First, Tai Chi images. This is a pictographic diagram of predecessors' understanding of the formation of the universe. The sky is round and Fiona Fang is in phase. Therefore, the image is round, including two fish-shaped patterns of Yin and Yang, which means that opposites exist in a unity, and Yin does not leave Yang, and Yang does not leave Yin, changing and transforming each other. Moreover, the small round eyes of Yin fish are Yang, and the small round eyes of Yang fish are Yin, indicating that there is Yang in Yin and Yin in Yang, and there is unity of opposites of Yin and Yang everywhere, and Tai Chi everywhere.
Second, the theory of Taiji diagram. Explaining in words is what Wang Zongyue mentioned at the beginning of On Tai Ji Chuan: "Tai Chi practitioners are born without promises, and they are also the mother of Yin and Yang. Moving is divided, and static is combined. "
Wang Peisheng, my teacher, often said that if we want to practice Tai Ji Chuan well, we must explore the philosophy of Tai Chi, for example, what is infinity and Tai Chi? What is the relationship between Tai Chi and infinity? What is Yin and Yang? What is the mutual transformation between Yin and Yang, Yang and Yin and Yang? What is moving and what is static? What's the matter with movement, separation, stillness and combination? Wait a minute.
In a word, Tai Ji Chuan is a circular movement, which embodies the law of unity of opposites and mutual transformation of material movement. To quote Hao Shaoru, the fifth generation descendant of Wu Tai Ji Chuan: "What is Tai Ji Chuan? To put it simply: Tai Chi is a dialectical movement produced by substances inside the human body; Boxing is the representation of body movements; Taiji and boxing, that is, the movement of inner shape and outer shape is dialectical unity. It is necessary to control the movement of the shape through the movement change of the inner shape, that is, to control the movement of boxing through Tai Chi. This is Tai Ji Chuan. If there is only the action of the body without the control of the inner body (Tai Chi), it can only be called boxing. It can't be called Tai Ji Chuan, so practicing Tai Ji Chuan must achieve the unity of internal and external movements and make it worthy of the name. " This passage clearly explains why we should stay away from "Tai Chi exercise".
Mr. Leo Lee, a scholar of Artest Tai Ji Chuan (disciple of Mr. Wu Tunan), said in the book The True Story of Taiji: "Infinity is a form, and Taiji is the material energy existing in this form. Ancient philosophers in China believed that Qi is the expression of material energy, so people who practice Tai Chi are also Qi. " Leo Lee clearly pointed out here that the internal substance of human body is qi. As early as 1924, Sun Lutang, a martial arts master, said: "Infinite style is the root and Taiji style is the body, which are the basis of all moves in boxing". It is also said that "Taiji Chuan is studying the way of stretching in one breath". Specifically, he said, "Between heaven and earth, life has innate vitality, and the so-called neutralization qi usually permeates the four bodies and bones, everywhere, all the time, with different appearances and endless streams? So, the opening and closing movements of the fist are born of this gas, and the wonderful stretching and contraction are born of this gas? .., Tai Chi is one breath, one breath is Tai Chi, body language is Tai Chi, words are one breath, Yang is Yang, Yin is Yin, Yin is Yang, Yang is Yin. Lively and lively, whether it is (and) not standing, it is used in it, that is, Tai Chi. " Teacher Sun's elaboration gives a relatively complete and accurate overview of what Tai Ji Chuan practices (Qi), what characteristics it has (from the inside out, internal and external coordination) and how to practice correctly (learning boxing requires understanding, and it takes courage, perseverance and spirit to realize the correct method).
In order to deepen the impression, I quote some materials from another angle for further consideration:
On June 22nd, 2003, People's Daily published an article entitled "Crisis Hidden Behind Tai Ji Chuan's Prosperity". The article said that Tai Ji Chuan now "lost his grasp of the meaning of Wushu, which led to the gradual weakening of Wushu characteristics in routine sports, and the artistic and gymnastic tendency of routine movements was bound to increase, so it was in danger of evolving into a complete set of road gymnastics. This is the view of some experts and scholars at the 2003 national Wushu research paper report meeting.
In fact, similar views were reported in newspapers as early as the early 1990s. Wudang bimonthly 1992 published an article by Mr. Zhou, president of American Taiji Foundation, for three consecutive issues. Mr. Zhou wrote: "I studied Tai Ji Chuan 10 years in Taiwan Province Province, and received free boxing 15 years after coming to the United States. I didn't realize until recently that I practiced Tai Ji Chuan under the name of Tai Ji Chuan, not the real Tai Ji Chuan. In order to broaden my horizons, I made many special trips to Taiwan Province Province, Hongkong and Chinese mainland to find teachers and friends. I have been to many places and met many people, but I am disappointed. Only now that I have passed away, Mr. Wu Tunan, who was 102 years old at that time, is still alive, providing a witness for the post-Taiji study. " Mr. Zhou appealed in the article: "Do you want to prolong your life? Learn from Wu Tunan's empty collar. " . He also issued the following amazing words: "If we don't delve into it now, Tai Ji Chuan will exist in name only and become the old man's boxing and aerobics criticized by others."
