The Applications Frame of Yang Style An interview with Li Lian, the Sixth Generation of the “Applications Frame of “Taijiquan. By Zhou Lishang Translated by Yan Shun BELJING—For a long time, “Applications Frame of “Taijiquan” has been a seeret -gongti and an outstanding s ‘of some Taijiquan masters. It ‘was never taught to others, Moreover, it isthe real rea- son why the famous master Yang Lu-ch’an was honored as Yang Wu Di (Yang the Invincible) and why he played sn outstanding role in Wushu cincles in the prime of his life. ‘Although in China there are some people who say that they can play the routine, Ihave never found anyone who can detail the routine, including the history, characters and training steps, as clearly and correctly as Li an. Moreover, he demonstrates it very splendidly ‘had heard that Li Lian eould play the routine long before. However, fol- lowing his teachers instruction of ‘Don’t teach others or perform the routine rasly.” he never takes part in the activities of competitions and per- formances of Wushu internationally ‘and domestically, even in the Wushu community in Bejing In addition, Li Lian, who is 50 years old, is a doctor who maintains a low profile, He did not perform the routine in public until 2001 and then only after being urged by his friends and mine. He then began to do some performances atthe gatherings of some bosom friends. Now I offer Li Lian, the successor of small frame and his writing on “The Application Frame of Taijiquan” to Taijiquan fans all over the world. Li Lia, the successor of the appli cations frame of Taijiquan in China, Zhou Lishang is a noted martial arts writer in Beijing. Li Lian in Push Down of Applications Frame. began at the age of 16 to learn “Taiquan, Taji sword, push hands, applications frame and other methods fiom Wu Tunan, who was famous nationwide Tn fact his teacher was Ma ‘Yongging, and Ma was Wo’s student, so Wa was Li Lian’s grand teacher. However, most of Li Lian's skills were directly passed on to him by Master ‘Wu Tunan, hand to hand. He was appreciated by Master Wu because of his diligence, hard work, kind heart and willingness to use is brain. “The relationship between them was so close that he had experienced the hhardest years with him and accompa- nied hien until his death, As a result, he ‘was deeply influenced by all of Master ‘Wu's enudition and accomplishments in archeology, lofty arts of Taijiquan and his optimistic atid to life After Wu's death, Li conformed to s will and formally became a disciple of Ma Yogqing, who already was Wu ‘Tunan’s disciple. Li continued to learn from Ma. Therefore, its unusual that Li Lian learned first from his grand- teacher, War Tunan, and then from his teacher, Ma Yongging. Recently Li Lian performed ‘Taijiquan, Taiji broad swond and a par of the applications frame of Taijiquan twice, invited by TV Il of France, which had many viewers ‘To study and spread the ‘Taiji gongfu preserved by Master Wu, some organiza tions have been established in ‘Japan; for example, The ‘Japanese Branch of Chinese Taiji Gongfu Research Association and The Association of Wu Tunan’s “Taijiquan, in the 1990s. Invitations from his disci ples in Japan resulted in his ‘wo visits to Japan, to attend the ceremonies and to be the senior adviser of the two “organizations for life, initiat ing the arts and gongfu of Taiji. ‘Also, his articles on “The Applications Frame and Introduction of Wu Tunan, have been published in the journals Fingwu, Wabun and Wuyi in Japan Li Lian was born into a Traditional Chinese Medicine family. His father ‘was Professor Li Jieming, who was the disciple of Shi Jinmo, who was one of the four most famous Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors in Beijing. from 1940 to 1960. The relation between them was as close as father and son, ‘They are named among the current ‘most famous five hundred Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors (the first groups) who are approved by the state From his childhood, Li Lian to learn Traditional Chinese Medicine from his father, then from famous doc- tors: Zhu Kanyu, Dong Demao and others, Subsequently he entered Beiji ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine University and graduated there. Now he is an attending doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He has given many lectures on ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine interm=- tionally and domestically. Many of fis ‘works and theses on Traditional Chinese Medicine were published and his achievements are listed in “Theee Dictionary of Famous Doctors of ‘The People’s Republic of China 899 characters)” [interviewed Li Lian recently. The following is our dialogue. Zhou Lishang: Lately, a lot of articles, books, audiotapes and videotapes on the small frame of Yang's style Taijiquan have been published. Is a pity that [have never had a chance to see anyone who practices it. ‘Some say that this routine was developed by Yang Banhou, while some say it isn’t Taijiquan at all, but Long Boxing. Some people say itis the fast form of Taijiquan. Because the opinions vary, it is hard to decide who is right. For a long time, I have heard that you leamed the routine from the Foremost master, Wu Tunan, and your small frame of Taijiquan is ‘genuine. Is that truce? Would you please tell us how you learned the routine, who was the developer, and ‘what are its characteristics? Li Lian: I have seen some books and videos on the small frame of Taijiquan, ton. However, I think there ‘are many great differences becween them and what I had learned from Grandmaster Wu Tunan, who learned from Mr. Yang Shaohou. Tam very lucky to have learned the routine from the great master Wu Tunan in the late end of the 1960s. Therefore, I have acquired some understanding of the true face of the routine, ‘Small frame Taijiquan should be called Applications Frame of Taijiquan, in fact, because the essence of the routine is to teach us the application of Taijiquan Therefore, itis more suitable to call it applications frame Often, itis wrongly thought 10 have been developed by Yang Banhou. Thus, it is called “Banhow boxing,” “Banhou frame,” ete., and asa result, incorrectly relays erro- ‘neous information. ‘The fact is that the routine had existed before Yang Lu-chian came to Beijing. There are still records about the routine at the house of Zhang Fenggi, who was the boss of Tian Yi Pickles Store, where Yang Lu-chian stayed when he had just arrived in ey Turn the body and kick with heel Beijing. “Taijiquan gongfu includes Beng ail), Zhuo (peck), Na (seize), Pi (splip, Peng (ward off), Lu (deflect), Ji (shove), An (press), Cai (grab), Lie (yank), Zhou (elbow strike), Kao ‘Yang Shaohou (shoulder strike), Heng (a shout, when practicing), Ha (a shout, when practicing), Hu (breathe out), Xi (breathe in), Dian (point), Ji (beat), Tui (push), Gou (hook), Gua (bang), Dou (shake), Tan (spring), Cuo (serub or issue power from the center of the palm to the Lips of the fingers), Zhe (break), Gun (roll), Shuai (swing), Qiajin (nip tendon), Qiemai (cut pulse}, Bixue (close acupoints), Duangi (stop Qi), Anger is true, laughter is false, Dow (shake), Lou (burst), Lingkong (attack by air; this is a combination of power i and spirit)” ete. Zhou: How do you know the records? Lis Master Wu Tunan (who was my master’s mas- ter) fold me. Master Wu had taught at Wan-an Primary School, Fragrant Hill, Beijing, in the early time, soon after he arrived in Beijing. Then he kept a close relationship with a person who was the later generation of Zhang Fengai Hence, he got the book, “Zhang’ Essay.” which were the notes written, by Zhang Fenggi and Hou Deshan, a pickles maker, when they learned Taijiquan from Master Yang Lu-ch'an, On July 24, 1982, Master Wu told my teacher Ma Yongging about the rou- tine, Wu Tunan said: “After entering Beijing from Yongnian County, Hebei Province, Master Yang. had been the general teacher in Shenjiying (a special techni cal battalion in Qing Dynasty), and be was called Yang Wu Di (Yang the Invincible). “Ar that time, there were ‘many Famous Wushu feach- ers, such as Dong Haichuan, a master of Eight Diagrams Palm; Guo Yunshen, a mas- ter of Form and Will Boxing; Liu Shijun, a mas- ter of Yue's style Free Sparring (ealled Xiong XianLiu, which means a famous master from Xiong Xian County): Da Xiang Zi and Zhou Dahui, the masters of wrestling, “So how did Yang get such a great honor? It was not an easy thing for Taijiquan to enjoy great reputation in such where there were so many famous masters in different schools gathered in the same battalion “Although Master Yang and his Taijiquan got support from dignitaries, his powerful gongfu played an important role; otherwise, he could hardly have faced so many famous masters’ challenges. ” Master Wu said: “I had learned Taijiquan from Master Wu Jianquan for eight years, when I was young. Then 1 earned it from Master Yang Shaohou for four years, Master Yang Shaohou had been adopted by Yang Banhou, who was the eldest brother of Master ‘Yang Jianhou, who enjoyed a great reputation in modern times. “Master Yang Shaohou was at ‘eccentric character and very strict in choosing his diseiples. If he did not think one could become a useful per son, he would not teach him, He only taught a few disciples: they were Tian Zhaolin, You Zhixue, Dong Reafang, Ba Renzhi (then he changed his name into Ma Renzhi) and me "All of them are dead, except me. ‘Then I used a Mongolian Wu Tunan “However, how could Taijiquan, which was soft and slow, develop to be 1 school of its own among so many kinds of schools, which were powerful, moved smartly and acted violently? ‘There must be a solid reason for it. “I had asked the question of my teacher. He told me there was a kind of gongfu Xinggong (practice frame) in Taijiquan, which has come down until now, and Which is the routine we prac- tice. The other one is the small frame, which was studied many years by the ‘areat master Yang Lu-ch'an, who extracted the soul of Taijiquan and ‘compiled it and named it the applica- tions frame” Applications frame ‘means that itimtegrates all the methods of applications and all the aspects involved, Ie mixes the techniques of guiding, massage and merid- ins together, ‘This means that before practicing the applications frame, one should practice Zhao gong (movements), Jin gong (pawer), Song gong (relaxation) and qigong first ‘and integrate the four into ‘one, forming a kind of gi that goes around the body smoothly. Then you guide the qi to lead the blood to flow along the channels of the body using will. Thea the gi and blood massage the acupoints of the body, from inside to the outside AAs a resull, it makes the practition- crs reach a state of smart, firm, serenity and compliance in every part and everywhere. The (otal body becomes a flexible and elastie one, without any “obstruction. Thus, itis skillful and live ly Zhou: What are the differences between the applications frame and other routines of Taijiquan? Lit The applying frame of Taijiquan is different from the practicing frame {also called Xinggong frame, or slow frame). Its postures are short and small; the actions are quick, using power lightly and neatly; so itis also called small frame or quick frame. Master Wu had mei name, Wa La Bu, Later, be toned it several cies