
be incorporated in your form practice.
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Page created 14 June 2000