Category Archives: 16 Principles of Tai Chi

The older generations discussed 16 key point towards practicing Tai Chi. These points align with other internal arts, only expressed in a different manner. Whatever style you practice, these methods make you ponder and discover what internal methods have to offer, and how they can be applied to any situation, for health or martial application!

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[16] The Issuing of Your Whole Body Reaches to Every Hair.

Ahh, the last principle and probably one of the most important of all.  To truly  reach a level within internal martial arts and kung fu it requires mastery beyond kicking, punching, applications, or even building a Dan Tian.  To have been a real master of internal martial arts back at the turn of the century a person had to demonstrate the capability to fill their 4 antennas or extremities (Si Shou). When your Qi is abundant, has filled your organs and Dan Tian, it will naturally express through your 4 extremities.  One such extremity is connected to your hair through your blood.  Energy attaches to your blood and follows it.  Once your blood and Qi are thoroughly connected you will feel enlivened.  You will tingle with sensations and even the lightest of touch may send your senses off the radar.  The first step of to all of this though is opening your microcosmic orbit (discussed in principle 2).  Once your gates are open and you can quickly send your energy to your headtop you will feel a tingle in your hairs.  That is natural and good – you are filling things up!  Eventually you want to make that energy shoot up and pop your hair up on your head.  Masters of old were able to wear a hat and pop it off with a thought!   Hey and  added benefit it slows down the greying process of your hair and helps male pattern baldness!

Once you have the microcosmic orbit you work on the macrocosmic orbit.  This is where your energy flows through your arms and legs.  This is when you can get the energy to every part of your body.  When all your meridians are full and energy courses through your body you will feel it in every hair.  My friend once talked to Master Yun Yin Sen (Liu He Ba Fa master in Shanghai).  Master Yun demo’d his ability to raise and lower his arm hair at will.  Now this wont fend off a dozen armed men (or even a single one really),  but it demonstrates his abundance of energy and filling of his Si Shou and thus demonstrates his mastery and dedication to neijia arts.

As with some of these principles there lies a deeper meaning.  Sure its great to be alive with energy but it’s a trap!  There is another level that one should aspire to.  You must allow that qi and shen to mix and convert.  This is the level (as discussed in several posts already) that will allow you to sense others without touch and feel.  By expressing Shen at every hair you will have reached a level that can predict and act before your opponent, sense intentions, find meaning.  Can you read someone’s mind?  No, but by sensing the energy in their movement you are in sense doing so as you can react at a subconscious level, immediate and faster than anything they can fathom.

You must be able to connect your inner and outer together.  The energy and spirit must flow with the strength of a surging river throughout your body with the ability to move like the wind at will, swirling and alive.  All of the previous steps get you to this finality, to this doorway of mastery.  Its not an easy process but through hard work and dedication; you will have obtained what few have and will have a peace only few know.

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[15] Simplify Things by Using Your Whole Body.

What’s one of the overarching themes I have explained throughout these principles?  Connectedness!  Now on surface level of this statement its pretty straight forward.  Your body–every fiber, muscle and joint– must be connected to accept and deliver the maximum amount energy.  When one part moves it all moves in some fashion (even at a very microscopic level) and when one part is still it all must be still.  External energy is maximized with this principle.  You can become truly fluid and move like the wind when all parts are truly connected.

But wait there is more!  Internal martial arts deals has an inside to deal with.  You must learn to connect all these parts together as well to generate and build energy then refine spirit.  Without these concepts your internal martial art is merely an external shell of a form.

Without unifying everything your results will be modest at best.  Some people learn to move well, and are truly beautiful and can generate decent amounts of power but they do not work internally so they can never break that glass ceiling of  power generation.  Others work only on internal aspects but let they body go to hell so they can barely move or are sluggish and slow.  This power generated is still modest and in most aspects worse than the external people.  Yin and Yang must balance.  It’s concept, like explained earlier, is easy to say but very hard to actually implement.  Your body, internally and externally, must be connected to generate the true potential of internal martial arts.

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[14] Springiness Lies with Your Knees.

Knees, the bane to most people’s existences.  As you get older your knees ache more and more.  It gets harder to move, harder to get up, and even eventually, harder to get down 😉  They are a main factor in the force you can take or deliver, depending on the depth of bend and alignment of structure.  Do not ignore your knee health!  Its critical to your way of life, the moment you stop moving is when you accelerate your death cycle (BOO!).

