Taijiquan Experiences and Accumulated Knowledge

At age 15 I began practicing Yang style Taiji with General Yang Shiao Xi, a disciple of Yang Cheng Fu. Later I became a disciple of Lin Mo Gen, a disciple of the famous Li Yaxuan who had studied under Yang Jian Hou and Yang Cheng Fu. With Lin Mo Gen I studied Taiji skills including weapons, push hands and internal energy. Lin Mo Gen is so well known for his push hands skill that the Chinese government made him the manager of the Push Hands Competition Rules Committee. In this 20 years of study in Taiji I have learned many things that I’d like to share here to the benefit of Taiji enthusiasts in the West.

In the universe there is nothing more soft and weak than water. But if you look at the tidal wave or rushing river you see the huge internal potential energy that this element contains. Water can be terrifying and full of danger, it can wear through rock or destroy a small city in a flash. In his Moral Bible Lao Tze says that "a hard thing can easily be broken, but that which is soft can easily last a long time." So in Taiji we strive to imitate water.

To be like water there are 3 key points to observe.

Through this awareness the spirit will gradually be calm, the limbs and body will be soft and one will be full of flexible, active energy. In this way internal energy is developed and changes the body with great benefit to one’s health. Also the mind, like the body will become flexible and one will feel peaceful.

Elucidation of the 3 Key Points

Relaxed awareness is the first important factor of the 3 key points. This is precious knowledge. It is very simple but very difficult to grasp without an experienced guide. The term for this type of relaxation is heart-relax. This means that before you begin Taiji take some time in the preparatory posture and use your mind to relax the body and heart, release your cares and worries so you feel peaceful and comfortable in every way. According to a Taiji adage, " heart relax, body relax" means that when guided by your mind your heart will relax and then your body will experience absolute relaxation so that it becomes soft.

When the body and heart are like this every joint, muscle and tendon will become soft, longer and more flexible. The blood and internal energy can flow easily and circulate through the whole body without any blockage. This will achieve what is referred to in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as Dredge the Joints, Tendons and Veins. This is the smooth and even flow of blood and energy through the relaxed body without interruption. So when you’ve experienced this comfortable feeling through relaxed awareness guided by the mind try to remember the "taste" for future reference.

Slow and even movement is the second important part of the 3 key points. Through this type of body movement one achieves the proper "mind flow". Moving with no pause and no disturbances the mind begins to flow like water. This concentrated awareness has given rise to Taiji being referred to as "moving meditation". If there is a sudden change of pace caused by moving fast and slow intermittently then the "mind flow" will break down and the comfortable relaxed feeling will disappear. Then your Taiji is no longer moving meditation.Through slow and even movement the mind and heart become calm. When the heart is at peace one can clearly feel the joints of the whole body move with gentle agility and a rhythm like music. At this point the body has melted into the universe and they have become one. Then you can sense the intricate movement of your body and are able to gently guide the limbs with the waist and hips. Feel quiet inside with a sense of peace in your spirit. If all around you is noisy but you feel peace in your spirit you have become connected to the universe. This is a very high level step in Taiji practice. My teacher Lin Mo Gen used to say that at this level Taiji is meditation. Our bodies live in a noisy world, but if you can keep the sweet fragrance of peace inside your heart then your can be comfortable and composed in all circumstances.

Feeling calm and comfortable is the last important factor in the 3 key points. It is very important not to think about the breath or try to match it with the movements. Just be natural and forget about the breath. If you think about the breath you can cause health problems. It will also make it impossible to be calm and comfortable. If the heart and mind have peace the breath will gradually become longer and deeper, fine and even. At this stage the bad energy in your body will sink down and be excreted naturally. Fresh new energy will circulate upward benefitting the entire body and brain. Beneficial sweet saliva will be produced as you practice Taiji. Inside the blood and energy will flow very freely and you will feel very comfortable in your mental health.When you have achieved this step practice day in and day out. Work hard to keep this feeling. After a long time your internal energy will enrich your bones and muscles. Bones become denser and muscles heavier. The limbs will get a heavy feeling. This means that you have begun to get the martial art internal energy produced by proper study of Taiji. Let this increase your confidence, it means that you are practicing Taiji in the right direction and have not wasted your time or energy.

Conclusion

The construction of the human body is very delicate. If you practice exercises incorrectly not only is there no benefit but you may do yourself harm. The right knowledge is very important. Everyone who practices Taiji should find the right way through these 3 Key Points. They are: to relax, guided by the mind, move slowly and evenly, be calm and comfortable. If you follow these you will not lose your path in Taiji or in life. Follow these carefully and in the future you will smell the true sweet fragrance of the Taijiquan. It will benefit your body and heart. In turn these will benefit your spirit and increase your wisdom. You will gain fitness, health and a happy life. Then naturally you will go into the Tao (the Way) through the Art of Taijiquan.

Wang Xue Jun