Theory & Practice and the Three Levels of Achievements in Taiji

1. Theory and Practice

The taiji martial art system comprises of two aspects: the artistic - the conceptual, the body of the art; and the martial - the technique, the use of the art.

The artistic aspect provides a practitioner the conceptual tools to work out the best positioning. The martial aspect provides a practitioner the techniques to destroy.

Dealing with the art of taiji in the pure artistic way is just like treating it as an academic subject.

Developed from the pure artistic is the artisticalisation of the martial art - the art is practised as soft physical exercise. The stress in the exercise is on the spiritual aspect and the will power.

It should be noted that, without the support of training in fighting , a theoretician (soft physical exercise is generally not sufficient, unless having reached the level of achievement), no matter how knowledgeable, is like one who has a useless body .

Dealing the art of taiji in the pure martial way is different, it stresses on usefulness / effectiveness.

Developed from the pure martial is the martialisation of the martial art. It emphasises the strengthening of both the internal and external physical power (with more emphasises on physical strength). In action it calls for meeting the positive force with negative force - using intentional softness to dissolve the positive force. This is where taiji becomes a fighting art.

It should, however, be noted that, without the backup of the artistic, a fighter can only apply the techniques in a mechanical way and will not be able to deal with an unexpected situation which he has never been taught.

2. The Three Levels of Achievements

Upper-level: The practitioner starts with both the artistic and the martial from the very beginning and get the best of the art.

Mid-level: The practitioner starts from the artistic and develops the martial subsequently in accordance with his studies. Alternatively, he starts from the martial and works out the artistic from the applications. In both cases, the practitioner reaches a higher level through devotion to his art.

Low-level: The practitioner focuses on either the artistic way or the martial way only and manages to work out the best of either stream.

The distinctions are for illustration purpose. They are not in hierarchical orders as the emphasis is on the effort and achievement of the practitioner.

Useful training tool - The Taiji Ball

This is a taiji ball with its training table.

When I say "Taiji Ball", I just follow what people usually call it nowadays. Training with a wooden ball / stone ball is not monopolised by Taiji. The discussion below relates to training exercises from an internal martial art / taiji perspective.

This taiji ball is made of solid wood and weighs 7 pounds. It is made from a single piece of wood.

For advanced training, some martial artists use balls made of stone. Stone balls are heavy. The weight of a stone ball varies from 30 to 50 pounds.

A stone ball

A high quality wooden ball is costly and is usually much more expensive than a stone ball. A taiji ball made of combined wood is cheaper.

If a wooden ball is not readily available, a beginner can use a basket ball as a temporary substitution. However, one must note that a heavy ball is essential in developing the internal power. An alternative is to get a no holes bowling ball. Stone ball is good but is not for a beginner, who should always resist the temptation to use a stone ball.

I note that some people talk about the importance of the material from which the ball is made, saying that certain material is "chi" friendly. I have no comment on this. My view is that so long as the material does not hinder the rolling process or if it is not too heavy for your physical capability, it is useable.

There is no, and should not be any, "standard" size or "standard" weight. Imagine the absurdity of asking a small built and weak person to train with a large size stone ball; or asked a big guy to train with a small size and light weight ball.

I also note that there are "taiji balls" painted with colourful "taiji" symbols. Other than price, the colourful symbol does not and will not add any value to your training - know what you need and get what you need.

Back to the first photo. The training table has a concave surface. It was originally designed for the elderly to practise ball rolling exercise. The concave surface of the training table helps to control the movement of the taiji ball so that it will not roll outside the table area and drop onto the ground. The exercise is simple, you put the training table on a desk and the taiji ball on the training table. You then use your hand(s) (single or both) to roll the wooden ball, in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. It is said that the exercise assists the elderly to relax and increases the flexibility of their joints.

Internal martial art training exercises are complicated as there are various methods to roll the ball. A beginner can, however, take advantage of the concave surface of the training table for initial training. Following the ball's motion, a beginner learns how to do circular movements correctly. The ball's motion will rectify your motion. The training also assists a beginner to strengthen his torsos, and enhance the coordination of his mind and body. It will also enhance the beginner's sensitivity and the ability to detect the other's "centre".

