yin-yang. march... and you will find. Its polarized force spreads to the ends For health as well as for self-defense of the universe. or martial arts, the respect of bio- The It permeates more or less into mechanical and energy laws everything. guarantees greater efficiency. It is in It manifests itself in completeness or the contrariety of these natural opposition according to the degree of principles that wounds or weaknesses of the intimacy with the right medium. appear. The Tai-chi disappears in the rest and To be able to respect the natural is therefore defined by two actions movement, you need to relax because necessary for its manifestation: nervous and emotional tensions lead continuous movement and polarity. to parasitic muscle contractions. To Taiji We had seen some polarities in the relax in depth is to «clean» our whole energies: tension-relaxation, action- being while activating more and restraint, earth-sky, left-hand, front- more networks of vital energy. Thus, The energy of Tai-chi comes rear, top-down, inside-outside, ... the road being clear, the movement is from Wu-chi (whose general Imagine a balloon: its center is the free and fluid. meaning is the absence of Wu-ji, its rays manifest polarities. manifestation which, for The right gesture can manifest. The Tai-chi is impregnated in bodily disciplines, means physical and visible manifestations: CLEAN UP. WHAT IS TAI-CHI immobility). This energy, ellipses, helicoids, spirals, torus and CHUAN NOT? like a mother, gives birth to especially the eight in the three dimensions or sign of the infinite, , those who It does not define itself with lemniscate. The eight motion is the slowness. If you slowly made a appear separately in the embodiment of the universal energy sequence of gestures of Karate, or chi movements and disappear in field. It is like a stagnation of slow kung would it be Tai-chi chuan? the rest.” waves not having enough speed and Moreover, in the schools of Tai-chi space to continue their journey. They chuan, there are multiple sequences Chuan Treaty of move on the spot. The vibrations (taolu, kata, kuen) made with speed WANG Tsung-Yueh remain but «weighed down» and as, for example, the san shou and the (Zongyue) confined to a particular place, pao chui as well as the explosive continuing their dance in the shape of movements of the form of Yang eight. Luchan. Slowness does not define the In summary, the Tai Chi includes the principle of polarity. continuous movement through the Is the Tai-chi chuan distinguished by yin-yang polarity that forms a whole. relaxation? If so, the kungfu of the In other words, the All manifests drunk man is not bad in this field... itself in the multiple through polarity. Relaxation does not define biomechanical polarities but is one of The question I would like to ask you the conditions. now is: how to manifest Tai-chi in Is it defined by the fact that it is a body practice and in particular in the gentle and peaceful gymnastic with art that directly refers to it, Tai-chi meditative colors? No, because yoga chuan? or any other sweet practice would More precisely, how to move while deserve that name. respecting the principle of yin-yang polarity in continuity? Tai chi is movement, change of point of view. Put aside everything you But first, we must ask ourselves why. have learned. Be like a child discovering novelty. Be careful to WHY SHOULD WE experience for yourself with humility Tai chi. Strength and form. Supreme INCORPORATE TAI CHI LAWS in order to verify any assertion. polarity. Promise of balance. INTO OUR BODY PRACTICE? Program for the creation of life and The double burden : its transfiguration, Tai Chi is an Try to walk so that the spine and legs energy, as we identified it in Tai Chi do not move a hair. Try to run “When you see someone, practising Mag No. 6. without swinging your arms... For for many years, unable to transform Tai-chi is the energy of life, that is, walking and running, nature has the attack and allowing themselves to the universal electromagnetic created a subtle bio-mechanics in be dominated by the adversary, it is dynamic described in negative- which each joint moves in total because he has not understood this positive terms: in other words, harmony with the others. Observe fault that is double heaviness.” according to the Chinese tradition, and observe the mechanisms of your WANG Tsung-Yueh wrist, elbow and shoulder. As the arm arms. When the arms go up, the Some classical texts speak of double goes down, the hand opens more elbows and wrists are bent. We will heaviness as having the weight with the wrist in extension (yang) designate this position as yin. Both evenly distributed on both feet. This and when it goes up it is released the arms are yin at the same time. When clearly means a neutral position the wrist in flexion (yin). descending, these are extended (the weight in the middle and stagnant. Now, remember the double heaviness inside of the arm stretches). Let’s On the contrary, the Tai-chi chuan is often understood as the weight designate this as yang. the polarized movement and as soon evenly distributed on both feet. What You have just discovered a polarity as the body moves in a natural way, it about both hands? 