Ted Knecht's Taijiquan (Tai Chi) and East Asian Blog

Qigong Basics 气功基础

2009-11-30T12:14:00.003-05:00

What is Qigong?

Chinese qigong has a history of more than seven thousand years and is widely practiced by people from various walks of life. The purpose for learning qigong is mainly for cultivating mental calmness, improving physical fitness, and prolonging life. Over several thousands of years, a complete system of practice has been formulated.

Qigong is very diverse in function and form. Besides preserving health, preventing disease, and promoting longevity, qigong also improves one’s thinking capabilities and intelligence. Qigong is an exercise concerned with the development of internal energy (Qi). Internal energy, unlike bone, skin, and blood, is invisible to the eye but is the essence of human life. By practicing qigong exercises, one can increase the quantity and quality of one’s internal energy to live a much healthier life.

Qigong produces various effects. The most fundamental is the prevention and treatment of disease. A classical statement suggests that “the best way to treat disease is before it begins”. Qigong can help regulate the higher nervous system and other physiological systems within the body, enhance the functions of the internal organs, and build up inner strength. This will induce stronger resistance to diseases and better health. The practice of qigong is known to many as a way of building internal strength and preventing disease, but few know that qigong has a very curative effect. More than two thousand years ago there were qigong methods used to treat different disorders such as poor digestion, headaches, and joint problems.

Basic Elements of Qigong

If one wants to understand the function of qigong in the treatment of illness and the improvement of health, the main characteristics of qigong must first be discussed. The main characteristics of qigong consists of regulating the mind, breath, and posture. These key elements are considered the basis of all styles of qigong.

Mind: All forms of qigong place the same demand on the mind. This would include calming the mind, concentrating the thoughts, and relaxing the body. The main goal is to regulate the function of the central nervous system. Among the process of practicing qigong, the muscles of the body relax, the breathing rate decreases, and the brain waves normalize. As one can see, after reaching a state of calmness through the regulation of the mind, the central nervous system will enter a state of calmness. After long practice of qigong, this will not only nurture and improve the health of the body, but it will also give a good basis for the cure of disease and a supplement to medical treatment. This is especially important to those with nervous system disorders.

Breath: The function of the breath can be looked at from many different types of qigong styles. The main demand of breathing is to use abdominal breathing to smoothly, deeply, and slowly breathe in air. According to the fundamentals of physiology, the deeper the breath is inhaled, the greater the increase in the quality of the breath; moreover, the pressure within the abdomen will change causing the abdominal muscles to be exercised. This will improve the function of the intestines which will in turn improve digestion. The movement of the abdomen muscles will also
massage the internal organs such as the liver, gall bladder, intestines, and so forth. The breathing method found in qigong has improved the appetite, complexion of the skin, and has strengthened the body in elementary qigong practitioners.

Posture: The key point for the ability of qigong to cure illness and improve health is in the fact that qigong contains specific postures. When the posture is combined with the mind and breath, the flow of blood will be increased and strengthened. The postures found in qigong are very plentiful. Each posture has a certain function for each part of the body. For example, standing and walking qigong postures are beneficial for the muscular development of the body. Sitting and lying qigong postures are beneficial for relaxing the muscles, nurturing the spirit, and for regulating the nervous system. Lying qigong is very beneficial for strengthening the stomach and intestines, and for improving the digestion.

Sixteen Essentials of Taijiquan 十六要领

2009-05-15T13:30:00.002-04:00

Taijiquan is one of China's precious treasures developed out of the culture of China's ancient past. It can be said that Taijiquan is a brilliant pearl within the circle of Chinese Wushu. Not only is Taijiquan a very profound philosophy, but it is also a very practical and effective martial art. At the same time, Taijiquan is an exercise which has very beneficial healing properties. Consequently, Taijiquan has been popularly accepted by people throughout the world. The main emphases during the practice of Taijiquan are a stable, calm mind, a relaxed body, and a deep breathing pattern while conducting the movements in an agile, smooth, and circular fashion. The movements must be conducted with the mind, not with external muscular strength. The movements of Taijiquan are motion within silence. The mind must remain calm even during the active movements of Taijiquan practice. The movements of Taijiquan will invigorate the blood and internal energy, open the meridians, and strengthen the tendons and bones. "When one part moves, then all parts must move.” This is a basic principle found within the philosophy of Taijiquan.

Taijiquan is a type of gongfu which aids in the cultivation of internal strength and energy. Taijiquan is a form of movement which will cultivate spirit, intent, internal energy, innate sensations, and the ability to continuously change from fullness to emptiness and back in an ongoing cycle. However, the essentials of Taijiquan must be mastered and put into practice in order to properly obtain the complete function of this art. These essentials for the proper practice of Taijiquan are explained below.

1) Suspend the Head and Lift Up the Energy: The practice of Taijiquan emphasizes suspending the head and lifting up the energy. The spirit is locked in the top of the head. This basically means that the head should be held upright with the Bai Hui (crown) point suspended lightly upward. The feeling should be as if a string is attached to the crown and is lifting the body off the ground, or as if a bowl of water is suspended on the top of the head. This is conducted with the intent without the use of any external strength. Should external strength be applied to produce this posture, this will disrupt the natural positioning of the body and produce stagnation and stiffness within the body. The chin should be slightly tucked in, the forehead unintentionally relaxed, and the tongue placed on the roof of the mouth. Only by maintaining the proper feeling of suspending the head and lifting up the energy will the spirit naturally rise and the blood and internal energy naturally circulate throughout the body.

2) Maintain an Upright Body Posture: In the practice of Taijiquan, one must first be able to maintain an upright posture. This means that the torso region must remain straight without any inclination during practice. The Wei Lu (tail bone) must form a straight line with the spine. From the beginning of the form to the completion, this posture must be maintained. The Taiji Classics stated this by saying, "the Wei Lu is straight and the spirit is raised.” When the Wei Lu is straight, then the lower body will be stable and centered. If the center of the lower body is unstable, then the opponent will be able to borrow one's strength and exert control. Consequently, one must be able to maintain an upright posture and secure the internal spirit. The head must be held up, the back must be straight, and the waist must be relaxed and supple to naturally maintain the upright posture in the entire body. When this occurs the spirit will be natural and the internal energy will be full and sufficient to give the practitioner a feeling of stability and tranquillity.

When the body maintains an upright posture in the practice of Taijiquan, then it will regulate the internal organs, bones and joints, and the muscles to conform to the natural process of the body's physiological functions. Moreover, it will connect the other essentials of Taijiquan to obtain maximum exercise for the entire body. In terms of fighting applications, maintaining an upright body will allow one to follow and adhere to the opponent's every move.

3) Relax and Be Calm: Taijiquan is a form of movement which cultivates spirit, intent, and emptiness. From the beginning to the end of practice, the spirit must remain natural and comfortable. During the performance of the routine, the mind must be cleared of all scattered thoughts to enter a state of tranquillity, the spirit is concentrated to combine with the mind. This is exemplified in the Taiji Classics as "When one point is calm then there is not one point that is not calm.” By maintaining a calm state one will remain in a clear and awakened state. This will lead to improvement in the capabilities of the mind and improvement in the intellect.

The practice of Taijiquan also requires that the entire body remain relaxed. However, a relaxed state does not mean a limp body. In order to relax the body one must first learn to relax the mind. Afterward, the body should completely relax from the head to toe--head, shoulders, spine, waist, hips, hands, elbows, wrists, and feet. The Taiji Classics say that "when one point relaxes, then one hundred points will relax.” When the body can relax then the joints will be relieved of tension, the blood and internal energy will flow freely, and the spirit will be clear. After a long period of maintaining a relaxed natural state, the internal strength will gradually increase. Finally, the practice of relaxation will produce great internal strength which is soft, rooted, and elastic in nature.

4) Sink the Internal Energy into the Dantian: Sinking the internal energy into the dantian is a major emphasis in the practice of Taijiquan. The dantian is the region three fingers below the navel. During the practice of Taijiquan the mind will lead the internal energy down into the dantian. Beginners should not place too much emphasis on the use of the mind to lead the internal energy into the dantian. One should not intentionally force the internal energy into the dantian region. One must know that the sinking of the internal energy into the dantian is a natural phenomenon that results when the body is completely relaxed during the practice of Taijiquan. Relaxation begins first with the mind and then the body, only after this can the internal energy sink into the dantian.

5) Relax the Shoulders and Sink the Elbows: Relaxing the shoulders means to allow the shoulder joints to sink down. If the shoulders are lifted up then the internal energy and blood will become stagnant. Sinking the elbows uses the intent to lower the elbows. When practicing Taijiquan, the two arms must never be over-extended. The arms should always be slightly bent, maintaining an arc-shaped pattern. The two arms should feel as if there is a sinking energy within the arms, soft and flexible with a downward strength. The armpits should be opened and relaxed. This will allow for greater circulation of blood and internal energy into the arms and hands. This type of sinking strength is soft on the outside, but hard on the inside. The strength is like a metal rod wrapped in cotton.

6) Hollow the Chest and Straighten the Back: The practice of Taijiquan always emphasizes the regulation of hollowing the chest and straightening the back. Hollowing the chest is simply allowing the chest to relax without protruding. This will allow the internal energy to sink into the dantian. Should the chest stick out, then the internal energy will become stagnant and breathing will become shallow. One, however, should not intentionally cause the chest to collapse inward to induce the hollowing effect. Collapsing the chest will cause the upper back to hump over thereby adversely influencing the postures and one's health. When this occurs the blood and internal energy will not be able to circulate freely to the heart. In terms of Taijiquan's martial aspect, the hollowing of the chest is very important. By properly aligning the chest one will be able to dissolve oncoming attacks.

Straightening the back is a way to open and expand the rear portion of the torso. The spine should be lengthened with an upward feeling. By suspending the head, the back will naturally straighten. When this can be accomplished, the postures will be heroic and beautiful. Moreover, by straightening the back the internal energy can adhere to the spine and enter the bone. When applied to push hands, the power that can be developed from this proper alignment will be able to push an opponent very far.

7) Harmonize the Internal and External: Taijiquan emphasizes "first using the mind to activate motion followed by the shape.” This means bringing together the spirit, intent, internal energy, and the body to form a superior boxing skill. Harmonizing the internal means circulating the internal energy with the intent. This will improve the functions of the central nervous system and improve the mental functions of the brain. All movements, no matter how small, should be controlled by the intent. Over time the practitioner should strive to achieve the three internal harmonies. This consists of harmonizing the spirit with the intent, harmonizing the intent with the internal energy, and harmonizing the internal energy with strength. Harmonizing the external means differentiating the changes of emptiness and fullness within the movements of Taijiquan. The external shape consists of the external body such as the legs, torso, and arms. By allowing the nine major joints to be relaxed, loosened, and exercised there will be improvement in coordinating the upper and lower body as well as an overall stimulation to the entire body. The internal and external must combine into a harmonious blend both in form and spirit. These two must never be separated. Each posture must have a mutual relationship with the internal spirit and intent.

8) Coordinate the Upper and Lower Body Movements: During the practice of Taijiquan, each movement must emphasize the mutual coordination of the upper and lower body. The Taiji Classics state that "when one point moves then all points must also move.” Each movement must be produced by the turning of the waist in which all parts of the body will move in unison. All parts of the body must be coordinated with the movement of the waist. The energy is generated in the feet, issued through the legs, controlled in the waist, and driven out through the hands and fingers. This must be conducted in one breath. By controlling the postures in this way, one will be able to manifest internal force. The waist and spine order the movements, the spirit in the eyes follows along, and the hands and feet follow the motion. Upper and lower movements are tightly connected into a natural body. The key to coordinating the upper and lower body movements is in the agile changes of the mind or intent. The feet will allow the body to become stable and rooted. This type of rooting must be controlled by the waist and groin. The waist is the controller for issuing internal force. For this to occur, however, the upper and lower parts of the body must be regulated into one body.

Another aspect of coordinating the upper and lower body movements is the harmonization of the three externals. This means combining or linking up the hands and feet, elbows and knees, and hips and shoulders. In other words, the upper and lower extremities, during the process of practice, must be mutually coordinated especially the above mentioned joints. At the same time, every part of the torso must also follow in unison to allow the body, hands, steps, and eyes to move in one complete direction. This will focus the intent and will concentrate the internal force to form a united body.

9) Use the Intent, Not External Strength: During the practice of Taijiquan, one should maintain a naturally relaxed posture using the mind/intent without the use of external strength. Every movement must be led by the use of the mind. The classics state that the mind leads the internal energy and the internal energy leads the motion of the body. There should never be any type of external brute force used in the performance of the movements. Even though this is a very important principle in the practice of Taijiquan, many beginners often find this to be quite difficult to put into action. Intent of the mind is also required to stimulate the central nervous system to allow the movements to occur. If there is no intent then there will be no movement. The movements of the body and the activities of the internal organs are synthesized under the orders of the nervous system.

The body must be relaxed and flexible with the use of strength. The four extremities should feel as if there are no bones, thus allowing the internal strength to be emitted out naturally without brute force. Through continuous practice of this requirement, one will produce true internal strength, soft on the outside, but strong on the inside.

10) Step Like a Walking Cat: The stepping pattern in Taijiquan is light and agile as well as stable and healthy. The steps must be relaxed and rooted. The stepping pattern must resemble the motions of a walking cat or tiger. Rising and lowering is light, stable, and quiet. Consequently, the practice of stepping is a very important aspect in Taijiquan. When advancing to the front, one must first relax and open the hip in order to lightly raise the heel of the foot off the ground. Afterwards, relax the waist and sink the hips. The center of gravity gradually shifts forward to the front leg. The upper body must maintain an upright posture without rising up or lowering down during the transition. After continuous practice of this step, the legs will develop a relaxed elastic strength.

11) Move Like Pulling Silk: The practice of Taijiquan always should emphasize finesse and spirit. Consequently, the movements within the entire routine must be rooted and without stiffness. The movements should be light, but not floating. Movement should be as fine as drawing silk out of a cocoon. This requires stability, and a completely relaxed body. The arms are sunk and relaxed and the intent leads the movements. By following this requirement the finesse and flavor of the routine will naturally appear.

12) Move Continuously: The entire Taijiquan routine must be performed in a continuous manner like a cloud floating in the sky and water flowing in a stream. The mind must lead the internal energy and the internal energy must move the body. When all the movements are continuous, then the blood and internal energy will circulate freely throughout the body. Internal energy will fill the entire body. All the movements from the beginning of taiji to the closing posture must be performed in one continuous motion. It requires a high level of concentrated spirit to accomplish such a task. Consequently, Taijiquan is a very beneficial exercise for stimulating the central nervous system and the function of the brain. In this way, Taijiquan will bring about a calm and relaxed state to promote health and longevity.

13) Breathe Naturally: The practice of Taijiquan emphasizes a deep, long, even, natural breathing pattern. One need not intentionally coordinate the breath with the movements. Taijiquan places more emphasis on sinking the internal energy into the dantian and moving in a continuous manner. Over time, the breath will become deep and even. There should be no intent placed on drawing the breath down into the abdominal region. It will naturally occur over time. Taijiquan practice is a natural process, the breath will naturally coordinate with the movements. This must never be forced. Taijiquan is a high level form of qigong, however Taijiquan cultivates a natural type of internal energy without force. When the internal energy is forced, then stagnation will occur. When a bowl of water is spilled on the ground, the water will naturally flow along the cracks and crevasses. One cannot intentionally provoke the flow of the water in the direction one wishes. This goes against the laws of nature. The way in which Taijiquan naturally coordinates the breath is very conformable to natural physiological processes. This type of natural breathing pattern will achieve the goal of sinking the internal energy into the dantian. This will also allow the movements of Taijiquan to be more rooted and stable and relaxed and natural.

14) Concentrate The Mind: The practice of Taijiquan not only emphasizes the relaxation of the body, the calming of the mind, and a natural breathing pattern, but it also emphasizes a concentrated mind. The thoughts cannot be scattered during practice. The eyes must have martial intent. The mind must be stable and tranquil during practice. Upon achieving this, the essence of Taijiquan will appear and one's spirit will be clear and firm. If the thoughts are scattered, one will not be able to perform the true essence of Taijiquan.

15) Move Lightly and Agilely: The practice of Taijiquan is based on the use of intent, not external strength. The spirit is locked in the top of the head. The internal energy sinks down into the dantian. The upper part of the body is empty and agile, the central portion of the body moves as if pulling silk, and the lower portion of the body moves with the stability of a walking cat. One stands upright without inclination. The body is relaxed, rounded, and alive while moving in a natural way. One should be able to differentiate emptiness and fullness.

16) Move Smoothly: Taijiquan requires calmness in motion with the cultivation of spirit and intent. The movements of Taijiquan should be stable and comfortable, light and smooth with a slow even pace. The slowness of the movements should produce a deep and long breath and a sinking of the internal energy into the dantian. The movements must be slow and even. There should not be fast and slow actions during the routine, all movements must be consistently slow.

Conclusions

It must be understood that these sixteen essentials are mutually interrelated. They are linked throughout the entire routine of Taijiquan from beginning to end. However, some may not be as important as others in certain movements. Beginners often overlook or forget about certain essentials while trying to pay attention to others. This is a natural process of learning and should not be taken too seriously. Over time the practitioner will become more acquainted with integrating all of the essentials into one complete and natural body.

Beginners often make the mistake of being in a hurry to complete the movements of Taijiquan. They do not consider the accuracy of the movements and upon completion feel they have mastered the art of Taijiquan. They do not strive to move deeper into the theory and requirements of Taijiquan. When the teacher talks of these essential points, they do not want to listen. Some students may be with a teacher for many years, but do not research into the essence of the art. They simply follow the movements of the teacher and regard this as enough to achieve excellence in the art of Taijiquan. The student must be sure to understand the essential requirements of Taijiquan and must conform to these requirements. The completion of the movements must be considered a starting point for a life-long journey into this ancient art. This is summarized in the ancient saying, "practicing a thousand times will bring about a natural understanding, practicing ten thousand times will bring about enlightenment.”

Yang Style Taijiquan History 杨式太极拳历史

2009-05-15T13:28:00.002-04:00

Yang style Taijiquan originated during the 19th Century in the Dao Guang Period of the Qing Dynasty. Up to the present day, the style has only had a history of approximately 150 years, however, Yang style Taijiquan has already spread throughout the world and is practiced by millions of people each day.

The founder of Yang style Taijiquan was Yang Fu Kui (1799-1872), also known as Yang Lu Chan. Lu Chan was born of a peasant family in the village of Nan Guan in the county of Yong Nian which is a part of the Guang Ping Prefecture of Hebei Province. The martial arts history of the Yong Nian county area was very rich and prosperous and as a young boy, Lu Chan studied Shaolin boxing skills. One day while Lu Chan was working in a local grain store, a rude man came into the Tai He pharmacy next to where Lu Chan was working. The man wanted to buy some expensive herbs, but was only willing to pay a cheap price. The man shouted and waved his fists. The only thing Lu Chan saw next was the man being thrown into the street without any effort by the pharmacy owner. Lu Chan felt this was quite odd for a person to be able to do such a feat without the use of force. The name of the pharmacy owner was Chen De Hu. After a few days had passed, Lu Chan built up enough courage and went to Chen De Hu to ask to become his student. Chen was at first fairly cautious, but after seeing that Lu Chan was a upright and honest person, he told Lu Chan that he was from the Chen village (Chen Jia Gou) in Wen Xian County of Henan Province.

He said there were many people who studied Taijiquan in the village. He also explained that his teacher was the famous Taijiquan master, Chen Chang Xing. Upon hearing this, Lu Chan was very excited and immediately wanted Chen De Hu to introduce him to Chen Chang Xing.

The Chen village Taijiquan style was created between the end of the Ming Dynasty and beginning of the Qing Dynasty. The basic standardization of Chen style Taijiquan was by the 9th generation ancestor of the Chen Village, Chen Wang Ting. Chen De Hu agreed upon the introduction to his teacher. Upon the acceptance of the introduction, Lu Chan immediately left Yong Nian to go to the Chen Village. While Lu Chan was under the tutelage of Chen Chang Xing, he trained continuously without any interruption no matter if it was winter or summer. After six years of training, Lu Chan finally returned to his hometown. While Lu Chan was gone, many people in the village practiced martial arts and wanted to test Lu Chan's newly acquired skills. Lu Chan was challenged to a duel in which he was defeated. Even though he had lost the duel, he did not lose hope. He returned to the Chen village to train for an additional six years. The second time he returned home was during the Chinese New Year. The people were excited that Lu Chan had returned and thought he would be unbeatable. In the same area there was a martial artist who had connections with the Chen village and who had studied many styles of martial arts. He also heard that Lu Chan had returned home and wanted to test his skills. The result of the match was a draw. Yang Lu Chan felt his skill level was not completely proficient even though he was able to hold his own against such a highly skilled martial artist, and therefore, he decided to return to his teacher a third time. The third trip to the Chen village moved Chen Chang Xing so much that he began to teach Lu Chan everything he knew. After two years of study, Chen Chang Xing said that when Lu Chan returned home this time, there would be no one who could defeat him. Subsequently, Lu Chan returned home and was never defeated again.

Yang Lu Chan studied at the Chen Village for a total of 18 years. Although he obtained the true teachings of Chen Chang Xing's Taijiquan style, he still was not satisfied with his own abilities. Lu Chan constantly researched every aspect of his style until he achieved an enlightened level of skill and his fame was known to all.

