In Conversation... #7

Chen Xiaoxing is the principal of the Chenjiagou Taijiquan School. Born in 1952, he is a lifelong resident of Chenjiagou known for his uncompromising and traditional teaching methods. Following is a composite of two interviews - the first took place during  Chenjiagou Taijiquan GB’s 2005 training trip in China; the second during Chen Xiaoxing’s final international training camp in Slovenia in 2018. He discussed some of the features and background of the Xinjia (New Frame) routines to clear up several points of confusion. He offered some thoughts on the importance of fundamental training in order to reach the higher levels of Taijiquan and what it means to progress through the “five levels of skill.” Finally he touches on how the teacher-student relationship has changed over the years.  

Q: From many years of training with you it’s clear that you place tremendous importance on jibengong (basic training exercises). Can you explain its importance and why you think that it is necessary even for experienced practitioners?

Chen Xiaoxing (CXX): The jibengong is the core foundation; if you haven’t grasped the jibengong you don’t have anything. It is important that you train from the feet upwards. Often times when you see people doing partner work, why is it so easy for one person to uproot the other person? The answer is found in your own body -  whether you can relax and sink your strength into the ground. The emphasis is not about what you do with your arms and hands. When you feel all your weight naturally dropping into your feet to the ground; When you’re able to ground deeply your body will be fit and your health will be good. If you haven’t got that core foundation how can you be fit and well?

As you practise, look for the essence in the requirements. When you feel the strength in your legs, slowly work to increase the jin in your lower body. If you do this your skill will slowly and naturally accrue. This is why you often hear the saying “lian quan bu lian gong, dao tou yi chang kong” (training quan without training gong, at the end all is in vain).  That’s why there is so much emphasis on the jibengong.  A lot of my long term students still come to me to revise the jibengong. It is the least exciting and most repetitive aspect of training and not many people can withstand year after year of doing the basics. 

Q: What are the benefits of training zhan zhuang (standing pole) regularly and how does it complement and add to the skills developed from training the form? 

CXX: Zhan zhuang is a training method to get fundamental skill (gong). Why fundamental skill? Many people think that the basics involve stretching the legs and back etc... in fact the fundamental skill of Taijiquan involves focusing the intention and feeling the qi, as in the taolu (form routine).  Whether it is zhan zhuang, chansigong (reeling silk exercises) or taolu, the fundamental skill is to mentally and physically enable the experience of intention and qi and the extent to which they can be achieved. Because zhan zhuang training is done in a static posture, it is easier to grasp and experience them, unlike in the form routine where one has to cope with a myriad of changes of directions and focus. The mental and energetic feel gleaned from zhan zhuang can then be incorporated into the form. This is the reason why zhan zhuang is important and is a part of training that cannot be missed.

Q: When you are teaching you usually follow zhan zhuang practice with quite a long time of chansigong (silk reeling exercises). How should one pay attention to and work towards incorporating the many requirements e.g. shun chan (natural flow) and ni chan (reverse flow) movements, sinking qi, changing weight correctly etc.

CXX: You should be natural and not exaggerate the movements. In the beginning the idea of shun chan and ni chan can be helpful as a guideline to practice. But it’s not absolute and you shouldn’t separate and break them down too much. They are both parts of the circle. Simply it’s like the principle of opening and closing, soft and hard or shun chan and ni chan, all taking place holistically within one yin-yang circle.

Q: In Chenjiagou several variants of the Taijiquan routines are practised. Can you talk about why that is and briefly about the Xinjia (New Frame) and where it fits among the other forms or frames of Chen Family Taijiquan?

CXX: In Chenjiagou we referred to our quan (martial arts or boxing) as Laojia (Old Frame) and Xiaojia (Small Frame), or more often in the old days as Dajia (Big Frame) and Xiaojia (Small Frame).  There were objections by some that calling a frame Laojia implied an older lineage, so in Chenjiagou we would say Dajia. Xinjia is developed from Dajia (or Laojia of today). Two hundred years ago, as documented, the so called Laojia passed down through six generations to our fourteenth generation ancestor Chen Changxing. He rearranged the routines practised previously into the Yilu (First Routine) and Erlu (Second Routine or Cannon Fist) of today. The quality of the former is predominately soft and the latter predominately hard. This is in keeping with the principles of complementary and alternating hard and soft actions, underpinned by the characteristic spiralling and rotational movements.

Actually I don’t agree with the idea that Chen Changxing created Dajia and Chen Qingping created Xiaojia. In my opinion the training process is all about following the progression of your skill from big to medium, from medium to small and small to none. At the beginning you have to use your external movement to drive your qi so everything is big and expansive. When you start training you’re not aware of how your qi is moving so you don’t know the boundaries of your movements. Gradually you become familiar with the movements and start to feel the correct boundaries by which point you will start to use your internal feelings to guide your movements. Whereas at the beginning you use your hands to find the limit of a movement, when you’re very familiar you begin to use your body to find the limit. At that point you’re not so erratic and uncontrolled. All your movements are reduced and not so big. Nowadays people separate the Dajia and Xiaojia in a way they didn’t in the past. Really it should be about the quality of your movement, (not the routine you practise). I’m not going to say whether Dajia is better or Xiaojia is better. That’s not what it’s about. It’s whether or not you have fulfilled the movement principles and how well you express them.

In 1928 my grandfather Chen Fake went to Beijing to teach Taijiquan. Over the years in Beijing, based on his experience and understanding he incorporated a number of new ideas and techniques into the existing form. These changes didn’t take place all at once but over many years. In 1965 his son, my uncle Chen Zhaokui, came back to Chenjiagou to teach us. The form he taught is the variant form that Chen Fake had created. The main difference is the more visible changing of jin and the expression of short jin. He had also incorporated many additional small movements. At that time it really appealed to the younger people because of the many more dynamic and explosive actions. As it is different from the form practised in the village, after some discussion, it was deemed sensible to call the centuries-old routine the Old Frame (Laojia) and the decades-old routine the New Frame (Xinjia). Laojia and Xinjia therefore should not be viewed as separate forms because both are foundation forms [and both fall within the classification of Dajia]. In Chenjiagou, Laojia is used as the foundation form because it is less flamboyant and steady, and learners are able to understand and realise the movement principle more clearly. In Chenjiagou people have the advantage of knowing and training both routines.

Q: Form training is considered to be the most important basic training method of Chen Taijiquan. How can a practitioner get the most from this core aspect of practice?

CXX:  To learn the sequence of movements of the form is really very easy and even the most stupid person will have learned it within one to four months. To learn the movement principles however you need someone to instruct you. On top of this you need to be prepared to put in hard work. Even training a few movements can be enough to make you ache, never mind training the routine ten or twenty times. The crux of the skill is in the consistency of practice. There’s a saying that if you want to develop Taijiquan skill you must be able to “treat one year as if it were a day.” Gongfu (fundamental skill) is really about time. It is only from lengthy and constant practice that you realise the skill. People often visit the school in Chenjiagou for short periods of intensive training and during these times [with the motivation that comes from being in the environment and seeing people of a good standard practising all around you] training ten times [repeating the form] in one day is not difficult. The question is can you go back home and persevere with the same intensity for three or five years?  

Whatever skill you are hoping to develop, you need to reach a certain level in order to open up the next level. This is because when you are at one level you have certain feelings. [Chen Xiaoxing illustrated this point by pointing to the square tiles on the floor. Approaching the boundary of one tile it seems as if you have reached the limit. But as soon as you cross over the boundary a whole expanse opens up before encountering the next one]. That’s why in Taijiquan there is what we term as “five levels of gongfu”. Proceeding through these five levels, one level opens up to the next. Only at the third level you can correct yourself and carry out self-adjustments because only then you can feel what is right and wrong. Even at this level it is best that you can check that you stay on the right path. If there is nobody to guide you you can still go down the wrong tangent. With self-adjustment, or having someone adjust you, the most important part is still training and practice, or you’ll stagnate and stop improving (or even go backward - many good practitioners who leave their teachers too soon or stop learning suffer this fate).

The first thing a person must do then is to train the frame, until specific internal qi emerges. This must be realised before one is eligible to train tuishou (push hands). Because practising tuishou merely allows you to grasp a few more obvious attacking techniques than that learnt in the form.  Without learning the form it is difficult to achieve the highest level of Taijquan. When you encounter an external interference, you are invariably unable to neutralise or escape it. You will not be able to execute the "four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds" principle. In the process of learning, put into practice the essential principles. Ignorance of the essential principles, or failure to put them into practice, results in nothing no matter how many forms you learn.

Q: Can you talk a little more about the five levels of gongfu and the process of working through each level?

