1. Tai Chi Chuan is an internal martial art exercise. Strength is produced in the bones. Power is reserved at the muscles. It does not require one to have tough skin or thick muscles, but sunken “chi” and strong bones are required. Therefore, learners have no suffering of broken bones and hurt muscles, and the tiredness of jumping, but just move naturally to find the potential of power of origin. It is an exercise to develop the your original power.

2. The three main points: spirit, intention, and posture (likeness of the movements’s names) have to be there.If the posture is correct, then the spirit and intention are there, and you will have good progression. Also, you will feel differently every day. Learners should try to feel the differences intentially.

3. If the posture is not correct, then spirit and intention are not there. The result will be just like cooking an empty pot, even after many years of practice you will not be successful. There is a tease saying that ten years of Tai Chi Chuan practice is not as good as three years of kung fu. Therefore, for good Tai Chi Chuan practice: first you have to practice diligently; and secondly you need to have good understanding. Also, the result is dependent on your intelligence, but hard practice can help stupidity. So you should always encourage yourself to practice harder.

4. Breathing during practice – to breathe naturally. Do not force your breath deeply. After many times of practice, your Tai Chi Chuan will reach the natural point. By that time, the breath will be balanced automatically.

5. Originally the thirteen movements of Tai Chi Chuan are the guiding methods of “chi”. Guiding means leading the circulation of “chi” and blood. Therefore, when you do a good job of guiding, the “chi” and the blood will have a good balance. All sickness will be gone, but don’t misunderstand the method, and try very hard to obtain that balance. If you practice hard and naturally, you will get it when you reach maturity (when the time comes).

6. Loosen the shoulders and drop the elbows means don’t hold the strength on the shoulders. Don’t try to make the hands heavy, but move smoothly and lightly.

7. Suspend your top (of your head), and hold the bottom (anus). To suspend the top, the head has to be held naturally. If you hold the bottom, the “chi” will come up from there automatically. To withdraw the power, the breast has to be a bit vacant, but don’t hold your breast and bend your back.

8. Everytime when you pratcice the form, there are at least three things you must do. The first one is to relax your muscle. The second one is to adjust your postures. The third one is to concentrate more on intentions and spiritual styles. When you can master all the movements, then the spiritual style will appear when you move. When you reach this stage your improvement will be better and quicker.

9. Feeling and understanding of power – To learn these you have to practice more of the push hands, then you will get the benefits of stick, hold, touch, and follow. If you don’t have a partner, you can always practice the form diligently, and always use two arms to feel the power. Try to imagine that your opponent is attacking you, and the way in which you are using to control him. If you keep on practicing like that for a long time, certainly you will learn the power too.

10. When you are doing push hands, the most important thing is to study the feeling of power, not trying to knock down your opponent. Try not to let your opponent discover your center, and always control your opponent’s center.

11. You can practice Tai Chi Chuan while you are walking, standing, sitting, and laying. The method is to use your mind to circulate the “chi”, and find the feeling. For example: to feel the difference beween holding a tea cup with strength, and without strength; to feel the difference of walking with heavy steps, and with light steps. When you are standing still, try to feel the difference of straightening your legs, and bending your legs; one leg, or two legs on the ground.

12. During the early stages of practicing Tai Chi Chuan you might experience sore muscles, but don’t worry, as this will pass and you will feel good later.

13. Basic steps to learning push hands is to know the power. There are many different types of power such as: stick on power, follow on power, internal power, suspending power, rubbing power, tendering power, fastening power, holding power, touching power, and pushing power. As well there are types of power such as penetrating bone power, shaking power, crisp power, sudden power, tenth of an inch power, shooting arrow power, and even power. In general the above powers are learned from the feeling developed during practice. It is harder to learn the power by oneself, but easier with two people, as people are alive. Additionally, you can use your own adjustment and feeling when you are enforcing the power. Of course, all the types of power are learned and discovered from body movements. If you have no partners, you can learn the power from the AIR.

