tai chi chuan definitions

[GrahamB]

The Tao that can be told is not the true Tao.

[Bao]

The Tao that can be told is not the true Tao.

And how does that quote come into the topic?

"The tai chi chuan definition that can be told is not the true tai chi chuan definition"?



Maybe not and maybe it must become a first hand experience ... but a discussion board is still for discussion, not for practicing physical practice.

[GrahamB]

Well, that was my point - you can't define it, really.

Every time you think you have grasped it, it slips out of your hand..... Like soap in prison showers.

[Miro]

Either way, you two should spend more time training... No master I've met over here theorises this much...

That is maybe because we are better than any master you've met over there...

[ors]

How Miro described taijiquan is really a very, very good and (how to say) advanced description of it. Thank you Miro, that was nice!
All I would like to add is, that (for me) understanding taiji is not denying the fighting ability and fighting skills at all. To be able to find taiji in (or with) our body gives us lots of potential what we can use in fighting situations as well.

I would say that taiji is not a kind of martial art, but more likely a level. Every martial art (if practiced a certain way) can lead the practioner to reach taiji in his art. You have reached that level when you developed taiji (oneness) in your body with your practice. As Miro said "classic" taiji quan tries to lead you to taiji with the concept of liang yi or continous search of "two-ness" (double-ness?). When you really understand liangyi, you can understand taiji as well.

Keeping that in mind, you can understand more the tuishou of Ma Yuehliang as well. That kind of practice can help the student to find oneness in himself. MYL continously plays with the partner's center this way helps them to find it in themselves...

Örs

[D_Glenn]

what is tai chi chuan?

A martial art that chose to focus on what's considered the most advanced CMA fighting strategy: 舍己从人 (Sheji Cong Ren) 'Sacrifice your own goals (have no strategy) and yield to the opponent's.

i like that. its a very important concept. listening skill is what i have called this.

Ting Jin (Listening Skill; or listening [to an opponent's] movement) is a part of all CMA. Listening with feeling. But with listening skill you learn to understand your own body and develop what's called 'Dong Jin' (Understanding/ Knowing Skill). And you have to know yourself, and then you can know your opponent

It's Dong Jin (Understanding/ Knowing Skill; or Knowing [an opponent's] movements) that's important and key to being able to use 舍己从人 (Sheji Cong Ren) as it's using your eyes and knowledge to see or survey the situation before and after contact.

(Btw, we've had a few debates on here about how to translate 舍己从人, and 'yield', I said, should be more like 'comply' as the opponent should have a brief feeling of accomplishment.)

We have 舍己从人 (Sheji Cong Ren) in Baguazhang but it's a bit different from TJQ, as it uses a lot of 'self turning'. It's also pretty evil as it happens really fast and with speed it's then hard to control the power. Fast meaning it happens on contact so it's also less about Ting Jin and more about using Dong Jin, or as it's also practiced, it's more of a 'conceptual' thing, in a sense.


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[Bob]

The most comprehensive source I have read is by Wang Yuen-Ming:

"Taijuquan: Heavenly Pattern Boxing", Wang Yuen-Ming, Journal of Chinese Martial Arts Studies, Winter 2010, Issue 2, pp. 28 - 37.

Objective: To analyze the subject under a new light through different sources in an attempt to clarify the links between the name, the martial art, and its history and development.

Based on the findings from the Mawangdui tombs, the earliest reference to "Taiji" was found Zhuangzi's Inner chapters (chapter 6) where it . . . "clearly shows
the meaning given to the name has varied greatly thought Chinese history.

Before the unearthing of the Mawangdui tombs in the early seventies most scholars thought "Taiji" was a Confucian ideas derived from Zhouyi. However with the discover of these ancient texts where the term "daheng" is often used in place of "taiji"' many concur that later Confucians borrowed from Zhuangzi's texts, or at least accept that the concept of "Taiji" predates both texts.