The important part of the knees in any internal martial arts is the amount of energy you can give and get with them (along with your other body parts – like your ankle, another part that is often ignored but can provide great effect).    Yang Chenfu was known for his delivery of energy and could launch people.  He had a great springiness within his legs that when connected to his large frame was able to deliver a massive amount of power.

Knees are crucial to leg power and stability.  They must bend, in proper alignment, and  get into a cocked (coiled) position.  The knee will sink into the foot and ground to create a strong root.   It is one of the key body parts to naturally lower your center of gravity; to get underneath someone else’s’ and beat their root. Like a large spring it will uncoil and deliver energy at an accelerated pace to dynamically increase your force.  Have you every just tried to push a large heavy object?  Do you just push your arms out and lean against it? No!  You get into a low position and push out through your legs into your arms.  Without that bend your force is significantly hindered.

Now when your knees are fluid and relaxed you can absorb a great deal of energy.  This is one of the main reasons you will see the big guys get pushed away by small little Chinese men and women,  they are stiff and have no idea how to absorb energy so the great amount of energy they give they cannot accept in return and are ‘thrown away like a rag doll in a wind storm.’

As your energy absorption and delivery gets better your bend can get less and less but it will never go away, and the springiness of your power, whether your 8 or 80, depends on your knees!

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[13] Breath is Expressed at Your Mouth.

Sifu you just said breath through your nose, why you talking about the mouth now? I know I know it’s difficult to understand cryptic messages and what they mean. Students spend years on these things and will always redevelop new answers once they gain a new level of insight.

The easiest answer is this statement has more to do with the lungs than the mouth. In the beginning 😉 lungs bring in the air and nourish the body. They must learn to properly expand (down) and fill with the maximum amount of air that they can comfortably hold (don’t over ventilate please — no Wim Holf method here but that has proven effects as well 😉   You must learn to strengthen your lungs and diaphragm muscle. It must be trained. By bringing in air you are bringing in a form of energy (not the pure stuff but still great stuff ;). It all must be maximized to get any true effect. Without training your breath you cannot get there.

There is also a deeper level in breath training. Some lineages do hen and ha sounds. Others have six different sounds. Monks love to chant. Xin Yi Liu He yells “YI!” Hell even karate people will “HIYA. ” There is something to this sound that if trained properly will help move energy to the correct places in your body. By expressing energy out through your mouth you are using a force to do so, this force, if trained correctly, can multiply your efforts in what you are doing. This occurs naturally, just follow me on this one. When a person lift something heavy, truly heavy, they do not usually remain calm; they strain and yell, it’s a natural reaction! Now if a person learns to harness this, trains it, it will provide even greater effect. I am not talking about doing anything weird or different, just magnifying what occurs natural to better affect your results!

One of my favorite stories comes from Gichin Funakoshi’s book,” Karate-do: My Way of Life ” (Yes a Japanese one, not even Chinese 😉 In it he discusses the great Master Matsumura , who is challenged by an engraver to a fight. Needless to say both challengers learned important lessons and Master Funakoshi was not discussing the ability of Shen and training one’s breath but the skills can be easily identified in this short excerpt:

The engraver suggested five o’clock the two men stood facing each other, a distance of some twelve yards between then. The engraver made the first move, closing the gap by about half, at which point the thrust out his left fist in a gedan position and held his right fist at his right hip. Matsumura, having risen from the rock on which he had been sitting, stood facing his opponent in a natural position (shizen tai), with his chin resting at his left shoulder.

Baffled by the posture his opponent had assumed, the engraver wondered if the man had taken leave of his senses. It was a fighting posture that seemed to offer no hope of defense, and the engraver prepared to launch his attack, just at that very moment, Matsumura opened his eyes wide and looked deep into the eyes of the other. Repelled by a force that felt like a bolt lighting, the engraver felt back. Matsumura had no moved a muscle; he stood where he had stood before, apparently defenseless.

Sweat beaded the engraver’s brow, and his armpits were already damp; he could feel his heart beating with unaccustomed rapidity. He sat down on a nearby rock. Matsumura did the same. “What happened?” the engraver muttered to himself. “Why all this sweat? Why is my heart beating so wildly? We haven’t yet exchanged a single blow!”

Then he heard Matsumura’s voice: “Hey! Come on! The sun is rising. Let’s get on with it!”