Not long after, Lu Chan was invited by Wu Lu Qing, a distant relative, to teach his martial arts in the capital of Beijing. Wu Lu Qing was a government official of Emperor Dao Guang. Upon arriving in the capital, Lu Chan was a guest at the home of a wealthy businessman named Mr. Zhang. Mr. Zhang's business was small at first, but later became very large and prosperous. Their organization also included instructions in various types of martial arts training. The first occasion to meet the Zhang family was during a banquet in which everyone was to perform their respective martial art. One of the heads of the Zhang family saw the thin body of Yang Lu Chan and, as an insult, placed Lu Chan behind an ordinary martial artist preparing to demonstrate. After Yang Lu Chan performed his style, Mr. Zhang asked if the "Cotton Fist" of Yang Lu Chan could actually defeat an opponent. Lu Chan replied by saying that except for bronze, iron, and rock, his fist could defeat anything with flesh and blood. Consequently, the man asked if Lu Chan would take a challenge from him. Lu Chan agreed without hesitation not only to take a challenge from this man but also from anyone else at the banquet. Following, the guests went out into the garden court to witness the contest. When the contest first began, a martial arts master came running towards Lu Chan as fierce as a tiger. As the two met, Lu Chan raised his arms and the man flew back several meters through the air. Immediately following, another master came up and challenged Lu Chan. Before he could complete a single technique, the man was thrown back several meters onto the ground. After seeing this, the others did not dare challenge the skills of Yang Lu Chan. Upon returning to the banquet hall, Lu Chan was seated at the head table and was toasted by everyone. From that day on, Lu Chan began teaching Taijiquan at the Zhang residence.

After the martial contest at the Zhang residence, people from everywhere came to challenge Yang Lu Chan. All who challenged Lu Chan fell beneath his fists. From that point onward, Yang Lu Chan was given the title of "Yang the Invincible.” Wu Lu Qing introduced Lu Chan to many people within the royal Qing government to whom he taught Taijiquan. This allowed the art of Taijiquan to become very popular in the capital, moreover, the royal family invited Yang Lu Chan to their residence to live and teach. Consequently, Lu Chan brought his two sons to the capital to teach Taijiquan at the palace. Yang Lu Chan did not return to his hometown until his later year

Yang Ban Hou (1837-1892) was the second child of Yang Lu Chan. Ban Hou practiced Taijiquan since his childhood under the supervision of his father. His skill level was very high.

His character was very firm even though he had a very hot temper. There was one time when a martial arts master nicknamed "Man with 10,000 Pounds of Strength" came to Beijing to challenge Yang Lu Chan. After the Yang family heard of the news, Yang Lu Chan did not pay much attention to the matter. However, Yang Ban Hou said to his father that "if our store has something to sell and people want to buy it, why don't we sell?" What Ban Hou meant was that his family had true martial ability, so why not take the challenge. Consequently, Ban Hou went by himself to take the challenge from the man. When the contest began, the man threw his shirt off and showed his muscles to the crowd. Yang Ban Hou with his skinny body just stood waiting for the man to attack. When the fight commenced, the only image seen was the man pouncing towards Ban Hou. Ban Hou evaded the attack. The man immediately attacked with continuous strikes to Ban Hou's face. The crowd heard a yell and immediately following, the man went flying through the air several meters into the distance. When everyone was able to see clearly, they realized that Ban Hou used "Separate Heel Kick" to the man's groin area. While the crowd was still cheering and admiring Ban Hou's skill, he returned silently back to the palace.

Yang Lu Chan's third child was Yang Jian Hou (1839-1917). His Taijiquan skills were a harmonious blend of hard and soft. He was especially talented at issuing internal energy and at the practice of broadsword, straightsword, and spear. His character was very warm-hearted. Whenever Jian Hou competed and trained with others, he never looked light-hearted upon anyone, therefore, he too was never defeated.

The third generation of Yang style martial artists consisted of Yang Ling Xiao (1872-1930), also known as Yang Zhao Peng, who was Yang Ban Hou's son. He studied with Chen Xiu Feng who was one of Ban Hou's disciples. The first son of Yang Jian Hou was Yang Zhao Xiong (1862-1930), also known as Yang Shao Hou. Shao Hou studied Taijiquan since his youth and was very good at sparring. His movements were fast and his posture was rooted. The Yang style small frame was transmitted by Shao Hou. There are very few people who know the small frame style. Some people see the style as strictly for fighting and do not wish to teach others. Therefore, this may be the reason why practitioners of this style are becoming fewer and fewer. Yang style small frame leans more toward the fighting aspect rather than health. Because it is performed with quick motions, the style is sometimes called Taijii Fast Frame or the Fast Small Frame. The small frame style was researched extensively by Yang Lu Chan for many years whereby he took the essence of Taijiquan and the various fighting methods and combined it to form a routine which incorporates Qigong, massage, and the theory of the meridian systems. The small frame style allows the entire body to receive maximum benefits from small lively movements. The main points of the style are as follows: There are over 200 postures in the routine which are performed in less than two minutes. The practitioner must maintain a low stance whereby the head does not raise higher than four feet above the ground. The fighting applications must be regularly practiced and combined with internal energy. The small frame style is practiced mainly by younger people and is quite different from what most people would consider Taijiquan. Small frame Taijiquan not only incorporates speed, vitality, and lightness but also maintains the essence of relaxation, quiescence, roundness, and softness.

The third son of Yang Jian Hou was Yang Zhao Qing (1883-1936), also known as Yang Cheng Fu. Cheng Fu was a very warm-hearted, intelligent person . He trained under the tutelage of his father in the deepest way. His Taijiquan skills were like an "iron needle hidden in cotton.” The characteristics of his postures were large, relaxed, and full of vitality. The postures of Yang Cheng Fu's large frame style can be divided into high, medium, and low. The postures can be selected based upon the practitioner’s age, sex, strength of body, and other various demands. Because of this, Yang style Taijiquan is not only used to cure illness and to maintain health, but also is used to strengthen the body and to develop a high level of martial combat skills. Consequently, many people have found his Taijiquan most suitable.

Yang Cheng Fu was born on July 7, 1883, and passed away on March 3, 1936. He studied the art continuously in Beijing under the instructions of his father. Only until after the passing of his father did Cheng Fu travel to southern China to teach. He taught in various cities throughout China in such places as Wuhan, Hankou, Nanjing, Hangzhou etc. In 1925, Yang Cheng Fu and Chen Wei Ming published The Art of Taijiquan, using actual photographs of Yang Cheng Fu. Later in 1931, the two published "The Applications of Taijiquan" using new photographs. In 1928, he was invited to be the head of the Wudang section of the Nanjing Central Guo Shu Academy. Later he was also invited to be the head of the Zhejiang Provincial Guo Shu Academy in Hangzhou. In 1930, Cheng Fu settled in Shanghai where he published The Complete Principle and Theory of Taijiquan. In 1932, he was invited by Chen Ji Tang and Li Zong Ren to teach in the city of Guangzhou. Two years later he returned to Shanghai. After Yang Cheng Fu traveled to southern China, he gradually moved away from the martial aspect of Taijiquan to more of the health aspects. When Yang Cheng Fu first arrived in Shanghai, he was invited to demonstrate at the "Soft Fist" Society. When Yang performed "Separate Heel Kick" he issued much power causing a loud sound to be heard. Later, he changed the kick to a slow and even movement. "Fist to Groin" originally issued much power at the last moment of execution, but this was also changed to a slow and even motion. His method of practice gradually changed to slow and continuous movements without any breaks.

Yang Cheng Fu was a very large person whose push hand skills were tremendous. His sensitivity was very keen and agile. When he issued power, he was precisely on target, his speed was lightning fast, and his striking distance was short to where he could throw a person several meters through the air without harming him. In fact, according to some of his students, the feeling of being pushed by him was actually comfortable and invigorating.

While Cheng Fu was head instructor at the Zhejiang Provincial Guo Shu Academy in Hangzhou, a teacher by the name of Guo Shou Wu who trained in Tai Yi Boxing looked down upon Yang style Taijiquan. He was often rude to Cheng Fu. One day Cheng Fu could not tolerate the mouth of Gao any longer. Gao was holding a long spear and wanted to challenge Cheng Fu. Cheng Fu took hold of a staff and lightly hooked Gao's spear causing it to leave Guo's hands and fly to the ground. After experiencing this, Gao never again looked down upon Yang style Taijiquan.

Yang Lu Chan was able to build upon the basics of Chen style old frame Taijiquan and make it more compatible for the common person to learn no matter the age. At that moment, people termed his style "Yang family Taijiquan.” The Yang style passed through reform and constant improvement during the first two generations of father and son. The formal standardization of the style finally occurred when it came into Yang Cheng Fu's hands. The postures became wide and comfortable, the structure was strict and demanding, the body was upright and erect, and the movements were harmoniously flowing, light, agile, and rooted.

It was the hard work of the third generation inheritor that allowed Taijiquan to become popular and to develop into what it is today. Moreover, this allowed the onset of many other styles to flourish. An example of this was Wu Yu Xiang, a disciple of Wu Lu Qing, who created Wu style Taijiquan. Wu Yu Xiang transmitted his style to Hao Wei Zhen who later developed Hao style Taijiquan. Hao Wei Zhen passed his style to Sun Lu Tang who created Sun style Taijiquan. Yang Ban Hou taught Quan You who then transmitted the art to his son, Wu Jian Quan, thereby, creating the other Wu style Taijiquan. In summation, it can be said that Yang style Taijiquan is the root of Wu, Hao, Sun, and Wu style Taijiquan. In 1956 the National Chinese Sports Association extracted postures from Yang style Taijiquan to create a simplified version of Taijiquan. Afterwards, the 88 posture and the 48 posture Taijiquan routines were created.

Within the 150 years of Yang style Taijiquan development, Yang Lu Chan taught his art to Yang Ban Hou, Yang Jian Hou, Wang Lan Ting, Wu Yu Xiang, and many others. Yang Ban Hou transmitted the Yang style to Wan Chun, Quan You, Hou De Shan, Chen Xia Feng, Zhang Xin Yi, Li Lian Fang, Zhang Ying Tang etc. Yang Jian Hou taught Yang Shao Hou, Yang Cheng Fu, Xu Yu Sheng, Liu Sheng Kui, Zhang Yi etc. Yang Shao Hou taught Liu Xi Zhan, Zhao Ling, You Zhi Xue, Wu Tu Nan etc. Wu Tu Nan studied first with Wu Jian Quan of the Wu style and later with Yang Ban Hou for four year. Wu Tu Nan became the Vice Chairman of the Beijing Martial Arts Association. He passed away in January 1989 at the age of 105. The majority of Yang style disciples cropped up through the direction of Yang Cheng Fu. Outside of Yang Cheng Fu's children, some of Yang Cheng Fu's disciples were Li Chun Nian, Zhao Bin, Dong Ying Jie, Fu Zhong Wen, Tian Zhao Ling, Chen Wei Ming, Zhang Qing Lin, Wang Ting Xing, Zheng Man Qing etc. Li Chun Nian (Ya Xuan) passed his art on to his daughter, Li Min Di, and to Chen Lung Xiang, Yang Zhao Xin etc. Dong Ying Jie taught Liu Tong Lu, Lian Chong Shu, Zhang Xin, Chen Ning and others. Tian Zhao Ling taught Ye Da Mi, Zheng Zuo Ping, Zhang Jing Qi, Chen Yi Hu etc.

Yang Zhen Ming (1911-1985) was Yang Cheng Fu's oldest son. Zhen Ming resided in Hong Kong for many years where he published the book entitled Practical Use of Taijiquan. He passed his art on to his daughters, Ma Li and Jun Li, and also to Ye Da De, Zhu Zhen Wu,and Zhu Jing Xiang. Yang Zhen Ji (1922- ), the second son of Yang Cheng Fu, began to study Taijiquan when he was five years old. At the age of nine, he began strict training with his father. He would practice Taijiquan at least three times in the evening otherwise he could not fall asleep. He once went with his father and older brother to Guangzhou to teach Taijiquan. Yang Zhen Duo (1926- ), third son of Yang Cheng Fu, learned Taijiquan from his father while he was a child in Hangzhou. Later he learned from his older brothers. Yang Zhen Duo presently teaches in Shanxi Province. He is a board member of the National Chinese Martial Arts Association and the director of the Shanxi Provincial Yang Style Taijiquan Association. The fourth son of Yang Cheng Fu, Yang Zhen Guo (1928- ), trained with his older brothers since his father had passed away while he was still too young to train. He and Yang Zhen Ji taught Taijiquan in the city of Tianjin.

Fu Zhong Wen (1908-1994) was with Yang Cheng Fu for many years where he received the transmission of the Yang style. Fu Zhong Wen traveled with Yang Cheng Fu to Guangzhou where he assisted his teacher with instructions and taking on challenges from various martial artists. Fu Zhong Wen not only has students from China, but also from the USA, Japan, France, Canada, Singapore, Australia, etc. Some of Fu Zhong Wen's disciples include Wang Tian Lai, Wang Yong Da, Fu Sheng Yuan (son), Mei Ying Sheng, Yu Wen Mei, He Wei Qi etc.

For the better development of Taijiquan and the promotion of health and longevity, Fu Zhong Wen and associates developed the Yong Nian Taijiquan Association on October 1, 1944. The association had its 50th anniversary festival during the months of April and May 1994 in Shanghai. The Yong Nian Taiji Association has taught thousands of people and has set up branches throughout the world.

In 1972, through the assistance of Fu Zhong Wen and his son, Fu Sheng Yuan, various medical research institutes conducted scientific tests on the healing and health promoting properties of Yang style Taijiquan. The findings from the research showed that Taijiquan is a very beneficial method of preventing and curing diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease, arthritis, stomach ailments, nervous disorders, and other chronic illnesses. Moreover, the research discovered that Taijiquan will improve the physiological functions of the heart and lungs and increase the strength of the body.

Yang style Taijiquan has developed and advanced tremendously over a very short historical time frame. Therefore, this testifies to the importance Taijiquan has in the prevention and healing of illnesses and the promotion of health and longevity. It is possible that after the mutual exchange of ideas and knowledge among all Taijiquan practitioners, Yang style Taijiquan can become internationally ranked and can make great contributions to the health and well-being of the world.

Note: The material for this history has been translated and compiled through conversations, letters, and books written by Fu Zhong Wen and Mei Ying Sheng.

Yang Banhou’s 18 Formulas 杨班候十八在决

2009-04-29T15:44:00.002-04:00

Translated by Ted Knecht

Four Primary Hands (Nucleus)

1. Peng is in the arms (Kan)
2. Lu is in the palms (Li)
3. Ji is in the back of hands (Zhen)
4. An is in the waist (Dui)

Four Supplemental Hands

1. Cai is in the fingers (Qian)
2. Lie is in the armpits (Kun)
3. Zhou is in the bend (Gen)
4. Kao is in the shoulders and chest (Xun)

Internal Power Methods
1. Peng must be held up (propped up)
2. Lu must be light
3. Ji must be horizontal
4. An must be attacking
5. Cai must be substantial
6. Lie must be sudden (surprising)
7. Zhou must be pounding
8. Kao must be crushing

Five Elements and Five Steps

1. Advance is in Cloud Hands (Metal) (Front)
2. Retreat is in Repulse Monkey (Wood) (Rear)
3. Looking is in the three forwards (Water) (Left)
4. Gazing is in the Seven Stars (Fire) (Right)
5. Central Equilibrium is in the opening (Earth) (Center)

Substantial and Insubstantial Explained

1. The center is obtain in the horizontal
2. Stagnation is in double weighting
3. Passage is in single lightness

Basic Combat Theory

1. Emptiness is within defense
2. Fullness is within attack

Photos from my trip to Tibet 西藏照片

2009-04-25T17:06:00.007-04:00

Photos from China 中国照片

2009-04-25T16:29:00.004-04:00

Qing Yang Temple, Chengdu, Sichuan Province

初探“分明火候七十二”

2009-04-25T16:09:00.000-04:00

梅应生

杨公澄甫所著《太极拳使用法》（文光印服务馆1931年版）“论太极篇”有云，“运动知觉来相印，神是君位骨肉臣，分明火候七十二，天然乃武并乃文”句中，笔者对“分明火候七十二”句之真意，探索多年，兹将点滴心得呈现于同好，热望我同好共同探讨，以明析杨公对我后学教诲之本意尔。

所谓“火候七十二”者，出自道家炼丹术语，古代道家炼丹分为外丹术与内丹术，外丹术是将铅汞朱砂等类矿物药，放置在高温八卦炉鼎之内，经足够时间烧炼出以求长生的丸剂，经长期实践方得知，服此丹丸，不但不能获得长生，反而损害身体，付此高昂代价之后，方知炼外丹流弊多多。延至唐朝，经名道陈搏、吕洞宾奠基、宋朝张伯端吸取炼外丹失败之教训，一改以人体为炉鼎，精、气、神为药物修炼之内丹修炼术，至此，外丹锻炼术与人体内丹修炼术分道扬镳。道家内丹修炼术分为动功修炼法与静功修炼法，无论动功修炼法与静功修炼法，皆着重“天人合一”及“下丹田”炼“精”、“中丹田”炼“炁”、“上丹田”炼“神”，所谓“丹田”者乃人体炼“丹”之场所是也，着重人体“精、炁、神”之修炼，盖成为道家千年绝学。太极拳属道家内丹养生动功，本文对其修炼之法，试作粗浅探讨，务求各路方家指正。

“分明火候七十二”中“七十二”者，夫取八卦炼丹炉之“八”数与大数值之“九”，“八”数与“九”数之倍数值为“七十二”，盖有大数量之意。“七十二”在道家数理中最为吉祥之数，源与八卦中由十二阴爻二十四条直线与十二阳爻中十二条直线，由此阴爻与阳爻共三十六条直线所构成。三十六之倍数为七十二，道教神话有三十六金罡星、七十二地煞星，共一百单八位星宿。道教有三十六洞天、七十二福地；古代民间有三十六生计，七十二行业；<<水浒传>>中有一百单八将，太极拳出自道教，传统杨式太极拳套路由一百单八式组成，当为顺理成章。

笔者对“分明火候七十二”之内蕴，有如下肤浅认识：“火候七十二”之“火”，所指炼丹术中火力之温度；“候”所指炼丹术中所需之时间。“七十二”在道家内丹养生功中，判明老与嫩的数值，达够七十二谓之“老”，即成熟之意；未达到七十二谓之“嫩”，即未成熟之意。“分明火候七十二”者，是指掌握炼丹术中必须具有足够的火力与足够的时间，即应辩明不欠不过，恰倒好处，意在“中庸”。

张三丰祖师本太极阴阳之道，八卦五行及人体脏象之理，以人体为炉鼎，精炁神为药物修炼内丹之术，创立以期健康长寿的太极拳，布施于世，绵传至今，经长期实践昭示，效果卓著，实乃国之瑰宝，业绩丰伟，世人称颂，功德无量。

杨式太极拳之“火”与“候”，唯不可截然分割的两个部分，为剖析其内蕴，兹将“火”与“候”分别粗分述于后：

杨式太极拳“火”力温度，是否符合“七十二”达“老”成熟之度，经太极先哲一代继一代实践长期逐渐完善，早有著述阐明：即张三丰祖师及王宗岳等先哲所卓著拳论，以及杨氏三代精心凝结而成之《太极拳术》、《太极拳使用法》、《太极拳体用全书》等经典，再加上杨公澄甫遗留七十四幅拳照，精确而完整垂入经典，为杨式太极拳“分明火候七十二”之准则。使我习拳者既爱其术，又复于从学、涉足其间，玩味无穷，受益终生。

杨式太极拳“火”力温度，实则指运动量而言，在杨公澄甫著述中有明确阐释，即拳架尚有高架、中架、低架之分。老年及体弱者，可根据自己有限的体力选择运动量较小之高架；中等体力者，可采用中等运动量之中架；年轻力壮者，可临摹杨公在《太极拳体用全书》中拳照运动量较大之低架。各个不同年龄段，均有选择适合自己的运动量。所谓低架者，除“蹬脚”、“分脚”、体位高度站立，以及“下势”仆步低矮之外，身势高低必须保持相对恒定在较低的高度，正如杨公在《太极拳体用拳书》“例言”中有训：“腰顶背腹之俯仰。须知各有常度。不可忽高忽低。忽疾忽徐。忽轻忽重。忽伸忽缩。忽宏忽细。忽左右上下俯仰之不匀也。”无论高架、中架、低架之间，其运动量有成倍悬殊，但身势都各自应保持在相对恒定的高度，不可忽高忽低而降低其运动量。否则，欲减轻下体肌群的拧绞，其运动量必然成倍降低，即明显降低“火”力之温度。

杨式太极拳架中，有许多招势可用数值量化运动量之大小。例如：杨公澄甫“转身蹬脚”定势拳照（如图）可以用两个数值量化其运动量：

一、假如炼拳者身高为1、77米，因右腿自然伸直，此拳架定势高度应低于原高度两公分，为1、75米；二、两臂左右分开向前为170º夹角，而且左手左脚上下垂直，将两臂与人体上下近似一个平面的十字架，对称舒展开来，使身体上下左右对拔拉长。正如拳经所云“腹实胸空，上虚下实”，宛如一棵千年古松，挺拔昂立，树根稳固，树梢伸展，浑厚庄重，气势恢宏。在此定势形成之先，两臂相抱，胸腔容积相对缩小，谓之“一合俱合”，当定势形成谓之“一开俱开”，如此“阴阳相生”，对于技击、健身、美学均有深厚之内含。杨公拳照架势高度与两臂伸展夹角的两个数字表明，即是“分明火候七十二”之“火”力已达“老”之温度。假如只强调拳架松沉，而没有达到应有高度，仅降低一公分，或两臂伸展夹角不够170º只有160º,仅减少微小的10º夹角，则运动量必然成数倍下降，“火”力温度过“嫩”；反之，在此定势中，身势已达身高之最高度，加之两臂伸展到180º夹角，谓之“过火”。不足之偏嫩或过度之过火，尽管火力有微小差别，正是杨公拳训“差之毫厘，谬以千里”，意即在此。可惜当今正如杨公“左蹬脚”这样合度之拳架已不多见。为此，笔者愿与我同好共勉。