2 yin or 2 yang: among others but memorizes their manifests it. isn’t that the double heaviness? Also, common point: the arm flexes and doesn’t the bottom lead the top? If the palm rather directed inwards How would you avoid double the pressure on the ground must manifests a withdrawal on oneself heaviness? The weight must fluctuate constantly alternate from one foot to and corresponds to the yin. The arm from one foot to the other, right? And the other, can the weight (the force) extended, unfolded and the palm how? Take the walk as a guide. What be the same in both hands more outward is said yang. do you observe? The weight simultaneously ? If you perceive the alternation of the "crashes" on the heel, "flows" on the rise of the arms in yin posture and the line of the second small toe, "rotates" The stiffness : descent in yang position, you notice towards the base of the big toe and an alternating complementarity then passes over the heel of the other “Size controls the whole body (...) forming a tai-chi. foot. Note that it does not pass synchronize the upper part with the through the point N° 1 of the lower part of the body (...) make your 2) Frontal polarity (in front meridian of acupuncture of the movements continuously and without plane) : kidneys... This is sometimes referred interruption.” to as the anchor point, but it is YANG Chengfu located in a hollow at 2/3 of the foot length and cannot be a crossing point Stiffness manifests the immobility of for walking, running or any other two or more contiguous joints in movement. Just look at the trace relation to each other. drawn by a wet bare foot on a Stiffness indicates that stagnation wooden terrace to see this replaces life, immobility replaces phenomenon. fluid motion. If a wave, coming from The heel is a cushion to absorb the the legs or the waist, encounters a set shock into the ground. The outer of excessively gassed joints, it fades edge and small toes are provided for or “dies” in the latter and does not balance. The big toe serves as a communicate its dynamics to the thruster. If we put the weight on point upper limbs. 1 of the meridian of the kidneys, it is in static position in equilibrium on a The alternating polarities : single leg. In truth, in the walk, the path of a Now, I’m gonna take you on a tour of foot resembles the ribbon of möbius. space to map out possible polarities. Look what it is in a dictionary or on You must perform the movements the internet... In addition, the weight quickly or imagine that you are doing on the ground is an arc of circle... them in the water. It may be that you Take the same starting position and which, passing on the other foot, see your arms all the time yin... It then spread the feet shoulder-width, forms an eight or a lemniscate, a doesn’t matter what happens next. finally putting the weight in the wave, a wave, an S! This would be middle. Now push with one leg and the manifestation of Tai-chi, yin- 1) The polarity on the vertical then the other alternately by yang, for the pressure under the feet. axis : transferring your weight from one Remark: here, Tai-chi is not a circle. foot to the other. Let’s designate the Put your arms together along the leg that stretches for propulsion as For the next experiment, release the right body. Go up and down bending yang and the other as yin. arms and back well. Propels the body your knees wide and rhythmically on Accentuates the wavy swinging with the legs and drives a wave a second round trip. Lift and lower through the spine and arms. Put your through the spine into the arms and your arms as if they were chains or arms on the sides at shoulder height. hands. bird wings: start with the shoulder, Observes and observes... The back then the elbow and finally the wrist. leans right and left. One arm goes up First, walk as if you were in a hurry What happens? The soft arms climb yin while the other goes down yang. while being fluid (don’t confuse away from the trunk and descend fluidity with joint flexibility). The back into contact. And what else? 3) The transverse polarity in arms are thrown by the movement of Observe... There is a wave, a wave symmetry (horizontal) : the bust. Observe the position of the that spreads symmetrically in both in its construction, visits its five the right hand stagnates in yin dimensions in a precise order, we position while the left was yang and could progress in the same way in the becomes yin. Why does one follow learning of Tai-chi chuan... but this is the rest of the body and the other the subject of another chapter. not ? It turns out that the right hand becomes independent, «dead». The What can you conclude about the simultaneous yin-yang that we see in polarities experienced above? the press turns into double heaviness Don’t you see the double burden in the two hands yin in the back then some plans? the two hands yang in the push. This Yes,... there are two yin or yang arms reveals a lack of unity, fluidity and at the same time for polarities 1, 3, 4 polarity is not applied. and 5! Double heaviness except for Here are the movements respecting motion in the frontal plane bending the yin-tang: to the right and left. For the incarnation of Tai-chi in the movements, it is imperative to move in this frontal plane!