a accepted another disciple named Liu Xizhe, who was an expert in metallurgy and had been the director of the department of metallurgy in Chongqing University. ‘When I was learning boxing from Master Yang Shaohou, [had asked if any contradictions or conflits, pened between Yang han and his two sons the other masters in the hu community at the when Master Yang had ‘come to Beijing. My acher said: “They ged endlessly. WuTunan in a T'ai Chi posture ‘wrote it down in the arti- cle, “The Preface of the Applications Frame of Taijiquan,” which recalled what Master Yang Shaohou had said “My grandfather (Yang Lu-eh’an) had said that there were Ti (the base, or substance,) and Yong (the methods, or function) included in Taijiquan, and that they were different; actions were extended and in ‘good taste, and some were exquisite and well-knit. “We could easily dif 25ferentiate the accomplish- ments of a boxer, whether one practices frame, fight ing or practical free hand, “There are many differ- cences between different people. For example, their ability may be higher or lower: gongfu may he gen- tine or false; the pract time may be longer or shorter, “The teacher should teach students in accor- dance of their aptitude, ‘with different teaching ‘methods. For the common people, whose purpose of practicing Taijiquan is to exercise and prolong lif, it is enough to teach them the “practice” frame, “To only a few people whose con- stitution is rather good can we teach the ‘applications’ frame. What is more, the teachers in the past dynasties sel- dom taught the applications frame of Taijiquan, because it is the proud mys- tety of Taijiquan.” ‘Therefore, Yang Lu-ch'an only taught Yang Banhou; and Yang Banhou only taught Yang Shaohou. Yang Shaohou taught a few disciples inelud- ing Wu La Bu (Wa Tunan). Although ‘Wu Tunan taught many disciples, few could get the essence. He chose indi- viduals who he felt would be able to thoroughly remold themselves, ‘Zhou: Why is it that only one who can use his will to thoroughly remold himself can learn the routine? Li: To practice the applications frame of Taijiquan is as hard as climb- ing mountains carrying a very heavy load, step by step, absolutely without any short cut. Just as my grandteacher said, “The most important thing is to practice, ‘Master Yang Shaohou had tried to throw himself into a well to end his life because he could not bear the hard tasks of practicing day and night. Then he worked energetically to succeed at the cause of his grandfather, after he 1vas fished out of the Well and given a 200d lesson, My grandteacher, Wu Tunan, who hhad learned Taijiquan at nine years ‘old, was often forced to do exercises 26 Li Lian visiting Wu Turan. under an Eight Immortals table (an old- fashioned square table for eight peo- ple). During the practice, the sweat ‘even soaked his boots, When practi free hand, he was beaten black and blue, However, he was never afraid of torments, insisting on practice and became a famous master in the last ‘generation, Master Wu made a conclu- sion from the experiences of the former masters: that is, “IF you want to be a genuine master of Taijiquan, you must be of the indomitable will, with the courage that is more than a match for ten thousand men and the spirit of thor- oughly remolding oneself” tis not only solid basic skills (the basic skills of waist and legs) that is needed in Wushu, but also internal aus- terities, including the basic skills of practicing the frame of Taijiquan and the systemic methods, as well; for Master Wu made a conclu- sion from the experiences of the former masters: that is, ‘If you want to be a genuine master of Taijiquan, you must be of the indomitable will, with the courage that is more than a match for ten thousand men and the spirit of thor- oughly remolding oneself.” example, Taiji special Taijiquan). Zhou: What is Taijigong? What is includ- ed in it? Li: Master Wu Tunan divided Taijigong into four parts. They are Zhao gong (movements), Fin gong (power), Song gong (relaxed) and Qigong. Only by traning in inter- nal work and with contine uous sublimation of gon fu can one gradually mas ter and perfect applica- tions frame of Taijiquan sradaally ‘This is absolutely dif- ferent from the saying: “The demand for training somal frame isthe same a8 the big frame, except that the postures are low and the speed is Fast for the forme” ‘The applications frame of Taijiquan is the combination of routine, Zhao gong, Jin gong, Song gong and Qigong. Otherwise it would be similar to Monkey Boxing or quick practice of the slow frame. Zhou: Then, how ean we master the applications frame of Taijiquan? ‘According to my grandteacher Wu Tunan: “The approach to practi the applications frame of Taijiquan may be divided into thre levels “Te first is the advanced one, called Qigong. (Note: this kind of Qigong belongs 10 Taijiquan ‘ordinary qigong.) This means ‘state without form or shape; the whole body i as if it were transparent and empty: Yang Qi and Yin Qi are not confused; and one takes the opportuni- ty before the opponent moves. “The second level isthe middle cone, called Jin gong (power). What does Jin (power) mean? Why is it not called Li (force)? It is used to differen- ate power and force. Power (Jn) is a skillful force in Taijiquan, while force (Li isa clumsy strengeh. Jin (power) is $0 skilful that one ean control his ‘opponent with it easily, as described by the theory of boxing “In fighting, the boxer can easily control his opponent with facility, need not ee left and then right or consider too much; he can go forward and back-‘ward freely, and each of his actions is appropriate.” “The third is the elementary one, called Zhao gong (movement), which means that “the boxer at this level only considers the success and failure of ‘each movement and cares only for ‘each tiny vietory or defeat. This is only the simple work of Taijiquan.” This explanation is suitable for both routines, the practicing frame and the applying frame, ‘A long time ago, Shanghai Star Film Company had shot films for Mr. ‘Yang Shaohou, Wu Jianquan and myself practicing broad sword. You ‘may have a look, if they are still pre- served, The ways they played are very imilar because Wu's style was learned from Yang's family ‘The application frame, however, is different. Master Wu Jianquan leamed from his father Wu Quanyou, and its ‘characteris famous for softening. Any force would be finished when it touched him, wherever the force came from or any techniques used Ii softening that is the main char~ acter of Wa's style Taijiquan, while the ‘main character of Yang's schoo! is Ling Kong (attack by air). What does. Ling Kong mean? I explain i¢ with: “Before the opponent is woing to act, 1 have known what he will do; the whole body is smooth and easy, no part any- where is obstructed.” This is the appli- cation, ‘The beginning of the routine of application frame is also Grasping the Peacock’s Tail. There should be three steps to practice it: they are Grasping the Peacock's Tail, the Peacock raises its til and the Peacock spreads the ‘wings three times. We give the three actions one name, Chazishou (crossing ‘hands), since we combine the three into one. ‘The main characteristic of applica- tions frame is that the practitioner can overpower his opponent once he just stretches out his hands, whatever the techniques are. Take the Single Whip, as an exam- ple, As itis named Single Whip, itis different from double whips. Single Whip means to attack the opponent with one hand. The hook of Single Whip includes four powers: "Gow (hooking), Gua (hanging), Dou (shak- ng) and Tan (springing).” ‘When applying step techniques, the body should follow the steps, keeping the upper and lower in accor- dance. If the opponent attacks behind ‘me, I will lower my body and squat, ‘tum my body suddenly and attack him ‘with a palm, to bit the vitals. Flying Oblique and Lower Posture, also named Qicunkao (attack against the seventh inch of the calf) is to fatack against the part atthe seventh inch of the calf of the opponent with ‘my shoulder because the posture is ow. ‘When fighting, atthe very bev ring, you squat down suddenly and attack against your opponent at the ppart of the seventh inch of the calf, He ‘would drop down far, several meters away. ‘The seventh inch means the place which is seven inches below the knee, i.e. the area of the acupoint Zusanli It isa very difficult movement. Only a skilled master can do that, One can do that, providing one has deep gongfu, ‘Another is leg techniques, includ- ing Jumping and Raise foot twice (or Er gi beng 2i), Plantar-flexed kick, Dorsi-flexed kick, kick heel, single Totus kick, double lotus kick, lotus cross kick, etc. They are difficult to be applied, without hard training, Generally, there are more than 200 actions in the routine of smnal frame, which should be completed within about three minutes. ‘Therefore, the act should be very quick, based on the skillful work. Any mistakes, especially the wrong teach- ing methods, may result in difficulty in dealing smoothly with any possible problems, ‘The masters in Yang’s school do ‘not teach the routine of small frame t0 everyone: they do that selectively. My teacher was very kind to me and taught me the gongfu. ‘Zhou: How did Master Wu teach ‘you, then’ Li: Lam very lucky to have learned small frame from my grandteacher Master Wu, atthe end of the 1960s, and 10 have waiched him practice. ‘Then, although he had already Deen 85 years old with white hair and beard, he could still do highly difficult actions. His footwork was still smart and varied when he practiced Chow (wing), back cross-step, internal snap kick, bow step, Ma Lian Zhi (cross step) and vault, His hand and leg techniques were neat, straightforward and clear when he practiced kick, plantar-flexed kick, lotus kick, kick with heel leading, stamp, step on, Xiao (chop). hook, point, beat, push, press, hook, hang, shake and spring. His actions were smooth when he practiced stances, such as Cuo (wring or scrub), Zhuo (peck), Peng (collide), Jie (imereept), Dou (shake), Lou (cud dle) Zha (exploding), Zhan (stick), Li (leave) and Lingkong (attacki air-the combination of jin, gi and spir- ip. Combining attacking one point and all around, his will and power were exquisitely shaped and were unified ‘throughout all his body, which was transparent and empty, without any obstruction, as if it were shrouded in a special spirit, showing a majestic Tt was a real state which was full of smartness, tenacity, compliance and mperturbability. ‘When practicing the applications frame of Taijiquan, one must pay more attention to the training of perfect ‘movements, Master Wu paid special attention to every form in the routine, including the combination of practicing the whole routine and individual move ‘ments. He said that the practitioners should realize the changes of various powers carefully and blend gongtu into every movement, starting with relax- ation, There are strict provisions for ‘each form, including the way of power and will or breath, (There are some dif ferences, compared with the practicing frame.) Each action should be from slow- ness to quickness gradually, short and smart, As time passes, movements ‘would be changed into power, will and Qi. That is, “From perfect movements 10 