
The Secret of Tai Chi Heart Technique from a Zhaobao Tai Chi student’s practice
1, Learning Tai Chi requires careful reading of the Boxing Classics
Learning Tai Chi without reading the Boxing Classics is like traveling without studying maps, which is doomed to be fruitless.
Becoming a disciple is just like finding a tour guide, which is convenient and hassle-free; if you really can’t find a tour guide, you can use the Boxing Classics as a map to lead the way. Although it is troublesome, you can still reach your destination. On the contrary, if you have a bad tour guide, it is better to look at the map and explore slowly.
The ancients said that “Kung Fu is self-study without interest”, “Entry depends on the master, and practice depends on oneself”, and the key is to rely on oneself.
The way to judge a true master is very simple: the so-called true transmission is one sentence, and the false transmission is ten thousand volumes of books. A good master only needs to give you one sentence and one key point according to your situation, which will open your mind and open the door, and you will continue to improve.
Once, I had a communication with a “master” who was a few years younger than me. At that time, the two of us fought and tried to move, and I was “failed miserably”. But the few words he reminded me of, a small demonstration of movements (standing in a different way from me), played a big role in my improvement in martial arts over the past year; every one or two months, I can find obvious changes in myself. People around me also think that I have made great progress, even incredible changes.
On the contrary, what the fake master tells you every day are all specious, mysterious and difficult to understand empty words and big talk; he likes to brag about his origins and heritage, how heroic and invincible his predecessors are, etc. Practicing diligently with such a master day after day, you can’t see any real progress. But the master will find many reasons to say that you can’t practice because your heart is not sincere enough. The question is, can you find any disciples with excellent martial arts around him?
In addition, the real master will not offer any “systematic training courses”. Because the real master knows that there is no fixed method for boxing; those masters who engage in “systematic scientific training” are mostly courses designed for design.
And the boxing classics are also a master; and a master who doesn’t charge tuition and won’t cheat you. If you don’t have the vision to find a real master, you might as well read the boxing classics honestly.
However, people seem to like to do this kind of fruitless work – it looks very hard and diligent, but there is no benefit at all. At present, there are probably tens of millions of people who “practice Tai Chi”, right? I have seen many people who have practiced “Tai Chi” for decades, but they don’t know that they must read the “Boxing Classics” before practicing boxing. You can practice external boxing foolishly and hard; but since internal boxing is called “internal”, it is the “heart” path, and what you learn is the “heart secret”. If you only learn the appearance, even if it is called “Tai Chi”, it is a video of a master’s practice; but what you practice after imitating it is at most just gymnastics movements, which has nothing to do with “boxing” at all; it has a slight effect of relaxing muscles and activating blood circulation, but it is far from the real “boxing” and the Tai Chi fitness realm of “detailed promotion of the purpose, prolonging life and eternal youth”. Not to mention the profound realm of Tai Chi of “entering the Tao through martial arts”. At present, there are only one in ten thousand people who really understand Tai Chi and really practice Tai Chi. Because few people will seriously understand the “heart secret”.
Some people who practice boxing like to look for “masters” everywhere, but they don’t know to “worship the boxing scriptures and worship their own hearts”; a large number of mediocre teachers who know only half of the knowledge also cater to people who are unwilling to use their brains and only willing to move their bodies. This is probably the big joke of Chinese culture that has been passed down to this day and has accumulated a lot of problems.
Some people know that learning boxing requires learning secrets, and they asked me for the “authentic internal boxing manual”.
Below is the core part of the authentic boxing manual I collected. These are said to be the authentic Wudang Tai Chi mental secrets left by Zhang Sanfeng in the Ming Dynasty. If you can study them carefully, you will find that practicing boxing is very simple, “you don’t feel the effort when you get it.” You must be a master of the world, and you can achieve excellence in fitness, health care, and martial arts; if you really can’t understand it, it means that your fate has not arrived yet. Either you go to “worship the scriptures” with a sincere heart, let your heart put down ignorance and stubbornness, and open your heart to communicate with ancient sages. If you can’t do it, give up the idea of learning boxing, don’t force it.
For those who want to learn authentic Wudang internal martial arts, the following contents are rich enough, covering all aspects of training and fighting skills; if you have already started and want to be inclusive, you can find more books on [Taijiquan].
2, The original text of the “Qianlong Manuscript” of Taijiquan
Rhyme 1:
Follow the neck and penetrate the top of the head, relax the two shoulders, and hold the crotch with strong air.