After passing the initial training stage, a beginner can discard the concave training table and roll the ball on the desk top direct. It requires greater skill to roll the taiji ball on a flat platform. A higher level of control is also required as it is easy to drop the ball onto the ground and hurt your feet and / or damage your floor (this also destroys the taiji ball). When rolling the ball, the practitioner should imagine that his internal energy is flowing out like water from his "dantin" to his hand and use the energy, instead of the arm's muscles, to roll the ball. It is not necessary to use the palm to roll the taiji ball. One contact point is sufficient to rotate the taiji ball if internal power is used.

The next stage is to roll two balls at the same time, each hand controlling one ball.

It has to be noted that, it is not safe to roll a taiji ball (or two taiji balls at the same time) on the desk top without any precautionary measures. Some people put a towel on the desk but this will limit the rolling speed of the ball. Personally, I use a rectangular wooden plate with railing to do the exercise.

Apart from table top rolling, there are other rolling exercises such as rolling the ball on the wall or on edges of table. Use a basket ball for these exercises- don't take the risk to use a wooden ball or stone ball. In addition, there are some taiji ball standing exercises. A practitioner holds the taiji ball in his hands and performs various sets of specially designed circular movements - a wooden ball, instead of a stone ball, should be used. Through these exercises, a practitioner learns how to transmit internal force through circular movements, taking advantage of the centripetal force and the centrifugal force.

The training is not for muscles building. A practitioner should not fall into the trap of the Strong Man Principle. That's why it is not desirable to train with a heavy stone ball at the initial stage - one will even get hurt if his body is not fit enough for the stone ball.

The purpose of the training is to use external movements to activate internal movements - It is very difficult, if not impossible, to activate internal movements by practising empty-hand forms alone. You need to ignite your internal energy before it can be developed into internal power.

The taiji ball is a catalyst.

Some Training Tips:

(1) Do the table-top double hands ball rolling exercise. Once you have strong "chi" feeling in the arms, stop the ball rolling exercise. Do the Taiji Form whilst the "chi" feeling is subsisting. Compare the quality of the form exercise with that without the assistance of the ball rolling. How does it feel?
(2) Do the table-top double hands ball rolling exercise as a warm up before you practice push hand exercises with your training partner. How does it feel?

[Last Edit - 11.06.2011]

Understanding the "Force"

In my previous posts on the Taiji principles, I discussed the concept of "Getting back to the Origin" and the Stages of "knowing oneself" and "knowing others".

These are the keys to decipher the meaning of "Understanding the Force".

In the "Know Your Own self Stage", you "understand the force" within yourself. You start with activating your sleeping parts.

In the "Know Others' Stage", you "understand the force" outside yourself. The training is different, you should learn how to adhere to and get contact with the other's body. You learn how to make use of the force of the opponent and control him. That's where the push hand training comes into the picture. You learn how to adapt and adjust to different movements of the opponent and respond with "reflex action".

A beginner starts with the single-hand push hand. The high level push hand training has no form and involves a lot of throwing techniques. Strictly speaking, the push hand syllabus should only be started after a person has completed the "know your own self stage" training - Without first having known yourself, how can you possibly know the others?

Through the "Know Your Ownself" training, the practitioner regains a natural body which gives him the flexibility to adapt to different situations without losing his centre and balance - the principle of "giving up yourself and follows other" should be backed up by a natural body. Equipped by a natural body, a practitioner should be able to pick up the application techniques in a quick pace.

Those who start the push hand training at a "pre-matured" stage will inevitably end up finding themselves locking horns with their classmates. Not knowing the importance of and the rationales behind the basic trainings, the "beginners" (in the sense of knowledge, not seniority) find it difficult, if not impossible, to "dissolve" the brutish force of their classmates without also using brutish force to counter act. They end up doing weight lifting at the gym, condemning the Taiji Classic as a piece of nonsense.

The importance of "Kua"

The "Kua" is the connection between the upper part and the lower part of the body. The post on Back Power analyses the importance of the back and its key role in the upper part of the body. Activating the upper part alone is not sufficient. If the coordination with the lower part is not possible, exercising "coherent force" is an unattainable dream.

Many people talk about the principle of the "Three External Coordinations" without knowing what exactly it is. The "Coordinations" as emphasized do not simply mean different parts of the body doing things together. It is the transfer of power from the lower parts to the corresponding upper parts that counts.

To achieve the "Three External Coordinations", one should know the precise answers to the following questions:

1. Where is the "Kua"?
2. How to "loose" the "Kua"?
3. How to motivate the "Kua" to coordinate the upper parts and the lower parts of the body?

The saying that "There is no hand in Taiji" has highlighted the importance of this coordination through the "Kua".

