极太兌艮

Taijiquan

Taijiquan is the an art of motion made martial.

It is beyond method or technique because it understands their origination and differentiation.

From wholeness comes division, even in all motion.

From division comes separation.

To join and follow can be to lead.

Understanding without thought,

Through focusing the attention.

Flowing where two become one.

To arrive before departing.

Uniting to undo,

Stillness and motion become one.

Calmness pervades all.

Nothing in the world
is as soft and yielding as water.
Yet for dissolving the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.

The soft overcomes the hard;
the gentle overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice.

This quote captures the essence of taiji softness.
Only hardness can shatter, only firmness can be broken.

Yang Chen-Fu said: "One must distinguish the pure from the motley. Many practice taiji nowadays but it is not the real taiji. The real has a different taste, and is easily distinguished. With real taiji, your arm is like iron wrapped with cotton. It is soft and yet feels heavy to someone trying to support it. You can feel this in push-hands practice. When you touch an opponent, your hands are soft and light but he cannot get rid of them. When you attack, it is like a bullet penetrating cleanly and sharply (gan cui), yet without using any force. When he is pushed ten feet away, he feels a little movement, but no strength and no pain. In touching him, you don't grab him. Instead you lightly adhere to him so that he can't escape. Soon his two arms become so sore he can't stand it. This is real taiji. If you use force, you may move him. But it will not be clean and sharp. If he tries to use force to hold or control you, it is like trying to catch the wind or shadows. Everywhere is EMPTY. It can be likened to walking on gourds on the water. You cannot get to where the substantial is. Put simply, the real taiji is marvelous."

I was very much inspired in reading this material:

http://0801.nccdn.net/1_5/008/335/23d/LiYaxuansExplanatoryNotesonTaiChiPushHands.pdf

Some excellent quotes are as follows:

When students begin learning push hands, they are usually afraid to relax completely, for fear that their partner or opponents will take advantage of their softness to suddenly launch a strong attack. What these beginners haven’t yet understood is that if you can give yourself up entirely to relaxation, an amazing power of ‘sensitive emptiness’ naturally emerges that allows you to easily handle anything that comes up. This continues to evolve until it reaches an extreme degree light relaxed power so that your offense becomes unstoppable and your defense is also an attack. Any position you assume is superior to the opponent and you come to totally dominate whoever you work with without any problem at all...

You should approach push hands with a light and alert spirit. Though you may have some combative skills don’t use them against him. Though you may have some techniques, don’t use those either. You must use your spirit to neutralize and counter. to make him feel he’s chasing the wind and grasping at shadows, as though he has nowhere solid to stand, as though there’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, let him defeat himself with his own actions, then he’ll be easily overcome. If you try to use techniques to block or counter his motions and attacks, he’ll be able to forestall your application of whole-body energy and all your efforts will be clumsy and futile.

Pay attention to this...

When you first touch hands in ordinary practice, you need to use a very light touch to feel him out, to follow along with him, responding and adapting to all his changes. You mustn’t pose even the slightest resistance...

You body is completely soft and

pliable, appearing to be boneless. No matter how your partner comes at you, you seem to be

able to absorb or redirect everything, extending and retracting at will, using invisible changes to

neutralize him...

Before you actually make physical contact, assume an attitude of emptiness. With that

established you can very lightly touch your partner’s hand. Once you have touched him, you

must not move of your own volition. Think of this phase strictly as a means of training your

sensitivity and awareness. Then you use your superior emptiness, awareness, perception, and

sensitivity to engage your spirit in order to neutralize even his slightest intent towards movement

against you, following and adhering without gaps or resistance...

I've found this commentary to be among the best i have ever read.

two as one

to stick
to follow
to lead
to flow

can the elbow strike the forearm?

no, because though distinct the elbow and the forearm are one
and though it cannot strike
what control the elbow has over the forearm!

the elbow is the root
to the trunk of the forearm

if you become the root of another
though distinct you will be one
follow and lead

Taijiquan is like this

if the forearm is severed from the elbow
the two disconnected
this is a disadvantage

if you are separated
from the opposing force
you are like an elbow
without a forearm

separation
unity
these things are not to be taken lightly

a single perfected motion
is more profound
than ten thousand motions
performed well

a single well placed step
is more secure
than ten thousand steps
eagerly made

neither rushing
nor hesitating
the steady way
is sure and true

a drop of water forms
by a joining of lesser parts
and so they become one
a single flowing whole

the synergy of all events
is little different

a song is formed
by a joining of lesser parts
and so they become one
a single flowing whole

the synergy of all events
is little different

a life is formed
by a joining of lesser parts
and so they become one
a single flowing whole

the synergy of all events
is little different

now is not formed
by a joining of lesser parts
it has always been one
a still and single whole

now is not an event
it is a little different

as a wheel
as a mill stone
as a spinning rope
as a top
as a whirlpool

roll over
grind down
twist apart
bounce away
draw in

In the lore of vedic culture stance training plays key roles in the attainment of powers and gifts from the gods. In a nutshell the actor maintains a stance as long as possible.

