Demystifying Taijiquan (Translated from Shaolinyutaiji Magazine) The philosophy of Taijiquan is profound, deserving of a lifetime of research and study. Because this philosophy was formulated in an age where there were insufficient scientific knowledge to clearly explain its subtleties, some training methods and theory were explained in an abstract numinous style so that future generations can absorb and understand it in the context of their own era. However, this can easily lead to misinterpretation and the mystification of the theories, especially among modern-day Taiji enthusiasts, and with beginners. For example, what is “Taiji neigong?” How do you explain “dantian rotation”? Many people practise a lifetime of Taijiquan but are still unable to resolve these questions. The article suggests that, through prolonged practice and training, when the body’s joints are loosened, the tendons are stretched and elongated, when all parts of the body are co-ordinated in motion, and every gap between the joints has developed elasticity – this elasticity, the stretching of the tendon added to whole body co-ordination is what is known as Taiji neigong (Taiji internal skill). Traditional Taijiquan practice involves what is known as dantian rotation. As far as dantian rotation is concerned, it is simply a requirement for a person to focus on the dantian region during practice. The dantian, according to the study of jingluo, is situated in the lower abdomen approximately three fingers below the navel. In this area there is a concentration of internal organs, mainly the reproductive and excretory organs. Concentrating one’s mind intent on the dantian region has several benefits: it can lower the body’s centre of gravity making the lower plane (xia pan) very steady and balanced; it enables massage of the internal organs, to increase the functions of those organs; It can focus the mind-intent (yi nien) so that when you are practising your boxing you are actually resting your mind; to enable the execution of dantian breathing, namely abdominal breathing which increases lung capacity. So dantian rotation is a practice requirement of Taiji and is nothing mysterious. Where is the dantian? In your abdomen, besides your internal organs, there is not such an organ. However, if you use an abstract explanation you can say that it is created by long practice. People with high skill have a distinctive feeling as if there is a sphere in the abdomen that is turning when you are doing your Taiji. Long-standing practice of Taijiquan enables the jingluo to be open and free of obstruction, thereby increasing the circulation of blood. Internal martial artists call this nei qi. Nei qi can undeniably improve the health. Many old martial texts advocated that the use of qi in attacking an opponent render one indestructible, endowed with techniques capable of penetrating anything. If taken literally it becomes supernatural, entering the realm of myth. Whether it is described as nei qi or nei gong, as long as a method is executed perfectly then it is not magical. In actual martial application one requires technique. This technique is acquired only through long-term training of the body so that reactions are sensitive and reflexive. To achieve this there must be a perfect co-ordination of the mind and body and recognition of the precise moment of opportunity. Amongst other attributes, this requires speed, alertness, positional awareness and the execution of the appropriate technique. For example: in shuai-fa (throwing techniques) it is necessary to know where all the leverage points are and how you can change them; during na fa (grasping methods) it is necessary to know the anatomical position of all the reversible joints, fulcrum theory and understanding of the dimension and movement boundary of each joint; in the case of da fa (hitting method) one must have an understanding of timing and distancing. Chinese culture is steeped in allegory and religious beliefs that cannot be explained in practical terms. This gives some people the opportunity to exploit and perpetuate a condition by using myth to explain a superstition or superstition to explain a myth. If people are not mindful they can easily be led down an incorrect tangent. In the last twenty years Taijiquan development and teaching has intentionally or unintentionally been influenced and affected by this phenomena. Using ambiguity to explain something that is quite practical is detrimental to the art. A lot of people who are propagating this mystical thing are actually quite genuine in their beliefs. What is worse are those who use this to exploit the many sincere people who are striving to seek the truth. Traditional Taiji studies have many abstract writings. How do you sort it out in your mind? If the texts cannot be explained in practical terms, if you cannot use them to elevate your Taiji skill, then they are of little use. In order to be able to understand Taiji you must be able to objectively study it. In the research of this ancient philosophy one need to adopt modern scientific theory. For example, using the science of the body, the science of movement, using psychology (study of the mind), science of nature etc to explain what appears to be shrouded in mystery. Using the study of fulcrums and spiral movement to explain, for example, the saying “using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds”. In this way one can get away from the fanciful supernatural interpretations. Get rid of the distractions and go for the main point. 18th Generation Chen Taiji teacher Chen Zhaokui stood out as a teacher who was able to explain Taiji using the language of the body to explain the philosophy of Taiji. The unique teaching method of Chen Zhaokui was that he could very clearly and understandably explain the requirement of every part of the body for every movement. This was considered a big leap forward at the time. The theory of Taijiquan is as deep and as wide as an ocean. For a beginner who has just entered the door it is inevitably extremely difficult to understand. In the process of learning a frame, the beginning student must gradually master the movement principle. To understand one or two points is considered not bad, as it is not possible to understand every aspect at once. Improvement occurs in a step-by-step manner over time. For example, a requirement of all basic movements is that the two outer extremities section (hands and feet) hold the energy, the two middle sections (elbows and knees) hold the position and the two root sections (shoulders and kua) relax. To do all of this simultaneously is very difficult so it is better perhaps to concentrate on one point at a time. Taijiquan has been practiced for over three hundred years since its creation and is showing no signs of waning. In fact it is going from strength to strength. For its continuing acceptance it has to walk into the 21st century, using 21st century understanding to decipher what is a very ancient philosophy. |