太极拳架中“火”力温度之老与嫩，事实表现在除头部之外的全身横纹肌的数十亿条肌肉纤维，收缩与舒张两个对立的双方，在全身放松的基础之上，是否达到充分协调地拧绞与牵引。每一块肌肉或每一条肌纤维，收缩为阴，舒张为阳，即“阳极渐而生阴，阴极渐而生阳”，“阴阳互为其根”。太极拳架演练中，每一拳势，合之为阴，开则为阳，无论“阴”与“阳”两个方面合度与否，都属“火”力在外形之表象。杨公“左蹬脚”定势，正是“分明火候七十二”中，“阳极”之“火”力合度之表象，正所谓“开合有致，阴阳分明”。那种一味强调“阴柔”而忽视全身肌肉充分伸展之“阳刚”，则有违老子“万物负阴而抱阳”之精辟论述，亦有违杨公澄甫“太极拳乃柔中寓刚，棉里藏针之艺术”之拳训。

太极拳架修炼的外在表象，用现代语言描述应是：肢体动态对“时空”的占有。“分明火候七十二”之“火”，应是肢体动态对“空”间之占有；“分明火候七十二”之“候”则应是肢体动态对“时”间之占有。肢体对时间的占有，无非有两种表象：一是快速度动态，另为慢速度动态本文侧重对传统杨式太极拳架演练速度及套路所占有的时间，速度快一些或慢一些，以健身角度两相比较，何者为优。试作粗浅探讨，与我同好商榷。

笔者对炼一趟传统杨式太极拳，就其速度之快与慢，于医疗健身如何调整到最佳状态，锲而不舍，探索多年，在杨氏门内各种不同的速度中，选择修炼一趟传统杨式太极拳，以50分钟左右最佳，其理由如下：

一、传统杨式太极拳是以“意气君来骨肉臣”准则下行拳，在大脑思维总揽中，必须包含“八卦五行说”、“太极图说”、“内丹修炼术”，以及古籍经典若干拳理拳法行功走架，围绕医疗健身与技击格斗内容，每一招一势，有其极丰厚的内涵，故必须具有足够的时间，才能使思维调整到从容不迫的有绪状态，营造大脑向四肢八骸下达指令，动作缓慢而均匀的外环境之中。正如杨公澄甫在《太极拳术十要》中，“练架子愈慢愈好”之拳训，必有深刻之含义存焉。

二、据现代医学测定，全身缓慢的有氧运动，开始动用消耗的热能为人体内储存的糖元持续运动到30分钟后，便开始由糖元释放能量向脂肪释放能量转化，大约持续运动到60分钟后，运动所需的能量以脂肪供能为主，故此，太极拳缓慢而有足够时间持续的有氧运动，对肥胖者减肥最为理想。当前在我国城市中年及老年人口中，大约有1/4的肥胖者，青少年肥胖者大有逐年增加趋势。在西方国家中，肥胖者更为普遍。世界卫生组织在日内瓦举行的关于肥胖病研讨会上，专家们警告说，腹部臃胖是一种病态，对健康的危害不亚于烟草中毒的危害，臃胖发病机理是由于内分泌失调，导致雌性激素分泌含量过高，新陈代谢障碍，使体内废物不能及时有效排出体外，淤积于腹部形成臃胖，可引发许多非传染性疾病，如糖尿病、心血管病和心肌梗塞，还易导致癌症、胆囊炎、呼吸系统疾病等等。

“运动减肥”已达成医学界之共识，但切不可短时间大运动量运动，当大运动量运动时，心脏输出量不能满足机体对氧的需要，使机体处于缺氧状态。无氧代谢运动不是动用脂肪作为主要能量释放，而主要靠分解人体内储存的糖元作为能量释放。血糖降低是引起饥饿的重要原因，往往会食欲大增而不利于减肥。

臃胖与消瘦都是两种不健康的表现，我传统医学称为“胖多湿，瘦多火”，对于身体消瘦者，由于炼太极拳生理功能得到改善，在体重增加的同时，能将血管壁过剩的脂肪及胆固醇减少，使高血压患者血压降低。无论臃胖和消瘦，只要按传统杨式太极拳的炼法，都能收到理想的医疗效果，据现代医学测试称为“双向调节”反应。

三、轩辕黄帝率领先民农耕，是按“春播”、“夏长”、“秋收”、“冬藏”四季自然规律沿袭至今。我太极先哲将此自然取向，巧妙编排在传统太极拳套路之中，使人体健康得到“丰收”。

传统杨式太极拳108式套路中，共有三个“十字手”，由17个拳式组成的第一个“十字手”比譬为“春播”；到54式的第二个“十字手”比譬为“夏长”；第107式的第三个“十字手”比譬为“秋收”；最后108式的“收势”比譬为“冬藏”。修炼有素者，在第一个“十字手”阶段，初步将身心调整到炼丹术要求的气功状态：炼拳走架时常在拂晓，正值太阳从东方升起的同时，月亮从西边降落，此时，属阳的太阳光华与属阴的月亮光华相互辉映，正是丹道中称“日月相辉”的同时，属阴的夜晚即将过去，而属阳的白天即将到来，正是丹道中称“阴阳相交”。值此“日月相辉”、“阴阳相交”之际，我周围所有在生长的生物、根据自身正常的生理需要，随此阴阳自然变换规律而变换以求“阴阳平秘”。如睡眠一夜的鸡开始出笼；向日葵将低垂一夜的花面开始仰起向着太阳等等。值此，我太极拳修炼者之思维，必须整合到将自己作为生物的一员，融入“天地与我共存，万物和我同长”的自然状态之中以求自身的阴阳平衡。正是老子曰“人法地，地法天，天法道，道法自然”。盖此，“天、地、人”融为一炁，所谓“天人合一”之自然状态。值此炼套路开端之用意，正是拳经曰“意气君来骨肉臣”，若没有用“意”，盖不能得“气”，骨肉只不过是一般体育运动的机械活动而已。

在第一个“十字手”阶段中，意识初步进入到每个拳式丰厚的内容之中，譬如“白鹤晾翅”一式其意象为白鹤站立姿态时，为放散过高的体温而一上一下张开双翅而乘凉之意。演练者当沫浴于白鹤凉爽而悠然自得的景象之中。就“白鹤晾翅”而言，其意象之美、流动之美、技击之美、形象之美，其内蕴极为丰富，可使身心回归自然，心灵得到净化，智慧得到开发，精神得到愉悦，气血得到通畅。倘没有足够的时间过程，则不可能体现每一拳式丰厚之内涵。

倘若将第一个“十字手”比拟为“春播”，播种的良好种籽便是：切断大脑思维与炼拳无关的一切信息通道。专心致意制控通体符合“头顶太极”、“手运八卦”、“足跐五行”每一细微的动作，初步进入到内丹修炼术所要求的炁功状态；从颈部以下五百多块随意肌中的数十亿条肌肉纤维，初步放松到听从中枢神经统揽的良好状态。倘若将第二个“十字手”比拟为“夏长”，继第一个“十字手”播种下良好种籽的基础之上，逐渐生根发芽，在“虎豹归山”、“左右分脚”、“左右打虎”等，方向转换复杂，技术难度增强，运动量增加，犹如禾苗受日月之精华，水土之滋养，枝叶逐渐茂盛，进而开花结籽，值秋季果实饱满成熟之时，正是果熟秋收的第三个“十字手”，紧接着为“收势”，将天地精华之炁，如同丰满硕果收入体内“丹田”珍藏，供我致用，谓之“冬藏”。

传统杨式太极拳套路中的三个“十字手”比拟“春播”、“夏长”、“秋收”、“收势”比拟“冬藏”，寓意果实必须经夏日火红太阳光之“火”，并有春夏秋冬足够时日过程之“候”即此谓之“分明火候七十二”者，乃若干代太极先哲在道家内丹养生术基础之上，溶入技击格斗之术，倾注多少心血逐渐发展完善而成之套路。如此宝贵文化遗产实乃旷世佳作，是我中华五千年文明史中一枝奇葩，成为修身养性中的“阳春白雪”，我华夏子孙当之珍惜。正如杨公澄甫在《太极拳体用全书》“例言”中所云：“太极拳只有一派。无二法门。不可自炫聪明。妄加增损。”我辈当之深省。

四、太极拳是一门高深的摄生学问，有取向自然、回归自然迹象。譬如蜂鸟飞翔时，双翼搧动快速，每分钟约两三百次，寿命仅两三年，而山鹰飞翔时，双翼搧动缓慢，每分钟仅数次，寿命可达三十年；老鼠跑窜速度极快，其寿命仅两三年，而乌龟爬行速度极慢，寿命可达千年。太极拳比一般人体在日常活动中要缓慢得多，此乃太极先哲们高妙之创造，我辈当之珍惜。武当丹士张三丰祖师创造并修炼太极拳，享年169岁羽化于我成都市郊鹤鸣山之史实，我辈当之借鉴。

结束语

有一种误导群众而设计大放广播音乐，干扰入静用“意”的要领下，几分钟练一套简化太极拳，歇一会又练另一几分钟的新编套路，歇一会再改练几分钟据说是杨式太极拳改编的套路，歇一会再练几分钟的综合套路。如此，犹如烧一壶开水，在这个火炉上烧几分钟，歇一会又改在另一火炉上烧几分钟。……如此“火候”，一壶冷水，何时才能到达沸点？确实有人热衷于创造如此众多供人使用的“火炉”，令人费解。为扩大太极拳运动人群，创编简化太极拳套路，无可厚非，但切身不可套路过滥，更不可脱离传统拳理而另辟其源，唯置我华夏民族数千年优秀文化而不顾，将太极拳沉沦为西方体操似的运动，岂不成为我太极拳苑一大悲。哀。

张三丰所创太极拳乃道教养生文化之精华

2009-04-25T16:08:00.000-04:00

梅应生

前言
宋朝武当丹士张三丰（1255——1424年）秉八卦五行说之义、太极图之理、以柔克刚之技击术融为一体，旨在实现道教长生久视、延年益寿之内丹修炼术而创立太极拳横空出世。数百年后的上世纪中叶，太极拳已派生出众多流派，并有各种新编太极拳套路流行，世界各地已有数千万人口习练太极拳，张三丰创立的太极拳几乎渗透到当代社会每一个角落。
随着时代变迁，由于多方面原因，扎根于中华民族五千年文明沃土之中的太极拳，原本具有道教性命双修、文化内涵邃密、祛病强身而切合人体科学的太极拳，时至今日，颇有混同于一般体育运动的倾向，失却道教太极内丹修炼术的真谛，为返璞归真，正本清源，将确有延年益寿的“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”布施于当今社会，以奉献世界各族人民为主旨。

《太极道诀》是太极拳最早之经典
张三丰毕生探索“老庄之秘密，钟吕之心法”汇集成《太极道诀》，共分“张三丰大道指要”与“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”两大部分。本文仅对“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”（以下简称“炼丹秘诀”）与当今各地流行的太极拳，聊作实质性迥异之探讨。

“炼丹秘诀”有显著的四项内涵
一、八卦五行说：“太极拳论”有云：十三势者，掤、捋、挤、按、採、挒、肘、靠，此八卦也；进步、退步、左顾、右盼、中定，此五行也。掤、捋、挤、按，即坎、离、震、兑四正方也。採、挒、肘、靠即乾、坤、艮、巽四斜角也。进、退、顾、盼、定，即金、木、水、火、土也。
八卦五行说是中华民族文化史、哲学史的瑰宝，是符号逻辑、符号哲学，以特定图象象征方法来显示哲理。
三丰祖师所言，八卦四正四隅方位之理，寓意“太极生两仪，两仪生四象，四象生八卦，八卦成九宫，”轩辕黄帝崇尚土德，有“万物生长于土，万物归于土”之老论。我中华传统医学之脏象学说及五行相生相克学说有云：“东方甲乙木，属肝；南方丙丁火，属心；中央戊已土，属脾；西方庚辛金，属肺；北方壬癸水，属肾”。
笔者经多年酝酿揣摩设计出便于太极拳教学所用之“九宫八卦图”如下图所示：

八卦者，即东南西北四正卦象“震、离、兑、坎”；一隅二隅三隅四隅即“坤、巽、艮、乾”构成后天八卦方位。“十天干”即“甲乙丙丁戊巳庚辛壬癸”。此“九宫八卦图”正是三丰祖师示意太极拳步法运行之方位图，每步必须以“中土”为枢机迈向所需之方位，即“万物生长于土”；变换方位时，一只脚必须挨近站立于中土方位之脚，即“万物归于土”。故此，八卦五行图确为“张三丰炼丹秘诀”所示之修炼图。
据现代科学测定：地球是个大磁体，生活在地球上生物之生理功能，无不受地球南北磁场的影响。流动在人体血管内的红血球，亦受地球南北磁场的制约而流动，与太极拳内丹修炼术中“调和气血”密切相关。
二、太极图说：阴阳鱼太极图高度凝聚了中国古代的智慧，巧妙地把太极、阴阳、五行、四时、万物联系起来组成一个优美和谐的宇宙图景，数百年来一直作为理学家世界观的基本模式。太极图一直在道教徒中秘传，视为丹家秘宝。宋朝理学家朱熹把太极图破译为一张描述道教内丹修炼图，可谓石破天惊。
杨澄甫公所著《太极拳使用法》（1931年版本）所载“张三丰先师传拳谱”，将太极图贯于全书之首。

注释所云：“太极图之义，阴阳相生，刚柔相济，千变万化，太极拳即由此而出也。推手即太极之图形。”又曰：“无论何着数有大圈，小圈，半个圈，阴阳之奥妙，步法之虚实，太极之阴阳鱼，不丢不顶之理，循环不息，变化不同，太极之理则一也。”

张三丰太极拳的拳理拳法，即出自太极图义，正以太极图腾为宗主，每一招一式必显太极图之形。藉此是检验太极拳至诚无伪的试金石。自古与道家文化相关联的中医学说，将人体看成是一个由内环境和外环境对立统一与动态平衡的超级巨系统，内气（太极图之阴仪）与外气（太极图之阳仪）都依赖心神系统来感知与调节，太极图形中阴阳回互的S曲线，就表示心神对内气和外气的感应调节。近代西方学者将人体阴阳互补原理或互补规则，看成是生命存在、遗传与延续最根本的法则。
三、技击格斗术：三丰祖师创立太极拳，出于“以道入武，以武演道”以达延年益寿为主旨。
“炼丹秘诀”共载有“太极拳论”、“太极拳经”、“学太极拳须敛神聚气论”、“太极拳歌”、“太极拳十三势行功心解”五篇经论，共1334个字，数百年来已奉为太极拳之经典，其中包涵数十招高深莫测，进攻与防守之技巧，极合运动力学原理，可谓精妙绝伦，乃每一拳势必须严格遵循之准则，每一势拳架哪怕有微小的一招不符合技击功能，正如经论所云：“差之毫厘，谬以千里。”，“太极拳歌”有云：“歌兮歌兮百四十，字字真切义无遗。若不向此推求去，枉费功夫贻叹息。”
四、道教内丹修炼术：“炼丹秘诀”显示之“炼丹”。实指道教内丹修炼术。所谓“内丹”者，盖有别于外丹烧炼之术，在于以人体为炉鼎，以身中“精、炁”为药物，以“神”为运用火候，以双手掌“劳宫”穴及十指尖“十宣”穴为导引，使“精、炁、神”凝聚而结成金丹。“金丹”者，为内丹养生术修炼的精华，集道、儒、释、医等文化中自我修炼的结晶，乃我中华民族文化中流传已久的古代人体科学。内丹养生学成为道家和道教文化的核心内容。其功法的传播成为道教发展的重要标志。
“炼丹秘诀”所言之“精、炁、神”者，居人体脐下“气海”穴之“下丹田”以藏“精”；居两乳突中点之“檀中”穴之“中丹田”以藏“炁”；居两眉间中点之“印堂”穴之“上丹田”以藏“神”。在太极内丹修炼功法中，以两手“劳宫”穴及“十宣”穴为“内气外放，外气内收”之关口。藉此，“拢气”与“合气”之术，以获“多余则泄，不足则补”，以达人体“平秘阴阳、调和气血、疏通经络”之效。在意气相随驱使下，将身心整合到与天地融合一气的最佳状态。对扩大生理功能、挖掘人体潜能，对防病健身、延年益寿大有裨益。正如《全唐诗》中吕洞宾曰：“息精息气养精神，精养丹田气养身。有人学得这般术，便是长生不死人”。
据现代科学测定，“精”在人体内带有生命活动信息的核子与各种基本粒子，构成人体和维持生命活动的基本物质；“炁”即等离子体与离子体运动中产生之电，因此，气中有电，电中有气；“神”具有强力、弱力、电磁力、引力之量子力场与核子力场、超量子统一力场。就实质而言，“精”是根本，“炁”是动力，“神”是主导，“精、炁、神”实则合成人体赖以生成的能量流。人体能量流是以“升、降、出、入”四种状态存在。人体能量流正常，人体则处于健康状态；人体能量流不正常，人体则处于不健康状态；人体能量流停止，则生命不复存在。故而，太极内丹修炼的丹法，不仅要探讨生命的奥妙，生命的机能和物质，也要研究生命元素中“精、炁、神”的衰败和新生。
三丰祖师在“学太极拳须敛神聚气论”所云：“学太极拳，为入道之基，入道以养心定性、聚气敛神为主。”又曰：“故传我太极拳法，即须先明太极妙道。若不明此，非吾徒也” 。
内丹养生学寓道于术，不仅是一套系统的功法，且是一套完整的世界观，可潜移默化地改造修道者的人生观，引导修炼者建立新的行为模式，树立道家“上善若水，厚德载物”的人性品格，立身处世之高士。
古代内丹功法，乃高深莫测之千年绝学，从来不是一种社会普及的功法，而是在一些社会高阶层之间师徒秘传的功法，故而数百年来知之者鲜见。张三丰太极炼丹秘诀佈施于世，以人为本，视人和天地并列的宇宙三元，人乃万物之精灵，只须口传身授，得之不难。正是拳经所云：“入门引路须口授，功夫无息法自修”；又曰：“人之生机，全持神气。气清上浮，无异上天。神凝内敛，无异下地。神气相交，亦宛然一太极也” 。
综上所述，三丰祖师将八卦五行说、太极图说、技击格斗术巧妙融为一体，而实现道教内丹修炼术，将道之神髓赋予太极拳技而创立“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”，使太极拳成为人们走向大道的使者，可谓丰功伟业，光照千秋！

“炼丹秘诀”确具理想的医疗健身效果
自古“道”、“医”联姻，数千年来既是名道又是名医者不胜枚举。唐朝名道孙思邈（540-681年）世人奉为“药王”，有千古铭言曰：“治己病之病为下医，治未病之病为上医”。三丰祖师实为治未病之“上医”，其诗曰：“邯郸一梦悟三乘，贯通三宝及三清。岳阳三度留鸿爪，黄鹤楼头志姓名。一琴一剑入林壑，离坎丹心大道成。犹馥尘鞭时刻整，欲渡群生上玉京。三丰拜祝无疆寿，请鉴愚怀一点诚。”从此七律诗所示：张三丰祖师弃官云游，邯郸悟道，跨长江，登岳阳，行万里路，读万卷书，只为性命双修，大道圆满，诚心点破“离坎交填”修持之法，佈施世人，共谋养生之道。由此不难看出当时修道隐士避世、遁世却并非出于厌世，而是愤世嫉俗，洁身自好，试图以德抗权，以道抑尊，傲视王公贵族，亦是贵己养生，被褐怀玉的异端精神，遁居山林，注重人体节律与自然生态的观察与研究，强调个体小宇宙与大宇宙之间的同构与互动关系，企望与世人一道共享健康长寿，据此，请大家鉴定我一片诚心。
历代道士性命双修者，多为高寿老人。出于揭示其奥秘，笔者统计从唐朝至清朝29位有稽可考的名道中，平均享年104岁，对当时社会平均寿命在30岁左右的而言，修道者竟高出当时人群三倍以上，可谓奇迹，就当今医药发达的社会，亦可称之为奇迹。孙思邈享年141岁，张三丰享年169岁，可见道教丹法对延年益寿确有奇效。
笔者1950年在解放军军医学校学习《免疫学》时，西医鼻祖古罗马的希波克尼底有句铭言：“人体医能高于最好的医生”，当时卫生战线提出“七分预防重于三分治疗”对此笔者深受教育。
中国古代道家对人体精气神的修炼，西方古代着重对人体免疫力的提高，同出于提高人体健康素质从而抵抗疾病的发生，如今切不可将国内外古人实践之成功经验遗忘。
笔者上世纪七十年代告别军旅，放下手中手术刀，经慎重选择“治未病之病为上医”之道路，博览太极拳经典，拜谒传统扬式太极拳众多名师，从七十年代开始在笔者故乡乐山义务授拳，从学者万众，医疗健身效果不甚理想，直至八十年代末，始知太极拳之真谛在于“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”。经苦研探索多年，力争把握其神髓，尔后在深圳市、乐山市，成都市先后授艺十余年，从学者达万余众。一改原有太极拳之面貌，医疗健身效果突显，尤以中老年人非传染性慢性疾病，如常见的心脑血管病、糖尿病、肥胖病、失眠等病症。使余具有半个多世纪的老医师，始料未及，喜出望外。
“炼丹秘诀”在知识层次较高者，最易接受，正如老子曰：“上士闻道，勤而行之”。2006年3月至6月在四川大学道教养生文化研究中心主持下，开办培训班，其中有年近八十岁老教授，大部分为博士生、研究生、硕士生共80人，其中只有三名本科生。仅三个月的培训时间，每早晚各一小时，初步掌握了“炼丹秘诀”108式、54式太极剑，定步与活步推手。如此改善了平时体育运动不足所致之体脑倒挂，普遍改善了睡眠不好的状况。除医疗健身效果显著之外，使众学子更加深谙传统文化之伟绩。每天拂晓及黄昏开课各一小时，（无节假日）学子们改变了以往早晨睡觉的不良习惯，练功认真，没有一人无故缺课，每练功后面色红润，头脑清新，精神振奋。体重超重者普遍减肥，个别仅练功一个月减肥十余斤；身体瘦弱者两个月增加体重八斤。在结业的座谈会上，一致认为“炼丹秘诀”最适合在大专院校开展，普遍请求继续开班深造。
笔者深刻体会在大专院校利用课余时间开展“炼丹秘诀”培训，对改变校园生活秩序，加深学子对传统文化的认识，加强体质锻炼，建立良好的生活习惯，有助于学业完成，为国家培育德智体全面发展的优秀栋梁。众学子完成学业离校之后，“炼丹秘诀”极可能成为其终身锻炼的功法，不但终身受益，并可传授他人，培植为大众健康服务的精神。如此、“炼丹秘诀”可望在全国各地乃至世界各地开展起来。