understanding power.” ‘Then the practitioners would seek the power and gi without thinking the individual movements. proceeding step by step in an orderly way. until they reach the perfection of dealing with ‘everything naturally and the body is ‘empty and transparent (To be continued) aThe Applications Frame of Yang Style Part Two By Zhou Lishang Translated by Yan Shafan Zhou Lishang: Master Li, thank you very much for detailing for us the ori- gin and development of the applications frame, the story of how Master Wu Tunan learned the applica tions frame, and the reason why the grandmaster Yang, Luchan was honored to be called “Yang Wa Di” in the ‘Wushu circles. ‘We have got a new understanding that Taijiquan is not only an excellent way for strengih- ening the body, but also a practical one in fighting technique and even as an art, We have learned a lot from what you said. Would you please tell me the dif- erences between the applications frame of Taijiquan and the other rou- tines? Li Lian: There is common ground in doing the practicing frame and the applications frame, For example, by being empty and nimble, concentrating the power on the top, dropping the c’chest in and the back being straight, dropping the shoulders and elbows, “energy stream flows to the dantian, relaxing the waist and hips, etc. I will not talk more about thera, Now, [will tell you the unique points Of the applications frame, which are the combination of my experiences and ‘what my grandteacher Master Wu ‘Tunan told me. ‘The first character of the applica- tions frame is that the aetions should bbe correct and the rhythm clear. ‘The hand techniques of the applica tions frame include Diam (point) Ji (hit, Tai (push), An (press), Gou (hook), Diao (with the palms facing Zhou Lishang is a noted martial arts writer in Beijing. Li Lian in Standing Kick. downward and the fingers facing for- ‘ward, turn the palms outside, taking the wrist as the axis; ths is both a hand technique and an approach to practic~ ing Song [Sung] gong of the wrist), Gua (hang), Dou (shake), and Tan (spring). ‘The foot techniques include Fen (eparate), Bai (kick), T (kick), Deng (kick with heel), Ta (tread), Cai (step (on), Gou (hook), Diao (turn the hee! in a circle—inward, backward, and for- ‘ward, taking the ankle as the axis, which is both a foot technique and an approach to practicing Song gong of the ankle). The footwork includes Gong (bow step), Ma (horse step), Xu (empty step), Ding (T-step), Chow (step back), Cha (back eross-step), Lianzit (cross step), jump. ete. The povier techniques include Zhuo (peck), Pi (split), Peng (bump). Cuo (Scrubbing), Gudang (surge) and Doulou (quiver). When the Gongfu is at an advanced level, the practitioner ‘can use Likong (separation), Ling Kong (empty force) and other tech- niques. In fighting techniques, there are Ziwajin (grasp the tendon), Namai (hold the pulse), Jiemo (cut the perios- teum), Bixue (close the acupoints) and so on. ‘Thus, when practicing the applications frame or fighting ‘with it, the practitioner must fol low the principle, “When practic- ing, fight as if you were facing your worst opponent,” which is passed on from the ancient mas- ters, Make each form correct and perfect, including raising the hhands and placing the feet, every time. Only in this way can one reach the state in which the body is full of gongfu. Master Yang Shaobou said that when practicing the applica- tions frame, the practitioner should “contest the midline, and the body should be like a chisel.” The body is upright; and one hand is behind and under the front hand. The two hands and shoul- ders form a triangle. And the front hand is at the sharp angle, as if it wore the tip of @ pyramid, All the power and qi are centralized on it. The degree of the sharpness depends on the ‘gongfu of the practitioner. ‘That means you should keep the front hand in the midline of the body, zno matter what kinds of actions you do; for example, Dian (point), Ji (hit) ‘Tui (push), An (press), Gou (hook), Diao, Gua (hang), Dou (shake), Tan (spring), or Chui (pound), Peng (ward. off), Zhuo (peck) and Pi (split The article, “The Draft of the Preface of the Applications frame of Taijiquan,” written by Wu Tunan say ‘(Uf the front hand is at the midline, they can move quickly and snappily. ‘The front hand, which moves about in the scope of half of a Chinese foot, ean ihe whole body; otherwise, ato will be empty: In this way, you can occupy the midline of the opponent, or attack both of his sides, while there is less danger to yourself ‘Zhou: Do so-called correct actions ‘mean that every action in the routine ‘ofthe applications frame should be ‘done correctly and follow the principle of fighting techniques in Wushu and fajiquan? I think that every action inwhich there is the signification of actual combat is designed forthe requirement of the actu- al combat. Therefore, when practicing, the practitioner should live up to correct action and follow the principle “as facing your worst opponent.” asthe ancient masters said? Li Yes, that is right. Zhou: Besides the require- ‘ments mentioned above, are there any special demands in the body techniques? Li: The demands of the applications frame for body techniques (for example, the practitioner's body should be Upright and easy and give an ‘aura of awesome might) are the same as with the practicing ‘one. But the practitioner should squat down as low as possible, My grandteacher Wa Tunan often told me the story that Mr. ‘Yang Shaohow asked him to practice the applications frame lunder an Bight Immortal table, ‘nd said that only inthis way could one get exquisite skills, and use them freely, when needed. Lianzhibu (shift exoss step) is often used in the applications frame. Using it, one can turn the body agilely and change actions quickly. ‘One should harmonize his body, and make the upper and lower pars in agreement ay special attention to having the “gi field be stable and concentrated, while the postures should be agile” and “the hands should be quick and the feet light, wile the waist closely fo: lows the hands.” Neither laziness nor slackness allowed during practicing or applica- tions ‘The movements of the applications frame are short, small, but extremely quick. All the actions in the routine should be completed within two and a hal minutes. ‘There are two powers in it—rele ing and neutralizing powers. There is also maintaining, saving, delivering, applying, opening and closing of qi Therefore, the actions have the feeling of modulation and clear rhythms. Jumping When releasing power, the actions should be sharp and straightforward and when neutralizing, the actions should be round and flexible. Releasing is neutralizing; and neu- tralizing is releasing at the same time. One should integrate both into one and never separate them. One ean reach this state, providing his actions are agile, small and skillful, quick and accurate, ‘There should be the surging power and other powers in the applications frame, which contains the method of combining various kinds of qi. When practicing, slowness should be blended with quickness. The practitioner can realize the profound through a great deal of practice. During applications, there is the process of changing power and saving power. Generally, in the process of changing or saving power, the actions are relatively slower. ‘Meanwhile, the applications frame strives for combining qi with will power. Thus, when the combination of i and will power is being delivered ‘and applied, the actions are faster; and when maintaining and saving power, the aetions are relatively slower. From the above, the nature of the applications frame is formed. That is, when being uiet. itis like mountains; when acting, itis like a roaring river, or like a jumping rabbit. When saving power, itis like ‘a drawn bow waiting to shoot the arrow; when releasing power, it is like shooting an arrow. The actions are with cadence and clear shythms, ‘Afler a long time of practice, the applications frame ean be naturally used for fighting. A practitioner who has reached a high level can master the cadence of attacking and defending, while keeping bal- ance dynamically. He can under- stand the cadence of his oppo- nent and adjust it, so as to destroy his balance dynamically. ‘AS a result, he can “control the opponent before le can act,” and “gain mastery by striking only after the enemy has struck,” “while avoiding the ‘opponent's intent, and then attack his weak points.” ‘At an advanced level, one can achieve a state of “earlier than earlier!” ‘which means that when standing and facing each other, one can find out the ‘gaps in time to attack the opponent, ‘Yu Daxian, a famous general in the Ming Dynasty had said: “My hardness is before his force, and my softness is after his force” and “Know the attack- ing rhythm, and you can fight freely. Of course, “My hardness is before his force," which is only one of the meth- ods of “being as earlier than earlier” in ‘Taijiquan, My grand teacher Wu Tunan con. cluded: “Using the applications frame to attack the enemy is like splitting bamboo with a sharp Knife; itis good at controlling the opponent. Ifthe enemy is far from me, it can make him closer; if the enemy is close to me, it ‘can make him farther, "Making the enemy be under my control, that is the key point, Practice makes perfect. In the perfect state, one cean deal with any difficult situation, 2Band need not focus on each action of the hands. The actions will be smart, not sluggish. ‘Calmness is also an important factor. If the practitioner keeps his rind calm, it will not woolgather, so he can have his own way. His move- ments will be unpredictable and extremely subtle—some are change- able, some are solid, some empty: some regular, some unexpected, “The attack is sharp; the retreat is quick. The momentum is fierce; the rhythm is short. When he is ‘quiet, he is like a mountain; when he ting, he is like the shock of thunder. ‘Zhou: What is the second char- acter of the applications frame? Li: The second one is that the whole body is in the state of relax ation and sinking, and actions are nimble. Song (relaxation) is the ‘most important aspect in Taijiquan. Withal, my teacher Ma Yongging had said: “Relaxation is the soul of, Taijiquan.” There is song gong (a special gongfu of relaxation) in the methods of practicing Taijiquan passed ‘on by my grand teacher Wa Tunan. However, relaxation is wrongly understood to be, “Ifthe opponent attacks me, I will relax” or “a state of ‘weakness and nonfeasance.” Neither of them is right. First, relaxation is not a movement, but a state, It should be carried through the whole Ti (base) and Yong (applica tion). So the sayings above are not exact. Furthermore, relaxation is not ‘equal to slack. What Taijiquan practices is Tui Power, which is the combina tion of will, qi and power Relaxation is the necessary condi- tion of practicing Taijiquan and apply- if Taiji Power. So relaxation without ‘Taiji Power as its foundation is slack and is not relaxation, Without the state of relaxation, there will be no founda- tion for practicing Taiji Power, In prac- tiving Taijiquan, one seeks the so-called eat relaxation, Great emptiness,” bat one who is divorced from Taiji Power, will be without substance and useless. ‘Zhou: Would you please