CXX: The five levels are a means of describing your ability in relation to the yin-yang balance you are able to express when you are training Taijiquan. Briefly, the first level is referred to as ‘nine yang – one yin’. A person at this level is extremely stiff and has not yet learned how to be loose. They’re brittle and as soon as someone touches them they fall over. During the second level ‘eight yang – two yin’ it’s all about the arms [the extremities]. In combat when practitioners at this level face each other they tend to flail about wildly relying on external strength. Practitioners at the third level ‘seven yang – three yin’ although better still rely on too much strength. By the fourth level ‘six yang – four yin’ basically a person is getting nearer to principles and it’s difficult for people to get them. However, even at this stage the neigong (internal strength) has still not been fully realised. The fifth and highest level ‘five yang – five yin’ is when every part of the body is perfectly balanced. At this stage the saying that “every part of the body is a weapon” applies.  Whichever part of the body a person touches jin is present. This jin can be used at will.   

Q: You’ve practised Taijiquan since your early childhood and obviously gone through different stages of development and understanding. What can you say about your understanding of Taijiquan now?

CXX: When I was young I didn’t understand how to train, having the simple idea that the more I did the better. There wasn’t a lot of thought behind my practice. I was born into an environment where I was expected to train Taijiquan. Doing each training session was just like doing my duty. In time I came to realise that Taijiquan represents the balance of the yin and yang that encompasses all things. That’s why the ancestors formulate the five levels and aim to reach the fifth and highest level where there is a perfect balance between the two. Within Taijiquan, the quan (martial art and the physical aspect of the art) is only the smaller part. It is not just the quan. The width of your understanding of the Taiji philosophy and how much you are able to encompass it determines how big your Taijiquan is.

Q: You touched earlier upon the teacher – student relationship. In the past I understand that it was different than today. In the past people don’t pay, but today it is conducted like a commercial exchange - what is your opinion [This question was posed by one of the students in the group]?

CXX:  This view is wrong. In the past they do take payment, but the payment method was different. Nowadays, the student comes and negotiates with the teacher and says how much for an hour - and that hour is given to the person.  People think that in the past no payment was required. This doesn’t make sense. Take for example, my uncle Chen Zhaokui. As he travelled around teaching, if he did not get payment, how could he survive? 

Another thing that’s different is that in the past they were no fixed teaching times and the teacher taught when he felt like it or when they had some spare time. Often payment was made in kind, like helping out in the house, on the land or doing labour for the teacher; Or bringing a sack of flour, some meat and vegetables when they come to learn. One of my grandfather’s (Chen Fake) students worked in a medicine shop - although he didn’t pay to learn whenever anyone in the family was sick, he would bring medicine without charging. There was also a tradition of the richer paying a bit more, but the poor didn’t - so the rich subsidise the learning of the poor who want to learn but have no money.  Even today the children of the village who come to learn at my school do not have to pay.

In Conversation... #6

Tang Ying has practiced Chen Taijiquan for many years and is Instructor at the Chenjiagou Taijiquan School’s branch on the east coast of Shangdong province. In the following interview she describes her awakening to what authentic Taijiquan is. She touches on the need to understand the core principles and to incorporate them within our everyday lives.    

Q: How did you first come in contact with Taijiquan?  

Tang Ying (TY): Taijiquan and I have had a quite a long relationship.  A lot of people started because they have a wuxia dream [wuxia literally means “martial heroes”, and is a genre of Chinese folklore concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. It forms a part of popular culture in many Chinese-speaking communities around the world], or they suffer from ill health.  For me when I started I was very healthy, I didn’t have a wuxia dream, and I never thought about teaching professionally in a wu guan (martial arts school).  I was developing a hobby that I would be able to continue when I retire from work when I’m older and a pursuit I can carry on doing for the rest of my active life.  My motive was simple and straight forward.  I was thirty-two years old at the time and set out to choose a quiet artistic pursuit and an active physical pursuit, following the tradition of being “adept with both pen and sword”.  I chose the musical instrument guqin and Taijiquan.

My understanding of Taijiquan, based on what I know now, was completely erroneous. Firstly I thought Taijiquan is very easy. Many people think of it as an exercise for older people. Its requirements are firstly slow and secondly done in a half squat position. It’s that simple I thought.  I joined a group and while the older people went every day, I went whenever time permitted. Many of my friends said to me that I’m still in my prime and it’s a bit too early for me to do Taijiquan.  My reply was that I was making an early entry to a pursuit I could naturally step into when I retire. And so I started in the park. Soon I realised that the older people practised Taijiquan in a way that was monotonous and unchallenging for me.  So I decided to learn from a professional and went to look for a local leisure club that offered Taijiquan.  At that time there were not many leisure clubs that offered Taijiquan. But fortunately I found a centre that offered it not too far from my home.  The instructor there taught the Yang Style 24 postures.  I felt very good there, the form was beautiful and the uniform looked good. Really, it was all about beautiful expansive movements and good looking clothes!   

Q: When did you begin training Chen Taijiquan?  

TY: After almost two years Chen style was introduced in my leisure club - the Chen 75 postures. My first impression was that it was an extremely long form and how would we be able to complete it.  It took us eight months to learn the form.  That was when I began my first wrong perception.  Besides being slow the stance was low.  A person’s level [I thought] was determined by how low you could go.  A ninety degree squat was considered the best and people who could hold that were greatly admired as having good skill.  Soon many people suffered leg injuries and knee pain, including myself.  Everyone persisted with the low stance, aiming for the ninety degree stance.  Leg and knee pain were explained away as not having enough leg strength that simply required more practice. However our training was not systematic like today’s daily zhan zhuang, chansigong, repetitions of the form, taking out sections to focus-train weight shifts, fajin etc.  We merely followed the instructor to do the form two or three sessions a week. So it was not intense enough to hurt your knees.  However those of us who trained more intensively would suffer the pain. With this misperception I practised for almost ten years.  

Q: How did you happen to go to Chenjiagou?  

TY: Actually I had never heard of Chenjiagou and didn't even know that a birthplace of Taijiquan existed. I just knew Taijiquan was practised by the masses. Where it came from and what we were aiming for was not in our minds at all. It was enough to know that it brings health and fitness and is a safe exercise suitable for older people.  I didn’t know there was a birthplace [you could visit] that provides history, legacy, and culture to the art we were practising. By chance, in 2012 after the Spring Festival, there was a notice in the club that said “In search of the root of Taijiquan - Chenjiagou”.  For the first time I knew that Chen style Taijiquan originates from Chenjiagou in Henan’s Wenxian.  That said, I wasn’t very bothered nor did I feel any great urge to visit it. However, following the suggestion of the leisure club I thought it might be fun to go visit it and see how close the form we practised was to that done in the birthplace.  It was mainly curiosity, bearing in mind I had great confidence in my form and thought it was very precise and beautiful.  By then I had competed successfully and from appearance there didn’t seem very much wrong with my taijiquan. I went with members of the club with the mindset of a tourist, driving together and stopping at various places along the way to sightsee.  We went as a Taijiquan association with banners and uniform and had scheduled seven days in Chenjiagou.   

Q: Can you relate to us your experience at the Chenjiagou Taijiquan School?  

TY: Our main coach met with Chen Ziqiang the chief coach of the school to discuss a programme for us. It was decided that during the seven days we would be checked and corrected by Chen Ziqiang himself.  We had the mentality that only the main guy should teach us! My first impression of Chen Ziqiang was good. From his demeanour, the expression of his eyes etc, we immediately felt a sense of admiration and respect. So it was ideal to have him coach us. In the first lesson I didn't think there was anything spectacular. He called out a count for each move which we thought was odd as we were used to doing each posture continuously instead of halting at each juncture. We didn’t understand it at all! Isn’t it just one sweep of a movement?  Why are there so many stopping places along the circle?  Before then we had never considered the points along the circle. Only after you understand do you realise that at every one of these points there’s a subtle internal and external coordinated adjustment. On the outside it may not be obvious but there is a sinking and gathering at each transition, a harmonisation of each of the joints, eg.kua/shoulder, knee/elbow, qi/shape etc...The master was fulfilling all these internally that we couldn’t see and so did not understand.  Inevitably we were always ahead of him as we didn’t do any of it and just raced ahead with external movements. Another thing was that we were only focusing on the upper body, paying little attention to the lower half.  The only thing we asked the lower body to do was to squat low, at ninety degrees preferably.  

