Leading your opponent to "emptiness"

[Fu-Pow]

Wouldn't a better translation be simply "leading your opponent to empty (kong)."

"Emptiness" seems to imply that you are leading them to a place. Like away from you.

"Empty" implies leading them to a state.

When your opponent is "empty", the opposite of Peng, then you have successfully used Lu energy to empty their body of expansive force (Peng).

In that split second they become vulnerable to attack.

I think that this distinction is important because for a long time I thought that when I did Lu I was supposed to be "deflecting" the attack past me into "emptiness."

When in fact Lu is more passively letting the opponent use up all of there Peng and become empty.

Almost like "discharging" their battery.

The key to good Taiji is never letting yourself become empty by discharging all of your expansive force at once.

Comments?:p

[Ray Pina]

I think there is merit to what you're saying but I look at it a little differently, maybe...

I don't view the other guy as empty, or spent, because there are fighters that can get going with punches and seem to never stop. And if they're bigger it's not so easy to jam them up and stop the charge, but what you can do it intercept one strike and shoot it in with the same hand sort of inbetween his strikes, get him inbetween beats so to say.

Don't know if we're talking about the same thing though because I'm not a taiji guy and I don't look at "The Classics" like that.

I think I know what you mean, and I think that "emptiness" presents itself in pushhands when someone is stable and overextends themselves in some form (not necessarily with a step) but in fighting it's a little different. As soon as the missed front kick lands here comes the back leg round house, followed by an overhand, followed by a knee.

There are empty gaps in his attack, but I feel he is still "full", in that there is real potential energy there.

[Fu-Pow]

I see what you are saying and I think it can apply to both situations.

In one situation when a fighter is throwing a continous flurry of punches and you time your counter to attack at the moment he is over-extended /unbalanced (empty).

In the siutation I'm describing you are making contact and helping him to overextend/unbalance (become empty) and then countering.

I think the first situation you have to have excellent timing, extremely perceptive and be fast.

In the second situation the key is sensitivity to your opponents movement and learning to issue force without overextending yourself making yourself vulnerable.

[SPJ]

Yin Jin Luo Kong.

You lead or guide the opponent's Jin into emptiness.

This sentence means you have to lead, direct or guide.

True, the purpose is to extend or to empty out.

Most of the secrets are from positioning.

You may contact or not contact.

Key words: lead or quide into the void.

The first level of practice is to position out of the trouble zone.

You would say that is an avoidance or dodge. Absolutely.

The second level is to position into an advantage zone. Time and space are inseparable factors hand in hand.

The opponent moves in and starts punches or kicks.

Yes, you move to the side or back half a step. You move when he or she moves.

The third level is to raise your forearm to contact, you listen to his Jin. You may stick and follow. You may sink and Cai. You may grab and Lui. You may on and on depends on the opponent's move.

Actually, you have to act before his or her Jin is "empty" completely.

So timing is critical in everything.

If you are early, you are opposing a lot of Jin. If you are late, you have to use a lot of your own Jin.

You want to borrow most and use some of your own.

If the opponent's Jin is empty, true, he or she is at the end of his or her balance. He or she is stopped and ready to reverse or change. You have to use a lot of your own Jin.

To uproot the opponent, there are more factors to consider.

But anyway, the idea of guidance to voidness.

You have to guide all the way and not start at the end.

You first lay down your arms and leave the chest and abdomen open to lead or invite an attack.

You move to advantage position to make the opponent miss the attack. You then meet him or her right before he or she finish his or her move or moves.

The emphasis is to lead or to guide. The opponent feels that no matter how fast or how many punches or kicks he or she never reaches you or misses by an inch or more. You lead or guide him into a position that is advantage to you. You then redirect or use his or her Jin against himself or herself.

This is the theory. So that no matter how fast or how strong the opponent is, you may have a strategy to defeat him or her. You use his or her strong points against him or her self.

How to do it?

Study steps. Study real vs empty in Tai Ji moves.

Shi Si Fun Chin.

:)