The Beginning of Learning Tai Chi
Tai Chi is Wudang internal strength.
Anyone who wants to exercise can learn it, regardless of age. Children over eight years old and the elderly over sixty years old. Anyone with weak body can learn it. After practicing for a few months, you will gradually feel strong. Children are in the right period of development.
It is better to stretch your arms and legs when practicing boxing (i.e. stretch your arms and legs to stretch longer). However, young people under the age of 20 do not need to hold the chest in when practicing boxing, because before the age of 20, the skeleton has not grown yet, and it is the right time to change. It is better to stand upright.
After the age of 20, you can hold the chest in again.
The thirteen postures can be learned in three months. It takes one year to master it, and three years to practice it well. The more you practice, the better you will be. But you must be taught the true teachings. If you don’t have the true teachings of Tai Chi, your body will be slightly stronger.
After practicing boxing for ten years, you will still be confused. How can you know the subtleties and mysteries and the use of perception?
If you get the true teachings and practice according to the method, it is not difficult to get the Vajra Arhat body. It not only strengthens the body, but also has the ability to defend oneself. It is best to practice boxing in the morning and evening. Rest for half an hour or an hour after meals before exercising.
If you are physically weak, practice according to your ability. Do not exercise immediately after taking Chinese or Western medicine or injections. You must rest. You can continue practicing after recovery. You can practice boxing twice or three times every morning and evening.
When practicing boxing in summer, you must not take a cold shower during the hot season. It may cause closed heat, but it is okay to rest for a while.
When practicing boxing in winter, put on clothes quickly to avoid catching cold. Do not sit down immediately after practice. You can walk for five minutes to harmonize the blood. When practicing, you must calm your mind and stop thinking, without thinking. Without feeling, concentrate on practicing boxing.
Tai Chi’s method of fighting against enemies is very wonderful, not that it cannot be used. It’s just that most of today’s comrades only practice superficial skills and are unwilling to study in depth. They do not seek high teachers and visit helpful friends. But they say that Tai Chi is not practical. In this case, how can you blame the instructor for not teaching?
This boxing is born from Taoism. Beginners can learn one or two forms every day. Don’t be too hasty. It is a little difficult to learn at first, but it will be easy to learn after one month. Comrades often feel that the boxing is very good after learning it for one or two months. After learning it for another three or four months, they feel that it is not as good as before. They feel irritated. You must know that this is a sign of progress. If there is no progress, you will not know whether the boxing is good or not. Beginners must go through this stage, so don’t let it slack off.
Tai Chi Procedure
When you first learn Tai Chi, you should learn less theory. Just listen to the teacher’s instructions. First, you must not use force. Relax your whole body. Do one or two moves every day, not too many. After three months, you can learn the whole set. After another three months, practice and correct your posture. When your posture is 80% to 90% correct, you can use it as a personal fitness exercise, just like having a physical fitness. If you want to go further, learn for another three months. Learn the rotation route and the meaning of Tai Chi. After another three months, learn the power of Tai Chi. Begin to peek into the door of Tai Chi. The period is about one year, but you can’t achieve your goal without the teaching of a good teacher.
After six months of learning Tai Chi, you can learn the preliminary practice of pushing hands. In the first month, you also don’t use force. First, learn to stick and circle with two people. In the second month, learn the four methods of Peng, Lu, Ji, and An. In the third month, learn to transform the power.
First learn to transform the elbow, then learn to transform the waist. Then learn to transform the shoulders, and be soft and smooth. Then learn to adapt to the situation and transform the whole body.
After another three months, learn the use of Peng, Lu, Ji, and An. Then learn to transform the energy and strike with it.
The above is for one year. In the future, you can learn Tai Chi sword at the same time when you have time. If you are willing to work hard, add another half a year, for a total of one and a half years, you will be familiar with the three methods of boxing, sword and pushing hands, have some skills, and be healthy. This is considered a small stage. Continue to work hard for another year and a half. During this period, you can learn Tai Chi spear and various techniques other than pushing hands. During this period, intensify the actual practice, which will last for about three years. You will be familiar with the use of boxing, sword and spear, and you can exercise your body, protect your body and defend yourself. You have boxing, short weapons, swords, and long weapons. Your skills are enough for a lifetime of practice. This can be called the middle stage. After three years, practicing boxing is different. You must concentrate and earnestly seek the teachings of a great teacher. Refining essence into qi, refining qi into spirit, and refining spirit into emptiness will lead to the upper stage.