So while Zhuangzi reads "taiji" as the "Highest point" and therefore used it to describe the limits before which Dao dwells, the Xici commentary of the Zhouyi written during the Warring States explains it as a phase in which Heave and Earth are not yet divided and chaos stills rules absolute. Most importantly it clarifies that Yi has Taiji and Taiji gestates the Two Principles." P. 28
______________________________________________________________________________________

Maybe, for educational purposes, Wong Yuen-Ming can post it -

Heavenly Pattern Boxing

New information about the history of Taijiquan

Translated, summarised and edited by Dr Hermann Bohn, following the original by Wong Yuen-Ming: “Taijiquan: Heavenly Pattern Boxing”
The history of the origins of Taijiquan remains controversial and generates much debate, especially in its country of origin. One common motivation here is the protection of one’s own interests.

In order to introduce new aspects into this debate, Wong Yuen-Ming has studied a large number of little-known sources and has found, above all, evidence for links between the Daoist Zhang Sanfeng and martial arts that could have been the forerunners to modern Taijiquan, and for a very early use of the Taiji concept with regard to these martial arts.

Another interesting aspect is the relationship between the Taiji symbol and the stellar constellation of the Great Bear. Dr Hermann Bohn has translated and summarised the article in which Wong Yuen-Ming has published his results to date.

http://www.tqj.de/england/issue43.html

https://books.google.com/books?id=8ZG1t ... ng&f=false

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=7959

http://qigonginchina.com/daoist-origins-taiji-quan/

Daoism / Guest Post / Tai Chi

The Daoist Origins of Tàijí Quán (太極拳)

Posted by Roy Hanney on January 21, 2014 at 12:20 pm

the daoist roots of tai chi quanThe Daoist Origins of Chinese Martial Arts in Tàijí Quán (太極拳) Manuals published in the West

By: Dominic LaRochelle, Ph.D. Laval University, Quebec City.


In Chinese martial arts circles, differences of interpretation concerning the origins of the art of Tàijí Quán are not new. In fact, they are at the heart of a century-old debate that generally divides scholars and practitioners. Chinese myths and legends have been in great part adopted by Western practitioners. The aim of this article is to analyze how was construed in the second half of the 20th century a complex rhetoric trying to convince Western readers of Tàijí Quán books that their practice has an ancient Daoist origin.
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The fact that no real scientific or historical evidence can be found to affirm that Chinese martial arts (or Tàijí Quán in particular) might have their origins in Daoist traditions is somehow beyond the point of my argumentation. It is not history that is at play here, but legitimation. It is undeniable that Daoist practices, Daoist thinking and Daoist worldview have influenced one way or another, the development of Tàijí Quán, at least in modern times. We could say the same about many others traditions, practices, customs or areas of Chinese daily life (or at least pre-modern daily life). After all, Daoism is one of the major intellectual currents of Chinese civilisation. My point is that the construction of Tàijí Quán as a Daoist spiritual practice is a modern invention that must be understand in a specific historical context: the emergence of Chinese modernity, on the one hand, and the development of Western contemporary spirituality on the other hand.

Tàijí Quán practitioners, whether Chinese or Western, adopted this “spiritual” point of view because it somehow justify and legitimate their practice within their own respective cultural horizon. These practitioners did not adopt Tàijí Quán because it is a spiritual practice whose origins can be found in Daoist traditions. That is what the rhetoric says, but in fact, I believe it is always the opposite that happens; practitioners made Tàijí Quán a spiritual practice by drawing from Daoist traditions the elements that meet their own expectations about what this martial art should be.

Let me be clear here; in my mind, that does not diminish the value or the interest of the martial art at all. On the contrary, it only shows the cultural depth of Tàijí Quán. I do not have any problem with people claiming that they practice Tàijí Quán as a Daoist practice or spirituality. Indeed, it has become for many people in China or in Western countries part of a spiritual path involving Daoist concepts. I am only stating that this claim is culturally and historically construed and is not a universal truth. Other people simply rejects this interpretation and maintains that martial arts are simply a way to learn to defend oneself and his or her family, or to stay healthy, or to simply pass a good time and socialize. All in all, it just shows that the practice of any martial art is not ahistorical and that it evolves constantly following the expectations of the practitioners.