Chen Ziqiang didn’t come out to teach the next session.  A delegation had arrived and he had to receive them.  In his place a young girl of no more than twenty years old came to lead us.  We were a little put out and insulted as we had travelled over 2000 km to be here to be taught by a master!  To add to our disappointment she asked us all to take our places and do the beginning posture.  We had expected to be asked to show our form in order to know what level we were. What could the beginning posture show? What followed actually had the most impact on me.  She picked me out and asked me if I thought I was standing correctly. I didn’t think it was so difficult to stand for the beginning posture - feet together, whole body relaxed, hands on the sides. The whole group was standing like me and there was nothing significant to pick out.  She asked me to look at her stance but I couldn’t see anything different. Looking at the mirrors in the training hall she asked me to look at my body from the side and then hers. I still couldn’t see anything. She came to me and adjusted my chest, kua and buttocks. She explained just one finer detail to me, that the kua should be loosened slightly inwards as the breath goes out, not fused as I was doing before, and the tailbone slightly rolled inwards but not physically pulled in.  I felt a sudden relaxation of the upper body, a clear distinction of the upper and lower half, and felt my weight going down to my feet. Just a little adjustment! I felt very embarrassed. We had taken part in competitions and we considered ourselves at a good level and yet this unknown young girl, not the big master or chief coach, had adjusted us at this very basic level. I wasn’t even standing properly!   

At that point I realised that in the birthplace of Taijiquan the standard of practice was definitely not the same. If the posture is incorrect in the first posture then for sure the other postures are not correct. I would have to relearn step by step, stitch by stitch. She corrected a few other people also with the same mistakes.  My then instructor is 1.8m tall and very strong having practised martial arts from a young age. We always thought he had a beautiful strong form. He too had learned from an instructor by copying and practiced based on his own understanding. He was in the Lan Za Yi posture and again it was pointed out that his upper and lower body was fused together due to not correctly loosening the kua. As a result the body become a rigid piece and liable to topple at the slightest pressure.  Loosening the kua enables the upper body to rotate, change and recover when pushed. The whole group was the same; we had no yin-yang distinctions in our body structures.  We had all been moving in this way. Another strong man in the group was identified to have qi stuck in his upper body and was top-heavy. We were impressed by the fact that as she went round she corrected everyone according to their mistakes and not by rote or habit or one size fits all, showing her understanding of Taijiquan. Those seven days were a great leveler for us all.  This was only a young disciple of Chen Ziqiang who had trained full time in the school for the last two years, not any great famous master. It also told us that the system is deep and profound.  Looking back, it might be that Chen Ziqiang did not want to burst our bubbles at the first lesson and pull us completely apart so send his young disciple to show us how little we knew.

After the session with the young girl we settled down to study seriously. The arrangement was for correction of Laojia Yilu.  Ultimately we requested him not to be in a hurry to finish the whole form, but to take us to as far it takes to understand the principles.   We did just over twenty postures and what we learned was so far removed from what we had been practicing!  We gained a lot of insight on that trip. Drawing from 400 years of history and a deep cultural root, there’re so much content in Taijiquan, The cultural root is what gives the system its core principle.  Taijiquan has an old saying that it “can be sensed but cannot be explained in words”.  To me it means that perhaps fifty percent of the art can be explained in words. You have to sense the other fifty percent. The other crucial element is hands on guidance by a teacher who understands this. The teacher sees your problem and guides your movements with his hands in order to take you through the correct path. You need to sense and feel what he’s trying to do. For example song kua (loosening the kua) to me in the past simply meant taking a low stance. When a teacher guides you physically you start to sense and then realise what it actually is, not what you think it is. The process is slow and gradual.  It is not an action that can be transmitted by words alone.  You need to have constant communication with your teacher. And you need a knowledgeable teacher who can spot your shortcomings and guide you to correct them.   

Q: How often do you go to Chenjiagou these days?  

TY: Since I became a disciple of Chen Xiao Xing, I go to Chenjiagou every year to see shifu and to be quality-checked by him. The biggest worry of a practitioner is to deviate from the path when there’s no one to check you. We all have our habitual movement patterns and our bodies tend to release jin and move away from discomfort when we’re tired or pressured.  Take for instance during zhan zhuang, when the body gets tired it naturally find a position that eases the discomfort, for example: the shoulders start to lift in order to relief the lower body from the burden of supporting the weight of sinking; the buttocks start to stick out; or the kua begins to stiffen.  These are the natural defence mechanisms of the body. In Lan Za Yi the weight distribution should be 70/30 into the right leg.  Many people are not able to complete the final move of relaxing into the right and ‘cheat’ by not committing fully.  It may not be evident outside, but you’ve moved away from optimum training at the same time obstructing the flow of qi to the area.  This is more obvious in Liu Feng Si Bi.  Often people take a 50/50 weight distribution and even though the left leg appears to be correct it is actually holding weight and you’d be unable to lift it without disturbing the body. We study and train Taijiquan for our own skill and benefit, ‘cheating’ in any way only affects our own development.  The involuntary ‘cheats’ can only be corrected by the teacher.  Therefore I make sure I come back to see him often.  Twice a year or sometimes three times a year.  I stay for about a month when I come, or for the duration of whatever training programme that has been organised for shifu, like the Labour Day or National Day Training camps.   

Q:  How do you balance Taijiquan practice with your work and family life?  

TY: I’m free now as I’ve retired from work. So I have ample time. In the past when I was in my thirties I had to work and was often tired after work and had less energy for practice.  But based on my understanding of Taijiquan now I think there should be no conflict. In my school I suggested to young people that they should start as early as they can. Because the younger body is still pliable it is not limited by bad structural habits. You can see if you observe people walking; they walk differently depending on their body structure and how they distribute their weight. The best time to start is when you are still a child.  It’s much easier for a child to learn.  

Many working people say that they have neither the time nor the energy to practise Taijiquan. But I say that when you have understood the method and are doing it correctly you do not feel tired.  People who haven’t reached that stage are often physically fatigued after training. Taijiquan practice is actually a recovery process for the body.  At a certain time Taijiquan becomes enjoyable.  Standing forty minutes or an hour is no longer a chore.  When you’re feeling under the weather, quiet practice regulates your body, your breath, your energy, your muscles, your head, and makes you feel better and more relaxed. Taijiquan should not be an activity that runs you down, instead it should heal and rejuvenate you.  

Many working people say that they have no time to train and that after working all day they are too tired. This is a fundamentally wrong way of looking at Taijiquan training. Taijiquan is a practice that can be incorporated into your everyday life.  “There’s no place under the heaven with no taiji”.  Once you know the method you can train anywhere and anytime.  For example during work breaks many people put their hands on their arms and try to doze for a while.  Instead, recuperate the Taiji way. Find a quiet space, stand for ten-twenty minutes and let your mind and body relax.  When you are in that relaxed zone the effect is like you’ve had a nap, except that your muscles and joints, meridians and vessels etc. are opened up.  It’s much better than being cramped over a desk and finishing with numbed arms, stiff shoulders and body - blocked qi. Therefore, I didn’t experience too much work-practice conflict.   

Whatever time you have to train, especially when training methods and principle: like how to keep the head lifted; how to sense the yin yang insubstantial and substantial in the body; how to train the lower plane etc. I might do a bit of slow chansi and work out when and how to relax the breath and let the body sink. If you bring Taijiquan into your everyday life you won’t feel that you have no time to practice.  However, if you see Taijiquan as a form of exercise like running on a treadmill or lifting set numbers of weights in the gym that you need to set aside time for, then you’ll not have enough time.  Many young people enrol in the gym but go for a burst perhaps at the weekends.  Training like this the desired effect is hard to achieve.  Taijiquan can be adapted into your daily life.  When you’re at the sink washing your dishes you can practise loosening the kua, putting you back in the correct position and observe good posture. That’s zhan zhuang practice. “There’s nowhere in life where there’s no Taiji”.  In everyday life, for example, when you’re carrying heavy things in your hands - adopt the Taijiquan principle - relax the shoulders and hang your arms, keep the joints relaxed and use the hands and fingers as hooks for the things you’re carrying.  Once you’ve trained the method in everyday life then practice with consistence.  Consistent practice in this manner makes and gongfu improve exponentially.  For example, it is not easy to express fajin correctly with loose elastic force.  If you haven’t got the method then it’s impossible to bring the jin out even if you put in many years of practice.     

Q: What are your hopes and expectation for the future?  

TY: I’m not really qualified to speak about transmission and propagation.  I’m a passionate lover of Taijiquan and in the last ten years I have been exposed to what Taijiquan really is and through my own past errors am in a position to dispel misperceptions.  Many people, although they like the practice, give up Taijiquan due to a lack of understanding and faith, or through injuries, especially the knees because of improper methods of training.  I live in a seaside resort and there are many Taijiquan players in the area. I often get the chance to talk with them and I witness a lot of problematic practice.  At times I feel saddened that such a great cultural heritage is so misunderstood even by our own Chinese nationals. Mistakes and wrong ideas are being transmitted and it worries me.  I was an ardent practitioner, but for ten years I was presented with many puzzles that I couldn’t find answers to.  Now that I have found the answers I feel the urge to share with the people who love the art but are on the wrong path.  It is this that makes me go out to teach…I want to be a place where people seeking Taijiquan can visit and learn what Taijiquan is, its underpinning cultural principle, as well as its heritage.  Not like I was, training for a long time without knowing what it is, where it came from and where it can lead to.      