“炼丹秘诀”已成为濒危文化
笔者传授“炼丹秘诀”的十余年间，曾先后七次参加“中国永年国际太极拳联谊会”，每次都有欧美不少代表团及国内各省市数十个代表团参会，在比赛、表演、学术交流各项目中，均未看到“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”之踪影。仅在近年台湾《太极拳》杂志由原“中华民国太极拳总会”会长、“太极拳国际联盟总会”主席张肇平先生（现年88岁）连篇全面介绍了台湾《道藏精华》所载“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”，该先生至意感叹曰：“这样好的宝物，居然埋藏于地下数百年之久，今天无意中在道门经典发掘出来，真是天大的喜讯！太宝贵了。”又曰：“这样一篇好东西，却埋藏于地下数百年我们这些自命为太极拳人的人，真是感到惭愧万分。”
张先生与笔者书信交往多年，1997年见面后，笔者私自向其展示张三丰炼丹拳架，也许尚欠周密，未能引起先生重视，不甚遗憾之至。
“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”乃世之珍宝，当今已成为濒危文化，能否成为非物质世界文化遗产，企盼联合国教科文组织的润泽与关抚。

对“炼丹秘诀”发展的遐想
“炼丹秘诀”的发展，必须具有道教深厚文化内涵而产生切切实实的医疗健身效果为基点。为达此目的，必须遵循：八卦五行说、太极图说、技击术与道教内丹修炼术四项准则制约太极拳架；必须实事求是的精神，既不冤枉古人，又不欺骗今人，更不贻误后人，切合现代中西医学临床科学理论，与时俱进，在“炼丹秘诀”真谛基础之上发展与提高。例如内丹经典有“分明火候七十二”句，所谓七十二者，出于三十六的倍数，两数相加合成“炼丹秘诀”一百零八式是也。“火候”者，“火”即指运动量；“候”即指运动的时间。据现代医学测定，全身缓慢的有氧运动，开始动用消耗的热能为人体内储存的糖元，持续运动到30分钟后，便开始由糖元释放能量向脂肪释放能量转化，运动到60分钟对惰性脂肪消耗量较为理想。人体惰性脂肪过余地储存，是患心脑血管病的元凶。全球每年死于心脑血管疾病大约一亿人，占总死亡人数60%，发展中国家的发病率远高于发达国家。我国已有中风患者五百多万人，每年新发病人数近两百万人，死于心脑血管病人约两百万人。“炼丹秘诀”义不容辞应担当起改善此千万人群健康的重任。“炼丹秘诀”最符合医学测定全身缓慢的有氧运动，仅有37个拳架的太极拳，三丰祖师巧妙地编排为108式套路，需时大约60分钟，正是内丹修炼“火候”老嫩的适度量，对减肥和心脑血管疾病有理想的防治作用。
三丰祖师所处的年代，在无现代医学仪器对人体测量的条件下，是如何知道“炼丹秘诀”对改善心脑血管病有理想的效果？比如，据现代医学测定：下丹田、中丹田、上丹田是人体能量流密集而最活跃的部位，古代在无医学仪器测量的条件下是如何发现的？如此等等，真使人难于解开的层层迷雾。笔者从临床医学角度出发，经多年实践，深刻体验到“炼丹秘诀”对人体健康确有全面的调衡作用。道教养生文化应作为人体生命科学重中之重加以发掘与探讨。
笔者为揭示“炼丹秘诀”的奥秘，十多年来曾撰写“八卦五行与太极拳”、“太极图与太极拳”、“猫行步的医疗健身作用”、“浅析‘立如秤准、活似车轮’”等太极拳学术论文，在美国、英国、新加坡、台湾及国内等太极拳杂志发表数十篇文章，至今除笔者直接传授的太极拳架之外，难于见到“炼丹秘诀”之踪影。鉴于此，笔者曾呼吁医学界，集合高血压、高血脂、高血粘、糖尿病、肥胖病、失眠症等慢性病患者数十名，组成“炼丹秘诀”培训班，同时在同一地区集中健康大致相同而作其他运动人群的对照组，在培训前，两组均作较全面的体检。培训后连续练功两个月再作同样体检，经医学统计学的处理，培训前与培训后健康结果的对照，佐证“内丹修炼术”对健身壮体、延年益寿的功效，昭示世人，为大众提供选择优良锻炼项目，展示道教养生文化之丰伟，为发展“炼丹秘诀”提供科学依据。可惜以上遐想至今未能实现，只因笔者势单力薄、孤掌难鸣，多年跂踵相望，何时能以实现。
笔者在美国、英国及国内的太极拳学生，在一些国际太极拳比赛中，累获太极拳、太极剑、太极刀金牌，不是因裁判员深谙内丹修炼而取胜，而是因拳势高雅端庄、古朴典雅、柔和秀美，在太极图景之制约下，作各种轨迹圆的运动，心意在作圆的引导，神气在作圆的鼓荡而得好评。正是道教文化取向自然回归自然的审美观所折射出的武学艺术。尤以太极剑似活的雕塑、流动的音乐、无言的诗、立体的画，呈现出东方形体艺术之精品，易于吸引大众积极参与，为“炼丹秘诀”之发展奠定有利基础。

结束语
“炼丹秘诀”是道教养生文化以人为本的显现，由于多方面的原因在道门中已经失传，诚然一些宫观所练当今流行的太极拳，外形要领已不切合三丰祖师在拳论的要求，内涵已失却内丹修炼术。为正本清源、返璞归真，将原本道教创立的太极拳归还给道教，乃为笔者多年之夙愿。为达此目的，聊作尚不成熟之设想呈述于后，万望志士同仁戮力同心，付诸现实。
由全国各地宫观选派出力行弘扬道教文化的乾道及坤道两名，组成张三丰太极炼丹秘诀师资培训班，经系统化、科学化、规范化2-3个月的教学，可初步练完张三丰太极炼丹秘诀108式、54式太极剑及太极推手。尔后经过培训的成员，回各自宫观经一段时间修炼后，可在本道观设班培训，待条件成熟后，可佈施于社会，为人民大众健康服务，使“炼丹秘诀”成为联系群众的纽带，从而向世人弘扬道家文化，无论在宫观内和向社会公众开班培训，若教学确有一定困难，可向四川大学道教养生文化研究中心或四川乐山市老年人体育协会太极拳专委会求援，可邀请到拳技高而人品好的教练员，实现三丰祖师“欲渡群生上玉京”之宏伟夙愿。

四川大学道教养生文化研究中心
2006年8月

对杨式太极拳沿革之探讨

2009-04-25T16:00:00.001-04:00

成都梅应生

前言
《太极拳选编》杨澄甫等著（文华图书印刷公司1927年初版影印）其中有尚有三册对太极拳套路之阐释：第一册《太极拳浅说》徐致一著（徐致一原本杨氏门墙弟子，尔后，张三丰所创立之太极拳，在上世纪中叶衍生出诸多流派之后，归为吴式太极拳），第二册《太极拳术》陈微明著（陈微明受乃师杨澄甫委托所撰）；第三册《太极拳使用法》杨澄甫著（文光印务馆1931年版影印）。时隔四年之后的1933年出版《太极拳体用全书》杨澄甫著，其中“例言”所云，“太极拳只有一派。不二法门。不可自眩聪明。妄加增损。前贤成法。倘有可移易之处。自元明迄今。已数百年。如有可改之处。昔人亦已先我行之矣。乌待吾辈乎……
上世纪八十年代初，笔者为太极拳之源流请教于杨式太极拳第四代传人傅钟文老师，傅老教导说：“我们从二十年代到四十年代，跟随杨澄甫公习太极拳，哪有现在所称的杨式太极拳、吴氏太极拳、武式太极拳、孙式太极拳，只有张三丰所传的一派太极拳，五十年代以后为了区别不同的风格，才有众多流派产生，这些不同风格的太极拳，先后出自杨氏门墙，所以至今都共同有一个拳谱及拳理。”
本文旨在探讨杨氏太极拳之本源，敬请各路方家共谋之。

一、《太极拳使用法》源于《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》
其根据有四：
1、杨澄甫所著《太极拳使用法》首页有“张三丰先师传拳谱”如下影印件：

从此影印件清晰可见太极拳传承脉络，即张三丰——王宗岳——陈长兴——杨露禅——杨健侯——杨澄甫，由此可见杨式太极拳源于张三丰所创立的太极拳无疑。
2、《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》与《太极拳使用法》有完全相同之拳经
即：“太极拳论”、“王宗岳太极拳经”、“太极拳歌”、“太极拳十三势行动心解”，唯有一篇“学太极拳须敛神聚气论”，在近代若干杨式太极拳著述中未见有刊载者，现将原文刊载于后：
学太极拳须敛神聚气论
太极之先，本为无极。鸿蒙一气，混然不分，故无极为太极之母，即万物先天之机也。二气分，天地判，始成太极。二气为阴阳，阴静阳动，阴息阳生。天地分清浊，清浮浊沉，清高浊卑。阴阳相交，清浊相媾，氤氲化生，始育万物。
人之生世，本有一无极，先天之机是也。迨入后天，即成太极。故万物莫不有无极，亦莫不有太极也。人之作用，有动必有静，静极必动，动静相因，而阴阳分，浑然一太极也。人之生机，全恃神气。气清上浮，无异上天。神凝内敛，无异下地。神气相交，亦宛然一太极也。故传我太极拳法，即须先明太极妙道。若不明此，非吾徒也。
太极拳者，其静如动，其动如静。动静循环，相连不断，则二气既交，而太极之象成。内敛其神，外聚其气。拳未到而意先到，拳不到而意亦到。意者，神之使也。神气既媾，而太极之位定。其象既成，其位既定，氤氲化生，而谓为七二之数。
太极拳总势十有三；棚、捋、挤、按、采、捩、肘、靠、进步、退步、右顾、左盼、中定，按八卦，五行之生克也。其虚灵，含拔、松腰、定虚实、沉坠、用意不用力、上下相随，内外相合，相连不断，动中求静，此太极拳之十要，学者之不二法门也。
学太极拳，为入道之基，入道以养心定性，聚气敛神为主。故习此拳，亦须如此。若心不能安，性即扰之。气不外聚，神必乱之。心性不相接，神气不相交，则全身之四体百脉，莫不尽死。虽依势作用，法无效也。欲求安心定性，敛神聚气，则打坐之举不可缺，而行功之法不可废矣。学者须于动静之中寻太极之益，于八卦、五行之中求生克之理，然后混七二之数，浑然成无极。心性神气，相随作用，则心安性定，神敛气聚，一身中之太极成，阴阳交，动静合，全身之四体百脉周流通畅，不粘不滞，斯可以传吾法矣。

在我太极拳苑何时有“太极拳”之名称争议多年，此文六次提及“太极拳”，据此且非昭然若揭。
3、《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》与《太极拳使用法》有完全相同之拳谱名称，即：起势、揽雀尾、单鞭……直至如封似闭、十字手、合太极。
4、《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》与《太极拳使用法》近于同一拳架。
《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》刊有张三丰定势拳架白描图，按套路顺序排列105幅；《太极拳使用法》刊有杨澄甫定势拳架照片94幅。兹将前十幅呈列如下：（1）起势；（2）左棚；（3）捋势；（4）挤势；（5）按势；（6）单鞭；（7）提手上势；（8）白鹤晾翅；（9）搂膝拗步。
张三丰定势拳架图杨澄甫定势拳架图

张三丰祖师与杨澄甫公定势拳架图如出一辄，略有不同者，杨澄甫公定势拳架上体略有前颂，与三丰祖师定势拳架“立身中正”稍有迥异，有望我等后辈择优而从，使之更加完美奉献世人。

二、《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》源于道家养生文化
集几千年道家文化而成书载入一部《道藏》者，共五千四百八十五册，盖可谓浩若炯海矣。其中一册《太极道诀》张三丰著，例有“张三丰大道指要”及“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”两大部份。本文着重对《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》聊作粗浅之探讨。
所谓“炼丹”者，因为道家养生文化之核心内容。东汉时名道家魏伯阳所撰之《周易参同契》，历史上奉为“丹经之祖”而列经典。其主要内涵为：以“汞、沿”等矿物质为药物，置于炉鼎之内经相当火力与时间，即道家炼外丹所言之“火候”烧炼成“丹”，提供求长生者内服以企延年益寿。经长期实践内服者“汞、铅”慢性中毒者众，如此“外丹”弊端多多，直至宋朝道士张伯端所撰《悟真篇》，历史上奉为“内丹之王”。其内涵是以人体为炉鼎，人体内之“精、炁、神”为药物，所言“精”者，即脐下之“气海穴”，称“下丹田”；“炁”者，即两乳实连线中点之“膻中穴”，称“中丹田”；“神”者，即两眉中点之“印堂穴”，称“上丹田”是也。其精炁神处于人体不同位置，有依手心之“劳宫穴”与十指尖之“十宣穴”为异引，在人体内部之修炼所得久视长生，如斯，历史上称之为“内丹”者也。
历史上“内丹”之传播成为道教发展兴与衰的重要标志。武当丹士张三丰祖师将八卦五行说、太极图说、技击格斗术巧妙融为一体，为实现道教内丹修炼术而创立太极拳，撰成《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》。
如上所述，张三丰创立的太极拳，其真缔为“炼丹”，正如《悟真篇》云：“鼎内若无真种子，犹将水火煮空铛”。“鼎”者，即金属所铸炼丹之器。“真种子”者，即“汞铅”之类矿药物。盖指春秋时以太上老君为代表的先贤置汞铅于炉鼎之内“炼丹”，在此实指以后内丹修炼术在人体精炁神之修炼是也。“铛”者，即当今博物馆可见到：在上古陶器时代先民用三脚支撑的陶锅煮水之炊具为“铛”。故此，张三丰太极拳之核心内涵是“炼丹”。从三丰祖师与杨澄甫公三十七个不同的定势拳分析，其造型特微，与我中华各类型舞蹈及各派武术均有迥然不同之风格，究其原由乃是道教炼丹术独特之肢体活动。故此，若将太极拳作为“体育运动”或“武术”，失却内丹修炼之精髓，有失道家丹道之原议。体育运动或武术有一定健身效果，却不包含张三丰太极炼丹术，而张三丰太极炼丹术包含体育运动与武术。是否合宜敬请各方家共谋之。

三、“张三丰炼丹秘诀”已成为濒危文化
“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”几近于失传，盖有其历史根源与社会根源，更有其内在原因与外在原因之交融。
其内在原因有：在道家经典《道藏》五千多册中，仅丹经尚有一百三十多册。清代名道傅金铨对有代表性的内丹巨著《悟真篇》有中肯之注解云：“丹经有微言，有显言，有正言，有疑似之言；有比喻之言，有影射之言；有旁敲侧击之言。有丹理，有口诀。似神龙影现，出没不测，东露一鳞，西露一爪，所以读者必须细心寻求也。”又云：“丹经用语五花八门，故设迷障，道教丹法，内部所秘，选徒较苛，盟誓乃传，师徒面授，口口相传，非常戒慎，舍本逐木，使人比猜迷语还难。不过八卦卦象，五行生克，以精炁神为基础，运用道功，使之互化，聚集丹田，气血通畅，经络内摩，发挥生命力的本能，健身防病，推迟衰老。”甚是，《悟真篇》属文言文体，艰深难懂，若无一定古文基础及道文化修养，难于见到庐山真面目。
其外在原因有：笔者为探索张三丰太极炼丹秘诀之原委，曾临杨公澄甫故居请教于自幼随乃父习拳的杨振基老师，杨师只言及太极拳之技击方面内容，家中祀祖神龛上供有张三丰祖师之灵位，皆未提及炼丹内含，言及“咱杨家三代居北京城传授太极拳时，是在刀尖尖上过日子。”据历史记载，清王朝建都于北京城，其间杨露禅荣任端王府拳师，届时各路武林精英会萃京都，势必较技论高下，事关武林门派荣辱，各路掌门人常置生死于肚外，与对手一决雌雄者，不为鲜见。
笔者也曾先后拜谒杨澄甫公数位亲传弟子，以探炼丹秘诀之传承脉络，众位先辈只谈及拳架中的技击格斗功能，以及杨氏三代在武林号称三代杨无敌云云，但皆对八卦五行说、太极图说，内丹修炼术在拳架中的体现均未提及，也有先辈称太极拳与八卦五行、太极图、气功没有必然之联系。
我国宝岛台湾崇尚道教之风盛行，在二千三百万人口中，拥有道徒五百万，仅台北市拥有道教宫观百余座。2005年原台湾中华民国太极拳总会会长、太极拳国际联盟总会主席张肇平，在台湾《太极拳》杂志撰文：“最近在《道藏精华》见到《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》……这样好的宝物居然埋藏于地下数百年之久，今天无意中在道门经典发掘出来，真是天大的喜讯。太宝贵了……我们这些自命为太极拳人的人，真是感到惭愧万分。”
张肇平先生将《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》中“太极拳经”等五篇经典论著、太极拳七十二图解、张三丰105幅拳架定势白描图象原版刊登，以此与我大陆《张三丰太极秘诀》完全是一个版本，并最后摘录“太极炼丹秘诀前序”中有云：“三丰真人虽以太极拳著盛誉于世，人咸尊之为祖师，敬之如神明，然其真正极博大而又极高明之处，不在其太极拳，而在其于丹鼎派中炼丹修行明道证道之崇高境界，即知主炼太极金丹，拳术只是丹法之导引耳。”
张肇平先生现年八十八岁，练杨式太极拳已半个多世纪，在我太极拳苑苦心耕耘不息，为弘扬太极文化而著述颇丰，一经得知《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》即撰文曰：“这一发现使我高兴万分，立即笔之于书，公诸大众，俾大家得以共享共知。”由此可见张先生推举道家文化，为大众健康造福之学者风范。
我大陆与台湾宝岛在上世纪断绝文化交往已半个世纪，《张三丰太极炼丹秘诀》分别在大陆与台湾出现，可见同出于我民族道家文化之渊源。只可惜如此属世界人民宝贵文化遗产，已成为濒危文化，岂不令人痛惜，当前我炎黄子孙若不竭力及时抢救，待等何时。

四、张三丰太极炼丹秘诀具有奇特的医疗健身效果
道教近两千年历史之名道中，内丹修炼者百岁老人层出不穷，高于当时世人平均寿命若干倍，若无道家丹道修炼之术，何至于此。（笔者有拙文“内丹养生学与太极拳”敬请参阅）。太极拳创立者张三丰祖师在成都市青羊宫传道之后，众道徒惜别在当今成都市之“送仙桥”，祖师136岁入我成都市郊之鹤鸣山，祖师生前有七律诗曰：“沽酒临邛入翠微，穿崖客负白云归，逍遥廿四神仙洞，石鹤欣然啸且飞。”据此绝唱可看出三丰祖师一百三十岁以上老人，从天谷洞下山到近百里之遥的邛崃沽酒归来入深山，穿悬崖，攀高峰，逍遥自在的情景，年逾150岁之后，使所创立的太极拳更加完美，祖师169岁羽化于鹤鸣山中，现遗有亲手种下的“三丰柏”，青翠挺拔、巍峨参天。东汉张陵在此鹤鸣山创立道教，尔后发祥道教于青城山，122岁羽化登仙。笔者为探索道教内丹修炼者长寿之实例，1997年访道武当山，玉虚宫凤道姑当年119岁，仙姑向笔者演示之“长寿棒”、“二连环”虽不是太极拳，然实为内丹修炼术，与数百年前张三丰在此修炼太极炼丹术实为异曲同工。
笔者上世纪六十年代在军旅开始练简化太极拳作为体育运动，转业地方后练传统杨式太极拳，籍此武术企求医疗健身，传授万余众，九十年代探索并教习张三丰创立的太极拳，切身体验到张三丰太极炼丹秘诀是道教养生文化之精华，其高妙之处在于有理想的健身效果。是道教摄生文化之精品，参与修炼者普遍体验到奇特的医疗健身效果。正是，天下何处求良药，得来全不费功夫。

五、张三半太极炼丹术并非高不可攀
杨式太极拳跟张三半太极炼丹秘决仅有一步之遥，在杨式太极拳整个路符合技击基础之上，只须填充步法运行方位按八封五行之布局；手法按太极图形之基理，正是《太极拳使用法》中“张三半先师传拳谱”所言：太极图之义，阴阳相生、刚柔相济、千变万化、太极拳即由此而出也；每一势拳架按内丹修炼术“以意领气、以气运身”之原则行拳，即可实现“张三半太极炼丹秘诀”之旨要。在明师指导下只须一个月以内，便可基本掌握炼丹秘诀之后，俞炼俞感趣味无穷，体验道教“欠视长生”不单是弘扬我民族古老养生文化，亦可利已利人，其乐溶溶，何乐而不为。

