The three tips align with each other

“The three tips align with each other(三尖相照)” is one of the important teachings of traditional Chinese martial arts. However, I feel that its essence has not been known in general.

 

At the moment of hitting, the ground and the fist hitting point should be connected directly.  In this reason, it is the rules of posture that must be taken. Let me explain it.

The three tips mean the nose tip, the fist front, and the front toe.

Please take a look at Photo 1 when I take a pose to hit the fist into the opponent face.

 

As seen from the front view, the nose tip, the fist front, and the front toe are on a straight line. You can see that the rear heel is also included on this straight line.

It is dynamically important that these four points lie on the same plane.

This is the posture that the fist and the ground are directly connected without diverting the force.

 

When I learned and practiced Taijiquan in the beginning stage, I was told that I should be a board.

The board means the plane including these four points.

Taijiquan instructors should understand this dynamic theory concept, otherwise they could not teach students. Please remember this.

 

There is always existing action and reaction force pairs when hitting an object. It is the earth power that turns the reaction force back.

 

The theory using the earth power is also common to the kicking skills.

Photo 2 shows the posture to kick the opponent bladder with the heel.

Can you see that the right heel and the earth are directly connected?