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SOUTHERN ARIZONA TAIJI PRINCIPLES - Structure
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Structure - (3) structures = Legs, Torso, and Arms.
– The Leg structure is supported by the floor (Basic horse stance). Create Peng energy (natural stretching coiling tension/firmness and alert energy) in the leg structure. Feet wider than shoulder width apart, knees bent, toes following the direction of the knees. Open the kua (hip joints) and feel the stretching in both kua. Body weight should be evenly distributed along entire bottom of both feet. Adjust feet and knees to stay springy and mobile, yet firm. Understand the structure of the stance & how to adjust and rotate both kua to support the torso and arm structures.
- The Torso structure is supported by the leg structure. Create Peng energy in the torso structure. Gently stretch the spine. When the knees are bent the pelvis should gently tuck (rotate) under (slight posterior pelvic tilt) and lightly pull down (do not push hips forward) to link the body to the leg structure. Pull the shoulders down and pull head up at the crown and pull chin in slightly, to stretch the neck. The spine is kept gently stretched this way throughout all of your taiji training.
- The Arm structure is supported by the body structure. Create Peng energy in the arm structure. Keep shoulders & elbows down to link the arms to the torso structure. The arms and body form a strong structure with the base between the shoulders and both arms facing the target. Don't stretch the arms out too far and also don't collapse too much, find the position where the shoulders can sink and the proper elbow angle for the V shape is achieved. All 3 sides of the arm structure always adjust together. Points to keep in mind -
Basic structural alignment - Ears directly over the shoulders, shoulders directly over the hips, and hips directly over the center of the feet.
Create Peng energy (natural stretching coiling tension/firmness and alert energy) in each structure and each technique, not too tight, not too loose. In the beginning development you can think of each structure as a properly inflated ball or balloon. Not under-inflated (too relaxed) and not over-inflated (too much muscle tightness). Ultimately the correct Peng energy is developed throughout the entire body and the body now acts as one “body shaped balloon” with the perfect amount of tension/firmness and alert energy.
Find the neutral (balanced) point within each structure and in-between each technique.
Adjust alignment of all 3 structures to ground (root, support) the power (incoming and outgoing).
Correct structural alignment and tension (energy) is the foundation of your ability to create a strong structure, which will enable you to adjust efficiently and automatically to incoming external forces and your own outgoing power.
A strong structure that does not shift but only rotates, is required to enable you to adjust efficiently to incoming forces and outgoing power.
Correct adjustment of the V shape (joints), C shape (spine) enables balloon function (compression/rotation/expansion) to function automatically.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Position - - Arm structure positioning = Adjust the arm structure position (compression/rotation/expansion) to keep the point or points of contact directed to your target. - Torso structure positioning = Adjust torso structure position (compression/rotation/expansion) to support the arm structure to the target. - Leg structure positioning = Adjust leg structure position (compression/rotation/expansion and distance/footwork) to support the torso and arm structures to the target. Points to keep in mind -
During execution of the forms, know/feel what part of the body is leading each position change. Feel how the rotation of the legs drives the power/energy to rotate the torso, which directs the power/energy to the arms, which expresses that power/energy through the hands.
Upon engagement with a training partner or opponent, adjust positioning of all 3 structures (arms, torso, and legs) through the contact point/s with peng energy and body unity (compression, rotation) to keep correct alignment of structures on target (on opponent's center line area) to connect, control, attack, and/or counter attack.
When adjusting your position in relation to your target, your center (axis of rotation) should not shift only rotate.
The controlling point - The controlling point is at the point of contact and gives your structure the hint or signal how, where, and when to respond and adjust the positioning of your structure according to the opponents actions or inaction.
Feel when to adjust your position actively = direct action to the target.
Feel when to adjust passively = going with the opponents active movement momentarily, to neutralize, stay on target, and counter.
Definition of the terms Active and Passive used in the description above:
- Active = When you move yourself. - Passive = When you allow yourself to be moved (compress/rotate) by your opponents motion for a split second just before going to an active action or position.
Intent is always on target.
Correct understanding of positioning and staying on target (actually all of the principles combined) helps you to develop heightened Listening/Sensing ability. This is one very important aspect of what tui shou drills (push hands) are for. To develop the ability to sense or know what your training partner is going to do, even before they do. It teaches you how, where, and when to adjust and respond to attack or counterattack based on timing and leverage. Without listening skills you will be attacking blindly and randomly with speed and force. Attacking blindly is a bad habit that allows your opponent to counter you much more easily. Listen, not with your ears, but with the depth of your entire being.
Understand the blocking line and the attack lines (to uproot, take down, trap, joint lock, or strike).
Inside out position to open your opponents structure and outside in position to cross your opponents structure.
Understand your target and learn to see/feel both the upper and lower open gates to gain the most advantageous position to your target.
Understand how superior leverage is created by proper positioning and adjustment at the fulcrum or pivot point at the point of contact. Correct positioning will give you the best leverage to control your opponent efficiently without using excess force (Economy of motion). This is a very important concept to understand and is directly related to how a smaller weaker person can overcome a much larger stronger person.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Distance -
The correct distance for practicing Tui Shou is the foundation for understanding proper distance, which transfers to all other drills and applications.
Fill the gap - Know the correct distance from your target to maximize potential uprooting, take down, trapping, or striking power.
Understand the relationship of “Distance” to all of the other taiji principles such as; structure, position, timing, power, control, balance, body unity, target, and neutralizing. If your distance is off, everything else is negatively effected.
Adjust the distance from the target by adjusting footwork/stance.
Do not shift your weight in any direction, do not lean the body in any direction, and do not overextend or collapse your arm structure.
Know the hand, elbow, shoulder, knee, and foot distance from the target:
- To apply techniques efficiently. - To maintain the target. - To have the ability to adjust with correct timing. - To have the ability to efficiently neutralize. - To stay balanced. - To maximize your potential power.
Learn to see/feel the straight line (shortest distance) between your center and the opponents center (axis of rotation).
What is the difference between Techniques and Principles?
People often confuse “Principles” with “Techniques”. They are not the same thing, but they are both critically important to martial arts development. Techniques are the vehicles to learning the principles that lie within. It is the principles of martial arts that must be developed before any mastery can be achieved.
The Principles of all systems of martial arts are the same. What I mean by that is, all martial arts systems must teach the student how to develop the Principles which include; structure, positioning, distance, timing, power, control, balance, body unity, and others. These are the fundamental principles that any and all martial art systems must have in order for them to work. The way the arts express those principles however, is different. The principles are expressed through the techniques of the system. Techniques are the outward visible expression of the art, that contain the Principles within.
As an example, I think most people would agree that a punch is a very important technique for any striking art. I think most people would also agree that a punch without structure would be easily countered, a punch without positioning would miss it’s mark, a punch without distance would be ineffective, a punch without timing would be useless, a punch without power would weak... and so on, and so on. Developing techniques AND the principles that make those techniques work is the only way to progressively improve your skills.
The arts of Wing Chun and Judo look very different on the surface. The way each art is expressed and developed, as well as their techniques, look quite different, but if you look deeper, the Principles that both systems are teaching are the same. They both must teach and develop structure, positioning, distance, timing, power, control, etc. etc. I believe if people understood this point they wouldn't hop around so much from art to art chasing techniques. It must be understood that it is the Principles that must be chased so to speak, not the techniques. If a student can find a good teacher of any style of martial art, who understands this and teaches the Principles of a system, the student has found Gold!
Realistically it takes a good ten years for a diligent student to digest the foundation of any one system of martial arts if the student is focusing on mastering the principles of the system. And when I say ten years, I mean ten years of training consistently at least 4 to 5 days per week face to face with a competent qualified teacher. It takes another ten years to digest that foundation to a higher level to become proficient. Compare that to learning only the superficial techniques of a system. Techniques can be learned in a matter of months. There is no comparison to someone who is proficient with the Principles within the techniques compared to someone who has only learned techniques.
Techniques are often a huge distraction for beginners because in the beginning development stage, the techniques are all that the student can see. It takes some time to begin to feel the principles within and behind the techniques. However, without the techniques, the principles can not be learned... yin yang balance.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Timing – Self based and opponent based development.
Self based timing (solo development). Two basic ideas to start with -
Basic rotation drill – Power/motion is, Generated through the rotation of the legs through the kua, Directed through the rotation of the tan tien, and Expressed through the rotation of the arms. Both legs start and stop at the same time, both kua start and stop at the same time, both elbows start and stop at the same time, both hands start and stop at the same time. Each section moving independently and proportionally in sequence. Each structure of the body has it's own function to do and executes it's function sequentially at precisely the correct time.
Forms and solo exercises - Feel the beginning, middle, and ending of each individual motion. Complete each motion. Develop smooth, controlled, precise motions. In fa jin training, release power correctly at the end of each motion. Feel the stillness/steadiness within and between each motion.
Opponent based timing (Based on the motion of your opponent).
To develop timing you must have a clear understanding of the Taiji principles such as structure, position, body unity, target, control, balance, neutralize etc.
Do not confuse timing with speed. They are two completely different things. Speed is simply how fast you move. Timing is understanding and developing WHEN to move.
The most efficient time to respond and counter is during your opponents motion, while they are still committed to that motion.
Respond at the very beginning, or the middle, or near the end, of your opponents motion. Could be during their attack motion or their blocking motion.
Be patient and let the opponent in. The further you let the opponent into your structure, the weaker their structure will be and the stronger your structure and counter will be.
It is much safer to attack an opening line, than an open line.
Correct timing must be utilized during the opponents motion (or pressure) otherwise there is no timing.
“Double timing” function - two motions or techniques within one timing beat. Most often used to open an attack line. Block/counter or adjust/counter.
Do not stop after your block. In application, your counterattack follows your blocking motion to become one smooth efficient motion.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Primary types of Power/Energy (Jin) -
Peng/Ward off - Expanding/spiraling outward in all directions from a fixed center. Consistent natural tension/tautness/firmness throughout the body. Properly inflated tire/balloon concept.
Lu/Rollback - Pull or stretch from the target (opponents center).
Ji/Press - Press or squeeze towards target. To make heavy (sink) and squeeze out space. Filling the gap.
An/Push - To separate / create space.
Cai/Jerk (tsai) - Uproot or break through movement with acceleration.
Lie/Split (lay) - Split or break (at a perpendicular angle)
Fa jin - Explode power
Bone/joint power - Correct body alignment for all jin.
Points to keep in mind -
Each jin is a way of expressing power.
Peng energy (pronounced pung) development is a foundation of taiji training. Peng must be present in your structure at all times. Peng enhances and allows all of the other types of jin to function.