In Conversation... #5

Ren Mingming was born and raised in Chenjiagou learning Taijiquan from childhood. Multi-talented, as well as being a highly accomplished Taijiquan practitioner, he is an acclaimed artist holding a number of exhibitions of traditional painting and calligraphy in Beijing. In 2013 he established the Beijing Ren Mingming Taijiquan School. In the following interview he gives his views on Taijiquan including; some of the common pitfalls of Taijiquan players; and the mentality and methods required to make progress in one’s Taijiquan training.  

Q: It is said that many people practice Taijiquan, but very few achieve success. Why do you think this is?

Ren MIngming (RMM): This is often because their mind is too concerned with the outcome and results, and they don’t have a stable valuation of the art. They do not know themselves exactly what it is that they want from the training and what it is they want to learn. People with this kind of impetuous heart always feel uneasy - there are doubts that they are not learning the ‘proper’ thing, that the teacher is keeping something from them and not teaching them sincerely etc. [Training  with  this  mindset] suspicion and distrust are the cause of the serious imbalance between practice and theoretical principles.

Nowadays, most people learn Taijiquan but they don't have the patience to internalise what they have learned into their own. For example, whether it is the practical aspects or theory learned from their teachers, they set it aside instead of using and applying what they have learned flexibly. Whether it is Taijiquan jibengong (basic training), chansigong (silk-reeling exercises), or taolu (form) - to them the different elements don’t seem to have too much of a relationship, and to them these practices have no bearing on their wider worldview, moral cultivation and so on!

As a result although thousands of people practise Taijiquan, those that can really understand the Taiji thought, Taiji concept are few and far between. Hence the saying “myriads of techniques are easy to get, the intrinsic principle is hard to understand!”  

Q: Why do so many people take up Taijiquan?

RMM: Broadly speaking there are three typical motives for taking up Taijiquan. The first is the desire to practice a martial art. This approach is mostly pursued by young people. The pursuit of martial arts has a different approach and method of training to that of pursuing the art solely for health. The second reason people come to Taijiquan is for health. Health is more of the pursuit of the middle aged and older, but nowadays more and more younger people are concerned with their health issues. Taiji for health pays particular attention to nurturing the body’s qi. Nurturing qi stresses the free movement and non obstruction of the whole body. Training for health involves cultivating in order to stave off future ill health. This should be important not only to the elderly but also to younger practitioners and ideally people should pay equal attention to physical training and nurturing the body. The third common reason for taking up Taijiquan centres on the approach of understanding it from the perspective of an intellectual pursuit. This group of practitioners are usually intellectuals who are interested in finding out what Taijiquan is, seeking to get to the root of the art, and viewing it as an academic study. These practitioners often think too much and do too little.  

Q: Can you say something about the stages of learning and the appropriate method of training for each level?

RMM: All Taijiquan movements are either round or arced. In learning, people go through a process whereby beginners should first draw big circles and then medium circles. Finally return to no circle, which is the highest order of Taijiquan. The desired effect is to be able to “hit a person within a breath.” This is in line with the boxing proverb that says "externally exercise the bones and muscles (the physique); internally train a breath of qi.” This breath of qi is in the higher realm of neijia boxing, and is the fundamental for the health element of Taijiquan. But in order to achieve this, what is needed is gradual progression in a natural way. Specifically, this progression can be divided into the following three stages of learning boxing:

1. Learn the rules                                                                                                                                                                                 In Taijiquan the basic rules are built around fulfilling specific requirements for the hands, eyes, body and footwork. For example, commonly quoted requirements such as keeping the head lifted, sinking the shoulders and dropping the elbows, containing the chest and pulling the back, loosening the waist and relaxing the kua, rounding the crotch and wrapping the knees, toes gripping the ground etc... This is the stage of “pan jiazi” (examining the body structure), and is equivalent to the "familiarisation" stage within the boxing theory. This is absolutely necessary if you want to practise good Taijiquan and without the establishment of these rules, nothing can be accomplished.

2. Follow the rules                                                                                                                                                                               At this second stage, the rules of Taijiquan should be “melted into your flesh, muscles and bones.” The new exercise habits arrive at the point where they become natural, as if the muscles themselves remember. Generally, to be able to reach this stage is very good. However, the impetuous modern generation often do not have time to practise and also cannot take the hardship, so very few people are completely in line with the rules of Taijiquan. From the point of view of health it is not completely necessary [to be so strict].

3. Break out of the rules                                                                                                                                                             When you have internalised the rules and are able to exhibit them at will then you don't have to consciously follow the rules anymore. For instance, like Chen Taijiquan master Chen Fake who culminated his knowledge into creating the New Frame First and Second Routine. The new creation does not stray from the essence of Taijiquan, which is equivalent to the "god is the rule" of boxing theory. By the time an individual has reached this level, the rule is still the same rule, but it can be used freely, beyond the strict confine of the original rules. In spirit, it has reached the superb realm described by Confucius as "following the heart's desire without breaking the rules."

With regards to the specific training methods at different stages: The primary stage of shaping is the process of the teacher “moulding the frame” (nie xiazi). During this stage, the teacher takes the main role and the student is in the supporting role. Teachers are active, students are passive; the teacher is like a sculptor, the student is like the work in the hands of the sculptor. As we all know, the clay sculptor first use a steel frame, and then ties grass, clay etc. to this to form a rough shape. Only after the big shape is done can he add the final expression. When the teacher is moulding the shape of a student the step is similar to the clay model. The student’s skeleton is put in place first, just like the steel frame that supports the clay model. This is very important, deciding and shaping the entire form. Therefore, most attention must be paid to this. Then [when this framework is established] the teacher: adjusts the parameter and torsion range of each joint; relaxes the student’s muscles; uses language to guide the student’s thinking - Through this process letting the student feel the subtle changes in their body –which represent the germination process of internal qi.

The next stage is referred to as “examining the frame” (pan jiazi) during which students correct themselves at the teacher’s request. Generally speaking, to reach the stage where they can self-examine requires in the order of three years of intense training with a good teacher, with a student themselves practicing for three to five hours per day. At this stage, students become their own masters, but students often do not know how to discipline themselves. As they repeat their practice, some days may bring pretty big results, other days no feelings at all. This kind of phenomenon is very normal, there’s only one thing to say - “get over it!” and persevere until you succeed. Even Taijiquan practitioners of several decades of practice are still constantly (and need to constantly) self-examine.  

Q: What kind of mentality is required to train Taijiquan correctly?

RMM: Basically what is required is mindful Training. Doing the form mechanically twenty or thirty times a day does not bring a good result and is in fact counterproductive and can cause harm or injury. Training Taijiquan is not like completing a task. There’s no need to set yourself set numbers. Train spontaneously when you are in the right mindset. With the right frame of mind and focus you get more benefit and improvement. At a certain stage of development the technical methods are no longer important. This means that your level has reached an upper realm.

Take, for instance, Taijiquan’s chansijin (silk reeling energy). In essence chansijin is realised when there is no part of the body that is not spiralling. In practice, try not to make chansijin too complicated. Chansijin consists of a kind of spiralling motion. Like the rotation of a drill, the force is very strong, and at its strongest cannot be held by the hands. Chansijin is divided into shun chan (same direction winding) and ni chan (reverse winding). Movements follow the general law of gathering during shun chan and extending during ni chan. This spiral motion ultimately leads to the overall motion of "when still everything is still, when moving everything moves" that integrates the whole body. This is a significant feature of Taijiquan’s regimen, which not only exercises important parts of the body such as the spine, waist and viscera, but also exercises all the small parts of the body.

Learners should practice Taijiquan with the aim to gradually improve the body's level of self-control. There are two hundred and six bones in the human body, and there are seven large joints such as shoulder, elbow and knee etc. When we don't practice Taijiquan, we tend to think that we can control our bodies very well. For example, if you want to drink water, you can reach for a cup. However, when you start practising Taijiquan you will find that your usual method of exertion is clumsy and laborious. You want to fangsong (let go of tension) but you cannot. This is especially true for the aforementioned seven big joints, which are like wild animals that without strict training will not be tamed and obey your commands. So practising Taijiquan is also a process of domesticating the body to obey the mind. For the purpose of domesticating the body, the mind is especially important. No matter which Taijiquan movement is being performed a common concept runs through - the intention has to move first. When the mind has reached the point where the motion of the body can be done without any thought, then the mind and the force can be united, thus leading to the realisation of the stage of enlightenment of the unity of man and nature.  

