The
Essence of Taijiquan
Part 1:
Perspective from Taiji Push Hands
2007-08-R6
(Copyrighted 2007
by Don M. Tow)
In an earlier article “Yin-Yang
Theory and Martial Applications of Taijiquan” published in December 2006 in
this website (see "Archived-Taiji" page),
we said that Taijiquan was originated as a martial art and we discussed the
underlying basis behind Taijiquan as a martial art.
In Taijiquan, one doesn’t oppose an opponent’s
attack force with a frontal counter force, but one utilizes the opponent’s
force and momentum to get him off-balance.
Saying it another way, one complements the
opponent’s force (Yang force which could be large) with one’s force along
the same direction or at a slightly different direction (Yin force which
could be small) either to get the opponent off-balance or to deflect the
attacking force.
When one senses the opponent changing
direction, one also changes direction and again utilizes the opponent’s
force and momentum to get him off balance.
This gives rise to the statement that four
ounces can deflect a thousand pounds.
The two fundamental features of Yin-Yang
complementarity and their constantly changing nature are symbolized by
Taijiquan’s Yin-Yang symbol.
In this article, we continue that
discussion and elaborate on the essence of Taijiquan as a martial art.
This discussion is based on material from
several books, especially from the following three books:
In Part 1 (current article), we
discuss the essence of Taijiquan from the perspective of Taiji Push Hands,
which focuses on the martial application techniques of Taijiquan.
In Part 2 (article in a future release of this
website), we discuss the essence of Taijiquan from the perspective of Taiji
Qigong, which focuses on regulating Qi, the internal energy in one’s body,
to increase the power and effectiveness of the martial application
techniques of Taijiquan.
As mentioned at the beginning of
this article, it is extremely important for a Taijiquan practitioner to be
sensitive to the movement and intention of his opponent.
To increase that sensitivity and to respond
appropriately and almost automatically to any movement of the opponent,
Taiji Push Hands is used as a training technique in a one-on-one
close-contact environment, where each person tries to use his hands and body
to attack or to defend.
These training techniques consist of
choreographed push-hand form-sets and un-choreographed free-style push
hands.
There are
eight basic
moving patterns in Taiji Push Hands:
In addition to the eight basic
moving patterns, there are also
five strategic skills
in Taiji Push Hands.
Each subsequent skill is a refinement of the
previous skill.
Combining Taiji Push Hands’ eight
basic moving patterns and five strategic skills gives rise to 13 techniques.
That is why Taijiquan is also called Thirteen
Postures.
In executing the above techniques, a
Taijiquan practitioner must relax his body and mind.
Relaxing his body not only allows him to be
more sensitive to his opponent’s movement and intention, but it also makes
it more difficult for his opponent to sense his movement and intention.
Relaxing his mind allows him to process the
information received and choosing the appropriate response quickly and
almost automatically.
Furthermore, following his opponent’s movement
may mean that he has to change directions quite often.
To facilitate such frequent and quick changes
of directions, a Taijiquan practitioner should keep his upper body straight
while relying on his feet, legs, and waist to execute the changes.
Keeping the upper body straight also helps to
maintain his balance.
It is important to point out that
the root of martial power is from the feet, and that power is controlled by
the waist, and manifested in the hands (fists or fingers).
Taijiquan, unlike some of the other martial
arts (e.g., Shaolinquan or Taekwondo), doesn’t frequently use the feet to
strike the upper body of an opponent.
Instead, it uses the feet more to solidify a
person’s stance, weaken an opponent’s stance, and for low strikes.
In summary, the essence of Taijiquan
from the perspective of Taiji Push Hands is to sense the opponent’s movement
and intention and respond appropriately and almost automatically.
Usually the appropriate response is to follow
your opponent’s motion, and wait for the right opportunity to initiate a
quick counter-attack.
To achieve that objective, one has to stay
connected to his opponent in a relaxed manner.
This is a skill learned through a combination
of choreographed push-hand form-sets and un-choreographed free-style push
hands.
Part 2 (in a future release of this website) will discuss
the essence of Taijiquan from the perspective of Taiji Qigong and discuss
regulating Qi, the internal energy in one’s body, to increase the power and
effectiveness of the martial applications of Taijiquan.
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