Tai Chi Chuan Martial Power. Jwing-Ming Yang

General Definition of Jing

       3-3. General Theory of Taiji Jing

       3-4. Accumulating Jing in the Postures

       3-5. The Key Points of Taiji Jing

       3-6. The Different Jing and Their Applications

       3-7. Summary of Jing Training

       CHAPTER 4. Conclusion

       Acknowledgements

       Appendix A: Taiji Poetry and Songs

       Appendix B: Translation and Glossary of Chinese Terms

       Editorial Notes

       Index

       About the Author

      Foreword by Grandmaster Jou, Tsung-Hwa

      It is with great pleasure that I introduce the reader to Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming’s new book on taijiquan. In truth, I had come to know Dr. Yang first through his excellent books on the Chinese martial arts. Although we had corresponded, it was not until June of 1985 that I first met Dr. Yang in person. I first met him at the National Chang, San-feng Festival held at the Taiji Foundation’s training grounds in Warwick, New York. Dr. Yang had graciously accepted my invitation to teach a workshop for the numerous taiji practitioners who had gathered together for the festival. It was at that time that I had the opportunity to see for myself that Dr. Yang’s ability was of the same high caliber as his written treatises.

      Many practitioners today are satisfied to merely run through the choreography of their particular taiji form without putting any content or effort into their practice. While a routine run-through of taiji may be enjoyable, it will not lead to progress. A hollow form will produce neither health nor martial benefits.

      The practitioner who wishes to achieve progress in taiji must be willing to put forth great efforts to master the necessary principles, and to practice diligently and with a sense of purpose, in order to get results. Taiji must be a blend of both yin (陰) and yang (陽). Empty form alone will produce nothing. In Dr. Yang’s first book the external, martial aspects of taijiquan were clearly presented. In Dr. Yang’s present work, he has made a clear and detailed presentation of the more “inner” mechanics of taijiquan.

      If the taiji practitioner is willing to invest effort into developing his internal power and awareness, his taiji form and applications will improve. Not everyone today has personal access to accomplished masters of taijiquan. Furthermore, available written materials related to the development of internal energy and force have often been difficult to understand.

      For these reasons I urge the reader to pay careful attention to this book. However, as Dr. Yang points out, reading alone will accomplish little. It is up to the individual practitioner to put these concepts into practice. In this regard, the reader is very fortunate to have Dr. Yang for a guide.

      Jou, Tsung-Hwa (周宗樺)

      (July 13, 1917–August 3, 1998)

      Warwick, New York, June 9, 1985

      Preface by Dr. Yang, Jwing Ming (First Edition, 1986)

      Taijiquan has become a popular exercise, not only in China but also in many other countries around the world. Throughout most of its history the art was kept secret and only taught to family members and trusted students. Since the beginning of this century, when the art was first opened up to the public, many people have taken advantage of taiji’s ability to improve health and cure a number of illnesses. In our present hectic society, people are looking for a way to release daily pressures, calm their minds, and relax their bodies. Taiji has been shown to be an excellent way to achieve this.

      In spite of the popularity of taijiquan, in China, Taiwan, or other parts of the world, the art is gradually becoming incomplete. Because most taiji practitioners are more interested in health than in self-defense, the deeper aspects of the art have been gradually ignored. Many people who have practiced taijiquan for quite a few years still do not understand its theories and principles. They may not know how to coordinate their breathing with the forms, and many do not understand the relationship of taiji and qigong. Some do not even know what qi is, or how to generate it through taiji practice and still meditation. Because of this, their art remains superficial. Furthermore, the original, major part of taijiquan—the martial application—is dying out. The reader should understand that taiji was created as a martial qigong art. The self-defense applications remain a necessary part of the wholeness of taijiquan. Its principles and techniques are unique in martial society.

      The author hopes through this volume on theory and a subsequent volume on applications to fill in some of the gaps in the general knowledge, and to encourage taiji practitioners to research the deeper aspects of the art. Because taiji is so profound and covers so much, it is not possible for one book, or for that matter one person, to cover the art fully. The author hopes that more taiji masters will share their research experience and knowledge with the public through publications, seminars, and classes. Only in this way can taiji again become a living, vital, complete art.

      In these two volumes, the author will discuss the deeper aspects of bare hand taijiquan based upon his personal experience and understanding, and the teachings of his masters. The theory and techniques of taiji weapons will be published later. Also, these volumes will not discuss fundamental pushing hands, or the matching set, since they have already been covered in the author’s first taiji book, Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan, published by Unique Publications, Inc., 1982. The taiji beginner should also study the author’s book Qigong for Health and Martial Arts, published by YMAA, 1998, which explains general qigong theory, methods of training, and the relationship of qigong to health and the martial arts.

      This first volume will discuss theory and principles. Chapter 1 will introduce the history of Yang Style Taijiquan, the definition of taiji, its contents, and training procedures. Chapter 2 will discuss the deeper aspects of taiji principles and theory. This chapter will be very important to both beginners and advanced students, and will help to build a comprehensive foundation for later discussion. The third chapter will discuss taiji power—known by the Chinese word jing (勁). Jing theory and training methods have been kept secret since the beginning of the art. To the author’s knowledge, there is no extensive discussion published in English on this subject, and very little is available even in Chinese. The first volume will conclude with fifteen ancient taiji poems and songs written by famous masters. Translations will be given as well as commentary by the author.

      After the reader has studied and built up a foundation of knowledge from this book, the second chapter of Tai Chi Chuan Martial Applications will analyze the martial applications of each form in the solo sequence. All the postures in the sequence have a martial purpose—they are not done just for relaxation and the beauty of the exercise. Every posture has multiple levels of martial application. Taijiquan specializes in the techniques of downing the enemy (shuai jiao, 摔跤), chin na control (qin na, 擒拿), and cavity press (dian xue, 點穴). After the reader understands the applications of the taiji forms, the third chapter will guide him through pushing hands training theory, methods, and applications. Only after extensive pushing hands practice should the reader learn the taiji fighting set in Chapter