Old analogies – Taiji is like a rolling log (in water).
Theory Method
Back silk knot Silk reeling
- stretch Touch 1 – contact
- tie Touch 2 – stop
- lock Touch 3 – break
Technical quotes
(need Chinese characters for each)
Take the strategic position and fight for the meridian.
xia ta wai nian
Roughly – Sink mudslide (correctly) then turn out.
Method – back goes down and front grinds out.
nian is a grinding stone, the action of a roller used in road construction. It is also the action of how you would squish a bug or how you would use your finger to wipe off a drop of something spilled onto a hard surface.
Characteristics of the Practical Method
Eyes are focused on the target rather than following hands (to stabilize center and prevent tossing).
- We put special emphasis in every action.
- Keep in the center (no tossing).
Elbow in, hand out; or, inside in, outside out.
We combine rotation with the revolution.
- upper body – revolution
Movement is in the foot. gaining distance must come from the foot. Foot movements are nine times longer than hand movements. This is due to the path through the body.
Our circle is a true 3D sphere made of segments
Stance (3 halves)
We don’t shift the body. We shift the energy. The dantien must be locked in place.
The hands don’t move.
Richard Johnson
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On Monday evening, we did a lot of push hands. When we had breaks, we discussed theory. Shifu Chen mentioned how exact wording of instructional sayings and understanding each word is important. At the end of the evening, we discussed what things are unique and characteristic of the Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method.
As an example, he said the the classic says that Taijiquan turns like a wheel. Many interpret this to mean Taijiquan is agile. In the Practical Method, we see that Taijiquan literally turns like a wheel.