Authors Biography: Dominic LaRochelle is a lecturer at the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies of Laval University, Quebec City, Canada. His research focuses on the history of Chinese martial arts, their reception in Western societies, and their relation with religious traditions. He has been a practitioner of Chinese martial arts (wing chun, Tàijí Quán , bagua zhang and xingyi quan) for more than 15 years.

First published in: Journal of Chinese Martial Arts

NOTE: the article was so badly formatted in the original posting that I have taken the liberty of editing and reformatting it so it makes sense and doesn’t include the repetitions of text. As I have put a fair amount of work into this I feel it is within the bounds of fair use to post the article and I have included attributions where appropriate. Also it is one of the best articles I have found on the subject so worth reposting here I feel. If you are the author or feel you have a claim to the copyright to the article please get in touch and lets have a chat.



Bibliography

[2] Lost T’ai-chi Classics from the Late Ch’ing Dynasty (New York and Albany: State University of New York Press, 1996); T’ai Chi’s Ancestors. The Making of an Internal Martial Art (New York: Sweet Ch’i Press, 1999).

[3] “The Chinese Martial Arts in Historical Perspective”, Military Affairs (December 1981): 173-178; “Ignorance, Legend and Taijiquan”, Journal of the Chen Style Taijiquan Research Association of Hawaii 2, no. 3 (1994): [N/A]; “Chinese Boxing. The Internal Versus External Schools in the Light of History and Theory”, Journal of Asian Martial Arts 6, no. 3(1997): 10-19; “Academia Encounters the Chinese Martial Arts”, China Review International 6, no. 2(1999): 319-332.

[4] Tàijí Quán , art martial, technique de longue vie (Paris : Guy Trédaniel/Éditions de la Maisnie, 1981).

[5] “Theater of Combat: A Critical Look at the Chinese Martial Arts”, Historian 52, no. 3 (1990): 411-431; “The Daoist Origins of Chinese Martial Arts”, Journal of Asian Martial Arts 2, no. 1(1993): 10-25.

[6] Daoism and Chinese Culture (Cambridge: Three Pines Press, 2001).

[7] Douglas Wile, “Tàijí Quán and Daoism. From Religion to Martial Art and Martial Art to Religion”, Journal of Asian Martial Arts 16, no. 4 (2007): 8-45.

[8] The “Golden Era” of Chinese martial arts manuals goes from 1912 until 1937.

[9] Wile, “Tàijí Quán and Daoism”, 12, 16.

[10] Wile, “Tàijí Quán and Daoism”, 37.

[11] Westerners (at least English and French speaking people) often take the easy way and translate the Chinese word qi by ” energy “, a term that does not adequately render the complexity and subtlety of the Chinese word in its original cultural context. When it comes to human beings, qi is usually better translated as “breath”. In its cosmological context, it might be better viewed as “life force”, but it still remains a term that defy translation unless one forget all the cultural background this concept drags with it. For the sake of simplicity, I choose the easy way and keep the word “energy”, as most popular authors keep using it.

[12] Barbara Davis, The Taijiquan Classics. An Annotated Translation. Including a Commentary by Chen Weiming (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2004), 113.

[13] Joseph Svinth identified a few cases of Chinese immigrants teaching martial arts in the United States and in Canada, i.e. in 1864, 1922, 1930, 1940 and 1941. However, it seems that all these cases concern Chinese people teaching exclusively to Chinese. Svinth, Kronos: A Chronological History of the Martial Arts and Combative Sports, http://ejmas.com/kronos/NewHist1900-1939.htm, consulted in May 2012.

[14] Contrary to Japanese martial arts that were introduced to American practitioners as early as the end of the 19th century. Svinth, Kronos, consulted in May 2012.

