Part 4
Principles of Tai Chi Chuan
The primary basis is the Taoist belief of Wu Chi from which springs Yin and Yang. Wu Chi is commonly referred to as stillness in motion. Yin is the soft element and Yang is the hard element of Wu Chi, they are inherent in all things. Yin and Yang are inseparable, even in the most extreme cases of Yin there exists a small amount of Yang, the reverse is also true. Good cannot exist without evil, light without dark, or hard without soft.
Between the inseparable extremes of Yin and Yang exists all of the possibilities in the universe and from this the Tai Chi philosophies developed.
Following are a four of the major principles or Tai Chi philosophies based in Yin and Yang.
Four ounces will defeat a thousand pounds.
To go forward you must first go back.
To move up you must first go down.
'Yi ye yin chi' which means, "The Mind Leads the Chi"
In my opinion, one of the best Tai Chi type of philosophies ever written was by Theodore Roosevelt, a man who did not even know Tai Chi Chuan. He has been quoted as saying, "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are at." This quote encompasses the Tai Chi Chuan principle that every movement is a hit or a block, a kick or a sweep. The entire body is simultaneously a weapon and shield.
The principles of Tai Chi Chuan are usually expressed in poetry or as metaphors. This is because, the concepts they are trying to convey are normally to complex to be explained verbally or in writing and must be experienced to be properly understood.
Many of the names of the forms are also metaphorical because they are similar in their basic movement to their namesake. For example 'Fair lady works the shuttles', 'snake creeps down', 'repulse monkey', ' wave hands like clouds' and 'seek the needle at the sea bottom'.
'Fair lady works the shuttles' is named for the movement pattern used by a woman working a fabric loom. This Tai Chi movement is very versatile in its applications. It allows for hits, throws, trips, pushes, etc.
'Seek the Needle at the Sea Bottom' refers to an acupuncture point on the sole of the foot. The acupuncture point is known as the 'Well of the Sea'. The motion was taught to me as simultaneously squatting, pointing and extending between my opponent's feet. It also has multiple applications.
The reason the forms are expressed in a metaphorical fashion is to make them easier to remember and to aid in learning the applications of the movement.
Not all of the movements have metaphorical names. Some of the movements have names that are more straightforward than their metaphorical cousins, such as 'Hook Step Parry and Punch', 'Brush Knee and Push', 'Press', 'Push', and 'Punch Under Elbow' to name a few. However, these names are still not specific enough to interpret all of their possible uses.
The only application limitation for any of the forms is the imagination of the Tai Chi practitioner and the laws of physics.
All Tai Chi Chuan movements contain coiling and spiraling. The coiling and spiraling movements of the Tai Chi forms train the practitioner to move in a circular and twisting fashion in application which dissipates and redirects the attacks from his opponent. This is accomplished by attaching to your opponents attack, matching speed, and direction, then you apply a small amount of pressure vectoring your opponents attack into a near miss. This is similar to how the wind effects a bullet fired from a gun.
If an adversary should push a Tai Chi practitioner, his assailant soon finds himself chasing his victim around a corner, leading him out of position, and off balance.
One of the other advantages in moving in spirals is that your opponent is unable to apply force around a corner. Additionally it is impossible to resist an incoming circular force because, the human body can only resist or generate force in one direction at a time.
The most difficult lesson learned by new students is that when Tai Chi Chuan is performed properly there is little if any physical resistance (feedback) creating the impression that they did nothing to their assailant even though he was overcome. In addition, when they are in the role of assailant they are not always overpowered physically leaving them wondering if they had ever actually attacked.
