Kung Yi-tsu was famous for his strength.
King Hsuan of Chou went to call on him with full ceremony,
but when he got there, he found that Kung was a weakling.
The king asked, "How strong are you?"
Kung replied, "I can break the waist of a spring insect,
I can bear the wing of an autumn cicada."
The king flushed and said,
"I'm strong enough to tear apart rhinoceros hide and drag nine oxen by the tail
- yet I still lament my weakness.
How can it be that you are so famous for strength?"
Kung replied, "My fame is not for having such strength,
it is for being able to use such strength."
(Zen story/David Schiller)
Story
If you understand this
story, then you have some idea of what jing
is about.
The essence of the
skill can be found in the meaning of the story.
Jing/jin/chin
What matters in a martial art is the effect of your movements.
If you claim to be expressing force yet your partner is physically unmoved
by your action, you are expressing nothing.
Your opponents experience of the energy you manifest is known as
'jing'.
Jing is sometimes spelled 'jin' or 'chin'.
Energy
Our tai chi is interested in
how the
body
generates power and also the kinetic energy itself.
Storing and releasing kinetic energy is one of the main studies in tai chi.
Much of the syllabus explores this theme.
In order to be skilled, we must differentiate between different forms of
energy release.
Originally,
tai chi was developed from just
13 ways of directing kinetic energy.
As the system evolved, the use of
energy has become more subtle and
extensive.
Energy expression is an area of study in its own right.
Touch
A jing is only made manifest through
touch.
Without resistance, there could be no jing, because jing is another
person's experience of your energy.
A posture could be said to have inherent or latent jing but this is not
provable until contact is made.
The skill with using jing lies in your ability to manipulate or strike
your opponent without pushing upon impact or grabbing/holding.
Only
4 ounces of
pressure may be employed at any time.
Not every jing should be felt by your opponent.
Many of them involve some manner of
subtle re-direction or manipulation.
Your opponent should only experience the effect - not the process
involved in creating the effect.
Sensitivity jing
Some jing are implicit and pertain to
sensitivity; considering the way in
which you feel your partners movement and actions.
Sensitivity jing are not intended to be felt by your
partner. The skill is to use them
unnoticed.
The obvious ones are listening and understanding jing.
Listening jing is your ability to feel what your partner is doing
through touch.
Understanding jing is how you interpret and respond to that information.
In both cases, your awareness must be unconscious. If you are thinking,
there is no jing.
You must practice until you no longer realise you are using them.
Your body is the bow
In order to use your body in
self defence, your actions must
affect
somebody else.
Typically people punch, palm, kick or grapple.
In our classes, your arm or leg is a conduit for the transmission of force (energy).
This energy is
passed through your body and into the opponent.
The fist is simply the part of your body that makes contact with the
opponent.
The power comes from the kinetic energy rather than from the fist itself.
The fist is like an arrow and the body is the bow.
The bow stores and releases kinetic energy. The arrow/fist hits the target.
If you want to punch somebody harder or faster, you look to the bow. To the
body.
Tai chi is about energy transmission.
Spontaneous
When striking, you must be capable of acting without anticipation or
hesitation.
This is known as 'wu nien'.
Wu nien allows a person to release energy abruptly.
This process is called
fa jing.
There is more to tai chi than striking.
Jing study and practice explore a wide variety of energy usage.
Timing,
coordination & alignment
Before you can deliver jing successfully, a fully-functioning pathway
must be developed through which you can generate
power.
The correct
muscle groups need
to be engaged.
The muscles must direct the kinetic energy in the line of your
choosing.
Force is not projected by means of the curve. It is linear.
Circularity
only occurs when the line of force changes e.g. up and then forwards.
This is called 'square on the inside and round on the outside'.
You must become adept at channelling kinetic energy down a deliberate,
conscious path.
This process takes time to master.
Conduit
Tai chi was designed to make your body an effective conduit for the use of
energy.
If your body is stiff and tense, you will not be able to utilise jing.
It is necessary to be soft and loose, sensitive and open.
This does not mean flaccid.
The
groundpath must be present constantly, otherwise you cannot transfer
energy from your body to another.
Jing is tangible.
Expressing an offensive jing gently should cause your
partner to lose balance and step.
Types of jing
It is necessary to differentiate clearly between the types of jing at your
disposal.
Without such knowledge, how are you going to fa jing?
Energy release without focus is random and clumsy.
There is a distinct difference between each jing.
You must be conscious
of the quality/nature/essence of the jing you intend to utilise.
Tai chi movement begins with intention.
More...
Page created 30 September 1999