This is much like taiji, where in some traditions holding the postures for a long duration is a vital part of training.

A combination of postures has proven very useful to me including from the 108 Karanas of Lord Shiva, various postures and positions from Capoeira, various postures and stretches of Yoga, and of course postures from taijiquan.

As for the spirit, it is not distinct from the body in regard to development and perhaps there are changes that do occur, which should not be spoken of, because to speak of something that others have not experienced does no good for anyone. Expectations should be eliminated or the spirit will not develop properly.

In this way mental posture plays a role in this training as well. A person should remain in focus and not wander with their body, or their mind. Instead they should link the two and focus on their whole being, let thought and posture be as one wordless thing.

concise set introduction

taiji set names, called the concise set:

1. Heaven and Earth unite
2. Moon and Sun sweep sky
3. Wind brings Thunder
4. River rides the Mountain
5. Heaven holds all things
   
6. A storm of out the Earth

The pattern is as such, the first four moves are based upon 8 principals, the next two use those same principals, but in new combination, an example of how the principals are put into effect. In addition to this, the concise set has application and weapons aspects and different variations to allow focus on different ways of expressing the movements and methods.

The whole thing is 6 breaths, however it is a mirror form, meaning it is not done once, but twice at least, once on each side, and it cycles so it can be done for an indefinite period of time.

Each of the 6 parts has two parts, which create 12 motions used for training the skills of the set, each of the 6 parts also has specific footwork.

The set is also done slow and fast, slow it takes as long as it takes, fast it takes a few seconds at most. The fast cannot be learned without the slow though.

The concise set is something I made for myself, to allow me to focus on the skills I want.
It does not replace or conflict with any other form or method or systematic patterning, but goes with them well and is based on effective material, so it combines well with any martial art. It is a great way for a hard stylist to get an introduction to the taiji principals and methods, largely because it is concise and easily demonstrated with clear principals.

A fool trusts skill he can see
the wise trust skill they can feel

the appearances of things is not the internal way

the crouching cat is superficial
it is external

the internal is as a cat which does not crouch
and yet pounces
..............................
It can be funny how much emphasis is placed on the superficial,
by those who claim to practice the internal.

Parable of Master & Talents (of the students)

A great martial artist went to travel the world and before he left he recorded and demonstrated all he knew for his three pupils.

As he departed he instructed his students:
"practice and study these things until my return"

And so the teacher traveled a great many years, until finally he returned.
He then summoned his students and began to test them.

His first student had not only great skill, having studied the teachings for years he had created a great many innovations upon their foundation.

His second student also had great skill, for he had innovated several subtle distinctions pertaining to the teachings.

His third student also had great skill and presented the teachings of his master perfectly.

The teacher then spoke to his students:

"My first pupil, having studied and practiced the teachings I gave you so many years ago you have taken them and built upon them, not only understanding them, but making them your own. I name you as my successor, for your skill has exceeded my own as is the hope of every good teacher for his students."

And saying this he struck at his first student,
who easily moved out of the way.

"My second pupil, having practiced and studied what I have taught you, you have mastered it well and explored many subtleties upon your own, there is no more I can teach you, I confer to you the title of master instructor. Your skill has come to match my own."

And saying this he struck at his second student,
who neutralized the attack without difficulty.

"My third pupil, though having mastered all I have shown you, not one innovation have you made, not one realization have you employed beyond my teachings."

And saying this he struck at his third student,
who then died instantly.

two short tales

A man sought to learn to play a flute he was given by his greatest friend, he bought a book which showed him where to put his fingers and how to blow through the flute and so he did it a few times and found he was not very good at it, and so he threw his book and flute away.

Another man happened upon the book and flute. He picked them up and read of how to learn to play the flute, and practicing every day he became a great master of the instrument.

_____

A man found a teacher, who taught him all he needed to know, but he doubted the teachings and moved on.
He met another teacher, who again taught him all he needed to know, but he did not practice the teachings and so he moved on.
He met another teacher, who one again taught him all he needed to know, and then made the man practice it by sitting there with him while he did it.
The man exclaimed, "At last I have found the right teaching"
And the teacher doubting the man, moved on.

take your time

Sometimes when we are eager to practice or play we build and reinforce bad habits because we do not take enough time to learn what we are trying to do step by step.

Often people who 'get it' don't, because they do. They accept their ability to imitate and understand a move as having learned a move, method or technique, nothing could be further from the truth.