True power is Generated in the legs, Directed through the center (tan tien), and Expressed through the hands or other body weapons... elbow, knee, shoulder, feet, etc.
Power in taiji comes from proper alignment of the bones and joints, the elasticity of the tendons and ligaments (to compress and stretch), and rotation of the body structures, not from the strength of the muscles alone. Muscles are needed for movement, but power is not generated by the muscles directly. This concept is often referred to as Bone/joint power.
Power is integrated throughout the body (body unity). Power is balanced throughout the body (every action has a reaction). Power emission is a result of correct balloon function (compression, rotation, expansion).
Maximum power generation requires muscles to be properly relaxed.
Fa jin is the result of applying all of the principles precisely with explosive energy.
During tiu shou motion and drills you are learning how to direct your power (energy, intent) to your target (on the center-line area of your training partner).
Learn how to maximize your potential uprooting or striking power by correctly adjusting all principles.
It is important to learn how to properly ground (root, support, brace) your power with correct structural alignment, footwork, and body unity. One very basic example is the sequence for generating and releasing power (fa jin) in a punch from a standing position. The energy or power is generated in the rotation of the legs and travels to and from the feet, spiraling up through the legs, through the kua and torso, through the shoulder and elbow, and finally through the fist. The instantaneous rebounding force from your attack follows this same path but reversed. To neutralize an opponent's force, the path is also the same but reversed starting from the point of contact and ending through your feet.
When your line of attack has been intercepted (a strike that is being blocked for example) learn to feel how and when to switch (adjust) your motion and power from an attacking function to a controlling function, (yang to yin - active to passive - dynamic to static) so that you can neutralize and counter that interception with clear precise timing.
It is vitally important that Peng energy never turns off. It is continually changing and adjusting, but never off.
Control your power. Use only what is necessary to do the job. Never use 100% of your power so that you can always maintain the ability to automatically adjust and counter every movement of your opponent (so that you do not “overshoot” and loose control and balance).
Know the difference between true power (which comes from structural strength) verses forced strength. True power is achieved by embodying all of the Taiji principles correctly and simultaneously. Moving incorrectly causes forced strength to be needed to compensate for the lack of developed skills.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Control -Important Points
Control of your center (axis of rotation). This is a primary focus of taiji training and control of your center must be mastered to reach the highest levels of development. Here are a few reasons to understand and develop the control of your center:
- To develop a strong structure. - To generate maximum power. - To be able to efficiently neutralize your opponents motion. - To always maintain your balance as well as a balanced structure to your target. - For body unity to function.
In training, always focus on developing precise controlled motions. All of your motions should have purpose and be executed with the utmost control of your entire body. Avoid any unnecessary and nonessential motion.
Don't let momentum carry you away. Develop the ability to pause with control at any point during a motion. Uncontrolled momentum will pull you off center and destroy your structure. Controlling momentum is a balance between controlling body stability and mobility in the respective appropriate areas.
Feel the steadiness/stillness within all motions (techniques).
Feel the relaxed neutral (balanced) spaces in between every motion. In music the space between each note is just as important as the notes. It is the same with movement. Feeling the space between each movement is just as important as the movement itself. Whether you are doing your forms, practicing solo drills, or partner drills (tui shou) try to pay attention to what is happening between each movement. For example... when punching we are so focused on the punch itself, we neglect to feel the thousand things that are happening just before and just after the punch. This is the same for any movement. To really develop self control, pay as much attention to the spaces between each movement as you do to the movement.
Understand the difference between static and dynamic control and know how and when to apply them.
It is very important to understand that in Taiji training we develop the basic concept of two hand always working together. At times they are both controlling and at other times one hand is controlling while the other is attacking. The controlling hand is not just controlling what it is touching, the opponents arm for example. The controlling hand is controlling the opponents COG, THROUGH the touching point of contact. You are not just trying to control the point of contact. As an example of this function in every day life, if you are writing on a piece of paper with your right hand, your left hand needs to be controlling the paper firm to the table in order for the right hand to be able write. The foundation of this skill is developed during basic tui shou circling motion.
Learn how to make all motions smooth and balanced.
When your line of attack has been intercepted (when delivering a strike for example), learn to feel when and how and to switch (adjust) your attacking function to a controlling function (dynamic to static - yang to yin - active to passive), so that you can neutralize and counter that interception with clear precise timing.
Control yourself physically (intent and movement) and mentally (intent and thought).
Develop your skills progressively from slow to full speed, and from simple to complex so that you can perfect your form and body mechanics. With a solid foundation beneath you, as you slowly increase the pace and complexity, the principles you are trying to develop will remain intact, building good habits that will become completely natural over time. When this level is achieved, full speed will seem slow and complex will feel simple. This is the dao of development.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness. Balance -
Important Points - Center of gravity and staying centered -
Feel how to adjust your body to stay balanced and centered all the time; during forms, single person drills, two person drills, tuishou, etc. Understand how staying centered relates to body unity.
Self development and partner development - There is a difference between developing and adjusting your own COG (center of gravity) when you are doing forms and solo drills, and adjusting your COG to your partner when you are doing partner drills. Both are vitally important to develop. When you are solo you have no incoming forces to adjust to. You are developing your own COG by itself. When you are working with a training partner, whether during tuishou or other partner drills, you have to learn how to merge and adjust your COG with the other persons. This concept of balance must be fully understood and developed from any position. Developing this requires a training partner which is one reason why it is impossible to learn taiji without one.
Understand what “double weighted” (double heavy, double pressure) is and how to avoid it - In my opinion, there is a misconception that has been perpetuated for many years in Taiji regarding the correct meaning of “double weighted”. The misconception is that double weighted means to have your body centered 50/50 between both feet is “bad” in taiji. This is a common misunderstanding. (It's a complex issue so the following explanation may need to be read several times to fully understand the points being made)
There are two scenarios where I discuss the issue of being “double weighted”. One is during solo practice (forms and other solo drills) and the other is during partner practice (tuishou and other partner drills). First I will explain the concept of “double weighted” in solo practice.
In solo training being “double weighted” is when your body is shifted off center during the execution of a technique (when both feet are on the ground).
During the execution of some techniques, when the power or energy is going straight up or straight down, the body is centered between both feet and your weight and the pressure on your feet is evenly distributed on both legs, with the power coming from or going to both legs evenly. One example being the first movement of the form.
During the execution of some techniques, when power or energy is being generated or received by the rotation of the body structures (legs, torso, and arms), the body is centered between both feet and the power is coming from or going to one leg only, so the weight and pressure on your feet will not be even. One leg/foot will have more pressure than the other.
Keeping your body centered 50/50 (or close to it) between both feet during Taiji training is an important concept for many reasons, including:
To always maintain the ability to be quickly mobile in any direction.
To efficiently issue power or receive incoming forces it is important to maintain the ability to adjust and yield by rotating your center without shifting your weight and use momentum which can cause you to over commit and loose balance.
To maintain yin-yang balance (for example the separation of static and dynamic motion) in your body. When a part of your body moves or is dynamic, another part of your body must remain static. As an example, your center is like a door hinge which does not move only rotates. The door can then move freely with control and power. Another analogy is a tire on a car. The center of the tire/wheel is connected to a central axle that does not move but only rotates in place. The power is generated by the rotating central axle and the outer edge of the tire is passive yet very powerful. Whatever attempts to touch this spinning tire will be thrown off. Your body works much the same way when you are able to maintain your center and rotate.
To maintain the yin-yang balance of substantial and insubstantial within your legs. As you rotate your legs, one leg is yang (substantial) and the other is yin (insubstantial).
It is very important to understand that when your body is 50/50 (or close to it), as you rotate your legs and center to generate or receive force, the pressure on your feet will NOT be 50/50. One foot will feel more pressure than the other. As an example, in order to rotate your body to the left you must internally rotate the right leg outward which will make it feel as though you are driving the right leg into the ground (externally this rotation should not be very visible). This creates torque, keeps the knee in place, opens the kwa on that leg, and makes the right leg feel heavy (active, substantial). At the same time, the left leg wants to outwardly rotate, but you maintain it's position which will make it feel as thought it is light and lifting up (passive, insubstantial). Again, externally this rotation should not be very visible. This makes one leg active (the power source) and one leg passive (supporting the active leg) which creates yinyang balance between the legs. The main issue and point of focus here is that it is the PRESSURE on the feet that is not 50/50, while your body (COG) is 50/50 between your feet. This skill takes a tremendous amount of focused practice to feel and achieve.
If you accomplish the weight or pressure difference on your feet by shifting your body to 70/30 (your body weight 70% on one leg and 30% on the other) that IS being double weighted, because with a 70/30 weight distribution you have, in effect, doubled your weight on one side (hence “double weighted”). In this shifted position, the structure of your legs is not evenly backing up and supporting the structure of your torso and arms, causing you to be off balance and easily toppled. This is much easier to feel with a training partner than alone during your forms. You can feel this in basic tuishou motion. When you are pushing or being pushed, your adjustment should be with the rotation of your center by rotating your legs, not by shifting your weight forward and back, or side to side. Shifting should be avoided or kept to a very minimum during forms and tuishou. Of course it should go without saying that when you are stepping or in a sweeping or kicking position, your body is completely centered and balanced over one leg so the other leg can move freely. In this case being double heavy (all of your weight on one leg) is a positive application.
Another aspect of double weighted during solo drills that you want to avoid in taiji is moving your whole body in one direction at the same time. When you use the rotation of your legs and center to execute a technique or posture, you avoid being double weighted by having a ying-yang balance of equal and opposite motion. If you shift your body weight without rotation to execute a technique, moving your whole body in one direction at the same time, your center will shift, and you will be using momentum instead of rotation which will result in weak structure, over commitment, loss of control, being unbalanced, and double weighted.
So with that in mind, proper basic weight distribution: - Side to side - keep your body 50/50 (or close to it) between your feet; to stay centered, to stay potentially mobile in any direction and to have the ability to rotate on your central axis for issuing power and to receive incoming forces. - Front to back – It is also important to stay centered on your feet front to back. Do not rest your weight on your heels, in doing so your weight will be shifted too far back and you'll loose the ability to properly adjust. It is important to pivot on the heels so you can stay centered, but do not shift your weight back to your heels.
So to be clear, in solo training being “double weighted” is when your body is shifted off center during the execution of a technique (when both feet are on the ground).
“Double weighted” (double pressure) during partner drills - When training with a partner during tuishou for example, fighting force against force instead of moving with and neutralizing your opponents force is also called being “double weighted” (“double pressure”, “double heavy”) . This concept is discussed more thoroughly in the Principle covering “Neutralizing”.