14. The principles of Tai Chi Chuan: The root is on the feet; enforced from the legs; controlled by the waist; and expressed by the fingers. These are the principles of enforcing power: never let the knees come over the toes; never stretch the hands over your nose; never raise over your eyebrows; and don’t press down below the center of the chest. All these are traditional rules. If you break these rules, then the power will not be as good. The variation is controlled by the waist. For example: If you push someone to the left with your right hand sideways, and your hand is over your nose, then the power will not be there. But if you let your left chest withdraw backward a little bit, and turn your waist to the left a little bit, then the power is there again. So this variation is on the chest, and controlled by the waist, and finally shows on you fingers, If the whole body is relaxed and sensitive, then strong power will show on the fingers.

15. People are animals, but with senses. For example: if I hit someone with my fist, the opponent certianly will use hands to block, or move his body to avoid the attack. It is the natural reaction of people, but materials are different. An example of this is a hanging sandbag. It is motionless hanging there. If you punch it, it will move forward and backward. The way it moves is on a fixed route. If you punch it to the left it will move back to the right. It is the reaction of materials. But people are different, the opponenet will have various reactions for a punch. Therefore, a boxer has three words: steady, accurate, and fierce. If I don’t have these three qualities, I cannot enforce the power. If I do, then the power has to be powerful. So, how to get steady, accurate, and fierce? First, you have to have sense. So, how does one get sense? Don’t move if the opponent is not moving. If the opponenet moves, you follow and finish the movement before he does. So you will have to fight for that second to finish the movement. Then you will be unbeaten.

16. Before learning Tai Chi Chuan, The strength might be dull strength. After learning Tai Chi Chuan the whole body is relaxed, and with good circulation of the “chi” and blood. But you must get rid of all the nervous tension, and keep the original dull strength. Because when you are relaxed, dull strength can be turned into real power. An example of dull strength is what some people call shoulder power, as the strength is held at the shoulder, and is not controlled by the waist and shown on the fingers. Therefore, dull power is the capital. Relaxation is the Method. If you know the method, then even small capital can achieve great success. if you don’t know the method, then even with big capital you cannot be successful. That’s why if you understand the principle of Tai Chi Chuan, it will benefit you for all kinds of sports.

From the book “Yang Style Taijiquan” by Yang Zhen Duo

There are many schools of Chinese wushu (martial arts), all with technical skills based on philosophy. Since ancient times, many people have devoted their lifetime and energy to probing the nature and essence of wush and mastering the maximum skills, but few have succeeded. However, a learner can improve his skill if he keeps on practising and someday he will become an expert. As the saying goes: Drops falling, if they fall constantly, will bore through a stone.

Taijiquan is a part of the rich cultural heritage of China. It is an art in whose slow and gentle movements are embodied vigour and force. As a Chinese saying aptly puts it, “Inside the cotton is hidden a needle“. Its technical, physiological and mechanical qualities all have a philosophical basis. For learners, the guidance of a good teacher and discussions of the skills and techniques with friends are necessary, but the most important thing is persistent and untiring practice. Indeed, there is nothing like practice, and learners of taijiquan, men and women, young and old, will get the best possible results if they keep at it all the year round.

In recent years, the number of people studying taijiquan in various parts of China has been increasing. This is an indication of the bright prospects of wushu. Many learners are conscientious and persistant in training, which will enable them to attain a high level of achievement. It should be pointed out that two wrong tendencies should be guarded against. The first is that some some people who are young and talented acquired a quicker understanding than most other people and so become complacent and stop half way. These people can never achieve great success. The second wrong tendency is that some learners are too anxious to achieve quick success and get instant benefits. They want to learn everything in a short time, from shadow boxing to wielding the sword, broadsword, spear and other weapons. They know a smattering of each, but do not grasp the essence and their movements and postures are full of flaws to the expert eye. It is difficult to correct their movements, for a thorough “overhaul” is needed and , as often as not, they might change in the morning and return to the old habits in the evening. Hence the saying in Chinese boxing circles: “Learning taijiquan is easy but to correct a wrong style is difficult“. In other words, more haste less speed. And if these people pass on their mistakes to others, they will be doing a great harm.