Tai Chi is divided into three stages. Pushing hands with large circles is the first stage, learning to transform small circles is the middle stage, and transforming and striking without circles is the upper stage. There is a circle in the circleless body. You can hit without changing. When you hit, you can change. That is, the big circle is inside the small circle, and the small circle becomes the circleless body. This is the Wuji giving birth to Taiji, Yin and Yang, the Eight Diagrams and the Five Elements. After thousands of changes, they return to one. If you get the best skills, you will be invincible in the world. It cannot be predicted how many years it will take. It depends on your talent, intelligence and hard work. There is no end to learning martial arts, but those who are willing to work hard will improve their skills day by day no matter what. Learners must practice boxing patiently. It is not difficult to reach the divine realm.
Tai Chi Health
Humans are animals and must exercise. Tai Chi exercise is in accordance with nature and physiology, and is most suitable for health. The first posture of Tai Chi is the preparatory posture. In this posture, the hands are hanging down and the whole body is relaxed. Let go of thoughts. Forget about work and hard work. It is like putting down thousands of heavy burdens. The mind is quiet and the brain is also rested. What are the benefits? When you raise your hands and feet and start practicing, you will move everything. All the joints in your body are comfortable and all the tendons in your body are connected.
The first posture is Lan Que Wei, which includes the four methods of Peng, Lu, Ji, and An. Turn around and step right. When you stretch your right hand forward, it is Lan Que Wei. Don’t leave the relaxation of shoulders and elbows, sinking qi into Dantian, the tailbone is straight, and the top of the head is empty and energetic. The above few sentences are easy to understand literally, but the skills are difficult. Many comrades can explain the literal meaning clearly, but their skills may not be consistent with the literal meaning. I am afraid that if you stick to it, your words will hurt your meaning. If we talk about the actual kung fu, for example, when standing still in the Lan Que Wei posture, when stepping up, the legs are divided into empty and solid. The footwork is eight steps, relax the shoulders and drop the elbows, and do not use force on the shoulders when relaxing the shoulders. The elbows are not dropped with force. The elbows are slightly turned downward. The qi sinks into the Dantian, not the lower abdomen is inflated to breathe. Just pay a little attention to the abdomen below the navel. In addition, I am afraid that if you do not understand the truth of holding the chest and pulling the back, you will end up with a hunched back. Therefore, there is also the principle of the tailbone being in the middle to correct it. Originally, holding the chest means that the chest is slightly relaxed, and the back is naturally slightly pulled up. The chest is not only slightly relaxed, but also implies a sense of closure. Practicing Tai Chi can cure lung diseases, and this is the key.
Originally, boxing should be practiced slowly and evenly, and I am afraid that this will not be exciting, so there is also a virtual top strength. Lift the spirit to assist it. Make those who practice Tai Chi perfect in everything and without any shortcomings. The founder Zhang Sanfeng worked hard for the health and happiness of mankind, and there is nothing to be repeated.
Essentials of Tai Chi Practice
Body technique: raise your spirit, empty your head, hold your chest and straighten your back, relax your shoulders and drop your elbows, sink your qi into your dantian, level your hands with your shoulders, relax your hips and level your knees, lift your buttocks, keep your tailbone straight, and combine the inside and outside.
Practice method: do not use too much force, use your mind to move your qi, walk like a cat, follow the upper and lower parts, breathe naturally, form a line, change at the waist, let the qi flow through the limbs, distinguish between emptiness and reality, and turn as you wish.
Boxing motto: follow the rules, become familiar with the rules, transform the rules, and make the rules your mind, and never leave the rules. Practice slowly at first, gradually practice evenly, and after you are very familiar with it, do as you like. Show the movement and stillness, emptiness and reality, yin and yang, opening and closing, and various spirits and postures. There is a square in the circle, and a circle in the square. If the strength is broken, the intention is not broken. It is agile and magical, reaching the peak. Practicing boxing to this point is incredible.
(1) Tai Chi is an internal boxing, and the strength comes from the bones and the strength is stored in the tendons. We do not seek to have a strong skin and thick flesh, but to have the qi sink and the bones strong. Therefore, there is no pain of stretching the tendons and twisting the bones. There is no labor of jumping and exerting strength. Let nature take its course and seek the innate instinct. This is the skill of returning to the origin.
(2) There are three things to do in practicing Tai Chi: spirit, intention, and form. If the body method is correct and the spirit and intention are both in place, then progress will be very fast. There will be different feelings every day, and learners should carefully experience them.
