Newsletter No.13
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TALKING CHEN TAIJIQUAN Newsletter No. 13 Davidine Sim takes a look at the seemingly simple beginning posture of Taijiquan. Contained within this opening movement are many of the essential aspects that need to be understood if the routine is to be trained in an authentic way. Ignoring these details is to be left with little more than a superficial shell of the real Taijiquan. In the final piece, Chenjiagou Taijiquan GB’s Viki Lloyd looks at The Essence, Principles and Consequences of Silk Reeling in Traditional Chen Taijquan. She explores how the culturally significant practice of weaving silk came to be a metaphor for the spiralling and twining movement that characterises Chen Taijiquan. She explains how this came to be incorporated into the fundamental training practices and functional application of the art. Several months have passed since the last Talking Chen Taijiquan newsletter and we still One of the positives to come find ourselves affected by the coronavirus out of the lockdown is the situation. But, at least over here in the UK there time it has given us to take care of some overdue are some encouraging signs that we are projects. We’ve finally been beginning to get back to some kind of normality. able to get on with updating For instance, indoor gyms are scheduled to our first book Chen Style reopen in a controlled way in a few weeks time Taijiquan: The Source of Taiji and we have some small groups practicing safely Boxing. It’s hard to believe outdoors. At this moment in time though, group almost twenty years have Taijiquan classes are still suspended. passed since the original version was published. We That said, there’s always something to do! In the are waiting for the final proofs of the new improved edition following pages there are articles covering to come in the post, so watch several different aspects of Taijiquan. The first this space! piece examines Taijiquan’s “Thirteen Methods” and gives a brief description of: the eight core jin of the system that provide the base for all the skills and techniques of Taijiquan; and the five stepping methods necessary if the various jin are Be sure to send any feedback or suggestions to to be applied in a fluid, spontaneous and [email protected] effective way. Be safe and practice Taijiquan! WWW.CHENTAIJIQUANGB.COM Taijiquan’s Thirteen Methods By David Gaffney The “Thirteen methods” of Taijiquan has several interpretations. Philosophically, the thirteen methods are based on the arrangements of the eight trigrams (bagua) and five elements (wuxing). All Taijiquan systems including Chen style employ “eight intrinsic energies” (ba fa) or types of jin (trained power) and “five steps” (wu bu), which taken together are referred to as the thirteen methods. The ba fa embody the eight fundamental methods of training the body’s jin, providing the foundation of all the skills and techniques of Taijiquan. It follows then that the correct practice of Taijiquan must be built upon a clear understanding and identification of these energies. The study of the eight methods is central to understanding and applying Taijiquan’s push hands drills. The eight methods represent eight types of technique: peng (warding off), lu (diverting), ji (squeezing), an (pressing), cai (plucking), lie (splitting), zhou (elbow techniques) and kao (bumping). To be considered as jin rather than simple techniques they must be carried out in the “Taijiquan way”. That is, they must fulfil all the postural and energetic requirements of the system. To briefly describe each in turn: Peng is considered to be the primary jin of Taijiquan that Taijiquan’s Zhou jin (Elbow strike) must be understood if the other methods are to be realised. Peng can be a bit confusing for less experienced students; crack and finding any weakness. In Chenjiagou children to start with, the term is used in two distinct ways: The first in the Taijiquan school sometimes play a type of describes a subtle and over-arching quality felt as a “squeezing game” where they stand in contact with each physical sensation of expanding from the inside outwards – other and then, all the time maintaining contact, try to like a balloon filled with air; the second manifestation of unsettle each other’s balance by crowding into each peng is more easily understood, describing a technique other’s space until one of them has to take a step. usually expressed in the arms in an upwards and outwards Example: in Laojia Yilu – in the transition movement direction, preventing an opponent from entering your from the first Dan Bian (Single Whip) as the practitioner space. changes direction into Jin Gang Dao Dui (Buddha’s Warrior Pounding Mortar). Lu is most commonly applied in a downward and backward direction but can be applied in any direction depending on An - In practice, any method where the palm faces an the route of an opponent’s incoming force. Its purpose is to opponent can be classified as an. An is expressed as an follow the opponent’s movement in order to lead them into energy that is directed downwards in a pressing empty space (yin jin le kong). In practice this is a subtle movement. Applying an, a practitioner directs jin to their type of energy that follows and directs an incoming force hands before pressing down. [Examples in the form drawing an opponent into a compromised position before include: Bao Tou Tui Shan (Cover Head and Push they realise there is any danger. The person on the Mountain) where you shift weight from the left to the right receiving end suddenly has a feeling that they are over- leg and press with both hands]; and the closing extended and out of control. It is likened to the feeling movement of Liu Feng Si Bi (Six Sealing and Four when going downstairs and missing a step in the darkness. Closing)]. In Chenjiagou lu is sometimes compared to the act of leading a bull with a rope. The bull is much stronger than Cai is a combination of rotating, pressing and closing the person leading it, and if it were a simple test of strength downwards. This type of jin is often used when locking would obviously win. Rather than trying to use force, by someone’s forearm. It is applying lu with the left side guiding it to where you want it to go, the bull can be coaxed and an with the right, or vice versa. Cai is combined with into following your intention. [Example: The transition weighing down using a rolling movement of your forearm movement from Lan Zha Yi (Lazily Tying Coat) to Liu Feng to ‘pluck’ an opponent downwards. An everyday example Si Bi (Six Sealing and Four Closing) where you lead the of cai would be the act of plucking an apple from a tree. If movement from the right to the left side]. you examine the movement you’ll see that rather than holding the apple and pulling straight down, a slight Ji is a gradual rolling movement used to unsettle the twisting is applied as you separate the apple from its balance of an opponent. It is carried out in a sequential stem. movement from the feet through the waist and back and out to the arm. Unlike kao, this type of jin is not performed Lie can be used by suddenly turning the waist using explosively. Not using force but, like water, seeping into a oblique or diagonal force to either side of your own body and also to either side of your opponent’s body. In practice, Incorporating the Five Steps (Wu Bu) this energy is often applied by using, for example, your left leg to control your opponent’s right leg and then using both People often become overly concerned about Taijiquan’s hands to attack on one side of his body. In Chenjiagou requirements, to the point that it affects their ability to use during push hands training practitioners are advised that the art practically. For example the requirement of “when the force comes in sideways you intercept it straight, rootedness is cited as being essential. But rootedness when it comes straight, intercept sideways.” without agility is of not much use in a real life combat Zhou is a close range method of striking with your elbow. situation. What a practitioner gains in terms of heaviness Chen Taijiquan’s elbow attacks can be used in numerous and stability, he loses through a lack of mobility. ways to the front, side and rear of one’s body, using either Taijiquan’s classic texts teach us that we should “take the point of the elbow or the flat of the elbow or upper steps like a cat.” That is, footwork must be precise, forearm. If a practitioner understands Chen Taijiquan’s stable and agile. To achieve this, in practice the eight sequential movement method (i.e. how movements unfold methods are combined with the “five steps” (wu bu) – jin through the joints from shoulder, to elbow to the hand) then almost every movement contains within it the possibility of tui gu pan ding (advance, retreat, guard the left, striking with the elbow. anticipate the right and the position of central equilibrium). Where the ba fa can be said to represent Kao is utilised when an opponent is very close to attack the hand/body skills of Taijiquan, the wu bu refers to its with the shoulder, back, chest, hip, buttock and other parts footwork skills. In reality the two cannot be separated of the body. For this method to be successful, the whole body must be in close contact with an opponent before and footwork and body movement must be combined attacking with the appropriate area.