1. Beginning. 2. Movement from a dot. 3. Focus on the dot. 4. Break through the dot. 5. Work with the dot. 6. Three-Way split. 7. Keep the dot. 8. The dot: 3 rotations. Author: Chen Zhonghua Length: 50 min. In: English Year: 2010 Difficulty: 4/5 At: Edmonton.
The dot is everywhere in taiji practice. The body must always have a dot that is the three dimensional center in every move, though it changes in other moves. When dealing with an opponent, there must also be a dot between you and your opponent. It is vital to understand, know, find, control and manipulate this DOT.
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Master Chen, a very interesting video. I have a question for you. In watching the video, at one point you asked a student to push you. The student pushed both of your arms back with his hands around your elbow area. You made the comment that one of your arms can’t have all the force pushing back but this needs to be evened out between the two arms. You then dropped and folded the chest to also create a line going down through the student’s rear foot into the ground, and were able to push him off balance. It appears you were creating a three-way split in this instance (which was different from the three-way split you were teaching related to the positive circle). In this case both your arms were extended out from your body.
Is this a concept that should be present always in doing push hands (ie., creating a three-way split with both hands/arms and also the body? In this example were the arms also rotating as I didn’t notice them doing that in the video? Does everything still all converge on the dot, cause movement around the dot?
Thanks!
Gary Readore
If you give me the location (minutes in the menu bar), I will be able to answer your question better.
Master Chen:
The question I have relates to the sequences from about 38:00 to 39:45. After watching the video again I can re-phrase my question. The student(s) has his left hand pushing into the bend of your right elbow and his right hand is on the outside of your left arm. Your left hand is touching/pushing on his chest. You say that you have to match the tension in your right arm and left arm/hand. Does this mean that your push with your left hand to the opponents torso has to match your opponents push on your right arm? In essence does this lock your upper body? You then say that you have to add a third force which seems to be the bending/dropping of the torso downward. Is the pushing of the rear foot an integral part of the torso bending/dropping? Is this also a three-way split in essence or is this a different concept? After watching the “Differential” video, this seems to relate to locking the upper body and keeping the lower body loose and relaxed (yin-yang separation). I’m seeing now that everywhere there should be the potential for yin-yang separation.
Thank you!
Gary Readore
The technique demonstrated is a very simple case of three-way split. Now that you are SEEING more thing in it, it reals a fact that there is NOTHING simple in taiji. Every real situation is complex and synthesized. The case in questions involves energy differential, timing, the application of the dot, rotation, separation of yin and yang, matching opponents power, just to cite a few taiji concepts. But after all, it was applied to show the three way split. Because it was applied to someone, I had to use what else is necessary to change the balance of power to MOVE the opponent. Please remember that all concepts mentioned above are applied and applied in a strict sense (100%). Anything else you may see are just appearances and masks. For example, there is a pure downward forces (you may call it sinking the qi to dantian, etc.) although you can see a bending of the torso and waist area. The appearance is there to mask, reduce and match the opponents movements.
an excellent video for those who have proficiency of the basics. the “dot” is crucial in transmission if i understand this clearly. i do have a question – is the dot the “flipping points” in the body and also the convergence of the lines of direction in an action?
i ask as, in different arts, the terms of specific actions or principals can differ.
Yes, it is.
adding a couple extra thoughts here:
every joint or junction acts as a “dot” or point. every stretch is based around the dot, correct? but i also have thought of the point of contact as a “dot”(we called it another “center” in baguazhang and xingyiquan) as well as the point where, for example, a projected horizontal line and vertical line of action meet.
Thanks in advance
In this video, the manipulation of space is explained very clearly by Master Chen. The fascinating thing is, that the dot is far outside of the opponents body and body alignment is relativ to this “place”.
To do this, changes in the body have to be achieved in order to rotate the joints precisely for producing “three-way-split”. The solution of Yin/Yang allows manipulation of space in- and outside of the body. This concept has very deep meaning. It actually means, that there is only space. I believe, that i start to know what should go on. For westerners it might be very mysterious, elusive and super-natural, but according to my experience, a Taiji Master would say that this is totally natural. This is Kung Fu ! “To go over the hump” is the most natural thing for creatures creeping on earth called humans. And yet, it is the most impossible thing to do.
Another “must-have” video for Taji enthusiast of all persuasions.
The “dot” ties in perfectly with Taiji concept of “intent” and brings it into a physical world with practical, demonstrable and repeatable ways of using it.
The “Rotation of Three Connected Balls” concept really brings home the “control of the dot with the 3-way split.”
I now see that I got miles and miles of road to go on my Taiji trek.
Crucial video