(3) If the body method is not right and the spirit and intention are not in place, it is like boiling an empty pot with fire, and there will be no success until old age. There is a saying that ten years of Tai Chi is not as good as three years of external boxing. Therefore, the first thing is to move, and the second thing is to understand. The quality of kung fu depends on the wisdom, but diligence can make up for clumsiness, so you must encourage yourself.
(4) When practicing, breathe naturally. Do not force yourself to take a deep breath. When the kung fu is proficient, the qi and blood are balanced, otherwise it will do more harm than good.
(5) The thirteen postures of Tai Chi are originally guiding kung fu. It guides qi and blood. Therefore, when you are proficient in Kung Fu, your Qi and blood will be balanced and all diseases will be eliminated. Don’t try to be clever, such as pressing your tongue against the upper palate and sinking Qi to Dantian. When you have mastered Kung Fu, Qi will naturally sink to Dantian and flow through all meridians. This is a natural law and cannot be forced by human power.
(6) Relax your shoulders and lower your elbows. This means that the force should not be concentrated on the shoulders and back, but should be transferred to the section of the arm in front of the elbow. This is something that cannot be explained in words. Learners should experience it carefully and not follow it blindly. They should not be stagnant and heavy, which will make it difficult to be light and agile.
(7) Lift the top of your head and hang your crotch. When lifting the top of your head, your forehead should be upright. When hanging your crotch, Qi will be lifted from the tailbone upward. When you collect your strength, your chest should be slightly empty. When you exert your strength, your forehead should be slightly straight. Don’t hunch your back.
(8) Practice boxing at least three times. The first time, stretch your tendons and meridians. The second time, correct your posture. The third time, add intention and form. After becoming proficient, you will have intention and form as soon as you strike, and you will progress faster.
(9) If you feel you understand the power, do more push hands. You will naturally be able to stick to it and follow it. If you have no opponent, practice the stance diligently, and feel the power with your arms from time to time, imagining that the enemy is attacking. I will use whatever method I can to control him, and after a while I will understand the power.
(10) When pushing hands, you must carefully figure it out, and you cannot push the opponent out for fun. You must make sure that the opponent cannot grasp my center of gravity, and the opponent’s center of gravity is always in my hands.
(11) Tai Chi can be practiced while walking, standing, sitting or lying down. The method is to use the mind to move the qi and seek perception. For example, if you accidentally take a teacup and hold it with force. How do you feel? How do you feel if you don’t hold it with force? You can experience the lightness and heaviness of your steps, the forward movement of standing, standing with bent legs, standing with straight legs, and putting force on one foot.
(12) When you first practice Tai Chi, you may feel pain in your body. This is a change of strength, so don’t be alarmed. Don’t be discouraged either. After half a month, you will feel your waist and legs are light and your spirit is full.
(13) Practice the postures well and then enter the realm of push hands. It is about the power of Taijiquan. There are sticking power, following power, light power, sinking power, inner power, lifting power, rubbing power, kneading power, sticking power, supporting power, touching power, pressing power, bone-penetrating power, throwing power, hanging power, shaking power, releasing power, inch power, crisp power, shaking power, removing power, unexpected power, inch power, storing power, releasing arrow power, etc. The above power is just a general description to appreciate the various powers. Seek it in perception and movement. It is more difficult to seek it alone, but easier to seek it with two people. Because people are living things, in addition to sending power, there is also the effect of inspiration. It must be sought in people. If there is no object, seeking it in the air is like hitting a sandbag or turning a steel ball, which is useless.
(14) Taijiquan theory says: Its root is in the feet, it is sent out from the legs, it is controlled by the waist, and it is shaped by the fingers. This is the principle of sending power. There are also taboos such as the knees cannot go over the toes, the hands cannot go over the nose, the hands cannot go over the eyebrows, and the hands cannot go over the heart. This is the legacy of the ancients. If you achieve these taboos, the force will be released. The magic of change is controlled by the waist. If you push someone with your right hand diagonally to the left, it has passed the nose and the force has been released. But if you pull your left chest back a little and turn your waist slightly to the left, the force will be sufficient. This change is in the chest. The control is in the waist. The fingers are loose and flexible, and the strong strength is in the fingers. It is like a soft strip of pure steel. There is an iron hammer on it, and it bounces forward, invincible. It cannot be resisted. If the learner carefully studies it, he will soon get the true strength of the internal family. Those with special techniques are not subject to this taboo.