At a class I was at not long ago a highly skilled guest instructor stopped the physical lessons for a few moments and related to us that sometimes very simple moves can take years of practice to get right. He related that just because you were able to do something in class when a teacher shows it to you, doesn't mean you can do it well.

The move has to become part of you, so why be hasty? Why rush into things with sloppy methods and bad habits? People who brag about how they can do difficult things can seldom do simple things right for some reason.

Once you begin to practice, you get better at what you practice, if you practice mistakes and bad habits, they won't go away over time, you will just get better at doing things the sloppy way. That is nothing to be proud of.

Take your time, practice everything step by step and go slow enough to get it right.
This method takes patience, but good things come to those who wait.

That guy who rushes into things and thinks he is so good because he can do advanced moves while he is a beginner, that guy who seems to "get it" quickly, he isn't who you want to be. You aren't meant to "get it" you are meant to practice it, then you will get it over time, and what you will get is Kung-fu.

(from wikipedia)
In its original meaning, kung fu can refer to any skill. Gōngfu (功夫) is a compound of two words, combining 功 (gōng) meaning "achievement" or "merit", and 夫 (fū) which translates into "man", so that a literal rendering would be "human achievement". Its connotation is that of an accomplishment arrived at by great effort.

This is actually a post of mine for a discussion forum, but I thought I might share it with you.

Taijiquan, it comes in so many flavors and colors.

How much of this is the superficial? How much of this is the internal?

Luchan displayed different forms than Chen style, though my understanding is that he was above average intelligence. However, and more to my point, the forms of lines of transmission that come from students of his, differ in each and every case to some degree or another. Thus we have today several so called "styles" that can be traced back to Yang Luchan through his sons or students.

It occurs to me that the expressiveness of the form work centers around the postures as a theme and that the forms as we know them in orthodoxy are questionable as to their veracity regarding historical authenticity and accuracy, particularly if personalizing and individually manifesting the form or techniques is an authentic transmission.

It seems that standardized forms are for group classes, allowing the class to have a line dance approach to form work, allowing potentially thousands to participate at once, although class sizes tend to be smaller.

But another method seems to be teacher to student transmissions that are of a one on one nature and are not made in a one size fits all manner. It seems that sometimes this type of one on one transmission took place and forms were altered or even created for a single student, who later teaches that form as a by the numbers piece to a large group of people. This approach is still difficult, so the form was modeled to be challenging enough to allow progressive benefits but easy enough to learn to do without years of special conditioning.

With the one on one approach, years of special conditioning is rather typical. However with the group approach this is not practical to do in the same detail and so a one size fits all approach becomes more ideal.
This group approach is public, ergo the very fitting title of public form.

However I was told that every time I lift my leg and step a certain way in the public form, that it hides or has or holds a kick, and I was also told that there are other simplified reduced moves in the public form. When I do a form and insert these kicks and motions in a more complete manner, two things stand out immediately, the first is that conditioning is required, the second is that each move needs to be down perfectly or it won't flow properly, thus the moves must be learned not as a sequence, but as postures.

Finding someone capable or willing to study in the one on one and step by step manner should be very difficult. The type of student who does well in the class may not do well one on one, and the type of person who does well one on one might not do well in a class.

I believe that this teaching issue has as much as anything to do with why there are millions of people who practice, but what seems like less than one hundred masters alive today.

Conveyor belt approaches lead to a uniform product that has the right shape but lacks the fine craftsmanship of a custom piece.

Custom work alone produces works of art.
It is as true for the sword, as it is for the martial artist.

Basics

I've been making a formal review of the basics by watching how they are done by the advanced players of various martial arts, including Taijiquan and Capoeira, which are two parts of the martial art I practice.

I have found some interesting things.
Masters have the basics down perfect, but basically nobody else does. I don't mean master as a formal title, but to note that often senior students are better at their advanced moves than their basics, this is highly unfortunate.

Many newer students can do some advanced moves, but they don't feel at home with the basics. Essentially the simple basic moves should be second nature, they should be effortless and reflexive.

Many students do not perfect their basic moves before moving on to advanced moves. To them the basics are too boring or simple to be worth it.

Let me share with you however that the most advanced moves in martial arts are all basic moves, what makes them advanced is the skill they are employed with.

Lets face it, you aren't going to learn the basics by working on the hard stuff. But honestly, the hard stuff comes with much less effort if the basics are mastered, and I mean mastered; first.

Don't do things with a sloppy feeling, thinking you will get better, often you will only build a bad habit that will not fix itself. If you approach the systems with patience and work on the basics and get them down, the rewards will speak for themselves.

The idea is that the basic moves are a foundation. The better your foundation, the better everything that is built on it is. The more time and work you put into this foundation, the stronger your structure is going to be in the end. However if you skip the foundation and work on the upper stories, then one day you will have to go back down to the basement and fix your foundation, because a strong game in Push Hands (San Shou) or in the Roda comes from having your basics down strong.