deseribe the state of the relaxation? Li: As faras the state of relaxation is concerned, one may describe it as clothing hung on a clothes rack or 2 4 Double Lotus Kick flower in blossom. My grandteacher, Wa Tunan, divided it into three phases, and visually described them as the reactions of three different trees when the wind blows on them. Ac the beginning, itis like the wind blowing through willow trees. The branches shake, while the root is sta- bile. Then itis like the wind blowing through poplar trees. The leaves make sound, but the root does not shake. At last, its like the wind passing through the pine needles and the branches do not shake. The metaphors to these three states have explained the progress of subli ‘mation of relaxation in the three phas- ces—posture, power and gi. This description is more appropriate than the previous ones, Zhou: Why is relaxation stressed’? fone were relaxed too much, he ‘would lose his force. Li: During the process of practicing the applications frame, by the “pos tures being relaxed,” one ean achieve the level that the joints are nimble, the movements are changeable and every muscle is under one’s awn control Itis only by postures being relaxed that the will, qi and power ean be con- tinued and changed fotlowing the actions. Then the relation between links, ineluding actions, qi and power, is smooth and successive. ‘AS a result of this relax- ation, one can get the effect of “changing individual :moyernents into power” Only by the gi being relaxed ccan one get spreading, cov ering, fitting and swallow- ing. ‘Only then ean one become aware of what hap- pens in the distance; and ‘only then can one reach the state of “differentiating Yin {gi and Yang qi. and take the chance before the oppo- nent’ ations.” ‘And only then ean one have “foresight” and be able to control the opponent before he can act. rom the descriptions ‘mentioned above, one can be like a pine tree in the ‘wind, the whole body being, transparent and empty and coping with anything naturally It's that kind of relaxation that we should keep all the time when we prac- tice the applications frame and practi- cal free-hands. Certainly, that isthe purpose that we pursue in our practice ‘Zhou: What does Chen (sinking) ‘mean? (In Chinese, Chen means sink- ing and heavy, stability, imperturbabili- called sinking or drop- 1s to make qi and power sink. is relative to floating or being tunstable. Sinking does not mean to make your body heavy. ‘We can naturally achieve sinking by dropping the shoulders and elbows for the upper part of the body, by relaxing the waist and hips for the Tower part of the body, and by the exercises of stance and routine, ‘Also, we can naturally achieve the states of the qi sinking to dantian and relaxation from the head to Yongquan (an acupoint at the middle of the front sole of each foot) and “starting from the root and coming back to the root As time passes, one can get such stability that one cannot be moved by pushing and pulling. In addition, only ‘on the base of stability can one live upto “the root of gi and power is at feet: qi and power are applied from the legs; and {qi and power dominate the body from the waist and they move to the fingers. ‘A famous Taiji master, Zheng Manging, said: “If there is no root at ‘Yongquan, and no domina- tion at the waist either, one cannot get the essentials of Taiji, even though he studies all his life with great effort This simple sentence tells us of the importance of the sinking and relaxation of 4g and power. Only by the condition of sinking and relaxation can one keep sta bility and balance of his body. When one has body stability and balance, one ccan be agile Accordingly, when practicing the applications frame, the agility of step Techniques and the smartness of body technique should be on a steady foun dation Furthermore, sinking and relax- ation is also the basis of “sticking to each other without being separated.” ‘Another meaning of sinking is imperturbability, which refers to when practicing the applications frame, one’s ‘mind should be calm, instead of impa- tient. The practitioner should absorbed- ly taste the detail of every action with the undisturbed mind and observe the process of the gradual changes bberween Yin and Yang in practicing the As time passes, the interchange between qi and power will flow agilely and freely, following one’s inclint- tions. Emptiness and agility are from relaxation and calm spontaneously, While relaxation and ealm are from imperturbability. Atthis stage, the practitioner achieves a state in which the whole body is transparent and empty, and his tions are like a pine tree facing the wind, At frst glance, it seems a contra- ‘ction between the relationship of ssation and sinking, and nimbleness silty Fn fact there is the relationship of snd Yang in both, according to the Application of Cross-Slapping theory of Taijiquan. Hence, we should not consider them mechanically. They supplement and transform each other ‘Zhou: Nimbleness and agility are ‘often mentioned in Taijiquan, What on cearth are nimbleness and agility? And how can we reach nimbleness and agility? Li: Nimbleness and agility refer 10 the body being nimble and agile, The ancient people said: “If one’s body is nimble, he must be in good health.” If you want to be nimble, you must practice from the waist and legs. At the initial stage, Taijiquan, which ‘s one form of Wushu, should be practiced with the basic training methods. In the prime of life, when my grand teacher Wu Tunan practiced boxing at Mr. Wu Jianquan’s Wushu Society, he was young and began with the b trainings that strengthened the flexibil- ity of every part of the body. For example, stretching the muscles, mak- the waist exible, walking the legs, doing the splits. In the book, “The Study of “Taijiquan,” written by my grandteacher ‘Wu Tunan, he recorded in detail how he practiced the basic taining in the Boxing Society. There is an idiom in ‘Wushu circles, “a litle bit longer ten don is much better than much more force” Ti means that after a period of basic training, the flexibility of the muscles and tendons have been strengthened. the actions of the joints are ‘and free, and the force tack the opponent has naturally become much stronger, ‘When these qualities are used in boxing techniques, the practitioner’s smartness and agility in body, step tech nique and power will be greatly improved, Certainly, the precondi- tion to be nimble and agile in the applications frame is to strengthen the basic training of the flexibility of the body. ‘Some people think that the basic training of the waist and legs in Taijiquan is not needed, but I don’t think that is true, According to Wu ‘Tunan, when beginning to learn Taijiquan, they started by stretching the muscle: ‘walking the legs and making the waist flexible. One might say that itis the ‘business for kids, but I don’t think so. No douts, with the inerease in age, the flexibility of the body gets worse and worse, If one doesn’t exercise, however, and allows the body condi tion to decline, it will be harmful ‘One might even say, “Tam old: the ‘muscles can no longer be stretched.” think what he says is too subjective. (Once I knew an old man, who was 77 years old then, with white hair and beard, and he had never practiced ‘Wushu before. His waist and legs were in bad condition: he felt difficulty in his legs going down and his arms ris ing up. But he made a resolution to do exercise in a forest every day. insisting fon just pressing his legs and doing splits; nothing else. Half a year later, he could not only kick up over his hhead, but he could also do spits! After the basie training, the mus- eles, tendons and bones are much stronger and under one's own control Then he shall acquire nimbleness and agility that is ata higher level and he will be able to emphasize with his will the change between power and qi Whenever we practice the routine oor basic training, we should pay special attention to the nimbleness and agility changes between qi and power in each hair-like action, Mr. Du Yuwan had clearly expatiated about this in hisbook, “The Jiang Fa's Formulas from the Teacher who came from Shanxi “The muscles and bones should be relaxed; the skin and hair should be gong (gong refers to a swelled feeling of qi going out of the body through the hair and skin); every part should be smoothly con- nected; and emptiness and agility would naturally come.” From this formula, we have clearly understood that the relaxation of mus cles and bones, and gong of the skin and hair, is the key that qi and power interchange with each otter nimbly and agilely ‘The exercise of relax- ation makes every muscle and joint (the joints of the foot, ankle, knee, hip, waist, shoulder, elbow: palm, wrist and finger) act, freely. And by special exercises, one can achieve the feeling that “Qi goes around the whole boxy without stop- ping anywhere.” And then, “The skin and hair should puff out.” To achieve that, the skin and air are in the strik~ ing state A the result, the skin and hair are ‘opened, qi goes through them in the front and power follows it, and every pat is smoothly connected. Each point of the body can be drawn in and released, and one ean ‘make the changes of being added and reduced freely. Then “emptiness and agility will be naturally in the body. ‘The changes between qi and power in the applications frame of Taijiquan should be nimble, agile, quick and smart; the processes should be contin- uous, and be like stopping but not stopping. And every posture should be accurate. Thus, anyone who wants to achieve such a state of nimbleness and agility ‘must practice under the correct guid ‘ance and do hard work that thoroughly transforms oneself Zhou: Are there any other charac teristics of the applications frame of Taijiquan? 