Kao Jin - Bump - Is Great for Close-Up Self-Defense
Kao Jin is often called "Shoulder" energy.
It's more accurate to call it "Bump."
Kao Jin is a whole-body force expressed through body-to-body contact at very close range.
It's a structural takeover of someone's space.
If you "shoulder" someone, the shoulder is just the delivery point. The engine behind it is the ground connection and aligned structure.
Kao Jin can be performed with many parts of the body, including the shoulder, the chest, torso, hips, and legs.
Kao is whole-body force that enters and displaces an opponent by using body contact to take their line, break their balance, and move their mass without relying on arm extension.
You get your body where his body doesn't want you to be by entering his space. There is no wind-up and no visible effort. A good Kao steals your opponent's vertical integrity.
Chen Ziqiang is very good at Kao. He uses it -- often with his chest -- to unbalance his opponent long enough to take him down another way.
One of my favorite uses ...
Tai Chi Energies Part 5 - Zhou Jin is Not Just An Elbow Strike
|
Tai Chi "Energies" Part 4 - A Deeper Dive Into Tai Chi's An Jin - "Push Energy"
|
Tai Chi Energies Part 3 - Pressing Forward with Ji Jin - Press Energy
Three days ago I turned 73 years old. That's kind of a shocking number, then I realized that I still feel the same as I did when I was 72, and in my head I still feel like I'm 20. So we carry on.
The last couple of blog posts have focused on the first two Taiji "energies," Peng Jin and Liu Jin.
In this post, I'm looking at Ji Jin, or "Press" energy.
These Tai Chi energies are actually "methods" of dealing with force.
A lot of people believe Press is just like it's shown in the Yang style form -- you are pressing on someone with your hands pressed together. I Googled "Tai Chi Press" and got this picture. This is from a Yang form such as the Yang 24.
But that isn't really Ji Jin. That is simply a posture. The actual Jin is more complex, but the application of it is an excellent self-defense technique.
Ji means "to crowd, press together, squeeze into."
A good summary of Press energy would be: "The art of entering and narrowing space, crowding until your opponent has no room to d...
Tai Chi Energies Part 2 - A Deeper Look at Lu Jin - Roll Back Energy
When people talk about the "energies" of Taijiquan, they often list Lu Jin second. First there is Peng Jin -- "Ward Off Energy," then there is Lu Jin -- "Roll Back Energy."
Remember, an "energy" is simply a refined, skillful method for dealing with an opponent's force.
With Lu Jin (sometimes spelled Liu Jin), you don't stop force, you don't block it, and you don't "beat" it.
It is not "yielding," either. With Lu Jin, when someone uses force you redirect it so it continues, just not to the locatioan the opponent thought it was going.Â
Lu Jin steals the opponent's angle, timing, balance, and expectation. He believes he is in control until suddenly he isn't. He punches or pushes or kicks and his mind says he will find support or a target, but reality says, "The target is not here."
Lu means you allow the opponent's force to continue, while quietly removing the structure that would let it succeed.Â
"Roll Back" is often shown as two hands redirecting a punch or push, but many parts of...
Tai Chi Energies Part 1 - A Deep Dive into Peng Jin
I’m putting together new videos for my website on the “Energies” of Taijiquan. The word energy is often misunderstood, in my opinion. A lot of mystical nonsense is often triggered by the word "energy" in the world of Tai Chi. A better word, in my opinion, is "method." Each “energy” is a method of dealing with force.
The first—and most important—is Peng Jin (often translated as Ward-Off Energy).
Peng is required for all the other energies/methods to work, and Peng relies on the ground path at all times. Without those two things—Peng Jin and the ground—you don’t really have Taijiquan. Without them, movements are empty.
They are working at all times and in all movements, even in what people sometimes call “transitions”—though we know there really are no transitions. No matter what you are doing in a Taiji form, a self-defense application is present.
Peng Jin is not necessarily a force you apply; it is a structural state you maintain. It gives you an expansive feeling inside. You are o...
Does Tai Chi, Xingyi and Bagua Really Help the Flow of Lymphatic Fluid? The Real Science Behind Internal Movement and Your Body's Natural Plumbing
Sometimes, I read articles or books about Taiji, Bagua and Xingyi, and health claims are made that sound scientific, but if you look a bit deeper, you find the claims aren't supported by medical science or physiology. Sometimes, there is some truth to the claim, but the wording is misleading.
