Yang Tai Chi Chuan JOHN HINE A & C Black • London First published 1992 by A & C Black (Publishers) Ltd 35 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4JH © 1992 John Hine ISBN 0 7136 3576 2 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, only with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers at the above named address. A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Acknowledgements All photography by Sylvio Dokov. Typeset by CG Graphic Services, Aylesbury Printed and bound in Great Britain by Whitstable Litho Ltd, Whitstable, Kent Contents Preface 5 Introduction 7 What is tai chi? 11 Chi 13 Chi and the martial arts 16 The three internal martial arts 17 The history of tai chi chuan 19 Tai chi and health 22 How to practise tai chi 25 Warm-up 31 Stances 39 The tai chi solo form 46 Pushing hands 134 Meditation 148 Chi kung 152 Self-defence applications 162 Tai chi double-edged sword form 176 Index 223 3 The author Master John Hine has studied the martial arts and mental disciplines of the Far East for the last 30 years. In that time he has trained under several fine masters and experts, both at home and in the Far East. Prominent among these teachers was master K. H. Chu, one of the three heirs of the Yang style of tai chi taught by grandmaster Yang Shou Chung. The author has also trained with master L. H. Lo, a direct descendant of the famous Yang family, especially skilled in the use of tai chi weapons. John Hine is currently the Chief Instructor of the United Kingdom Tai Chi Chuan Association and a founder member of the Tai Chi Union for Great Britain. The United Kingdom Tai Chi Chuan Association has produced a VHS video of the tai chi long form taught in this book. For details on how to obtain this video and for more information on classes, courses and seminars run by the United Kingdom Tai Chi Chuan Association, please send a S.A.E. to the address below. J. Hine Productions Ltd P.O. Box 159 Bromley KENT BRI 3XX 4 Preface The popularity of tai chi is increasing at a rate faster than ever before. People in all walks of life are now profiting from its practice. The health benefits have attracted both young and old alike in ever increasing numbers. Yet tai chi is more than simply an art for health or gentle exercise; it is a way of life. Tai chi is meditation in movement, a martial art, and a whole new way of perceiving yourself and everything around you. Yang style tai chi chuan is the most widely practised of all the types of tai chi. Many of the short versions of the art now proliferating are based upon the Yang style. But the short form gives only a fraction of the whole, and as such an unbalanced view of the complete art. This volume should be viewed as a workbook, a practical tool to assist you onwards and upwards with your practice of tai chi. If you are currently studying with a teacher, it should help as a handy reference to that teaching, outside of the class. For those who are new to tai chi, without access to competent instruction, this book can serve as a practical guide with its step-by-step teaching. Beyond the solo exercise, there are chapters on pushing hands (a two person exercise), meditation, chi kung, self-defence applications and, finally, the double-edged sword form. This does not cover all of the syllabus of the United Kingdom Tai Chi Chuan Association, but offers a practical working foundation. 5 Straight ward off (see page 94) 6 Introduction The ever increasing numbers of people practising tai chi has created the need for a clear view of what tai chi is. Many misconceptions have grown up since its introduction to the West. It has been portrayed as 'dancing', or 'mysticism', or an art only for elderly people. All are incorrect. Tai chi has a depth and breadth which can appeal to all age groups and both sexes. Due to the fact that, on occasion, tai chi has been taught piecemeal to certain interest groups, the public perception has been distorted. To many people a superficial knowledge of the solo exercise is all that is necessary before you can teach others the art. As such it has relegated tai chi to a mere 'exercise' and robbed it of the status of a truly great art. Tai chi's impact on an individual can be immense, changing your view of yourself and everything around you. Tai chi solo exercise or 'form' has many levels of expertise. For those simply wishing to improve their health, correct practice of the basic level form will yield pleasing benefits. Increased vitality, improved general well-being and a sense of calmness are common reports from students. Greater benefits accrue as you progress to the higher levels of expertise. Increased spiritual awareness, flexibility and robust good health are the rewards. A change in the way you react to situations will take place also. A calm enters your life and tense situations become less so. Such immense changes, however, do not come without some effort, and consistent practice is essential. Eventually, the ability to circulate chi (vital energy) freely around your body can be achieved, with accompanying improvements in health, both physical and mental. Abilities way beyond this are obtainable, but are outside the scope of this book and can be obtained only with personal guidance from a good teacher. As great as the benefits are from practising the tai chi empty hand form, training with a partner has added advantages. Pushing hands - or tui shou - increases your ability to maintain calm while trying to cope with your partner's continuously changing actions. At a basic level there are set routines of pushing hands exercises. Partners push, parry and control one another's movements in a relaxed fashion, and attempt to put the lessons learned in the solo form into practice. Winning is not part of these 'fixed step' pushing hands exercises. Learning from doing is the aim. Once the rules for practice are explained, the 7 INTRODUCTION students will run through the routine slowly, trying to sense what is happening. Touch is the dominant sense used for this purpose; with practice, deep, rapt concentration will follow. The intense but relaxed state is akin to meditation in movement, with a stillness of mind and a clarity of vision. For those wishing to become expert in the martial arts applications of tai chi, pushing hands is the first essential step. Being able to control an assailant is a first prerequisite for self-defence. At