Develop the Balance of “Passive and Active structure and positioning” in your own body -
In your own structure and energy - Learn to adjust the balance of passive and active (yin and yang) between all parts of the body structures. Between both arms, both legs, between arms and legs, etc. Feel the balance OF all three structures and BETWEEN all three structures. Always adjusting the balance between the passive and active structure, of your body, and to your target.
Be aware when an individual muscle feels tight, in your shoulder or back for example, and figure out where the imbalance is that is causing that muscle to act on it's own and/or overreact. Could be caused by a problem in your structure, positioning, peng, distance, or moving against the force instead of neutralizing (following) etc.
Develop the Balance of “Responding motion and Initiating motion” with a training partner -
Responding motion = (Yin/Neutralizing/Following/Passive) Going with and matching the initiating (active) motion of your training partner momentarily, to neutralize and stay on target, just before going to an active action or position.
Initiating motion = (Yang/Leading/Active) Intended purposeful motion to your target.
In response to your training partners actions – Develop the ability to feel the timing to smoothly adjust from responding to initiating (yin to yang) and from initiating to responding (yang to yin) without loosing your structure, connection to your target, or peng (proper tension/alert energy).
Every physical motion should be balanced to its opposite -
For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. For example: To move your body forward, the balanced opposite is your back foot pushing backward. To move your body backward, your front foot pushes forward. So with that in mind, the balance to strong arm structure at the point of contact with a training partner, is the rear foot support. If you apply a technique without balanced body unity and structural alignment, the technique will have much less power, your center will be off, and you will be easily countered.
Learn how “balance” applies to adjusting square body (balanced body) with full body unity to the target, in your structure AND during movement.
Balanced does not always mean Equal -
One simple example: In training you should feel balanced from your feet and legs, through your torso and arm structure to your target, but the pressure on your feet will not be the same or equal. Your body stays centered between your feet so you can rotate without shifting (tossing), but the pressure on your feet will not be equal. As you rotate the legs and kua there will be more pressure on one foot than the other. You should always be adjusting to stay balanced to your target.
Understand the Difference between “balanced” and “equal”. As an example; (A) 50% and (B) 50% are balanced to 100% and equal to each other as both A and B are the same number. In comparison, (A) 75% and (B) 25% are also balanced to 100% but UN-equal to each other as the numbers are not the same. I realize this is an abstract concept, but try to understand how this idea of being balance but not necessarily equal, applies to your body and how you should always be adjusting to stay balanced to your target.
Yin/Yang -
The best image to explain balance is the yin yang symbol. It is not statically half white and half black. It is an image representing the never ending flow of yin becoming yang and yang becoming yin. Perpetually flowing in balanced adjustment with one another where there is always some yang within yin and some yin within yang. Understand how this concept relates to how you are constantly adjusting and controlling the balance within your own body (following/leading, static/dynamic, passive/active, etc). Study this image well and it will reveal insights to many taiji questions.
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Body Unity (Whole Body Power) – Important points
Body unity can also be called “body synergy”, “body integration”, or “whole body power”. Body unity is the coordination of all of the elements of each body structure, so they all function harmoniously with maximum efficiency and strength.
Develop correct relaxed tension (peng energy) throughout the body in order for full body unity to function. Your legs, torso, and arms should be be firm yet flexible and grounded yet yielding. Balanced, relaxed, twisting/stretching tension, not too tight and not to loose.
To understand body-unity you must also understand body separation. This is the yin-yang balance of body unity. The whole body does NOT move as one single unit all locked together at the same time in the same direction. All three body structures are linked together and each segment within each structure moves independently, flowing together in the correct sequence. Each part of the body has it's own job or function and executes it's function at it's own precise time which in effect unifies the entire body system. At the same time, there is a yin-yang balance of equal and opposite forces and directions throughout the body. When part of the body is moving, another part of the body remains static, when a part of the body moves left, another part moves right, when a part of the body moves upwards, another part moves down. This can be internal and not always easy to see by an observer unless the motion is exaggerated. This is precisely why the taiji forms are practiced slowly, so the proper movement can be felt and developed. Once this body control is developed, the forms can then be practiced with increased speed and fajin (released explode power). Tuishou is developed the same way, from slow at the beginning to increased power and speed over time.
Body unity requires correct alignment of the three body structures (legs, torso and arms) to ground (root, support, brace) the power (incoming and outgoing). With correct alignment of your structures, the incoming forces and outgoing power will be supported to the floor. This requires constant adjustment moment to moment in forms and tuishou. One very basic example is the sequence for generating and releasing power (fa jin) in a punch from a standing position. The energy or power is generated in the pelvis and travels to and from the feet, spiraling up through the legs, through the hips and torso, through the shoulder and elbow, and finally through the fist. The instantaneous rebounding force from your attack follows this same path but reversed. To neutralize an opponent's force, the path is also the same but reversed starting from the point of contact and ending through your feet.
Understand and develop body unity so your motions can be balanced, efficient, smooth, fluid, and much more powerful. The result maximizes your physical potential while minimizing your effort, but this takes a tremendous amount of effort to develop.
Correct understanding and adjustment of body unity is required to keep your structural alignment and power always directed to your target.
You must have full body unity to Neutralize incoming force correctly. When receiving incoming force, the whole body responds and adjusts in sequence, combining: V-shape (joints), C-shape (spine), Balloon function (compression, rotation, expansion / while maintaining correct tension), Grounding (body alignment), and full intent on target. In application this all occurs in a fraction of a second.
Understand the yin/yang balance of body unity in relation to: (A) The balance of static and dynamic motion - Understand which part of the body needs to remain static and which parts are dynamic. This is always adjusting and changing moment to moment, in forms, solo drills, and tuishou drills. (B) The balance of equal and opposite motion - Every motion or action needs to be balanced to its opposite.
The breath - Learn how to integrate correct breathing to enhance body movement. Full body unity includes coordinating breath with movement.
The mind - The mind is also an important part of full body unity. Your intent is always focused on your target and on what you are doing. Where your mind goes, the body will follow.
If body unity is developed properly, your ability to be able to meet the force (motion) of your opponent and have the tools to respond and adjust with that force automatically, without planning or having to rely on strength, will be greatly increased.
Biotensegrity is an aspect of body unity and another way to help explain and understand it.
THOUGHTS ON TRADITIONAL MARTIAL ARTS AND THEIR MODERN OFFSHOOTS
This video is a very good example of how the emphasis on sport competition can transform a traditional martial art into a game, in this case of speed tag, where most if not all of the original swordsman's martial skills development has simply disappeared.
In and of itself there is nothing wrong with the development of this sport, but one must be careful and understand that it is an offshoot of Traditional fencing and can no longer be called “fencing” or “swordsmanship”. What they are using to tag each other with are nothing more than wires with handles and the true swordsmanship skills required to participate and do well in this sport are very few. The participants need to have agility, speed, strength, stamina, and timing like any athlete, but the swordsmanship skills development, and the equipment needed (a real sword) to be able to defend against an actual attacker, whether it be in a duel or the battle field, are not needed or developed. The participants in modern sport “fencing” repeatedly exchange tags and whoever tags first and the most wins the points. (it's more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it)
As well as modern sport fencing, there are many other modern offshoots of Traditional martial arts systems today such as Tai Chi, MMA, BJJ, JKD, Professional Wrestling, etc. In the case of modern Tai Chi Chuan, it's roots as a martial art and system of self defense training have been removed leaving it as an exercise for health and meditation, of which there are many benefits. The modern version of Tai Chi coexists with it's root, as Traditional Taijiquan is still practiced around the world as well. However, the modern version has overshadowed it's roots to the point where most people today don't realize that modern Tai Chi is an offshoot of a traditional version that was developed as a fighting art. I'm thankful that the traditional art of Taijiquan still exists today, as a result of the hard work and perseverance of Martial Artists dedicated to keeping Classical Taijiquan alive.
In the case of MMA and other modern competitive sport fighting systems, they too are offshoots of Traditional Martial Arts and once again have moved away from the development of real life martial survival training. They have gone in the opposite direction of modern Fencing and Tai Chi and have become sport fighting games. The exchange of blows or tags and strict adherence to the rules of the game is part of the game and part of the training. One negative consequence of sport fighting is the high incidence of injuries, not only during the competitions but also during training. These injuries can be and often are life long injuries which very often force participants to drop training and participation, sometimes temporarily and other times all together. Contrary to popular belief, injuries do not make you tougher or stronger, they make you much weaker over time. With every concussion, you are susceptible to more concussions and serious brain injury. With every wrenched neck, knee, shoulder, elbow, broken bone, etc. you become more susceptible to further injury over time. Learning how to AVOID injuries makes you stronger and tougher over time. This is just common sense. Trying to tell this to a 20 year old is futile, I know... I get that. I was invincible myself at one time, Lol! Training needs to be progressive, vigorous, and challenging in order to continuously improve your skills, while at the same time it is important to learn how to stay controlled and avoid injuries. The brutal truth is that beating the crap out of each other serves no constructive purpose and will leave you with less skills, a broken body, and diminished ability to defend yourself when your life is on the line in a real situation.
The link below shows behind the scenes of MMA and UFC that no one wants to talk about or admit. These brain injuries along with many other injuries happen at every level. Not only in competition but during training as well. This is not limited to MMA or UFC fighters but any full contact fighting and training. You must know the consequences of your decision to train or compete this way. http://www.lowkickmma.com/UFC/10-harrowing-stories-of-mma-stars-suffering-memory-loss/
Training for sport is not the same as training for life/survival. Knowing this difference, in my opinion, is very important for martial artists to understand so they can make informed decisions and best use of their training time. If you want to train for sport, that’s fine do that, but understand that it is a sport not a Martial Art. If you want to develop a traditional MARTIAL art, then you must stick to that in order to fully develop and reap all of the benefits of the system. In today’s world with the need for instant gratification, the excitement of sport fighting, like the flash of something shiny, is dominating peoples attention.
I believe it is only a matter of time for people to once again realize how important Traditional Martial Arts training is for the development, not only of survival martial art skills, but for life long health and fitness, overall well being, and countless other benefits of this type of training, which can be practiced from youth and on into very old age. Traditional Martial Arts training is a life long journey, not something to be discarded once it's excitement and usefulness has passed.
Article By Rodney King - June 11, 2017 A while back I wrote some articles about the long term affects of both sparring hard and fight competition in general.
As I noted in those articles, we are only seeing the beginning of the fall out of training and fighting that way. I have noted as well, my own personal struggle with the aftermath of decades of hard sparring, and knocks to the head (pre-CMD).
I believe more and more we will see MMA fighters unable to cope with the everyday world they live in. Some will struggle more than others, but very few will emerge unscathed from the trauma both to their bodies, as well as their heads.