26 ‘Step Up and Punch Down. Li: The third is its Shi (momen. tum) it is fieree, and its rhythm is shor Zhou: How should we understand this? Li: The actions in the applications frame are short, small and quick. So- called “short” means that the actions should be well-knit. The purpose is to strike the enemy by accelerating the speed of the actions. ‘Consequently, during practices we should try to avoid any unwanted actions andl to make each action simply and quickly. The practitioner should try to make every change in the conver- sions between the forms produce the most effect. For example, to protect the mid-line of the body with the front hand, when the stretching fist or palm goes out, it should extend only about 30 em. The reason is that if my fist goes too far, my power has been decreased before it touches the opponent’s body. ‘There is a saying: “When the arrow js spent, it cannot break fine silk” ‘Thus, short and small movements can quicken the speed of attacking and save time. ‘The training methods of the appli- cations frame should begin «with expansion and then with the idea of being “well- knit.” because it should be practiced from the outside to the inside. ‘The small and shost movements in the applica~ tions frame do not weaken the application of will and Gi. On the contrary, the smaller the division of ‘movements in scope, sti ‘mass and point, the stronger and bigger the outer qi field around the practitioner will be. ‘There is a core in each change. Based on the core, the field of the will and gi is large, though the movements seem small and short, That the power follows qi makes the force of the movements of releasing, grappling, hit- ‘ing and neutralizing greatly strengthened, AS far as the applications frame is eon- ‘cerned, the quick action and small pos- ture are key factors. In fighting, the principle of “to act after but control before” is similar t© the saying of “Strike the enemy, while half of the troops have already passed the river.” in “The Art of War” by Suna. ‘To reach the point of being able to successfully act behind, but control the ‘opponent's advance, short and small movements are necessary. Certainly, there are many other fae- tors involved and should be considered: otherwise, we will lose the best chance to strike the enemy, which may result in our defeat “Thus, when practicing the applica tions frame, it is better that we com- plete the routine within about two and ‘half minutes. Exercises of single pos- tures do not have this time limitation, ‘Zhou: Ob, [see why the actions of applications frame should be short, small and “well-Knit” Ie is in accor- dance with the other schools of Wushu, Li: Yes! Taijiquan itself is part of ‘Washu. In the various changes of fight- ing, we should pay attention to the force of explosion, besides the small, short and well-knit actions. As boxing,for fighting, the applications frame is not the exception either. Just as in the saying in “On Boxing.” “The power is rooted in the feet, released! from the legs and formed st the fingers.” Anarticle on fighting hand-to-hand says: “IF your hand works but the waist does not follow it, you can hardly tum ble the opponent; if your hands and waist work together, you can tumble the opponent ‘as easy as pulling the grass out,” which explains the princi- ple further, ‘The main idea is that when apply- ing or releasing power, it should begin from the fect, then the legs. then the waist and hands, ‘One should integrate various pow- ers of the whole body, focus the power ‘on a point and release it, so as to strengthen the dynamics in attacki the opponent. My grandteacher Wu Tunan had said: “We should strike the opponent ‘on one point with the least force possi- ble, so as t0 get the most effective result." This is the way of Taijiquan—a small force controlling the stronger force and softness controlling hard- ‘Dhow: What does “Jie” mean? (In Chinese, the characteris from the joint (of bamboo, which means joint, link, shydhm, be moderate in, ef.) Lt: During everyday exercises, we should suppose that there is an enemy there, so we can practice as if we are facing our worst opponent, ‘As my grandteacher Wu Tunan said: “Our force should be released according to the opponent's condi- tion—neither be excessive nor defi- cient, in an adequate situation. ‘According to him, Jie means mod- eration, and the most important aspect is the middle joint. IF the practitioner's joints cannot be adequately stretched, the power and qi are limited to small actions and cannot move around in the body normally ‘There is an idea in “The Classic of Boxing.” which says: “Strive for stretching first and then be well-knit” However, the key to being well-knit is at the middle joint. AS we know, the middle joint of the torso is at the waist; the middle joint of the upper extremity is at the elbow: the Tower, at the knee. This shows that the middle joint plays the most important part as the connecting link between the preceding and the following action in the releasing, holding, hitting and neu- tralizing of the power. Also, the middle joints are those that play the role of guiding the ‘changes of the hand, body and step techniques. As far as the practitioner is con- ccemed, when practicing the applica- tions frame, he must pay special atten- tion to mastering Song gong (relax- ation skill) and its refinement, He should not only avoid the mid- dle joints being rigid, but also be sure that the will, qi and power pass through the middle joints smoothly. Far example, pushing palm for- ward in brushing knee and twisting step, the distance of stretching out the palm is only about a Chinese foot, and the other Forms are the same. During practice, the practitioner should ty to find the feeling of relax- ation, sinking, nimbleness and agility in the middle joints and of connecting ‘every part smoothly. As time passes, we can find the key point in the changes, store the power and release it after the oppo- nent. If we control the enemy's middle Joint, we can control his way of mov- ing his power and his center of gravity effectively. ‘When practicing the applications frame, we should not weaken a bit of the Shi (momentum), though the pos: tures are short and small ‘The Shi (momentum) here means that after a Jong period of practice, the practitioner has got the internal qi that Js a noble spirit in the body, and the extemal qi that covers the body. At last, the Shi (momentum) can be implemented in every action, forming an ageressive state, In “The Draft of the Preface of the Application Frame of Taijiquan,” writ- ten by Wu Tunan, it says: “We should first pay special atten tion (© Shi (momentum) in practicing the application frame of Taijiquan, What is Shi (momentum)? It is the exhibition of the force. “When a beast of prey is going to catch its prey, itereeps first; when an eagle wings, it restrains them first. They will use their ‘positional energy.” When Wa Tunan was practicing the applications frame, his Shi (momen tum) was like an eagle beating its prey with its wings, the sea waves surging turbulently, tiger jumping, a rabbit running He said: “Shi (momentum) of the applications frame should be like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, jumping directly to the prey; and like ‘an eagle beating its prey, going down straight Zhou: You have explained what ‘means? Would you please explain how the Shi (momentum) should be fierce? And what isthe relation between them? Li: About Shi (momentum) and Jie, my grandteacher concluded: "Shi (momentum) of the appica- tions frame should be fierce and its Tie (chythm) should be short. Shi (momen. tum) is like drawing a bow, and Jie (adequateness) is like shooting the Shi (momentum) includes two parts: one is to be the first to control ihe advantageous position in close quarters. (The momentum and the will, power and qi are contained.) ‘The other is qi and Shi (momen- tum) cover the body, s0 as to strength en the feeling of distance to the oppo- nent ‘The force should be stored first and then released, so we say: “Shi (momentum) is like drawing a bow.” About Jie, we should practice the changes of the middle joints suitably ‘The actions should be short and sinall, being like triggering a crossbow, trying to make qi and power thin, suit- able, short sharp and far: and the shooting should be “neither go far nor too nea” Thus, the fierce and short momen- ‘tum is necessary in practicing the applications frame, Only in this way ‘can our Shi (momentum) be like “a running rabbit that escapes” and "a river that flows so fast that stones can not sink init” Then we ean be the first to control the advantaged position and get the ‘confidence in vietory first: and there will be neither excess nor deficiene: controlling the opponent quickly, there- by avoiding being controlled by him.» (To be continued) 100Yang Applications Frame—Part 3 This is a continuation of an inter riew with Li Lian about Yang Shaohow’s Applications Frame of Taijiquan. By Zhou Lishang y Yan Shufan Zhou Lishang: Does the applic: tions frame of Taijiquan respect the principles of “both hardness and soft- ‘ness and the changes hetween empti ness and solidity’ ian: Yes. The applications ijiquan respects “both hard ness and softness and the changes between emptiness and solidity.” ve ‘much so, And this is the fourth charac ter of it. As a matter of fact, respect for hhardness and softness, emptiness and solidity is a common feature of many kinds of boxing. Certainly, Taijiquan is no exception. There are a great many theories detailing hardness and softness in the works on Taijiquan, ‘As my grand teacher Wu Tunan said: “So-called “To study the rules of the changes of the power's way’ is to understand the mechanisms of releas- ing power in the movements and the relation between hardness and softness, action and fier a period of ‘Translated by Li frame of I Iis said that, when practicing ‘Taijiquan, we should do it softly which gives others a fecling of weak ness, The misunderstanding of “relax ation” produces that. The sticking point is in the confusion of the ideas of hhardness and rigidness. “Rigidness” is ‘kind of clumsy force, which means that every muscle of the body ener- ‘one time: as a resull, it makes the muscles and joints rigid and the actions out of line, While “hardness” belongs to & Yang Jin (positive power). used for attacking at a distance and overrunning fortifications, which should be ver sharp, “softness” belongs to Yin Jin (negative power), used for dodging, neutralizing and changing, which should resemble floating clouds and flowing water Zhao Lishang is a noted martial arts writer in Beijing. Wu Tunan discharges an opponent. My grand teacher Wa Tunan had said: “After practicing every form per- fectly, one should pay attention to the correctness and smoothness first. Afler every form is done correctly and smoothly, one should try to apply them. Alter the application has been perfect, we can say, one has reached the stage of ‘move~ ments are perfect. Thus, it can be seen that to reach the stage of ‘movements are perfect’ and avoid clumsy force, basic raining should first be gi rn flexibility of the muscles and tendons. Consequently, one can complete various kinds of actions freely and smoothly, instead of with tension of the ‘muscles. One should not only act correetly and smoothly, but also nimbly, smartly, round and neatly, and the mind should be calm, relaxed and imper tutbable Then he can reach the state that every muscle is under his control by the mobilization of the will, and that the will, qi and power can freely and changed, released and taken back. Step by step, he ean change softness into hardness, as expressed in the saying in “The Classic of Boxing:” “At this the boxer's power will be like Which has been tempered, and it ste’ ccan overrun all fortifications” smoothly be operated and LU Lian practices a shake relaxing skill. 