No problem, I really appreciate the opportunity to participate in these discussions. It helps to solidify my understanding of things as I study videos and practice. One of the videos that helped clarify one of the main contradictions/sources of confusion is the mini lesson “Hands on Positive Circle Sequence” where Master Chen is detailing the 9 count circle for you, Michael, and a small group of students on the mountain.
In this video we can see how the hand itself NEVER MOVES, yet it IS MOVED, through space by other parts of the body. The hand ROTATES as it is pulled through space but even the rotation is caused by movements elsewhere in the body. The intention is never to “self move” or even “self rotate” the hand. It’s like the hand is completely removed from the process, with no action on it, it never moves and therefore all the power of the rotations of the joints, goes to the hand.
If you showed this video to someone off the street and said “hey look, Master Chen is moving without moving! he never moved his hand” they would say “your crazy, i can clearly his hand is moving”…. Not only that, but it is difficult for someone who doesn’t understand the importance or potency of these relationships, to grasp why it is so extremely important and how it creates Taiji power. It just seems like a big contradiction…..
http://practicalmethod.com/2010/07/positive-circle-sequence/
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Master Chen once said that don’t believe what you see. Do exactly what you are told to do. Yet, we couldn’t (don’t move), because our eyes give us deceived information which supersedes our mind which in turn tells us how to move. That’s the complication. But I also believe through practice, we have the hope to practice in correct way, if we allow our mind to relax and don’t analyze too much. The instruction is very simple. We make things too complicated.
I love Master Chen’s 9 count circle.