In learning taijiquan, one should first of all start from the quan jia or frame of boxing; he should practise according to the routines and follow the master’s every movement carefully, and keep each action in mind. Meanwhile, he should pay attention to the nei, wai, shang and xia. Nei means using the mind rather than force. Wai means the relaxation of the limbs, shoulders and elbows, making the movements from the foot to the leg to the waist gentle and continuous. Shang means straightening the head, and xia means sinking the breath to the lower belly.

For a beginner, the most important thing is to remember these points, grasp their essence and practise each basic movement correctly over and over again, never seeking quick success and instant benefit. It is advisiable to make slow and steady progress, for this will pay in the long run. In practising taijiquan, it is necessary to keep all the joints in the body relaxed, so that the movements will be natural and unrestrained. Do not hold your breath (that may lead to puff and blow), and do not use stiff strength in moving the arms, legs and waist and body, but try to make your movements gentle and continuous. These two points are well-known among the wushu experts, but many trainees have difficulty putting them into practice.

The learners should bear in mind the following points:

1. Keep your head erect and do not incline it forward or backward. As the saying goes, “Its like there is something on your head, and you should take care not to let it fall“. But you should not hold your head in a stiff manner, and though your eyes look straight ahead, they should follow the movements of the limbs and body. Although your eyes look into vacancy, they are an important component of the movements of the body as whole. Your mouth should remain half open and half closed, with the nose breathing in and mouth breathing out naturally. If saliva is produced in the mouth swallow it.

2. Hold the torso straight and the backoune and free end of the sacrum vertical. When moving, always keep the chest slightly inward and the back upright. The beginners should keep these key points in mind, otherwise their movements will become mere formality or dull-looking, and they will not be able to make much progress in spite of long years of practice.

3. Relax the joints of both arms, letting the shoulders droop and the elbows curve naturally; the palms should be slightly extended and the fingers slightly bent. Move the arms by conciousness and send qi (breath or vital energy) to the fingers. Remember these key points and success will be yours.

4. Take not of the difference in stance between the two legs which move as gently as those of a cat. When one foot is planted firmly on the ground,the other is in an empty stance. When you shift the weight on to the left leg, then the left foot is firmly on the ground, while the right foot is in an empty stance, and vice versa. though the foot is in an empty stance it is always ready to move. When the foot is firmly on the ground, it does not not mean that you should exert too much force on that leg, for if you do so, your body will incline forward and you will lose your balance.

5. The action of the feet is divided into kicking upward and kicking downward. When you kick upward, pay attention to your toes, and when you kick downward, pay attention to the sole; conciousness of the action will be followed by vital energy, and vital energy will be followed by strength. When you do all this, you should relax the joints and avoid stiffness.

In practising taijiquan, one should first master and practise the “frame” as above mention (bare-handed forms), such as Taiji shadow boxing and changquan (long shadow boxing); then one can proceed to single-hand pushing, one-site pushing, pushing with feet moving and free-hand fighting, and after a period one can take exercises with weapons such as taiji sword, taiji scimitar and taiji spear.

Learners should practise regularly every morning or before going to bed. It is preferable to practise seven or eight times during the daytime; if one is hard pressed for time, then at least once in the morning and once in the evening. Do not practise immediately after meals or after drinking. The best place is in the gardens or parks where the air is fresh and the environment conducive to health. Do not practise on windy days or in a filthy place. For when you do exercise, you might breathe in too much dust or dirt which is harmful to your lungs. It is advisable to put on sportswear and comfortable cloth or rubber shoes. When you sweat, don’t take off your clothes or wipe with cold towels, lest you catch cold and fall ill.

Push Hands (a.k.a. Pushing Hands, Tui Shou, Sensing Hands) is an exercise performed by two people who are attempting to improve their Tai Chi skills. Practicing the Tai Chi solo form teaches one to remain balanced, focused and relaxed while in motion.

Only through the practice of Tai Chi Push Hands does one improve these abilities while in physical contact with another human being. To be balanced and relaxed while in contact with another person who is moving is a difficult task. Attainment of this ability opens the door to mastery of martial skill through Tai Chi Chuan.