The Two men rose, and Matsumura once again assumed the same natural position ha had taken earlier. The engraver, for his part, was determined to complete the attack this time, and he advanced toward his opponent—from twelve yards to ten, then to eight…six…four. And there he stopped, unable to proceed any further, immobilized by the intangible force that flashed from Matsumura’s eyes. His own eyes lost their luster, and he stood entranced by radiance from Matsumura eyes. At the same time, he was quite unable to tear his glance away from that of his opponent; in his bones he knew that if he did, something very terrible would happen.

How was he to extricate himself from this predicament? Suddenly he gave voice to a great shout, a kiai, which sounded like “Yach!” and boomed across the cemetery and echoed back from the surrounding hills. But Matsumura still stood unmoved. At this sight, the engraver once again sprang back startled and dismayed.

Master Matsumura smiled. “What’s the matter?” he called. “Why don’t you attack? You can’t fight a match just by shouting!”

“I do not understand,” the engraver reply. “I’ve never before lost a bout. And now…” After a moment’s silence, he lifted his face and called quietly to Matsumura: “Yes, let’s go on! The result of the match has

already been decided, I know that, but let’s finish it. If we don’t, I’ll lose face—and I’d rather be dead. I warn you, I’m going to attack in Sutemi” (meaning he would fight to the finish).

“Good!” Matsumura called back. “Come on!”

“The forgive me if you will,” said the engraver as he launched his attack, but just then there issued from Matsumura’s throat a great cry that sounded to the engraver like a thunderbolt. As the lightning of Matsumura’s eyes had earlier immobilized him, so now did the thunder of Matsumura’s voice. The engraver found he could not move; he made one last feeble attempt to attack before falling in a defeated heap to the ground. A few feet away, Matsumura’s head was gilded by the rising sun: he seemed to the prostrate engraver like one of the ancient godly kings who slew demons and dragons.

 

To reach such a level as Master Matsumura one would have to train diligently for several years and follow other strict guidelines.   This type of level is legendary and is something not easily revealed; however you have to start at step one. Learning to expand your lungs in the correct direction and fill them with that much vital resource, AIR!

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[12] Breathing Occurs Through Your Nose.

The obviousness of these next two principles give misconceptions about their true understanding.  First off — DON’T BE A MOUTH BREATHER!  Honestly though if one breathes through their nose they can refine it to be long, smooth, and relaxed.  Why long, smooth and relaxed?  Qi follows the breath and this is the way to get the maximum amount of energy through your body coordinated with the breath.

Now there are two primary ways to breath through your nose in internal martial arts; natural breathing or reverse breathing (now there are other breathing methods but most of those are very esoteric and require a great deal of training and belief ;).  In natural breathing the stomach goes out on the inhale and in on the exhale.  In reverse breathing the stomach goes in on the inhale and out on the exhale (reverse the natural breathing- genius name).  Your lineage and master is usually what dictates the method used; no way is better or worse for longterm benefit.  Through most Wudang lineages reverse breathing is preferred as it helps “roll the ball” back up the spinal column and to your headtop on the inhale; then helps draw the energy down into the Dan Tian on the exhale.  The Key point though is the breathing is centered around the lower Dan Tian.   You must draw the breath in deep and build the area.   The diaphragm must pull down, not up and out like most people breath as they get older.  By pulling the diaphragm muscle down you get air and energy into the lower lobes where the most efficient gas exchanges occurs and activates somatic relaxing affects in your body.  This action, along with pushing your belly in, helps squeeze blood into the lower stomach, massaging and nourishing your internal organs and creating a much healthier inside.  Once your nourish the organs and make the energy abundant you can then focus your intent into pooling energy within the lower Dan Tian, creating a powerhouse for health and martial action!

This all starts with the breath though, if your breath is incorrect then your blood will not flow right and your energy will stagnant.  Without all this internal coordination you will not progress very far.  PRACTICE!  Practice constantly – your sitting down at the computer, practice, your walking around, practice, your playing with your kids practice!  This type of breathing MUST become second nature if you truly want to get into the deeper levels of internal martial arts.

