Zhaobao Tai Chi, from the perspective of skill improvement, can be divided into three stages: first, the primary stage, leading with the hands; second, the intermediate stage, the internal strength is driven by the body method; third, the advanced stage, the body movement is guided by the internal strength. How to practice this stage is the core of Wudang Zhaobao Tai Chi, and it is also a key to practicing internal strength.

All Tai Chi movements, in the primary stage, are led by the hands, that is, the hands command the entire Tai Chi movement; then the body leads the hands, that is, the body method dominates the movement of the whole body, and the whole body movement is initiated by the root joint of the hip, which is externally in the four major joints and eight minor joints, and internally reaches the Dantian, which is the root of the internal strength.

All Tai Chi movements, every move and every form, including the four major joints and eight minor joints, are dominated by the hip joint, just like the axis in a clock. The rotation of the axis drives the small gear outside, and then the small gear drives the large gear, and the joints are connected. Therefore, the practice of body techniques must start from the crotch and hips. If you cannot grasp the direction of the crotch and hips, then you cannot achieve correct body techniques and flexibility of the whole body. The body techniques of Tai Chi are closely coordinated with the whole body movements. The former is dominated by the hands, leading the whole body with the hands, while the latter is dominated by the hip roots, involving the whole body movement.

If you have a certain level of Tai Chi when the teacher is practicing Tai Chi routines, you can understand that the hands lead the body, or the body leads the hands. For example, when the right hand is extended, it is not the right hand that strikes out, but the crotch strikes the hand out. If the right hand is to be retracted, it is also retracted by the crotch. The retraction and release are all based on the crotch. For example, in (cloud hand), we say that the right hand draws a circle from the inside to the upper left and returns to the original position, then the left hip also draws a circle for it, and the crotch is the dominant force to start the hand’s circle movement. The usual Tai Chi theory is generally explained by loose hips, loose crotch, open hips, and open crotch. There is no systematic understanding and training of hips like Zhaobao Tai Chi. This is very important in Zhaobao Tai Chi.

Opening the crotch means opening the hips. When the crotch is opened, the qi flows from below. The crotch is two hips. At the end of each posture, the crotch must be opened and the hips must be loosened, which is conducive to the sinking of qi into the Dantian. For example, in the single whip posture, from the start to the transition, when the two hands are pulled into the single whip posture, the crotch must be opened and the waist must be bent. From top to bottom, the face must be closed, the elbows must be lowered, the abdomen must be loosened, the buttocks must be closed, the crotch must be opened, and the waist must be collapsed. The qi will naturally go down. As the posture sinks, the right heel will be slightly turned outward, and the qi will descend to the Dantian. If the crotch is not opened well, the qi will not be easy to sink completely into the Dantian, and the best effect cannot be achieved. The qi will not return to the Dantian and stagnate in the chest and abdomen, which will also make people feel uncomfortable. Therefore, the hips must be loosened, the crotch must be opened, and the waist must be bent. At this time, the hip rotation I introduce here is the foundation of the body method, so it is different from simply loosening the hips. We get inspiration from the book “The Authentic Tai Chi” by She Yuanhua, and every sentence in it is the essence. He wrote in “Taijiquan Enlightenment Rules”: “Two arms and two hips are four major joints. The arms are the root of the upper joints; the hips are the root of the lower joints. The whole body’s liveliness depends on this. Eight small joints: two elbows, two knees, two hands, two feet. Each joint moves in sequence with the arms and hips. Don’t let them stagnate, they will follow the flow and become one with the arms and hips.

The whole body’s liveliness depends on this. Du Yuanhua is very clear about the role of the arms and hips. The two hands and two feet move in sequence with the arms and hips. In other words, the arms and hips are mainly the main control, which initiates the movement of the elbows, hands, knees, and feet. “Don’t let them stagnate, they will follow the flow and become one with the arms and hips. “Whether the body is lively or not, it is connected through the shoulders and hips, and the four major joints and eight minor joints are free to move. It is said that the body is folded into pieces, strung into strings, and completed in one go. This all depends on the movement and unity of the shoulders and hips. The author also has a good understanding of the role of the shoulder in Tai Chi. It plays an extremely important role in the overall boxing posture, but in my experience, the hips are more important than the shoulders in body movements, and the hips also control the movements of the shoulders, elbows, and hands. When two people push hands and draw pictures with their hands, you can feel that the other person’s hand is a body movement and the hidden crotch inside. Strength, or just the skill of the hands. In the initial stage of Tai Chi, the hands lead the body, which is just the primary skill. Entering the stage of leading the hands with the body, there are many skills. In addition to mastering the essentials of Tai Chi, the body method mainly based on the crotch and hips should be stretched, opened and closed, and Dantian breathing can make the internal energy surge, the heart and energy are united, the virtual and real yin and yang appear and disappear, and the form is like flowing clouds and water. Pushing hands with others makes the other party feel unpredictable.

How to practice Tai Chi and Tai Chi at all levels, the author has been practicing Tai Chi during the process of boxing There are certain experiences. In the initial stage, as mentioned above, “setting the frame”, we must seek rules everywhere, just like the regular script in calligraphy, which must be practiced stroke by stroke. When practicing, lead the hand with the hand, the hand is like a snake head, the hand moves first, and the hand draws a circle, which is called an empty circle. This is the initial skill of Tai Chi. Then lead the body with the hand, and the circle of the hand drives the other four major sections and eight minor sections, and can also induce the operation of Dantian. This is the intermediate skill. If you can further lead the hand with the body, you can not only draw a circle dominated by the crotch, but also directly activate the shoulders and eight minor sections, so that the body leads the hand, and at the same time At the same time, it can also rhythmically activate the Dantian to open and close, and expand and contract the Dantian. Yin and Yang, emptiness and reality, and Dantian breathing all depend on the operation of the crotch. The internal strength is stimulated and the Dantian is activated. On the outside, it is the practice of the boxing frame, and on the inside, it is the operation of the Dantian. This is called Tai Chi in the abdomen. Its direction is consistent with the external Tai Chi. This is a high-level skill. Finally, the mind and intention are united, and the Dantian is the commander and leader of the movement of the whole body, activating the internal energy to pass through the small and large circulations. This is called the Dantian acting circulation method, also known as the “acting frame”, which is the main internal skill of Zhaobao Tai Chi.