The truth is some people will put themselves in harms way and at risk - even if they know the consequences (think of smokers). That's really their call. If people want to go down that road, that's totally up to them. It's not really my place to say otherwise. But in the end, all the money in world, all the fame in the world, is meaningless if you cant even remember any of it anyway.
In the end as a coach, especially for the hobbyists that train with me (which is pretty much everyone I train these days), I don't want them to think this only happens to the pro fighters. Concussions and even mild ones happen all the time in so called light, technical, sparring. In fact, sometimes the hobbyist is more in danger of getting hurt, because they come in a couple of times a week, and then think they are Rambo for an hour.
Just this week I had a pro fighter come to my gym completely broken. Anxious, jittery, and not even realizing it, he told me a recent story of a beat down he received at a gym he trained at during what he was told would be technical sparring. He ended up telling me that same story more than a dozen times in the same conversation. That's real trauma right there and he didn't/doesn't even realize it.
I didn't know any better a decade ago. I thought, the only way to train and to be good at this fight thing was to go all out, all of the time. Two decades later, putting my body, and mind through the grinder, I feel way older than I should. It's really not worth it in the end. No one is fighting all of the time - but we are living all of the time. Being able to live fully off the mat, outside of the ring, is far more important than a moment of high in that ring. As I noted earlier, there are people out there, even if they knew the risk would go for it anyway. Each to his own. But for my students, who do this 'fight' thing, as a hobby, as a life performance vehicle, there's no need to put yourself through that grinder - and yes, you still will have enough game when it matters most - if you ever have to defend yourself.
Be Smart!!!!! Rodney King - June 11, 2017 #crazymonkey#forlife the only way to train and remember your name at 80!
southern arizona taiji principles - target
What you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taiji Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Target -
Axis of Rotation = Central axis of the body from the top of the head to the groin.
Center-line = The line (vertical plane) from your (AOR) to your opponents (AOR).
Controlling target = Your opponents Center of gravity (COG).
Overall target area = Primary target - on your opponents center-line. Secondary target - off the center line (arm or leg).
Attack-line = The precise target on your opponent (primary or secondary) that is attacked or manipulated at the appropriate time.
Important points -
The Primary striking target area is on the center-line of your opponent. This target is not a spot or a thin line, it is the central core or axis of rotation of the opponents body, from the top of their head to their groin, and can be viewed 360 degrees all the way around their body. Again, Not the front of their body, but the Center of their body. The controlling target or center of gravity (COG) is the base of your opponents structure and is located on this central core just below the navel (tan tien). This is one very important aspect of what you are learning to feel and connect to in tui shou motion and drills. Know and develop your own COG so you can manipulate your opponents COG.
Your Primary striking target is somewhere on the center-line, but while in motion it constantly changes depending on the situation moment to moment. While you and your opponent are in motion, you can not plan where your attack line will be, but rather you must always be feeling and sensing where the attack line is moment by moment. Secondary targets such as an arm or leg are located off the center line. These targets are used for breaking and joint locking and should ultimately be utilized to get back to and control and destroy your primary target on the center-line.
In Taiji training we develop the basic concept of two hand always working together. At times they are both controlling and at other times one hand is controlling while the other is attacking. The controlling hand is not just controlling what it is touching, the opponents arm for example. The controlling hand is controlling the opponents COG, THROUGH the touching point of contact. You are not just trying to control the point of contact. As an example of this function in every day life, if you are writing on a piece of paper with your right hand, your left hand needs to be controlling the paper firm to the table in order for the right hand to be able write. The foundation of this skill is developed during basic tui shou circling motion. During the basic motion there is no attacking and both hands (as well as the rest of your body) are solely working on developing the controlling function (targeting your opponents COG) through the points of contact. Later on, attacks and counters are introduced so the controlling function and attacking function can be developed together. This is one reason why tui shou is such a vitally important training drill for correct taiji development.
In training you must always have a sense of target to focus your intent on. When practicing forms and solo drills the target is imaginary. During tui shou and partner drills the target is real.
The Mind on target - Your mental intent stays sharply focused on your target and on the control of yourself.
The Body on target - Your structure and position should always engage the controlling target (opponents COG) whether touching (beginning level) or not touching (advanced level).
You must understand the difference between the “Controlling Target” and the “Attack target”. They are not the same thing.
Your physical intent always remains either to or from your controlling target, whether you have the attack line or not. There are often many attack line options at any given moment.
Never chase hands (or legs).
Don't go around the attack line or blocking line. The most direct path to the target is best.
Staying on target correctly is one of many skills that enables you to feel and sense how and when to keep or regain your attack line by adjusting smoothly and automatically without using force and with the best possible timing and leverage.
Always keep in mind that what you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taijiquan Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Neutralize - Important Points
To neutralize an attack do not resist or move against your opponent's incoming motion, but rather, Receive their incoming motion. To avoid this error of “double weighted or double pressure”, the ability to neutralize your opponents force rather than fighting against it must be well understood and developed. (Please note - “double weighted” has nothing to do with having your body centered 50/50 between both feet. This misconception is covered in the Principle, "Balance".)
By receiving the incoming force at the moment of interception, you can move with it, neutralize it, and manipulate it, by simultaneously adjusting your position and structure with body unity, while staying on target (this all happens in a fraction of a second).
If you neutralize correctly your opponent will have no solid ground to land their force on. Conversely, if you find that the pressure increases or decreases after the initial contact, neutralizing has not been executed correctly. Mistakes can be caused by many factors, here are just a few: If the pressure increases, the timing to adjust and neutralize is too late, or you are resisting and moving Against the pressure instead of adjusting With it. This is to be avoided. You are not trying to stop your opponents attack motion (or any motion of your opponent). It's more efficient and effective to Use your opponents attack motion. If the pressure decreases after contact, you are pulling away from the contact point. If you pull away you loose the connection to your target as well as the controlling function and pivot point for the adjustment to counter with control. Your goal is to neutralize their motion and adjust the positioning of your structure to your target area which will have the effect of redirecting or deflecting your opponents motion and structure giving you the timing to control and counter. You must also have a clear understanding and separation of the blocking line and the attack lines. (This will be the topic of a future article)
Learn to feel the precise moment of interception. It does not matter if you are the one attacking and your training partner is responding, or if they have attacked and you are responding. In order to neutralize and counter with the best timing you must first learn to feel the precise moment of interception. Who ever can catch the timing to neutralize first at the moment of interception, will have the timing to counter. This “sensing of interception” is a prime skill that you should be developing while practicing basic tui shou motion.
Neutralizing correctly, without loosing your structure or connection to your target, will enable you to deflect/redirect the intercepting force to counterattack efficiently and smoothly.
Neutralizing correctly requires a deep understanding of full body unity. When receiving incoming force, the whole body responds in sequence, combining: V-shape (joints), C-shape (spine), Balloon function (compression, rotation, expansion, while maintaining correct peng energy), Grounding (body alignment), and full intent on target. In application, this all occurs in a fraction of a second.
Merging – Merge with your opponents movements with body unity and staying on target. Your motion becomes my motion. If you can merge perfectly with your opponents movements (that feeling of being in sync), they will not feel what you are doing, they will only feel what they are doing, enabling you to attack without being countered.
Neutralizing your opponents force correctly makes it much more difficult for your opponent to feel or sense your counterattack. This enables you to stay one step ahead.
During free flowing tui shou, if your opponent is in motion (attacking or blocking) or giving you pressure, you can neutralize their force and move with them with your controlling hand (dynamic control /with body unity and staying on target) which will cause their intended motion to be redirected, giving you the attack line. If your opponent is NOT moving, then you should move yourself to take the attack line, (static control with the controlling hand). If you meet force or resistance (at the moment of interception) don't try to move it or force through it. Slip around solid ground. Solid ground is your fulcrum or pivot point to apply the most efficient leverage to get to and control (strike or joint lock or take down) your target.
In order to develop the ability to neutralize effectively you MUST develop ALL of the other principles to a very high degree. When you can embody all of the taiji principles naturally without thinking or planning, when your ability to adjust to your opponent and merge with them is as natural to you as breathing, this is the highest level of taiji. It's not mystical or magic, it just takes many many years of dedication, hard work and consistent correct training.
If you stay disciplined and dedicated to your Taiji training, eventually you will come to realize that you are developing mental strength as well as physical strength. The path is not a straight line and there will be many ups and downs along the way. The days of confusion, frustration, and failure are as much a part of the journey as the successful days. Learn to embrace the confusion and failure. Sounds depressing but it shouldn't. It means you are learning and growing in new ways that will lead to even more growth and development.
If you are not failing, you are not challenging or pushing yourself hard enough. Drills that at first feel awkward and difficult will become easier and easier with enough correct practice. Then a new more complex drill must be introduced to keep that learning momentum moving forward. The level of difficulty must be continuously increased in order for improvement to continue indefinitely.
If you continue to dedicate yourself, this learning cycle will never end. If you ever reach the point where it becomes "easy", don't be fooled, you have not reached the end and "mastered" the art, (there is no such thing) you have just stopped learning. Constant growth requires pushing yourself into new uncharted territory on a regular basis. No one ever said this Taiji journey was going to be easy, but once you are hooked you won't ever want to stop :)
Train well, Carina Cirrincione
How relaxed is too relaxed?
It has become common to see Taiji practitioners practicing forms with overly relaxed wrists. I can only hypothesize that a teacher or teachers had students who were overly tight and/or ridged in their movements, so they told the students to relax, hopefully with the intent of creating the correct amount of tension or fullness in their structure over time, rather than remaining too relaxed or too stiff. The result though seems to be an over-exaggeration of relaxation in the wrists and hands that has stuck and been passed on.
It's human nature to take things to extremes instead of searching for yinyang balance. Too tight is too extreme and too relaxed is also too extreme. Balance is the key. It is important to be relaxed, but somewhere along the line the words “totally” and “completely” were added as a prefix.
In Taiji we strive to develop correct relaxed tension (peng energy) throughout the body. Your legs, torso, and arms should be be firm yet flexible and grounded yet yielding. Balanced, relaxed, twisting/stretching tension, not too tight and not to loose. I like to use the term “alert energy” as an idea of how the entire body should feel (including the wrists and hands). It is an abstract term, but when you are alert you are ready for something... to move, to react, to listen, etc. and you need a certain amount of tension to be alert, but not too much... and not too little. If you are totally or completely relaxed you are not in a “ready” state. A coiled rattlesnake that is ready to strike is an example of efficient alert energy and tension (As a side note, my husband Jim took the cool foto above). A snake that is prepared to strike is not totally relaxed nor is it tight and ridged. Sifu Fong also uses the term, “balloon function” which simply means the structures of your body function like a properly inflated balloon (or car tire is another good example). Not too loose (too relaxed) which would be under-inflated, and not too tight, which would be over-inflated. Both extremes are inefficient and cause incorrect body mechanics.