道教圣地—成都

2009-04-25T15:58:00.001-04:00

梅应生

道教始祖张道陵东汉时创立道教于成都市大邑县三丰街之鹤鸣山。道教文化为我中华民族的发展，在政治、经济、哲学、文学、医学、养生学等各个领域曾做出过多方面的贡献，正如鲁迅先生说：中国文化的根砥全在道教；世界著名理学家李约瑟先生认为：对中国古代科学贡献最大的是道教。
道教创始于东汉，兴盛于唐宋，明清以来，由于失去了统治阶级的扶植，便逐渐衰微了，故而近代犹绵绵若存。时至今日，我成都有识之士在成都召开第二届道教文化节，将成为世界道教文化研讨的国际峰会，将五彩斑斓的道教文化以之回报于中华文化这个母体，旨在挖掘古典，从中汲收古人的研究成果，祛除糟粕、取其精华，来发展我们今天的认识，使之为当今社会服务，焕发出今日乃至明日的辉煌。道教文化国际论坛在我成都召开，是我成都人民文化生活中一件幸事，真乃可贺！可喜！

道教文化浩如烟海，尚有五千四百八十五册，其中一册《太极道决》是太极拳最早之经典。张三丰毕生探索“老庄之秘密、钟吕之心法”汇集成《太极道决》，其中“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”载有“太极拳论”等五篇拳经1334个字，“太极拳七十二路图势”及105副“张三丰太极拳架势之白描图”。三丰祖师将“八卦五行说”、“太极图说”、“技击格斗术”巧妙融为一体，而实现道教内丹修炼术，将道之神髓赋予太极拳技而创立“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”。道教内丹修炼术乃千年绝学，历来不是一种社会普及的功法，而是在一些社会高阶层之间师徒秘传的功法，故而数百年来知之者鲜见。“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”布施于世，以人为本，视人和天地并列的宇宙三元，人乃万物之精灵，只须口传身授得之不难，正是其拳经所云：“入门引路须口授，功夫无息法自修”。三丰祖师所云：“学太极拳为入道之基”，在于性命双修，着重精气神之修炼，使太极拳成为人们走向大道的使者。

成都从历史上为道教文化所做出贡献者层出不穷，试举两例：宋朝理学家朱熹派弟子蔡元定千里迢迢入四川青城山，以重金收买了阴阳鱼太极图，将太极图破译为一张描述道教内丹修炼图。北宋张伯端于熙宁二年，随镇守桂林之陆诜转至成都，相传拜刘海蟾或青城老仙为师，授以金丹药候之决而撰出《悟真篇》，后人奉为内丹之祖。太极拳创始人张三丰享年169岁羽化于成都市郊鹤鸣山，其晚年著述颇丰，为世人留下一笔宝贵财富。

因多方面原因，“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”几于失传，四川大学道教养生文化研究中心为抢救此濒危文化，于2006年3月—6月在四川大学校园内组织以博士生、研究生及硕士生为主的八十多人教习“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”108式太极拳、54式太极剑，成绩卓著，获得奇特的医疗健身效果。在此次第二届中国成都道教文化节期间，特向盛会与会者作详细介绍，将确有延年益寿的“张三丰太极炼丹秘诀”布施于当今社会，以奉献世界人民为主旨。

Using the Waist 用腰

2009-04-25T15:30:00.002-04:00

Taijiquan emphasizes "first using the mind to activate motion followed by the shape.” This means bringing together the spirit, intent, internal energy, and the body to form a superior boxing skill. Harmonizing the internal means circulating the internal energy with the intent. This will improve the functions of the central nervous system and improve the mental functions of the brain. All movements, no matter how small, should be controlled by the intent. Over time the practitioner should strive to achieve the three internal harmonies. This consists of harmonizing the spirit with the intent, harmonizing the intent with the internal energy, and harmonizing the internal energy with strength. Harmonizing the external means differentiating the changes of emptiness and fullness within the movements of Taijiquan. The external shape consists of the external body such as the legs, torso, and arms. By allowing the nine major joints to be relaxed, loosened, and exercised there will be improvement in coordinating the upper and lower body as well as an overall stimulation to the entire body. The internal and external must combine into a harmonious blend both in form and spirit. These two must never be separated. Each posture must have a mutual relationship with the internal spirit and intent.

Speaking in terms of the physiological side of motion of the human body, movement is derived from the joints that connect the bones and their related muscle groups. The human body is comprised of 206 connections between the bones. Those connections that are mobile are termed joints. Most movement of the human body is activated by both the joints and the muscles/tendons connected to the bone. This movement is mutually coordinated under the control of the nervous system.

Taijiquan is a highly sophisticated martial art which does not use only the extremities for execution of techniques. The Classics state that "internally we practice the one breath, externally we develop the tendons, bones, and skin.” The "one breath" that is mentioned here is referring to the "original internal energy or yuan qi" or often called "pre-heaven energy or xiantian qi.” The internal energy or internal strength (neijin) which manifests from this is controlled under the guidance of the mind. It is often mentioned in the Taiji Classics as "using the intent to lead the internal energy.” "Externally developing the tendons, bones, and skin" point to the use of "the neijin moving the body" which is manifested by the continuous spiraling and twisting motion of the spine, waist, wrists, knees, ankles, etc. This mutual coordination of both the internal and external components of proper Taijiquan practice will not only strengthen the agility and flexibility of the various joints in the entire body, but it will also greatly enhance the development of neijin.

During the practice of Taijiquan, each movement must emphasize the mutual coordination of the upper and lower body. The Taiji Classics state that "when one point moves then all points must also move.” Each movement must be produced by the turning of the waist which, in turn, will move all parts of the body in unison. All parts of the body must be coordinated with the movement of the waist. The energy is generated in the feet, issued through the legs, controlled in the waist, and driven out through the hands and fingers. This must be conducted in one breath. By controlling the postures in this way, one will be able to manifest internal force. The waist and spine order the movements, the spirit in the eyes follows along, and the hands and feet follow the motion. Upper and lower movements are tightly connected into a natural body. The nucleus of coordinating the upper and lower body movements is in the agile changes of the mind or intent. The feet will allow the body to become stable and rooted. This type of rooting must be controlled by the waist and groin. The waist is the controller for issuing internal force. For this to occur, however, the upper and lower parts of the body must be regulated into one body.

Another aspect of coordinating the upper and lower body movements is the harmonization of the three externals. This means combining or linking up the hands and feet, elbows and knees, and hips and shoulders. In other words, the upper and lower extremities must be mutually coordinated during practice, especially the above-mentioned joints. At the same time, every part of the torso must also follow in unison to allow the body, hands, steps, and eyes to move in one complete direction. This will focus the intent and will concentrate the internal strength to form a united body.

What, then, is internal strength (neijin)? In general, it refers to the power (jin li) developed within the body. Li (power) and jin (strength/energy) cannot be completely separated, but each are different. Li is square and jin is round. Li is sluggish and jin is smooth. Li is slow and jin is fast. Li is dispersed and jin is gathered. Taijiquan is a martial art style which places great emphasis on neijin, not brute force, to conduct all techniques. This use of neijin must be constantly put into place no matter if it during the practice of the routine or during the two person drill of push hands. This neijin is the elastic and buoyant strength that one obtains in practice by maintaining constant connection throughout the body from the ground up to the tips of the fingers. When accomplished, one has attained the so-called elastic strength of being hard on the outside and soft on the inside. Yang Cheng Fu stated this by saying, "Taijiquan is metal wrapped in cotton.” This type of strength is often noted as "the shape is not revealed externally, the ability is accumulated inside.”

The neijin of Taijiquan is composed of eight types of strength. These eight types include wardoff (pengjin), rollback (lujin), press (jijin), push (anjin), pluck (caijin), split (liejin), elbow (zhoujin), and bump (kaojin). Even though the names of these neijins are different, they are all characteristically related to the spiraling nature of reeling silk energy.

Where does neijin originate? The Taiji Classics state that "the strength of the palm, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, back, waist, hip, knee, and foot, and upper and lower nine joints are successively issued from the waist,” "when the internal energy is in the hands, the key is in the waist", and "when practicing martial arts without the use of the waist, high skill level will be difficult to achieve.” As can be seen, no matter if it is in the practice of the routine or push hands, the key point to increasing neijin is in the proper practice of working the waist.

From a physiological point of view, the waist is found in the torso of the human body. It is above the hips and below the rib cage. The anterior side of the waist conceals the dantian which is approximately three fingers below the navel (qihai point). The posterior side of the waist conceals the mingmen point which is located on the spine directly across from the navel. This area is considered the center of the human body. When the internal energy is being emitted outward, it is emitted out from the dantian, when the energy is being pulled in, it is pulled in from the dantian. "The internal energy sinks down into the dantian, the upper body is empty and the lower body is full, the internal energy is concentrated in the center, emptiness and sharpness are contained inside.” Reeling silk energy is issued from the kidneys, rises from the dantian, and spreads over the entire body. Internally it activates the organs and skeletal system, externally it moves the muscles, skin, and hair. Neijin will move the entire body reaching to the four extremities. If neijin is plentiful, then there will be various sensations throughout the body such as heating of the skin, swelling of the fingers, heaviness in the heels of the feet, sinking in the dantian, and other natural phenomena.

The principles of Taijiquan require that one be able to differentiate between emptiness and fullness. It is said in the Taiji Classics that "when one differentiates between fullness and emptiness, all parts will mutually follow, guide the power (of the opponent) to enter emptiness and borrow (opponent's) force to attack.” If one cannot differentiate between fullness and emptiness, then one will not be able to move all parts of the body as a complete unit. If this cannot occur, then one cannot dissolve the opponent's force. Consequently, one will not be able to use the opponent’s attacking force for a counter attack. Fullness and emptiness is in the transformation of the kidneys and waist. The center of this transformation is in the mingmen point between the kidneys. The mind must be continuously concentrated on the mingmen point to maintain centeredness and to prevent tilting and leaning of the body. When in motion, use the mingmen point as the originator of the driving force to change between full and empty and to lead the relaxed and sunk arc-like motion of the chest and back muscles. Only when this has been satisfied can one fill the body with neijin, dissolve force in a circular manner, and borrow the opponent's attacking force. It is often said that "the entire body is a fist" or that "the entire body is taiji" when being able to differentiate between fullness and emptiness.

From the perspective of motor mechanics, the waist is the impetus of motion. In the Classics it is stated that "the mingmen which is between the kidneys is the key impetus for the upper and lower body.” The waist must preserve and regulate the body's center to allow movement to be light, agile, and stable. If movement is only from the arms and hands, the body will be disconnected. It is said that the more forceful the hands move without the control of the waist, the more dispersed will be the technique.

How does one increase the strength of the waist and improve the agility and flexibility of the waist to achieve an increase in neijin? The principles of Taijiquan demand that the postures and techniques conducted in practice must be done correctly. One must empty the neck and suspend the energy upward, relax the shoulders and sink the elbows, hollow the chest and sink the waist, open and round the groin, bend the knees and relax the hips, sink the internal energy into the dantian, and many others. One of the most important requirements is to hollow the chest and sink the waist. One must be able to twist, invigorate, and sink the waist, and relax, close, and buckle the groin. When twisting the waist, the groin must buckle. If this does not occur, then the neijin will be dispersed. When invigorating the waist, the groin must relax. If it does not relax, then the neijin will be sluggish. When sinking the waist, the groin must close. If it does not close, then the neijin will only be superficial. In summary of this, one must be relaxed, sunk, upright, and lively. Upright means that the torso must be held erect and straight. The body must be centered, upright, tranquil, and calm. Only by maintaining a straight tail bone will the spirit reach to the top of the head. By maintaining an upright posture, one will be able to stabilize one's center in order to transmit the neijin out to the extremities originating from the axis of the waist. Relax by allowing the waist to slightly contract inward and by releasing tension in the rib cage region. This will help to sink the force of the waist in a downward direction. When the waist is completely relaxed, then the internal energy will naturally sink down into the dantian and the lower frame of the body will be rooted and stable. In addition, the upper and lower body movements will be more circular, agile, and powerful. It must be pointed out, however, that the waist cannot be overly relaxed. If the waist is too soft, there will be no power. In the same line, the waist cannot use an excess amount of force while conducting a technique. If too much force is used, the technique will be too stiff. Stiffness will destroy the body's ability to move with agility and to issue internal force. Sinking the waist is to allow the waist to settle in a downward direction based on the natural curvature of the human body. No matter if it is advancing, retreating, or turning, by sinking the waist one will have better control of one's center and balance. It is important to remember that the waist is the axis which activates the motion of the limbs. In this way one will conform to the principle of "coordination of upper and lower body movement" as told by Yang Cheng Fu in his Ten Essentials of Taijiquan Practice.

By using the concentrated energy of the upper and lower nine joints of the body with the waist, one will be able to issue out neijin. This cannot be learned overnight and cannot be readily learned without a competent instructor. The following exercise, based on Cloud Hands, will help to illustrate the use of the waist to lead the motion of the arms and hands.

Stand with the legs in a high horse stance posture. The weight can be equally distributed in this exercise. The left arm is embracing in front of the body with the palm facing in at neck level. The right arm is extended out to the right side of the body with the palm facing down toward the ground at waist level.

Slowly begin to use the waist as the pivot to turn to the left. The left arm moves 90 degrees to the left side while the right arm moves 90 degrees to the front. The arm and hand positions do not change while the turning is conducted. All motion is conducted by the waist. Note that the lower body does not move. It is particularly important not to turn from the hips since this will cause the legs to twist. This will then cause a disconnection from the ground up to the hands.

The upper body continues to turn to the left to allow the palms to pass each other. The left palm turns sideways to face to the front while the right palm moves up and turns sideways to face to the rear. The two palms pass each other at chest level. Following, the left palm slowly moves down to waist level with the palm side facing down toward the ground. The right palm moves up to neck level while facing in toward the body. Repeat the sequence on the other side.

The overall turning sequence should be 180 degrees to the left and right. The turning and twisting will not only aid in making the waist more subtle, it will also produce a massaging effect on the internal organs of the lower torso. This particular training exercise is very valuable for those with diseases of the stomach, liver, kidneys, intestines, pancreas, gallbladder, and spleen. This exercise is also very beneficial for those with lower back and spine disorders.

Using Intent 用意

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Whenever the "use of intent" is mentioned with regard to the practice of Taijiquan, most Taijiquan practitioners think "the mind is the primary controller and the body is the follower, longevity and health is like an eternal spring" from the Songs of the Thirteen Postures. During the practice of Taijiquan, one should maintain a naturally relaxed posture using the mind/intent without the use of external strength. Every movement must be led by the use of the mind. The classics state that the mind leads the internal energy and the internal energy leads the motion of the body. There should never be any type of external brute force used in the performance of the movements. Even though this is a very important principle in the practice of Taijiquan, many beginners often find this to be quite difficult to put into action. Intent of the mind is also required to stimulate the central nervous system to allow the movements to occur. If there is no intent, then there will be no movement. The movements of the body and the activities of the internal organs are synthesized under the orders of the nervous system.

The body must be relaxed and flexible through the use of the mind. The arms and legs should feel as if they have no bones to allow the internal strength to be emitted out naturally without brute force. Through continuous practice with this mind set, one will produce true internal strength, soft on the outside, but strong on the inside.

Meanings of Intent

Combat and cultivation are the two primary functions of Taijiquan practice. From the study of the Taijiquan Classics, Discussion of Taijiquan,” Songs of the Thirteen Postures, The Heart of the Thirteen Posture Movements, The Song of the Hitting Hands, and other classical writings, one observes that all these documents focus on the terms, practice and usage. The Taiji classics state that the "Internal Fist (neigong quan) must first practice the use of the intent." The Taijiquan document Hardness and Softness of Fist Techniques states "the ever changing form of hardness and softness is found completely within the intent." Various research in psychology suggests that under certain circumstances the mind can change the quality and state of matter within the human body. Taijiquan is a martial art which emphasizes the use of intent to implement movement. This use of intent is a specialized term found within the internal martial arts of China. There are usually three meanings of intent when discussed in Taijiquan. The first meaning is "to pay attention to one's internal strength.” The Heart of the Thirteen Posture Movements states that "the intent of the entire body is placed on the spirit, not on internal energy." The second meaning of intent is the same as the term "internal energy" or qi. For example, "the movement of the intent" or "the intention (qi) must change with vigor while remaining circular and smooth.” The third meaning of intent is "expectations" or "thoughts.” This is illustrated in Yang Cheng Fu's Ten Essential of Taijiquan as “use intent, not muscular strength.”

Martial Intent

One of the basic fundamentals of human physiology is that human movement receives impetus from the intent or mind. Everyone must use the mind to make action occur, but Taijiquan places even more emphasis on this type of intention. In any form of movement, be it walking, writing a letter, or practicing Taijiquan, some form of strength is required to complete the motion. Without the use of the muscles no external motion could occur. Intent of the mind is also required to stimulate the central nervous system to allow any particular movement to occur. If there is no intent, then there cannot be movement. Even though in every form of martial art there is the intent of using the mind to apply fighting techniques during practice, there are, however, various degrees of usage within hardness, softness, speed, power, and others. Consequently, each person must find different ways to use the intent to concentrate on the various applications of a specific movement. As can be seen, every style of martial art "uses the intent" to conduct movements and applications. Taijiquan is not the only style with this special requirement. Now, why does Taijiquan emphasize the "use of the intent, not the use of strength"? It is because Taijiquan's use of strength is quite different from other styles of martial arts. The movements of Taijiquan contain soft, slow, smooth, light, and relaxed movements as compared to the fast and hard external styles of martial arts. Because there is a difference in the hard and soft and fast and slow movements, there cannot be the same concentration of thoughts in the mind even though the application may be very similar. On one side, there are the fast movements of martial arts in which attack is conducted during the process of using the mind to apply a technique. Faster martial art movements have a natural relationship with the cause and effect of any given circumstance. The mind cannot change very fast in this kind of situation. On the other hand, the slow movements of Taijiquan have an important function of coordinating the mind with the intent to produce great results in coordination of motion and technique.

Due to the high level of speed and strength in faster forms of martial arts such as Fanziquan, Praying Mantis, and Tongbeiquan, the martial artist can coordinate the mind with the intent during the beginning and ending portions of a technique. Because of the slow and soft movements of Taijiquan, not only can the beginning and ending portions of a technique be controlled with the mind, the intermediate transition can also be controlled. When the practitioner wants to stop, the body will stop, and when the practitioner wants to advance, the body will advance under a totally controlled body and mind. There are two primary functions for this type of practice in terms of self-defense. First, it teaches the person to continuously think during any type of action to bring the mind to a higher level state of consciousness. In other words, one utilizes the strength of the spirit (a psychological function) to influence the training of the physical body to obtain high level skill in martial art application. Second, it teaches the practitioner to unconsciously use minimal techniques to defend and attack against an opponent. In this way, one will conserve energy while obtaining wanted results. The material just discussed explained briefly one difference between two types of self-defense styles, external and internal. Following is a discussion on the theory of how the spirit can influence the physical body.

Spiritual and Physical Connection

One of the most commonly observed examples of how the spirit can influence the function of the physical body is when a very strong-willed person endures physical pain to overcome a particular problem such as a life-threatening event. Under this type of circumstance people can endure pain in the body to overcome obstacles that appear to be humanly impossible. We often hear of a person who uses extraordinary amounts of strength to help save a person in a deadly situation such as lifting a very heavy object to release a trapped person. This illustrates how the ability of the spirit can influence the control of the physical body. An example of a simpler situation is when we are very happy or just in a good mood, everything seems to be so beautiful and our appetite for food will be better than usual. However, if a disturbing event is encountered in our lives, just the opposite will occur. We lose the taste for food and withdraw from reality. These types of situations have happened to almost everyone. Consequently, this can help explain how the psychological functions of the mind affect the physical body. One reason for this is that the nervous system reaches all parts of the body. When external stimulation is encountered, the first to react is the part of the nervous system closest to the stimuli. After the sensation is felt, the impulses are sent along the nerves to the central nervous system. This process will affect the functions of thought and knowledge. This function of thought and knowledge is called consciousness. Consciousness is the foundation of various senses and ideas which aid us in rationalizing events.

Those whose work envelopes the treatment of various ailments with the use of hypnosis also utilize the psychological character of the patient to achieve beneficial results. In some cases, in fact, we unintentionally use hypnosis to achieve success with only the use of words. For example, there was a twelve year old girl in Shanghai who could not walk due to a long sickness. The reason the girl could not walk was because she did not believe that walking was possible. After the family convinced the girl she could walk, she finally stood up and was able to walk. This was a case in which there was no surgery or doctor’s interference with the girl’s problem. It was with the use of intent that the girl was able to overcome her fear of not being able to walk. The girl was convinced she could walk and therefore she did. One other short example is that in recent years Russian scientists have been able to use hypnosis on athletes to aid in the improvement of sporting events. With these and other examples one can suggest that there is a close relationship between psychological functions of the mind and physical exercise. Taijiquan beginners should try to understand the principles of the mind/intent to more deeply comprehend the functions behind the "use of the mind, not the use of strength" in the practice of Taijiquan.

In the Taijiquan classics there is a statement, "the mind should move the internal energy and the internal energy should move the body.” Even though this is a very important principle in the practice of Taijiquan, many beginners often find this to be quite difficult to put into action. In actuality, the mind in the above statement is the use of the intent. The most difficult portion of the statement to understand is the movement of internal energy and the use of internal energy. What after all is this "internal energy" in regard to this statement? The internal energy that is discussed here is not the air that we breathe into the lungs, but it is the matter that nourishes the nervous system. The movements of the body and the activities of internal organs are synthesized under the orders of the nervous system. As can be seen, the use of the mind to move the internal energy, not only implies the use of the intent, but also explains the relationship between the intent and physical movement. Using the mind to stimulate the nervous system causes the body to be connected in a more stable manner. When the body can connect then there will be a better means of issuing internal strength from the ground up through the body in martial application.

