In practicing Tai Chi, wanting to delve deeper into the art, the biggest obstacle encountered is the challenge of one's inherent force, which is the stiffness throughout the body, both inside and out. This inherent force affects the light and agile application of Tai Chi, presenting practitioners with the task of overcoming this barrier.
Mr. Wei was originally from Funing County, Hebei Province but was born in Shenyang and taught martial arts at the Jilin Institute of Technology until his retirement. His father was a wealthy businessman who ran a restaurant, and Mr. Wei, out of necessity, began apprenticing at the restaurant after finishing elementary school. Despite the daily toil, he continued to self-study diligently, seeking advice from the restaurant's patrons whenever he encountered difficulties. Thanks to his hard work and extraordinary intelligence, he made significant progress in his studies, laying a solid foundation for his future work and teaching. In his youth, Mr. Wei was frail and often ill, but was fortunate to be taken as a nominal disciple by Mr. Li Wenbiao, a renowned third-generation Baguazhang master and president of the Shenyang Martial Arts Association, who taught him Baguazhang.
Guo Gumin, originally named Decang, was born on September 20th of the 13th year of the Guangxu Emperor (1887) and passed away on August 25th, 1968. His ancestral home was Guojiazhuang, twenty miles south of Yi County, Hebei Province. In his youth, he left home for Beijing to apprentice at an old clothing business. During his apprenticeship, through an introduction, he met the second-generation master of Baguazhang and founder of Liang style Baguazhang, "Clothing Liang" Liang Gongzhen, and thus began his training in Baguazhang under him.
Master Dong Huling (1918-1992), a revered Tai Chi master, has dedicated his life to the mastery and dissemination of Tai Chi, an ancient Chinese martial art known for its profound health benefits and philosophical depth. Born into a family with a rich heritage in martial arts, Master Dong was introduced to the world of Tai Chi at a young age. His early exposure to the discipline, under the tutelage of renowned masters, ignited a deep passion and commitment to explore the depths of Tai Chi's potential not only as a form of physical exercise but as a way of life. Master Dong's journey in Tai Chi spans several decades, during which he has not only honed his skills but has also made significant contributions to the art's evolution and spread. His expertise encompasses a wide range of styles, with a particular emphasis on the integration of internal power (neigong) and the practice of "silk-reeling" energy (chan si jin), which are central to achieving the fluidity and grace that characterize Tai Chi.
Relaxation as a part of practicing Tai Chi's internal skills is very crucial in the whole training process. Without understanding what relaxation is, how to relax, the role of relaxation in internal training, the purpose of relaxation, the principles of relaxation, etc., it is impossible to practice true internal Tai Chi. As the master stated in his writings: "Practicing Tai Chi, one never goes beyond the word 'relax'. If there's a bit of tension, or a part that's not relaxed, one will never achieve mastery." What then is relaxation? The dictionary defines it as "the state of being free from tension and mental stress." For example, to relax. The master emphasized the essence of relaxation both mentally and spiritually in his writings. That is: mentally, one should maintain tranquility and nurture the spirit, then the strength will naturally be reserved. When the fist moves, never forget to maintain purity and relaxation so that wisdom can grow; guided by mental consciousness, the body should gradually achieve maximum relaxation. Daily imbue the spirit of relaxation, and over time, one will achieve true relaxation; in terms of standards for relaxation, it is required not just mentally and physically, but also in joints and sinews, to be thoroughly relaxed and penetrable, to the extent that not a single thread can withstand external force, completely free of distractions. From the dictionary and the master's writings, it's clear that to properly practice Tai Chi's relaxation technique, one must start with mental (conceptual) relaxation, to correctly grasp the key to relaxation, and step by step, practice the relaxation technique deeply.
Ancient Tai Chi manuals clearly state that all movements in Tai Chi are formed in response to the opponent's actions, thus lacking the fancy, bizarre, and complex proactive skills found in some external martial arts. In this sense, Tai Chi is actually simple and easy to learn. However, even the simplest actions can be challenging. For example, who can't walk? Everyone thinks walking is simple, but tightrope walking is essentially walking. How many people in the world can walk on a tightrope hundreds of meters high above a canyon? Hence, walking also involves difficulty and tricks. Indeed, no matter how clear and straightforward the principles and techniques of any skill in the world, learning it involves difficulty and tricks; mastering any skill to a high level is even more challenging. Learning Tai Chi is naturally difficult and requires tricks, and for the average person, the difficulty can be quite substantial, even insurmountable for some, hence the saying, "Many practice, but few succeed." Can this situation be changed? Of course.
The "Classic of Boxing" states, "Its root is in the feet, issued through the legs, directed by the waist, and expressed in the fingers." This indicates that the root is in the feet, with the axis in the waist. The waist being the axis shows that Tai Chi is a circular movement, and it's a three-dimensional spherical movement. The rolling of a sphere, where every contact point on the sphere can neutralize the opponent's force, leading the opponent into emptiness, and can strike the opponent, making it impossible for them to defend. Those who practice Tai Chi have this experience, such as when lifting the cat step or splitting the leg, the contact point on the solid foot transitions from the little toe to the big toe, then to the inner side of the heel, and finally, when it lands on the outer side, the center of gravity is the most stable, and lifting the empty foot is the lightest. If the toes grip the ground fixedly without change, it will inevitably become rigid and lose balance. This is true for lifting the foot as well as for issuing force, practicing boxing, playing hands, and pushing hands techniques, all requiring the yin and yang movement of the soles of the feet. When the body is in motion, how can the center of gravity on the soles of the feet remain unchanged? Relaxed, resilient, with the skill of using minimal force to move a great weight, all require taking advantage of opportunities and situations, being agile and circular, to truly understand energy.
Lu Zijian was a highly revered master of Tai Chi and internal martial arts, whose life spanned over a century, living from 1893 to 2012. His longevity and mastery in martial arts made him a legendary figure in the realm of Chinese martial arts. Born in Yichang, Hubei Province, China, Lu Zijian demonstrated an affinity for martial arts from a young age. His journey into the world of martial arts began with learning from local masters in his youth, and as he grew older, he sought out more renowned teachers to further his skills. Throughout his life, he mastered various styles, including Tai Chi, Baguazhang, Xingyiquan, and Qigong, among others.