Fixed and restricted step Push Hands can be described in the following way. Two people face each other at arms distance, both with the same foot forward. The forward hand of each participant is raised to approximately chest height with the palm facing in, and the back of the hand lightly touching the same part of the other player’s hand. The rear hand (the hand corresponding to the rear foot) is placed gently on the elbow of the other player’s lead elbow, so that both players are in an equal starting position. Feet should be comfortably placed so that each player feels balanced and stable from the start.

To initiate the exercise, each player cooperatively moves his or her arms, waist and legs in a circular pattern for three rotations, after which the significant aspect of the drill begins. After the third rotation, each player attempts to remain in light contact with the other player’s arms while at the same time remaining in perfect balance. A loss of balance can be detected by observing the feet of each player. A player who is pushed or pulled off balance will usually stumble out of his or her stable position and have to reset his or her stance to resume play. Players are permitted to put their hands on the other’s body to attempt to unbalance him or her, while at the same time following certain guidelines established at the start. Examples of such guidelines might include keeping the feet in place, not using brute force to unbalance the other player, not grabbing the other player with both hands at one time and not losing contact with the other player throughout the exercise.

Moving step push hands starts the same way, but the goals are different. The goal is to push your opponent out of a circle or to knock him down or both.

(They are maintaining their balance and gaining a postural advantage over their partners and opponents.)

Push Hands provides Tai Chi practitioners with a format to test and improve upon their relaxation, flexibility, timing, balance, poise and numerous other qualities while in contact with another person. Push Hands also provides a gentle way to “compete” with other Tai Chi practitioners without the risk of injury. There are many variations of this exercise, each with its own particular benefits.

Please keep in mind that if you wish to benefit from Push Hands, you should finish learning a Tai Chi form first, so that you can know the principles that will distinguish Push Hands from an external sport. Depending on the Push Hands, sports such as indian wrestling and sumo wrestling come to mind. As you practise Push Hands, you should concentrate on being soft and applying the lessons of your Tai Chi form to your practice and to your opponent.

There are styles of T’ai Chi Ch’uan (notably the Chen Family Style) that incorporate some fast, explosive movements. In general, however, the Solo Form practice of T’ai Chi Ch’uan is characterized by slow fluid movements. To the unpracticed eye, it might look like slow motion Karate. Acting like a form of moving Yoga, T’ai Chi Ch’uan improves health and well-being. It can be practiced by people of all ages and is frequently cited for the improved health and vigor it gives older practitioners. The body moves slowly in the Solo Form so that the mind can attend to training/correcting the body to the precise configurations required. The principles on which T’ai Chi Ch’uan is based offer a distinctive approach to martial arts, physical fitness, and philosophy of life.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan approaches the ideal for a form of physical education. It is oriented to finding maximum efficiency though integrating the mind and body in harmonious movement, and does so in ways that promote overall health and well-being. The movements all have meaning, so they can sustain interest as their subtleties are explored. Practice requires no large space, special dress, or equipment. Moreover, T’ai Chi Ch’uan can be done individually as well as in groups.

T’ai Chi Ch’uan has antecedents in health exercise that pre-date written history and has roots in martial arts from around 500 or 600 AD The most popular fables attribute the creation of T’ai Chi Ch’uan to the quasi-mythological Taoist, Chan San Feng, from the Wu Tang Mountains circa 600 AD. The modern forms of T’ai Chi Ch’uan all derive from the teachings of the Chen family of Chenjiaogou in Henan Province. Yang Lu-chan (1799-1872) learned from the Chen family and popularized T’ai Chi Ch’uan in Beijing. His grandson Yang Cheng-fu (1883-1936), choreographed the Yang-style Form that is widely known today. Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing (1901-1975), who studied with Yang Cheng-fu, choreographed the Yang-style Short Form (more properly called Professor Cheng Man-ch’ing’s Simplified T’ai Chi Ch’uan) that I have been studying – primarily with Ben Lo. Currently, I am also studying Wu (Wu Chien-chuan) Style with Tony Ho (Square Form of Wu Kung-yi as transmitted through Pei Tsu-ying). In addition to the various Chen, Yang, and Wu styles, the other major traditional Forms of T’ai Chi Ch’uan include Wu (Wu Yu-xian, aka Hao style) and Sun family styles.

