Rotation. Connection. Active and passive. Movements are from the rotation of the core, the shoulders are coordinating, not adding or losing, transferring the power to the arms. The rotation of the core is the glue in Taiji, it ties with the 5 threads. As it rotates, the lines adapt and change, silk reeling, functions with different directions are the eight techniques. Examples: Front trick and rear trick. Part the wild horse mane. The core, from a vertical rod to dantian, a ball. It is easier to manipulate to pull the rope. Once you are able to maneuver, the body is integral, instead of scattered or loose. Master Chen showed the difference between rotation and tossing. Example: Cloud hands. Moving the rod and the bar in a T bar are different. At the beginning the integrity is visual but later it is power. Stretch and elasticity. Kick with the heel. Feet and hands are tied to dantian with rubber bands. We stretch on the way out, it is intentional; and on the way in, it is pulled by the rubber band, we just need to stay on the track. Break out, and the pull back is violent, body becomes small, like a ball. The coming back to dantian, is like coming home, it is natural, it knows where to do, like the gravity. Power cannot slow down. To have the integrity, we need add speed to train the glue. Rotation with variation of speed. If you are tight, you need to slow down; if you are loose, you need to speed up.
The beak. In Single whip, hand becomes a beak when the arm is out. In Brush the knee, hand becomes a beak then the arm goes. There is a lot of twist in the body to cause the beak to go up.
Shake the pole three times. Two hits. Out with hand with back heel. Out with hand to the front with center of chest.
Twisted step. The back knee should be in the pit of the front knee. And when you are able to get both feet flat on the ground, the stance is very firm and tight.
The circles. Experience the top and bottom with extreme range. And we practice big moves most of the times. Laster on the same can be done within the joints, and the arm movements are not much. Master showed the shoulder and armpit moves.
