Yang Family Tai Chi Discussion Board

Hi everyone, Credo: I believe that clarity in movements is extremely important in practicing the frame since physical movements follow intent. At least for my purposes, I also believe that adherence to basic Taijiquan principles trumps controversies in some movement issues. I use Fu's manual as my f...

Thank you, Louis. I think you are right to point out there is a difference between the movement ji and jijin. However, I don't see how one uses jijin without some however abbreviated ji movement. Although there are endless variations in application, Fu wrote in his preface the his book focused on th...

Thank you, Jerry, for your post. I consider Fu's book the most detailed manual on Taijiquan. "Ji" is mentioned very explicitly (and repeatedly) in Lift Hands Upward and even reinforced under Important Points. Yang Chengfu mentions Ji's power in Grasp Bird's Tail - how Ji is used to cause a...

Yang Chengfu's comments on this form in The Essence and Applications of Taijiquan clear up my confusion. First, he considers the posture with the hands raised as the form's end posture. Second, he notes that from this end posture, one possible action is to change to Press since, as he suggests, the ...

Thank you for your responses. I've always liked Gu Liuxin's characterization that each form has its start, continuation, transition, and closure phases (‹N³çz‡ - qi3 cheng2 zhuan3 he2). This seems to correspond to a key principle in Chinese calligraphy. That's why I think movements 2 and 3 attribu...

I posted a topic "Lift Hands Upward and Press" on the Tai Chi Chuan - Barehand Form board. Nothing on application, though.

Fu’s instructions on press (ji) in Lift Hands Upward is missing a transitional movement, and this missed movement causes timing problems for me. All quotes below are from Louis’s translation of Fu’s book. Press (ji) as described in Posture 3, Part 3 is performed with “the right arm appears as an arc...

Hey Louis, Your passion for the Chinese language, including its social usage and historical evolution, is impressive. My interest, knowledge, and approach are quite simplistic. When I first posted the question on li dian vs. jin dian, I didn't even notice Fu's notes refer to zhuo li dian. Be that as...

On this discussion topic the key question for me is, "what constitutes taijiquan" or, more narrowly, "what constitutes a taijiquan movement". This question comes up frequently. Most recently we have questioned whether the dance segment in the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olymp...

Hi, Audi, Suppose we use consciousness for yi (mind/intent). The advantage of using this word is that we commonly consider a range of conscious states. When I first learn a posture, as with the detailed instructions in Fu Chongwen's manual, I try to be highly conscious of each component of each move...

Hi, everyone, Using Audi's translation of Wang's passage, the first part reads, "As a matter of fact, in seating the wrists, it is easy for the shaping of the hand position to become rigid." Why should this be true? If one is practicing "zuo wan" correctly, and Fu Chongwen gives ...

Upon reflection of Yuri's comments, I now revert to using the term zuo wan. My hand posture follows Fu Zhongwen's description of zuo wan. I will keep gu wan in mind as a warning against developing rigidity in the wrist.

As to Wang's usage of gu wan, I will leave it for others to speculate.

Arthur

Hi, Louis, Fu Chongwen's Important Point 3 of Posture 2, Beginning Form, gives a detailed description of zuo wan - Louis, my pinyin can't help but improve with your help! The quality of the movement is not in doubt. What I appreciate is Wang's preference of gu to zuo; zuo has a physical connotation,...

Zhuo wan or seating the wrist is an important taijiquan hand posture. Wang Yongquan however prefers the term gu wan or puffing the wrist - there should be a better translation. Although I'm thinking of puffed sleaves and the puffed cheeks of Dizzy Gillespie, a softer and more gradual quality should ...

Gu Liuxin invokes a somewhat enigmatic quote when discussing the practice of taijiquan: ming guiju er shou guiju; tuo guiju er he guiju understand the principles to adhere to the rules; deviate from the rules yet in harmony with the principles My interpretation is that although guiju is used four ti...