TAI CHI CHUAN COMPLETE The universal and perpetual (Full Taiji) : movement : From your position with your feet spread apart, advance your torso by In truth, what is the general rule of “When you can feel that Yin and bombarding it with the arms opening Tai Chi that can apply to any part of Yang complement each other in the then back it by digging it with the the body? movements, then you can say that arms closing at a rhythm creating a The double heaviness is having a you have understood what the wave up to the fingertips. Observes position with two yin or two yang at internal energy of Tai Chi Chuan is.” and observes. Yin-yang is the same time. WANG Tsung-Yueh symmetrical. Conversely, and by definition, the bio-mechanics of Tai-chi is You have, for the moment, visited 4) Sagittal polarity (vertical plane necessarily a simultaneous yin-yang each plane of space separately. Can a front-back) : complementarity at all levels. movement combine them while respecting yin-yang? From your previous posture, lean How could the yin-yang of the legs forward and backward, arms down and weight generate double This movement is the complete Tai- and up in front of you. Spread the heaviness in the arms and hands if chi and has no «double heaviness». wave of your spine into your hands. one of the main rules of Tai-chi is the This means that there is the yin at the When you go up in front, they are fluidity driven from one place of the same time as the yang, at any time yin. When you go down, they are body to another? and everywhere in the body, without yang, aren’t they? If the top is headed from the bottom interruption. and there is no double heaviness at Isn’t that the goal of the passionate 5) Asymmetric (horizontal) the bottom, then there is no heaviness practitioner? transverse polarity : at the top either. Can it be a round trip in a straight line? No, because there is a stop to From the last position with your back Example of error in the execution of go back in the opposite direction. straight, spiral your spine horizon- Tai-chi chuan movements: Is it a circle? No, because it is in one talement. Keep your arms soft and let plane and is in double heaviness for them go around your pelvis and the sagittal plane. waist. Be careful not to over-twist the When moving from Press to Push, But, it’s an idea... joints to avoid pinching the nerves. Do the experiment: When your bust is facing, the arms Performs a large circle with the stretch on both sides and are hands face-to-face in the frontal therefore yang. When wrapping plane and in a naturally fluid way: around the waist, they are folded and there is polarity... In the sagittal yin. plane, the hands are yin then yang at the same time... In the transverse Have we visited all dimensions of the plane (horizontal), there is polarity. space? Frontal or forehead plane, Is it possible that the movements of sagittal or foreback plane, transverse the Tai-chi chuan are done only in the or horizontal plane? Yes. In fact, we frontal and transverse planes? visited five bio-mechanical Perhaps, but this is not the case... movements. Knowing that the being, And, there is a way to combine the three plans. Not being able to be in a single performed through all joints. plane, the movement must synthesize THE FUNDAMENTAL RULES the five polarities... Does this remind However, one of the eight is the OF TAI-CHI CHUAN : you of something? … , The five «source» and corresponds to the one elements of and the body uses for its movements: First rule : CONTINUITY medicine also found in our energy walking and running. It is with this The movement is continuous. Each alchymic tradition: earth, water, fire, one, being energy channel of the Tai- joint is constantly moving: all, metal/air and wood/ether. chi, that you will make the technique without exception, even those of the You may understand that the five natural and effective for health as fingers. elements are integrated into the Tai well as for the fight. Chi... This eight must include the opening Second rule : THE POLARITE So, what is this famous totally Tai- and closing of the horizontal plane as The biomechanical polarity is chi movement? well as the spirals inside the waves or manifested in the six dimensions that waves of the spine and the four are: high-low, right-left (frontal), Here is the answer: the eight or limbs. front-rear (sagittal), horizontal lemniscate, the torus, the sign of symmetric (transverse), horizontal infinity in the three dimensions... Do you feel that it would take a lot of asymmetric and temporal