the basic stage of pushing hands practice, many valuable lessons are learned. Once a student's skill is great enough, those with a competitive bent can take part in free-style pushing hands training. In a prescribed area (sizes vary) in which nothing other than the soles of the feet can touch the ground, each competitor attempts to push the other out of the area using their tai chi skill, not brute strength. Alternatively, each will attempt to throw the other to the ground. Hands or knees touching the ground will score a point for the training partner. It must be stressed that a good level of skill should have been attained before free-style pushing hands is attempted. To do otherwise leads to the use of brute strength and completely goes against the spirit of tai chi. The United Kingdom Tai Chi Chuan Association strongly endorses the use of a matted area on which to practise free-style tui shou to protect the students when they are thrown to the ground. Safety is the obvious priority. Consistent training in pushing hands will sharpen the reflexes and develop the skills necessary for effective self-defence. Again, it must be stressed that it is not compulsory to take part in competitive pushing hands training, but a knowledge of its practice will give you a clearer overall view on the subject. Stilling the mind and attuning yourself to a higher awareness are the aims not only of meditation but also tai chi. Together they form a common alliance against the modern ills of stress, frustration and feelings of alienation. The meditation technique taught in this book could easily have been included in the chapter on chi kung, since it has energising properties as well. It is a well known and widely practised meditation for those seeking good health as well as a calm mind. Chi kung or 'vital energy accumulation exercise' is used by both martial artists and health promoters. Literally hundreds of chi kung routines are practised in the Far East. Many are specific to either the martial arts or to health; some, however, are common to both. The routine detailed within this book is used by both martial artists and health-minded individuals alike. As such it will appeal to the widest possible audience. Often when students begin to learn the tai chi solo form, they will express no interest in the self-defence applications. However, once they have progressed through the form their curiosity has been aroused as to what it all means. Tai chi's philosophy on self-defence is to use the other's strength and control their actions. Tui shou (pushing hands) teaches the ability to sense and control through touch. The solo form supplies the self-defence techniques, and the self-defence applications training teaches the footwork and overall use for practical applica- tion. Each attack is dealt with by either evading with the help of tai chi footwork, or lightly parrying the assault. At no time are forceful blocks applied. The obvious 8 INTRODUCTION beneficiaries are the majority of the population, who are neither natural athletes nor physically able to be strong and athletic. One of the abilities acquired with continued practice of pushing hands is that of 'sticking energy'. Constantly trying to sense your partner's movements during pushing practice leads to an intuitive feel for their actions. Whenever they move forwards you will mirror the action and retreat before them at exactly the same speed. When your partner is retreating you will still stick to him or her, following each action precisely. With a skilled and experienced individual, they appear to stick to you like glue and prove very difficult to evade. This may seem to be no more than an interesting phenomenon in a class setting. But, in an actual self-defence situation, once the tai chi exponent has stuck to you, he will quickly tie up your hands and strike, pressing home the attack with hands, feet and grappling manoeuvres. Consequently, the time spent practising pushing hands can be applied usefully beyond the benefits of a psycho-physical exercise. To extend the skills and abilities gathered from the tai chi solo form requires the use of the tai chi weapons. It may seem odd to equate weapons training with an advance in your tai chi skills, but on closer examination it will become clear. The double-edged straight sword, for instance, creates a relatively awkward weight on the end of your arm. Trying to move with skill and grace at first is impossible, with what appears to be the bane of your life in your hand. Perseverance comes to the rescue; with consistent practice the dead implement comes to life in your hand. Movements flow and the sword becomes part of you; an alien implement turns into a servant of your will. The rationale is - you can extend your chi or vital energy to the tips of your fingers and toes. To make it flow stronger you must extend its effects beyond your body. To achieve this the tai chi swordsman directs the energy and the point of focus to the tip of the sword. Thus when you make the sword do what you will, and can focus your energy to the sword tip, you will have forced the chi to flow beyond its normal boundaries. Following this logic, the longer the implement used, the greater the increase in internal strength used to apply. This explains the order in which the tai chi weapons are taught, with the double-edged straight sword (or broadsword) at the beginning, through to the lance. The broadsword, which is heavier than the double-edged sword, can be taught first or second in the tai chi syllabus, depending on the teacher. Each of the broadsword movements tends to be longer, with wide sweeping motions emphasised. Greater effort and concentra- tion is required to perform the exercise with elegance and control. The staff can be from six to in some cases 13ft (1.8–4m) long. At its shortest length it will be twice as long as either of the swords learned previously. But by the time you have progressed to this point, you will be used to extending your skills beyond your present capability. The last weapon to learn is the lance, and although it is generally shorter than some of the staffs, it requires great skill to use well. The added requirement of skill is due to the nature of the wood used in its manufacture. There are two types — yellow rattan and white waxy wood. The chief characteristic of these two is that of flexibility, necessary when performing with the lance. 9