(15) Humans are animals with inspiration. For example, if I punch someone, he should push away with his hands or dodge with his body, and he must not stand still and wait for the punch. Resistance is human instinct. It is not the case with static objects, such as hanging a sandbag. Hanging motionless, after punching, it sways forward and backward. However, the route of its swaying is a fixed route. Hit it to the left, and it swings back to the right. This is the reaction of the object. It is not the same for people. When you punch, the opponent can resist or escape, and the changes are unpredictable. You must first seek inspiration. How to seek inspiration? Readers should seek it in Mr. Wang Zongyue’s theory of exercise. That is, if the opponent does not move, he is already not moving. If the opponent moves slightly, he has already moved first. You must seize the opportunity to strike first when it seems to move but does not move, when the mind has not yet arisen and the body has not yet moved, and then you will be invincible.
(16) Some people say that after practicing Tai Chi, you cannot lift heavy objects or use brute force. This is not necessarily true. Before learning Tai Chi, you have a clumsy force and your whole body is tense. After learning Tai Chi, your whole body is relaxed, and your tendons are smooth and your qi is flowing. You must practice to get rid of the tension in your whole body, but you must still maintain the original clumsy force. Because after being relaxed, clumsy force becomes real strength. In the past, people called clumsy force: brute force. The power lies between the shoulders and the back. It cannot be controlled by the waist and fingers. Therefore, brute force is the capital, and softness is the method. If the method is used, a small capital can achieve great success. If the method is not used, even if the capital is large, the business will not be successful. Therefore, after learning the truth of Tai Chi, you can lift weights, wrestle, play ball, and run at will. There is no need to avoid it. But in the author’s humble opinion, various sports are worse than doing more boxing.
(17) The Tao Sutra says: One yin and one yang are called Tao. Tai Chi is yin and yang. In this atomic age, everything is yin and yang. Therefore, the theory of exercise says: If it is biased and heavy, it will follow; if it is double, it will stagnate. If it is biased and heavy, it will be double, and yin and yang are uneven. Therefore, readers must pay attention to one yin and one yang in their every move.
(18) The explanation of Tai Chi Wenwu, the two words Wenwu, Wen is to nourish the body and Wu is to defend the enemy.
(19) The above points are all based on experience. So the real kung fu still needs to be sought in the thirteen forms. Kung Fu is pure, and you will naturally feel comfortable with it. When practicing Kung Fu, it is best to seek less theory and more practice. I once said: Kung Fu was good in the past, and theory is good today. In fact, if there is too much theory, the Kung Fu is not focused, and there will be little progress. In the martial arts world, many people talk about loyalty, and students should respect their teachers. If you respect your teacher and move him, the teacher will teach you wholeheartedly. Although this is a secular principle, it is the Chinese people’s nature and you must pay attention to it. Those who love to learn real Kung Fu should pay more attention to it.
(20) Mencius said: Those who do their best know their nature. Knowing their nature, they know the sky. Fire burns up, which is its nature. Water moistens down, which is its nature. This is the nature of things. Spring is luxuriant and autumn is dead, which is the nature of the sky. However, when fire meets wind, it can be blown down. When water meets fire, it can be steamed up. The heart of pine and cypress is strong, but it is not in harmony in autumn and winter. People know etiquette and justice, and act bravely when they see justice. This is the return of the acquired nature to the innate nature. Before practicing boxing, all meridians are blocked, tendons are tight and short. Therefore, the strength is concentrated in the shoulders and back. After practicing, all meridians are unblocked. Tendons are long and strength is relaxed. From the shoulders to the arms, from the arms to the wrists. From the wrists to the fingers, gradually abandon the acquired and turn to the innate. If you get the innate instinct, it will be miraculous and incredible. After the learners get this movement, they should know that what I said is not wrong.
Explanation of Tai Chi’s virtuality and reality
When ordinary people practice Tai Chi, the left leg is real and the right leg is virtual. If the right leg is real and the left leg is virtual. It is virtuality and reality. Then it is wrong to say that the bent leg is real and the back leg is virtual. Those who do not believe it can try it. For example, when you punch someone or push someone with a palm, the front leg is real and the back leg is virtual. Think about whether you can stand firmly and effectively. Is it effective to push people? Think carefully and you will know it. Recently, comrades who practice Tai Chi often regard Tai Chi as exercise and ignore it as boxing. It is indeed exercise, but each method is based on the usage. Therefore, when practicing Tai Chi, you must learn the correct posture and practice according to the usage target. Only then can you get the real power of Tai Chi.
