Taiji is an intelligent self-defence system and requires more skill

2. Taiji is an intelligent self-defence system and requires more skill
Q6: What should a person aim to achieve when first starting out in Taijiquan practicing Push Hands?
 
A: For people who are interested in learning Push Hands, the first step is to start with Single Hand circling exercises then move onto Double-Hand Push Hands. The Double-Hand Push Hands uses touching, turning and circling movements in the exercises, which leads you to the stage of completion of the five main methods of Push Hands in the system.
 
At this level, you should start to know the components of Push Hands while keeping in mind the mechanics of your own body. You learn the "sticky" skills with the "follow up" ability by rooting your own strength into the ground. Always make sure to balance yourself in a firm, strong and rooted stance for different positions or situations. You stay in touch with your opponent's arm by sticking whilst moving during the Push Hands exercise. This should increase your sensitivity to discover an opponent's strengths and weaknesses, creating attack or defence opportunities. Click to learn Myocardiopathy in TCM.

Q7: What are the important issues for advanced levels of Push Hands practice and applications?

A: Use the mind to manage the body and movements without stiffness and any over-use of strength. The strength has to be no more than enough and no less than needed, just enough to support your movement and application. At this stage, the following tips are highly recommended to Taiji practitioners:

Bend and Straight movements:  Every time when you bend a limb (arm or leg) you immediately straighten it out again. The bend movements normally coincide with collecting and gathering energy, along with breathing in. Once the energy has been increased to the limit, this is the time to release it. You can do this quickly and with power by extending your arms out in a strike movement. Alternatively, extend your arm out in a strike but this time slowly, with mind, intent and consciousness playing a much bigger part.  This will give the appearance of a slow gentle exercise characteristic of Taiji. N.B. The arms are never fully straightened. Click to learn Bradycardia in TCM.

Opening and Closing movements: In Taiji the Opening movements mean stretching out your body or limbs and the Closing movements mean the opposite. Opening is the beginning of the Closing and Closing is the beginning of Opening. When you open it will be followed by closing, and when you close it will be followed by opening. Both open and close change into each other. Always push out or release energy whilst you are just closing.
 
Sticking and Following Up movements: Sticking means using your limbs (such as arms or legs) to stay in contact with your opponent all the time whilst you use your skin to feel or detect the opponent's strength and intention of movement. This is the best way to get to know your opponent and yourself which may create an opportunity to defeat him. In order to continue sticking on your opponent, it requires you to follow his movements smoothly without using strong stiff strength against him until you detect a weakness or bad posture. It is at this moment when an attack or defence movement with energy release is going to have maximum impact. Click to learn Pulmonary Heart Disease">Chronic Pulmonary Heart Disease in TCM.
 
Solid and Empty: This is a perfect example of using the principle of Yin and Yang. Empty is considered as Yin and Solid is considered as Yang. In the movements when you put your physical weight mostly on one leg or there is real intension of attack it is called Yang. Where there is less weight on one leg or a false intention of attack it is called Yin, i.e., an opponent uses his right hand and pushes your left shoulder. You decide to use empty Yin to follow the push. You simultaneously rotate your body with the push, combining Yang/Solid on your right shoulder to follow through for attack. Yin/Yang are simultaneously present at all times. During Push Hands, you should always be highly alert and use your intelligence to play with your opponents. By constantly changing the Solid and Empty states of the movements, it makes it difficult for your opponent to find out where your real intention or weight is and lose track of you. This brings you even more opportunities to win the game during Push Hands. Click to learn Coronary Arteriosclerotic Cardiopathy in TCM.

Skills and Strength: Taiji is an intelligent self-defence system and requires more skill than brute physical strength. Taiji attempts to use less strength to skillfully overcome strong strength, like a matador skillfully evading a bulls attack. Taiji attempts to lead a person's line of strength-or attack to a safe empty place (where you will not be hurt!) then use that momentum, along you’re your energy release to throw or push the opponent even further down that line of attack. For example, somebody wants to shoulder charge a door open, at the last second you open the door. The opponent meets no resistance, whereby you help them fly through the door even more. Having said all that, it is good to have enough strength within yourself to withstand the initial attack, just in case your skill is not sufficient yet or you meet a higher level Taiji practitioner. In cases where the levels of skills of the the practitioner is equal, strength is the deciding factor. Do not ignore strength training during Taiji practice. It takes years to skillfully throw a much stronger bigger opponent around! When your skill reaches a high enough level, it can seem supernatural to the untrained eye. Click to learn Rheumatic Heart Disease in TCM.

Q8: What is your average day of training, teaching and work?

A:  I train whenever I can throughout the day on a flexible basis, having no set time. Sometimes, I will go to bed at 2 a.m. in the morning and get up seven hours later at 9 a.m. Then in the day I will work on the computer for the Web site, DVDs and Video production, also doing bookwork and administration if there are no day time classes.

Later, I will teach my evening classes, which are always run on a regular time schedule. Between teaching each class, I always meditate or hold the Taijiquan stance for a while, which makes me feel full of energy.

The training I do usually lasts for around two to three hours at a time. Starting with Warm-ups, Silk Reeling and stance practice, then the new frame of 83 forms and Cannon Fist. I follow this with the straight-sword form which I always practice with or without the sword in my hand, depending on if I have it with me or not. Finally, Fajin (energy releasing) stance, holding and meditation. After sweating so much, I usually have a short rest and then go for a shower to help me freshen up, leaving me with a nice feeling all over. Click to learn Viral Myocarditis in TCM.

Q9: Is competition in Push Hands much different to traditional Push Hands? If so, please could you tell us why?

A: Yes, there is a big difference between the two. In competition of Push Hands, there are many rules for safety reasons, restricting many very effective techniques used in real combat. You have a very limited chance to perform authentic Chen Style Taijiquan Push Hands as it is traditionally supposed to be in the real world. As a result, many powerful Chen Style Taijiquan Push Hands techniques cannot be used as intended.

Push Hands is used as a bridge between form practice and real fighting, based on sticking skill and body sensitivity. There are many hand, foot and leg movements involved, including the eight methods of fighting skill. These are Ward Off, Roll Back, Squeeze, Press, Pull, Cross Strike, Elbow and Shoulder.
 
In real traditional Push Hands, energy can be released instantly at any time with any part of your body being able to attack.
 
Q10: How do you see Chen Style Taiji in the next 30 years?

A: Thirty years ago, Chen Style Taiji was only mainly taught in the Chenjiagou Village and most people did not have the opportunity to train in it. But now, they are able to be exposed to the original style of Taiji and learn to understand the Yin-Yang balance with soft and hard in unity. The great health benefits are combined with the self-defence skills involved in the form. I think that Chen Style Taiji will continue to grow very quickly. Particularly, the shorter introductory Taiji-for-Health Exercises and 18 Forms help people learn more easily, which will bring more people in to learn authentic Taijiquan.