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[11] Concentration Depends on Your Ears

Have you ever been trying to perform a task, especially difficult, that requires a lot of concentration and right before knocking it out of the ballpark something distracts you and the grandioso attempt comes crashing down? The same is true for tai chi and all internal martial arts. Concentration and focus in task are required. Many people just do the form, thinking of random things or distracted by random noises and after 10 years of walking through the movements, they have very little to show for it. A person needs dedication, they need to work their intent, and they need to concentrate on the effort!
So why the ears? The ears are one of the easiest access points for distraction for obvious reasons. But what should we listen too to stop this distraction? In internal martial arts its not the outside noises – NO it’s the inside ones. Inside ones? Yes! You must learn to focus inward, listen to your heartbeat, your blood flow, and your energy move! You must clear your mind, shed off the day, forget what is happening around you and go in. Once you have mastered your in can you then work your way back out (but not with your ears!)
Another advantage of listening inward is the ability to better seal your body. What does that mean? As your focus and intent goes inward and becomes intense your skin has the potential on a cellular level to seal and contain your inward thoughts and energy. You will be able to create that cauldron that will turn essence into energy and eventually energy into spirit. Why do monks like to sit in caves and face walls? No damn distractions! With no distractions this process can become easier and the body can evolve quicker.
Modern society may not have that luxury. You may have to put in earplugs, find a quiet corner in your apartment or house or anywhere really and do your best. Whatever your situation, learning to listen inward is key into developing the rest of your skills and energy.
Now going back to working your way back out. Once you have listened inwards and your ears are not distracted with outward noises and your skin has sealed then it will become sensitive. This sensitivity will allow you to listen and react with your skin (and eventually shen). This listening is an important step in your training. You cannot skip or neglect it and think you will come to some amazing results. All these steps work towards that greater goal of developing your shen and gaining true skill and without molding each cog first you will never be able to truly build the wheel!
* Interesting side note – Scientists have even developed earphones that artificially create this environment and allow your focus to be amplified on your task and proven that it exponentially increases ability and function (https://www.haloneuro.com/science).

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[10] Arriving is a Matter of Your Spirit.

The Spirit again!  As discussed in principle 3 the Shen is what gives us the ability understand our surroundings, decipher our opponent, and perceive their intentions without giving anything away.  Your ability to develop your spirit, through slow and deliberate processes can give you a great advantage and open up a whole new world.

Boxers, mma figthers, etc… the great ones are able to see the micro-movements in their opponents and counter or move first off that, disrupting and ultimately overcoming their counterpart’s strategy.  The greats like Li Nengran, Dong Haichaun, and Yang Luchan were able to do this on a different level; through the feeling of another’s energy and spirit.  How is that possible? It’s a different level that takes dedication, years of practice and refinement, and even then only 1 in 10,000 can reach it.

To reach this goal you must develop your Qi into Shen, raise it up into your Upper Dan Tian and develop your Shen valley (part in-between your two brain lobes).  You must open your upper valley to perceive all things (third-eye concept).  This is where it will get weird and will require your already top-notch very knowledgeable instructor to help you!  The sensations and perceptions you will experience will be nothing like you have ever had before (like a baby coming into a new world) and others will have thought you lost your mind.  A instructor will have to guide you back and show you control and understanding.  Last thing a person wants is to be perceived looney yet just be on that next level with no way to get it under control 😉

This concept is where you have to truly believe in the deeper levels of internal martial arts.   Some people consider it laughable, that is fine and I will never begrudge a person who thinks so; the rarity and dedication to this concept seems to have escaped modern times.   However like other esoteric concepts (example- an after life) what does it hurt to go after this level?  Even if you don’t reach it the benefits you will reap from the prior levels will be amazing for mind, body and soul, giving you a long and hopefully happy life!

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[9] Gathering is a Matter of Your Marrow.

Qi. Energy.  Life.  The substance of what makes us alive and well can be gathered in all portions of our body.  For martial and spiritual purposes we want it to gather into the Dan Tian and condense and transform.  There are other places it should go as well.  The 5 Ying Organs should fill with Qi to ensure their health,  muscle sac (fascia) and skin should have Qi to give it strength against attack and illness, and the bones should gather Qi to strengthen the bones and nourish the body deep inside.

Why the marrow?  First Qi will follow the blood.  The better you can attach this energy to it the better your results will be.  Blood is produced and recycled in your  marrow.  The healthier the blood and marrow the healthier and more rejuvenated you will be!  Once the energy reinforces your marrow, its compounding effect toughens your bones, multiplies your ability to collect energy (healthier blood), and will lead to enriched vigor and strength throughout your body.

