Category: Training

Six-direction force includes the balance of opposing directions for up/down, forward/backward and right/left (阳 yang and 阴 yin pairs), which will be presented in this article. These pairs of directions represent XYZ coordinates, which together represent three dimensional force, the goal being to have energy in all directions like a properly inflated ball.

Zhang Yun wrote an excellent article that includes an explanation of six-direction force in Xingyiquan (形意拳): http://www.ycgf.org/Articles/XY_SanTiShi/XY_SanTiShi.html

While much of what Zhang writes in his article is similar to, or compatible with, Taijiquan (e.g. see “Upward Force” and “Downward Force”), this article will attempt to explain additional aspects of six-direction force in Taijiquan (太極拳) practice.

In action, when one direction of the pair(s) is emphasized, one does not want to lose the counterbalancing opposite direction. Practitioners should maintain some yin in a predominantly yang move, and vise versa. Over-commitment to one direction inhibits the ability to change. When committing to one direction, practitioners should retain the ability to change to any other direction, including the opposite.

LEGS – Up/Down: There are several ways that Taijiquan addresses this principle. One is the rooting into the feet (extending into the earth), while also having the body lifted as if the crown of the head is suspended by a string from above.

If we are standing, then we are producing upward energy (“resisting” the pull of gravity), and this is balanced, in some traditions, by the image that we are pulling ourselves downward as if we are lowering ourselves to sit on a chair.

It is desirable to always have the ability to jump upward and also to suddenly drop downward regardless of where a practitioner is in their form(s). No matter how their weight is distributed in their legs, a practitioner should be able to suddenly raise or lower their body. This action is like a spring. As long as the spring is not fully compressed or fully expanded, it maintains the ability to either compress more or to spring back, depending on the changes in the force acting on the spring.

It is also addressed in some traditions by having the head stay on one level, rather than raising and lowering, while shifting from one leg to the other. By practicing staying level, we are practicing to maintain an up/down balance between the leg muscles that could otherwise be used to raise (using only the extensor muscles) and lower (using only the flexor muscles) our bodies.

LEGS – Forward/Backward: The practice of remaining at a level height when shifting the weight also addresses the forward/backward balance by having us always using one leg to “push” while the other leg “pulls” (rather than pushing with one leg to the apex when both legs are relatively straight, and then collapsing the other leg to continue the movement in that direction).

The balance of forward/backward in the forward advancing leg is addressed by the principle that one should not advance beyond the point where returning/backward energy can be felt. Some address this principle by prohibiting the knee from advancing beyond vertically above the toes. Others are more conservative with the advance restricted to no farther that the center of the foot, or the Bubbling Well (涌泉 yongquan, KD1 acupuncture point). Some even advise going no farther than a vertical shin.

Some practitioners also practice not having the knee extend too far forward when bending the leg by practicing squats facing a wall with the toes touching the base of the wall. In this practice, the thighs should be lowered to horizontal while the knees are restricted from going beyond the toes.

The energy in the rear leg, when retreating, should maintain the ability to spring forward, like a compressing spring. The yin/yang balance of the rear leg, when advancing, is addressed by the requirement to not lock the knee. A locked knee, in any posture, would produce yang without yin, and could make it difficult to change quickly or smoothly.

Practitioners used to viewing the legs as being two of the five “bows” (the other three being the two arms and the torso) will have forward/backward (and to some degree up/down) balance similar to a drawn bow. When drawn, a bow will be expanded on the outward (forward, yang) surface while compressing on the inner (backward, yin) surface; the bow being bent by pulling the string is balanced by the energy of the bow trying to straighten.

LEGS – Right/Left: The rounding of the crotch produces an outward energy that is balanced by the instructions to keep the knees pointing towards the toes (or the big toe in some traditions), which maintains an inward counterbalance to the rounding of the crotch.

Sometimes the outward/inward (right/left) balance is compared to the energy of the legs when riding a horse. When riding a horse, one’s thighs are pressed outward by the animal’s body, but the rider’s knees should maintain inward energy against the horse’s flanks.

