The “hip” is very important in the practice of Tai Chi. The hip must be “active”. It is the core of the human body and the most important thing. The ancients used to increase the range of motion of the hip through wall-facing and wall-squatting exercises and even “shaking the big pole” to make it flexible and unobstructed. If the hip is active, the whole body is active, connecting the spine above and the legs below, and the body and footwork all depend on it.
But this is not enough. To improve Tai Chi techniques and skills, it is not only necessary to achieve “hip activity” but also “hip elasticity”. Use the “big tendons” at the root of the hip to drive the hip to collapse and bounce, so that the whole body accelerates instantly. This is the core key to deepening the “body and footwork”. Cats and dogs react so quickly when they are frightened that they completely surpass the general muscle reaction. It is not an exaggeration to describe them as lightning-like. This is because they naturally use the big tendons connecting the joints as the main force-generating mechanism, so the movement is collapsing and elastic, the speed must be fast, and the continuity is very strong!
When practicing boxing, in addition to emphasizing the horizontal collapse of the “hip”, we should also pay attention to the longitudinal movement of the hip, which is called “sitting on the hip”. When boxing is practiced to a certain level, it is important to alternate horizontal and vertical forces, that is, “spiral force”. Horizontal force is easy to learn, but vertical force is difficult to practice. At this time, it is necessary to achieve vertical “stretching”, and “pulling the spine and pulling the hips” are the key. We can use the internal organs to lift up, so that the hips and leg bones and shoulders can be pulled apart, and the hip root tendons can be tightened in the longitudinal direction.
When “sitting on the hips”, the body can use the hip force, and the hips can use the body’s momentum to move down together, generating a huge impact force, which is called “thousand-pound drop”. After practicing for a long time, the whole body can stretch and pull vertically, generating a longitudinal collapse force. At this time, the body’s spring is already in place, which is the basic condition for forming the body’s overall trembling force, and “lifting the hips and sitting on the hips” is the key!
For the human body to be able to exert force better, at least several elements must be possessed:
- The hips must be able to bounce, not just twist.
- The back must be able to run, and the back muscles and bones are separated.
- The shoulders must be able to clamp. If the shoulders are not clamped, the body strength will be scattered and the combined strength cannot be formed. The premise is that the shoulder seam.
It is said that “Kung Fu lies in the back”. The back is the largest and widest part of the human body. It is no surprise that it contains the greatest strength. We can tell from the back whether a person’s boxing posture is good or not, and whether his Kung Fu is high or not. The back is active and can collapse, bounce and twist, just like a Transformer, showing different states according to needs. This is alive and well! The mechanical structure of the back is dominated by the hips, spine, ribs, and shoulders. If they are well developed, the back will be full of vitality and potential. When we practice the bear arm, we fully show the twisting, collapse and bounce of the hips and shoulders, the folding of the ribs, the twisting of the spine, and the compression of the shoulders, so as to achieve the “dragon body”! The so-called “five bows in the body”, the two arms and two legs carry the body bow, and the biggest bow is in the back, that is, the human body trunk. Only when we coil the spine well can we show the power of this bow!
The fire of boxing practice is very important, and the tricks are as follows:
As the saying goes: “Don’t practice when you are tired, sleepy, or hungry”. So when should you practice? You should practice when your body is in the best condition, when your essence is full and your qi is full, and your whole body is full of strength. A healthy person should be in this state every day, especially after getting up in the morning, you should feel full of energy, your hands are full, and your whole body is full of strength. When you reach a certain level of kung fu, you don’t have to set a plan to practice by yourself, but your body will automatically remind you to practice. Often when you sit there, you can’t sit still because of a surge of energy in your heart. At this time, if you practice for ten or twenty minutes, your spirit will be more excited and your essence will be more abundant.
It is very important to close the exercise. Almost all boxing, after practicing the closing form, you should be quiet. The key is to be quiet here. This quietness is the Wuji, which is to return to the innate. You can be quiet as long as you can, and then transfer what you just practiced into the innate nothingness, and then into the acquired qi and blood. There is only this way in the world, there is no second way. Nan Huaijin said a small method of refining essence into qi, which is to press the head, and finally empty it to transform the kung fu, the principle is the same. All boxing techniques start from Wuji, practice Taiji, and end at Wuji. If you don’t understand this principle and just do it hastily, then your practice is basically in vain.
The word “Kung Fu” is like stewing old soup over a slow fire. It’s not mainly about the slow fire, but the chemical changes in the soup. You say I have practiced for 20 years, sweating profusely every day and persevering. This spirit is commendable, but if you don’t benefit physically and mentally, these 20 years of practice are in vain. Of course, sweating also helps to improve immunity to some extent. But if it’s too much, it will have a counterproductive effect. The Kung Fu of Neijia boxing is the reverse growth of the body and mind, and the physical fitness is rapidly enhanced. People in their 40s and 50s are better than young men in their 18s and 19s. The muscles and bones in the body are getting stronger, and you can feel it yourself. People around you feel that you are always energetic and vigorous like a young man.
Boxing is an objective thing. Boxing and Taoism are one and the same. They are two sides of the same coin. As long as you practice correctly, your body and mind should change immediately. As long as you are empty and quiet without being stained by dust, you are not far from Taoism. At this level, whether you are standing or practicing boxing, you can gain some verification and experience.