I am not even going to go into all that Ginga and Grasp sparrows 'tale' teach, needless to say all of the advanced skills flow from the conditioning of the basic foundations of Capoeira and Taijiquan. Still I am a beginner, so don't take my word for it, go ask your teacher. But if you like friendly contests without animosity, then please come and test your skill and provide me with a lesson.

Friendly Challenges are welcome from players with the same number of years of experience as I. I am a 3 year taijiquan student and a couple of months into Capoeira training.

I am also going to suggest that the skill of a person can be measured by how they perform the basics, and not just the advanced material. If you can't do the basics, then no amount of working harder moves is going to allow you to reach mastery of self or the art you practice.

Inheritance

My inheritance is found
between Heaven and Earth.

My Taijiquan is not Chinese.
My Capoeira is not Brazilian.
My Natya Yoga is not Indian.
I am not a nationalist,

To be an artist, one makes art
This cannot be done if it is not your own

I am not a traditionalist
I am not preserving culture
I am not concerned with historical accuracy.

I am a child of a new world
That old worlds become
as borders dissolve

A child of Slave and Master
of mixed caste and class

I am a crossroad
I am continents joined
I am a planet united

The identity of mankind
either frail through division
or perfected through unity

the choice is clear enough

It has been said that masters are few
yet systems are common
Systems are but the creation of masters
yet seldom are masters the creation of systems

for the true master innovates
forming themselves anew from the ways of the old
as much new as old
if they try to let the system make them, they fail
mastery is not had by a conveyor belt
no one method works for all people
to obtain mastery one must master self,
self is but identity

The students all try to imitate each other imitating the masters.
The masters imitate none.
the truth of things is clear enough
many people expect the system to do the work for them
but mastery of a system does not result in self mastery
this is the inevitable result for those who do not make the art their own
Skill is not the same as mastery

perfect imitation is still not the same as doing
how many people fail for not having known this?

The student is like a hungry man,
a technique is like a fish
one can give him the fish
and so one can give him the technique
but he will hunger after another
and depend upon being fed
but what of teaching the student to fish?
Teach him the origin of technique
and he will learn to feed himself
this is the difference of mastery
the master does not master technique
it is the source of technique that must be mastered
the source is not a system or a method
look inside yourself to find it

Why does a student practice?
Why does a master practice?

I am already who I am.
I am not learning to become Brazilian
I am not learning to become Chinese.
I am not a nationalist

I take the art and make it my own
Slowly
bit by bit,
day by day

I do not pretend to improve the art
only myself
Slowly,
bit by bit,
day by day.

Capoeira is rather unique among martial arts, for it is not an art born of war or battle, but rather has its roots in survival in the face of oppression.

It is a martial art for the Slave, not for the warrior.

The warrior has a choice, the Slave has none.
The warrior lives free, the Slave is bonded to society.
The warrior goes where he chooses, the Slave must obtain permits and papers.
The warrior trains all day and works on the battlefield.
The Slave works for most of their waking day and is thus given no time to train.
The warrior is the law, the Slave must obey the law or be punished.
A warrior lives and dies by battle for that is their work.
A Slave lives and dies by work for that is their battle.
A warrior fights for a code, for glory.
A Slave fights to endure, to live, to exist.
A warrior wears his weapons proudly.
A Slave must protect themselves with whatever they can.
A warrior boasts of his power and skill.
A Slave must conceal his skills.
A warrior fights for the love of fighting.
A Slave fights to prevent violence from taking their life.
A warrior seeks battle by being prepared for it.
A Slave seeks to avoid battle by being prepared for it

The warrior is used to keep Slaves in Slavery.
Slaves are used to keep warriors fed and clothed.

Warriors: Capoeira is not for you.
It is only dancing, it is not fit for battle.
It keeps the Slaves fit, it lets them smile.
Warriors are not dancers.
Warriors are not slaves.

And I am no warrior.

What do they say?
They say "here I am"
They say "there you are"
They say "look at me"
They say "look at you"

But if the tree does not respond to the wind
then the tree breaks
it is as if the wind says
"how are you"
and the tree says nothing
because it is broken
but the tree that sways responds
saying:
"I am fine, thanks for asking"

The devil was the wind
and the slaves had to sway
The devil angry, that he could not break them said
"your motion is too free"
and the slaves replied
"how can that be? we are only dancing"

Oh ginga, only dancing
only dancing so they say
while the wind would break their spirits
if their spirits did not sway

My spirit keeps swaying
even when the body stops
and the world says to me
"your mind is too free"
And I respond
"it is only dancing"

It is only dancing.
And the music never stops.