[15] Stanley Henning, “The Martial Arts in Chinese Physical Culture, 1865-1965″, in Green and Svinth, ed. Martial Arts in the Modern World (Westport, Praeger Publishers, 2003), 27.

[16] With respect to this question, the books written by Brian Kennedy and Elizabeth Guo, Chinese Martial Arts Training Manual. A Historical Survey (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 2005); Jingwu. The School that Transformed Kung Fu (Berkeley: Blue Snakes Books, 2010), on Chinese martial arts manuals and the history of the Jingwu Association are highly instructive. Also, Andrew D. Morris devoted an entire chapter of his study on the history of sports in Republican China to the modernization of Chinese martial arts at the turn of the 20th century: Marrow of the Nation. A History of Sport and Physical Culture in Republican China (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004).

[17] Dominic LaRochelle, “Making the New Appear Old: The Daoist Spirituality of Chinese Martial Arts in Tàijí Quán Manuals Published in North America”. To be published.

[18] Wile, “Tàijí Quán and Daoism”, 10-11.

[19] Kohn, Daoism and Chinese Culture, 6; Isabelle Robinet, “Original Contribution of Neidan to Taoism and Chinese Thought” in Kohn, Livia, ed. Taoist Meditation and Longevity Techniques (Michigan: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, 1989), 317-321.

[20] Indication of longevity practices can be found in 2nd century B.C. documents such as the Mawangdui Daoyin tu, or even earlier philosophical texts such as the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi. However, these documents do not talk specifically about martial arts.

[21] Wile, “Tàijí Quán and Daoism”, 22-26.

[22] Tem Horwitz, Tai Chi Ch’uan. The Technique of Power (U.S.A.: Cloud Hands, 2003), 247.

[23] “Pour cette recherche du maintien de la vie, les anciens créèrent diverses disciplines s’appliquant aux différentes activités de la vie. […] Ils élaborèrent donc des techniques alimentaires, sexuelles, respiratoires, gymnastiques, des techniques de massages (sortes de mouvements de manipulation qui permettent, par des contractions et des pressions sur les point précis du corps, d’ouvrir le passage à cette force appelée Chi afin de lui permettre une libre circulation dans le corps tout entier), et, enfin cette danse de la vie qu’est le Tai-Chi.” Charles Anthony, Tai-Chi-Chuan ou la sagesse du corps selon le Tao (Paris : Épi s.a, 1977), 11.

[24] Yang Jwing-Ming, Taijiquan Theory of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. The Root of Taijiquan (Boston , YMAA Publication Center, 2003), 40.

[25] Josée Carmona, Le Tàijí Quán des origines. L’enseignement de maître Wang Bo de Shanghai, coll. Les maîtres de l’énergie (Paris, Guy Trédaniel, 1995), 72-73.

[26] Kristopher Shipper, The Taoist Body (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1993 [1982]), 100.

[27] In Western contemporary spirituality, health (physical, psychological, but also emotional) is often a synonym of spiritual enlightenment. It is an incarnate spirituality, in which the body becomes a temple, a place where the practitioner can live out his or her spirituality. In this context, for many people, good health becomes not only a concrete and palpable sign that the spirituality is effective, but also literally a form of salvation. See LaRochelle”Making the New Appear Old: The Daoist Spirituality of Chinese Martial Arts in Tàijí Quán Manuals Published in North America”. To be published; LaRochelle, ” Recomposition de l’univers philosophico-religieux chez les jeunes adultes pratiquants d’arts martiaux chinois au Québec. Vers une vision holistique du religieux-vécu “, In Jean-Philippe Perreault et François Gauthier, dir. Regard sur… Jeunes et religion au Québec. Coll. Regards sur la jeunesse du monde. (Observatoire Jeunes et Société, INRS-UCS. Québec, Presses de l’Université Laval), 87-100.