rhythm. Expression of the yin-yang in- work? Yes and no. It was mainly the The synthesis being a wave or wave interrupted force! thought process to reach this propagating through all the joints The eight is a very ancient conclusion that took a long time. making an eight except in the Wu-chi understanding of the universe as an Integrating the eight in the Tai-chi posture, the movements of the essential dynamic element of life. chuan or other sequences, it is easy Opening and the Closures in which Lemniscates are everywhere: look at enough for some, very difficult for the eight are in a doite-left symmetry. the trees composed of branches, some and impossible for some... In other words, it is necessary that trunk and roots, animals and humans the movement be coordinated so as to with their brains, their eyes, their Remember this: every effort has its form a whole (tai chi) and to nostrils, their ears. They are also reward. manifest yin-yang complementarity found in the structure of DNA, the The eight also says «eight lazy» or or flexion-extention. «Birkeland currents» of cosmic the ribbon of möbius being the plasma embodied movement of Tai-chi, it is Rule 3 : NO EXTREMES . Learn about the Earth’s guarantor of harmony. If you perform The five “whips” of the spine and the electromagnetic field. undulating movements in yin-yang limbs each form an S or an arc. The Several methods use the eight lying symmetry with double heaviness, it is five «whips» are never in a straight down to rebalance the cerebral already beneficial... But, the benefits posture except in the Wu-chi posture hemispheres. are increased tenfold during a circuit before and after the start of the in eight. movements of the sequence. Here’s how to practice at the 8th: I Also, fluidity implies the fact that suggest you put your hands together yang persists within the yin and vice in front of you. Draw a wide versa. The weight never goes horizontal eight in a flexible way completely either front or behind. with the articulations moving in The eight being made by the pressure waves one after the other, going up exerted under the feet, the weight, it, behind you to the right and left, front follows a shorter path avoiding the and back. You can do it in two extreme yin or yang. The pressure directions: either up or down the and weight under the feet does not middle. Continue by spreading your pass on the N°1 of the kidney hands about thirty centimetres apart. meridian. The weight fluctuates from There you are, making a real the rear forefoot to the heel of the essential movement of Tai-chi! It is front foot as long as there is no well yin-yang for hands and arms movement. This avoids extreme yin without interruption and in the three or yang (and imbalance in fighting or dimensions. pushing hands, etc.).

Fourth rule : INTEGRATED There are several eight that can be INTERNAL POLARITES done in both directions. They form The practitioner must evolve to what I call the sphere of eight. This integrate and balance the energy gives multiple possibilities to To sum up, the true Tai Chi Chuan polarities that are feminine- introduce these eight in any form of manifests the natural laws of polarity masculine and earth-sky. For this, the gestural choreography including in of the universe. This is why I mind () must be centered at the the forms of the Tai-chi chuan of translate Tai-chi chuan (Taiji quan, energetic heart and distributed both Yang Chengfu and Yang Luchan.... Taiki kuan,...) by Boxing of the inside and outside the body. The shen Knowing that these must be Supreme Polarity. is therefore everywhere. (See article in No. 6 of Tai-chi Mag.)

By mastering the four fundamental rules in a body art, one is a master in Tai Chi... Chuan (quan) translating into boxing, Tai-chi master chuan means that these rules are also integrated into the art of fighting.

To start your training, if you want, resumes the eight lying down with hands joined then separated but always parallel palms and soft wrists in yin-yang. In the second time, perform the eight with the pressure of the feet on the ground during your sequence (taolu, kata...).

Fabrice Hohn, 2015 http://taichichuan.yoga.free.fr

N.B. (later addition to the published article): The installation of corrugated movements in 4 planes plus the axis (5 base movements) exists in very few schools and perhaps partially most of the time. Moreover, as proof to the contrary, and compared to my current knowledge, the application of the eight-motion in Tai-chi chuan is unique and exists only in my teaching.