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Li Dao zi

Tang Dynasty Taoist Li Daozi’s Seven Levels of Tai Chi Internal Cultivation Practice

In the "Great Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Personalities," only Li Daozi's proficiency in "Nirvana Sutra" and "Abhidharma" is recorded. This matches exactly with the records in the "Biography of the Ten Powers," which mentions his expertise in "Nirvana and Abhidharma." However, the dictionary does not mention Li Daozi's other areas of knowledge. In contrast, the "Biography of the Ten Powers" provides detailed accounts, describing him as proficient in literature, martial arts, medicine, and the Yi Jing, covering a broad range of skills including "Nirvana, Abhidharma, the Huang-Lao teachings, promoting the teachings of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism." Yet, there are no records of Li Daozi's writings in historical materials. The "Biography of the Ten Powers" specifically highlights Li Daozi's martial arts achievements, namely his creation of the "Wuji Life-Preserving Martial Arts." It also details the theoretical foundation of this martial arts system, identifying it as crucial for understanding the origins of Tai Chi theory,

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February 27, 2024

Tai Chi

Principles

Incredible guides Hong Junsheng : Tai Chi Upper, Middle, lower rules

The tongue should lie flat against the upper palate, preventing the mouth from drying and excessive saliva production. Some suggest the tongue tip should touch the upper palate, allowing saliva to flow and be swallowed. However, this might interfere with proper breathing during practice. A flat tongue position is recommended.

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October 17, 2023

Tai Chi

Principles

Tai Chi Principles, Wu Yuxiang’s Classical Teachings Explained

　The basic principles of traditional Tai Chi are simple to say but difficult to put into the body: calm the mind, remove unnecessary tension, distinguish empty from full, keep the body connected, let the feet and legs support the movement, use the waist to direct it, and allow the hands to express what the whole body is doing. After practicing Tai Chi and other Chinese martial arts for more than forty years, I have become less interested in how beautifully someone can repeat these principles and much more interested in whether they can actually show them when they move. The current ChenStyle author biography records more than four decades of hands-on martial arts experience, including training, competition, judging and exchanges with senior practitioners. 　Many of these ideas appear in what we now call the Tai Chi Classics, especially the writings associated with Wu Yuxiang (武禹襄) and the Wu-Li tradition. The old texts are short. Sometimes a single sentence contains enough material to keep a serious student busy for years. That is one reason I think reading them as a list of inspirational quotations misses their real value. They were meant to guide practice.

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August 4, 2023

Tai Chi

Principles

Understand Tai Chi and Circles

In Tai Chi Quan, defense is also an attack, and an attack is also a defense. One cannot apply Tai Chi Quan's methods to attack without being able to use those same methods to defend. Since every movement involves circles, the more profound the skill, the smaller the circles become. Sometimes the movements are imperceptibly circular, encompassing both defense and attack. Therefore, in push hands exercises, one must be attentive to "listening to energy," which means practicing sensitivity and touch to feel the opponent's force. By sensing the direction of the incoming force, one can use half a circle to defend and the other half to attack. This is what is meant by "stickiness" in Tai Chi, which is the same as "adherence" or "following."

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August 3, 2023

Principles

Tai Chi Empty or solidness ?

The importance of Tai Chi's emptiness and fullness or soilds foot stepping, and openness and closure, are equally crucial. Regarding the whole body, there is emptiness and fullness. When the left side is full, the right side is empty, and vice versa. This means that if the left half of the body is full, the right half is empty, and if the right half is full, the left half is empty. Additionally, the body can be divided into upper and lower halves, with the waist as the boundary. When the upper body is full, the lower body is empty, and when the upper body is empty, the lower body is full. These combinations create a complex interplay of emptiness and fullness throughout the body, forming what is known as "full within emptiness" and "emptiness within fullness," as well as…

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August 3, 2023

Read more about the article How to Change Force in Internal Martial Arts ?

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Principles

How to Change Force in Internal Martial Arts ?

To transition from External Martial Arts to Internal Martial Arts, one needs to change the way force is utilized. As Huang Baijia said: "Zhang Sanfeng excelled in Shaolin and then transformed to Internal Martial Arts. This is known as Internal Martial Arts. If you grasp either of these, it is enough to surpass Shaolin." The phrase "transform to Internal Martial Arts" means converting the external muscular strength to internal power. However, even in different stages of training in Internal Martial Arts, there is still a need to change the way force is used.

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July 29, 2023

Read more about the article How is the force of a punch generated?

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Principles

How is the force of a punch generated?

There are various methods to obtain force in martial arts, but they can be summarized into three main types: static force, dynamic force, and a combination of both static and dynamic force. For example, Muay Thai and boxing belong to the dynamic force type, while Tai Chi, Xingyi Quan, and Baguazhang belong to the static force type and the combination of static and dynamic force. Of course, the distinction between dynamic and static force is not absolute; it simply refers to the emphasis on either dynamic or static aspects in the pursuit of force, resulting in distinct training styles and technical characteristics.

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July 28, 2023

Read more about the article Understand The three stages of Chen-style Tai Chi Quan -1

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Principles

Understand The three stages of Chen-style Tai Chi Quan -1

The Fist Theory of Chen-style Tai Chi Quan states: "Understand the Jin (energy) after becoming familiar with the movements, and attain the level of divine understanding through understanding the Jin." These are the three stages of Chen-style Tai Chi Quan: Familiarization, Understanding Jin, and Divine Understanding. To help practitioners fully understand these steps and methods, and to further become skilled, proficient, and reach these three stages, I will analyze and dissect them gradually. The first stage: Familiarization. This stage involves becoming proficient in each routine and movement of Tai Chi Quan, from the starting position to the closing position, performing them smoothly and harmoniously. The movements should flow continuously, like the mighty Yangtze River. Each movement within the routine should be practiced repeatedly to achieve standardization. Standardization requires correct posture, coordinated variations in speed, accurate breathing with each movement,…

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July 1, 2023