What this also demonstrates is your ability of moving your energy around.  It’s a natural progression in your internal development.  One who has truly abundant and lively Qi will have it everywhere and it will express naturally.  Now many people will feel their Dan Tian warm or have the ability to move energy to certain locations within their body and feel some sensation.  I would say that is the beginning (which is hard in its own right so its well deserved for those who get there!).  You must continue your practices, condense and refine your energy; then spread it and expand your capabilities.

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[8] Coiling Extends to the Fingers.

Coiling, a grand concept that lies at the center of accepting and wielding energies with internal martial arts.  As your body moves as a unit you will notice it will be accomplished in small circles.  The foot screws into the ground which cause your leg to go into extension and a twist occurs at your hips and waist.  As the energy travels up the spine it expresses out your shoulder, elbow, then wrist as finally twists out through your palm and fingers.   Circles and coiling allows you to accept and move a great amount of energy in confined spaces.  The smaller and tighter your circles, the more energy you can accept and give back.  But to give back this energy must express fully through you’re the tips of your body, not be stifled prior too!

There are different types of coiling and spiraling within internal martial arts: Lou Shan Jing, Chan Si Jing, and other derivatives which all make their way into the ideals of these energies.  Again the idea is the act of coiling, the circular energy movement in all things.  To absorb, neutralize, and redirect energy it must be accomplished with circles.  To connect the body and issue energy there must be curvature (eccentric/contraction) movement prior to expansion.  Like a spring, the more you compress it, the greater the springback will be.   Now you can think of your body as a spring, your joints as springs, or even individual body parts down to a very small amount – an inch or lower; in the end the smaller the better.    Yet if this uncoiling doesn’t reach the tips of your extremities (and eventually beyond) then what good is it? Like pointed out in so many previous topics the use of the body as one unit is key.  Example– you would accept and connect to an opponents punch with one arm, absorb that energy through your Dan Tian, to your feet and then redirect that energy back up and through your other hand (and amplified with whatever energies you are capable of delivering yourself!).  Circles and coiling can be amazing concepts!

If you take nothing else away understand this part — FULL EXPRESSION.  The energy must reach your extremities; it must penetrate everywhere (discussed more 16 ;).  You must learn to open the macrocosmic circuit (microcosmic circuit discussed in topic 2 plus your arms and legs) and focus your intention and energy to your finger tips.  It must be concentrated there and eventually extended past them.  The more you can pinpoint the energy the more effective it can and will be.  These ideals are not unlike learning to punch through a target but the force of a coiling energy is much greater than that of a straight line while looking like giving have the effort!

16 Principles of Tai Chi

[7] Wielding Lies with Your Palms.

Much of your action in martial arts is accomplished with your palms and fists. Blocking, striking, adapting and overcoming is first trained through your hands. In the beginning one learns to strike and block. All martial arts adhere to this ideal– offense and defense; protect and destroy. There are 8 primary methods for wielding in Taiji (in reality there are a plethora of different energies in internal martial arts but Taiji concentrates on these 8 in the beginning). These are Roll-back, ward-off, press, push, bump, elbow, rend/split, and pluck (again within these energies are subset of other jins/energies, many things are interconnected but details can be better interpreted with proper in-class discussion ;). Now the 4 primary skills of roll-back, ward-off, press and push should be practiced thoroughly to gain true skill. Yang Banhou (elder son of Yang Luchuan, founder of Yang Tai Chi) professed this in his book, relegating the other 4 energies to the inability to truly wield the primary 4 in all situations [1].

The greatness of internal martial arts and especially utilized in Tai Chi is the idea of Hua Jing, transformational energy. If one is able to stick, then adhere, then connect, and finally follow an opponent you have begun to grasp the idea of accepting energy. You will be able to know your opponents will and transform with it so that he may not grasp yours. From there one must learn to deliver this energy back through neutralizing, leading, controlling, and issuing. Thus you can attain the idea of moving 1000 pound with 4 piddly ounces! This is most easily accomplished with your hands (but a true master can wield from any part of his body ;).

There are more esoteric concepts as well. If Qi is abundant and you have filled your 4 extremities, the issuing of energy will be stronger and more vibrant. Your body will be more alive, agile, and have a stronger ability for both transference and wielding. These skills appear miraculous but really are honed ability through years of daily dedicated solo and partner practice, proper lifestyle, and thorough discovery of ones true nature.

[1] Yang, Banhou. Explaining Taiji Principles. Section 23. translated by Paul Brennan. https://brennantranslation.wordpress.com/2013/09/14/explaining-taiji-principles-taiji-fa-shuo/.