The Way of Tai Chi

Author: Charles Zhang

Why did I choose Tai Chi as my first martial arts to play around with? First of all, the movies, kung fu fictions like the series written by Louis Cha (Jin Yong) and Tai Chi Master (1993) played by Jet Li, form an idea in my head that Tai Chi soars above the common techniques, and even kung fu itself to assert its ideas into even a spiritual way. It’s mysterious and alive.

When I was little, I lived in a city with great accessibility to parks. Take a walk in the break of the day especially with the mist; makes everything more refreshing. At the same time, I’m not a lone stroller, there are lot things going on in the morning. One of them is people practicing Tai Chi. They gather at the same place by the main route I took every morning so it’s hard to miss. Just look at them. When they move, they move like falling waters and waving silk. At times I get lucky because they will have group practices preparing for city competitions. Almost every year in our city newspaper, just in a small section, it says “Congratulations Again to Qiao Kou Tai Chi Team.” I feel proud, because I feel like part of them, seeing them do their warm ups, push hands, and sometimes even chit chat with them. However, there’s something greater than being part of them and that’s when seeing them during their competition days. I see the most amazing art in the break of dawn.

They wore their white silk cloth with the leading person in red, and when they move, boy, they look amazing! Soft like wisps of clouds with steadiness like the sitting rocks on a thousand-year mountain. Smooth like the early morning dews running down the green leafs, leaving the soothing sounds with rhythm; springy like the ripple in the mirroring lake, letting the drizzling fall with movement. There are no more sounds of bird chirping nor the fresh breeze lying around, nor the aura of light embracing around you; it’s only a sense; the sense of Tai Chi, mysterious, and alive…

So, what is it? =]

The idea about Tai Chi comes largely from “I Ching, the Book of Change” and it had huge impacts on Confucianism, Taoism and other schools of Chinese culture. "I Ching, the Book of Change" added that “Tai Chi is separated into Two Pieces (Yin and Yang) which create Four Images, and those Four Images create Eight Trigrams." The Eight Trigrams were used for tens of centuries in Ancient China as a way to tell the future and get in contact with the universe. Not God in the religious way but with the Universe, in a spiritual way. The slim difference between those two is that God possesses human traits (http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefactsandlists/qt/biblefactsgod.htm) while the universe can’t be described (“Ineffability or Genesis” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tao_Te_Ching). To the bottom of things, the vast universe of all things and phenomena contain Tai Chi.

A distinct trait about Tai Chi other than its omnipresent is a special relationship it creates. Among all beings alive or not, they are in constant conflict and mutually dependency with one another. This relationship guides and nourishes the Origin, and the root cause of all things but also, the Destruction of them.

Some examples to illustrate the duo-role is through the comparison and contrast between the different elements. Heaven and earth, sun and moon, lightning and thunder, wind and rain, as well as male and female, rigid and soft, static and still, appearing and disappearing and all sorts of those things follow the idea of Yin and Yang. And this idea is also significant to us on the nurturing of the body; veins, bones, flesh, blood, five internal organs (Heart, liver, spleen, lung, kidney) and six hollow organs (small intestine, gall bladder, stomach, colon, bladder.

How should we then apply it in technique for martial artist?

It certainly does, but there are too many to cover so as a finishing stroke, I’ll talk about a most particular point – the eyes.

1. Eyes forward and head-up. In general, eyes have to be forward. Sometimes eyes aim at the front hand to look forward, but not locked on the hands. Sometimes the eyes are also looking downward based on the specific hand movements specific to each movement.

2. Eyes have to be alive and moving at all times. Eyes and body have to be in same direction, eyes follow the body rotation. Tai Chi requires constantly moving and switching stances forward and back, turning left and right.

3. Eyes must correspond with mind. Eye is the internal essence of the mind. If eyes and the movements are not all together, the inside and outside of you are not in harmony. Eye is an important role in Pushing Hands and it should pay attention to the upper, middle and lower part of one’s opponent. Pay close attention to his/her body rotation and orientation, seize the opportunity in the play when the other party in disadvantage.

4. Eye follows the Natural Way. Do not stare nor close them. Proper use of eyes is related to the upbringing of the spirit.

Lastly, the idea of Tai Chi never dies because one dying means one must be living and one who lives will eventually pass. The idea of duo-role in unity lasts the universe, Forever!

Some good sites to look at for additional info:

Tai Chi Symbol | Yin-Yang Emblem | Taiji Tun

(http://www.egreenway.com/taichichuan/taichitun.htm)

About Yin Yang | Tai Chi | Qigong

(http://www.taichi-qigong.net/?page_id=58)

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