Taijiquan Gung fu training is based on the development of the principles of Taijiquan (structure, position, distance, timing, power, control, balance, body unity, target, neutralize, the Dao, mindfulness, and fierceness). Keep in mind that with everything regarding Taijiquan training there are two aspects of development. #1 - Solo/self based development and #2 - Partner/opponent based development. Half of the focus of training is on solo development (your own motion and control of yourself), and the other half of the focus is on partner based development... merging with and countering your opponents movements.
Progressive Taijiquan Solo Training All Taiji solo training is designed to develop each of the principles of Taiji (structure, position, distance, timing, power, control, balance, body unity, target, neutralize, the Dao, mindfulness, and fierceness). SO AZ Taiji solo development includes two empty handed forms - the Yang Style Long Form (108), and the Arrow Fist form (The long form with expressed power (fajin), one gim form (straight double edged sword), and one dao (saber) form. There are also many solo drills to develop footwork, hand, elbow, shoulder, knee, and kicking techniques.
Develop your skills progressively from slow to full speed, and from simple to complex so that you can perfect your form and body mechanics. With a solid foundation beneath you, as you slowly increase the pace and complexity, the principles you are trying to develop will remain intact, building good habits that will become completely natural over time. When this level is achieved, full speed will seem slow and complex will feel simple. This is the dao of development.
There is a direct similarity between martial arts training and learning to play a musical instrument. In both areas, the goal is to enable the practitioner to execute complex motor skills under high levels of stress. If you are learning how to play the guitar and you try to play fast and keep making mistakes, that is a signal to practice more slowly, at a speed that you can play without making mistakes. Then take the time to build your speed up progressively. Taijiquan skills are developed the same way.
The three phases of progressive Taijiquan partner training - All Taiji partner training is designed to develop each of the principles of Taiji (structure, position, distance, timing, power, control, balance, body unity, target, neutralize, the Dao, mindfulness, and fierceness). There are many drills to develop footwork, hand, elbow, shoulder, knee, and kicking techniques with a partner, as well as joint breaks, and take downs. Learning and training are progressive. From simple to complex, from slow to full speed, and from totally cooperative to controlled competition. The amount of time a student stays in each phase of training will vary from person to person. Many factors effect a students rate of growth and understanding. The process is not linear from one phase to the next. Students will continuously go back and forth between phases depending on what they are working on, the ability of their training partner, as well as the need to go back to phase #1 each time a new drill or exercise is being introduced. These phases or levels are designed to build up pressure testing in a progressive manor. The student will always continue to practice and refine each level they are at as well as all the levels learned earlier. Each level is meant to be added to the skills already developed to progressively add complexity to each layer of skill, to hone and develop skills to higher and higher levels. This process/journey never ends. The depth of learning is proportional to the time and effort the student is willing to dedicate themselves to.
Phase #1– No resistance, low intensity, prearranged drills. Cooperative partner drills, including tui shou (push hands). Training partners help each other to perform the drills correctly and focus on the principles being developed. No competition at first, that will come later. Techniques at first are somewhat exaggerated. As skills improve and the Taiji principles are developed, the body adjustments get smaller and smaller. Correct motion is developed first and power is added only after the motion is correct. In the beginning the focus of training is to control yourself (your motion). In partner drills, if you can actually make your partner do the drill correctly, you are developing a very high level of control of your own motions. You are controlling your partner by controlling yourself. Then later you can adjust your timing very slightly and you will be able to counter smoothly and with less effort. This will be accomplished only AFTER the drills can be performed cooperatively correctly. In the many drills that we practice, if the student can not do the drill free of mistakes with their partner being cooperative, then there is no possible way they will be able to do the drill correctly when their training partner is trying to Not let them do the drill.
Basics and your foundation must come first. Anything built on a weak foundation will be weak. If you are building a structure such as a house and the foundation is poorly made, attempting to build on top of it is a complete waste of time because the structure will be weak and fall apart. Spend most of your training time building a strong foundation (basics), and everything you build on top will now be supported and strong. Can you build a house starting with the roof? Of course not... start with building a strong foundation and over time everything will settle into place.
Phase #2 – Some resistance, medium intensity, prearranged drills. Once a drill in phase #1 can be practiced regularly correctly without difficulty, begin to add complexity and energy, etc. but still help each other to train correct motion and stay within the parameters of the principles.
Train at the speed of no mistakes. If the principles are sacrificed, slow back down and smooth it out. Train to move smoothly, precisely, controlled, and balanced. Not jerky, sloppy, forced, or struggling.
Feel how the attack comes in, learn to neutralize it correctly, progress to countering with precision and control, and then feel the timings to counter the other person's counter with endless variations. Slowly and planned at first, progressing to random with full speed and power, while always refining the principles of structure, positioning, distance, timing, control, target, balance, body unity, neutralizing, etc. It is very important that every motion have purpose, to strike and counter-strike your target with precision and the utmost control of yourself. Repeat each drill at a relatively medium pace so you can perfect your form and body mechanics, so as the pace of the drill is increased, the principles you are developing will remain intact.
Large gross-motion training (gross-motor control) to fine motor control and smaller more precise movements. For example, a punch - Start slow and controlled to learn the proper body unity (legs, torso, and arms) and relaxed power generation. Once this is developed, explode power (fajin) can be added without getting tight. Power added too soon will make the punch tight, slow, and weak. Maximum potential will never be reached if the idea of power is in the mind too soon. First learn how to move properly, then learn how to add power properly.
Phase #3 – Free Flow Tuishou (Taijiquan Sparring) - Realistic resistance and complexity, high intensity, full controlled power, free flowing non-prearranged attacks and counters. Add controlled competition and try to make the drills work for you while still not deviating from the principles being developed. This is where and when you put everything you have learned to that point to the test, of course still without loosing any of the principles you are trying to learn. In order to do free flowing tuishou correctly, you MUST be able to feel and know when you have an attack line and when you've lost the attack line, when you have been compromised, and when any of the Taiji principles have been lost... when you are fighting against your partners force, when you've collapsed or stretched out your structure, when you're chasing hands, when you are one sided, etc. In tuishou we do not actually hit each other with power, nor do we apply joint locks or breaks or take-downs with full power. We do not pull the hits, we control them and either stop a hair distance before making contact, or make controlled contact. This is another very high level of self control training.
Free Flowing Tuishou is like improvised jazz music, nothing is planned, your years of training allow you to flow naturally. A beginner musician or martial artist who tries to improvise will fail miserably because they do not have the foundation, experience, or skills to flow naturally and correctly.
Even at this level we are still not fighting, we are training. What may look like competition is actually cooperative. Why? Because we are not actually trying to hurt each other. Fighting is Applying what you have learned in a true self defense situation when your life depends on your skills. Training is the Development of those skills. Training is not fighting and fighting is not training... you must know the difference.
More details on Taijiquan progressive training (solo and partner training concepts) -
Train for realism - Tuishou is Taiji's method of sparring. Most striking sport fighting systems train with some sort of gloves to protect the hands and also to prevent your knuckles from causing your training partner or competitor to bleed. In a street survival situation there will be no gloves, so to keep training as realistic as possible and to develop finer and finer motor control skills, we do not spar with gloves. In Taiji the hands are used for striking as well as finer motor skills such as joint locking/breaking, trapping, and other manipulations with your hands. Of course on the street you may also have the opportunity to grab a weapon to aid in your defense. You can not train these various skills while wearing gloves. One of the primary aspects of Taiji training and fighting is that two hands are always working together. One example is, when one hand is controlling while the other is striking. Another would be, both hands are controlling while executing a kick or knee strike. If while one hand is punching and the other hand is not doing anything, in Taiji we call this being one sided. Watch closely when many people spar with gloves and you will see that both hands are not working together which goes against a very fundamental Taiji concept. This is where primarily training with gloves can impede Taiji development.
In Tuishou training when your skills are at a high enough level, you can spar with your training partner at full speed and power with complete randomness. Control your hits (do not pull your hits, controlling and pulling are two completely different things) so as not to cause any injuries while exploring and developing the principles of Taijiquan. We train to control our hits (which are primarily to vital areas of the body) much the same way we control our joint locks, breaks, and throws and for the same reasons, so that we don't break our training partners. At So Az Taijiquan, if you break your training partner, you don't get another one. If I can punch to your throat with full speed and power and stop on a dime, a hair distance from your skin, while at the same time controlling your COG, while at the same time controlling my own balance, I am then developing very fine motor control. This development is missing if the majority of your training is sparring with gloves and tagging each other, repeatedly exchanging blows. If I can learn such a high level of control to stop with precision at a very close distance from my target, then I am developing the very fine motor control to stop where and when I want. Which means if I want to make contact I will, and if I don't I won't, my choice. This is how we avoid injuries and the habit of playing tag by not exchanging heavy blows. Gloves, no matter how big, do not protect the person being struck from head trauma. Our actual striking training is done on a wall bag, heavy bag, and pads. We have no need to hit each other with power.
Our method is no different from knife or sword training. You do not need to cut your training partner, or be cut by your training partner in order to learn knife fighting skills. You do however need to know how to cut with a sharp knife or sword. So part of your blade training has to include using a live (sharp) knife or sword and test cut targets. As an example, you may have seen Japanese Kendo artists cut tatami mats (tameshigiri). For an art such as Taiji, the bags and pads serve this same purpose. You can not just punch or kick in the air and expect to be able to learn how to generate power, deliver power, and deal with the rebounding force at impact. You must hit something to develop these skills and we simply believe your training partner should not suffer the consequences of that skill development. That is what the bags and pads are for.
What is that I hear you say? You must learn how to take a hit? If you are training for sport fighting, I would agree to some extent. If you choose to train for sport fighting then yes of course, you need to train with the same gloves and other equipment that you will be using during competition. In sport fighting you will be exchanging blows with your opponent for a set period of time which is determined by the sport being played... But, you will NOT be receiving blows to vital areas of the body that are illegal to hit; the groin, throat, back of the neck, and knee for example. These are precisely the targets that we train to strike in traditional Taiji during our controlled drills. In a live confrontation where I am fighting to save my life, I need to end the threat as quickly as possible. A kill or be killed mindset. Every technique I train is to maim, break, and do the most damage possible. That must be my mindset in order to survive a threat to my life. We control our contact in training so we can avoid injuries and also develop a more advanced level of control of ourselves with the development of fine as well as gross motor control. Many smart and accomplished sport fighters as well, do not train by letting their training partners hit them very much, if at all. They save that for the ring. Developing the ability to “take a hit” is simply a fallacy. Getting hit repeatedly makes you weaker over time not stronger, even in sport fighting. It also encourages flinching. The way we train with control allows you get very used to someone coming at you at full speed and full power and developing the ability to keep your cool and respond with precise timing without flinching. This has been my personal experience, for myself and many others I have trained with during my three plus decades of developing this way.