The stomach sound opens the strength and the two punches compete, and the five fingers grasp the ground and bend the bow.
(Original book note: “Stomach sound”, “Shulie” and other words are all in the original text)
(Original score explanation) Empty spirit top strength, qi sinks into Dantian, lift the neck and adjust the crotch, and relax the two backs. Then suffocate. Open and close according to the posture and hold in the arms (empty word). The seven stars are like wheels, soft but not hard. If he does not move, I will not move; if he moves slightly, my intention will move. From feet to legs, from legs to body, practice as one breath. Like a falcon turning, like a cat catching a mouse.
The power should be released like a bow shooting an arrow, the four limbs should be straight, the steps should be light and smooth.
Rhyme 2:
Move lightly and agilely, the spirit should be restrained, do not let it be discontinuous and one breath should be studied,
Left should be right, there should be empty and solid places, the mind should be up and down, and the mind should be returned to the future.
(Original score explanation) When you move, the whole body should be light and agile, especially to be connected. The energy should be vigorous, and the spirit should be restrained. There should be no convex and concave places, and no discontinuities. Its roots are in the feet, it is released from the legs, dominated by the waist, and shaped by the fingers. From the feet to the legs to the waist, it must be complete and one breath. Going forward and backward is to get the opportunity and the momentum. If you can’t get the opportunity and the momentum, your body will be scattered, and the problem must be found in the waist and legs. It is the same for up, down, left, right, front and back. All of these are intentions, not outside. There is up, there is down, there is front, there is back, there is left, there is right. If you want to go up, you should have the intention down. It is like lifting a plant and applying force to it, so that its roots will break. The speed of damage is beyond doubt. The real and the fake must be clearly distinguished. There is a fake and a fake in each place, and the fake and the fake are the same everywhere. The whole body is connected without any interruption.
Rhyme 3:
Hold the Dantian to practice internal strength, the two Qis of humming and ha are infinitely wonderful,
Movement is divided, stillness is combined, bending and stretching are available, slow response is in accordance with the principle.
(Original score explanation) Hold the Qi of Dantian, practice the original form, and you can open up the two Qis of humming and ha.
Tai Chi is born from Wuji, the mother of Yin and Yang. When moving, it is divided, and when still, it is combined. There is no excess or deficiency, and it is flexible. When others are hard and I am soft, it is called walking, and when others turn my back on me, it is called sticking. When moving quickly, I respond quickly, and when moving slowly, I follow slowly. Although there are many changes, the principle and nature are the only consistency. From familiarity to gradual understanding of strength, from understanding strength to the level of God. However, if you don’t use force for a long time, you can’t get through it suddenly.
Rhyme 4:
Disappearing and disappearing, advancing is long, a feather is not added to the Daozang,
Slow hands and fast hands are not similar, four ounces to move a thousand pounds is good.
(Original score explanation:) Impartial, appearing and disappearing. The left is solid and the right is empty, the right is heavy and the left is light. Looking up makes it higher, looking down makes it deeper. The further it advances, the longer it becomes, and the further it retreats, the shorter it becomes. A feather cannot be added, and flies cannot land. People do not know me, I know people alone. The heroes are invincible, probably all from the steps. There are many side doors to this skill, although the momentum is different, it is nothing more than the strong bullying the weak, the slow giving way to the fast. The strong beats the weak, the slow hand gives way to the fast hand, these are all innate natural abilities, not learned. Observing the phrase “four ounces to move a thousand pounds”, it is obvious that it is not a victory of strength, and looking at the shape of the old and the old who can control the crowd, what can speed do. Stand like a scale, move like a wheel, follow if it is biased and heavy, and stagnate if it is double. I often see people who have practiced for several years but cannot transform their skills. They are usually controlled by others. They have not realized the double disease. To avoid this disease, you must know yin and yang. Sticking is moving, and moving is sticking. Yin is inseparable from yang, and yang is inseparable from yin. Only when yin and yang complement each other can you understand the power. After understanding the power, the more you practice, the better you will be. Silently memorize and ponder, and gradually you can do what you want. It is originally to give up yourself and follow others, but many people make the mistake of giving up the near and seeking the far. As the saying goes, a slight difference can lead to a thousand miles of error. Scholars must carefully distinguish it.
(Side note) This theory is very important, and there is no word to complement it. Only those who are not wise can understand it. The master was unwilling to pass it on casually, not only because he chose people, but also because he was afraid of wasting his efforts.