The main point in the above discussion was to demonstrate the relationship between the psychological functions of the mind and Taijiquan movement, and to illustrate how these functions are brought into the practice of Taijiquan. We all know there are many different points to comprehend during the study of Taijiquan. This comprehension can bring many benefits in regard to health and self-defense. However, the founders of Taijiquan looked at both the physical and mental training of Taijiquan with equally high regard. Because the founders deeply believed in the theory that the mind could cooperate with the body, there arose the highest fundamental of "using the mind, not strength" to generate motion under the influence of the intent. This will, in return, improve the quality of movement in Taijiquan. Consequently, during the practice of Taijiquan, one should not just satisfy the requirements of the form's appearance in terms of posture and movement, but, at the same time, one should also include the mental process of thinking while conducting the postures and movements.

Even though the above material may seem relatively simple, the results of practice are not readily achieved overnight. One must allow the spirit to influence the development of the physical body under the strict and continuous training of the routine. Because of the importance of the "use of the mind, not strength" in the theory of Taijiquan, this very complex topic must be discussed and considered even though we still have much more to learn about the way the mind influences the body.

Eye Intent

The following is a brief description of the basic essentials for the training of the eyes and intent during the practice of Taijiquan.

One of the first mistakes many practitioners run into is keeping the eyesight behind the hands. In the Taiji Classics, it is stated that "the hands and eyes must mutually follow each other", however, many people take this to mean that wherever the hands go so do the eyes. Many think that the eyes should always be pasted on the movement of the hands. This is a mistake and a problem that should be corrected. If this is practiced for a long time, many types of bad habits will develop such as staring only at a single object or looking down at the ground. When an opponent is encountered, one will always lose because of the lack of eye contact. The thoughts will be obscured and the movements will be slowed down. The true meaning behind "the hands and eyes must mutually follow each other" is when the eyes arrive so do the hands. It does not mean that the eyes must look directly at the hands during Taiji movement. There are many Taijiquan movements which do not demand that the eyes look at or follow in the direction of the hands. An example of this is "White Crane Spreads Wings". In this posture, the eyes must first arrive before the hands stop moving. One cannot look at the hands in this posture because one moves up while the other moves down. Should the eyes follow the hands then the principle of keeping the head held upright will be broken. The important point in this is that the eyes must lead the action of the movements to produce increase the intent of the posture. This will then bring about greater internal connection and strength.

The second mistake made by many practitioners is to lower the eye lids during practice. There are many people who lower the eye lids as if half a sleep during the practice of Taijiquan in order to feel calm and tranquil. This type of training is in fact destroying the ability to train the intent for self-defense situations. This also mixes the moving practice of Taijiquan with the sitting or standing meditation postures which utilize the closing of the eye lids. Furthermore, this will destroy the spirit which is developed during the practice of Taijiquan and could cause the problem of closing the eyes during contact with an opponent. Consequently, during the practice of the routine, one should not allow the eye lids to lower down. Only in this way can the requirement of "moving within silence" be attained. To reiterate, if one practices with the eye lids lowered for a long period of time, the eyesight will become stagnant and without any vigor, thereby losing a valuable tool for self-defense.

Conclusion

As can be seen, Taijiquan is a very beneficial exercise for the improvement and maintenance of the body's mental and physical health and well-being. Through the continued practice of Taijiquan, many remarkable benefits will naturally appear. Many people in today's society expect sudden improvement of the body's health and superior fighting skills with only minimal time conducted in the practice of Taijiquan. This is a big misconception and should be explained to those who are beginning the study of Taijiquan. Only through diligent practice and perseverance will the true benefits of the style be known. Many people believe that there is some sort of secret which will make the difference in the benefits received from martial arts training. The only secret, however, is practice. A regular practice schedule is one of the most important essentials in Taijiquan and other forms of martial arts. Should one only practice once a week, one will only receive slight benefits, should one practice everyday, one will receive much more both in terms of physical and mental well-being.

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Books and Videos

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Ebooks and Videos may be purchased by contacting Ted at yongnian@yahoo.com.

Ebooks

An Anthology of Yang Style Taijiquan

This authoritative book is one of the few English books that details the history, principles, health benefits, and martial aspects of Yang Style Taijiquan. Six chapters present material on history, principles, health benefits, push hands, straightsword, combat related information and questions and answers. Photographs of Yang Chengfu performing the entire 85 posture routine is included in the book. Much of the material within this book comes from sources such as Fu Zhongwen, Mei Ying Sheng, Zhao Bin, and other top Taijiquan masters. 8.5 X 11. 213 pp. Numerous diagrams and photographs. Electronic book. The book can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Viewer or their ebook viewer.

Price: $10.00

Xiang Gong Qigong

Xiang Gong is a traditional 2,000 year old Buddhist Qigong style. Qigong is a ancient form of exercise designed to strengthen one's internal energy and overall health. Xiang Gong is considered to be an effective form of exercise for generating internal energy and improving the health of the body. This style is very easy to learn and requires no previous background in martial arts to practice. The book includes the elementary level, self-massage techniques, and questions and answers about the style. 65 pp. Electronic Book. The ebook will be emailed to your email box upon receipt of funds. The ebook can be viewed with Adobe Acrobat Viewer.

Price: $10.00

Videos

108 Posture Yang Style Taijiquan

This video was produced in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China during the Spring of 2002. Mei Ying Sheng and one of his female students demonstrate the entire Yang style long routine set in a very beautiful park. The movements are clearly demonstrated for the viewer to observe the details of various movements such as the Turning Body Palm and the Cat Walk. The video is in VCD format. Purchase both the Yang Style Taiji Weapons video and the 108 Yang Style Taijiquan video for $49.95.

Price: $30.00

Yang Style Taijiquan, Straightsword, and Broadsword

This video was produced in Leshan, Sichuan Province, China during the Spring of 2005. Ted Knecht demonstrates the 108 posture long form, 54 posture straight sword, and the 40 posture broadsword with a running commentary by Master Mei Yingsheng. The movements are clearly demonstrated for the viewer to observe the details of these Taiji routines. This video is in VCD format.

Price: $30.00

Yang Style Taiji Weapons

This video was produced in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China during the Spring of 2002. Mei Ying Sheng and one of his female students demonstrate the Yang Style 54 Posture Taiji Straightsword and the 40 Posture Taiji Broadsword in their entirety. The movements are clearly demonstrated for the viewer to observe the details of these two sword routines. This video is in VCD format. Purchase both the Yang Style Taiji Weapons video and the 108 Yang Style Taijiquan video for $49.95.

Price: $30.00

Internal Energy and Warm-ups

This video consists of six different exercise programs designed to work the entire body. The six exercises include Joint Rotations, 8 Motions for Health, Taiji Intent Gong, Taiji Loosening Exercises, Buddhist Qigong, and Body Tapping. The video is broken down into an instruction section and a "follow me" section. The movements are clearly demonstrated for the viewer to learn the details of each exercise. Each exercise has thorough descriptions of breathing and proper posture. 60 minutes. DVD format.

Price: $30.00

Xiang Gong Qigong

The elementary level of this Buddhist internal energy style is taught in this video. Knecht who studied this while living in China demonstrates the exercise and gives detailed instructions on each movement. There are only 15 movements which are very easy to learn and to master. The system is intended to increase energy levels and benefit health. Easy to learn for people of any age. No background in other styles is needed. 35 minutes. The Ebook on Xiang Gong is highly recommended for a greater understanding of the style. DVD format.

Price: $30.00

Benefits of the Taiji Cat Walk 太极猫行步健身功能

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Written by Dr. Mei Ying Sheng and Ted W. Knecht, Shenzhen, China

Late Grandmaster Yang Cheng Fu described in his book, "The Practice of Taijiquan", that "the two legs be differentiated into yin and yang, and should raise and lower as if walking like a cat". In the book entitled, "Essentials of Free Sparring", Master Wu Yu Xiang wrote that "one should step like a walking cat and move like pulling (drawing) silk". Students of later generations called the advancing steps and footwork found in Taijiquan as the "Taiji Cat Walk", "Taiji Tiger Step", or plainly as the "Taiji Step". The Taiji Cat Walk appears a total of 58 times and is the most basic stepping method in the Yang style 108 posture routine.

The Taiji Classics state that "if the hands advance three percent, then the legs advance seven percent". This demonstrates the importance of stance work and stepping in Taijiquan. There is also a saying which says that if one can perform a proper "Taiji Cat Walk", it does not necessarily mean one's Taijiquan is good, but in order to be very good at Taijiquan, one must have a proper "Taiji Cat Walk".

The legs move slowly and evenly under the control of the waist and spine while performing the "Taiji Cat Walk". Close to half of the largest muscles groups found within the body are below the waist and abdomen. The "Taiji Cat Walk" will allow all the muscles, ligaments, joints, etc. to obtain maximum range of exercise with the least amount of resistance. The action which occurs in the legs is similar to the motion of twisting (draining) a wet towel. All of the fibers within the towel (legs) will receive varying degrees of twisting and pressure. This action which will naturally harmonize the body in varying degrees can produce the following physiological health benefits:

1) Benefits on the Cardiovascular System: In one's lifetime, the legs and feet are under the pressure of the body's weight for approximately two thirds of the time. The feet are the furthest extension of the body from the heart. Consequently, the blood which is pumped from the heart to the feet and recirculated back to the heart will have an increase in difficulty in it's ability to circulate. This may lead to various ailments in the legs and feet. The "Taiji Cat Walk" will allow the repeated twisting and wrapping of the muscles to produce a very prominent overall pressuring action on the walls of the blood vessels in the lower extremities. The blood vessels will have more strength to contract and expand and will enhance the circulation of blood back to the heart. The heart will in turn have a greater supply of blood to nourish the body.

The "massaging" effect of Taijiquan on the muscle walls of the blood vessels can prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of the blood vessels. This will, therefore, increase the elasticity and strength of the blood vessel walls. Among all exercise therapies which aid in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, the "Taiji Cat Walk" is at the forefront. A few years ago the author conducted a study on the effects of practicing Yang style Taijiquan (with emphasis on the "Taiji Cat Walk") on 220 middle-aged and elderly people. The result of the study concluded a positive decrease in blood pressure for those suffering from high blood pressure.

The degree of exercise in Taijiquan is determined by the distance between the feet while in a bow stance. A wide and low stance will result in the greatest degree of exercise; while a stance which is high and narrow will result in a lower degree of exercise. After one has partaked in a round of Taijiquan using a low and wide stance, one will greatly perspire, the internal energy (Qi) will be harmonized, and the heart rate will be slightly raised as compared to normal activities. The heart rate may raise up to 100 beats per minute (athletes possibly lower). Some people may consider this quality of movement to be minimal; however, this phenomena is quite different from ordinary sporting exercise. The movements of Taijiquan are under a so-called "Qi State" which is very difficult to describe in words.

The author with over 40 years of practical experience in Chinese and Western medicine has found that people who have practiced Taijiquan for many years have a lower pulse rate than those who do not participate in Taijiquan. No matter under what type of activity, either active or passive, the pulse rate is slower and more even in Taijiquan practitioners. According to scientific research of doctors in China and abroad, a pulse rate which is slow and even will allow the rest period of the heart's muscles to increase and will also allow a greater release of blood from the heart's chambers. A beneficial effect of this will decrease sediment built up in the blood and will also decrease the hardening of the blood vessels. Furthermore, high blood pressure will be lowered which is one the main reason for heart disease and death.

Based on recent medical research, findings have shown that heart rate is inversely related to longevity in animal studies. Mice have a heart rate of approximately 900 beats per minute and live for approximately two years; on the other hand, the heart rate of elephants is approximately 30 beats per minute and they can live from 40 to 50 years. The length of life in humans which is also correlated to this inverse relationship has been know for quite some time in Chinese medical theory. Taijiquan, in general, has the perfect quality of motion to allow the heart rate and the movements of Taijiquan to be directly proportionate.

2) Benefits on the Meridians and Acu-points of the Body: The normal function of internal organs, skin, muscles, tendons, and bones rely upon the complete openness of the meridian network. Among the twelve ordinary meridians in the body, there are three yin and three yang feet meridians which ascend or descend at the toes. Moreover, there are 41 acu-points below the ankle joint of both feet which have a very direct relationship to one's health. These 41 points are connected along channels to the top of the head and to various tissues and organs in the torso and arms. The physiological ability and pathology of the tissue and organs receive stimulation from the feet. This is related to a saying which states that "when one meridian is in disharmony, the body will not be in perfect health".

In regards to the study of meridians in traditional Chinese medicine, "Foot Reflexology" has become very popular and of interest in Europe, America, and Japan. They have been able to utilize state-of-the-art equipment to pin point 36 reflex points on the bottom of the feet. Various methods of stimulation are used on these reflex points to achieve the goal of curing illnesses and improving health. At a factory in Japan, a 75 meter long rock road has been designed in which small, sharp pebbles protrude out of the ground. The employees will walk this "road of health" twice before beginning work. This is conducted to stimulate the bottom of the feet to reach the goal of optimal health. The "Taiji Cat Walk" promotes a reflex action on the feet against the ground to massage the bottom of the feet and to stimulate the meridians and acu-points. This method is much different than ordinary walking and jogging; and it is more natural and complete than "foot reflexology" and the "road of health" methods described above. The following is a description of the reflex response of the "Taiji Cat Walk" which uses a left bow stance stepping into a right bow stance:

Because the "Taiji Cat Walk" is conducted with the legs half squatted down, the body must maintain a balanced and level posture throughout the motion. When the right heel slowly and evenly leaves the ground to advance forward, the reflex action of the right foot against the ground results from lifting motion starting in the heel, then the ball, and finally in the toes. This reflex response is from weak to strong. When the toes leave the ground, the reflex response towards the toes is from strong to weak. When the right foot lowers back to the ground first on the heel, then the ball, and finally the toes, the reflex response is again from weak to strong. During the process of the right foot advancing to the front to form a right bow stance, the weight maintained on the left leg has a reflex action on the heel, ball, and toes which is from strong to weak and then from weak to strong.

The reflex response on the feet against the ground evolves into a slow, gentle, and even massage from the heel down to the toes and is very beneficial to the stimulation of the 41 acu-points on the feet. The reflex response can also lead to the opening of the meridians and to the regulation of the blood and internal energy.

The "Taiji Cat Walk" will cause a relatively strong person to break out into a sweat within two or three minutes of continuous practice. The quality of movement in the "Taiji Cat Walk" and it's massaging action on the feet is, in general, an "exercise" which surpasses other forms of exercise conducted in the same amount of time.

3) Benefits to the Muscles, Bones, and Tendons Below the Waist and Abdomen: The "Taiji Cat Walk" is performed while the two legs are half squatted down and the weight of the body is continuously changing back and forth from one leg to the other. Because the movement is like a "cloud floating and water flowing" and the weight of the body is maintained on one leg during slow and even movement, all of the muscles, bones, joints, and tendons below the waist will become stronger and more agile. People who practice Taijiquan for a long time will see an increase in muscle size and strength. In Chinese medicine the saying, "the legs are the mirror of one's health", means the health of the legs are of prime importance to one's overall health.

Because the "Taiji Cat Walk" can harmonize and combine the blood and internal energy of the lower body together, this can aid in the prevention and/or healing of lumbar hyperplasia, heel spurs, deformed knees and various other degenerate aliments which commonly occur in old age. Some women over the age of 40, for unknown reasons, get edema (swelling) of the legs. Because of the water retention in the legs, this will chronically lead to unfavorable effects on the stimulation of the meridians and acu-points of the feet. The "Taiji Cat Walk" is one of the most ideal ways to alleviate this problem.

The abdomen must correspondingly conduct circular motions in order to turn and relax the waist. This will allow the lateral, vertical, inner oblique, and outer oblique muscles to be interchangeably stretched and contracted; thereby, allowing the flexibility of the muscle layers to be increased and strengthened. Besides having a massing effect on the internal organs in the torso, it can reduce excess fatty deposits on the abdomen wall and also heal ailments such as a "collapsed stomach". Consequently, the "Taiji Cat Walk" is a very effective prescription for one's overall well being.

Dr. Mei Ying Sheng has been researching Yang style Taijiquan and practicing both Western and traditional Chinese medicine for the past 40 years. He was a physician and surgeon for many high ranking Buddhist monks and lay people in Tibet for 20 years. Through the healing benefits of Taijiquan, Dr. Mei was able to help cure a high ranking government official from Si Chuan Province of a cancerous stomach tumor. Doctors could not operate due to the size of the tumor. Consequently, the man came to Dr. Mei Ying Sheng for traditional Chinese medical treatment. Dr. Mei assessed the condition of the patient and by isolating and then teaching various movements found within Taijiquan, as a supplement to the form, the tumor gradually reduced in size and finally disappeared. To this day, the man goes into the Emei Mountains every morning and performs Taijiquan. Since retiring from a professional medical career, Dr. Mei and his family have recently moved to the city of Shen Zhen located in Guang Dong Province, China where he teaches Yang style Taijiquan, straight sword, broadsword, push hands, and qi gong with his youngest daughter. Dr. Mei is also utilizing his abilities in medicine and Taijiquan to help patients in a more quicker recovery from drug addiction at various drug rehabilitation center in southern China.

Taiji Cat Walking Step 太极猫行步

2009-04-25T14:33:00.004-04:00

by Mei Yingsheng and Ted W. Knecht

The Mao Xing Step, also known as the Cat Walking step, is a very important component of Tai Ji Quan. At present, most Tai Ji stylists are unaware of its practice. This is due to unknown reasons for the disciples of the Late Yang Cheng Fu incorporated this walking step to the traditional Yang long form. This article has been translated from a thesis written by Dr. Mei Ying Sheng to explain the importance of the Mao Xing Step. Dr. Mei is a Doctor of Western and Traditional Chinese medicine and is a a disciple of Grandmaster Fu Zhong Wen of Shang Hai, China.

The term Mao Xing Step has been used since the publication of Yang Cheng Fu's book entitled, The Practice of Tai Ji Quan. In the book he stated that "the legs should be based upon Yin and Yang with the legs rising and lowering like a walking cat." Master Wu Yu Xiang wrote in his book, Essentials of Free-sparring, that one should "step like a walking cat and issue power (jin) like weaving silk."

In the traditional 108 posture Yang Style Tai Ji Quan fist set, postures such as Left Ward-off in Grasp Sparrow's Tail, Step Forward, Parry and Punch and others contain the Mao Xing Step. Altogether there are 58 times where the Mao Xing Step is carried out within the form. The step should not be restricted to only the open-hand form, but also should be incorporated into the Tai Ji Straightsword, Tai Ji Broadsword, and moving Push-hands. Consequently, this step is a very essential part of Yang Style Tai Ji.

Health Benefits of the Mao Xing Step

The Mao Xing Step is performed by the movement of the waist and spine. Within the process of the motion, all of the muscles below the rib cage are exercised as if twisting a wet rag. Based upon this phenomena, the Mao Xing Step will produce beneficial physicological responses in the body.

One of the most beneficial physicological responses to occur with steady practice is the improvement of blood circulation to the lower extremeties of the body. The Mao Xing Step will allow the leg muscles to contract and expand much more affectively than ordinary walking. This will, subsequently, allow blood from the heart to flow more freely through the legs. The Mao Xing Step can function as a gentle massage which will increase the elasticity of the blood vessels in the legs and feet. The increase in elasticity of the blood vessels will benefit those with high blood pressure, arthritis, and as an aid to increasing one's lifespan. Based upon the author's more than 40 years experience in the practice of Western and Traditional Chinese medicine and Yang Style Tai Ji, daily practice of the Mao Xing Step will effectively regulate blood pressure in both middle-aged and elderly people.

Research has shown that the heart rate of Tai Ji practioners is slower than those of the same age group who do not practice the art. Recent medical research has also shown a coorelation between heart rate and longevity where a slower heart rate will allow the muscles of the heart to relax a longer period of time thereby allowing the muscles to obtain sufficient rest and blood.

The Mao Xing Step is very beneficial for the waist and abdomen. The motion of the Mao Xing Step will not only gently relax and turn the waist, but will also exercise the abdomen muscles in all directions. The overall movement will improve the internal and external muscles of the waist and abdomen by strecthing and strenghtening.

Method of Practice

The Mao Xing Step should be one of the most basic components incorporated into one's Tai Ji practice. The method of practice is as follows:

Begin in a left front bow stance with the upper body erect. Place the hands on the waist, and visualize a bowl of water on the top of one's head to aid in proper alignment of the Bai Hui acupoint located on top of the head and the Hui Yin point between the anus and the reproduction organ. This imaginary straight line should remain straight during the entire stepping process. The hips should be relaxed and rounded. The left front leg holds 70 percent of one's body weight while the right back leg holds the remaining 30 percent.

The waist sinks downward and rotates to the left. The left hip sinks inward and slightly turns outward. The toes of the left foot rise up and turn out 45 degrees still maintaining 70 percent of the weight on the leg; afterwhich, the toes lower to the ground. The force (Jin) is spiraled into the ground. After stabilizing the left leg and one's center, the right leg relaxes as the hips are used to raise the heel of the right foot.

The toes of the right foot naturally hang down approximately two millimeters above the ground as it slowly moves to the front.

The right foot passes approximately five millimeters away from the inside of the left foot.

The joint of the right hip is used to carry the right knee and toes, in a relaxed manner, to the front.

Still maintaining one's weight on the left leg bring the right leg to full extention as the toes rise upward. The heel then lightly touches the ground.

The toes of the right foot slowly lower to the ground as the knee of the left leg straightens thereby exerting a forward force. The lower half of the right leg is vertical to the ground to form a right front bow stance.