I dabbled a bit with sport fighting many years ago (in my late 20's) after I had been practicing martial arts for about 5 years. It was fun and I learned some things from the experience, but after the competitions, which I did well in, what I learned the most was that if I wanted to continue to compete this way I would have to train for sport specifically which would take me away from developing the incredible real life skills my Sifu has, which is what I really wanted to learn. Glove sparring and competing is much easier, but much more damaging to the body, than the skills development my Sifu teaches, but I feel the skills he possesses and teaches are far superior for real self defense applications. Some people say that if you don't spar with gloves a lot and get hit a lot, the first time you do get hit you will quit and not be able to take it. Well I can say from experience that during my first competition I got hit, but with all that adrenaline pumping and small amount of non- contact (or light contact) training I had, those hits didn't stop me or slow me down.
There are many skills that can be gained by training for sport fighting such as footwork, timing, cardio, and physical agility, not to mention it's fun if you are competitive in nature, and at first your skills seem to develop much quicker. However, I feel in the long term there is much greater depth of development in traditional martial arts training. It seems to take longer, but there really is no comparison when it comes to the vast benefits of traditional training vs the body and brain injury caused by sport training and competition, which could have negative life long consequences. The way I learned how to train for self defense by my Sifu who teaches traditional martial arts, is different from the way you must train for sport fighting competitions. In order to be good at any game you must train for that game and ingrain habits that conform to the rules of that game. You have to decide what your goals are so you can train to reach those goals. If you want to train for competition, find a good coach and follow that path. If you want to train for self defense and self preservation, find a qualified Sifu and follow that path.
Develop Timing vs Speed - Do not confuse timing with speed. They are two completely different things. Speed is simply how fast or slow you move. Timing is understanding and developing WHEN to move. Quickness will be the result of correct timing, proper body mechanics, reduction of unnecessary muscular tension, and body-unity. If developed properly your motions will become smooth and efficient, and you will use the least amount of force to get the job done. The speed of your response should be in proportion to your opponents motion. Go with the force not against it. Your motion becomes my motion. I allow your motion to move me directly and automatically to my response. Neutralize and counterattack. Do not try to simply move as fast as you can. Raw speed leads to over-extension, over-commitment, and loss of control. Raw speed can also be damaging to the untrained body because explosive power applied to the joints is only safe when body mechanics have been correctly developed.
Similar drawbacks occur when too much strength or power is applied without properly developed body mechanics. This leads to clumsiness, slower response, ridged movements, a weaker counter attack and potential injuries. Strength is good, skill is better, strength applied skillfully is best.
Slow to be smooth and controlled, and smooth to be quick and precise, the same as learning to play a musical instrument. It's hard to fix and undo bad habits. If you speed up too soon you become sloppy, inaccurate, stiff, and jerky. Cultivate proper body mechanics and muscle or body memory and add (increase) energy, complexity, speed, intensity, and power, over time.
You must be patient and progress in the time required. If this path is not followed, not only will your skills suffer, but injuries can also be a result. The body must be developed progressively to be able to withstand increased speed and power generation. Muscles and soft tissues support the joints which are the weakest links in the body. The shoulders, elbows, knees, neck, and spine are vulnerable to injury if body mechanics are off while too much speed and power are used. You can also easily injure your training partner if you can't feel and control your power and motions. You don't want to be that guy/gal in class that always hurts everybody. If this happens, no one will want to play with you anymore.
Moving slow too long is no good either. If you train forms and techniques slowly for too long you will not develop the fast twitch muscle fibers that need to be developed to express or explode your power at the correct time. This will make your timing to execute too late and you will be easily countered. Slow at first to be smooth and controlled but don't stop there, smooth to be quick with precise timing must be developed next.
#1 Rule in Taijiquan training... Do No Harm - The end goal of each training day is to finish the day with improved Taiji skills while avoiding injuries. Traditional (or classical) martial arts training teaches self defense skills which can also be looked at it as a way of learning self preservation skills. To me, if I am supposed to be learning to defend myself and how to preserve my life if the need arises, and in the process of training I am getting hurt with head injuries, broken bones, joint and soft tissue injuries, am I not completely going against the idea of self preservation? Sounds more like self destruction training. If I leave the training gym with injuries and someone attacks me in the parking lot, I have just placed myself at a severe disadvantage. There is also the pitfall of down time in your training if you have to spend time recovering from your injuries. This type of training goes against the core goal of improving self defense and preservation skills. So, Rule #1 in Taiji training is, Do No Harm.
Avoid struggling during training - While training it is important to remember, every time you fight force with force you are wasting precious training time and only reinforcing old unskilled habits. To build new skills you must go to a place within yourself that may feel uncomfortable at first. You will be vulnerable to losing the attack line while you are learning how to stay relaxed and let your body learn how to adjust correctly by going with the force and not against it. Your training partners Will get in on you, you will Not be able to counter everything and you will Not be able to attack whenever you like, but if you are able to stay calm, keep your focus on your own body and learn how to adjust your whole body positioning to stay connected to your target, eventually your structure will begin to grow stronger and stronger. Your timing will slowly improve and little by little you'll be able to feel how to move and control yourself very smoothly and fluidly. But EVERY time you allow yourself to tighten up and struggle, you move yourself backwards instead of forwards.
Untrained fighting vs trained fighting - How you train will determine how well you learn and how high your skills can become. Competition in training too soon will only reinforce and ingrain unskilled untrained fighting habits. Everyone, even children, can ball up their fists and swing at an opponent. A strong unskilled person can easily overcome a weaker unskilled person, but a person with some trained skills will change the outcome of a confrontation very quickly to their advantage. If you just want to fight to prove how tough you are, don't bother wasting your time and money and your classmates time joining a martial arts school, just go out and fight. If you want to learn sport fighting then you must find a gym that focuses their training on sport fighting skills. If you want to learn life-survival self-preservation skills, find a qualified traditional martial arts school. Traditional martial arts instruction teaches how to control yourself in a very specific way. It takes time, persistence, effort, patience, perseverance, dedication, and humility.
Train Smart and hard - Skills development won't happen if you just train hard or train for a long period of time. In order for your training to help you develop your skills to higher and higher levels, while preserving your health and fitness for a lifetime (not just a quick Rambo fix for an hour on the weekend) you MUST TRAIN SMART.
Should you sacrifice your brain for martial arts training?
The answer should be NO of course NOT! CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is brain injury and damage from repeated blows to the head and it is real folks. Repeated hits to the head whether from football practice or competition, boxing practice or competition, or martial arts practice or competition will cause damage sooner or later. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually. A hit to the head is a hit to the head, and you do NOT need to be knocked unconscious or have a concussion for the damage to occur. All it takes is repeated hits to the head over time. The more hits to the head you receive in your lifetime, the more easily you will get knocked out, AND the more chance you take of developing CTE and other brain degenerative disorders. You do not need to take hits to the head to improve your martial arts skills. PERIOD. The study of martial arts should be beneficial to your self defense skills, health, and well being for a lifetime. Injuries and self destruction caused by poor practice methods do not mean that you are tough, it just means you are not very smart... sorry to be so blunt, but I do not wish to see any of my brothers and sisters in arms have their martial arts careers cut short buy something that is completely avoidable. Please train smart people.
NFL player Aaron Hernandez suffered from the most severe CTE ever found in a person his age. Click photo to see the story.
Here are a couple more videos on the subject of CTE
Having made that point, I need to clarify that I am not anti sparring in martial arts training. What I am is anti incorrect sparring. Sparring, just like any martial arts training exercise can be done incorrectly resulting in bad habits, poor skills development and/or injuries. To be clear, I have seen people do their Taiji forms incorrectly which results in bad technique but I am not anti forms. I have seen people doing tuishou drills incorrectly resulting in bad habits but I am not anti tuishou. The same holds true for sparring. If sparring is done correctly, just like any other drill, it can be a very important asset and skill building tool for the Taiji practitioner. The problem does not lie with the drills and exercises in and of themselves, the problem lies with being taught and learning how to do them all correctly, so the result is the most efficient skills development with the least amount of bad habits and injury. If people think of sparring as two people putting on gear and beating the crap out of each other, they have a misinformed idea of what sparring is. To ME that is not sparring, that is simply a waste of training time... no different than doing any other drill incorrectly. The most important factor here is to learn and understand what sparring is and what sparring isn't. Sparring is a training exercise, it is not fighting. Sparring is a drill of attack and defense with controlled techniques, using fists, elbows, knees, or feet, etc. either full force but stopping just before touching, or controlled/not full force touching, depending on what you are working on. It also includes controlled take downs, traps, joint locks, submissions etc. depending on your focus of training that day, always to develop martial arts skills. If the target of a strike is to the head we do not make contact, the same with the groin and neck. Striking these areas simply makes no sense, and is completely unnecessary for skills development. Sparring can be done empty handed or with weapons.
Western boxers train with gloves because they wear gloves when they compete in the ring. We do not train with gloves because we do not fight with gloves. We believe you should train the way you will fight in a self defense situation. Sparring is not fighting, only fighting is fighting. Tuishou is a very important Taiji development drill and it can be done many different ways depending on the practitioners skill level and what they are working on at that moment. Tuishou is not fighting, only fighting is fighting. Sparring is no different. It can be done safely and correctly many different ways depending on what you are working on. It is not a free for all, that is called a brawl or a fight. Sparring is not fighting, only fighting is fighting (I will repeat this as many times as it takes!). In martial arts sparring there are rules and principles to adhere to just as in ANY other training drill. If you look at it holistically tuishou IS a type of sparring in that it is random with realistic power, speed, and energy, but there are still rules and principles to adhere to and develop.... which is the entire point of Taijiquan training and all martial arts training for that matter. So remember, the only time you are really fighting is when you are really fighting, everything else is training, so train smart! ~ Carina Cirrincione 11-11-2017
southern arizona taiji principles - The Tao
Always keep in mind that what you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taijiquan Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
The Tao / Dao (The Way) -
Taijiquan is based on the natural way, the universal laws of nature.
Mind, Body, and Spirit are in balance.
All motions come from your heart (spirit/intent).
Develop your skills progressively from slow to full speed, and from simple to complex so that you can perfect your form and body mechanics. With a solid foundation beneath you, as you slowly increase pace and complexity, the principles you are trying to develop will remain intact, building good habits that will become completely natural over time. When this level is achieved, full speed will seem slow and complex will feel simple. This is the tao of development.
