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| Yang Cheng Fu's 10 essentials | ||
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1. Suspended from above
Stand straight and hold the head and neck naturally erect, with the mind
concentrated on the top.
Do not strain or tense, otherwise the blood and oxygen cannot circulate
smoothly.
The aim is to lengthen the back naturally.
This will lighten the feet, increase agility and nimbleness, improve balance and
help you to achieve requirement number #2 (relax
the chest and pluck up the back).
2. Relax the chest and pluck up the back
One extreme is the 'military posture' (protruded/puffed chest). The other
extreme is more commonplace: sagging stomach/abdominal muscles resulting in a
collapsed chest.
The aim is neither extreme.
Lengthen from the groin to the costal arch. This will strengthen the muscles and
counteract the effects of gravity.
Pluck up the back is sensation felt above the shoulder blades.
It arises from getting requirement #1 correct (suspended from above) in
conjunction with providing adequate muscular support for the weight of the
ribcage.
3. Relaxation of the waist
For the human body, the waist is the dominant part. When you relax the waist, your two feet will be strong enough to form a firm
base. All the movements depend on the action of the waist, as the saying goes, "vital
force comes from the waist".
Inaccurate movements in
tai chi stem from erroneous actions of the waist.
4. Solid and empty stance
It is of primary importance in tai chi to distinguish between empty and
solid. If you shift the weight of the body on to the right leg, then the right leg is
solidly planted on the ground and the left leg is in an empty stance.
When your weight is on the left leg, then the left leg is firmly planted on the
ground and the right leg is in an empty stance. Only in this way can you turn and move your body adroitly and without effort,
otherwise you will be slow and clumsy in your movements and not able to remain
stable and firm on your feet.
5. Sinking of the shoulders and elbows
Keep the
shoulder in a natural, relaxed position.
If you lift your shoulders, the qi will rise with them and the whole body will
be without strength. You should also keep the elbows down, otherwise you will not be able to keep
your shoulders relaxed and move your body with
ease.
6.
Using the mind instead of
force
Among people who practice tai chi, it is quite common to hear the
statement, "that is entirely using the mind not force". In practicing tai chi, the whole body is relaxed, and there is not an iota of
stiff or clumsy strength in the muscles or joints to hinder the movement of the
body.
People may ask, "how can you increase
strength without exercising force?" According to traditional Chinese medicine, there is in the human body a system
of pathways called meridians, which link the viscera with different parts of the
body, making the human body an integrated whole. If the meridian is not impeded, then the oxygen will circulate in the body
unobstructed. But if the meridian is filled with stiff strength, the oxygen will not be
able to circulate and consequently the body cannot move with ease.
One should therefore use the mind instead of force,
so that the oxygen will follow in wake of the mind or consciousness and
circulate all over the body. Through persistent practice one will be able to
have genuine internal force.
This is what tai chi experts call, "lithe in appearance, but powerful in
essence".
A master of tai chi has arms which are as strong
as steel rods wrapped in cotton, with immense power concealed therein.
Boxers of the outer school look powerful when they exert force, but when they
cease to do so, the power no longer exists, so it is merely a kind of
superficial force.
7.
Coordination of upper and lower parts
According to the principles of tai chi, the root is in the feet, the force is
launched through the
legs, controlled by the waist and expressed by the fingers
- the feet, the legs and waist form a harmonious whole. When the hands, the waist, and the legs move, the eyes should follow their
movements. This is what is meant by the upper and lower parts. If any part should cease to move, then the movements will be disconnected and
fall into disarray.
8. Harmony between the
internal and external parts
In practicing tai chi, the focus is on the mind and consciousness.
Hence the saying, "the mind is commander, and the body subservient to it". With the tranquillity of the mind, the movements will be gentle and graceful.
As far as the frame is concerned, there are only the empty and the solid, opened
and closed - open not only means opening the four limbs but the mind as well, he
means closing the mind along with the four limbs.
Perfection is achieved when one unifies the two and harmonises the internal and
external.
9. Importance of continuity
In the case of the outer school (which emphasises attack) of fighting, the
strength one exerts is still and the movements are not continuous, but are
sometimes made off and on, which leaves an opening an opponent may take
advantage of. In tai chi one focuses the attention on the mind instead of force, and the
movements from the beginning to end are continuous and in an endless circle,
just like a river which flows on and on without end, or like reeling a silk
thread off cocoons.
10. Tranquillity in movement
In the case of the outer school of fighting, the emphasis is on leaping,
bouncing, punching and the exertion of force, and so one often gasps for breath
after practicing, but in tai chi, the movement is blended with tranquillity,
and while performing the movements, one maintains tranquillity of mind.
In practicing the frame, the slower the movement, the better the results. This is because when the movements are slow, one can take a deep breath and sink
it to the tan tien.
It has a soothing effect on the body and mind.
Learners of tai chi will get a better
understanding of all this through
careful study and persistent practice.
For The Tai Chi Classics presented in full
please read The Essence of Tai Chi Chuan - The Literary Tradition by Lo et al.
Page created
18 April 1995
Last updated
16 June 2023
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