According to the instructions of the predecessors, the meaning of the two words virtuality and reality is not as simple as the literal meaning. Here is a brief explanation. If you want to step on the right foot, you should use your mind to slightly move the center of gravity of your body to the left leg to stand solid. After the gravity of the right leg is removed, it becomes virtual. That is, you can move lightly, lift and take steps. The size of the steps depends on each person. If both feet are standing firmly, both feet are solid. If the left foot wants to step forward, the right toe moves outward and the body weight is moved to the right leg. At this time, the empty and solid are distinguished. The right leg is standing solid, and the left foot is light. In short, after standing still, the feet cannot be empty. When the empty and solid are distinguished, the front foot can be empty and the back foot can be solid. Try your best from the root (that is, the heel of the foot). If you use the step-forward change step, the empty and solid changes of the two legs are faster than the shuttle. The two feet can be empty or solid. The empty one is 50% of the force, and there are also 20% and 30% of the force. The solid one is 80% or 90%. If you don’t exert any force at all, the foot will not listen to your command. If you exert full force on the solid, it will not turn well.
Tai Chi can cure diseases and prolong life
People with big belly and fat are all due to lack of exercise or relying solely on supplements, which leads to fat accumulation. Muscles contain too much water. If you practice three sets of Tai Chi every day, you can expel the fat and water in your body, along with rheumatism, from the capillaries, so fat people can practice to become thin. Weak people or people with sallow complexions cannot gain weight even if they take supplements, because they lack exercise, and the nutrients cannot be absorbed by the body and are excreted with the intestines.
Therefore, even if you take supplements, they are ineffective. If you can practice Tai Chi three times a day, you can make the blood flow. Use the heart to move the qi, and be meticulous, just like a tree that is about to wither, and moisturize it with water every day. Then it can gradually become green again. Practicing Tai Chi can make your complexion brighter and help your spirit. Reduce diseases and increase your life by decades. Such happiness is priceless.
When people exercise, their muscles develop, and their blood and qi are smooth, which can nourish the body. Therefore, thinness can become fat, and the power of fatness and thinness can be controlled by exercise. Master Meng said: When the seedlings are about to wither (like a person withering and thinning), the sky becomes oily and clouds form, and rain falls. (like the blood nourishing the body) The seedlings are growing vigorously. (like a thin person becoming fatter) People who think too much are prone to high blood pressure or insomnia (that is, what Chinese medicine calls overwork). Thoughts are the mind, and blood flows as it pleases. Thinking constantly uses the brain, blood is blocked, and the mind stays in the head, which will cause headaches and dizziness. It is like a hose filled with too much water. It is dangerous, and the blood is concentrated in the head and the heart blood is less. The heart beats restlessly, resulting in insomnia at night. People who suffer from this disease should practice with a relaxing method. Let the qi sink into the dantian, and let the mind focus on the downward movement. Let the excess blood in the head be dispersed to the limbs and go down to the heart. The heart is nourished by blood, and the head is relaxed. It is said that the light and clear floats up to become the sky, and the heavy and turbid descends to become the earth. After the yin and yang are separated, the whole body is unbiased, each gets its own nourishment, and the body is healthy. Therefore, practicing three sets of Tai Chi every day can eliminate all insomnia, high blood pressure, weak lungs, stomach problems, back problems, anemia, etc. It can also cure hunchbacks, stiff hands and feet, and weak waist and legs. Everyone can practice Tai Chi and gain incredible benefits.
Explanation of Big and Small Tai Chi
The universe is a big Tai Chi, and the human body is a small Tai Chi. The human body has the body of Tai Chi. Therefore, everyone can practice Tai Chi. The original reason is to cultivate the spirit. The human body is like a machine. If it is not polished for a long time, it will rust. Rusting will cause blood stagnation and diseases. Therefore, if you want to exercise your body, practicing Tai Chi is the most suitable. Tai Chi practice is to use the mind to move the qi, without using turbid force, and let it go naturally. The pain of bending and bending the tendons and bones is not a problem, and the skin is not worn out. How can you have strength without using force? Practice Tai Chi to the fullest, sink your shoulders and elbows, and sink the qi into the Dantian. The Dantian is the main organ of qi, which is connected to the four limbs and hundreds of bones and circulates throughout the body. When the mind reaches the qi, and the practice reaches the upper level, the power is limitless and the effect is obvious.