Zen meditation, yoga, ch’i kung and the internal martial arts all share elements for the cultivation of ch’i. Certain practices obviously resonate more clearly for some individuals than for others. If a T’ai Chi enthusiast enjoys some of the other practices, he might as well have fun. Possibly the alternate perspective will aid in understanding his T’ai Chi Ch’uan practice better. If you just relax and adhere to the principles of T’ai Chi Ch’uan, however, the ch’i is cultivated naturally and without risk. Casual observation does not support the idea that the practice of other arts makes ones T’ai Chi Ch’uan superior in some way. Some people who spend a lot of time supplementing their T’ai Chi Ch’uan training still have quite mediocre abilities.

The beginner should be aware of some potential risks with ch’i kung. There are practices that reportedly lead to severe emotional/psychological imbalances if not taught and monitored properly. It is thought particularly dangerous for people to focus the ch’i into the upper tan-t’ien, or third eye, because of the risks associated with the elevated blood pressure that results. The possibility of physical injury from improper body mechanics is also possible. Some will also fall prey to a New Age hubris, superficially learning a great number of esoteric practices and failing to recognize the potentially greater value from investing the same amount of time in developing a deep understanding of one system.

There are extensive systems of Taoist alchemy, as well as ideas from traditional Chinese medicine, which try to add insight into the nature and usage of ch’i. They can be studied, but as a practical matter there is a lot of contradictory information out there. The Classics do offer some guidance, although much of it is cryptic and open to misinterpretation.

Confucian tenets on the sacredness of the body hindered the evolution of surgical practices in TCM, thereby limiting the development of anatomical studies essential to a biomechanical perspective of movement. Without the perspective of functional anatomy, or the analytical tools of physics, the descriptions of the underlying principle of T’ai Chi Ch’uan had to draw on another paradigm. Accordingly the paradigms of traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist philosophy tend to dominate the original thinking about the mechanism’s by which T’ai Chi Ch’uan operates through the body.

The fact that today’s players often use dialogue with mystical connotations does not necessarily mean that the effectiveness of T’ai Chi Ch’uan is based on magical powers instead of solid scientific principles. Somewhere in antiquity men with a real genius for movement and martial arts evolved the insights upon which the modern forms of T’ai Chi Ch’uan are based. Supernormal accomplishment is not supernatural, that’s why it is called kung fu, literally, “skill achieved through persistent effort.”

Discussions of ch’i are complicated by the fact that it is not a well-defined term. Ch’i is a word with many and varied colloquial usages, as well as being a key term in theories of many scientific, philosophical and spiritual disciplines. Any metabolic or psychospiritual transformation of energy may be characterized as ch’i. The term ch’i is used colloquially to represent manifestations of the invisible energy behind observable effects.

The actual existence or nonexistence of ch’i as a measurable force with an objective reality is, in my opinion, by no means critical to its role and importance in T’ai Chi Ch’uan. To clarify this ambivalence towards the existence of ch’i, it is necessary to first make a distinction between a normative theory and a positive theory. By viewing ch’i in the context of a positive theory, we can avoid endless controversy over scientifically proving its existence.

A normative theory is prescriptive, i.e., it asserts that the world should behave in a certain way because the theory is true. Thus, a normative theory assumes the existence of ch’i, which causes the phenomena we observe to behave in a certain way. It asserts causality.

A positive theory is descriptive, i.e., the world behaves as if the theory were true – regardless of the actual mechanisms causing the observed behavior. Said differently, a positive theory of ch’i doesn’t require that ch’i actually exists, only that the phenomena we are observing act as if ch’i exists. The actual causal mechanism for the phenomena could be something totally different, without diminishing the value of the theory.

The principles for the proper development and circulation of ch’i in T’ai Chi Ch’uan are also consistent with the relevant laws of physics as applied to the biomechanics of T’ai Chi Ch’uan postures/movement. Effective T’ai Chi Ch’uan does not actually have to rely on an esoteric analogue to cold fusion. Whether or not it is possible, it isn’t necessary to draw more power from mystical sources than is already intrinsic in the biomechanics of well-executed body alignment and movement. While the search for objective identification and measurement of ch’i is a potentially illuminating exercise, it’s success is by no means essential to the continued importance of ch’i in a positive theory on the underpinnings of T’ai Chi Ch’uan.

