Tai Chi Punching

[SPJ]

There are 4 ways to fight in Tai Ji.

1. Neutralization of the opponent's Jin and release your own. (Hua Fa).

When you finish neutralization, you also finish Fa Jin.

2. Neutralization and hit (Hua Da).

3. Neutralization and Qin Na.

4. Neutralization and throw (Shuai).

[SPJ]

Why is it important to focus Qi on Dan Tian;

So that your Qi and Jin have an anchor or Zhong Cheng An Su.

So that you may not overwithdraw and over extend yourself. Wu Bu Gou Yu Bu Gi.

The Jin is rooted in the feet and mastered by the waist. You store your Jin and Qi in the waist and Dan Tian, or Shi Jin, you release them only when the opportunity and timing arrive or appropiate. De Gi De Shi.

When you practice Lao Jia Yi Lu, you have to focus on intent (Yi) and Qi, that is the only way to improve and progress.

When you do Qi Shi or start, people see you raise your arms to the shoulder level and lower them near waist or Dan Tian. They see the moves slowly.

Actually, you are elevating your Qi to Bai Hui and lower it to Hui Yin. You focus on Dan Tian and move your Qi along Ren Du Er Mai. These intent and Qi practice coornidate with your moves.

You may even practice the Qi mobilization and intent without even moving your limbs.

You are practicing how to sense your Qi and Jin flow smoothly to the limbs and back.

Dan Tian is the center. Everything is mastered by the waist.

You may neutralize the opponent Jin in all directions and in all amplitudes (magnitude).

You use a smaller force to deal with bigger ones.

You have a Tai Ji strategy and tactics.

You are practicing Tai Ji in your intent, Qi and moves.

Thus the name is Tai Ji Quan.

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I shut up for now.

[unixfudotnet]

Originally posted by bamboo_ leaf
unixfudotnet,

please be sure to let us know when you start.

what is that supposed to mean?

i do it everyday.

i am trying to stay on topic. taijiquan has punches and punches are used.

we are all beginners, there is always someone better, yet how can anyone argue on another they do not know other than just reading.

one thing that is constant in cma, and others probably, is that the best way to know and understand them is to just do them, period.

like a sifu told me that a late master told him, the only way to get better and understand what you are doing is to just do it over and over.

debating about what is obvious from doing the forms and practicing your taijiquan seems silly to me. there would not be all this discussion if everyone did it everyday (at least once) and took it seriously.

yet something i know personally, it is easier to talk about cma than to stick to doing it everyday and not just for a couple minutes. if many people did, most of the threads in this forum would be a couple posts.

as for chen and yang styles, they are the same, they just start from different directions. yang has all the stuff you seen beginners do in chen, and chen has all the stuff you see beginners do in yang. many do not realize this (maybe from lack of good teachers *shrug*). the are all the same thing, their methods of reaching what taijiquan _is_ are different, yet after you get better after many of years, internally it is all the same. which is not obvious to beginners. taijiquan is all internal, the way your arms move in the air and stuff seems to take too much importance to many because they do not realize what taijiquan is... which is ok, but realize that there is more.

[SPJ]

Agreed.

There are 4 phases in the study of Tai Ji Quan.

1) Boxing or body structure. (Quan Jia Zi)

We have to study the posture by standing practices; how to move our hands and steps; how to maintain the waist, hip, elbow, knee, chest and back etc.

2) Familiarity (Zuo Su)

We have to practice so that the body structure is commited to the memory of our bodies and minds.

3) Understanding Jin (Dong Jin)

Study to master, how to sense and neutralize the opponent's Jin, in turn, mobilize and release your Jin.

4) Proficiency (Shen Ming)

Practice to be proficient.

In short; 2 parts, when you practice standing practices and drills, you learn to know yourself. (Zi Ji)

When you practice push hands and bag works etc, you learn to know the opponent or resistence. (Zi Bi)

[unkokusai]

Originally posted by Happykiwi
Please reveal to me where the punch or fist strike is described in the eight methods of power in Taiji?

"ward-off, roll-back, press, push, pluck, split, elbow, and shoulder."

If you are using a punch strike, is this in accordance with the Taiji principles? Why practise "push hands" and not "punching hands" with clenched fists?

