The Core of Tai Chi - Body Mechanics and "Energies"

internal body mechanics internal strength tai chi training Apr 15, 2010

I spent the morning yesterday studying the energies and directions of Tai Chi. I have had some good teachers who have touched on these topics in class, but they've never really been organized in a way that brings it all together in a systematic approach to learning.

After a few hours of study and reflection, and getting up to practice some movements for even more insight into the physical mechanics, I had crystallized my thoughts -- and some outstanding information -- into five pages of a document that I'll put on the online school tomorrow, along with a video that I plan to shoot this evening with my students, demonstrating each of the 13 energies and the five moving directions of Tai Chi.

There are six main physical skills you need for good Tai Chi (and Hsing-I and Bagua). Along with the 13 energies and five moving directions, this makes up the core of an amazing martial art.

The Six Main Physical Skills:

1. Establish and maintain the ground path

2. Maintain peng jin at all times through all movements

3. Use whole-body movement - when one part moves all parts move

4. Silk-reeling energy -- spiraling must be infused through all movement

5. Open and close the kua

6. Rotate the Dan T'ien

The Thirteen Main Energies of Tai Chi:

1. Peng (ward off)

2. Lu (roll back)

3. Ji (press)

4. An (push)

5. Cai (pluck - pull down)

6. Lie (split)

7. Zhou (elbow)

8. Kao (shoulder)

9. Teng (striking at an upward angle - from the bottom to the top)

10. Zhe (winding, spinning to the ground)

11. Kong (empty)

12. Huo (lively and active while maintaining internal principles)

Five moving directions of Tai Chi:

1. Front (forward)

2. Back (backward)

3. Left (sometimes described as "gazing left")

4. Right (sometimes described as "gazing right")

5. Middle (maintaining your balance -- your center)

The "energies" are not scientifically verifiable -- they are not "real" energies coursing through your body. The term "energy" is a way of describing skills and tactics you need when an attack comes your way.

The mother of all energies is peng. It is a key element of all movement in Tai Chi. Without it, your Tai Chi is empty.

The purpose of all this -- to maintain your center -- your balance -- while unbalancing your opponent. To master all of these principles is to really know Tai Chi.

I'm looking forward to tonight's practice because there are many subtleties to these principles. The descriptions don't really capture what they mean in practice. We'll videotape demonstrations of all these concepts and the video will start appearing on the online school tomorrow.

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The Core of Tai Chi - Body Mechanics and "Energies"

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