The "Kua" is usually considered as the "big fist" in human body - we use the power coordinated by the "Kua" to hit, the hand is just part of the medium in the power transfer process.

Adding and Releasing

Adding and Releasing are 2 complementary application techniques in Taiji.

In the post on Spherical Body, I explained the technique of Releasing:

"Imagine you are a ball filling with air inside.............. If your force is directed to one side only, it will piece through the wall of the ball. The "air" is released, and you lose the power: you are in an unbalanced position."

What then is Adding?

In order to maintain the optimum position, the air inside the ball should be no more or no less. If more air is injected inside the ball, it will become unstable due to the increased pressure: You are in an unbalanced position.

Balancing oneself with 2 legs is not an easy task as one normally conceives - it is a result of continuous daily practice since we first learned to walk. Once this take-for-granted mechanism is disturbed, it is very difficult for a person to main his balance.

Adding and Releasing are useful tools for disturbing your opponent's balancing mechanism. One way to do it is to add air into the ball and then release it - an application technique applying the Yin / Yang Conversion Principle.

Taiji Sword as a Training Tool

The taiji sword is an advanced level training tool.

One has to consider the taiji sword from 2 different perspectives. The sword as a weapon and the sword as an extension of the limbs.

I may write something on the weapon aspect in the future.

The second aspect relates to empty-hand combat. It can further be sub-divided into 2 sub-headings:

1. Power enhancer: A sword used for power training is different from a demonstration sword. A "real sword" (like the one in the photo) should be used for the purpose of power training. A "real sword" is much heavier than a demonstration sword. Manipulating and making use of the weight of a "real sword" requires specific technique.

In a taijiquan form, it is the body that leads the limb. In a sword play using a "real sword" it is the limb that leads the body - the purpose is to enhance the flowing of power like "mercury in a bamboo pipe". One has to note that after the flow of power is achieved, you revert back to the "body leading the limb" principle, with the kua doing the decisive role - this is the Negation of the Negation.


2. Application Techniques: The sword form embodied the advanced level application techniques in the taiji martial art system. Apart from the hand techniques, it has many complicated footworks. This complement the limitation of the Taijiquan form.

Looking at the sword form from a different angle, you will have many interesting discoveries.

The sword play is not equal to sword dance.

Borrowing of Power in Taiji

It is said that the Taiji symbol comprises of 2 fish. One in white, representing yang, the positive force; the other one in black, representing yin, the negative force.

It looks as if the white fish is chasing the black fish, and vice versa.

What does this mean?

It means that Yin and Yang are interrelated. In their extreme forms, the Yin force will transform into the Yang force and the Yang force will transform into the Yin force.

Imagine you stand firm on the ground and use all your strength to push forward. In a normal situation, you will choose the best body position in order to exercise your strength effectively. You are then in a balance position. But if you try to extend your hands and / or body a little bit forward without moving your feet, your strength will decrease as soon as your balance position is altered. Instead of increasing your strength, the extension decreases it. Your Yang force is transforming into Yin force. This is of course only a crude example to help you appreciate the mechanism involves. Obviously, the other party will not do an own goal to unbalance himself. Martial art involves the interaction between 2 human bodies. The transfer of power between 2 persons is more complicated.

Transformation from Yin to Yang requires special technicality. This is not just an increase of force from within a practitioner's own body. Whilst a taiji practitioner is able to exercise powerful internal strength after completing the traditional trainings as explained previously, this is not the flower of the art. Taijiquan emphasises balance, coordination of mind and body and not to use brutish strength. Facing an attack, a taiji practitioner will not use brutish strength to counter-act. In response to a powerful attack, a taiji practitioner merges the Yang (positive) force of the other party with his own force, and then directs the force as merged to such a way that it serves to enhance the momentum of the taiji practitioner.

This is what people usually called the "borrowing of power".

Windsurfing is a good illlustration of what it is meant by borrowing an opponent's power to our advantage. A windsurfer takes advantage of the wind to drive his surf board forward. Likewise, instead of countering an opponent's positive force with positive force, a proficient taiji practitioner makes use of the force of the opponent to increase his momentum.

The increased momentum serves to increase the power of the taiji practitioner It also serves to break the opponent's balance and take all his power out - in their extreme forms, the Yin force will transform into the Yang force and the Yang force will transform into the Yin force.

The positive force generated as a result of the increased momentum will be directed back to the helpless opponent, who has been deprived of his power, and destroy him,