LEGS – Horizontal Plane: Since the knee’s mobility is limited when the weight is partially in the corresponding leg, the movement of the knee is often restricted to just forward/backward and right/left, thus producing the horizontal plane. The forward/backward and right/left balances in the legs are also addressed, at least in Chen style, by the partner practice of knee against knee circles (掤 peng, 捋 lu, 挤 ji and 按 an with the knee).

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How the Circle/Sphere Generates and Differentiates Yin and Yang in Taijiquan

An image that I find very useful when teaching interactive Taijiquan (太極拳) is that of a properly inflated ball floating on water.

A ball is an ideal shape since it is spherical and thus responds with circular movements, and the ball floating on water responds instantly to incoming energy. It is balanced and centered, always maintaining a perfect structure with neither protrusions (excesses) nor depressions (deficiencies). It acts only when acted upon, and does not act in opposition to anything, but rather moves with the conditions present in the interaction.

When a ball rotates in response to incoming energy, one side of the point of contact moves away from, while the opposite side moves toward, the point of contact. This generates yin (阴) going away from, and yang (阳) going toward, the point of contact.

The ball is passive, yet practitioners can benefit from emulating the ball when practicing Taijiquan. By actively rotating like the ball, we can create a cycle of energy at the point(s) of contact with an opponent. One side will be yin (retreating, pulling, absorbing, yielding…) while the other side simultaneously is yang (advancing, pushing, projecting, attacking…).

If there is yin on one side of the point(s) of contact with an opponent, and simultaneously there is yang on the other side, then we can avoid the error of “double weighting” (or double pressure). While some schools may have their own preferred way of talking about double weighting, for this article I will define double weighting as having either yin on both sides of the point of contact, or having yang on both sides of the point of contact (i.e., having equal pressure on both sides).

Yin/yin double weighting is collapsing (or running away, limp, etc.) while yang/yang double weighting is resisting (or fighting, tense, etc.). Instead, we want to maintain a condition at the point(s) of contact with an opponent that maintains both yin and yang simultaneously. One can view this as keeping a point of contact on the “s-curve” dividing the yin side from the yang side of the taiji diagram (taijitu 太極圖).

Some schools also use the ancient version of the taiji diagram to illustrate Taijiquan principles. Using this diagram, the point of contact with an opponent would be like the clear center that has the yin and yang cycling around it.

If practitioners clearly differentiate yin from yang around the point of contact, then the amount of contact force can vary from extremely soft to extremely hard, and every level in-between, and the yin/yang balance, interaction and transformations can be maintained.

Many Yang style practitioners train as softly as possible, whereas many Chen style schools practice using significant force. These differences in training are compatible with Taijiquan principles if practitioners understand the separation of yin and yang at the point of contact, and thus realize that both versions can operate somewhere on the “s-curve” of the Taiji diagram.

All practitioners should be able to use Taijiquan against whatever level of force their opponent uses; ideally, using the full spectrum represented by the entire “s-curve” line. The ball floating on water will respond appropriately regardless of whether the contact with it is very light or very forceful.

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Some years ago I met a Taijiquan & Qigong teacher who expected all her students to take off their jewelry during class. Even the wedding ring!

Personally, I like to keep my wedding ring on, but I would like to tell you some reasons why I recommend to take off your bling-bling.

Imagine someone standing next to you with a bracelet with charms or someone with many of those tiny bracelets. Now you get into your favorite Qigong exercise, you close your eyes and relax. You try to get into your own rhythm, but there’s this subtle “tsching-cling-tsching-cling” next to you. Instead of getting into your own rhythm, you adapt to your neighbor’s bracelet-tsching-rhythm.

What a bummer, right? Wouldn’t it be much nicer if that person would take off their bling-bling and everyone could relax into the exercise on their own terms?

But, maybe you are the one with the bracelets or necklace or earrings. Maybe you don’t even notice anymore, that your jewelry is actually making noise sounds. So please give yourself and the others in your class a rest. Take off your jewelry!

Additionally, you should consider that tight-fitting decoration could disturb your Qi flow. Especially if it is a ring and made of some metal. That was actually the reason why that teacher I met wanted everyone to take off every piece of jewelry. She wanted us to have the full Qi flow experience.

