Let’s first discuss three key concepts.
The first concept is: The hip joint is a flexible joint that can both fold and rotate left and right, while the knee joint is a fixed joint, capable only of folding but not rotating. Based on our daily habits, folding primarily using the hip joint is called sitting, while folding primarily using the knee joint is called squatting. In other words, sitting down involves folding the hip, and squatting involves folding the knee.
The second concept is: When exercising muscle elasticity and strength, there are two approaches. One involves lifting weights such as dumbbells or barbells, which create muscle tension through contraction. However, this is not the type of tension we want. We are looking for tension created through the stretching and lengthening of muscles, the kind of tension that arises from extension. This involves pulling and lengthening the joints to create this tension.
The third concept is: The much-discussed “relaxing of the hips” refers to the flexibility of the hip joint during movement, in terms of its ability to fold and rotate in all directions—up, down, left, right, forward, and backward.
In Tai Chi terminology, “There must be folding in back and forth movements, and there must be transitions in advancing and retreating.” This refers to the hips. It means that in any forward or backward movement, or in looking left and right, the hips must be used to transition between solid and empty stances. Only through this can one move freely and gain the upper hand in sparring. When practicing Tai Chi forms, the shifting of weight in the lower body is achieved through the hips. Likewise, the lightness or heaviness of the upper body is also governed by the hips. The coordination of upper and lower movements centers on the hips, not on the folding of the chest or waist. As Chen Xin said, “Be mindful of changing the solid and empty,” which fully emphasizes the central role of the hip joint in bodily movement. In Tai Chi training, the hips are trained through a spiral, rocking motion, gradually opening up the hips. In every kick, leg retraction, or step, the hips should be relaxed, the knees bent, and the body should sink rather than rise. Tai Chi speaks of “solid and empty, opening and closing, rising and falling, rotation,” which encompasses the entirety of Tai Chi practice, with the essence lying in the movement of the hips.
Whether in Tai Chi push hands, any martial art, or physical exercise, the hips are merely two support points of the frame that supports the upper body. The transmission of force in martial arts requires rigidity, which is achieved through pulling the joints tight. For example, the arms can extend, and the legs can brace, while locking the shoulders and bracing the elbows stabilizes the shoulder joints.
Many people today talk about relaxing the hips in Tai Chi, but I feel this is not an accurate term and can be misleading. From a training perspective, the term “relaxing the hips” is incorrect. It should be referred to as “tightening the hips horizontally.” It would be more straightforward to replace “relaxing the hips” with “rotating the hips” or “tightening the hips.” We should imagine an invisible line between the two hips, which is normally slack and does not form a rigid framework, meaning that power cannot be transmitted effectively. In transmitting force, we should aim to pull this invisible line tight through circular movements, which is why our focus should be on tightening, not relaxing, the hips. In Tai Chi forms, the training should emphasize tightening and rotating the hips to achieve flexible hip joints and their pivotal role in Tai Chi technique.
The ancient concept of “rounding the crotch” is essentially for the purpose of tightening the hips. Just as we stretch and bend our legs to loosen the muscles, the same principle applies to tightening the hips. In any framework, with the hips forming the base of the golden triangle, if the lower part of this triangle is weak or collapses during force transmission, the overall framework loses its strength, and the transmission of power becomes distorted. Therefore, in training, the rotation and tightening of the hips is crucial.
In my teaching methods, I emphasize the importance of the hips, and most of my demonstrations revolve around hip movement. The proper use of the hips directly affects the amount of power generated. Many Tai Chi practitioners know the importance of relaxing the hips but often fail to practice it correctly. Previous theories suggest seeking this ability between the waist and legs, but they don’t explain it clearly. Traditionally, masters often remained vague when teaching students about the hips. In my theoretical framework, the body is divided into three sections: below the hips, above the hips, and from the elbows to the hands. The hips are a flexible joint, a ball-and-socket joint. From a biomechanical perspective, the hips support the upper body’s weight and allow rotation. However, in daily life, we mostly use them as folding joints, rarely engaging them in rotational movements. Yet, the rotational ability of the hips is one of the least utilized aspects of all our joints, and this is something that must be given great importance in both physical training and martial arts practice.
(About twisted steps)
In the human body structure, the hips are the largest pivot point and the key to martial power. Without mastering hip movements, martial power is significantly diminished, and any skill is less effective. Therefore, to enhance awareness of the hips and use them as much as possible, when practicing Tai Chi, one must sit down rather than squat. When sitting, the tailbone tilts slightly backward, the lumbar spine retracts, and the lumbar and spinal regions must form a straight board, with the two hips and the tailbone forming a triangular, three-dimensional structure. The knees, tailbone, and hips create a pulling force in opposite directions, increasing stability. If one squats, the focus shifts to the knees, and the spine, lumbar region, and tailbone no longer function as a unit, leading to scattered force transmission. Therefore, the correct structure should rotate around the hips, not the waist, with the spine and lumbar acting as one whole unit. All folding and rotational movements must be completed through the hips, never allowing the waist or spine to replace the hip’s rotational function. The weight of the upper body must be absorbed through the three-dimensional rotation of the hips.
This training method must not be misunderstood as rigid. To understand it better, think of how the two steel wheels of a train locomotive push it forward. It is the steel axle connecting the two wheels that drives the motion. By applying this concept in training, the auxiliary ligaments within the hip joints will gradually stretch and lengthen, achieving the goals of releasing tension, generating power, and “loosening the hips.”
This detailed explanation is unlikely to be found in books because many masters either do not fully understand it, or those who do are reluctant to share it, as it is often a secret of different schools. They often mislead practitioners by directing the “hip circle movement” of the two hips’ rocking motion towards the tailbone’s downward arc. I’m writing this not to expose secrets but to prevent Tai Chi from being lost in obscurity. I want people to understand the wisdom of the ancients and reflect on our current practices. Even if I share this knowledge, readers may not fully grasp how the hip bones should move, or how each bone should rotate—these are the true treasures of Tai Chi. Anything precious is hard to learn, difficult to master, and yet easily lost.
If the two hips aren’t pulled tight, the framework lacks rigidity, and power cannot be effectively transmitted. Similarly, the opponent won’t feel the shock of your power. Of course, this tightness is a spiral tightness, forming the foundation for generating power. Long-term training in tightening and rotating the hips will ultimately achieve the true goal of “loosening the hips.”