Although Tai Chi Chuan is named as “Chuan” (fist), in reality, it starts with the feet, training from the feet up. In this sense, Tai Chi Chuan can also be called Tai Chi foot. Therefore, the ancients proposed the concept of “its root is in the feet.” This concept, both in theory and practice, developed the martial art of Tai Chi Chuan. Who proposed this idea? Initially, I saw materials suggesting it was the work of Master Wu Yuxiang. However, later, books such as “Comprehensive Guide to Taoist Qigong” and “Oriental Cultivation Library” as well as “The Small Frame of Wudang Zhao Bao Tai Chi Chuan” reprinted content from the 1970s Taiwan Freedom Press publication “Essence of the Taoist Canon,” revealing that it was Zhang Sanfeng who proposed this idea. His secrets consist of fifteen sections, and the fourth section, “Tai Chi Chuan Method,” mentions “its root is in the feet.” Comparing this to Wu Yuxiang’s works, except for a few words, the content is entirely the same. Here is an excerpt from “The Small Frame of Wudang Zhao Bao Tai Chi Chuan”:
“Every movement should be light and agile, with an emphasis on continuity of force (Wu’s text says ‘link’). Qi should be expansive, spirit should be restrained, and the whole process must maintain unity. Moving forward and retreating back, only then can you seize the opportunity and gain the advantage.” (abridged)
This paragraph centers around the concept of “root.” It is rich in meaning and can be roughly divided into several points:
1. **Tai Chi Chuan Should Be Practiced from the Feet Up**
Before discussing “its root is in the feet,” the text summarizes the overall requirements of Tai Chi Chuan, including movements, body methods, and the requirements of mind, qi, and spirit. It then states the “root,” referring to the foundation for achieving these overall requirements. Where is the root? In the “feet.” The process starts from the feet, through the legs, to the waist, and finally to the fingers. Regardless of the situation, one must maintain the unity of “complete from the feet up” to gain the advantage. Since the root of Tai Chi Chuan is in the feet, and the process of exerting force also starts from the feet, there is no doubt that training should begin with the feet. For example, the first movement “Tai Chi Beginning” starts with the left foot stepping to the left before gradually involving the rest of the body. This simple example illustrates the principle of starting training from the feet. Naturally, as movements become more advanced, the requirements for training the feet also increase.
2. **Indicating the Path of Internal Qi and Internal Force**
Both health preservation and self-defense in Tai Chi Chuan require the cultivation of internal qi and internal force. The phrase “its root is in the feet” shows the process and direction of cultivating qi and force. Qi and force start from the soles, go through the ankles, pass the knees, up the legs to the waist and hips, then through the mingmen (life gate), along the spine to the shoulder sockets, and spread to the arms, reaching the fingers. For example, in “Tai Chi Beginning,” as the hands slowly rise, imagine qi starting from the yongquan point on the soles, rising up, and reaching the fingers. This is the path of qi from bottom to top. There is also the path of qi from top to bottom.
3. **The Meaning of Footwork Training**
Practicing footwork, like the overall requirements of Tai Chi Chuan, cannot be separated from the concept of “relaxation.” The so-called Tai Chi foot means that the soles, insteps, centers of the feet, heels, toes, and even the meridians of the feet are all relaxed and soft. Thus, it can connect to the limbs and bones, link the mind and internal organs, reach the center of gravity, and be stable like a root while being adaptable. Simply put, the Tai Chi foot is a completely relaxed and soft foot in all directions, whether standing, moving, or turning.
4. **Signs of Relaxed Feet**
How to relax the feet as the root? The simplest and most effective method is to not use force in any part of the foot and let everything be natural. Due to different situations, the signs of relaxed feet are not entirely the same. Mainly, there are three situations: standing with both feet, supporting with one foot, and changing steps.
– Standing with both feet, including standing with steps apart, bow stance, empty stance, horse stance, etc., requires both feet to be relaxed and grounded. The muscles and meridians of the insteps, soles, and heels are relaxed, not exerting any clumsy force, as if barefoot on a soft carpet, feeling gentle and comfortable. The toes should also be relaxed and spread out, sticking (or pressing) to the ground without forcefully gripping it, and the ankle joints should also be relaxed and flexible. Generally, relaxing the feet while standing with both feet is relatively easier than the other two situations.
– Supporting with one foot refers to the stance during independent states or turning with a raised knee. The sign of relaxed feet in this case is that the supporting foot, like in standing with both feet, is stably grounded, paying attention to the center of gravity and ensuring the knee does not go beyond the toes, as this would cause tension in the foot.
– Relaxing the feet while changing steps is more complex. For example, when switching from a right bow stance to a left bow stance, five situations must be noted.
