Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Hi CD,

I think I've been pretty clear, and I've said what I want to say.

Take care,
Louis

Here’s a link to a page of some classic taijiquan texts, including some by Li Yiyu. The chart and Li’s explanation are at the very bottom. https://taijidc.wordpress.com/%E5%A4%AA%E6%A5%B5%E7%BB%8F%E5%85%B8/ To my knowledge that’s all Li Yiyu wrote about the chart. I first encountered it in the book ...

Again, the "explanation" is modern commentary by some blogger. It doesn't even resemble the kind of writing that Li Yiyu handed down. Have a look at the heading of the blog: 清末李亦畲的《虚实开合图》研究 -- Research on the late Qing [dynasty's] Li Yiyu's xushi kaihe chart.

Those aren't Li Yiyu's words, but the blogger's commentary/interpretation. I don't know who writer is of the blog that you posted.

Louis

CD, I'm honestly more interested in Li Yiyu's text that the schematic drawing itself, which is more open to interpretation, and rather idiosyncratic. Moreover, there are various versions of the chart. Some publications combine the left/right drawings into one chart. Some include the annotations “虛也”...

Greetings CD, You wrote: In the diagram, he used two classic terms in describing the feet for 虚实: 提腳 and 腳悬 It took me awhile to figure it out. May I ask how would you interpret them? In addition, how with you translate this line? 图中虚线之处表示“虚”，实线之处表示“实” ~~~ 提腳 would be "lifted," or "li...

Greetings CD, The difference, to the extent I can answer your question, is that you have used different words for the same thing. Also, "taking a step" whether you call it a full step or a solid step, implies a process, not a state. The taijiquan practitioner doesn't only need to distingui...

CD,

Your re-translation of the line doesn't make sense. In the line, 重, 指身體的某一部分落實, “雙重” 指雙足, 雙手 不分虛實, 陰陽不明, the 實 does not stand alone, and doesn't mean "solid." It is part of a compound, 落實, which here means "to deploy," "to implement," to put into effect."

Louis

Greetings CD, I would still have to take issue with the initial assertion of your post, that “empty and full” are mistranslations of 虛 and 實. To be honest, I find your remarks about words having “different meanings in different fields,” and your assertions about the meaning of xu and shi in the Sunz...

Greetings, The 精選太極拳辭典 ( Dictionary of Essential Selected Taijiquan Terms ) has a useful entry on “double weighting.” In part it says: ~~~ 重, 指身體的某一部分落實, “雙重” 指雙足, 雙手 不分虛實, 陰陽不明. (Zhong indicates the deployment of any given part of the body; “shuangzhong” indicates that in the two hands or the two f...

Hi CD, I was actually responding to your statement: "Let's start with a linguistic approach of these two terms by listing all the possible meanings." Traditional taijiquan writings are often informed and influenced by words and phrases from classical writings. For example, one can see the ...

Let's start with a linguistic approach of these two terms by listing all the possible meanings. 虛 1. sky 2. empty; void; hollow 3. to keep empty or unoccupied 4. weak; feeble 5. afraid because of guilt 6. timid; diffident 實 1. solid; not hollow 2. true; real 3. reality None of the definition for 實 ...

Greetings CD,

This would be a good topic of discussion. You may be interested in a very lengthy discussion thread that took place on the board many years ago on Empty and Full. http://www.yangfamilytaichi.com/phpBB3/ ... ?f=7&t=673

Take care,
Louis

Greetings CD, You mention, 又說：「單重則隨，雙重則滯。」 If you drop one side, you can move. But if you have equal pressure on both sides, you will be stuck. BTW The above phrases are not the original text. The original should read as follows: 偏沉則随，雙重則滞 Yes, I noticed this discrepancy a long time ago. I mentioned...

Greetings CD, Right off the bat, I like that explanation of 雙重 very much. I’m curious, though, on what basis you make your claim that “重 in the term 雙重 is short for 重點,” and that it in turn means “centroid.” The term 重點 itself is relatively modern. Some of the earliest published occurrences of the t...