31Generally, the powers that are thought (o be of striking and being. released are Tandou Jin (One of the Taji powers, which is released by the internal power, as a spring, quick and. sharp. After a long period of time, every part of the boxer can release ‘Tandou Jin); Cun Jin (release the power in a very short distance; here, Cun means Chinese inch, inch power); Tou Jin (a kind of power that can penetrate the enemy’s body), etc. Relaxation and softness ate the precondition of powers bei smoothly released, and any clumsy force may block the release of power. That is why we should proceed with softness and relaxation and then we can reach “changing power” ‘Zhou: How do you manage the relation between hardness and sof ness in the application of push hands and the practice of routines? Li: My grand teacher, Wu Tunan, took Taiji Jin (Taiji power) for a kind of power “both soft and hard, relaxed and tightened, quick and slow, and nei- ther touching nor at a distance. During the practice of the applic tions frame, hardness and softness, and action and quietness interchange with each other. “Thus to change the speed, direction, point of putting forth the force, the magnitude of the force and to apply the changes in push hands ean ‘make the practitioner achieve the goal of small force controlling big force, slowness controlling quickness, soft- ness controlling hardness and quietness controlling, action Zhou: How should we understand the softness in “softness con- trolling hardness?” And how ccan we achieve the goal?” Li: So-called softness in “softness controlling hardness” doesn’t mean weakness, but a kkind of delicate and soft power ‘gained by a long period of time Of training, Its momentum is like a river of water, rising near the bank, or pouring quickly, or flowing, trickling sluggishly, or running rapidly, Its change is, “if the oppo- nent is hard, Iwill be soft” Its targot is “I stand at the advan. taged position and make the ‘opponent stand in a disadvan- taged position.” So we can 32 LLiLian, right, with his teacher, Ma Yongging achieve overcoming a weight of 1,000 pounds with four ounces, and control the opponent. Therefore, softness and hardness are relative During practice, with the peeform- ance of the movements and the releas- ing, holding, beating and neutralizing ff power, we can achieve the state of changing softness into hardness and hardness into softness, moving in har mony because the changes between ‘hardness and softness are both restric tion and generation, and they depend ‘on each other. Zhou: How are we to manage “the ‘change between emptiness and solid Es Wu Tunan, right, with Ma Yongging, Li Lian’s teacher. "] ness” in the applications frame? Li: Yang Cheng-fu said: “If one ccan understand emptiness and solid Jp) 165s, he can tum his body smartly ane agilly, without king 4 Blow; ihe cans his steps will be slow tnd heavy, ad be wil not sand ot bly Understanding empiness and | solidneas here means te change of boos cener of gat: Ti the book, "The Ten Necessary Principles of Tajiguan? wren by” | Yang Cheng i itsays “If you put the center of gravity of your body fe ight lg. erg og a old tne te el one is empl i yu put tm esibaeh gayi or pibad) om he Tet ete et es sod andthe right one i emp” “Zhou: During patie, how do you manag tbe change between Emptinese and sliiness? Does only the change of empuiness and solide ness occur at the legs? LiL don't think that there is nly ie change of empiness and soldnes that occu atthe ep. Ganges ean acura the hands and the body Let's alk abou the changes atthe eps st “The key ofthe change of et ness snd wlidoea at te eg inthe folding overand bending back ofthe hips. However, some overemphasize that when pactclng, oe ep should hecapty wad the ote should be soli, Otherwise, thee would be double centers of gravity” And they think that is wrong thatthe roots atthe feet One should Keep the fet empty, and no root a the et, 0 schicre “a tree without rot, bth he fet being ih” T don't think these ideas are proper. It were tue that tose POUL Deeg a the offer should be solid then aes kop ana elise stance would be "double cen- femet gv” By the way, how can you czpain the changes of the front leg is 20 percent and the Tend 70 preen or the front lg is 70 percent and the behind is 30 percent” in bow step and empty sep? rh Thus, we can say that every step technique includesthe change of emptiness and soft- ness. If one only talks about emptiness and solidness leaving the changes belind, that will be the real “double centers of gravi According to textual research, when Zhang Sanfeng talked about “a tree without root,” he referred to collecting Qian Qi (an idea of ‘Taoism means collecting the lead 4i) in making the internal elixir of lite ‘There is a note in “The Works ‘of Zhang Sanfeng,” that says’ “The tree without root refers to the lead gi in the body.” Even “the ‘ree without root" refers to the gongfu of the feet. The meaning of being without root should come from having the root. ‘There is a saying in the ‘Wushu circles: “I one practices boxing but doesn’t do stance, he {is doing stupid things.” This ‘means that one can achieve “having. root” by practicing stance. His corre- sponding gongfu in the base section will get solid, Consequently, the change of empti- ness and solidness at his feet will be under his control, and when he dodges, rotates, jumps and shifts, his steps will be nimble and agile. If Ieaving the root under the feet and the change of the solidness and emptiness aside, so- called “double light” under the feet would be “double floating,” without the change of Yin and Yang, which is a kind of “incorrect exercise.” Therefore, only by exercising the sofiness and solidness at the san one improve agility in the change of the center of gravity and the harmony and stability of the whole body. Then it will be easy to master the changes of emptiness and solidness ut the hhands and feet and even the ‘whole body Zhou: What you said about the “double centers of gravity” is reasonable. Really, anything sloould not be just mechanically understood without thinking. The theory passed from the forebear- ets should be analyzed and then aright conclusion ean be made. Would you please tale about how to understand the change of Li Lian discharges a student using Gudang Jin. emptiness and solidness at the hands and feet? Li: There are gradual processes of c’changes from emptiness to solidness and from solidness to emptiness in every action, whenever it happens at the hands or feet, And the change is in accordance with the principle of w: ing and waxing of Yin and Yang, shown in the Taifi Diagram, The theory of Yin and Yang, such as “not being excessive nor being defi- cient” andl “conserving Yin and pro- tecting Yang” is included in Taijiquan, Wu Tunan in Flying Oblique. and we should carry through the theory of Yin and Yang inthe whole process of practicing. We should understand “the theory of Yin and Yang in Taji different sting “emptiness and solidness” and “aetion and quietness” During the practicing of Taijiquan, if you act, the whole body will act, while if you are aie, the whole body will be Get: if you act extremely. it will be quiet, while if being quiet extremely, it willbe to act. Thatis sorcalled “the extreme Yang wil be Yin and the extteme Yin wil be Yang: “Action isin quietness and quietness is im action: there isthe factor of quietness inaction and there isthe precondition of action in the quietness.” There is Yin in ‘Yang and Yang in Yin. If one ean differentiate Yin and Yang, one can naturally distinguish empti- ness and sofiness, 100. In “The Teaching Method of Performing the Thirteen Forms Passed cn by Hear" there isa saying: “Ifthe change between the will and qi is there will be gusto of roundness and agility inthe movements. That is the change of emptiness and solidness. hou: How should we understand ‘he change between will and qi should be round and agile?” And how ean we achieve it? ‘Roundness and agility” here not only refers to the roundness of the ‘actions, bat als, more impor- tantly, tothe changes between will, qi and power. That isthe change of emptiness and solid- ness happening onthe linking point, which is called “to-and- fro puckering” inthe applica- tions frame, The transformation of emptiness and solicness of the will gi and power in the application frame is called “advance, retreat, decrease and First, let us tall about the change of emptiness and solid- ness im an action, Before an action, you should change the power into emptiness, guide gi with the will inthe perform- tance, and then guide the power with gi. With sill, qi and power 3being released, you should change the power into sofidness (in the application frame, its a very quick, yet gradual process) ‘What we should give our attention to is that when the will, gi and power are changed, the whole body should be relaxed, and qi should be clear of obstructions, as a string of beads, being smooth, fluent, the upper and lower parts being followed by each other and the Tinks being connected each other without any separation. Let's take brushing knee and ewist- ing step as an example. At the begin ning, the actions should be a Tile bit relaxed; the left hand is gradually get- ting empty with brushing palm: then you should grab the fingers downward one by one; then change the palm into solicness and press tothe front of the crotch; the right hand acts emptily, pressing downward from the side of the right ear, with the wrist turnin with the palm moving and hitting for ward, it changes from emptiness to solidness My grand teacher Wa Tunan said: “When a part acts, every part acts; when a partis quiet, every partis quit. If one ean differentiate between empti- ness and soliiness he ean certainly know what one should do next.” ‘The changes of emptiness and solidness of the whole body are the same, Taji, however, is infinite and divisible, so the emptiness and solid- ness ate also infinite and divisible. We should aver 0 the changes of empi- ness and solidness in the whole bod, 48 well asthe changes in individual points by certain special exercises. Certainly, the practice should he divid- ed into phases. Consequently, the more practice, the better the skills. At the lat, one can achieve that the muscles, tendon and tones wil be agile and free, being under ones control, which isa state in which “every point has its emptiness and solidness, and emptiness and solid- ness exist anywhere.” According tothe theory of Tj all the changes in Taijiquan, such as hard ness and softness, emptiness and sold ness, action and quietness, close and ‘open ean be induced tothe property of Yin and Yang. In the movements of the body, the property and relationship are continu. ously changing, increasing and decreasing each other. Thus, there were sayings in the ancient Chinese philoso- phy: “Overabundance of Yang trans- forming to Yin” and “Overabundance of Yin transforming to Yang.” In Taijiquan passed on by the ancient worthy masters, the relation- ship between hardness and softness, ‘emptiness and solidness, ection and ‘quietness and closing and opening are changing in the movements and they should be adequate, not being exces- sive nor being deficient. Any move- ‘ment with hardness but without soft- ness, or with softness without hardness will be “divorced Yin" or “divorced “Yang,” and so-called “Double centers of gravity will be sluggish.” Zhou: It seems that I have gotten ‘more understanding about what you said, OF course, the more practice, the deeper the understanding. Next, would you please talk about “seeking from power, forgoing movements?” Li: “Seeking from power. forgoing movements” is just the purpose of the applications frame and also its fifth characteristic. The purpose of practic- ing the applications frame is to master and apply Taiji power. The speed of changing power is much faster than that of just movement because the speed of “movement” is the time of the changes of the actions of the hands and feet, while the speed of “power” is the time of the changes of the will and gi About the training of “seeking from power, forgoing movements,” my ‘grand teacher Wu Tunan had clearly pointed out: “The reason why the applications frame is so fast is tha it asks that every movement should meet the requirement stricly, so as to reduce the time it spends. The Faster, the bot- fer: then the practitioner can master seeking from power, forgoing move- ‘ments gradually.” ‘When practicing Zhua (grasp), Na (hold), Jie (cut), Bi (close) and the power of releasing, holding, beating and neutralizing, one should avoid mis- laying. “By practicing, one can achieve Dongjin (understanding power) from perfect movements gradually, and then ‘advance to Shenming (mind under standing)" which is known by every body who practices Taijiquan, So-called perfect movement means that one can do every movement exact- First Four of Ten Part Series in ‘Traditional Taiji Videos ‘Grandmster Chon Zhen Lah oth generation descent successor ofthe Chen fail ‘Old Frame Fint Routine (frame Second Routine ” Choa StleTaji Sword (Chon Style Taj Brondswond Chen Sie Essence 18 (Chen Sty Pash Hands 48Min $59,999 Te Gd a a ive Styles | Be Firs time together in US 19 perm the five sivles of hen, Yang, Wu, Wa, Sun FPA) Til. 