The Core Secret of Tai Chi: Shared for Practitioners
No matter standing, practicing, the core secret or the pursued goal is: stillness, intent, gather and release.
stillness
What is meant by 'stillness' is that the muscles all are not exerted, every muscle is relaxed.
Only when truly relaxed, 'stillness' also becomes easy to achieve, both the brain and the body achieve stillness, naturally also achieves 'stillness'.
Therefore, 'stillness', 'relaxation', 'loosening' are a whole, cannot be looked at separately. This is the only way to cultivate inner energy.
intent
What is meant by 'intent' is mental activity, Tai Chi practices intent not force.
Therefore, whether standing or practicing, all are based on 'intent' to command movement.
The body cannot initiate actively. It is 'intent' to command, it is a passive.
'Tai Chi has no hands, two feet walk empty' is the meaning.
When you achieve 'relaxation', 'stillness', and 'loosening', after a long time, the body will produce a feeling: sinking and rising, from the feet, and then up to the top of the head, like water, like airflow, following your 'intent' to flow. This feeling is 'inner energy'.
'What is 'energy'? It is the energy generated and induced by 'intent' inside the body. In the confrontation with a hand-fighter, not use body to push the person down, but through contact point to release 'energy', that is, to release 'energy', the other person will instantaneously float.
gather and release
As above, 'inner energy' is energy.
So how to cultivate and accumulate? Just one word: 'loosening'.
'Loosening' is the most representative concept in Tai Chi, and it is also the most basic. It takes a lifetime to practice. If you truly 'loosening', your Tai Chi Kungfu will grow, the more 'loosening', your Tai Chi Kungfu will be better. Otherwise, external appearance how beautiful and lovely, or learn how many sets of, in fact, it is just learning an empty. Like a very exquisite car model, its exterior is very realistic, but inside there is no machine. For Tai Chi Kungfu, this 'machine' is inner energy.
Often, when you think you have been very relaxed, a little external stimulation will immediately stiffen, this is because not really 'loosening'.
To practice 'loosening' well, first you must understand the recognition of 'loosening'.
When you first learn Tai Chi Kungfu, teachers often ask you to relax, and you always doubt, thinking 'loosening' can really practice Kungfu. Then you are misled by the influence of 'release force and loosen' and as a result, it seems to be very 'loose and soft', but it cannot withstand testing, and when you fight with a hand-fighter, it becomes stiff. After long-term practice, you gradually experience the importance of relaxation, and then you put down your efforts to study relaxation and pursue relaxation.
'Loosening' must be large 'loosening', the whole body 'loosening', every muscle must be relaxed. So much emphasis on 'loosening' is for gathering inner energy. Tai Chi Kungfu is a 'Kungfu with intent, not force' type. When you practice to a certain extent, Tai Chi Kungfu sends out, not use muscle strength, but to release inner energy in an instant, and its power is very great. This inner energy is actually energy. This energy is obtained first by the relaxation of the body. Therefore, in a sense, Tai Chi Kungfu is a 'relaxation Kungfu'.
Before gaining inner energy, the conventional rules of Tai Chi Kungfu must be followed and practiced.
such as 'middle' is centered. The human tailbone to the top of the head is an axis, the axis cannot be tilted, the supporting arm can be flexible to lift goods. Imagine a leaning tower, can it lift goods if the tower is tilted and shaking? When practicing Kungfu, the body is like a leaning tower. Only when it is centered, the arms can be flexible and powerful; otherwise, it will not push and fall. Punching Kungfu is the same, such as circling, and connecting both arms and strength, it will not be pushed down. If any part of the body is stiff, like the withered branches and scars of the willow tree, the force of the foot is not transmitted, when fighting with a hand-fighter, this part becomes the point that is defeated. Therefore, it is important to 'loosening' well.
When inner energy is generated, how to apply it, depends on the guidance of 'intent'.
'Intent' means mental activity. In the practice of and fighting with hand-fighter, inner energy listens to the guidance of 'intent', if it wants to go to where, then go to where, this is inner energy flowing.
In the confrontation with a hand-fighter, follow the direction of the contact point, guide it to your own weak point, at the same time, your foot-based force (inner energy) returns to the other person, the other person will instantly float. It is very important that your contact point cannot use body action, cannot use muscle action, but rely on inner energy to trigger, and this must be 'loose and soft'.
Tai Chi Kungfu is different from other Kungfu and sports in terms of its distinct philosophical guidance, which is the Chinese ancient philosophy of Yin and Yang. Ancient Chinese people believe that in the world, everything exists in a relationship of Yin and Yang, which is constantly transforming and changing. From the largest to the sky and the earth, the earth is heavy and cloudy and dark, which is Yin; the sky is bright and light and floating, which is Yang. From small to a person's little finger, there is also a relationship of Yin and Yang.
Tai Chi's and fighting with handfighter, there is no place that does not exist a relationship of Yin and Yang changing and transforming. What is meant by opening and closing, 'loose and soft', 'stillness and movement' is the different appearance of Yin and Yang. Because of different emphasis in different Tai Chi schools, such as Sun style Tai Chi emphasizes opening and closing, Chen style Tai Chi emphasizes 'loose and soft', the same essence is the transformation of Yin and Yang. Therefore, I think as long as you truly understand the relationship of Yin and Yang, and through practice, you will understand the Kungfu that suits you, the experience and theory of predecessors, if you just understand the surface, Kungfu will not be able to be practiced.
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