[28] Stuart Alve Olson, T’ai Chi According to the I Ching. Embodying the Principles of the Book of Change (Rochester: Inner Tradition, 2001), 29.

[29] Sophia Delza, T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Body and Mind in Harmony. An Ancient Chinese Way of Exercise to Achieve Health and Tranquility (North Canton, Good News, 1961), 180.

[30] Graham Horwood, Tai Chi Chuan. The Code of life. Revealing the Deeper Mysteries of China’s Ancient Art for Health and Harmony (St-Paul, Dragon Door Publications, 2002), 19.

[31] This philosophical tradition is comprised both of Laozi’s Daodejing and Zhuangzi’s text.

[32] Horwitz, Tai Chi Ch’uan, 81.

[33] Graham Horwood, Tai Chi Chuan. The Code of life, ix.

[34] Indeed a whole collection of books that has appeared on bookshelves in the last 40 years shows that these philosophical concepts can be applied to multiple areas of typical modern American life when loosely interpreted. That why one can find today in almost every bookstore titles such as The Tao of Golf, The Tao of Baseball, The Tao of Love, The Tao of Interpersonal Relationships, The Tao of Business, etc. A study of these books shows that their contents usually highlight a poor knowledge of the authors about Daoism and Chinese religious traditions in general, and present concepts that are closer to Western than Chinese spirituality.

[35] Kohn, Daoism and Chinese Culture, 21-22.

[36] Olson, T’ai Chi According to the I Ching, 31.

[37] ”Push-hands” (tui shou) is the basic two-person practice of Tàijí Quán learned subsequent to individual practice of the basic sequence of movements. In this exercise, the two partners execute movements with their arms stuck to one another, without any muscular force, or one trying to dominate the other. The aim is to harmonize the movement of each partner to develop arms sensitivity, and to develop the ability to sense, to “listen” to an opponent just by being in contact with him or her.

[38] Cheng Man-Ch’ing, T’ai Chi Ch’uan. A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health & Self Defense (Berkeley: North Atlantic Books, 1981), 24.

[39] Sophia Delza, T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Body and Mind in Harmony, 182-183. I will not linger here on the problems that pose these legends regarding the historical connection between neijia quan and Tàijí Quán . Others have clearly shown that this connection has been made-up by the Wu and Yang families at the end of the 19th century (see Henning, 1994; Wile, 1996). Recently, however, Wong Yuen-Ming has proposed a new interpretation on the role of Zhang Sanfeng and the connection with Daoist traditions and concepts that might revive the debates (“Tàijí Quán : Heavenly Pattern Boxing”, Journal of Chinese Martial Studies, Issue 2 (Winter 2010): 28-37. My point is essentially to show that these legends made their way to Western practitioner’s mind and have been accepted beside the lack of historical evidence available to them.

[40] Herman Kauz, Tai Chi Handbook. Exercise, Meditation and Self-defence (New York: Doubleday, 1974), 10-11.

[41] Wile, The Making of an Internal Martial Art, 53. The epitaph tells that it was the Chinese God Zhenwu that taught Zhang martial techniques in a dream. The snake and bird fighting version of the legend came later on, probably at the beginning of the 20th century.

[42] Meir Shahar, The Shaolin Monastery. History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts (Honolulu: University of Hawai’i, 2008), 175-178.

[43] Bernard Faure, Chan Insights and Oversights. An Epistemological Critique of the Chan Tradition (Princeton and Oxford: Princeton University Press, 1993), 130.

[44] In particular, the fact that the epitaph of Wang Zhengnan might hide an anti-Qing dynasty political manifesto has often been highlighted. On this subject, see the enlightening work of Henning (1981, 1994, 1997), Wile (1996, 1999, 2007) and Barbara Davis (2004).

