The real taiji is invisible to the naked eye; wrong things are the easiest to learn. From a traditional point of view, taijiquan is not about comfort, flow and natural. It is an art that requires the student to practice according to certain rules. In doing so, the student will not be used to the practice at the beginning and will not feel comfortable. Through long time repeat training, the student will start to feel natural. This NATURALNESS is not the normal naturalness. This kind of training is not within the realm of normal human sport training.
The real taiji is invisible to the naked eye; wrong things are the easiest to learn
Previous post: Every push must be a pull
Next post: Yilu Detail: Don’t Step
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
How true, yet how cruel to 99.9% of people who claim they are doing “real” taiji. (no statistical significance.)
I agree, so much so called real Tai Chi is about copying a certain teacher or style of movement. What really counts is doing the basics well then do them better. I have many people/students just want to learn “the form” without learning the key principles.
Keep up the great work
Quintin from New Zealand
what do you list as the key principles of Chen taijiquan?
There are many posts on principles in the lesson category.
This reminds me of two of the concepts that Aristotle means when he uses the words “nature” and “natural”. The first one denotes “brute nature” and would correspond to what we mean in everyday language as “natural”. The second meaning of “nature” and “natural” is more profound and has a normative meaning. In the second meaning, for something to be natural means that it is at the highest stage in its development–it is a perfection to achieve.
In terms of taiji practice, that means that to say that the movement is natural (in the second sense) would not mean that it “feels good” or “easy” but that it is correct.
Practice according to the rules. From awkwardness to naturalness.
i am sumwhere between awkward and natural. i am one of those who actualli take the time to learn the
principals 1st. the principals and the rules.