1. First, shift the center of gravity backward and turn the foot outward. This movement is driven by the change in the center of gravity and a slight rotation of the waist and hips, not by deliberately turning the foot outward, which would cause tension.
2. When the right foot supports the body and the left foot withdraws to the inside of the right foot (without touching the ground), the requirement for relaxing the right foot is the same as in the single-foot support situation.
3. The suspended left foot should be completely relaxed, including the knees, hips, and waist, with the ankle joints particularly relaxed to allow natural hanging. If the toes are deliberately pointed down, it indicates tension.
4. When the left foot steps forward, the intention is to send the foot forward through the relaxation of the waist and hips, along with relaxed knees, making the step as light and agile as a cat’s movement. The school teaches the method of pushing three times: the waist pushes the hips, the hips push the knees, and the knees push the foot.
5. The left heel touches the ground first, and as the body relaxes and moves forward, the whole foot gradually becomes stable. If only the foot is used to stabilize, it will inevitably cause tension.
5. **Foot Variations**
The purpose of relaxing the feet is to use them. The methods of using the feet are diverse and require further explanation.
– Continuing with the example of switching from a right bow stance to a left bow stance, the previous section emphasized the “relaxation” aspect, while here it focuses on the change in the center of gravity, i.e., the transition between emptiness and solidity. When standing in a right bow stance, the right foot is solid, and the left foot is empty. The weight distribution is usually seven parts in the front and three parts in the back. Although the right foot is solid, only seven parts are solid, and three parts are empty, representing solidity within emptiness. Conversely, although the left foot is empty, only seven parts are empty, and three parts are solid, representing emptiness within solidity.
– This condition is easy to understand, but the challenge is that within the seven parts solid in the right foot, there is still an element of emptiness. This subtlety requires careful contemplation to grasp. As the boxing theory states, “Emptiness does not mean complete lack of force; there should be a potential for movement, not entirely fixed, and the spirit should be concentrated.” Therefore, the stability of the feet during a fixed stance involves subtle variations in emptiness and solidity, guided by the mind rather than the form. Just like Master Li Jinglin’s Wudang Sword’s “four emptinesses” emphasize an empty mind, although the form appears stable, the mind perceives the center and sole of the foot as empty, allowing for quick changes and swift steps.
– Even during the transition from bow stance to empty stance (gradual change), the mind, qi, and spirit should guide the changes in the feet’s emptiness and solidity. Particularly when one foot supports the body and the other foot is suspended, although the body weight is entirely on the supporting foot, the mind should still hold an intention of lifting the empty foot.
– Hao Yue Ru explains the changes in the feet’s emptiness and solidity clearly: “Emptiness does not mean complete lack of force; the grounded point should have a potential for movement. Movement means the empty foot and chest have a connection; otherwise, it is heavy. Solidity does not mean completely fixed; the spirit is concentrated in the solid leg, supporting the whole body with an intention of lifting. If emptiness and solidity are not distinguished, it becomes double heaviness.”
6. **Grounding the Feet**
Whether standing with both feet or one foot, attention should be paid to grounding the feet. Two points should be noted: First, when grounding the feet, there should be a feeling of sinking into soft sand, which, with practice, allows the feet to be both relaxed and firmly planted. Second, imagine connecting the yongquan point on the soles to the earth, allowing the earth’s
energy to rise through the feet, permeating the whole body. These two points are related to cultivating the rebound force in the feet.
7. **Rebounding Force from the Feet**
The function of “its root is in the feet” is first proposed in the process of issuing Tai Chi internal force: “Its root is in the feet, issued by the legs, controlled by the waist, and expressed through the fingers. From the feet to the legs to the waist, it must be a complete unity.” This means that the root of Tai Chi force is in the feet, and the force starts from the root. So how to start from the root? Simply put: a slight push from the sole of the foot, generating a rebounding force.
Tai Chi force is a holistic spring force. Where are the springs placed? The school teaches three layers of springs: the first layer is at the soles, the second at the waist (mingmen), and the third at the shoulder sockets. A push from the soles activates the first layer of springs, and the three layers almost simultaneously rebound upwards. The school’s nine-one method for issuing force includes “a push from the soles.” However, the push is not a forceful kick but a combination of several factors. Therefore, although the push from the soles generates rebounding force, the soles themselves remain relaxed and flat. If the soles are stiff or the toes are tightly gripping the ground, the channel is blocked, making it difficult to generate or release the rebounding force effectively.
Several other factors contribute to the rebounding force: sinking the waist and hips, sitting the mingmen (waist), lowering the tailbone, and shifting the center of gravity. Thus, to issue force from the ground, both the feet and the entire body must be relaxed and unified.
8. **Health Benefits of Foot Training**
Training the feet is particularly significant for promoting robust life activities. “Its root is in the feet” means that the path to longevity begins at the feet.