[45] “Les premiers faits historiques réels qu’on peut connaître sur la pratique de l’art martial de YinYang nous viennent du XVIIème siècle. C’est à cette époque qu’on situe l’existence de Chen Wangting, qui enseignait secrètement cet art à sa famille. La plus vieille école dont nous avons, aujourd’hui, des références concrète est l’École Chen. Un descendant de ce Chen, du nom de Chen Changxing (1771-1853), est à l’origine de tous les styles et écoles connus actuellement […].” Victor M. Becerril Montekio, Le Tàijí Quán d’Est en Ouest (Paris: Guy Trédaniel, 1993), 83.

[46] Olson, T’ai Chi According to the I Ching, 44.

[47] Arieh Lev Breslow, Beyond The Closed Door. Chinese Culture and the Creation of T’ai Ch’i C’huan (Jerusalem: Almond Blossom Press, 1995), 284.

[48] Thomas A. Green, “Sense and Nonsense: The Role of Folk History in the Martial Arts”, in Thomas A. Green and Joseph Svinth, ed., Martial Arts in the Modern World, 4-5.

[49] Clarke, John J. The Tao of the West. Western Transformations of Daoist Thought (London, Routledge, 2000), 138-139.



Tàijí Quán books published in Western countries in French or in English between 1960 and 2006 – a selective corpus.

Antoni, Charles. 1977. Tai-Chi-Chuan ou la sagesse du corps selon le Tao. Paris: Épi s.a. (coll. Intelligences du corps).

Barret, Rick. 2006. Taijiquan Through the Western Gate. Berkeley: Blue Snake Books.

Bond, Joey.1997. See Man Jump… See God Fall. Tai Chi vs Technology. San Diego: Promotion Publishing.

Breslow, Arieh Lev.1995. Beyond The Closed Door. Chinese Culture and the Creation of T’ai Ch’i Ch’uan. Jérusalem: Almond Blossom Press.

Carmona, José.1995. Le Tàijí Quán des origines. L’enseignement de maître Wang Bo de Shanghai. Paris: Guy Trédaniel (coll. Les maîtres de l’énergie).

Chen, William C.C. 1989 [1973]. Body Mechanics of Tai Chi Chuan. États-Unis: William C.C. Chen.

Chen, Yearning K.1976 [1971]. Tai-chi Chuan. It’s Effects and Practical Applications. Hong Kong: Unicorn Press.

Cheng Man-ch’ing.1981. T’ai Chi Ch’uan. A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health & Self Defense. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.

Chuckrow, Robert.1998. The Tai Chi Book. Refining and Enjoying a Lifetime of Practice. Boston: YMAA Publication Center.

Da Liu.1986. T’ai Chi Ch’uan and Meditation. New York: Schocken Books

.Delza, Sophia.1961. T’ai Chi Ch’uan. Body and Mind in Harmony. An Ancient Chinese Way of Exercise to Achieve Health and Tranquility. North Canton: Good News.

Douglas, Bill.1999. The Complete Idiot’s Guide to T’ai Chi & QiGong. New York: Alpha Books.

Habersetzer, Roland.1998. Tai ji quan. Les formes Yang. Paris: Amphora (coll. Encyclopédie des arts martiaux).

Horwitz, Tem. 2003. Tai Chi Ch’uan. The Technique of Power. États-Unis: Cloud Hands.

Horwood, Graham. 2002. Tai Chi Chuan. The Code of life. Revealing the Deeper Mysteries of China’s Ancient Art for Health and Harmony. St-Paul: Dragon Door Publications.

Huang, Al Chung-liang.1973. Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain. The Essence of Tai Chi. Utah: Real People Press.

Jou Tsung-Hwa.1988 [1981]. The Tao of Tai-chi Chuan. Way to Rejuvenation. New York: Tai Chi Foundation.

Kauz, Herman.1974. Tai Chi Handbook. Exercise, Meditation ans Self-defence. New York: Doubleday.

Klein, Bob.1984. Movements of Magic. The Spirit of T’ai-Chi-Ch’uan. North Hollywood: Newcastle Publishing Co.