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In ‘other words, it has become a kind of conditioned reflex in ones mind, Just as the ancient people said: “Every movement is at his fingers, he need not think nor glace left and right.” That is the stage of Dongjin (understanding power) ‘The ancient Taijiquan masters said that “understanding, feeling, perform- ing and action” characterized Taijiquan, So-called “being aware, feeling, acting and moving” means guiding “body” with “will,” eg. find 35ing the feeling of the body in the move- ‘ment. ‘One book says: “One can understand what he is doing, through performing, and feeling the mov ‘ments of his body; the movement and the feeling of the move- iments of his body act ‘on each other and promote each other. Consequently, the practitioner can find ‘more and improve his sgongfu in practicing” ‘one can understand and feel the move ments of himself, he can certainly under- stand and feel the ‘movements of oth- crs” If one wants (0 achieve the state of understanding and feeling movements, one must five up 10 ‘a quiet mind and still will, Wa Tunan told me: “Learn Jing (Quietness) first, then Wu (experience), then Lian (exercises), then Yang (main- taining." Only by concentrated atten= tion can one get the essential of under- standing and feeling movements by practicing as experiencing, ‘Accordingly, he can achieve the state of understanding both himself and his opponent. However, the changes happening at every point of the body should be guided by the will. He should make each action perfect at the beginning stage, or “controlling gi by the will and making oneself imper- turbable” at the advanced level. Zhou: Would you please tell me how to start with the practice of the applications frame? Li: We should start with various kinds of gong. It is easier to experience song (relaxation), jing (quietness), jin (power) and qi by “will” from gong than from practicing frames. Just as the saying goes: “If one practices box ing but doesn’t practice gong. he wi ‘get nothing until his death.” Wu Tunan deduced Taiji gong into “the four Taiji gong, They are zhaogong (movement), songgong (relaxation), jingong (power) 36 Wu Tunan Releasing Power. and qigong” fone perseveres with diligent exer- cise, one can get twice the result with half the effort. With the increase of the power of gong, he can combine his practice with the frame; For example the state of being quiet ike u pine tee. the performing and releasing of the powers of shaking, sticking, surgin; ate. “The practitioner should practice accorting to the movement techniques and implement it into every form, then tty to muster its application by doing it with a partner, and finally put the _sroove obtained from the application into the practicing frame. ‘Afier repeated practice, one can experience and seek the changes of the will, power and qi, and adjust them by ‘oneself, $0 as to master the essentials of performing the will, power and gi in the applications frame. As @ result, his external actions will get smaller and smaller, while his internal power and qi ‘will get stronger and stronger ‘Wu Tunan bad said that there should be the techniques of Dian (point), Ji (beat), Tui (push), An (press), Gou (hook), Gua (hang), Dow (Shake), Tan (spring), Fen (separate), Bai (Kick), Ti (kick), Den (press down, with the food, (step) and Cai (tram- ple) outside the body, while there should be qi and power inside. Qi should be ‘ahead and power follows it. And gi and will attract each, other. It is important that during the: process of attracting, luring, holding and releasing, the practi- tioner should experi- cence the changes of Jin (advance), Tui (etreat), Chow (decrease) and Tian (increasing), and they interact each other: Zhou: What do Jin (advance), Tui (retreat), Chou (eevease) and Tian Gncrease) mean and what is the relationship between them? Li: So-called Jin (advance) means that when we practice the applications frame, we set up a point as the target in ‘our mind by our will and release the will, qi and power to it; Tui (retreat) ‘means that we dravy in the will, qi and power from that point. The advance and retreat releases and draws in from the operation of the increase and decrease of power and qi In this way, when fighting, one can control ones actions by his will, living ‘up to “being neither familiar nor dis- tant" As time passes, one can use the will, power and qi to release, hold, beat sand neuttalize naturally, and integrate the will and mind. Consequently, he can do anything by his will, and “aot need to think it over,” ‘There is a record in the book, “The Yang's Old Compose,” that says: “The Eight Trigrams and the Five Elements are the estentials in the world, One should understand the basic meanings of the four characters: Zibi (understand ing), Jue (feeling), Yun (performing) and Dong (action). Then one can get the state of understanding power (Dongjin).” ‘When practicing the understanding and feeling movement, one shouldmobilize all the senses of the body and experience Taijiquan with single heart- ed devotion, living up to “understand- ing oneself first.” During the move- ments, expansion is fist and then being well knit, and the speed should bbe accelerated gradually. Simultaneously, the practitioner should realize the changes in every part of the body fom the angle af actual combat. Naturally, he can “change movements into power,” and the muscles are under his control, forming a conditioned reflex, being in a state of “doing anything with ease and following one’s inclinations,” which is just as it says in “On Boxing: "Perfect movements are changed into understanding power.” ‘About this, my grand teacher had aan incisive dissertation: “The purpose of Taijiquan is to abandon ‘move: ‘ments’ and to practice ‘power’ There are two steps to practice the power: ‘one is understanding it; the other is, doing exercises repeatedly. The move- ment is figuration, which is fixed forms, while power is inside, without fixed forms. “After a period of time, the practi- tioner can study the change of the way Of power by experiencing it, and he ‘can conclude the rules and use them ‘naturally. That is also the study of releasing power and the relationship between hardness and softness, and action and quietness, Thus, the changes of power aro infinite and circulatory. One can achieve the perfect stage, and the state of following the opponent's changes, by understanding gradually.” ‘Wo Tunan considered that one could practice releasing power and “After a period of time, the practitioner can study the change of the way of power by experiencing it, and he can conclude the rules and use them naturally. That is also the study of releasing power and the relationship between hardness and soft- ness, and action and quietness” realize how to use it by practicing “movements,” and perfect power could change into movements Zhou: Its said that Taijiquan is a kind of advanced gigong. How do you think about it? And it is said that some ‘master-ands of Taijiquan can attack his opponent by “empty ai,” and there is akind of “beating by Ling Kong.” without touch. Is that tue? Lit Yes, that's true, Taijiquan is a kind of advanced gigong. In practical combat, some master hands of ‘Taijiquan, with special accomplish- rents, were able to beat their oppo- nents with empty air. Imyself bad got the taste of being beaten by my grand teacher Wu Tunan’s Ling Kong power. “The applications frame takes spe- cial note of breathing andthe exercise and application of qigong, which isthe sixth characteristic ofthe applications frame What is qi? According to ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi is a kind of microsubstance and the lifeblood of all te life. Combining the result of the current study snd the soquaintanceship of Traditional Chinese Medicine, I think qi in the Jhuman body is the determinant regulat- {ng the internal milieu and the size of the biological field Practicing Taijiquan can nurture the healthy gi and improve the dynamies of regulating the internal miliew and the functions of the viscera, and accelerate the blood flow, inside the body. t can enlarge one’s biological field and enhance the capability of perception and eontrol outside the body. Zhou: What on earth isthe relation between Taijiquan and qi? Li: About the relation between ‘Taijiquan and qi, Wu Tuan had said: “Qi is just lke Water. While boxing, it just like something that floats on the water Ifthe water is enough, every- thing ean be floated on it, So tis isthe relation between gi and boxing. If the iis strong enough, you can strike down the opponent, however you stretch your fist long or shor, or if your posture is high or low: What he Said illuminates the importance of qi in practicing boxing Zhou: When practicing boxing and igong, how should we regard harbor ing gi? Li: To harbor gi is an important |Premium Tonics & Raw Herbs| FREE CATALOG 800-290-6393 Four Seasons Herb Co. www.fourseasonsherbs.com ‘event in practicing boxing and qigong Usually, when we practice the routine ‘of Taiji gong, we should first notice that the breath be deep, long, thin and even. We breathe in from the nose, and then send the air fo dantian and save it, avoiding the breath being shallow, short, thick and uneven, and aecumu- lating the air in the chest Zhou: Is there only this one kind of breath in the applications frame? Li: No, there is another kind of breath, called “body breath." Just as its rname implies it is the method of ‘changing air by the skin. In addition to breathing with the nose, the pores are a part of the function of breathing. The body breath is the method that makes the most of that function According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, there are various kinds of ai in the body. For example: Yuan Qi (the Inborn Qi), which is the congenital gi and the essence of life, is stored in the kidney; Zong Qi (the Pectoral Qi), is stored in the chest and comes from the combination of the fresh air inhaled by the lungs and the food essence derived by the spleen and stomach from water and grain, There is also Wei Qi (the Defending Qi), which originates from the Xia Jiao (lower warmer) and Ying Qi (the Nourishing Qi), which origi- nates from Zhong Jiso (the middle warmer) Defending Qi