Or let’s put it this way: you get into comfortable pants, wear a wide T-Shirt and then your strangulate your wrist with a watch? Come on! You don’t even need that watch during class, your teacher will surely tell you when it’s over. 😉

If you are into Taijiquan, there are even more reasons why you want to put away your jewelry. Taijiquan is a martial art and usually you are taught applications or you do push hands. And jewelry increases the risk of injury.

Your teacher will much more likely pick someone with bare wrists to show applications. But isn’t it just amazing to experience them yourself instead of just watching?

And it is awkward to grasp your arms for push hands if they are loaded with rings, bracelets, and watches. Chains or necklaces, especially long ones, definitely disturb me during push hands. They dangle there in the middle and they make it harder to concentrate on the moves and the partner.

Finally, I would like to add: though I do not like rings, watches, and necklaces during classes, I have to admit that I do like these little Acupressure rings, e.g. when I sit at the computer. I always fiddle around with them. But I do not use them during training!

So all in all this is what I think about bling-bling: I really like to wear it, but NOT when I practice. And that’s why I really want to encourage you to take off your jewelry. There’s no need to showcase your family heirlooms during Taijiquan and Qigong classes!

What do you think? How do you deal with jewelry while practicing?

My experience with Energy Arts and Internal practices began in earnest some years ago with a Qigong form called Opening the Energy Gates of the Body, I bought Bruce Frantzis’ seminal book of the same title and arranged to have a few lessons with an instructor. After a lifelong but sporadic interest in martial arts and health practices, I had begun training in Wing Chun Kung Fu some years earlier. It was described as an internal/external style and the internal part fascinated me (more of that later). I really took to it and was soon training pretty much every day.

Wing Chun has lot of practices that develop sensitivity and the ability to feel, it’s very kinesthetic and requires you to be in the moment and aware. This did wonders for my health and stress levels, and opened a whole new world to me. The relaxed concentration used was akin to some forms of meditation, and I just didn’t worry or churn thoughts whilst training or in class. fantastic!

This led to an interest in the other internal styles – Tai Chi, Bagua, and Hsing I. I wanted to go further down this path and see what was there. I will say at this point that I had never been a physical or sporty person, so to engage in these things and love them was a surprise and a delight.

So what does ‘Internal’ mean? it’s about having your mind in your body, being comfortable, and using your relaxed intention to create results rather than any kind of strain or muscle tension. When you first discover that this really works, it’s quite the experience! So, as feeling and being aware led me into a whole new world, I started to find my health and internal state as fascinating as the martial arts. I also found out that I was in a near constant state of habituated tension, in my nerves and in my body, quite a common experience once you finally get out of your head/thoughts and into your experience a little. I had now taken stock of my situation and was ready to go about improving my health and experience of life… Back to Energy Gates Qigong ….

It starts very simple – You Stand. That’s it, or is it? There is always something going on whilst you stand. You notice where your body is misaligned and start to be able to release ‘stuck’ areas of the body. You also learn to ‘sink your chi’ or drop your natural energy through your body. The first time when I had let go and accomplished this somewhat, there was a mighty downward ‘whooosh’. A huge sense of emotional relief, and the INSIDE of my body started to feel increasingly wet, and well, really nice. Are you able to feel the inside of your body?

The Energy Gates form then progresses to ‘Cloud Hands’, a movement found in most Tai Chi forms. This seemingly simple movement encompasses pretty much all that you do in Tai Chi, so it was very appealing to someone eager to get started. In ‘Cloud Hands’ you learn to link and connect your body together, you move one part and all parts move. Sometimes it feels as if your body is moving all by itself, and some days it really doesn’t!! But it’s something you can drop into at any time of the day, and I consider it to be a mini and portable workshop that I can be in anytime of the day. The progress can be slow connecting yourself internally like this, but those days that you do look back at and see just how much you have progressed feel really good!