Important Points: The line of motion of the right foot is an inward arc from a left front bow stance to a right front bow stance. The Mao Xing Step should be performed slowly and evenly while keeping in accord with the requirements of Tai Ji Quan.

In general, the degree of difficulty to correctly perform the step is relatively high and the physical benefits are great. The entire body will perspire and become hot only after three minutes of continuous practice. Most beginners will find that after three minutes, the muscles of the legs and back will be sore the following day. The soreness will disappear upon continued practice of the step. After the Mao Xing step has been mastered, hand postures can be incorporated with the step and performed as single exercises such as Brush Knee with Twist Step. However, the prime goal is to be able to perform the Mao Xing Step in all moving sequences within the form.

Classes Offered by Ted 永年太极拳课程

2009-04-25T13:39:00.012-04:00

Email me at yongnian@yahoo.com

Classes are held throughout the Cleveland, Ohio area. I offer a wide range of Chinese martial art styles which are suitable for all types of personalities and physical fitness levels. Primary focus is on Yang style Taijiquan; however, classes and private lessons are offered in other Chinese styles such as Xingyiquan, Baguazhang, Qigong, weapons and others. The following is a listing of the programs offered:

Yang Style Taijiquan 杨式太极拳

36 and 108 Posture Open-hand Routines
54 Posture Straightsword
40 Posture Broadsword
Spear
Push Hands/Da Lu
Applications

Wu Style Taijiquan 吴式太极拳

Wu Style Basic Training
30 and 85 Posture Open-hand Routines
Weapons Training
Push Hands
Applications

Sun Style Taijiquan 孙式太极拳

Basic Techniques
Sun Style Short Routine
Sun Style Competition Routine
Sun Style Traditional Routine

Standardized Taijiquan 规定太极拳

Basic Techniques
8 Posture Taijiquan
16 Posture Taijiquan
24 Posture Taijiquan
32 Posture Combined Taijiquan
42 Posture International Compulsory Taijiquan
16 Posture Taiji Straightsword
16 Posture Taiji Spear
32 Posture Taiji Straightsword
35 Posture Combined Taiji Straightsword

Xingyiquan (Form and Intent Fist) 形意拳

5 Element Fists
12 Animal Shapes
Linking Routines
Creation/Destruction Routines
Combination Fist Routine
Xingyi Straightsword/Broadsword
Five Element Short Stick
Fighting Applications

Baguazhang (8 Trigram Palm) 八卦掌

Basic Training
8 Basic Palm Changes
Continuous Palm
Bagua Weapons

Qigong 气功

Basic Theory and Practice
Beginner, Intermediate, & Advanced Stretching
Xianggong Qigong
Eight Pieces of Brocade
Taiji Qigong
Therapeutic Exercises
Wild Goose Qigong
Spiraling Force Exercises
Various Hard Qigong Skills

Anyone interested in finding out further information about these and other styles of Chinese martial arts should contact Ted at the following email address yongnian@yahoo.com

Yang Style Taijiquan's Single Whip Posture 杨式太极单鞭

2009-04-25T13:31:00.003-04:00

Written by Dr. Mei Ying Sheng, Sichuan Province, China
Translated by Ted W. Knecht, Shenzhen, China

The Single Whip posture of Yang style Taijiquan has a historical record of three generations. Among the large frame postures as standardized by the late Yang Cheng Fu, Single Whip is one of the most precious postures characterizing the basics of Yang style Taijiquan. Because of Single Whip importance within the Yang style, it appears numerous times within the traditional 108 posture routine.

The 37 postures of Yang style Taijiquan, including the Single Whip posture, have their own applicable fighting techniques and artistic structure. To illustrated this point, an example of Single Whip’s martial application is as follows: Should an opponent use a palm or fist to attach toward my face, a hook hand can be used to counter by dissolving the strike to the right side. At the same time, I would advance a step forward allowing the internal energy (jin), generated by the stance, to issue from the right heel through the right leg, up the spine into the left arm and finally out the palm in a relaxed, flexible whipping motion to strike the opponent. This exemplifies the physiological phenomena in which the root is in the heel, the power is issued through the legs, generated in the waist, and shaped in the hands. From the view point of the overall mechanics of the posture, one can see how the origin of the name, Single Whip, was created.

The Single Whip posture as illustrated in figure 22 has been copied from Master Fu Zhong Wen book entitled Yang style Taijiquan which was originally extracted from the drawings of Yang Cheng Fu in the book, Comprehensive Volume of Taijiquan Uses. As shown in the drawing, the toes of the left foot point to the east with the lower part of the leg vertical to the ground (knee above the heel). The right leg is naturally straight. The toes of the right foot point to the south with the foot turned in ten degrees (both feet form an 80 degree angle). The upper body faces due south. The feet are planted flat on the ground to allow the internal energy to spiral into the ground. The hips are relaxed and the groin is rounded to form a left side bow stance. Using this correct tance as a basis of the Single Whip posture, the left wrist is dropped at shoulder height with an erect palm. The right wrist is curved upward slightly higher than the shoulders with the hand forming a hook. Both elbows are sunk downward with the joints relaxed and open. The arms are outspread to the left and right. Looking from the front view, the hands are equal distance from the center line of the body.

Because of the balanced nature of the entire posture, structurally, it is very stable and firm; and artistically, it is very beautiful and appealing to the eyes. If force was applied to the left palm of the Single Whip posture of Yang Cheng Fu, the route in which the force travels is from the left arm and shoulder down the spine into the right leg and into the heel of the right foot. If one were to look from above, the force would travel through the body in a straight line. A Chinese proverb states that a thousand pounds can not break a straight piece of wood. This suggests the stability and strength of the Single Whip posture.

The following discussion will examine the "Single Whip" posture performed by Yang Cheng Fu as compared to the various stationary postures of more recently developed Taijiquan routines (refer to the following drawings as examples of these recently developed Yang style Single Whip postures). There are three apparent differences between the "Single Whip" of the more recently developed routines and that of Yang Cheng Fu:

1) The toes of the right foot are turned in too much of an angle causing tension in the muscles of the groin and hip areas. This will subsequently cause the muscles, joints, and tendons of the lower body to loose it’s relaxed and natural state.

2) The directions of the left arm and left leg as compared to the right arm and right leg are quite different; and the upper and lower relationship of the arms and legs are not uniform. The stationary Single Whip posture must conform to the six harmony relationship in which the hands and feet, elbows and knees, and shoulders and hips must be vertically in line with each other; if this relationship does not exist, there will be a lose in the balance of the left and right sides of the body.

In Yang Cheng Fu’s Single Whip posture there is also an alignment with the left fingers, the toes of the left foot, and the nose to form a triangle pattern. This conforms to the basic requirements of the methods of the hands, eyes, body, and legs. Throughout the history of Yang style, those who have studied Yang style Taijiquan have followed these basic essentials.

3) Due to the turn to the left in the upper body, the line between the left palm and the right foot is off-set. Consequently, if pressure is applied to the left palm, the energy will be directed to the left rear, not to the right heel. As one can see, any power issued from the right heel would never reach the left palm. Under the situation in which the components of a straight line are of equal length and when the distance between the ends of a bent line are shorter than when straight, then the Taiji requirement of “extending long and attacking far” (fang chang ji yuan) is not satisfied.

The following discusses more minute details of the Single Whip posture. If the thumb of the left palm is bent inwards, the face and/or point of the palm can not be used as the striking surface. The thumb interferes with the surface. By allowing this, the edge of the palm is the only area that can be used for striking. This does not conform to the requirements of sinking the wrist and relaxing the fingers. If the left wrist is higher than the left shoulder there will be insufficient force for striking. The wrist must be in direct alignment and at the same height as the shoulder in order to deliever sufficent force in this technique.

Every posture in Taijiquan is intimately composed of four tightly related components which consist of a start, a rise, a turn, and a close. Each component is mutually related to each other and appears in every movement within Taijiquan. Consequently, in order for a posture to close, it must also have a beginning, a rising and a turning motion. The closing component is the stationary posture and is also the goal of each movement. The closing component of a posture is the end result of properly performing the beginning, rising, and turning component of a movement.

The stationary posture of a routine is the end point/result of a technique and the starting point for the next technique. Therefore, if the starting point has a fault, the beginning, rising, and turning components of the next movement will go a stray.

If one looks in detail at the recently developed Yang style Taijiquan routines and the various video tapes produced in China and abroad, one can see that there are very few that resemble the stationary/ending postures of Grandmaster Yang Cheng Fu.

Yang Lu Chan learned Taijiquan from Chen Chang Xing. Afterwards, the Yang style was passed down through the generations to Yang Jian Hou and Yang Cheng Fu. Through these generations of study, the masters changed some of the founding principles of Taijiquan while at the same time also maintaining many of the theories and principles to further the development of the art. Taijiquan gradually advanced to high levels after many years of research and practice. Through this evolved a brilliant radiance of energy from the county of Yong Nian in Hebei Province.

The practitioners of this generation have varying differences in the way the Yang style is performed. This occurs due to many reasons such as differences in teachers, one’s physical condition, differences in the level of education and various other attributes; therefore, it does not really matter if the postures are slightly higher or lower, faster or slower, more or less; what really matters is to preserve the tradition teachings of the founding fathers of Taijiquan which would include the theories and methods of training. These should be strictly followed without deviation.

The author does not necessarily suggest that the older a style is, the better it is; but one must continue to maintain strict attention to the philosophy and tradition of the style in order to continue to improve the art for future generations.

Hook Hand of Yang Style Taijiquan 杨式太极拳吊手

2009-04-25T13:23:00.002-04:00

Written by Dr. Mei Ying Sheng, Si Chuan Province, China
Translated by Ted W. Knecht, Shenzhen, China

From the books of many famous traditional Yang style Taijiquan practitioners and also from the books of the newly formed styles of Taijiquan, one can see that the basic method for performing Single Whip seems rather similar. For example if the front of the diagrams face south, noted as 12 o'clock, then the hook hand is located at 2 o'clock. Afterwards, the left palm pushes out from 2 o'clock over to 9 o'clock. Diagram 1 and 2 show the hook hand at the 2 o'clock position and Diagram 2 shows the left palm at the 9 o'clock position. From these diagrams one can see that within the process of pushing the left palm out to 9 o'clock, the right hook hand barely moves.

Over the past several decades the author has observed the above mentioned method for performing Single Whip by numerous practitioners; no matter if it is being performed in the traditional Yang style routine or from the newly created competition routines. It has been suggested that this way of performing Single Whip is a "method of habit" rather than what was originally taught. The following is a discussion to suggest a more concise definition of the practice of Single Whip as taught by Yang Chengfu.

Yang Chengfu's Single Whip

An explanation of the practical application of Single Whip can be found in Yang Chengfu's book entitled "Taijiquan's Practical Applications" published by Wenguang Printing Press in 1931. In this book, Yang Chengfu explains that "if an enemy attacks from the rear [as you stand in Push from Grasp Sparrow's Tail], I would use my right hand to form a hook hand to dissolve the attack; at the same time the left palm would straighten out from the front to the left attacking the chest of the enemy.... The dissolving of the attack and the palm strike must be conducted simultaneously".

In Yang Chengfu's book entitled "The Complete Volume of Taijiquan Usage" published by the Zhonghua Book Company in 1933 explains the use of the right hook hand and the left palm in Single Whip. "If the enemy attacks from the rear, I would move my center to the left foot.... When the two hands wipe over to the left, the right hand forms a hook hand. The left palm moves inward with the center of the palm facing out. The waist and hips should relax as the left palm attacks the chest of the enemy. This pattern of movements must be conducted at the same time."

Even though the words used to describe the usage of the hands in Single Whip's application are different, the meaning is essentially the same. From the aspect of observing the postures in these two books, there is only the one posture of Push from Grasp Sparrow's Tail prior to the stationary posture of Single Whip. Unfortunately, there are no transitory pictures from Push into Single Whip to illustrate the complete motion of the hook hand.

From only observing the diagrams one would assume that the hook hand basically does not move while the left palm pushes out to the left. However, this does not conform to what Yang Chengfu describes in his explanation of the application. He states that "the hand movements must be completed in one motion".

Principles in the Taiji Classics

In the "Taijiquan Lun" it states that "there is no place that is concaved or convexed. There is no place that is disconnected". The "Explanation of the Thirteen Posture Moving Abilities (Shisan Shi Xing Gong Xin Jie)" states that "when one point moves there is not one point that does not move" and "when one point is silent there is not one point that is not silent". The "Five Character Song" states that "when raising the hands, they cannot be stiff... the two hands must be suspended up and penetrating in one breath". It also states that "the internal strength of the body must be completely united into one". The "Zou Jia Da Shou Xing Gong Essentials" explain that "the upper body movements must be coordinated with the lower; when one part of the body moves, then all parts move; movement is termed opening but within opening there is also closing."

Yang Chengfu taught in his "Taijiquan Ten Essentials" that "when the hands, waist, and feet move, the spirit of the eyes follow with the movement; if there is a discontinuity in movement either in the upper or lower body, there will be chaos in motion". It also states that "the frame must contain opening and closing and full and empty movement; the so-called opening, not only includes the hands and feet, but also the opening of the intent; the so-called closing, not only includes the hands and feet, but it too includes the closing of the intent; one must combine the internal with the external to form emptiness". Presently, the way in which many people perform Single Whip is very far from the way in which it is stated in the Classics.

Martial Requirements

In the book, "The Complete Volume of Taijiquan Usage" Yang Chengfu was able to describe in detail the usage of the hook hand in Single Whip. He states that "if the enemy attacks from behind, I would shift my body weight to the left leg... allowing the two hands to move to the left...." There are several meaning to the above sentence in terms of moving the weight onto the left leg. Firstly, it is a way for closing distance. Secondly, it is a way for the two hands to adhere to the on-coming attack. This will allow the practitioner to focus on listening to the energy (Tingjin) of the attacker. Next, Yang Chengfu goes on to say that "I hook the right hand with the fingers pointing down". The right hook hand is used to dissolve the attack and to also stick and not allow the enemy to escape. This will then allow the left palm to issue internal strength "fajin" to the enemy's body. In this way, the attacker will lose his center and fall into empty space. As seen from the above scenario, the way in which Yang Chengfu describes the use of Single Whip can satisfy the requirements of "listening (Tingjin)", "adhering, connecting, sticking and following", "leading the attack into empty space (Yin Jin Luo Kong)", and "not loosing the attacker and not resisting attack (Bu Diu Bu Ding)". During the moment in which the attacker's center is lead off balance, the hook hand and left palm are positioned to the south. The left palm moves inward with the palm facing toward the outside. Following, the left palm issues out toward the attacker's chest. At the same time, the right hook hand is arcing to the right rear corner.

As Yang Chengfu states in his book, "the left palm and right hook hand move to their designated positions simultaneously as if drawing a bow and arrow". As can be seen, this satisfies the requirement of "when one thing opens, everything opens"; as well as, "within dissolving there is attack, and within attack there is dissolving". If one practices the Single Whip posture as many people do today whereby the right hook hand is placed in position prior to the movement of the left palm, then it will not conform to Taiji fighting principles as taught by Yang Chengfu.

During the process of dissolving the oncoming attack with the right hook hand, one can also borrow the attacker's force for one's own benefit. When using the right hook hand to borrow the attacker's force, one must use the "waist as the center of the wheel and the arm as the spoke"; thereby, the left palm simultaneously attacks the enemy. This can be viewed through the theory of rotational mechanics. If you were to push on the front end of a rotating door, the rear end will swing around and push you. Whatever the amount of force you use will be the amount returned by the swinging door. Another example of this principle is when an acrobat jumps onto the end of a seesaw from three feet high, the person on the other end will be propelled up into the air three feet. In terms of Taiji theory, one borrows to attack just as "four ounces can deflect one thousand pounds"; as well as the Taiji practitioner "stands like a balanced scale and moves lively like a cartwheel".

For example, in Single Whip, the right hook hand dissolves and borrows, let's say, 50 pound of force from an attacker and is diverted to the left palm for a counter attack. When one also adds into the equation the ground connection of the feet that is transmitted up the legs, controlled in the waist, and issued out through the arms, this 50 pounds of force that the attacker used may increase several times when used in the counter attack. The method in which Taiji uses to fight is not based on how much force oneself puts forth, but is based on how much the attacker puts forth. A common phrase in Taijiquan is "if you ask me how much force I will use to hit you, it is best first to ask yourself how much you are going to use."

The most commonly seen way most Yang stylist perform Single Whip is by using the hook hand to dissolve the enemy's attack starting at 9:00 passing through 12:00 and ending at 2:00. During this time period of dissolving the attack, the left palm has yet to attack out. It is only after the hook hand has arrived at 2:00 that the left palm pushes out for the counter attack. By this time, one has already lost the opportunity to borrow the striking force and revert it back upon attacker. Not only this, but one has also lost touch with the requirement of "within dissolving there is attack, and within attack there is dissolving". Through the lose in the opportunity to borrow the force of the attacker, one has also lost the Taiji fighting principles of "guiding the attack into empty space (Yin Jin Luo Kong)" and "no excess and no deficiency (Wu Guo Bu Ji)". One other important point is that while the two hands are moving to the right side prior to the hook hand formation and left palm pushing out, one leaves the left rib cage open for attack by the enemy. In the past, Taiji masters called this type of motion "Getting Close to the Fist (Ai Da Quan)".

Presently there is also another way in which the hook hand of Single Whip is performed. Some perform the hook hand by first forming the hook hand at 3:00 and then as the left palm pushes out, the hook hand moves over to 2:00. The application for this way of practice is very difficult to comprehend. (Please note Diagrams 3 and 4 for an example of this method).

Yang Chengfu wrote that "when the two hands move to the left, the right hand forms into a hook hand with the fingers pointing downward" during the transition into Single Whip. The above statement is identical to his disciple's (Chen Weiming) description in the book entitled "The Art of Taijiquan" published by the Zhong Hua Shu Ju Press in 1925. Another of Yang Chengfu's high ranking disciples, Li Yaqian, also explained the usage of the hook hand in Single Whip as "after the two palms wipe over to the left side, the right hand forms into a hook". The above methods of conducting the hook hand during the performance of Single Whip quite obviously conform to the principles of Taijiquan. In addition, the manner in which Yang Chengfu's disciples practiced the hook hand was quite different from the way in which it is most commonly practiced today.

The above two different methods imply the usage of the hook hand in Single Whip. Yang Chengfu's fighting methods used the theory of "first arriving, then issuing (Hou Fa Xian Zhi)". During the process of dissolving the oncoming attack by the hook hand, one will be able to borrow this force to turn it back upon the attacker. One other type of explanation for the use of the hook hand in Single Whip is to "use the nape of the hook hand to strike the enemy". The author finds that this is not very practical. It is more practical to use a fist or palm to make an attack rather than the hook hand. Moreover, the hook hand has a shorter striking distance than both a fist and palm. The amount of force that can be applied to a hook hand technique is relatively minimal. Most importantly, however, is the fact that the wrist could be easily injured while striking with the hook hand. In terms of the application/scenario as related by Yang Chengfu, the attack is originating from the left side. To use a right hook hand to attack a person on the left side would be impractical.

Another method often mentioned for the use of the hook hand is to use the nape of the right hook hand to strike an attacker on the right side while using the left palm to strike at a second attacker. This is quite obviously contrary from the Taiji Classics which state, "when emitting internal strength, be calm and relaxed, concentrated in one direction (Fajin Xu Chenzhe Songzheng, Zhuanzhu Yifang)". When meeting an oncoming attack during Taiji free fighting (Sanshou), one must utilize the principle of "being calm and relaxed while concentrating in one direction". Yang Chengfu was very careful to illustrate this principle of "concentrating in one direction" with each stationary posture in his book, "The Complete Volume of Taijiquan Usage". The Taiji Classics also state that "the reason for not being able to neutralize and control the enemy is the result of double weightiness; in order to avoid this fault, one must understand Yin and Yang".

Artistic Requirements

The natural beauty of Taijiquan is based on the principles of the Dao. The theoretical basis of this can be found in Laozi's Daodejing which states "the Dao produces all natural things". The practice of Taijiquan can aid in returning to a natural form. It has its own universal viewpoint and artistic expression. It is to strive for a meaning between human-being (ren) and nature (ziran). It unites coordination between the form of motion with that of the mind to achieve a higher plane of awareness. Much of this beauty can be found within the poetry of the Taiji Classics.

The Taiji Classics state that "one should perform Taijiquan like a cloud floating in the sky and as water flowing in a river". When clouds float in the sky, they move in a slow, smooth, and soft manner as a complete unit. Moreover, each and every water particle within the mass of clouds is in constant motion. Water flowing in a river is a complete body in constant motion and conforms to the laws of nature.

The Classics also state that "when the wind blows, the branches of the willow will sway". During the gentle breeze of spring time the branches of the weeping willow will gently sway back and forth. As stated in the Taiji Classics, "When one part moves, then all will move". And when the breeze ceases to blow, the willow will come to a peaceful state of silence. The Taiji Classics relate this to "when one part is silent, then all is silent". The willow branch is in harmony with the dynamic state of mother nature. The willow's characteristic of this dynamic state exhibits flexibility by continuously regulating itself to the conditions brought upon it by nature. Chen Pu states in his book entitled "Discussions of Taijiquan": "Coming and going, bending and straightening like the wind blowing the willow tree, nature's mysteries are in turbulence; lively is it without stagnation". If by chance when the wind blows upon a willow tree and one of the branches looses its flexibility to move with the wind, this must mean the branch has stiffened and is most likely dead. Consequently, should the hook hand found in Single Whip imitate this stiff and non-moving branch of the willow tree?