Liang, T.T.1977 [1974]. T’ai Chi Ch’uan For Health and Self-Defense. Philosophy and Practice. New York : Vintage Books.Loopos. John.2003. Exploring Tai Chi. Contemporary Views on an Ancient Art. Boston: YMAA Publication Center.

Maisel, Edward. 1972 [1963]. Tai Chi for Health. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Montekio, Victor M. Becerril. 1993. Le Tàijí Quán d’Est en Ouest. Paris: Guy Trédaniel.

Olson, Stuart Alve.2001. T’ai Chi According to the I Ching. Embodying the Principles of the Book of Change. Rochester: Inner Tradition.

Sieh, Ron. 1992. T’ai Chi Ch’uan. The Internal Tradition. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books.

Sutton, Nigel. 1993. Tai Chi Chuan. Roots and Branches. Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company.

Wong Kiew Kit. 2002. The Complete Book of Tai Chi Chuan. A Comprehensive Guide to the Principles and Practice. Boston: Tuttle Publishing.

Yang Jwing-Ming, Dr. 1982. Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan. États-Unis: Unique Publications.

2003. Taijiquan Theory of Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming. The Root of Taijiquan. Boston: YMAA Publication Centre.

[D_Glenn]

An excerpt from an older thread as this topic is getting into the maxim of 'Fighting without fighting' (Quan wu quan) --

The another reason for my suspicion is more abstract. Xingyi works in the stage of "Wuji" (emptiness) where as Tai chi works in the stage of "Tai chi" which itself "emerges from Wuji/emptiness". For example, I would like to show some excerpts of Guo Yunshen's theory about Xingyi taken from Robert Smith's book on Hsing-I:

" The highest stage grows from the second. It is called mysterious,
the result of marrow washing. It is soft and uses no strength. It
lets you move more easily because the energy is concentrated. And
this energy merges you with emptiness, the Tao in which "Boxing
is non-boxing, non-boxing is boxing." The energy derived is dif-
ferent from actual strength. Although the actions taken are the
same, the energy stays inside, controlled by the mind. This is the
acme of Hsing-i—the best of alchemy, boxing, and the Tao."

"In the highest stage, it follows the wind
and chases the moon. An outsider never sees it hit; if he does, it
does not belong to this stage. This is Hsing-i, the highest level of
achievement: the mind is mindless; you do nothing and have done
everything. In the emptiness we find our prenatal bodies. But do
not be overly concerned about this. If you try too hard, it will
elude you. Instead of trying to achieve it, pretend you already have
it. This will help your mind. After all, the mind is the embodiment
of your actions: therefore, Hsing-i is mind boxing.
"

The text isn't really talking about 'Wuji' (the Calmness; that comes before 'Taiji' (the Movement/ Action; the yin yang symbol constantly spinning)) but instead it's about 'Yi wu Yi' (Intention without Intent), 'Quan wu Quan' (Boxing/ Fighting without Fighting) and 'Xu' (Mind returning to the void).

In the beginning stage of any martial art you need to first stretch your body out to it's limits because in an actual fight anything can happen and you will likely have to move fast and to extremes so it's not going to be good if in the first instant of a fight, you move, and let's say for example, pull a hamstring because you're not flexible enough. So in the beginning we work on our bodies to make them not only flexible but also strong, without limits, in both the actual movement and endurance (wuqiong).

Later on, after years of doing the physical work, and your physical body is gradually beginning to weaken, you can just use your mind but in the form of experience gained from practice and the experience one gains from actually fighting. Where you now know all of your body's limits yet you still have a lot of techniques and tricks you can use to defeat the younger males. Look at National Geographic's video of fights between male Buffalo, Lions, Wolves, Elk, and even male Giraffe were recently caught on video, all fighting for mating rights or to defend the pack from outside intruders. The older ones, with experience, typically win but not through sheer strength but because they have more experience.