From there the form progresses to 3 ‘swings’ and the Tai Chi spine stretch. These exercises are about letting it all go, releasing downwards and outwards, calming the nervous system, and feeling very grounded. The form makes a person very aware of what tension and contraction feels like in the mind, emotions, and body and it slowly makes a habit of releasing it.

‘There are many long and intricate Tai Chi forms out there, Energy Gates is more about the qualities within those movements, your internal state and your alignments.

It feels like you’ve been given a gift (although you are required to do your part to learn it), a little gem you can retreat to anytime, be comfortable and enjoy developing. I’m so glad that I got started on this path and to do my own small part to spread this immensely valuable material. I have invited my teacher and friend Aaron Green over from the US to teach a five-day Energy Gates Qigong retreat in Anglesey, Wales, UK this October.

The retreat will serve as a solid foundation for beginners, and as a chance to go deeper for the more experienced practitioner.

Aaron Green has been teaching Energy Arts for more than 20 years and has trained extensively with Taoist Lineage Master Bruce Frantzis www.energyarts.com. Aaron is a seasoned practitioner and a gifted teacher of Wu style Tai Chi, Longevity Breathing, and various Qigong practices which embody a high level of energetic ability and sensitivity. For the past 10 years Aaron has also been using Craniosacral Therapy and Qigong Tui-Na to help his clients achieve various goals: from improved posture to chronic pain relief and remission of incurable conditions.

For more info on the Energy Gates Qigong practice and the retreats you can visit www.taichi-northwest.com or Facebook.com/Phoenix.Blu.Retreats/ or email Chris at phoenix.blu.retreats@outlook.com

Tui Shou (推手), or push-hands, can be used to train many things in the study of Taijiquan (太極拳), and different schools likely have numerous specialized methods for using this training tool. But, since I have seen online forums where practitioners question the fighting usefulness of push-hands (at least as commonly trained, especially as seen in competitions), I though that I would present my understanding of this training method.

Wikipedia does a good job of explaining Taijiquan push-hands (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushing_hands). The article states that push-hands is the “gateway” to understanding the martial aspects of this art, but does not explain how practitioners would transition from the “gateway” of push-hands into fighting

It makes sense that such qualities as “leverage, reflex, sensitivity, timing, coordination and positioning” would be valuable for a fighter, and that training to “undo a person’s natural instinct to resist force with force, teaching the body to yield to force and redirect it” may differentiate Taijiquan training from many other styles of martial arts

In addition to the principles mentioned in the Wikipedia article, I would propose that a major aspect of Taijiquan push-hands is training in the middle range. To transition into fighting with Taijiquan, practitioners may need to practice additional methods not commonly taught in the push-hands format

If we look at martial arts fighting in general, the typical distances utilized tend to fall into the two categories of striking (long) range and grappling (short) range.

In both MMA and Chinese Lei Tai competition fighting, it is fairly common to see competitors using primarily striking and grappling/throwing (transitioning to ground fighting in MMA), and there are many styles of fighting around the world that emphasize one or the other of these skills. In Western fighting styles, these would perhaps be best illustrated by boxing and wrestling.

But Taijiquan focuses on a middle range not typically emphasized in other systems, and rarely seen in MMA or Lei Tai fights. While striking and grappling are important aspects of fighting, and should not be ignored by Taijiquan practitioners, the emphasis is initially focused on developing skills in the middle range.

To land a strike, an opponent would need to cross through this middle range. Similarly, grappling would need to get inside this middle range to be effectively employed. From this middle range, with proper body dynamics, both effective strikes and throws can be achieved by skilled Taijiquan practitioners.

The middle range is a difficult range to control (thus its relative rarity), and this is what push-hands seeks to train. To succeed in this middle range, Taijiquan emphasizes sensitivity (“listening” and “understanding” energies) as well as stick and adhere, connect and follow (zhan nian lian sui 粘黏連隨) and other concepts.

For more information on zhan nian lian sui see: http://www.ycgf.org/Articles/Z-N-L-S/arti_znls.htm

Fighters whose strength is in striking typically defend by moving out of range, blocking, covering, slipping the attack, etc. But these strategies generally do not gain physical control of the opponent when contact is made. The opponent is free to attack again.

