Winston’s notes for Master Chen’s 2016/10/1-2 Phoenix workshop

I don’t know if it’s accurate, but I tried my best to record all I’ve heard and saw in the two-day workshop.

• Change “一” shape structure to ” V ” shape to get a 3D structure

• If there’s a V shape structure with ABC points as joints. A Taiji movement would be:
  A as a hinge. It doesn’t move at all, but able to rotate.
  B as a connection between two arms. Its track will not change because A and C are restricted. And will move towards the different direction of A.
  C as the only free moving part. But its track must be pre-defined before it moves, and need to be related to A.
• “Stretch” means B move towards the line AC
• Different body parts have different requirements to become “large”: wrist needs to open, elbow needs to bend, shoulder needs to open, chest needs to cave.
• When making contact with the opponent, master Chen will set a point on his body without using it so he would not feel it. Usually, it would be on his hip.
• Changing movement half way. Like in six sealing four closing, when the backhand touches the torso, the hand stops moving. The turning of the torso carries on.
• To add movements. Like when the opponent pushes your body, you add a force by pushing his hand, add another one by sinking the body, add even more by moving the knee backward. Make all the forces equals to each other.
• Keep one point isolated. When the opponent pushes you, don’t let the force effect one point on your chest. Or try to isolate one point on the opponent’s body, and I move around it to find a better position.
• Let the opponent complete his movement. Let him get the result of his move with a different outcome.
• Six sealing four closing. My front forearm gives a pressure to the opponent’s elbow. My backhand grabs on his wrist and connects to my back knee.
  My back knee moves backward, or
  lock my upper body and turn, or
  cave my belly, or
  turn my front elbow and Kua to the other side of his arm.
• Flash through the back application. Do not try to flip the opponent over the shoulder, move the Kua backward to lever him down instead.
• 8 shape during contact. Move one circle to turn the other one. (can someone add more details about this? I don’t remember)
• To look for the opponent’s problem. Like the chest moves during pushing (me), the neck moves (Al), the structure in between two legs is not there (Chris), the back leg getting too long.
• Peel off. to peel off the opponent’s force on me. To peel off a piece of the opponent without affecting other places.
• Go around it. The opponent pushes my arm from aside. I extend my arm and let the force move around him by leading the movement by my hand.
• 定力(ding li), the ability to not react because of the opponents move.
• **Time (of practice) is very important. Understanding, intelligence, talent is not able to replace the time spent on practicing.**
• Muscles on the side of the torso are more important in Taiji.
• Turn the joint during moving. After shoveling the front heel out the weight is still on the back Kua, by setting the front foot down moves the center to the front kua. If the opponent is pushing my torso, by rolling the front leg back or forth enables me to shift my center around him.
• Touch 3 points, make 2 of them stable and move the 3rd one.
• During the 2nd move of Budha’s Warrior (turning right), the left knee can not collapse.
• During the last 2 moves of Budha’s Warrior, tuck the butt to support the right hand. only move the forearm.
• During the 2nd move of Block Touching Coat (open the arms), left kua is the support, open the back to gain power.
• Single whip. Steps are on 3-9 O’clock line, body facing the front. Only move the left hand out.
• Six sealing for closing. front arm, mid-line and the back half of the body make a V shape. The back half of the body becomes the counterbalance. Stretch to make the front kua flat.
• Turning the shoulder. It can turn either clockwise or counterclockwise. Both together makes a full positive circle.
• Neutralization is to return the force back to the opponent.
• When almost falling backward, fall into a different direction to cause the opponent to fall.
• Hold the fist and then open it up, extend all 5 fingers to make the forearm full. 60x daily.
• When 2 force runs into each other on the same track, they bounce back. When 3 runs into each other, they crash.
• Every movement needs a grip.
• “just right” is important. The power goes in between skin and muscle, best between push on it and not pushing it.
  The way to practice it:
  turn the arm a bit, sink down a bit, turn the arm a bit, sink down a bit x ∞
  twisting towel: the hand goes out a bit, the elbow goes in a bit x ∞
• Hide corners
• You need 3 points to map the body
• different power needs to be isolated, in different directions.
• Turning is fake. Rotation is a result of the combination of different straight movements (stretches)
• “No part of the body should block the movement”