Fighting without fighting (Quan wu quan) comes about because after years of doing the physical work, the body looks strong but more importantly the years of fighting shows in the eyes. You can see the experience in a person's eyes (if it is actually there) and also the older guy, since he was once young, also knows what the young guy is thinking, and the young guy is looking for weaknesses he can exploit, 'how can he take this old guy out'. But the old guy knows that and, say, his right leg is actually the weak one but he's making it look like his left leg is weak. The old guy doesn't want to fight, but wants to convey, without posturing, but through the look and stare ('Yi wu Yi' -showing intent without showing intent), and show the young guy - that it's not going to be an easy fight.

Too many people have misunderstood Fighting without fighting, to be: [Fully Capable of] Fighting, without [ever actually partaking in] Fighting.
----
(Xin-Yi quan and Xingyi also have 舍己从人 (Sheji Cong Ren) in their most advanced stages of practice and usage but it's still a martial art.


.

[roger hao]

Miro -
Thanks - I was getting lost in the language a little. Now verified -
Your explanation is right on.

[Steve James]

Well, taijiquan is one of a number of Chinese "quan." So, what does the quan in the name mean? Then, there's the claim that taijiquan is one form or style of Chinese "gongfu." What can be gongfu and what can't?

Afa the definition of tai ji, whoa, that's a philosopher's question to be sure. Probably, it's a matter for contemplation, rather than definition.

Clearly, what differentiates all forms of taijiquan is the slow form. We can debate endlessly about it's purpose, but it's different. That doesn't mean that taijiquan is slow motion fighting. It's just part of the training and, imo, part of the gongfu.

The two-person exercises (push hands, dalu, san shou, etc) are also training practices. But, they're not unique to tjq, only the method is different. Again, whether they work or not isn't the question. Nope, they probably wouldn't be adopted by current armed forces. Then again, neither will most tcma or forms of gongfu.

When it comes to the method of fighting, I guess we're talking about ideals. Anyway, as an introduction to SLT's book, one commentator --a non tjq practitioner described it this way "The form of the art is soft and curved, in application it is hard and direct. Its potential power is great to the extreme. Without softness and curves, it is impossible to neutralize and transform incoming energy in an agile manner. Without the hard and direct it is not possible to issue great power. So it is said to seek the straight from the curved, and to first store and then release."

[Ron Panunto]

When asked "what is the purpose of taijiquan" by an older woman at a T.T. Liang seminar he responded that the purpose of taijiquan was to fart.

[GrahamB]

When asked "what is the purpose of taijiquan" by an older woman at a T.T. Liang seminar he responded that the purpose of taijiquan was to fart.

Well, that clears that one up, thanks!

[Dmitri]

When asked "what is the purpose of taijiquan" by an older woman at a T.T. Liang seminar he responded that the purpose of taijiquan was to fart.

Well, that clears that one up, thanks!

Now THAT takes true internal skill.

OTOH, it's all good and well, but is there a video of him doing it against uncooperative opponents in a competition? DIDN'T THINK SO!!

Also, this definitely does explain one thing -- LKJ. With enough skill (and properly-tuned diet), one should be able to make his opponents hop and roll and run at will without touch.

[windwalker]

after reading this how can people not relate what is shown in the myl push hands thread viewtopic.php?f=6&t=22799
with much of what is said here.

Clearly, what differentiates all forms of taijiquan is the slow form. We can debate endlessly about it's purpose, but it's different. That doesn't mean that taijiquan is slow motion fighting. It's just part of the training and, imo, part of the gongfu.

that depends, it was said that they practiced single posters and then linked them together.
many arts still practice a lot of standing practices.

I would say the reasons behind why the practice of the from is slow depends on the understanding of ones practice.
other CMA styles also have forms that are done slow for very similar reasons as taiji.

[MaartenSFS]

There are lots of styles that have slow forms. Heihuquan and Liuhebafa look almost like a style of Taiji one's never heard of. The more time one spends amongst other styles, the less unique Taijiquan seems.. In the West we usually just don't have access to so many styles in one place to compare.