Mr. Tran's Virtual Classroom

Principles of Tai Chi

"Yield and overcome."
-Lao Tzu

1. Substantial and Insubstantial: Substantial is yang and insubstantial is yin. In the beginning, it is critical to be aware of the shifting of the weight from one foot to the other. When the weight is on one foot, then that foot is yang and the other foot is yin. This is the foundation of establishing rooting. At a higher level, be aware of the substantial and insubstantial of the hands as well. Thus, when one hand is yang, then the other hand is yin. At the highest level, there is also substantial and insubstantial of the opposite hand and foot. For example, in "brush knee twist step," the forward striking hand is substantial or yang, and the same foot (rear) is therefore yang also.

2. Chi is moved like a curved thread through nine pearls: The body has nine curves (the fist joint, the wrist joint, the elbow joint, the shoulder joint, the spine, the waist, the hips, the knee joint, and the ankle joint). The chi is moved through these nine joints, so that when one part of the body moves, the entire body moves.

3. Relax "Sung": Tai Chi is known as movement meditation. Thus, the mind (awareness) and chi (breath) are united with movement (in the present moment). The movement is effortless because there is no self. One becomes a detached observer. The muscles are relaxed, and the chi is moved through the ligaments. Beginners need to pay particular attention to the shoulders since the muscular tension is most profound at this point. One needs to relax the shoulders, and drop the elbows while practicing the form. Sung is closely related to Peng Ching.

4. Keep Alignment: The body must be upright, keep the neck and the back straight. The tail-boned is tucked in so that the buttocks are not sticking out. The chest is not sticking out, nor the upper back hunched forward.

5. The source of movements is in the waist and spine as in a wheel revolving around an axle: The waist is rotated around the spine like a wheel revolving around an axle. In this case, the axle is perpendicular to the ground. Thus in movement, the waist is moved horizontal to the ground and rotating around the spine.

6. Stay at the same height: Except for movements such as "Single Whip Squatting Down," stay at the same height while doing the form.

7. The step is light like a cat: When one is aware of substantial and insubstantial, the step will be empty and light. In Tai Chi foot-worked, the step forward is first with the heel then the whole foot. In the step backward, the ball of the foot then the whole foot.

8. Peng Ching: It is potential energy. The whole body must have peng ching at all times while doing the form. It has the sensation of fullness or extension through the joints. It is the culmination of correct postures of three parts: arms, legs, and back. The correct posture for the arms is to drop both shoulders and elbows, and the wrists are straighten. The correct posture for the legs is to keep the buttocks tucked in and the knees bent, the step is light with distinction between solidity and emptiness. The correct posture for the back is to keep the back straight, so that the rotation is around the spine, with the receiving points at the two shoulder joints and the two hips joints. Peng ching's eight gates or positions are as follow: Peng, Lu, Chi, An, Tsai, Lieh, Chou, Kao.

9. Fa Jing: "The root is at the feet, 'Jing' is generated from the legs, controlled by the waist, and expressed by the fingers." It is striking energy. This is preceded by collecting energy through the nine joints equally, with the spine as the main point of collecting and striking. The strike is through the hands, one solid and the other empty, and focus on the opponent's center. Collecting energy is like drawing a bow, and striking energy is like releasing an arrow.

10. Spirit, Mind, and Chi: The mind moves the chi, thus there has to be a mind intent before the chi arrives. At the highest level of the spirit, the mind intent and chi arrive at the same time.