Coincidentally, there was an article on Tai Ji Chuan's Meditation in the magazine Wushu Fitness published in Zhou Wen in February this year. The article said: "In recent decades, one of our achievements in Tai Ji Chuan has been the endless variety of routines. Beginners just play cards according to the routine all day, only looking at the form and not knowing the content. " At the end of the article, they worry that today's Tai Ji Chuan "only emphasizes appearances and actions.
The reason why I have taken the trouble to quote so many materials is just to say that Zhang Jingming's "How to stay away from Tai Chi exercises" is not much ado about nothing. Zhang was ambitious and saw the hidden crisis behind Tai Ji Chuan's prosperity.
The above is the first part I want to talk about today-the reasoning part. Below, let's talk about ways and means to stay away from Tai Chi exercises.
First of all, I would like to present flowers to the Buddha and recommend the book An Introduction to Chen-style Tai Ji Chuan, which was newly edited by the famous teacher Chen in Tai Ji Chuan. The truth of this book is not limited to Chen's boxing, but has universal guiding significance (of course, experts from other schools have similar monographs and remarks). Teacher Feng said in the book that "practicing boxing needs to start from infinity, and the opening and closing of Yin and Yang are serious" and "it is difficult to form a Taiji diagram without entering an infinite circle". It is argued that practicing boxing must start from standing on a pole-less pile; On the basis of "pole-free pile", further implement "serious pursuit of opening and closing of Yin and Yang". Teacher Feng's "Guide to Getting Started" and "Essentials to Getting Started" are feasible ways to solve the problem of practicing far away from Tai Ji Chuan. They are easy to understand and remember, and easy to learn. I hope that everyone will study and understand carefully in combination with practice.
Next, I want to discuss how to practice Tai Ji Chuan and Tai Chi, and understand the difference between "boxing" and "exercise" in combination with some problems existing in daily exercise:
Let's talk about it first When we play boxing, there are some formulas that don't distinguish between reality and reality. For example, when wrestling with the left and right knees, the right palm and the left palm press forward. With the gradual shift of the center of gravity, the hind legs should be gradually stretched from real to virtual, but many comrades' hind legs are not stretched in place, that is to say, they are not loosened, and some forces are supporting them. As a result, the legs are double. Mr. Yang Chengfu mentioned in Ten Essentials of Tai Ji Chuan: "The skill of Tai Ji Chuan takes the distinction between reality and falsehood as the first essence"; The book "Introduction to Wushu Taiji", Article 13, also says that leg deficiency must be distinguished, and there must be truth in deficiency and deficiency in reality. The book also says that "if reality is not divided, it will become dual." Speaking of double diseases, it is a big problem that people who practice Tai Ji Chuan must solve. In physical training, its duality will inevitably lead to "stagnation" and inefficiency; In dealing with the enemy, the duality of each other will inevitably lead to "top". Can only defeat the weak with the strong, but also lose Tai Ji Chuan's intention of defeating the big with the small and defeating the strong with the weak? Yes! Therefore, "Boxing Classic" requires that "the virtual and the real should be distinguished".
So, what is reality? Virtual reality is yin and yang. When playing Tai Ji Chuan, the deficiency and excess of Yin and Yang are everywhere, such as up and down, back and forth, left and right, inside and outside, between hands, between feet, etc. The whole body is virtual reality. Although the forms of virtual and real reactions around the whole body are extremely complicated, there are still some rules to be found. The deficiency above is the reality below, and the deficiency in front is the reality behind; Left deficiency means right surplus, and right deficiency means left surplus; As far as the relationship between two legs is concerned, if the left leg is empty, the right leg is solid, if the right leg is empty, the left leg is solid; In terms of the relationship between two hands and two feet, it is "three vacuities and one reality" and so on.
The most important feature of Tai Ji Chuan Movement is the unity of opposites and mutual transformation of contradictions. Take the "left palm down" in the fifth movement and the "right palm down" in the sixth movement of knee fall as examples. My teacher, Wang Peisheng, suggested in teaching: Suppose the opponent kicks me with his right foot, and I press it with my left palm. Instead of the left palm intentionally pushing forward and downward, it will exert force elsewhere with the index finger of the left palm as the guide. The left palm naturally produces a loose and heavy downward pressure, aiming at his kneecap and pressing forward and downward (here, this trick is to press the opponent's knee with the left palm and wait, while the sixth trick is to press the left palm first before moving). Because the opponent kicks empty, he will step forward and fall to the side where my hand is pressed, and I will take the opportunity to step to the left, use Zuoyang Mausoleum to cling to his right Yin Mausoleum, immediately look up at the other person's back and hit him on the face or chest with the palm of my right hand (Teacher Wang particularly stressed: When you push the palm there, you don't want to push the other person's action, but want to combine shoulders, elbows, hands with hips, knees and feet.