Q: Can you speak a little about how we can develop Taijiquan’s jin (trained power)?

RMM: One of the most difficult stages is to develop the jin in Taijiquan. As the saying goes, “a thousand tricks are easier to acquire, one jin is hard to get.” [Understanding and achieving this] is the essential difference between Taiji exercise and Taijiquan. There are many kinds of Taiji strength, the most basic of which are the eight fundamental kinds of jin -which respectively are: peng jin, lu jin, ji jin, an jin, cai jin, lie jin, zhou jin, kao jin. Although they differ in form, they are all based on whole-body integrated force (also called internal force). All Taijiquan practitioners hope that they can develop internal strength, but in fact not many people are able to bring it out. An important reason for this situation is the lack of basic skills (jibengong). Even after solid basic skills have been established, there’s still the need to be adept with the movements of the routine (taolu) and gradually and in time train out the shaking elastic force.  

Q: Chen Taijiquan is often associated with low and deep postures. What are your thoughts about this and is it better to train in high, medium or low stances?

RMM: Taking a low stance is very photogenic, aesthetic, as well as an effective way to enhance the strength of the lower plane. But I would caution against rushing to take a low stance too early [in one’s stage of development]. Training the wrong method not only is not conducive to the relaxation of the upper body, but it is also easy to hurt the knee. Beginners should start from the high stance, and only after the lower plane is strong enough, then can move to the middle stance, and lastly low frame. It is acceptable for young people to train with a low stance but for the majority of more elderly practitioners they should exercise more in the higher stance. In fact, whether a person is training with an elevated, medium or low frame, this not the most important thing. The most important thing is looseness and naturalness. Beginning learners should always keep this in mind.  

Q: Do you have any final thoughts or words of advice for practitioners on their own Taijiquan journey?

RMM: Taijiquan is the culmination of the experiences of our ancestors and elders. It is closely related to life. It is in itself not a mysterious thing and is not really too complicated. But on the path of learning the art it is inevitable to make mistakes. After all, who does not make mistakes? Even a master may not be always right. Therefore practise with an inquiring mind. The role of a teacher is to show you the right way to do boxing but the key is for you to have the capacity to understand (ti wu).   ~

In Conversation... #4

Zhang Zongjun entered the Chenjiagou Taijiquan School in his teens. Today he is chief instructor of the school’s Shandong province branch and is a disciple of Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing. Among his many achievements he is Deputy Secretary-General of the World Taijiquan Association, Tengzhou Public Security Bureau Taijiquan Head Coach and consultant for the Central Multi-Ethnic University. As a competitor he won more than 30 medals in provincial, national and international competitions. Zhang Zongjun was featured on a first day cover set of six postage stamps for the Shandong region recognising his contributions to wushu.

Q: How did you first come in contact with Taijiquan?  Can you give us an account of how you started your Taijiquan journey? 

Zhang Zongjun (ZZJ): I was around twelve years old when I first came into contact with Taijiquan. It was through watching Taijiquan on television and in films, which showed how superior the system’s gongfu is that initially sparked my interest and made me want to pursue it. I asked around and learnt that the birthplace of Taijiquan was Chanjiagou and I felt that it was there that I ought to go. On arrival one summer at the village the villagers told me that Chen Xiaoxing had a high level of both quan (martial skill) and character so I went to his school to learn. As my family didn’t support my martial arts pursuit, I would collect money by saving part of my dinner money and by doing after-school jobs to enable me to train in Chenjiagou during all my summer and winter school vacations. My choice of university was easy, I picked Henan University and from then I had constant access to training in the village. My sincere effort, I hope, had somehow persuaded Chen Xiaoxing to accept me as his disciple.

Q: Who are the teachers who most guided and influenced you?

ZZJ: The influence my shifu Chen Xiaoxing has had upon me has been profound; on the one hand, through spoken words and direct actions he has taught me the art of the Taijiquan, so that I acquire knowledge gradually and indefatigably; on the other hand, shifu has also inspired and guided me in my personal life. I consider shifu to be a man of great wisdom. Whether it is my Taijiquan or my personal life, he can always clearly guide me on my shortcomings.

Q:  Can you tell us of how training was in the early days?  What would you say are the training elements that have remained unchanged?

ZZJ: In the early stage training was demanding. The training each day was often around seven or eight hours. We didn’t learn many new things but did a lot of repetitive practice. There were not many changes; the fundamental content is constant, for example, Zhan Zhuang (Standing Pole), and Chan Si Gong (Reeling Silk Exercises). These are the required core syllabus of training.

Q:  What to you are the challenging aspects of your training throughout the years and how did you overcome them? 

ZZJ: For me the biggest challenge is the need for perseverance and patience. The way to deal with this is to adjust one’s mentality, in the first place, by not being over ambitious and anxious and always hankering for more. There is a common Chinese saying “Tan duo jiao bu lan” or “biting off more than one can chew”, that means learning too many things may result in not learning anything in depth. In other words, it’s important to not be in a hurry. Another idiom “Yu su ze bu da” tells us that haste brings no success; more haste, less speed. We must progress slowly.

I have always been motivated by a fervent love of Taijiquan and an obsession with traditional Chinese culture and a sense of duty for its continuity. As well as the motivation that comes from the encouragement of a good master.

Q:  What were your goals as a young student and how have they changed over the years?

ZZJ: At the beginning the focus is training gongfu for actual combat, to be head and shoulders above the others, to stand out among one’s peers. I took part in many competitions at provincial, national and international levels. As I grew with Taijiquan came the realisation that it is not just about gongfu. It encompasses a profound culture as well as philosophical connotations, so now it’s also about imparting cultural heritage, duty and responsibility.

Q: When did you start teaching, when did you establish your school in Shandong?

ZZJ: I started teaching in 2009 and established the Shandong branch school in 2012.

Q: We saw a report in the Chinese media about you training the police/army. Can you talk about this? 

ZZJ: It was thought that the military police as well as the army could benefit from Taijiquan in several ways. Firstly, by training the art it would help them have a better psychology and healthier mindset. Secondly Taijiquan training is an effective method that can help in the development of a strong constitution, vigorous health and robust body. At the same time Taijiquan provided a way by which to improve their knowledge and understanding of traditional Chinese culture.

Q: Is the study Taijiquan theory important in order for practitioners to improve their skill?

ZZJ: That’s for sure. A lot of Taijiquan theories are the culmination and conclusions based on the practice and real experiences of our predecessors. Increasing your knowledge of the theories is of great help to the improvement of Taiji gongfu. Understand the fundamental theory, then practice in accordance with the requirements of the theory, so that you will not go down the wrong tangent in your practice. Taijiquan theories act as the guidelines for practice. Therefore learning the theory and doing the practice are equally important. I have a huge collection of Taijiquan books. In fact it’s my obsession besides Taijiquan practice. I started collecting when I was in high school and to date have almost 1000 items of Taijiquan books and magazines. I think I have almost all, if not all, the early publications from the republic period to the 1980s. If I can learn one principle from a book I’m satisfied. For example, many masters have different descriptions of power. Which one is correct? To reach master’s level they must know something. It’s just that they show different stages and different understanding of power. I have so many books so that when I want to study power at a later stage, I could do a comparative study of the different masters’ books and sum up the most suitable method for my current stage of development. Books and writings are indispensable parts of the process of transmission and heritage. A lot of precious Taijiquan books embody the life long effort of past masters. I’m doing my part in not letting them be lost forever.

Q: What is the best way to improve the quality of one’s Taijiquan?

ZZJ: To me the main quality of Taijiquan is “fang song.” Fang song is letting go of any physical and mental tension within you. Every style of Taijiquan emphasises this element to be the most important in practice. Only when fang song is achieved can one be composed and stable. You are then able to better enhance the sensations within whilst training. To be clear, you need to fang song before, during and after your quan. Preparation is important. Many people come to do Taiji in a hurry and, without mental preparation, go straight into form practice. The mind is not given time to quieten and calm now. Practice with a calm mind and the quality of Taijiquan will improve. On a bigger level it is about the mind and the heart. To be able to let go is to be broad minded and open hearted. The best way to acquire Taijiquan skill is to find a good teacher, practise diligently, and endure hardship...  at the same time continuously making objective assessment and critique on the pros and cons of your training methods. To improve the quality of your Taijiquan during practice, maintain a calm mind and focus your intentions on fulfilling the criteria of every movement. Often practitioners are able to keep their intentions and focus in the beginning of their form, for example the first five to ten postures. As the form progresses the intention wanders and the form begins to unravel. Or, they begin to lose the movement principle as duration of training time increases. Training intention is a major part of improving the quality of your quan, practicing until you are able to do all your movements without divergence from the principle. You can tell the skill of a practitioner by this ability to adhere to principles in the entirety of whatever form they do, whenever they do it.

