And what about the standard Taiji as created since 1959,
24 form
Standard taiji books have always a
historical reference to four or five families Chen, Yang, Wu, Sun and another
Wu (one of the Wu is also referred as Hao).
Chen is the oldest. Yang is the most popular.
The oldest and most practiced standard form,
the standard 24 form, is based on Yang.
The two standard competition forms 42 and
48 are mixed forms, I recognize at least Yang, Chen, Sun style elements in it.
It did search for references that indicate which posture is considered which
style but did not succeed up to now.
There exist competition forms for each of
the families.
Official standard taiji books have always
an introduction which is not in contradiction with the above:
-so health is the
main purpose
-the reference to
philosophy is present and expressed in the principles such as yin yang,
full/empty, inhale/exhale
-the reference to
martial arts is present as taiji as one of three internal martial arts (the
other being bagua zhang and xing yi which are in the Sun style synthesis)
-the principles
like relax waist, be attached at the head are similar as the ones of the
families
The main part of official standard taiji
books is the physical description in detail of the postures. They are far
more detailed than the descriptions in the three books, they have more photos
and pictures and they are accompanied with video. As a result the modern reader
who goes immediately to the form description/video will emphasize more the
movement.
In standard taiji the competition aspect is
new and more emphasized. In my opinion it is also a kind of alternative way
of practicing.
29-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
An image can tell more than 1000 words
So picture tropical swimming pools
·The wild
river with water turning in all directions: Chen
·The huge toboggan,
with big curves: Yang
·The large
water ramp: Wu
·The pool
with the waves: Sun
It is not exact but you may want to find your
own image
It is different but it is also always water, all
going with the flow, all enjoyable, all open to the public, all in accord with
nature.
And you may replace water, by wind, thunder by
sounds colours everything that touches the senses
You may also change taiji in tea drinking,
calligraphy or Chinese painting . Different but similar ways to express the
same in another way
The
way is common to all, all choose a different way.
The
journey is more important than the destination.
Enjoy
the journey.
28-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Recognizing the differences
Above we discussed what is common between
the styles, here we discuss the differences and how you can recognize the
styles.
Chen style
The most physical one, one posture contains
multiple composed cyclic movements in a low stance.
E.g. the waist turns while shoulder and arm
turns differently while hand fingers turn also different etc.
Probably the most complex style, but there
exist also modern short, standardized and simplified forms, like the Chen Xiao
Wang 19 form.
Yang style created by Yang Luchan
As student of the Chen family, Yang Luchan
created his own style.
Less complex as the cyclic movements are
coming from the waist and impact the whole body, still in a large and low
stance. Is the basis for the standard 24 form.
In this sense probably the most practiced
in the world today.
I understand that Yang Luchan wanted to
create a form more apt for a general public including the weak.
The characteristic large and ample
movements are a mean to let the qi flow.
Wu style created by Wu Chian Chuan
As student of Yang Luchan, Wu Chian-chuan
(1870-1942), founder of wu style, revised old forms to make taiji more
structured, smooth, even and continuous in accord of the theory of the mutual
complement of yin and yang, the interaction of softness and energetic.
The characteristic ox bow stand, straight
back and legs in an oblique line, is a mean to optimize the qi stream by
limiting any obstacle in the body.
Sun style created by Sun Lutang
As a student of the wu style after
practicing morning and night for several years, I feel I have come tounderstand the general principle of the Art. I have deeply
contemplated the Art and have combined the Xing Yi and Ba Gua Quan that I
studied previously with the Tai Ji Quan, forming one Art Although the postures
of the three arts are different, the principles are the same.
The characteristic open/close movement is
the mean to regenerate qi.
27-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
What you feel by practicing Taiji quan is beyond
words but those that practice share it
Some principles that help
to get the feeling to follow the flow
·Listen to
the body:
feel and unite Internal/external, open/close, up/down, empty/full,
inhale/exhale
·Practice
·Intent leads
and follows
·Relax relax
relax
·Between
heaven and earth, attached to the head
·The waist is
key
·Qi in dan
tian
·Flow like
water/wind no force
·It is just
simple
·Smile
·Be modest
What unites different taiji quan styles
Taijis principles
Yang
13 points to be attentive and test and verify
these in practice
1.sink the shoulders and
drop the elbows
2.contain the chest and
pull up the back
3.the qi sinks to the
dan tian
4.an intangible energy
lifts the crown of the head
5.loosen the waist and
the kua (rem author: everything hips, middle, taille )
6.distinguish empty and
full
7.upper and lower follow
one another
8.use mind intent not
strength
9.inner and outer are
united
10.intention and qi
interact
11.seek stillness in
movement
12.movement and stillness
are united
13.proceed evenly from posture to posture
Wu
1. Hui
lin din jin : erect head and empty neck, as a consequence centre the tail bone
and straighten the spine
2. Han
shun ba bei : enlarge the chest downward and lift the upper back, also lower
shoulders and drop elbows
3. Relax
waist and drop buttocks, the waist is the dominant part for all movements, the
source of sense and perception
4. Chi
shen tan tian : sink the qi in the dan tian
Sun
Cultivate
the way (Tao) : stabilize the root of your spirit and quiet your heart
Cultivate
the root of your spirit and mobilize your heart (mind) is called the martial
Art.
brute force will naturally dissipate one must practice often and pay
attention to net letting go and not resisting Your hands will become very
sensitive
Thousands
of potential variations in technique come from the changes of ward off, roll
back, press and push. The skills that result cannot be described in words.
constant
daily practice one will be able to unite the methods to let go without
letting go, to resist without resisting students must carefully contemplate
this until really understood.