One of those claims that might misdirect you a bit is this one: the movements of the internal arts "stimulate the flow of lymphatic fluid" (or "drainage of lymphatic fluid").
If you know me, you know that I am a critical thinker who is open to evidence, but when a martial artist makes medical statements, I want them grounded in good science and accurate wording.
Let's look at this claim -- that if you do the internal arts you are stimulating the flow of lymphatic fluid.
The lymphatic system collects excess fluid from tissues and returns it to the bloodstream. Lymph nodes act as filters to stop pathogens, debris, and abnormal cells, while the liver and kidneys handle most of the chemical detoxi...
A Tribute to My Friend John Morrow - A Dedicated Martial Artist
I first met John Morrow in 1990 at a tournament in Omaha, Nebraska. He came from the Quad Cities to compete. I was not yet a black sash. so I was very interested in watching the black belt division.
Watching him compete in black belt sparring was like watching the Tasmanian Devil. John was spinning and jumping and backfisting and kicking and laughing -- he displayed skill and real joy at competing. We were both in our thirties. I thought, "Who the heck IS this guy?" It was clear he loved martial arts and I enjoyed watching him compete. Because we had the same teacher, Phillip Starr (author of several martial arts books), I introduced myself to him.
Flash forward three years and I moved to the Quad Cities. His school was in Moline, Illinois. I remembered him from the tournament, so I stopped in to the school and we became friends. I studied with him a bit, but then I earned a black sash in the system I had been studying, so we became mutual supporters. I attended some of his classes ...
A Martial Arts Myth: If You Do Point Sparring You Won't Be Able to Use Power in a Self-Defense Situation
In my opinion, a highly-skilled martial artist should be able to apply the right amount of force when needed, but in some situations, you should be able to apply no force at all. Being able to do both requires skill.
There is currently a "tough guy" attitude in martial arts, especially online. Here is one argument they make: If you spend a lot of time point-sparring, you won't be able to apply force when you need it in a self-defense situation. Instead, you will pull your punches.
I call malarkey, and I know it's malarkey because of my personal experience.Â
Skill Development and Control
Pulling punches and using light contact in sparring teaches fine motor control and precision. This enables you to "choose" between delivering light or heavy contact, depending on the situation, which is crucial in real-life self-defense to avoid unnecessary harm or legal consequences. It is also important to be able to spar without hurting your training partners.
In 51 years of sparring, I have nev...
What Does It Take to Send Someone Flying Ten Feet Through the Air? Let's Look at the Numbers
Sometimes, stories are told of long-dead masters, and the story is embellished to the point that the master did push hands with a challenger and "sent him flying back ten feet through the air."
Sometimes, we see photos that are obviously faked, showing students a few feet in the air, flying away from the "master." There are prominent teachers right now who have used these images.
Sometimes, teachers tell us that they have also sent people ten feet through the air while doing push hands.
Really? You launched a full-grown adult ten feet through the air — without a running start, on level ground, doing push hands and using nothing but your internal power?
See the photo at the top of the page? From the edge of the charcoal gray floor to the edge of the blue mat is exactly ten feet. Someone would have to make me fly all the way back to the mat.
 It insults the intelligence of the people hearing the claim, reading about it, or seeing the pictures, and it hurts the image of Taiji.
So le...
Author - Instructor
Ken Gullette
I have practiced martial arts since 1973 and began studying the internal arts in 1987. My goal is to cut years off your development time by coaching you in the real skills for high-quality Tai Chi, Xingyi, Bagua. To see more about my bio, click the "About Ken" link on the menu at the top of this page.
Stay connected with news and updates!
Recent Posts
Categories
All Categorieschen taiji fighting applications
chen xiaowang straight sword form
critical thinking in martial arts
full contact vs point sparring
how to succeed in martial arts
how to use chi kung in daily life
how to use qigong in daily life
internal fighting arts podcast
ken gullette on kung fu conversations podcast
mindset of successful martial artist
principles of body mechanics in martial arts
what is body method in tai chi