The right palm issued by this action should be neither hard nor soft, guided by the ring finger, just like threading a needle, reaching forward to the eye of the needle (commonly known as flash sewing needle). Describe how fast it will take. This is virtual reality). At this point, the weight below has gradually shifted from the right leg to the left leg. When the palm of the right hand touches the opponent, stand up, raise the palm, put the middle finger in the air, the first horizontal line of the thumb and forefinger of the right hand is flat to the upper right, and the right arm rotates outward to indicate the left palm; Then, I want the index finger of my left palm to point forward, and the middle finger should be flush with the tip of my left elbow, which means leaning back slightly. In fact, it is a loose elbow and a bent arm. When the left elbow sinks to the rear void, the body also sinks. At the same time, the right leg goes from hip to knee to foot, kicking the right foot and opening the heel until the right foot is about to leave and does not leave the ground. At this point, the right hand in front has completely changed from virtual to real.
Regarding the change of the above right leg from hip to knee to foot, Mr. Wang Peisheng said, "Weigh things with a scale, move the weight back and forth, and move to harmony? ┏ again? Hey? ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ① ①? What's the matter with you? Hey? In people? KINOMOTO SAKURA? What happened? ⒏⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏ ⒏? What's the matter with you? Hey? Why not throw away the moisture? What is the basis for scratching the shirt? /p & gt；
The sages said that it is wise to prove Tao with fists. All of the above embodies the principles of Taiji Chuan, such as "emphasizing the meaning but not the meaning", "there is a front and a back, there is a top and a bottom, there is a left and a right", "there is reality and falsehood, there is reality and falsehood", "there is a loss of one thing, there is destruction with the same life", "moving is quiet, moving is quiet" and "there is no movement". If you want to stay away from Tai Chi exercises, practice Tai Ji Chuan well and understand the way of Tai Chi, you must be conscientious in this respect!
Let's talk about the disconnection between form and meaning in boxing.
The Biography of Taiji emphasizes "the center of gravity is not important", and requires "mind first, body later" and "sentient beings, to be the ministers of the same flesh and blood". In other words, boxing begins with conation, then moves internally, then pneumatically, and finally moves, from the inside out, and blends inside and outside. The so-called "meaning" is "thinking" In the Qing Dynasty, the classic Chinese medicine "The Golden Mirror of Medical Zong" said: "It means the machine of the mind, which means moving but invisible." Playing Tai Ji Chuan with one stroke and one style is an endless intention until the end of the whole shelf tour, so some people say that "fist" is "tangible meaning" and "meaning" is "invisible fist".
Of course, practicing boxing is an advanced stage, and beginners can't achieve it at once. It takes a process to achieve "think before shaping". At first, everyone wants to remember every gesture, including action, sequence, essentials and so on. And this process of "remembering" is already the first step of "carrying out with meaning". What we should work hard in the future is to always pay attention to whether the fist is strong enough, and we will make progress if we persist for a long time.
For example, boxing, every move has been done, but for amateurs, it is not how big the steps are or how low the squats are. The key is to care whether the spirit is in place. It is suggested that the posture and movements should be correct first, and the essentials of each formula should be mastered, so as to achieve harmony between the inside and the outside, that is, the inner shape dominates the shape, and the invisible dominates (influences and perceives) the tangible. Recently, I read Mr. Xie Shoude's monograph "Taiji Internal Strength and Mind" and put forward a concept of "Taiji thinking is false or true". The "fake" that Teacher Xie said refers to "imagination", and my understanding is "imagination". According to Tai Chi thinking, when practicing at a certain stage, we must "dominate" ("influence" and "sense") the tangible limbs with the help of the inner shape (intangible things). From this, it reminds me that when Mr. Wu Tunan teaches Tai Ji Chuan the first type of Tai Chi posture, at a certain stage, he will increase mental activities such as "thinking outside" and "standing on six sides". One day in the park, a comrade told me that when she was practicing Tai Chi, her hands were folded from the left and right sides of her head to the top of her head. Xu? When t fell, his chest was not stuffy or uncomfortable, just a little tight. I said, you care too much about physical things. We should forget the tangible hand and "dominate" (perceive) the tangible limbs with the help of intangible assumptions. When I advise her to practice, imagine holding a big balloon carefully in both hands. If the intensity is strong, the balloon will blow up. When the strength is weak, the balloon will fly. It will be like holding a balloon and falling slowly from the top of your head. In the whole process, I don't want my hand, but I want the balloon invisible to my hand. As soon as she practiced according to my words, her heart was relaxed, fast and comfortable. Although this example is small, it makes sense. If the original training method is similar to Cao from the difference between Cao and Quan, it should be said that the original training method is Quan.
At the end of this article, I borrowed the words of teacher Wu Tunan. Teacher Wu thinks that the secret of Tai Ji Chuan is that everything is based on "meaning". If you can do this, you will realize that "it's not too big, it's not too small"; "If it is released, it will be Liuhe, and it will be hidden in the secret"; The fun of "size". Its change is like the Monkey King's golden hoop, saying that the big one can be the anchor of the sea, and that the small one can be smaller than the embroidery needle and can be put in the ear. These intangible real kung fu are all achieved through years of hard work through the intangible "virtual".