26-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Taiji quan martial art application is not about
winning,
neither about beating the other
·Protect own
body
·Lead force
to emptiness
·Observe the
other, listen to the other
like in pipa, fist under elbow
·Push hands
is about transformation between partners
·Know the
other
·
·Little interest
in competitions or accepting challenges
·When active
as private security agent, mostly preventing robbery by good contacts and
respect for the others (like todays security services) and not by fighting.
25-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Taijis martial application
Yang:
One could indeed say that the core of
protecting the body and to cultivate our nature is to accord with and protect
its weakness.
Wu:
1. Overcome
hardness with softness
Force
that does not resist or oppose the other is called rou, force against the
other gan. When gan is confronted to rou, the gan force is often lead to
emptiness and by utilizing adhesion strength you can get advantage by
interacting with gan.
2. Meet
the offensive with calmness
Be
calm so you can listen with your skin
(hands )
Divert
opponents force into the void, start late but reach first, and interact with
rou and gan when he is in a disadvantage position
3. Win
the opponent with lesser strength but greater skill
Sun:
The
paired partnerwork is the entire use of the Art.
The
purpose is to get the gungfu to knowing others
There
are changes upon changes without end.
24-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Taiji quan is in accord with the nature of the
world.
It is therefore founded by Yin yang, the 5 phases, the eight elements or ba gua
trigrams, and the book of changes.
The taiji quan movements should express
·Continuous
transformation
·Always
cyclic like sun and moon
·Involving
all parts of the body as a whole, as if applicable to the myriad of things,
almost like fractals
·All is
related to all in space and in time
Taiji is a mean to experience the Dao, the way as said in the dao de yin, chapter 1:
·It is from the
Being-without-form that the subtletyof
the Dao can be contemplated
·It is from
the Being-within-form that the subtletyof the Dao can be perceived
23-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Taijis philosophical foundation
Yang Chengfu:
Taijiquan
is based on the taiji, bagua and the book of changes. As the changes modeled on
the transformation of heaven and earth, it never goes beyond them.
Sun Lutang:
Opening
and closing is like the one qi moving through the cycles of yin and yang. Taiji
is the one qi, the one qi is Taiji. When referring to the body it is called
Taiji. When referring to the use, it is called the one qi. The Wu Ji posture is
the root of the form. The Tai Ji posture is the body of the form. Tai Ji transforms
in the thousands of things
Wu:
Taiji is in accord of the theory of the mutual
complement of yin and yang, the interaction of softness and energetic.
22-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
The way towards health is based on
·Let the
intent lead practice
·use the
mind, not force
·move slow
and experience the movement
·let the
movement inspire the mind
·relax, follow
what is natural, go with the flow
·let spirit, mind,
qi and body become one
·make the
whole form one
Some hints that may help
·smile
·enjoy the
good feelings
·make the
best come out of everybody
·there is a
Buddha in each of us
21-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
The way towards health involves spirit, mind, qi and body
Yang Chengfu:
I hope that later students will not merely
chase after the external, but will instead pursue the internal. The important
fine details of boxing postures can not be obtained in the appearance of form,
but must be sought in the idea that unites the whole.
Results will be achieved in three years for
people that want to protect their bodies and cultivate their nature.
Sun Lutang
Martial
arts were created to make use of methods that involved both stillness and
motion simultaneously. They sought to recover the pre natal qi.
Taiji
was invented each movement and stillness merely follows that which is
natural the intent is focused on practicing until the qi transforms into spirit
towards six harmonies (3 internal, 3 external)
Wu:
Practice
with
1.stillness
: concentrate on the exercise, use of the mind, not force
2.Lightness:
it is relaxed, but it is not, the strength is not exposed
3.slowness:
never a pause (so no fajin)
20-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
The purpose of Yang, Wu and Sun style taiji quan
is focused on health and self strengthening of the individual and the nation.
Health and self strengthening are expressed in
terms of longevity in good conditions
The martial art application is secondary but it
may contribute to your health and it enables the knowledge of the other.
19-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Health is the final purpose of Yang, Wu, Sun taiji quan
Sun Jian Jun, said about her father: The reason to practice martial arts was not
to fight, but to improve the health of the body. The goal is to be healthy
while you live and then die quickly.
Yang Chengfu: I wish that worthy individuals with the highest aspiration will use the
book for the purpose of self-strengthening.
The Wu style final purpose is described as:
longevity and eternal spring.
18-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Yang, Wu and Sun style taiji quan were
immediately transmitted publicly as opposed to the older family secret transmission
as used in Chen family.
Therefore, the originals of these styles are
well documented by the originator or first or second generation representatives
sometimes with the help of ghost writers
The change towards public martial arts may be
related to the originators aim to strengthen China against foreign countries,
which was relevant in the 1850 - 1950 period.
The chronological order of the styles Yang, Wu, Sun is not reflected in
the order of publications and the closeness with the originator: Sun (originator) before Wu (first generation)
and Yang (second generation).
16-03-2011
What unites different taiji quan styles
Based on books from originators of the Yang, Wu and Sun style
The essence and
application of Taiji quan, Yang Chengfu
Wu style Taiji quan
forms, concepts and application of the Original style, Wu Ying-huaand Ma Yueh-liang
A study of Taijiquan, Sun Lutang
11-03-2011
Demo Aarschot
10-03-2011
Demo Aarschot
09-03-2011
Demo Aarschot
08-03-2011
tuureluut van taiji
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVYpUblueIM
06-03-2011
Demo Aarschot
TWF The Wushu Family demo aarschot 2011
Taiko drums