As the Taiji Classics say, "Taijiquan must be completed in one breath" and "the entire body is a complete unit". The degree of difficulty in Taijiquan practice is extremely high and the meaning of the principles are extremely important. The harmonization of the postures is produced by the movements of the four limbs of the body. The way in which the hook hand is commonly conducted by many practitioners today looses this harmonious regulation of the body. Not only does it loose the combative nature of Taijiquan, but at the same time it looses the artistic flavor found in classical Taijiquan. As a general rule, no matter what the posture, if the martial aspect is lost, then the artistic characteristic of the posture is also destroyed.

Qigong Requirements

Taijiquan uses the principle of being relaxed and tranquil in practice and soft and round in application. The shape (xing) guides the internal energy (qi); the internal energy congeals the spirit (shen); and the spirit connects the form. This must be completely controlled by the mind or intent (yi) in order to express the calm, comfortable, and full feeling of each posture. Only in this manner can one guide the circulation of internal energy. Through the many years of practical experience in Taijiquan, the author has found that if a movement does not conform to the principles of Taijiquan, there will not be any sensation of obtaining internal energy (de qi). However, once the posture is corrected and conforms to Taiji principles, not only can internal energy be felt, but the entire body becomes more invigorated and energized. An example of this phenomena is when the lens of a camera is about to be opened. If the conditions/settings are not completely atuned, then the photographic negative will not be exposed correctly. Taijiquan can be seen in the same light. If one does not set up the correct posture by conforming to the principles as stated in the Taiji Classics, then all one is doing is "externally training the tendons, bone, and skin (Wai Lian Jin Gu Pi)", not "internally cultivating the one breath (Nei Lian Yi Kou Qi)".

Based on recent scientific studies in China, there will be a variety of influences on the body's health due to changes in postures during the practice of Taijiquan. When the practitioner is in a so-called "qigong state" during practice, the electrical impulses of the muscles and skin, the particle flow within the body, and the constitute of "qi" will be under the direct control of the brain's central nervous system. Due to this controlled state, there will be a wide range of beneficial effects on the physiology of the practitioner. During the practice of Taijiquan, the sayings "when one part moves, then all will move; when one part is silent, then all is silent"; and "changing, turning, emptying, and filling must have intent, then the internal energy will not stagnate" all directly relate to the circulation of internal energy and blood within the body.

Even though only the right hook hand and arm do not move in the "modern" version of Single Whip's hook hand, however, this causes all the various muscle groups on the right side of the body to come to a halt. When this occurs, there will be an imbalance in the motion of the muscles found within the entire body which will injure the opening and closing of Yin and Yang of the entire body's internal and external components. It will also influence the circulation of internal energy within the body's meridian network. Only by allowing the internal energy to develop through the regulation of properly trained Taijiquan will one be able to obtain beneficial effects of improved energy and blood flow.

Conclusions

Every technique found within Taijiquan has a "rising", "carrying", "turning", and "closing" motion. The beginning of each technique must have a "rising" motion with the coordination of the entire body behind the move. This will then satisfy the saying of "when one part moves, then all will move". After going through the process of "carrying" and "turning" within the technique, the "closing" will occur with the entire body coming to rest. This will satisfy the requirements in "when one part is silent, then all is silent". The body's way of expressing the motion and calmness of each technique is shown through the hands, eyes, bodywork, and stepping/footwork. However, among these the most obviously seen expressions are in the hands and footwork/stances. Due to the differences in hand and foot positions within each posture, there is a very high degree of difficulty and sophisticated intent to coordinate the continuous motion of "rising", "carrying", "turning", and "closing" so that everything (hands, eyes, body, feet) concludes at the same time.

The initial wiping motion of the two hands in the Single Whip posture, that follows the posture of Push in Grasp Sparrow's Tail, is considered the "rising" component of the posture. As the hands continue wiping to the east, the motion goes through the "carrying" component of the posture. The "turning" component occurs when the hands move back toward the west. When the hook hand arrives at 2:00 and the left palm pushes out to the east (at the same time), the posture has completed the "closing" component.

When the two palms move in a wiping manner to the east from the Push posture of Grasp Sparrow's Tail, the two palms should gradually change from erect palms (Lizhang) to prostrated palms (Fuzhang). The reason for this is because the erect palms of Push are the final "closing" component which is consequently considered the "substantial" or "Yang" stage of the individual posture. The "rising" component of Single Whip is considered the "insubstantial" or "Yin" stage of that individual posture. Therefore, there must be a gradual change from Yang to Yin during each transition of postures in order to fully conform to the principles of "knowing Yin and Yang (Xu Zhi Yin Yang)" and "clearly differentiating substantial from insubstantial (Xu Shi Yifen Qingchu)". The change from Yang to Yin must be gradual so that the motion conforms to the Taiji symbol where the Yang polarity gradually spirals to the Yin polarity. This is not a sudden and quick change.

When the right palm gradually forms the hook hand after moving to the east and then moves in toward the body, it forms the Yang polarity. As the right hook hand begins to move toward the south, minor Yin begins to arise. As the left palm wipes back toward the south from the east, the palm reaches the Yin polarity and gradually continues into the on-start of minor Yang. As the right hook hand continues to move to its destination at the 2:00 position, it goes into major Yin. At the same time, the left palm simultaneously pushes out to the east (9:00) to become major Yang. The following principles are met through this process: "Yin and Yang is the root (Yin Yang Huwei Qigen)"; Yin polarity produces Yang, Yang polarity produces Yin (Yinji Sheng Yang, Yangji Sheng Yin)"; "among Yin there is Yang and among Yang there is Yin (Yinzhong Shu Yang, Yangzhong Shu Yin)"; "Yin does not leave Yang and Yang does not leave Yin (Yin buli Yang, Yang buli Yin)"; and "a single Yin cannot become Yin and a single Yang cannot become Yang (Danyin buneng Cheng Yin, Danyang buneng Cheng Yang)".

In traditional Yang style Taijiquan there are many movements where the transitional distance of the two hands are quite varied. Examples of these include Diagonal Flying, Advance Step and Raise Hands, Hands Play Pipa, etc. In some of these postures the movement of the right hand might be very short while the movement of the left hand is relatively long. Trying to coordinate the two hands can be quite difficult to conform to the requirement of "when one part moves, then all will move; and when one part is silent, then all is silent". However, in Single Whip the two hands have approximately the same distance to cover during the process of "rising, carrying, turning, and closing"; thereby if the same speed is maintained for both hands, then the above stated requirement of moving and stopping all at once can be easily satisfied.

Yang Style Lotus Leaf Palm 杨式太极荷叶掌

2009-04-25T13:15:00.003-04:00

Written by Dr. Mei Ying Sheng, Si Chuan Province, China
Translated by Ted W. Knecht, Shenzhen, China

In the traditional 108 Yang Style Taijiquan routine, there are only four double fist techniques (Punch to Ears, Strike the Tiger, Shoot Tiger with Bow, and Advance to Seven Stars), all other hand postures utilize a palm technique. There are the famous Five Fists of Taiji (Step Up Deflect Parry Punch, Punch to Groin, Downward Fist, Fist Under Elbow, and Step Forward and Strike With Fist) which the right hand forms a fist but the left remains as a palm. There are also two hand techniques which utilize a hook hand (Single Whip and Snake Creeps Down), but again, the left hand forms a palm. As can be seen, the palm in Yang Style Taijiquan holds a very important rank in the style. In actuality, Taijiquan (fist) should be called Taiji Zhang (palm) for all the palm techniques employed within the style.

The hand formation which best represents the Yang style is the Lotus-leaf Palm. The name, Lotus-leaf Palm, was standardized by Li Chun Nian and Fu Zhongwen, two top disciples of the Late Yang Cheng Fu. The standardization of the palm was considered necessary for the unification of traditional Yang Style Taijiquan. The basic requirements of the palm conform to the principles of medical science and martial arts.

The Lotus-leaf Palm is formed by naturally spreading the five fingers apart. The fingers are slightly bent, the Tiger's mouth is round, and the center of the palm is slightly cupped. The correct formation of the palm should always resemble a lotus leaf floating on water during the practice of Taiji.

Paying strict attention to the proper formation of the Lotus-leaf Palm during practice will lead to the following benefits:

1) Opening of the Meridans and Regulation of Qi and Blood.

Among the 12 meridians within the body, there are six which reside in the hands. Therefore, when performing Taiji, the circulation of qi and blood is best expressed and felt in the two hands. The sensation of qi in the hands can be felt as being numb, hot, swollen, or as a number of other phenomena.

Qi will circulate through the body mainly along the meridians of the body, but can also function in association with the circulatory (blood) system. Several important results of qi circulation through the hands would include the opening of the meridians within the body and the regulation of the blood and qi. Consequently, the opening of the meridians and circulation of qi in the hands should be closely payed attention to by Taiji practitioners.

The Lotus-leaf Palm is no doubt the most ideal palm for obtaining qi sensations in the shortest amount of time. The palm conforms to the way of nature and the body. During practice of Taiji, should the hands not follow the strict guidelines of forming the Lotus-leaf Palm, obtaining qi sensations in the hands and arms may be lost.

The practice of circulating internal qi can be divided into two catagories. The first catagory consists of the Outer shape leading the internal Qi; and the second catagory consists of the Internal Qi driving the outer shape. In the first catagory, the proper outer shape will lead to the circulation of the internal qi bringing about many beneficial changes in the body. The outer shape, within this text, is considered the hands, eyes, body, and legs.

There are those who have practiced Taiji for many years who never or seldom experience the sensation of qi. Even on the warmest of days, the hands do not become warm or flushed red. This may suggest that the health benefits of practice are not as ideal as they should be. The main reason for this problem is usually the improper outer shape which restricts the internal flow of qi. When the first catagory can not be acheived, then advancing to the second catagory is very difficult. Therefore, particular attention to one's outer shape is essential to obtaining ideal health benefits of Taiji.

2) Improving Martial Skills

The value of Taijiquan in regards to self-defense and health has been relatively popular throughout the history of Taijiquan. Since the advent of modern weapons, the original fighting aspect of Taijihas moved more towards the health benefits of the style. However, just as Taiji is practiced for its health benefits, it should also be practiced as a martial art to maintain its true tradition.

The eight methods of power (Jin) in the Yang style are Ward-off, Roll-back, Press, Push, Pull-down, Split, Elbow, and Shoulder. Among the eight methods, the first six utilize a palm. Only the last two utilize an elbow or a shoulder to issue power. A martial art proverb states that the Palm is More Powerful than Ten Fist Combined Together. Consequently, the palm holds high status in the martial art aspect of Taiji.

The Lotus-leaf Palm allows the bones, muscles, and tendons of the hands and arms to develop a relaxed natural posture. This will aid in the balance between the forearm and hand to produce a mutual resistance which is required to issue the short explosive power and whipping action of Tai Ji. An example of this is the Single Whip posture. After completion of the right hook hand, the left palm strikes out towards the opponent. The route in which the power is conducted is from the heel of the right foot through the right leg, up the waist and back into the left arm and then out though the hand. The overall motion is very similar to the wave-like action of a leather whip. Should any muscle of the left arm be tense, this whipping action will be destroyed; thereby not allowing the proper power to be generated. The Taiji Classics state that the Form is in the Hands. This means that one important condition for generating power is to have proper posture. If this is not performed correctly, this will be revealed through the hands.

3) Expressing the Artistic Beauty of Tai Ji

Yang style Taijiquan has a relatively high artistic appearance. The third generation inheretor of the Yang style, Master Yang Cheng Fu, left hundreds of photographs of Yang style postures. These photographs are considered a treasure to Yang style practitioners. From these photographs, one can see the beauty of classical Large-frame Yang style Taijiquan. The palm postures are not one without the Lotus-leaf Palm. These photographs should, consequently, be used as a standard model for this and future generations in the proper postures of the Large- frame Yang style.

When the body conforms to yin and yang, this will be expressed through the hands. For example, in the posture, Separate Foot, the arms move in a downward arc and cross. This action should be expressed as if one were an eagle flapping its wings. However, should the arms be tensed, the true essence of the posture will not be properly expressed.

The Lotus-leaf Palm is a major component of Yang style Taijiquan and it is the hope of the author to transmit this treasure to Yang style practitioners throughout the world. Only by performing correct postures will the true benefits of Taiji be obtained.

Taijiquan Classics 太极拳经

2009-04-25T10:11:00.002-04:00

Taijiquan Classics - Translated by Ted Knecht

The following are direct translations of some classical Taijiquan material. Some of the material is attributed to the legendary founder of Taijiquan, Zhang Sanfeng, who was a daoist from Wudang Mountain. I feel that it does not matter who wrote the material but that it is still with us and we are able to take lessons from these valuable collections.

Song #1

Empty the neck and raise the energy, sink the energy into the dantian. First relax the back and then the shoulders. Lift the head and open the groin,the mind will gain power. Open and close while embracing the posture, the seven star posture looks like an axial of a wheel, it is soft but not hard. When the enemy does not move, I remain still, when the enemy moves slightly, my intent has already first moved. From the feet to the legs and from the legs to the body, it is like practicing one energy. Like an eagle capturing a rabbit or a cat catching a mouse, issue force quickly like a bow shooting an arrow with the limbs held upright. The steps are light and following, and each step must be smooth.

Song #2

When one part of the body moves the body must be light and agile and be connected together. The internal energy must be full and energized and the spirit must be contained within. There should be no defects, no deficiencies or excess, and no discontinuities. The root is in the feet, issued into the legs, controlled by the waist, and manifested in the hands and fingers. From the feet to the legs and to the waist, it must be completed in one breath. No matter if advancing or retreating, one gains the opportunity for victory. If one fails to gain opportunity the body will be scattered and disordered. The heart of the problem should be looked for in the waist and legs. No matter if one moves up, down, front, back, left, or right, it is all the same. It all comes from the intent, not from the external. When there is up then there is down, when there is front then there is back; when there is left then there is right. If the intent moves up, then down must be contemplated. If victory is wanted, it must first be sought in the enemy’s root. By breaking his root, victory will be quick and assured. Emptiness and fullness must be clearly differentiated, every part of the body has its empty and full aspects. Every joint in the body must be jointed together without any disconnection.

Song #3

Grasp hold of the energy within the dantian, cultivate the original shape, then one can manifest the two energies of heng ha. Energy sticks to the back, and enters into the spine. When the body is silently moving, the intent is placed on the spirit and not on the energy. If the intent is on the energy it will stagnate. Harmonize the three internal and the three externals. Taiji is born from wuji (the void) and is the mother of yin and yang. There is separation in motion and togetherness in stillness. There is no excess nor deficiency, follow, bend and then straighten. When the enemy is hard I use softness to yield; when the enemy retreats I follow by sticking. When the enemy’s movements are anxious, then I move fast; when movement is slow, then I follow with slowness. Although there are numerous changes, there is only one principle and nature. By knowing the techniques one will gradually understand internal force; from understanding internal force one will take the steps toward spiritual enlightenment. However, without using many years of practice and dedication, one cannot suddenly understand the inner thoughts of the enemy.

Song #4

The long fist is like a great river or large lake flowing on and on. The thirteen postures are ward-off, rollback, press, push, pluck, split, elbow, and bump. This is the eight diagrams. Advancing, retreating, glancing left, looking right, and central equilibrium are the five elements. Ward-off, rollback, press, and push represent kan, li, zhen, and dui of the four cardinal points in the eight diagrams. Pluck, split, elbow, and bump represent qian, kun, hen, and xuan of the four diagonal points in the eight diagrams. Advance, retreat, glance left, look right, and central equilibrium represent water, fire, metal, wood, and earth in the five elements.

Explanation of Internal Movements of the Thirteen Postures

Use the mind to move the qi, the mind must be sunk, then the qi will enter into the bones. Circulate the qi throughout the body, this must be smooth and gradual so that it can follow the mind. When the spirit is lifted, one will not be lumbering. This means the head is held upright. The qi and intent must interact effectively, then movement will be round and vigorous. This means that fullness and emptiness can exchange and vary. When issuing internal force, one must be sunk and relaxed with focus in one direction. The body must be upright, calm, and comfortable while standing this controls the eight directions. Circulate qi like moving through a pearl with nine curves, not where is missed. Move internal force like refining steel hundred times, no solid cannot be overturned. The shape is like an eagle capturing a rabbit and the spirit is like a cat catching a mouse. Be calm as a mountain and as active as a river. Consolidate internal force like drawing a bow, issue internal force like shooting an arrow. Within the curve seek straightness, accumulate first and then release later. Power is issued from the spine and the steps follow as the body changes. To collect is to release and to release is to collect. Disconnected and then connected. Back and forth motion must fold and entwine and advancing and retreating must turn and change. Seek softness and then hardness, learn to breathe then become agile and active. Qi is used to cultivate without any harm. Collect internal strength and have surplus. The mind is the commander, the qi is the flag, and the waist is the banner. First strive for expansion, and later strive for compacting, then one can be near perfection. It is also said: First in the mind and then in the body. Relaxing the abdomen will allow the qi to enter the bones. When the spirit is comfortable and the body is calm, it will immediately be in the mind. Do not forget that when one thing moves there is not one thing that does not move; and when one thing is calm then there is not one thing that is not calm.

Song of Hitting Hands

Ward-off, rollback, press and push must be practiced earnestly, up and down mutually follow each other, then it will be difficult for the enemy to enter. No matter what strength the enemy uses, I will use one ounce to deflect a thousand pounds. Lead the enemy to enter into emptiness and then attack; adhere, connect, stick, and follow, do not lose the enemy. It is also said: If the enemy does not move, then I do not move; if the enemy moves slightly, then I will move first. The internal strength is relaxed but not relaxed; expanding but not expanding; and broken but not broken.

Eight Character Song

Ward-off, rollback, press, and push are uncommon in this world. Ten out ten martial artists do not know of this. If one is light agile and without stiffness, adhering, connecting, sticking, and following will be attained without a doubt. Plucking, splitting, elbowing, and bumping are even more special. When properly performed there is no need to use the mind. When one gains the ability to use adhere, connect, stick, and follow one will be in the circle and will not be disseminated.

Song of Usage or Application

Seek the understanding of internal strength by being light, agile, and alive. Yin and yang mutually exist without stagnation. By attaining or mastering the concept of one ounces defeating one thousand pounds, opening and closing will uncover the drum to dictate stablility.

Yang Cheng Fu’s Ten Essentials

1) Maintain emptiness and an upward energy
2) Hollow the chest and straighten the back
3) Relax the waist
4) Differentiate substantial and insubstantial
5) Relax the shoulders and sink the elbows
6) Use intent not strength
7) Coordinate upper and lower movements
8) Combine the internal and external
9) Movements must be continuous
10) Strive for silence within movement

About Yongnian Taiji Center 永年太极拳中心

2009-04-25T09:38:00.007-04:00

Email Us at yongnian@yahoo.com

USA Yongnian Taiji was established by Ted W. Knecht for the promotion of authentic Chinese Wushu (martial arts) and the Chinese culture. Ted has been a leader in the exchange of Chinese culture and martial arts in the Cleveland, Ohio area since 1992. Below is a brief summary of activities conducted by the center:

Authored over 50 articles on Chinese culture and martial arts in magazines such as TAI CHI, Karate/Kungfu Illustrated, Qi Journal, Wushu/Kungfu, Han Wei Magazine, Han Wei Newsletter, Irish Fighter Magazine, Wulin, Chinese Taijiquan and others.

Competed in national and international tournaments such as US Wushu Union Nationals, A Taste of China, US Wushu/Kungfu Nationals, Great Lakes Tournament, and others.

Author of books and videos on Chinese Martial Arts and Qigong.

Translator for various visiting Chinese masters from China. Including Fu Zhongwen, Cai Hongxiang, Wu Chengde, Wang Jurong, and others.

Head Referee and Internal Martial Arts judge for regional and national tournaments.

Active demonstrator of Chinese Martial Arts throughout the USA.

Offers a variety of Taiji and Qigong workshops.

Ted Knecht, a sixth generation Yang style Taijiquan lineage holder, is a leading proponent in the advancement of Taijiquan and other forms of Chinese martial arts in the USA. Ted holds a Masters degree in Geology and is certified through the Ohio Board of Education in the field of Chinese language and Science. Ted is a professional Chinese language translator/interpreter with many years of experience. Ted has been studying Chinese martial arts, Chinese language, and its culture since 1981. Ted travels to China on a continued basis to advance his studies in Taijiquan, Qigong, Chinese culture and philosophy.

While living in China in 1992, Ted became an assistant Taijiquan and Qigong instructor and was certified in Taijiquan and Qigong by the Shenzhen Qigong Health Institute of mainland China. Ted is a member of the National Chinese Taiji/Wushu Association, Shenzhen, China and the US Wushu Union.

Ted was the USA All Around Internal Grand Champion in 2003 by winning seven gold medals in Taijiquan, Taiji Weapons, Xingyiquan, and Baguazhang at the US National Chinese Martials Arts Championships. Ted had the highest overall average score for the entire tournament. Ted was also a gold medalist at the USA All-Taiji Championships (A Taste of China ) in Winchester, Virginia in 1993. Ted was also a gold medalist in Taijiquan at the USA National Chinese Martial Arts Competition held in Orlando, Florida which ranked him number one in the USA. Ted was also ranked in Baguazhang and Xingyiquan that same year.

Ted has studied with some of the most prominent world-class Taijiquan and Wushu instructors both from China and USA. Ted is one of Mei Ying Sheng's top disciples. The following is a list of teachers he has studied with:

Mei Ying Sheng (Yang Style Taiji)
Dr. Curtis Merida (Shaolin Wushu)
Nick Gracenin (Wudang & Shaolin)
An Tian Rong (Bagua/Bagua Straightsword, Xingyquan, and Taijiquan)
Fu Zhongwen (Yang Style Taiji)
Yu Wen Mei (Wu Style Taiji)
He Wei Qi (Sword)
Wang Jurong (Sun Style Taiji, Qing Lung Sword)