Rhyme 5:
Plan, pull, squeeze and press the four squares, pick, lie, elbow and lean on the oblique angle to form,
Qian, Kun, Zhen and Dui are the eight trigrams, and advance, retreat, look and look to determine the five elements.
(Original score explanation) Changquan is like the Yangtze River, which is endless. The thirteen postures are Peng, Lu, Ji, An, Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao, which are in the eight trigrams. Advance, retreat, look left and right, and center are the five elements. In short, they are called the thirteen postures. Peng, Lu, Ji, An, are the four squares of Kan, Li, Zhen and Dui. Cai, Lie, Zhou and Kao, are the four oblique angles of Qian, Kun, Gen and Xun. Advance, retreat, look, pan and ding are water, fire, gold, wood and earth.
(Note) The above is written by the founder Sanfeng. He wants the heroes of the world to prolong their lives and not just to be the end of the art.
Rhyme of the Thirteen Postures Six:
Don’t underestimate the thirteen general postures, the source of life and intention is in the waist gap.
You must pay attention to the changes of emptiness and reality, and the qi will flow through the body without stagnation.
When you are still in stillness, you will be stillness, and you will show your magic because of the changes of the enemy.
You must pay attention to each posture, and you will not feel the effort when you get it.
Pay attention to the waist at all times, and the abdomen will be relaxed and the qi will rise.
The spirit of the coccyx penetrates the top of the head, and the whole body is light and agile, and the head is suspended.
Pay close attention to the pursuit, and bend, stretch, open and close freely.
The introduction must be taught orally, and the practice is done without rest.
If we talk about the body and function, the spirit is the king and the bones and flesh are the ministers.
What is the purpose of the purpose? It is to prolong life and stay young forever.
Sing, sing, sing, 1030 words, every word is true and meaningful.
If you don’t pursue this, you will waste your time and sigh.
(Original score explanation) The qi sticks to the back and gathers the spine. Quietly move the whole body, the intention is to store the spirit. It is not to gather qi; if it is, it will stagnate. The inner three combinations and the outer three combinations.
The heart of the thirteen postures
(Original score explanation) Use the mind to move the qi, and make it calm, so that it can be gathered into the bones. Use the qi to move the body, and make it smooth, so that it can be convenient and follow the heart. The spirit must be lifted, so there is no risk of slowness and heaviness. The so-called hanging head means that the mind and spirit can be changed flexibly, which is the wonderful roundness. The so-called transformation of emptiness and reality. When exerting strength, one must be calm and relaxed, and focus on one side. One must stand upright and comfortable, supporting all directions. The movement of qi is like a nine-curve bead, reaching every corner. The use of strength is like tempered steel, which can break through anything. The form is like a falcon fighting a rabbit, and the spirit is like a cat catching a mouse. It is as quiet as a mountain and as dynamic as a river. Storing strength is like drawing a bow, and releasing strength is like releasing an arrow. Seek straightness in the curve, store it before releasing it. The strength is emitted from the spine, and the steps change with the body. Retracting is releasing, and releasing is retracting. Break and connect again. There must be folds in the reciprocating, and there must be conversions in the advance and retreat.
Rhyme Seven:
Extreme softness is hardness and extreme emptiness, and the movement is like drawing a silk thread, which is clear everywhere.
The development is compact and meticulous, and it is ready to move like a cat.
[Original score interpretation] Extreme softness leads to extreme hardness, and being able to breathe leads to flexibility. Qi is cultivated straight without harm, and strength is stored in curves and has surplus.
The heart is the command, the Qi is the flag, and the waist is the banner. Seek to expand first, then seek to be compact, and then you can achieve meticulousness.
It is also said: First in the heart, then in the body. The abdomen is loose and clean, and the Qi is gathered into the bones. The mind is relaxed and the body is quiet, and it is always in mind.
Remember that there is no movement when you move, and there is no stillness when you are still.
Move back and forth, the Qi sticks to the back, and gathers the spine. Strengthen the spirit inside and show ease outside. Walk like a cat, and use strength like drawing silk. The whole body is focused on the spirit, not the Qi. Those with Qi are weak, and those without Qi are pure and strong. Qi is like a wheel, and the waist is like an axle. It seems loose but not loose, about to expand but not yet expanded. The strength is broken but the intention is not broken. The lotus root is broken but the silk is still connected.
(The full text of “Guangqian Edition” is over)