Tai Chi Chuan Martial Power. Jwing-Ming Yang

Books are the recording of many years of learning, study, and research. If you do not know how to use this literature to your advantage, you will surely waste more time and energy wandering in confusion. However, you should not completely believe what any book says. What is written are only the author’s opinions and personal experiences. You should read widely, investigate, and then clearly discriminate between the worthwhile and the not-so-worthwhile in what you have read. If you do this well, you can minimize confusion and avoid straying too far from the right path.

      In addition, you should take advantage of seminars, summer camps, and other ways to come in touch with experienced masters. In this way, you will be able to catch many key points and gain a “feeling” for many things that you may have only read about. But remember, you must research on your own in great detail in order to achieve a deeper understanding of the art. Thus, it is said, “You don’t ever want to give up your throat; question every talented person in heaven and earth. If [you are] asked: how can one attain this great achievement, [the answer is] outside and inside, fine and coarse; nothing must not be touched upon” (see appendix A-5B).

      Training Sequence

      Every taiji master has his own sequence of training, emphasizing his methods and content. In this section, the author will list the general training procedures according to his learning experience with three taiji masters and his teaching experience of more than thirty years. This section is a guide only to the bare hand training procedures of taijiquan.

      The general sequence of taijiquan training is as follows:

      1 Understanding the fundamental theory of taijiquan

      2 Relaxation, calmness, and concentration practice

      3 Breath training

      4 Experiencing and generating qi

      5 Qi circulation and breathing

      6 Still meditation

      7 Fundamental stances

      8 Breath-coordination drills

      9 Fundamental moving drills

      10 Solo taijiquan

      11 Analysis of the martial applications of the sequence

      12 Beginning taiji pushing hands

      13 Fundamental forms of taiji jing training

      14 Heng and ha sound training

      15 Fast taijiquan

      16 Advanced taiji pushing hands

      17 Advanced taiji jing training

      18 Qi expansion and transportation training

      19 Martial applications of taiji pushing hands

      20 Free pushing hands

      21 Taiji fighting set

      22 Taiji free fighting

      Before the taiji beginner starts training, he should ask himself several questions. Why do I want to learn taiji? What benefits do I hope to gain? Am I likely to continue training for a long time? After you have answered these questions you should then ask, Does this taiji style offer what I want? Is this master qualified? Does this master have a training schedule? How long and how deep can this master teach me? Will this master teach me everything he knows, or will he keep secrets when I approach a certain level? After I have studied for many years, will I be able to find an advanced master to continue my study? In order to answer these questions you have to survey and investigate. You have to know the historical background of the style and the master’s experience. Once you have answered the above questions, then you can start your taiji study without any doubt or confusion.

      The first step in learning taijiquan is to understand the fundamental theory and principles through discussion with your master, reading the available books, studying with classmates, and then pondering on your own. You should ask yourself: How does taijiquan benefit the body and improve health? How can taiji be used for martial purposes? What are the differences between taijiquan and other martial styles? Once you have answers to these questions, you should have a picture of the art and an idea of where you are going. The next question to arise should be, How do I train to obtain the relaxation, calmness, and concentration skills that are the most basic and important aspects of taijiquan? This leads you to the second step of the training.

      Usually, if you have the right methods and concepts, you can train your mind to be calm and concentrated and can relax physically in a short time. Keeping this meditative attitude is very important for beginning training. The next step is to train your breathing. The breathing must be deep, natural, and long. If you are interested in health only, you can use Buddhist, or normal, breathing. However, if you want to advance to martial applications, you should train and master Daoist, or reverse, breathing. You should be able to expand and withdraw the muscles of the abdomen area easily. After you have trained your breath correctly, you should then begin to sense the qi in your abdomen and dan tian. This will lead to the fourth step—generating and experiencing qi. If you are interested in knowing more about taijiquan and breathing, please refer to the book Tai Chi Qigong, published by YMAA.

      Usually, qi can be generated in two ways: externally and internally. To generate qi externally is called wai dan (外丹), and when it is generated internally, it is called nei dan (內丹). Interested readers should refer to the author’s books Qigong for Health and Martial Arts and The Root of Chinese Qigong, published by YMAA. Through training qi generation you will gradually realize what qi is and why smooth qi circulation benefits the body. You will also build up your sensitivity to the movement of qi. The more you train, the more sensitive you will become. After a time, you should then go to the next step—circulating qi. This is best practiced through still meditation, which will enhance your qi generation and circulation. Qi circulation is guided by the calm mind and made possible by a relaxed body. You must train your mind to guide the qi wherever you wish in coordination with correct breathing. First you should develop small circulation, which moves the qi up the spine and down the center of the front of the body. Eventually you should develop grand circulation whereby qi is circulated to every part of your body. When you have completed the above six steps, you should have built a firm foundation for taiji practice. With correct instruction, it should take less than six months to complete the above training (except grand circulation).

      The above six steps are purely mental training. When you practice these, you can simultaneously practice the fundamental stances, which build the root for the taiji forms. You should be familiar with all the stances and should practice them statically to strengthen your legs. Also, at this stage you can begin fundamental breath coordination drills. These drills are designed for the beginning student to train the following: (1) coordination of breathing and movement; (2) coordination of qi circulation and the forms; (3) smoothness and continuity; (4) relaxation; and (5) calmness and concentration of the mind. These drills will help you experience qi circulation and the mood or atmosphere of taiji practice. After you have mastered the fundamental stances and fundamental drills, you should then go on to the fundamental moving drills.

      In fundamental moving drills, a few typical forms are selected from the taiji sequence to train proper movement, in addition to the five points mentioned above. These drills are discussed in author’s tajiquan books: Tai Chi Qigong and Tai Chi Chuan Classic Yang Style, published by YMAA.

      The taiji solo sequence is constructed with about forty apparent techniques and more than two hundred hidden techniques. It is practiced to enhance qi circulation and improve health, and is the foundation of all taiji martial techniques. It usually takes from six months to three years to learn this sequence, depending on the instructor, the length of the sequence, and the talent of the student. After a student has learned this sequence, it will usually take another three years to attain a degree of calmness and relaxation, and to internalize the proper coordination of the breathing. When practicing, not only the whole of your attention, but also your feelings, emotions, and mood should be on the sequence. It is just like when a musician or a dancer performs his art—his emotions and total being must be melted into the art. If he holds