There’s quite a bit of chatter lately regarding the following videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXE8HqTSN3A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSMJVRN9pgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22Is3HGbeW0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2S8jvhJB6k

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JcJdl3ZPy8

Source: YahooGroups TCCList

It’s been discussed on the list that this IS the yang family middle frame forms developed by Yang Chien Hou.  Is this true? I’m not quite sure, but what I do feel is the form is rather interesting and unlike anything commonly seen as Yang Style. It’s interesting to note the practitioners intention and focus.

One thing I wanted to excerpt from the list discussion was a response when a member asked if double weighting is allowed in this frame. The response was:

Double weighting in this transmission is defined differently from the pounds and ounces approach. The idea is that what is involved is your attention and the functioning of the mind. It is the mind that differentiates Yin and Yang, not just physical weighting.

The weight is continually flowing between the feet, back and forth and back and forth, even though it may appeared centered. What is involved is fluidity and lightness as the attention shifts, attaches and shifts again.

– Steve Higgins on YahooGroups TCCList

The brings to mind a couple of things that has sparkled on the internet. Are we understanding the “Principles” correctly? For such a long time, the idea of double weighting has been attributed to having weight on both feet. However, Hong Jung Sheng refers to the concept as double heavy and defines things differently in his Chen Style Taijiquan Practical Method (Click on link for a review).  Even Chen Zhong Hua’s take on double heavy is slightly different though possibly the same thing from another perspective.

Even commenter, ZenMindSword has brought up the idea of challenging our current beliefs in regards to taiji principles. What’s interesting about the above comment from Steve Higgins is that it seems to relate a lot to what ZenMindSword has commented upon, it’s the mind.. the key lies in the mind. Hmm….

[tags]taiji, chen, principles, yang, middle, videos, quotes, czh, hjs, ych[/tags]

I got a comment from Cindy asking:

mmm….What are the basic principles of Taiji?

Initially, I pointed her to a listing of Yang Cheng Fu’s 10 Essential Principles.  But after thinking about this question for a bit, I started to ask myself, what IS a principle and why is it categorized as such?

Dictionary.com defines principle as:

a fundamental, primary, or general law or truth from which others are derived: the principles of modern physics.

The thing I like about this definition is how it related to OTHER things. Personally, I feel that if something is a principle, then it should be universally applicable to other situations.

Additionally, the CEO of AOL, Jonathon Miller noted:

… Taiji is applicable to many facets of life and work.

… Taiji principles hold a universal quality that impacts areas beyond martial arts.

… If these principles apply here, they should apply to other areas. If it is a true principle, it should apply in other places. That’s one of the tests of a true principle.”

Source: Taiji Principles for Business and Life by Stephan Berwick for Kung Fu Magazine

This reminds me of a teaching from my first chinese martial arts instructor. He basically told me not to copy his external form, but try to understand the underlying principles and essence of his movement.  But what does this really mean?

I received another comment on the blog from ZenMindSword:

… having a goal is good but the goal should not be to practice. it should be to realize the principles of taiji.

What are the principles of taiji and are they universally applicable? Are these principles those defined by Yang Cheng Fu?

One of the key principles in Taoism is the concept of balance or harmony between yin and yang. This extends to the ideas of full and empty (YCF Principle #4), internal and external (YCF Principle #8), hard and soft.  This common Taoist principle of harmony and balance was used to derive at least two of the 10 principles by YCF. Does that make it a universally applicable principle?  How do we realize the principles of taiji? What does “realize” truly mean?

[tags]taiji, principles, ycf[/tags]

That’s right, it’s been a whirl wind of a week and now I’m back to zero, the big Egg, 0. This is really quite depressing as I consider myself to be a serious practitioner of taiji. I guess perhaps I need to re-evaluate things Oh well, life moves on and so will I. I’ll practice when I can and try to enjoy it in that regard instead of lamenting over how I don’t practice.

[tags]training, progress, life, balance,taiji[/tags]

What is good taiji and how do we test this? Is good taiji merely the aesthetically pleasing execution of form?  A common way to test a person’s taiji skill is via Push Hands. Consider the quote:

Competitors wish to test ideals and actions analogous to fighting, such as rooting, footwork, sticking and throwing in the best way possible.

I’ve often commented and felt that push hands is not really fighting or applications, however I must agree with the above quote. Push hands training IS a good medium to test techniques used and applied in fighting situations.  Can we get the same kind of feedback in just forms training?

But what about the common argument that Push Hands is not taiji, it’s just glorified judo with slightly different rules?  I must admit, the first time I saw a Chinese Push Hands competition, I was a bit thrown off b/c it went against my preconceptions of taiji and what it means to do taiji. 

To me, it appeared like a common playground shoving match in which the bigger person would always win, however after closer inspection and a bit of experience in the rough, I feel that taiji principles and techniques can be found within the training medium of Push Hands. This reminds me of a quote I ran across that basically went,

If you cannot handle my push, then there is something wrong with your taiji, not mine.

What is the state of Push Hands in the US? I’ve never been to a national Push Hands competition, so I can’t really say with any experience, however after watching Push Hands Competition in America: A Critical Examination I question not only what taiji means in the minds of westerners, but whether or not we understand what it means to do taiji.

For me, taiji is about remaining calm in the face of adversary. It’s about being rooted and being able to stick and adapt to any situation, whether it be physical or psychological. It’s about deflecting the negative so we can proceed with the positive.

[tags]taiji, pushhands, competition, training, testing, application, meaning[/tags]