Always keep in mind that what you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taijiquan Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Mindfulness -
Mindfulness = mental “intent”.
Be aware of every part of your body at every moment in time. Focused alertness, pay close attention to what you are doing at every moment. For example, to pour hot tea into a very small cup you must focus on what you are doing so as not to spill a drop. This is the kind of focus you should maintain while training.
Listen – Not with your ears, but with the depth of your entire being. Listen to yourself and to how everything around you effects you, and how every motion of your body effects every part of your body.
Mindset - Train with the correct mindset. Know how, why, and what you are doing and what you are trying to develop and learn.
Mindfulness develops increased awareness of self (body) and space (outside of yourself).
If you are not sure what skills you are trying to develop, your training can not be mindful. If you are not training with your full concentration and physical abilities, your training can not be mindful. If your skills and understanding do not improve, your training can not be mindful. If your training challenges you and reveals your every weakness and forces you to learn and grow and improve, THEN your training is sure to be mindful.
SiFu Fong's 4 aspects for developing mindfulness: Emptiness, stillness, sinking and softness.
Always keep in mind that what you are developing every time you train are the principles. All of the principles are linked together and are always adjusting together. So AZ Taijiquan Principles: Structure, Position, Distance, Timing, Power, Control, The Tao, Balance, Body Unity, Target, Neutralize, Mindfulness, Fierceness.
Fierceness -
Controlled Intensity (fierce on the outside/calm on the inside) - Courage - Confidence.
Fierceness is a Taiji principle that is developed as a result of correct long term training. It is the energy (intensity) and confidence required during a real self defense situation, to maximize your potential and ability to survive. Elements of fierceness are developed in all levels of training. Within this fierce energy is calmness and control and the ability to see very clearly and act with precision, which results from years of rigorous correct training. Untrained fierceness is wild and uncontrolled which will lead to mistakes and a decreased chance to respond correctly. Developing courage and the ability to respond with controlled fierceness can not be forced, it is the natural result of proper development over time.
Taiji Boxing and “Double Weighted”... what it is, and what it is not.
“Double Weighted” (also called, “Double Pressure” or “Double Heavy”) has been written about by Taiji practitioners for decades and in my opinion, very often erroneously.
Copied in italics below is an excerpt from “TAIJI BOXING (WU JIANQUAN STYLE)” by Xu Zhiyi[published July, 1958] (Translated by Paul Brennan, July, 2018). In my opinion this is a clear and correct explanation of the term “Double Pressure” (Double Weighted). There are other Taiji practitioners of past and present, who share this understanding and their voices are beginning to be heard more and more as time goes on, which is very encouraging. Below Xu Zhiyi’s translated writing I will add copies of some of my writing on this subject from my articles on the Taiji principles, “Balance” and “Neutralize”.
“Taiji Boxing emphasizes softness over hardness not only because of the principle that softness can overcome hardness, but mainly to keep practitioners from committing the error of “double pressure”. Some people think that “double pressure” means that both legs are supporting the weight at the same time, and so they avoid performing any horse-riding stances. This is so incorrect that it will make practitioners neurotic.
I will leave it up you whether you want to perform the horse-riding stances in the boxing set, since the concept of double pressure instead has to do with pushing hands. It is an unwillingness to use “yielding energy” (“When the opponent is hard, I am soft.”) in order to draw the opponent in to land on nothing, as well as an ignorance of how to take advantage of the situation by using “sticking energy” (“My energy is smooth while his energy is coarse.”) in order to obtain the superior position, only knowing how to respond with force when the opponent uses force, both people struggling to win. If your small strength loses to his greater strength, or your slow hands lose to his quicker hands, this has nothing to do with his skill being higher, but is instead trouble that you are bringing upon yourself. Wang Zongyue’s “Taiji Boxing Treatise” makes this point with extraordinary clarity, enabling students to grasp the concept of double pressure on their own, but I fear that the misunderstanding of the term has grown so ingrained that I must take this opportunity to give some further explanation. The error of double pressure is simply the error of only knowing how to use hardness and not knowing how to use softness.
It has to be understood that when both people are using hardness, the one with less strength will inevitably be under the control of the one with greater strength, or both will end up getting hurt [if they have equal strength]. Taiji Boxing always discusses neutralizing, prioritizing the avoidance of this kind of unnecessary or disadvantageous clashing. However, if you only know how to evade and not how to attack, you are not conforming to the principles of “softness and hardness complimenting each other” or “using softness to overcome hardness”.
The reason Taiji Boxing is called “taiji” [which represents a balanced state between opposites] is mainly due to its use of energy: “There is hardness within softness and softness with hardness.” This idea is equivalent to the taiji concept of “the active does not depart from the passive and the passive does not depart from the active.” I once heard someone say that those who focus on neutralizing will not know how to send opponents flying (not the same idea as “issuing energy”). This is a misunderstanding of the concepts of neutralizing and issuing, and an ignorance of the principle of “hardness within softness and softness within hardness”.
The reason Taiji Boxing’s movements have to make arcs is to make it easier to switch from softness to hardness or hardness to softness. During the exercise, hardness and softness alternate endlessly. Going back and forth in ordinary straight-line fighting motions is completely different. Someone may ask: “Wouldn’t it be easier just to beat slower hands with faster hands and weakness with strength? Why do we need to make these cumbersome arcs?” It should be understood that each person believes only in his own speed and strength, and never expects that his opponent might be faster or stronger, a subjective outlook that enables one to take risks. He might win through sheer luck, but he might also end up utterly defeated, and without any guarantee for his own safety.
Taiji Boxing always uses soft energy, first of all to avoid sacrificing yourself just for the sake of crashing against the opponent, or to send out a hand only to put yourself in a worse position, but also in the act of neutralizing to be able to gauge the opponent’s state of emptiness or fullness, his strength or weakness, then gain the superior position through such knowledge and immediately counterattack. In this way, even if you do not successfully counterattack, you will at least not end up getting hurt.
Moving in arcs may superficially appear to be slower than moving in straight lines, but because arcing movements can change direction to go anywhere, they can sometimes actually be faster than straight-line movements, providing the basis for the idea of “leave after but arrive before”. This martial principle of “with hardness and softness complementing each other, attack and defense are both fulfilled” is Taiji Boxing’s most fundamental merit. You should give it particular attention.”
Excerpt above from “TAIJI BOXING (WU JIANQUAN STYLE)” by Xu Zhiyi[published July, 1958] (Translated by Paul Brennan, July, 2018)
Below are excerpts regarding the topic of “Double weighted” taken from my writings on the Taiji Principles, “Balance” and “Neutralize”.
Excerpt from Southern Arizona Taijiquan Principles - Balance
Understand what “double weighted” (double heavy, double pressure) is and how to avoid it - In my opinion, there is a misconception that has been perpetuated for many years in Taiji regarding the correct meaning of “double weighted”. The misconception is that double weighted means to have your body centered 50/50 between both feet is “bad” in taiji. This is a common misunderstanding. (It's a complex issue so the following explanation may need to be read several times to fully understand the points being made)
There are two scenarios where I discuss the issue of being “double weighted”. One is during solo practice (forms and other solo drills) and the other is during partner practice (tuishou and other partner drills). First I will explain the concept of “double weighted” in solo practice.
In solo training being “double weighted” is when your body is shifted off center during the execution of a technique (when both feet are on the ground).
During the execution of some techniques, when the power or energy is going straight up or straight down, the body is centered between both feet and your weight and the pressure on your feet is evenly distributed on both legs, with the power coming from or going to both legs evenly. One example being the first movement of the form.
During the execution of some techniques, when power or energy is being generated or received by the rotation of the body structures (legs, torso, and arms), the body is centered between both feet and the power is coming from or going to one leg only, so the weight and pressure on your feet will not be even. One leg/foot will have more pressure than the other.
Keeping your body centered 50/50 (or close to it) between both feet during Taiji training is an important concept for many reasons, including:
To always maintain the ability to be quickly mobile in any direction.
To efficiently issue power or receive incoming forces it is important to maintain the ability to adjust and yield by rotating your center without shifting your weight and use momentum which can cause you to over commit and loose balance.
To maintain yin-yang balance (for example the separation of static and dynamic motion) in your body. When a part of your body moves or is dynamic, another part of your body must remain static. As an example, your center is like a door hinge which does not move only rotates. The door can then move freely with control and power. Another analogy is a tire on a car. The center of the tire/wheel is connected to a central axle that does not move but only rotates in place. The power is generated by the rotating central axle and the outer edge of the tire is passive yet very powerful. Whatever attempts to touch this spinning tire will be thrown off. Your body works much the same way when you are able to maintain your center and rotate.
To maintain the yin-yang balance of substantial and insubstantial within your legs. As you rotate your legs, one leg is yang (substantial) and the other is yin (insubstantial).
It is very important to understand that when your body is 50/50 (or close to it), as you rotate your legs and center to generate or receive force, the pressure on your feet will NOT be 50/50. One foot will feel more pressure than the other. As an example, in order to rotate your body to the left you must internally rotate the right leg outward which will make it feel as though you are driving the right leg into the ground (externally this rotation should not be very visible). This creates torque, keeps the knee in place, opens the kwa on that leg, and makes the right leg feel heavy (active, substantial). At the same time, the left leg wants to outwardly rotate, but you maintain it's position which will make it feel as thought it is light and lifting up (passive, insubstantial). Again, externally this rotation should not be very visible. This makes one leg active (the power source) and one leg passive (supporting the active leg) which creates yinyang balance between the legs. The main issue and point of focus here is that it is the PRESSURE on the feet that is not 50/50, while your body (COG) is 50/50 between your feet. This skill takes a tremendous amount of focused practice to feel and achieve.
If you accomplish the weight or pressure difference on your feet by shifting your body to 70/30 (your body weight 70% on one leg and 30% on the other) that IS being double weighted, because with a 70/30 weight distribution you have, in effect, doubled your weight on one side (hence “double weighted”). In this shifted position, the structure of your legs is not evenly backing up and supporting the structure of your torso and arms, causing you to be off balance and easily toppled. This is much easier to feel with a training partner than alone during your forms. You can feel this in basic tuishou motion. When you are pushing or being pushed, your adjustment should be with the rotation of your center by rotating your legs, not by shifting your weight forward and back, or side to side. Shifting should be avoided or kept to a very minimum during forms and tuishou. Of course it should go without saying that when you are stepping or in a sweeping or kicking position, your body is completely centered and balanced over one leg so the other leg can move freely. In this case being double heavy (all of your weight on one leg) is a positive application.