Conversely, grappling arts attempt to get close enough that striking becomes less effective, and to remain close where throws, take downs, locks, chokes, etc. are possible. This strategy focuses on physical control of the opponent, often ending in groundwork, and generally inhibits the ability of the opponent to attack freely.

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The article Why practice Tai Chi? is reprinted on Slanted Flying website with the permission of the author Sam Langley from his personal Blog.

Why practice Tai Chi? When I ask new students why they are interested in learning Tai Chi, they usually have difficulty coming up with an answer. Of course, the myriad benefits of Tai Chi are well known and one could say they want to improve their posture, balance and general well being. A few beginners are interested in the martial side of Tai Chi, although many are unaware it even exists! When I started learning Tai Chi I was dimly aware that it was a martial art, that it was supposedly very good for you and that it in some way involved meditation.

Before starting Tai Chi I’d had a growing feeling that I should start meditation. I could feel that my mind was restless somehow and that meditation was the answer. I tried meditating without instruction which I found very difficult. I read numerous books on Buddhism, Taoism and every other ism and they all said the same thing: Find a teacher and learn meditation.

I first tried Zen meditation. In the first zazen session we sat meditating for an hour! It was an extremely intense experience. Suddenly my mind turned inward and I became aware of my breathing, my heart rate, my posture and my mad churning thoughts. I liked the zen sitting meditation and although I didn’t go back I continued to practice fairly regularly.

Around the same time I started learning Tai Chi. As I practiced more and more I gradually stopped the sitting meditation. It became clear to me that all of Tai Chi is meditation. Whilst practicing standing meditation, silk reeling and Tai Chi form I found my mind becoming increasingly still and peaceful.

As time goes on and as I practice more I find my mind is calmer, not just while I’m practicing but all the time.

It is this aspect of Tai Chi that I believe people are most drawn to. Everyone wants peace of mind. Personally, I love the martial side of Tai chi and am a keen advocate of the health benefits but really what makes me practice every day is not the promise of super human martial ability, or that it will make me live longer but that it is in itself an experience of sublime tranquility.

The student really is the teacher

Even as a senior Tai Chi student, when I taught a beginner it was always a great experience for me that they learned something. Not just a physical movement (like a strike or a weight shift etc) but the concept. The concept of thinking. Thinking differently. Acting and behaving in accordance with the discipline. Many students I’ve taught have been novice all the way up to senior students from other paths. I’ve enjoyed learning and sharing all my experiences amongst my martial brothers and sisters. When I pass someone on the street that I taught 6yrs ago or a current student an immediate bond re-connects. Its a great feeling.

Its a wonderful feeling to get inside the mind of a student. To learn how to teach them. To discover their hang ups, insecurities, fears, and physical limitations. All these conditions subside like the tides and after all the challenges you are left with a move. A student with one step further down the path of training in the way.

Many teachers these days get caught up with ego, politics, and status, etc. Many times the students get caught up in it as well. The pure and simple joy of learning and thus teaching is easy to forget especially when you engage in the mundane tasks of money, schedules, paperwork, etc. However, the zen I still return to after all these years is the joy I get when a student learns and feels a sense of benefit from my teaching. I think about my lessons all day, all week, and even after I teach. Did I say it right? Did everyone get it? Why were there so many deer in traffic tonight? Maybe I should shut up and not talk so much.

In a discussion with my best friend (and fellow teacher), we both laughed as we agreed that the students will NEVER love this as much as we do. Sometimes this is why we talk so much or give so much. However, it’s wonderful to see someone step up. The desire to be joined by another on this path is both welcomed, and honoured. As we know the success rate is quite low, so anyone to even last a year is rare.

But the student who realizes that its not a destination but a path. The path is the goal. A  student who can understand this (myself included) is thus a great reward and reminder of the ultimate continuation of cultivation of the inner self.

TAIJIQUAN – CHEN

Check out our other articles on Tai Chi Training

If you have practiced Tàijíquán (太極拳) for any length of time, you are sure to have heard a teacher command you to “relax.”

