Taijiquan, Back to the tradition
There are no martial arts without Jin (勁). What is a traditional Neijin (内勁)?
Tai Chi is the northern style of Chinese martial arts, and bow stance is fundamentally used for strikes and punches.
Most parts of the Tai Chi forms (套路) are repetitions of this bow stance.
If you did not master the bow stance, you could not defeat people with Tai Chi’s palm strike.
Let’s explain.
Horse stance is the fundamental stance in all style of martial arts. Japanese Karate also has horse stance named Kiba-dachi.
In Chinese martial arts, the way of standing differs from school to school.
What does the Tai Chi horse stance look like?
Let’s explain.
In Northern Chinese martial arts, “Parting the wild horse’s mane (野馬分鬃)” is taught as a side strike with the backhand fist from the cross hands.
However, Tai Chi does not use a backhand fist, it is a strike with the backhand open palm.
Let’s explain.
The theme is Middle Dantian.
“Dantian”, which is generally said, is actually Low Dantian, which is located about 10 cm beneath the navel.
This is the center of energy and also the center of gravity of the body.
Stable movement with high efficiency can be done if setting the starting point of movement here.
Low Dantian is very famous as “Dantian”.
However, it seems that the existence of Middle Dantian is not well known.
This time, based on my martial arts experience, I would like to talk about Middle Dantian.
Cloud hands are Tai Chi (Taijiquan) essential movements.
There could not be Tai Chi without practicing the cloud hands.
Tai Chi uses the hands as touching sensors.
This is the Tai Chi fighting style.
（虚領頂勁 虚霊頂勁 虛領頂勁 虛靈頂勁 虚领顶劲 虚灵顶劲）
In the sports world, there is the word of “entering the zone”.
What does it mean? If you enter the zone, you can drive your best performance. In this state, relaxing and tense are living together, and your concentration is peak. You are in mysterious state.
Traditional theory in Taijiquan tells us an importance of “Top force with the neck empty (虛領頂勁)”.
Today, I would like to explain the relation between “Top force with the neck empty” and “entering the zone”.
“Grasp the Peacock’s Tail (攬雀尾)” is often compared with “Lazily Tying Coat (懶扎衣)” of Chen style Taijiquan, but these two are completely different techniques.
Grasp the Peacock’s Tail is a joint lock technique and it’s application is veiled. Let’s get started to explain what it is.
“Horse patrol stands high (高探馬)” is a technique to hit down with your right hand, with controlling the opponent with your left hand.
This technique itself is not special, very simple as many martial arts have this technique. But, it might be different in the point of view how to use the power of the backbone.
Let me explain.
Heel Kick (蹬脚)
Generally speaking, people who are doing Taijiquan seem to be not good at kicking. I often see the kick that the direction of power is not focused when kicking with a toe or with a heel.
“Sink the chest, raise the back (合胸抜背)” are the words that Taijiquan practitioners may commonly know. It is one of the important teachings so I would like to explain it in my own views.