The TaijiQuan 13 Postures

September 18th, 2007 by admin

The Eight Gates (八門 bā mén):

P’eng (掤, pinyin- péng) – An upward circular movement, forward or backward, yielding or offsetting usually with the arms to disrupt the opponent’s centre of gravity, often translated as “Ward Off.” Peng is also described more subtly as an energetic quality that should be present in every taiji movement as a part of the concept of “song” (鬆) or relaxation, providing the strength to maintain structure when pressed and still avoid tension.

Lü (å±¥, lu) – A sideways, circular yielding movement, often translated as “Roll Back.”

Chi (æ“  (simpl.: 挤), ji) – A pressing or squeezing offset in a direction away from the body, usually done with the back of the hand or outside edge of the forearm. Chi is often translated as “Press.”

An (按, àn) – To offset with the hand, usually a slight lift up with the fingers then a push down with the palm, which can appear as a strike if done quickly. Often translated as “Push.”

Tsai (採, cai) – To pluck or pick downwards with the hand, especially with the fingertips or palm. The word tsai is part of the compound that means to gather, collect or pluck a tea leaf from a branch (採茶, cai chá). Often translated “Pluck” or “Grasp.”

Lieh (挒, liè) – Lieh means to separate, to twist or to offset with a spiral motion, often while making immobile another part of the body (such as a hand or leg) to split an opponent’s body thereby destroying posture and balance. Lieh is often translated as “Split.”

Chou (肘, zhou) – To strike or push with the elbow. Usually translated as “Elbow Strike” or “Elbow Stroke” or just plain “Elbow.”

K’ao (靠, kào) – To strike or push with the shoulder or upper back. The word k’ao implies leaning or inclining. Usually translated “Shoulder Strike,” “Shoulder Stroke” or “Shoulder.”

The Five Steps (五步 wu bù):

Chin Pu (進步 jìn bù) – Forward step.
T’ui Pu (退步 tùi bù) – Backward step.
Tsuo Ku (左顧 (simpl.: 左顾) zuo gù) – Left step.
You P’an (右盼 yòu pàn) – Right step.
Chung Ting (中定 zhōng dìng) – The central position, balance, equilibrium. Not just the physical center, but a condition which is expected to be present at all times in the first four steps as well, associated with the concept of rooting (the stability said to be achieved by a correctly aligned, thoroughly relaxed body as a result of correct T’ai Chi training). Chung ting can also be compared to the Taoist concept of moderation or the Buddhist “middle way” as discouraging extremes of behavior, or in this case, movement. An extreme of movement, usually characterised as leaning to one side or the other, destroys a practitioner’s balance and enables defeat.

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