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| 8 stages of form | ||
| Whole-body movement | ||
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8 stages of form
There are 8 stages to studying any form:
Whole-body strength (neigong)
Whole-body movement (form)
Whole-body power (jing)
Natural-feeling body use
Form changes
The 8 stages will cause the form sequence to improve in
subtle but striking ways.
Initially a student begins with a crude pattern; an outline.
This much evolve in order for the form to become
martially viable.
A beginner forever?
Unfortunately, most tai chi people only learn the first stage, and remain
a perpetual beginner.
Neglecting the remaining stages leaves the form
meaningless and shallow.
Every pattern of movement has its nature, meaning and
purpose, and must be researched and studied before it can be really
understood.
(Yang Jwing-Ming)
Slow form
The Long Yang form is often known as the 'slow form'.
The slow, deliberate movements encourage
concentration and allow the student time to
become familiar with the coordination.
There should be no attempt made to speed up the sequence. Slower movement will also develop muscular
strength and body control.
Stage 1 - The pattern
Stage 1 is the pattern, outline, the sequence of movements. There are many
versions of the pattern.
Each pattern involves distinct alterations to both the
appearance and the functionality of the form itself.
Slow
The form is usually practiced slowly e.g. the Long Yang
sequence will take at least 15 minutes to perform (ideally 20 minutes).
Deliberate practice
It is necessary to have the form regularly corrected, so that a process of
on-going refinement and improvement takes
place.
Accurate positioning, attention to detail and a growing awareness of nuances
is vital. Once the form pattern has been learned, it must also be
mirrored.
Don't be concerned about
learning so many moves; learn a few well.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Stage 2 - Biomechanics
Once the pattern is familiar, the student moves onto
stage 2.
By moving the body in an increasingly integrated manner, the
strength
increases and the correct muscles are used for the production of power.
Lines of force are critical at this stage. In particular the maxim:
square
on the inside, round on the outside.
This builds up a lot of physical power and every movement feels to come from
the muscles of the central torso, back and legs.
The initial movements are quite large and obvious, with the spine and hip
kwa notably opening and closing as the framework coils and releases the
joints.
Stage 3 - Shen
Shen is the 'killer energy' quality present in good
quality
tai chi; it makes
the attacker feel uncomfortable and wrong-footed.
There is a fullness to the tai chi that would otherwise be absent. Peter
Southwood maintained that tai chi without shen is weak and ineffectual in
combat. The exponent looks like a "wet sock".
Their poise, demeanour and bearing lack that vital quality of alertness and
sharpness needed in martial arts practice.
Stage 4 - Martial
applications
Not being able to apply a form is the tai chi equivalent of not being able
to read...
Your form should eventually look and feel like tai chi
combat.
Your combat should look and feel like tai chi
form.
If this is not the case, what exactly are you training and why?
Functional form
When form and function become the same, it is easy to extract useful
applications.
Traditionally, it is said that there are at least seven
applications for every form
movement.
There are three types of martial application
within form: chin na, jing
and shuai jiao.
A student must be capable of skilfully applying the form in a
thorough and convincing way against an
earnest attacker.
The form is like that of a falcon about to seize a rabbit, and the shen is like that of a cat about to catch a rat.
(Wu Yu-hsiang)
Stage 5 - Whole-body strength (neigong)
The focus is upon the cultivation of whole-body strength and putting
this into every form movement. Students must learn 50 neigong concerns that
assist in the development of whole-body strength.
Every neigong quality adds an extra physiological change to the body,
intensifying the effectiveness of each movement.
An understanding of The Way and Its Power, The Tai Chi Classics and Taoism
is necessary.
Stage 6 - Whole-body movement (form)
If your movements feel like stances/postures then you are way too
tense. You need to be free to move in any direction without difficulty or
hesitation.
Peter Southwood described the tai chi movement as being akin to an amoeba.
An amoeba is a single-cell organism.
For one part of an amoeba to move, all parts must move. Every single
movement is a whole-body movement. This is exactly how we move in tai chi.
Consider how a caterpillar moves or how a snake undulates. Look at the
biological physics involved.
Stage 7 - Whole-body power (jing)
It is necessary to differentiate clearly between the types of jing at
your disposal. 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. Movement
begins with intention.
Many excessively bounce
around learning the next 'new' form or movement set without ever extracting
the real internal value from any of them.
(Bruce Frantzis)
Stage 8 - Natural-feeling body use
The dividing line between you and tai chi is no longer clear. Your
habitual movements have been re-shaped by the tai chi. You have become
naturally unnatural or unnaturally natural.
The tai chi is not ornate. It is simple, subtle, direct, flowing,
understated and natural. Instead of glossy, flamboyant, outward show, the
attention turns inward.
At one with the Tao
The form is one method for exploring the many insights offered by Taoism.
It is a hands-on approach to spirituality. It is a physical journey that
will lead to an inner search for meaning and understanding within the
student.
High-level form practice harmonises the body and the mind. We move in a
natural, healthy, strong fashion. The lessons learned can be taken into
everyday life.
Time served?
Many tai chi students in the world are beginners who never move beyond the
beginning. They remain beginners over decades of practice.
'Time served' is meaningless if the quality of what is being practiced is
not considered carefully. Progress through the 8 stages is essential.
Deliberate practice
Hard work alone is not enough, though. Simply working hard will not
necessarily lead to progress.
It needs to be deliberate, focused improvement designed to improve your
practice by developing key skills outlined by your instructor.
The student must implement corrections, study the recommended books,
undertake assignments and challenge their comfort zone.
I strongly believe that
students should limit themselves to learning and fully developing in just
one style only. By learning many styles and collecting many forms we simply
cannot have sufficient time to practice.
Few have the resources or talent to be the master of more than one style.
The really good teachers focus on one style.
(Adam Hsu)
Page created
6 March 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023