Sometimes they pick on a certain body part by saying things like, “Relax your shoulders!” Other times, they just tell you to relax your whole body.

Why do they do that?

From a martial arts perspective relaxation is essential in the development of proper power. When extending your arm, you have a set of muscles responsible for the “pushing” motion of that arm. You also have a set of muscles responsible for the “pulling” or opposite motion of your arm. In exercise science, these opposing muscle groups are called agonists and antagonists.

It’s important to realize that a strong punch only uses the “pushing” muscles. Because we are extending our arm for the punch, these “pushing” muscles are called the agonists. In order for that punch to be truly powerful, the “pulling” or antagonist muscles must be in a relaxed state.
During martial arts practice a major problem arises because many students mistakenly associate muscular contraction with strength, and think that if they tighten all the muscles (both the agonist and antagonist muscles) of their arm, their punch will be very strong.

When they do that, however, their antagonist or “pulling” muscles are acting against their “pushing” muscles. The result is that heir punch is slower and significantly less powerful.

So when you train your form in slow motion, if you relax all the muscles, except for only the muscles you need to move your arm, your movement will achieve maximum efficiency. Then, when you repeat that movement quickly, you will maintain the quality of your movement and your punch will be very powerful.

The development of power, sometimes called Fā Lì (發力) or Fā Jìn (發勁) in Tàijíquán requires a very specific type of movement which begins in the legs, is given direction by the waist, and then finally expressed in the hands. This, too, requires a certain amount of relaxation to perpetuate the wave of motion.

When watching someone who is very good at Tàijíquán, the Chinese say that the performer’s movements are “liu shuǐ (流水)” or “like flowing water.” This is a direct reference to the wave of movement used in the development of Fā Jìn. Unnatural tension at any point in the chain of muscles used to create this wave will disrupt it, and further inhibit the development of power in Tàijíquán. Thus, a person practicing Tàijíquán for martial arts should relax, or they will not be able to fully realize their power.

In fact, there is actually a risk of practicing Fā Jìn while tense. When this special coordination is trained, the body moves in sequence. The interesting thing is, however, that the muscles involved in this sequence go from large to small. The leg muscles engage to begin the movement. Then the wave of activity transfers from the legs to the large postural muscles of the torso and back, and the legs are allowed to relax a bit. From there, the movement is transmitted to the smaller shoulder and arm muscles. Finally, the movement is handed off to the fingers where it is expressed.

When using Tàijíquán as a martial art, the development of Jìn is an essential part of training. Because these attacks are developed as a kind of wave, from the ground up to the hand, the power moves from the body’s larger muscle groups to the body’s smaller ones. The physics of this is similar to the use of a whip.

Figure 1

Figure 2

As you see in Figures 1 and 2, when cracking a whip, the power is first developed in the thicker portion, near the handle, and then flows as a wave down the whip to finally be expressed by the tip. The narrowing of the whip actually focuses the power of the strike into a more compact and exponentially more powerful impact.

Figure 3

It takes far more power to swing a bat than to crack a whip. In fact, if you moved a bat up and down with the force necessary to crack a whip and struck something with it, you would barely damage the surface, while the whip’s power is continually focused towards its tip, giving it a deeply penetrating strike.

Tàijíquán is performed slowly and while relaxed—even when studied as a martial art—to help the practitioner develop the proper coordination and timing as well as to keep them form injuring themselves. Once a Tàijí strike is speed up if there is any tension in the body, the energy projected from the wave motion will stop suddenly at the location of tension. Think what would happen if a person braided a stick into the middle of a whip and then cracked it with all his might (see Figure 4). The stick would most likely crack under the pressure of the whip’s motion. The same would happen to whatever structure in the body was tense, which usually constitutes of muscles, ligaments, and tendons.

Figure 4

Now we know why a person practicing Tàijíquán as a martial art should relax, but what about those who practice Tàijíquán for health? Why should they also relax?

For that, we’re going to briefly talk about the process by which Qì (氣) moves through the body. Then, we will examine how Tàijíquán specifically affects this Qì movement, and then we will examine how tension affects that.

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