Whether one corrects a faulty posture in T’ai Chi Ch’uan by relieving blockages to the flow of ch’i or by bringing the body into alignment with the appropriate principles of physics/body mechanics, the results should be the same. An esoteric and a scientific paradigm of T’ai Chi Ch’uan will be complementary if one focuses on outcomes.

Many of the ideas in T’ai Chi Ch’uan can only be comprehended fully when they are felt/manifested in one’s own body. Never-the-less, some ideas seem easier to talk about in terms of ch’i (and the rest of the panoply of terms from Taoist internal alchemy), while other ideas communicate well in terms of physics/biomechanics. A familiarity with both schools of thought is helpful and there is no particular reason to insist on only one paradigm in developing a conceptual framework for understanding T’ai Chi Ch’uan. If we think in terms of a positive theory of ch’i, the esoteric and the scientific paradigms are two sides of the same coin.

To enter the door and be shown the way,
you must be orally taught.
Practice should be uninterrupted,
and technique achieved by self study.

Chen Wei-Ming reported Yang Cheng-fu as saying that mastery could only come if you had a good teacher, worked hard, were strong and agile, as well as subtle and smart. With these prerequisites you could achieve a high level in ten years. (Chen Wei-ming, 1985 page 45)

As a beginner it is possible to get a rough idea of the external form of the postures and the gross motor movements from a teacher whose level is not very high. Since you would inevitably be copying errors, however, there is a limit to how far you can progress without instruction from an accomplished T’ai Chi Ch’uan player. Beginners should keep in mind that there are teachers who intellectualize the practice of T’ai Chi Ch’uan and may have an impressive sounding line of patter, but whose actual ability to demonstrate T’ai Chi Ch’uan skills may only be moderate at best.

Watching the quality of a T’ai Chi Ch’uan player’s Form and/or a few moments of push hands will give an experienced player a good sense of another’s level of accomplishment. Unfortunately, the beginner may not have the background to make the necessary distinctions. It is particularly easy for the beginner to mistakenly judge superior athletic/gymnastic ability exhibited in externalities for real accomplishment in T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Some of the key indicators I look for initially are:

• Hands/arms do not move independently of the waist/body
• Not double-weighted in stances/stepping
• Sung: not tense, but not limp either
• Solid root
• Connects and follows during Push Hands

A teacher should probably have at least ten years of experience and have had significant time studying with a more accomplished teacher(s) initially. Be wary of teachers who have only studied with an accomplished instructor (perhaps even a not-so-accomplished instructor) for a year or two before they began teaching on their own. It is very unlikely that these teachers would have enough knowledge or skill to transmit much of the art of T’ai Chi Ch’uan correctly. A teacher who cannot trace his lineage to a styles founder, or who teaches an eclectic style, is immediately suspect as to the depth of their own studies. Of course, a teacher who has 20 years of experience with improper practices may be even more detrimental to a beginner’s progress than someone with only a few years of good experience – but a strong sense of their own inadequacies.

In motion the whole body should be light and agile,
with all parts of the body linked
as if threaded together.

The ch’i [vital life energy] should be excited,
The shen [spirit of vitality] should be internally gathered.

The postures should be without defect,
without hollows or projections from the proper alignment;
in motion the Form should not become disconnected.

The chin [intrinsic strength] should be
rooted in the feet,
generated from the legs,
controlled by the waist, and
manifested through the fingers.

If correct timing and position are not achieved,
the body will become disordered
and will not move as an integrated whole;
the correction for this defect
must be sought in the legs and waist.

The principle of adjusting the legs and waist
applies for moving in all directions;
upward or downward,
advancing or withdrawing,
left or right.

All movements are motivated by I [mind-intention],
not external form.

If there is up, there is down;
when advancing, have regard for withdrawing;
when striking left, pay attention to the right.

If the I wants to move upward,
it must simultaneously have intent downward.