You read a book. Good for you. You have no idea what you are really talking about.

[SPJ]

The answers are already there.

You may read as many books as you want.

Punches with all your body parts.

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9 sections of the body.

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Qi, Yi--

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How to practice--

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[SPJ]

If you are only doing vertical fist punch and nothing else, you miss the rest of the story or the 9 sections of body or--

[SPJ]

Sorry.

I think I posted too much too fast.

Excellent point. When you move, you move all of your body parts.

In considering Jin issueing, you still have the whole body Jin or complete Jin (Zhen Jin).

How your Jin would go is depending on the opponent's Jin.

Your practicing Qi and Yi will make your Jin precise, instantly fast and stronger.

When you Fa Jin or punch with fists or strikes with other body part, there is still a whole or complete Jin all over your body.

That is also called Nei Jin or Nei Gong.

You are right. Experiences are utmost important.

Words and descriptions may be difficult to elucidate.

Cheers.

[hung-le]

Originally posted by unixfudotnet
like was said, a punch is a punch just we use exact body mechanics and internal energy, which hard styles use as well, just later on in their training where we get it from the get-go.

chi development also has a side effect of proper body mechanics. so really any punch or strike will have proper body mechanics that has chi power behind it, because it is the foundation in all we do

This thread should have stoped after this post!

[kung fu fighter]

Hi,
I was wondering how the chen tai chi exercises are performed that are used to develop fa jing. Can anyone discribe the intricate details involved and the concepts behind them?

Thanks
kung fu fighter

[scotty1]

Well, I got two sigs out of this thread, so thank EF and TCB.

If you want them yourself, or you're bothered about being quoted, let me know.

I have nothing further to add.

[crumble]

I read though this entire thread waiting for the punchline. Nope, nothing.

-c

p.s. no pun intended.

[Kaitain(UK)]

An exercise that I use - go through a punch movement and hold your position at the finish point where you would be delivering energy. Get a partner to lift a heavy bag back and let it swing into your structure - this replicates what should be happening when you deliver your strikes, your structure should be immovable.

I tend to use this on my own as well - I'll be doing some bag work, and then I might use An to push it away, then just stop the bag on it's return swing using my structure and root. It's good fun

When you get good at that, start issuing into the bag as it swings back - this builds the skill of delivering force to an incoming opponent without getting rocked out of position.

I recommend that you use some wrist strapping when you do this - if your alignment is even slightly out you can end up with some painful injuries.

I apply this with elbows, knees and kicks as well as shoulder and hip movements. It's a good exercise - just take it easy and dont swing the bag from too far back too early.

Also - dont let someone distract you when it's swinging back
*me hits bag, pushes it about 2 foot away and steps into a shoulder barge"
"Oi Paul!"
"What, Im train-"
*Bag hits my now static structure and sends me flying*
"Nice technique"

[TaiChiBob]

Greetings..

I was really interested in reading about people's direct experiences w/punches based on their personal practice, or at least their opinions in regards to my post: all I've read is some "correction" on translation (no disrespect, but who cares: I'll go read a Chinese dictionary if I think it's necessary) and then a quasi-cryptic regurgitation of a laundry list of general TCC principles, which, although obviously applicable to punching, don't really relate to the specific topic as it was initially set-up (I mean, again, if I want to hear all that stuff, I can pick up any number of TCC books); well, I hoped it would stimulate some additional discussion re: applications of the punches, but maybe everyone's played out on the whole thread...

Well.. maybe i don't comprehend things the same way others do, but.. there is pretty good stuff in here.. aside from that, it has been said that doing is preferable to reading.. and i agree..

Applications, hmmmm.. "deflect downward and downward punch" (a rolling downward backfist).. the deflecting hand (left) intercepts an incoming opponent's right punch and deflects it downward, as the downward deflection passes the solar plexus it converts to cai (pluck), extending the opponents right arm and exposing the right side of the head/neck around the ear.. your right hand flips a rolling backfist inside, up, and over your left arm as your left plucks the opponents deflected right hand punch.. with power generated by twisting the waist and sinking into the impact you land a right-hand backfist just behind the exposed ear, knuckles striking the base of the skull and the rest of the hand impacts the ear/jaw.. i hope this more to topic as intended..

Be well..