Another aspect of double weighted during solo drills that you want to avoid in taiji is moving your whole body in one direction at the same time. When you use the rotation of your legs and center to execute a technique or posture, you avoid being double weighted by having a ying-yang balance of equal and opposite motion. If you shift your body weight without rotation to execute a technique, moving your whole body in one direction at the same time, your center will shift, and you will be using momentum instead of rotation which will result in weak structure, over commitment, loss of control, being unbalanced, and double weighted.
So with that in mind, proper basic weight distribution: - Side to side - keep your body 50/50 (or close to it) between your feet; to stay centered, to stay potentially mobile in any direction and to have the ability to rotate on your central axis for issuing power and to receive incoming forces. - Front to back – It is also important to stay centered on your feet front to back. Do not rest your weight on your heels, in doing so your weight will be shifted too far back and you'll loose the ability to properly adjust. It is important to pivot on the heels so you can stay centered, but do not shift your weight back to your heels.
So to be clear, in solo training being “double weighted” is when your body is shifted off center during the execution of a technique (when both feet are on the ground).
“Double weighted” (double pressure) during partner drills - When training with a partner during tuishou for example, fighting force against force instead of moving with and neutralizing your opponents force is also called being “double weighted” (“double pressure”, “double heavy”) . This concept is discussed more thoroughly in the Principle covering “Neutralizing”.
Excerpt from Southern Arizona Taijiquan Principles – Neutralize
“Neutralize - Important Points
To neutralize an attack do not resist or move against your opponent's incoming motion, but rather, Receive their incoming motion. To avoid this error of “double weighted or double pressure”, the ability to neutralize your opponents force rather than fighting against it must be well understood and developed. (Please note - “double weighted” has nothing to do with having your body centered 50/50 between both feet. This misconception is covered in the Principle, "Balance".)
By receiving the incoming force at the moment of interception, you can move with it, neutralize it, and manipulate it, by simultaneously adjusting your position and structure with body unity, while staying on target (this all happens in a fraction of a second).
If you neutralize correctly your opponent will have no solid ground to land their force on. Conversely, if you find that the pressure increases or decreases after the initial contact, neutralizing has not been executed correctly. Mistakes can be caused by many factors, here are just a few: If the pressure increases, the timing to adjust and neutralize is too late, or you are resisting and moving Against the pressure instead of adjusting With it. This is to be avoided. You are not trying to stop your opponents attack motion (or any motion of your opponent). It's more efficient and effective to Use your opponents attack motion. If the pressure decreases after contact, you are pulling away from the contact point. If you pull away you loose the connection to your target as well as the controlling function and pivot point for the adjustment to counter with control. Your goal is to neutralize their motion and adjust the positioning of your structure to your target area which will have the effect of redirecting or deflecting your opponents motion and structure giving you the timing to control and counter. You must also have a clear understanding and separation of the blocking line and the attack lines. (This will be the topic of a future article)
Learn to feel the precise moment of interception. It does not matter if you are the one attacking and your training partner is responding, or if they have attacked and you are responding. In order to neutralize and counter with the best timing you must first learn to feel the precise moment of interception. Who ever can catch the timing to neutralize first at the moment of interception, will have the timing to counter. This “sensing of interception” is a prime skill that you should be developing while practicing basic tui shou motion.
Neutralizing correctly, without loosing your structure or connection to your target, will enable you to deflect/redirect the intercepting force to counterattack efficiently and smoothly.
Neutralizing correctly requires a deep understanding of full body unity. When receiving incoming force, the whole body responds in sequence, combining: V-shape (joints), C-shape (spine), Balloon function (compression, rotation, expansion, while maintaining correct peng energy), Grounding (body alignment), and full intent on target. In application, this all occurs in a fraction of a second.
In order to develop the ability to neutralize effectively you MUST develop ALL of the other principles to a very high degree. When you can embody all of the taiji principles naturally without thinking or planning, when your ability to adjust to your opponent and merge with them is as natural to you as breathing, this is the highest level of taiji. It's not mystical or magic, it just takes many many years of dedication, hard work and consistent correct training.”
Carina Cirrincione – Southern Arizona Taijiquan Gung Fu – Aug-2-2018
The gears of So AZ Taijiquan Gung Fu (basic overview)
In SO AZ Taijiquan training you are developing the main structures of the body (legs, torso, and arms) to function like gears. This is how we receive the force of another person, and also the way we develop power and torque to generate and release our own power whether it is a strike, joint lock, or take down.
Looking at the function of a single gear, the source of the power is the rotation of the central axis of that gear. The center does not shift or move, it must rotate, in place. The teeth of the gear are passive. If the connection between the central axis of the gear and the teeth is firm, the power and torque generated from the rotation of the fixed center will be directly transferred to the teeth of the gear. This results in the teeth of the gear being able to deliver tremendous power and torque.
When looking at all of the gears that are working together as a unit, the drive gear (the one gear that is the source of the power) is active and all of the secondary gears, which must all be interconnected, are passively moving (driven by the drive gear). When the drive gear rotates, all of the gears rotate, which is the basis of body-unity. When one part moves all parts move in sequence.
In taijiquan the gears or structures of your body (legs, torso, and arms) must be firmly and flexibly interconnected and you must know which gear is the driver or drive gear. As an example, in a basic taiji punch (standing in a forward stance or horse stance) the power is transferred to the fist by the rotation and torque generated by the drive gear, which in this case is the rooting leg (foot to kua) and then sequentially through all of the other gears of the body including... pelvis, shoulders, and elbow, to the fist.
In this example if the punch is with the right fist, looking at the rotation of the legs, you must internally rotate the right leg outward which will make it feel as though you are driving the right leg into the ground, this becomes your root. Externally this rotation should not be visible, it is only felt internally. At the same time, the left leg wants to outwardly rotate, but you maintain the inward position. Again, externally this rotation should not be visible. This makes one leg active (the power source) and the other leg passive (supporting the active leg) which creates yinyang balance between the leg gears.
The gears of the legs are connected to the gears of the torso by the gear of the pelvis/hips. In the rotation of the torso it is important that you do not turn at the waist (the area above the pelvis and below the ribs)... the pelvis and the shoulders must work together connected by the bending of the knees, posterior tilt of the pelvis, slight crunch action of the core, pulling down of the shoulders, and stretching of the head/neck upwards. If the pelvis and shoulders aren't working together there will be a complete disconnection of the gears that drive the power from the legs through the torso and to the arms resulting in weak structure, loss of power, and leaving the arms unsupported. It is also important to note that during the execution of a technique, (a punch in this example) when the rotation of the drive leg (your root) engages the rotation of the torso through the pelvis, that the torso must not shift in any direction but remains in place and rotates (like a gear) in order to transfer power to the arms. If you allow the power generated by the drive leg to shift your body weight, say to 70/30 instead of remaining centered 50/50, moving your whole body in one direction at the same time, your center will shift and you will be using momentum instead of rotation to generate power. In this shifted position, the structure of your legs is not evenly backing up and supporting the structure of your torso and arms, causing you to be off balance and easily toppled. Shifting your torso instead of rotating will result in loss of root or grounding, weak links between the structures, over commitment, loss of control, being unbalanced and double weighted (off center with more of your body weight on one leg), and an inability to recover or adjust quickly for your next move, be it another attack or counter attack. In order to rotate and generate efficient power properly with a strong root, the torso must remain 50/50 between the feet and the pressure on your feet will be 70/30 with the drive leg (root leg) being the substantial yang leg.
The gears of the torso are connected to the gears of the arms by the gears of the shoulders. The shoulders must be sunk down and firm but flexible to link the rotation of the torso to the rotation of the punching arm and finally out to the fist. The receiver of that punch will feel power from the fist but that power didn't come FROM the fist. The source of that power came from the rooting leg (drive gear). The fist is actually the last passive link in the gear chain, so to speak, but it is able to transfer much more power to the subject it is striking with all of the gears/body structures behind it, than it would be able to all by itself.
Forms are a very important aspect of Taiji training, but the forms are just one element among many in a complete Taijiquan training repertoire. There are many solo drills as well as partner drills and exercises that round out a complete training regimen. The movements contained within the form help to teach the practitioner the correct body mechanics for striking, joint locks/breaks, and throws/take-downs. Regarding striking, it is my opinion a Taijiquan practitioner should understand that you can not simply punch or kick in the air and expect to be able to learn how to generate power, deliver power, and deal with the rebounding force at impact. You must hit something to develop these skills. I believe your training partner should not suffer the consequences of that skill development, so that is what the bags and pads are for.
In my article regarding the Taiji principle Structure, I gave a brief overview of the 3 structures that we develop which are; the stance/leg structure, the torso structure, and the arm structure. I would like to now go over the correct hip/pelvis position and spine stretch for Taiji practice and how that relates to the torso structure. Our overall goal is to create natural relaxed stretching tension/taughtness and peng energy in the entire body, and maintain a balanced center of gravity which will enable us to adjust efficiently to our own movement as well as to incoming external forces.
How - Gently stretch the spine downward from the base of the spine at the pelvis, and upward from the top of the spine at the neck, at the same time. This creates equal and opposite stretching in both directions. In any Taiji stance (horse or bow for example) when the knees are bent, the pelvis should gently tuck (rotate) under at the hip joints creating a slight posterior pelvic tilt and lightly sinking/stretching of the spine down (do not push hips forward). While at the same time, pull/sink the shoulders down and gently pull the head up at the crown and pull the chin in a bit to slightly stretch the neck. The spine is kept gently stretched this way throughout all of your Taiji training. We are not trying to literally “straighten” the spine. It's important for the spine to maintain it's natural curvature. However, the stretching of the spine does create a straight line of energy through your central core or axis of rotation. DO NOT force or strain the pelvic rotation or the neck stretch. Over rotation, squeezing, or forcing is incorrect and will cause misalignment, muscle strain, and tightness. The correct posture should feel very comfortable and natural, with just enough tension to hold the position.
Why - - To link the torso structure to the arm and leg structures. - To maintain a balanced center of gravity. - To secure and naturally firm up your core. - To enable your body unity to be able to transfer your energy from the floor to deliver power, and to the floor to receive and neutralize external forces.
For correct structural alignment when standing in the Taiji form preparatory position, with your knees slightly bent, your ears should be in line with your shoulders, your shoulders should be in line with your hips, and your hips should be in line with the center of your feet. Avoid the mistake of shifting your weight too far back to your heals. This is an easy mistake to make. Shifting your weight off center will throw off your balance in a big way by placing your shoulders behind your hips. Any incoming force will now make you tip backward and or step backward instead of having the ability to compress and rotate your torso to neutralize the force properly and maintain your target. If your balance and structure is off before you even engage with your opponent, your ability to adjust correctly upon engagement will be severely compromised.