Alternating the force of pulling and pushing
severs an opponent’s root
so that he can be defeated
quickly and certainly.

Insubstantial [empty; yin] and substantial [solid; yang]
should be clearly differentiated.
At any place where there is insubstantiality,
there must be substantiality;
Every place has both insubstantiality and substantiality.

The whole body should be threaded together
through every joint
without the slightest break.

Chang Ch’uan [Long Boxing] is like a great river
rolling on unceasingly.

Peng, Lu, Chi, An,
Ts’ai, Lieh, Chou, and K’ao
are equated to the Eight Trigrams.
The first four are the cardinal directions;
Ch’ien [South; Heaven],
K’un [North; Earth],
K’an [West; Water], and
Li [East; Fire].
The second four are the four corners:
Sun [Southwest; Wind],
Chen [Northeast; Thunder],
Tui [Southeast; Lake], and
Ken [Northwest; Mountain].
Advance (Chin), Withdraw (T’ui),
Look Left (Ku), Look Right (Pan), and
Central Equilibrium (Chung Ting)
are equated to the five elements:
Metal,
Wood,
Water,
Fire, and
Earth
All together these are termed the Thirteen Postures

A footnote appended to this Classic by Yang Lu-ch’an (1799-1872) reads: This treatise was left by the patriarch Chan San-feng of Wu Tang Mountain, with a desire toward helping able people everywhere achieve longevity, and not merely as a means to martial skill.

T’ai Chi [Supreme Ultimate] comes from Wu Chi [Formless Void]
and is the mother of yin and yang.
In motion T’ai Chi separates;
in stillness yin and yang fuse and return to Wu Chi.

It is not excessive or deficient;
it follows a bending, adheres to an extension.

When the opponent is hard and I am soft,
it is called tsou [yielding].

When I follow the opponent and he becomes backed up,
it is called nian [sticking].

If the opponent’s movement is quick,
then quickly respond;
if his movement is slow,
then follow slowly.

Although there are innumerable variations,
the principles that pervades them remain the same.

From familiarity with the correct touch,
one gradually comprehends chin [intrinsic strength];
from the comprehension of chin one can reach wisdom.

Without long practice
one cannot suddenly understand T’ai Chi.

Effortlessly the chin reaches the headtop.

Let the ch’i [vital life energy] sink to the tan-t’ien [field of elixir].

Don’t lean in any direction;
suddenly appear,
suddenly disappear.

Empty the left wherever a pressure appears,
and similarly the right.

If the opponent raises up, I seem taller;
if he sinks down, then I seem lower;
advancing, he finds the distance seems incredibly long;
retreating, the distance seems exasperatingly short.

A feather cannot be placed,
and a fly cannot alight
on any part of the body.

The opponent does not know me;
I alone know him.

To become a peerless boxer results from this.

There are many boxing arts.

Although they use different forms,
for the most part they don’t go beyond
the strong dominating the weak,
and the slow resigning to the swift.

The strong defeating the weak
and the slow hands ceding to the swift hands
are all the results of natural abilities
and not of well-trained techniques.

From the sentence “A force of four ounces deflects a thousand pounds”
we know that the technique is not accomplished with strength.

The spectacle of an old person defeating a group of young people,
how can it be due to swiftness?

Stand like a perfectly balanced scale and
move like a turning wheel.

Sinking to one side allows movement to flow;
being double-weighted is sluggish.

Anyone who has spent years of practice and still cannot neutralize,
and is always controlled by his opponent,
has not apprehended the fault of double-weightedness.

To avoid this fault one must distinguish yin from yang.

To adhere means to yield.
To yield means to adhere.

Within yin there is yang.
Within yang there is yin.

Yin and yang mutually aid and change each other.

Understanding this you can say you understand chin.
After you understand chin,
the more you practice,
the more skill.

Silently treasure knowledge and turn it over in the mind.
Gradually you can do as you like.

Fundamentally, it is giving up yourself to follow others.
Most people mistakenly give up the near to seek the far.
It is said, “Missing it by a little will lead many miles astray.”

The practitioner must carefully study.

This is the Treatise