To improve the quality of one’s Taijiquan another saying worth remembering is that we should “Lift and press as if there’s substance; advance and retreat as if there’s resistance.” Movements should not be floating and weak, with no root or grounding. It’s like a building with no deep foundation, it doesn’t matter how big and tall you make the building it will collapse easily. On the other hand, you will not be able to easily pull out a small weed that has deep roots. With the combination of fang song and the use of intention, your body feels heavier than your natural weight and your feet are planted.

Q: To end this interview, can you give one piece of advice that could help and inspire students of Taijiquan?

Read more books. Deepen your understanding of the connotations and culture of Taijiquan. Realise that Taijiquan is more than a martial art. In general, be better acquainted with Chinese culture. Taijiquan has been developed from the accumulation of thousands of years of Chinese culture. If you don’t understand China and Chinese culture, you cannot better understand Taijiquan

In Conversation... #3

Chenjiagou native Chen Xianglin has trained Taijiquan since early childhood, A former instructor in the Chenjiagou Taijiquan School, today he teaches in Shanghai – China’s largest city.  In the following conversation Chen Xianglin talks about his early days learning Taijiquan and touches upon the role of the traditional art in the modern world.     

Q: You come from Chenjiagou, so it was quite natural to come in touch with Taijiquan from an early age. How old were you when you started practicing?  What and who inspired and supported you at the beginning?

Chen Xianglin (CXL): I’m Chen Xianglin of Chenjiagou, a 20th generation descendant.  My quan journey - I remember starting to learn at about the age of six or seven.  I already learned the Laojia Yilu in primary one, from the uncles and grandfathers of my family and also from my PE teacher Chen Lizhou as part of our weekly curriculum.  Chenjiagou is the birthplace of Taijiquan and as such everybody practiced it.  Like playing with your friends, you naturally join in the game. There was also the task of daily practice within the home that was not dependant on your mood or inclination.  It was very likely that you were smacked for not wanting to practice and still had to finish the “task” of the day with tears in your eyes.

Q: Can you tell us a little about the teachers who guided and most influenced you from the early days to today?

CXL: The teachers who guided and influenced me in my life are the “grandmasters” outside the gate of my home. Like, Chen Lidong (third granduncle), Chen Shitong (clan granduncle), Chen Xiaowang (cousin uncle), Chen Xiaoxing (cousin uncle), Chen Ziqiang (cousin brother).

Q: Can you describe your training routine at the beginning, and how training changed in different periods of your development? Are there some basic training elements present throughout all those years?

CXL: I was actually physically weak when I was a child, and was frequently ill. When I first started to train it was daily taolu practice.  I was very tired and every part of the body ached and I felt my brain needed oxygen. In this way it continued day after day.  As the body adapted and improved it could then withstand the more dynamic and demanding training.  Training in the noughties was more traditional with refinement of the Taolu and Zhanzhuang and training aimed at increasing strength and body capability. Also Taiji moving step Tuishou that emphasised shuai (throwing). And more modern elements of fighting and San Shou methods.  The fundamental and constant element is to continue to maintain a good level of Taijiquan’s core curriculum i.e. Zhanzhuang, Laojia Yilu, basic Tuishou, and enhancing lower plane stability.

Q: What was the most difficult thing in the learning process for you, and how did you deal with it? What motivated you to persist over the years and did you find it difficult maintaining the high standards set by your predecessors?   

CXL: The most difficult and challenging is persistence and perseverance.  For me the solution is to simply close my eyes to outside affairs. At every stage to focus on myself and Taijiquan. Overcome by unquestioningly practice. There are many external stimuli and temptations and to maintain one’s original intention is not easy.  To achieve success or to be able to become a model in your profession, not only outstandingly but exceptionally, the common quality must be unremitting perseverance!  I am a member of the Chen family, it is also incumbent on me to carry on and properly promote the family art.  I am entrusted with the mission of practising and teaching Taijiquan and I have persevered.

Q: What were your goals as a young student and how have they changed over the years?

CXL: There were no goals to speak of when I started as I was very young. It was simply practice.  Functioning in society and learning from experiences gradually set my goal more clearly: to continually improve and to better grasp the core essence of Taijiquan method and skill; to allow more people to start to understand and recognise real authentic Taijiquan and; to enable more people to participate.

Q: With the increased prosperity and standard of living in China what changes have you seen in people’s attitude to Taijiquan training?  

CXL: The faster technology improves the more convenient it is for people to obtain information. People pay more and more attention to quick results. The higher the cost of living is, the greater the pressure is, and people are less able to be mentally quiet and calm, which is the antithesis of Taiji principle.  However, there are always a type of people who can bear hardships and stand hard work. They have the spirit to be extremely focused and unperturbed, as seen in great scientists, entrepreneurs and craftsmen. This is the type of people who can also bear hardships and stand hard work if they come to learn Taijiquan. Taiji in fact cultivates this kind of mindset.  Teaching methods should keep pace with the progress of society. Adjusting the teaching mode can also keep Taiji young and up to date, promoting mental stability and physical fitness. Adapt to the needs of different age groups and different types of people.

Q: You have fought successfully in competition many times.  Beside practicing dilligently under the guidance of a good teacher, which traits should a fighter develop in order to bring out the best of their potential?

CXL: To get good results in competitions, not only is it essential to train hard with a good coach, but also cultivate a strong mindset such as self-confidence, not giving up easily and a quiet determination.

Q: Can you tell us a little about your specific training in preparation for competition?

CXL: In addition to our regular training, there will also be some so-called pre-competition training. This stage of training is more intensive, more demanding and more targeted.

Q: Although you are still young, you are already a proficient teacher. When did you start teaching, and when did you establish your school in Shanghai?

CXL: In 2007 I became assistant coach in Chenjiagou Taijiquan School. A year later I started teaching the adults of the school and then went on to become a main coach.  I first came to Shanghai in 2012 at the invitation of a student in order to promote Taijiquan teaching. In 2016 with the support of Principal Chen Xiaoxing and Chief Coach Chen Ziqiang I established my own chain of training centres Shanghai Chen Taijiquan Quan Guan  (Xianglin Taijiquan Quan Guan).  At the present time there is the headquarter in Chenjiagou as well as five branches in Shanghai. Establishing my own centre also enables me to adjust teaching according to my own experience and the pace of life and urban characteristics of Shanghai, in order to better promote Taijiquan.  It is only possible with the help of many teachers, friends and students.

Q: Would you agree, that teaching helps one to get to deeper understanding of Taijiquan?

CXL: As soon as i started to teach I realised that training to be good yourself is not the same as imparting knowledge in order to teach well. Teaching makes me more clearly realise its principle, its finer details, and its usage etc...So teaching definitely helps me to understand Taijiquan better.

Q: Do you find it important to study Taijiquan theory as well in order to improve the practice?

CXL: Theoretical knowledge is very important because Taijiquan is not just a sport or a martial art. It has a profound cultural background, which can in fact be elevated to high philosophy.  There’s a common saying that states, “before learning Taijiquan first read books; understand the book you will naturally learn quan”.  Taijiquan principles encompass medical theories, theories of mechanics and physics, psychology, art of war and science that does not violate the natural mechanics of the human body. A good understanding of traditional Chinese culture will also help to understand the Taiji theory. Therefore it is necessary to improve theoretical knowledge as well as gongfu skills. Otherwise “one leg is long and the other leg is short”[youwill limp along in your practice and development] - you cannot run fast.

Q: What is the main quality of Taijiquan? What does it means to you?

CXL: To me the main character/quality of Taijiquan is balance. The philosophy of Yin-Yang balance can regulate the body and emotions, which will be of great help to the physical and mental state of a person.   In Taiji Tuishou first destroy the balance of the other side, and then create a new balance. It's like breaking out of the old mindset in life to build a new understanding. As paradoxical as it sounds, Taiji can help you find a way to get along with this contradictory and interesting world.

Q: To end this interview, can you give one piece of advice that could help and inspire students of Taijiquan?

CXL: The above is just my personal opinion, and the answer may not be comprehensive enough. I think if foreign friends learn Taijiquan, they should first learn  Quan Jia - (physical framework through form practice), then know the theory, know about Yin and Yang, understand the sequence and logic of advance and retreat, and then better integrate Taiji into their lives according to their own world to achieve long-term benefits.

