Yang ChenFu Ten Important Points
1.) The Headtop’s Jing (energy) be empty and agile.
Don’t use Li (external strength), or the neck will be stiff and the Qi (vital life energy) and blood cannot flow through. If the headtop’s energy is not empty and agile then one cannot raise the Shen (spirit) up.
2.) Sink the chest and Raise the Back.
The chest is depressed naturally to let the Qi sink to the Dantian. (Center point of the body) Don’t throw out the chest or Qi gets stuck on the chest and the body becomes top-heavy and bottom-light and will be easily uprooted. Raise the Back is to let Qi sticks to the spine. If one can relax the chest then it automatically raise the back. Raise the back then one can discharge force from the bak and will be peerless.
3.) Sung [Relax] the waist.
The waist is the ruler of the body. Sung the waist, then the two legs will have power and the lower part will be firm and stable. Substantial-insubstantial and their change come from turning of the waist. It is said that the source of the postures lies in the waist. If one cannot get power, seek the defect in the waist and legs.
4.) Differentiate between insubstantial and substantial.
This is the first principle in Taijiquan. If the weight of the whole body is resting on the right leg, then the right leg is substantial and the left leg is insubstantial, and vice versa. When one can master this seperation then the movement and turning will be freely without using any strength. If cannot seperate, the step will be heavy and stiff, the stance is not firm and can be easily pulled trown off balance.
5.) Sink the shoulders and drop the elbows.
Sink the shoulders is to relax and hang downward. If one cannot relax the two choulders will be raised up and tense then Qi will follow them up and the body will have no power.
Drop the elbows means the elbows drop downward like have a small weight hang at their ends. If the elbows raise, the shoulders arr not able to sink and one cannot push the opponent out far. The energy will be breaking as in external martialart school.
6.) Use the mind instead of force.
The TaijiQuan Classics say “all off this means use Yi (mind) and not Li (strength).” In practicing TaijiQuan, the whole body must be relax and don’t use even the slightest of clumsy force which block the circulate of Qi and blood system. If can use no force, after long practice one will attain the lightness and agility the whole body can be changed or turned as will.
Some wonder how we can get strong without using any strength?
The body has meridians like water ways. If the are not closed, the water can flow freely. If the meridian is not closed, the Qi can flow through. When the body have stiffness and tense, they block the meridians then the Qi and blood are obstruct and the movement will not be nimble. Just pull one hair and the whole body is shaken. if use Yi and not Li Wherever Yi go then Qi can follow. Daily practice will let the Qi circulate without interuption. After long practice one will have Nei Jing (real internal strength). The Classic say “Extremely soft become very strong.” One who attain this, their arms are like iron wrapped with cotton ane extremely heavy. For those who practice external martialart, when they use Li, it appear outside. But when they don’t use Li, they will have less power and float. It is obvious that there Jing are external and their Li are easily led ot move and not worthy of praise.
7.) Coordinate the upper and lower parts of the body.
The Classic say “ Root is in the feet, release through the legs, controlled by the waise and expressed in the fingers. All there must continuous with one Qi. Hand move, waise move, legs move and eyss follow is this meaning. If any part doesn’t move the movement will be disordered.
8.) Harmonize the internal and external.
What TaijiQuan train is the spirit. Therefore it is said ”The spirit is the commander and the body is follower” Raise the spirit and the movement will be naturally agile. The postures are not out of full and empty, open and close. Open is not just hands and feet but also the mind. Therefore Close is not just hands and feet but also the mind. Internal and external become one, then there is no interupt anywhere.
9.) Move with continuity.
For the external school, their Jing is the latter heaven brute Jing. Threefore it is begin and end, connect and break. The old force is exhausted and the new has not yet born. At that moment is very easy for other to take advantage. Taijiquan uses Yi not Li from begin to end, continuous without broken, unending circulate again and again. As the Classics say “Like a great river rolling on unceasingly.” or “Mobilize energy like drawing silk from a cocoon.” and all these mean the circulate of only one Qi.
10.) Move with tranquility [Seek stillness in movement].
The external martialart schools consider jumping and crouching as their skill. After practice they get exhause and out of breath. TaijiQuan uses stillness in movment. Even move there also stillness therefore while practicing, slower is better. Slow movement make long and deep breath, Qi sink to Dantian and naturally avoid the harmful effect of blood system.
The Practioner who carfully consider will be able to grasp the meaning of this.
* Note that for the youg who don’t fully growth must not practice to Sink the Chest or there are effect to the growing.
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