In Conversation ... #2

Chen Ziqiang is the Chief Coach of the Chenjiagou Taijiquan School and is the eldest son of Grandmaster Chen Xiaoxing. The following discussion is a compilation of several conversations during his seminars in the UK and Poland as well as notes from his lecture at the Asia Pacific Museum in Warsaw organised by the Chen Taijiquan Akademia. Below he talks about some of the core requirements that must be understood and applied in the development of Taijiquan skill.  

Q: Students of Taijiquan are often confused about the training theory and the philosophy from which the system draws so heavily. These subjects are spoken about by every teacher but learners are still often unclear about the correct way to train. Can you give some guidelines on how to train in the correct way?

Chen Ziqiang (CZQ): The requirements or rules of Taijiquan passed down to us from previous generations point the way for today’s practitioners. They are guidelines for how to train, pointing to the necessary things a person needs to know in order to practise good and correct Taijiquan. What can be gained from following these guidelines and theories and how will it affect both physical and mental capacities? Students have to dissect the ideas and mentally absorb all the information so that the mind can control the body. All of the requirements I’ll talk about are applicable in both the hand and weapons forms.

The first requirement is for the feet to be planted firmly in the ground. Why do they need to be planted and how does that affect the whole form? The answer is that it enables the body to be held in the correct position.

The second key requirement is to relax the kua and knee joints. In practice the legs are the root of one’s movement. By moving the legs the body can be carried from side to side and in all different directions. If you don’t relax the kua and bend the knees it inhibits the ability to change weight correctly. Loosening the kua and bending the knees is one of the major requirements of Taijiquan which enables the body to be maintained in an upright position and for movements to be correct.

A third important requirement is to contain the chest and settle the back (han xiong ta yao). Fulfilling these enable a person’s strength to be condensed into one place. The anatomy of the body contains a number of natural curves including the spine and chest. How can a line be formed through these curves? Storing or containing the chest and settling or piling the back enable a straight line to be formed. This straight line has to be visualised and doing so helps to maximise an individual’s strength.

The fourth important requirement is to loosen the shoulders and lower the elbows (song jian chen zhou). Loosening the shoulders enables the whole body to relax. Lowering the elbows forms a shield of protection for the body. Another thing to bear in mind that people sometimes miss out is making the two arms act as if they were two gates or doors. Think of a set of double doors with a centre piece. The right hand [like the right door] protects the right side. In the same way the left hand protects the left side. The centre piece equates to the body. It’s like a person’s vision – during the process of looking out, at some point the vision focuses onto one point. If the hands cross too far across the body the centreline will be lost and the shoulders will tense up. If you don’t cross far enough, the centre is open and unprotected.  Habitual correct placement can only be realised through extended practice.

The fifth important requirement is maintaining a very light energy that lifts the top of the head while at the same time keeping the neck relaxed (xu ling ding jin). The head should be upright at all times without leaning to the left, right, front or back. During practice the head must not move independently of the body. [In a sense] the head is carried by the body. Only if the head is upright can the body be straight. To give a simple everyday example, if a person is walking and leans their head to one side,  they will inevitably start to move in that direction. Taijiquan’s theory says the head is the commander of the body and that keeping it upright helps to keep the spirit calm and alert.

There are four more things that you have to pay attention to. Firstly, the eyes must always be level and gazing ahead. It doesn’t matter if a person is tall or short, they have to look level and not look down. The gaze of the eyes also helps to maintain the head in an upright position. At the same time, keeping the eyes level and ahead enables a person to be aware of their surrounding. Look up and they miss something below,  look down and they miss something above. Looking to the left and right is the same. 

Another part of the body that has to be level is the two hips. Like water, the level of the hips must be the same - they mustn’t tilt. If we take the example of a half-filled bottle of water - even if the bottle is tilted, the water will move according. No matter how the bottle is turned, water will find this level. It’s very easy to keep the hips level when standing upright or sitting down. However, it’s difficult to maintain when you start to walk, do the form, jump etc. The function of the hips being level is to connect the upper and lower body. Without this connection the body will not become an integrated whole. 

We should also talk about the requirements for the wrists and fingers. Energy should always be held in the wrists, especially when you release power (fali). The wrist should always be level and holding strength. If the wrist is bent or weak,  it will break on impact and also  strength cannot be expressed out to the end of the fist. Energy and strength has to be brought to the tips of the fingers. They must have a feeling of being naturally stretched and full right to the fingertips without being forced. This requirement is not just present in one movement but holds for every movement you do.

These are the very basic requirements you have to fulfil when doing Taijiquan.

Q: What are the main benefits that can be obtained from practising Taijiquan?

CZQ: There are three main benefits: first it trains self defence ability so that a person can protect themselves; it can lead to an increased level of fitness; and it is a means through which to cultivate the temperament and temper the character. To go through each briefly:

As far as the development of gongfu or martial skill is concerned we can use the simple analogy of a toothpick. Everybody can easily break a toothpick, but I would challenge anyone to place it in an upright position and use their hand to break it from above. People would be afraid to do it. When you are training for any skill - like the example of the toothpick, from small insignificant beginnings you have to train to bigger things. Training martial skill rests upon the development of an individual’s physical strength, their fitness and constitution, level of technique and gong. It takes time, and is not something that can be achieved very quickly. Constant practice is needed to realise the skill.

Talking about fitness, take for example the health concerns of people who are mature in age. As they get older the bones get more brittle and one of the things they fear the most is falling over and breaking bones. Many research studies have shown Taijiquan practice to lead to significant improvements in stability, coordination and balance. Because of the increased stability and balance the likelihood of seniors falling over is reduced. When they do fall increased levels of coordination give them a better chance of recovering their balance.  Studies also found that bone density levels improved. So Taijiquan practice can also be seen to have good outcomes for elderly practitioners.

The third main benefit relates to the aspect of character cultivation and the tempering of temperament. Taijiquan practice is built around the requirements of softness as well as hardness. An individual enters Taijiquan through softness.  [The training method means] you have to be very patient, through physical activity training to be soft and in a state where the mind is unhurried. The requirement of Taijiquan is to reach a balance; this is what cultivation is all about. Through the physical exercise your mind, without even knowing it, becomes incrementally calmer. This increased degree of calmness can be transferred into your everyday life.

Anyone who has learned Taijiquan will have had a teacher who would have told them about the requirements- loosen the shoulders and lower  the elbows, store the chest and stretch the back, relax the kua and bend the knees etc. It is important to be aware that these are not just words. While they are very easy to recite practitioners should be very strict with themselves in trying to actually apply them. Not just during Taijiquan practice, but trying to remember them at all times in everyday life. These requirements are a guideline and a blueprint to be followed. Regardless of whether it is health and fitness, martial arts or cultivation you just have to observe and follow them, after that it’s up to you which path you follow. These are the rules of Taijiquan, if you follow the rules and don’t invent new rules you won’t go down a deviated path.

Q: Can you talk about some of the common mistakes people make when training Taijiquan.

CZQ: I’ll summarise so it’s not too complicated. A lot of people know and talk about the 13 postures of Taijiquan: peng, lu, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou, kao, jin, tui, gu, pan and ding [That is the eight core jin: ward off, divert, squeeze, press, pluck, split, elbow, bump and the five steps: forward, backward, left, right and centrally balanced]. Many teachers, especially during push hands, emphasise the eight energies. However, in reality when doing push hands you have to remember that the person in front of you is a live person and is not just going to stand there. While you may want to an (press) your opponent, if he moves away you’ll be pressing an empty space. In the moment when pressing, if the person resists and pushes against you it becomes resistance. So there is the second energy lu (divert). If a person doesn’t want to cooperate with you and pulls in the opposite direction it again becomes resistance.

Sometimes in their enthusiasm to observe the eight methods practitioners become too fixed in their minds about them. You can’t be too fixated on them especially when doing push hands. Instead the mind must be flexible, bearing in mind that the other person does not always act in cooperation with you. So, within the rules you have to be flexible.

Doing the hand or weapons forms these techniques serve as a basic guideline. The most basic thing that everyone does is the act of breathing. If you stop breathing it means that your life is over.  Similarly, within the thirteen methods, the two most basic but most important requirements are the first and last - peng and ding (warding off and centrally balanced).

Q: Can you expand on peng and ding and tell us why these are the most important of the thirteen methods?

CZQ: A. I’ll use the example of a basketball.  If it’s overfilled with air it becomes too hard and is not comfortable to use.  When a player handles the ball it is not at the ideal condition. On the other hand, if there’s not enough air in the ball, it will not bounce. When it’s not filled with air it is not a complete round shape. There are depressions on the ball’s surface and it wouldn’t pass the standard test of people who play basketball. The idea of peng is like a perfectly filled basketball and is applied to every Taijiquan posture.  Guarding against the errors of being too stiff (over inflated) or too deflated, just like a basketball.  Through practice practitioners have to try to reach a place where a posture is not in excess or deficient. This is achieved through experimentation and practice.

With regards to ding (stability) - as a person holds a posture, eventually a position is reached where everything matches his body. Each individual has to strive for the best position for his own body, bearing in mind everybody is different, some people are tall, some are short etc. Everyone is unique. What is ultimately aimed for is a state where peng and ding are optimised according to your own body, through a process of harmonising and balancing. To reemphasise this point, first you have to look for the two basic requirements of peng and ding. That is expansion according to one’s own body, and central stability. These are the compulsory components a learner must get into their body. Be it the form, push hands or weapons forms you must try to get these two qualities before introducing the other eleven methods. Only with peng and ding established a learner can bring in the other eleven methods. Without the foundation of peng and ding all the other components are useless.

Q: Can you offer any further words of advice or encouragement for Taijiquan practitioners going through their own journeys?

CZQ: Simply, when you practise Taijiquan you cannot be impatient, but you also cannot be aimless. You have to progress gradually.

In Conversation ... #1

Chen Xiaowang is the son of Chen Zhaoxu and grandson of the renowned seventeenth generation master Chen Fake. Born in Chenjiagou in 1945 he began studying his family art when he was seven years old. His two primary teachers were his uncles Chen Zhaopi and Chen Zhaokui. In his early years he also trained with his father before his untimely death. Emerging as one of the leading practitioners of his generation he has been responsible for much of the popularisation of Chen Taijiquan around the world. Recently he has returned to China having spent several decades travelling the world and spreading the art of Chen Taijiquan. Below he talks, amongst other things, about how reeling silk exercises entered the Chen Taijiquan training syllabus:

Q. Chen Taijiquan has evolved over the course of many generations with significant changes at certain times. A few examples that immediately spring to mind are Chen Changxin’s development of the Laojia routines and later Chen Fake’s creation of the New Frame. And of course, like any human pursuit there are bound to be changes in training methods etc in line with the realisation of different individuals. In recent times we have seen the introduction of practice methods such as silk exercises and short forms. Can you tell us something about how this has come about?   

Chen Xiaowang (CXW): In the past Laojia was the jibengong (basic training) of Chen Taijiquan and everything started with Laojia Yilu. [As part of an official programme documenting China’s different martial arts] I was asked to present a set of jibengong (basic exercises) characteristic of the system. At first I didn’t want to do it, and explained we already have a jibengong and that is the Laojia. Despite my protests I was tasked to do it by my superiors. In the context of their project [which involved producing books about each of the different martial systems] they said that the Laojia was too long to be considered as a basic training method. They gave the example of Changquan (Long Boxing) where learners first learn the stretches, the punches, the kicks etc... before they put them together into a routine. That gave me something to work on but it still took some effort, but having a point of reference helped. 

I put some thought into it and set about compiling something. It occurred to me then that I needed to work out how best to show the movement rules and principles of our system. In 1980 the set was compiled and in 1982 it was published in Wulin magazine. I don’t think that it would be easy to find a copy of the magazine now. In 1984 [the reeling silk exercises] were officially published as Chen Taijiquan’s jibengong in the book Taijiquan Handed Down Through Generations published by  People’s Sport Publications. This was the first time that zhan zhuang, front reeling silk, side reeling silk etc.. were formally recorded.

Q: People are often surprised to hear that the reeling silk exercises are such a recent addition to the Chen Taijiquan training syllabus, assuming that they have always been trained in Chenjiagou?

CXW: Before that nobody can produce any material regarding this. Before 1984 any reference to silk reeling must be considered as anecdotal as there is no written record available to support it. You can look up all written material prior to this and you would not find any mention to support its use.

Q: The silk reeling exercises have been used now for four decades and have become a core part of many practitioners practice now. Do you think they represent a true representation of Chen Taijiquan’s essential principles and method?

CXW: Over the course of my own Taijiquan journey I walked many wrong paths and it wasn’t until the period of 1979/80 that I feel I really understood the systems principle. I theorised this and that but many things turned out not to be on the right track as they didn’t stand the test. Since that realisation until today the principle has held firm and unshakable through my many years of study and practice. And I have put lots and lots of thought and time into it. That shows to me that the principle is correct.

Q: So, reeling silk energy has always been trained through the practice of the form, but in the past practitioners had to search for the different manifestations?

CXW: [Yes, for example] within the Taijiquan routine, cloud hands is the only training method for double natural (shun chan) and double reverse (ni chan) big reeling silk. It requires proper attention on the waist and spine working in unison like the movement of a cars wheel. Here the key is not in horizontally reeling silk from left to right, but also contains inward to outward reeling silk – using that as the mainstay of the movement.

Q: Obviously this is a wide question with no simple answer, but how would you summarise the underlying principle of Taijiquan?

CXW: To practice Taijiquan, one must start with its main points. Ten thousand methods returns to one: Taijiquan contains myriad of changes, but it boils down to only one law of movement. The core of this law is the dantian. The realisation of the body’s core depends on and is ‘created’ by the coordination of all parts of the body. When we practice Taijiquan, the requirements for various parts of the body, such as loose shoulders, sunken elbows, stored chest, folded waist, released kua, bent knees, rounded crotch, and so on, are all for the purpose of the dantian becoming the core position of the body through the coordination of all parts of the body. When all parts of the body are in place, the dantian core naturally forms. If any part is not in the right position, it will affect the formation of the dantian core. For instance a tilted hip or a stiff shoulder, can affect the formation of the dantian core.

On the other hand, once the dantian core is formed, it can drive the whole body in turn, and form a movement rule whereby a single motion leads to multiple actions in a connected continuous flow. So the relationship between dantian and the body parts is complementary, the body parts support the formation of dantian core, the dantian core in turn leads to drive the whole body.

After the body core is formed, it drives the whole body through three different kinds of motions. The first kind of motion is the left-right rotation of the dantian. The most obvious of this kind of motion is in silk reeling whereby through the left and right rotation of the dantian the motion drives the silk reeling of the trunk, the silk reeling of the shoulder, elbow and hand, and also the silk reeling of the hip, knee and ankle, and forms a complete movement rule that enables one movement activating all movements. When qi travels inwards to the body it enters the dantian through the shoulders and waist. When qi travels outward, in the upper body it passes through the back, shoulders, elbows to the hands, and in the lower body through the hips, knees to the ankles.

The second kind of motion is the forward and backward rotation of the dantian. Movement is generated by the forward and backward or backward and forward folding motion of the chest and waist. For example, in the starting posture there is no side to side rotation of the dantian, but instead the forward and backward folding of the chest and waist, so there is no silk reeling in the hands. Also in the Double Raise Kick there is forward and backward rotation of the dantian as well as chest-waist folding movement. The qi route in this instance involves qi going to the hands in opening, returning back to the dantian when closing or gathering. For example, in the small reeling silk exercise qi is transported to the hand when the fingertips are backwards and qi is transported back to the dantian when the fingertips are upwards.      

The third kind of motion is between the first and the second. The dantian has side to side as well as forward and backward motions. Every time there is a change of energy/ force, the third kind of motion is involved. Take the right reeling silk as an example, there are two changes of strength in the cycle. The first change is when the right palm faces upward and then in a change of strength rotates slightly left to face downward and travels outward back to the right. The second change of energy/force occurs when the right palm faces outward and rotates down the right side of the body, to change to the palm to face upward, as it travels to the left. Therefore both the changes of energy involve the three kinds of motions. The change of force, both to the right and back, both to the left and forward, consists of four directions of motion.

When practising Taijiquan, carefully examine the expressions of the three kinds of motions. Half of the mind focuses on the movement of the body and the inner qi, while the other half focuses on the relaxation of the whole body so as to get the overall sensations of the whole body. The result of excessive concentration is to “attend to one thing and neglect many things.” In the  process getting half the result with twice the effort.

Q: There are now many short form versions of Chen Taijiquan and the other styles of Taijiquan. How did this come to be?

CXW: The story behind the 38 Form is the same as the reeling silk jibengong exercises. I was asked to do it. At first I was reluctant to do it as Kan Guixiang (赣桂香)had already compiled the 36 Form in Beijing. The officials said that’s the Beijing version, let’s do a Chenjiagou version and that’s how 38 Form came about. The 19 Form was created when I was teaching in Europe. Many of my western students said the 38 Form is too hard and asked if I had a shorter form. To accommodate them I created the 19 Form and then on my return to China I was recently asked to create a 9 Form set as 19 movements was still too long!