has three functions: ‘guarding the surface of the body against exopathogen, keeping a rela- tively constant body temperature by 37‘controlling the opening and clos- ing of the pores and adjusting the secretion of sweat, and nourish- ing the viscera, bowels, muscles, skin and hair. Controlling the ‘opening and closing of the pores ‘means managing the opening and closing of the pores, By the training of Taiji gong. cour defending gi gets stronger, ‘and the function Of the opening and closing of the pores is improved. Accordingly, the capa- bility of exchanging ait by the skin is improved. ‘There is a poem passed by ‘Wu Tunan, that says: “In front of ‘Mingmen and behind Dantian, in the middle, there is Xuanguan; if fone can understand it well, he will succeed in boxing, being away from diseases and enjoy Tongevit "Xuanguan is where both the congenital qi and required qi are stored. Both the congenital and required qi get together in the chest and go down to Dantian, ‘and then are stored at Xuanguan. ‘The required qi comes from the essence of the grains that are digested by the spleen and stom- ach, Sun Yikui, a famous master ‘of medicine and health preserv- ing and a Taoist in Ming Dynasty, called Xuanguan “Taijs® which is the place where Yin and Yang change and the essence of sgrains changes into qi ‘Zhou: How should we understand “controlling the body by qi?” Li: According t Wa Tunan, “eon trolling the body by qi” includes two parts: “managing qi” and “inciting qj.” Zhou: What is “managing gi?” Li: Generally, “managing qi” means that we make gi stored in Damtian when, breathing in, We make the congenital ‘and required qi meet together there. until they are extremely large and hard; then they can fil each gap. We should ‘manage gi by the mind, witen breathing ‘out, This means that by guiding qi with the will, we can make qi go to any part of the body. ‘Zhou: What is “inciting ai!” Li: “Inciting qi” means that on the foundation of "managing qi,” we incite 4 with the will, making it go along channels, or small collaterals, then to 38 Ma Yongging holds up an opponent. the muscles, channels, then through the pores of the skin, which is called “the air passes through the pores of the body. “Inciting Qi” can be used as the opponeat so we can understand his intention and control his breath. It needs a long time of training in Taiji ‘gong to achieve that stage. It involves making gi flow to Dantian, fll the fin- gers, filling in the back of the feet, fll. ing in the Ren and Du channels and gi g vertically and horizontally Zhou: Ace there any differences in breath between the applications frame ‘and practicing frame? Li: Yes, they are different. The breath of the practicing frame is mainly the natural one, while that of the appli= cations frame is very different from the practicing frame because its actions are fast and the chythm is clear. The breath in the applications frame proceeds with the rhythm of the actions of releasing and drawing in. The breath for releasing and increas- ‘ng is aspiration, while the breath for drawing in and decreasing is inspiration; ifthe rhythm is fast, the method of stealing breath is used, while ifthe thythm is slow, the method of saving air is used, In the applications frame, the air supplied by the normal breath is not enough because the actions are very fast. We should practice vith the special methods of breath, such as body breath, fetus breath, conjugating rhythmical inspiration and aspiration, and the vocalization of “Heng “Hi “Then we will ry to under: stand the opponent's breath by practicing push hands and apply the experiences to the practice of the applications frame, $0 a8 10 “control the body by qi.” As time passes, one can do naturally what ‘Wu Tunan Wu Tunan pointed out: “Smart behavior, speedy action, advancing and retreating freely, going smoothly every’ where, Forgetting oneself and fol- Towing the opponent, responding naturally, the body being empty and changing according to the ‘enemy's changes.” Thus, the practitioner should be “full of energy and spirit, of fierce ‘momentum, full of will power and courage inside, covered by the spirit outside, integrating both the mind and appearance and never dispirited.” Its said thar when practicing the applications frame, grand master ¥ Shaohou's looked changed. I deduce it ‘must have been the result of integrat- ing both the mind and look ‘Zhou: Thank you very much. You have introduced so much about the applications frame of Taijiquan. We have not only learned the origin and development of the applications frame bat also its characteristies, how to use it in the practical combat and the dif ferences hetween the practicing and the applications frames, Thank you again, representing the fans of ‘Taijiquan (To be continued.)Yang Applications Frame—Part 4 This is the fourth and final article from an interview with Li Lian about Yang Shaohow's Applications Frame of Taijiquan By Zhou Lishang Translated by Yan Shufan Zhou Lishang: Thank you very muuch for introducing so much knowledge related to the applications frame of Tatjiquan. However, your introduction has involved many terms about Jin (power), such as Zhannian Jin, Lingkong Jin, Za Jin, Peng Jin, etc. ‘They are difficult to under- stand. Please give more detailed jon about them, in order ‘of Taijiquan to under- stand and apply them better. Li Lian: Okay. There are dif- ferences in substance (Ti) and ‘methods (Yong), the wills being used, hardness and softness, using move- ‘ments, will, and qi, and different Jin (powers). Some of them are characterized by being cool and sharp; some of them are characterized by being light and soft No matter what kind of power, however, the practitioner must keep the inside and outside inte- ‘grated, and should “make the vill and gi in front and the pow ers follow gi”. First, let’s see look at Zhannian Fin Zbanaian Jin consists of two kinds of inner power; Zhan Jin tnd Nian Jin, I is said: “Zhan (Couch) is like a dragonfly skimn- ‘ming the surface of the water — just touching on the surface of the water lightly, without going into the water deeply. ‘ian (stick) Fin is said to be so sticky that it is like Iuequer or fish glue.” I think this is true. In the applications frame, after relaxation, the practition- e's gi flows in his body. He can Zhou Lishang is a veteran martial arts writer in Beijing. LL Lian pushes while controlling upper hand first. release and take back the power and gi freely and make them neither touch nor leave the opponent. We touch and con- trol the opponent by our will “Advance (Jin), retreat (Tui, decrease (Chou) and increase (Tian) are mentioned in Part III (the previous article), and “follow the opponent's actions closely” is the application of Zhan (touch) Sin. “Ninn” (stick) refers to con- ‘rolling the opponent by will and agi, and making him not move away from your control. And also, it means that after I release my power, I take it back at once. I hhold the opponent up by his own force and as a result, he will lose his center of gravity and fall down, ‘hou: What does “Tandou Jin” mean? Li: Its a kind of internal power, like a spring, which ean shoot out to the opponent. Only fone who is ofa certain gongfu level can do that; and it needs a certain space to release it At first, the practitioner should practice the hand technique releasing the power sharply. The body and power leave the oppo- nent, at once. Sloppiness is the worst practice. Alter a long period of practice, the practitioner can release a sharp Tandou Jin guided by the will and qi, and every part of the body can do that, ‘Zhou: What is Cuo Tin? Is it like serubbing the clothes on the washboard in the past? Li: Yes, I think s0. Cuo does ‘mean serubbing the clothes on the washboard in old times. Tis akind of applying power, actu- ally, the center is at the waist. In the upper part, the power starts from the waist, then goes to the shoulders, the inner side of the arms and the center of the palm, and then to the tips of, the fingers, Inthe lower part, the power starts from the waist and goes to the legs, and then to the feet. We should make the power yo along the way continuously. ‘At first the practitioner should make the power start at the center of the palm and then {20 0 the tips of the fingers, then make it go around the body, and every part can do that. Zhou: What is Pi (split) Jin? Is it like chopping wood with a3should splay the five fingers and push the center of the palm out suddenly. ‘The power should be released from the center of the palm; the will, qi, power and the body should be integrated. The power can penetrate the oppo- nent’s chest or back. We use this kind of power in “brush knee and twist step” and “Daonianhou" (run after mon- keys with stepping back, wihich means very fast), et ‘Zhou: What is “Gudang (surge) Jin?” How can we man- ‘age it well? ‘Li: “Gudang Jin’ is based on an ax? Li: Yes, So-called Pi in is a power that splits and hits the ‘opponent, witich should be of a force of cutting the blood ves- sels and the membranes. It is a kind of hard power. However, when we apply it, ‘we should not use rigid force. ‘When applying power, the two arms should be relaxed, the action should be resolute and decisive, and the power should be sharp. Pi Jin is a kind of “Chun Fin” (inch power), of execution. ‘Zhou: There is a kind of power named Peng Jin. What does it mean? Does it mean that “Zhannian Fin.” The inner gi i isa power that bumps the guides the inner power to go up force coming from the oppo- Lj Lian uses Tandou Jin, a spring-lke internal power, and down, to be released, taken ent? back, increased and decreased, Li: No, you are wrong. drive the whole body by the fist, so any and then Gudang Jin is pro- “Peng Jin is one ofthe powers tht are part ofthe body can release Beng Tin. duced based on Zhongding Jin Zhong means "Zou: Would you please tell us Tes form is ike choppy water, center; Ding means stbiy. So i what i “Zha (explode) Jn” waves up and dow, an eagle fying means that there is stable center of Ti: Both Zha Jin and Beng Fin the sky, very changeable, When appy- powers in the body.) belong to the power with execution, ing Gudang Jin, the key is to integrate We use the stable center power to The fist and palm are interchanged. the internal and external of the body. imeet the force that has not been When applying Zha Jin, the practitioner antian qi drives the external power released or has been released half way by the opponent, and stop him. Its an approach of stopping the foree coming from the opponent, making it 120 back to him, Accordingly, the opponent will be hit down by the power. We can practice this kind of power with stepping up the body. In application, there are different kinds of forms, including the power that has touched me, not touched me, cor is going to touch me. Zhou: What is Beng (burst) Fin? Li: Beng Jin is a power that beats the opponent. When releasing Beng Jin, the power should burst from the lower 10 the upper, transferred node ie in Chinese, or joint) to node continuously, to the fst, and beat the opponent’s body, and can penetrate it ‘We use Beng Jin in Banlanchui (parry and punch) and releases it. Zhou: [know there is a power named Zhuo Jin. Is it Tike a bird pecking? Li: Yes, itis something like « bird pecking. Zhuo Jin is divided into two: pecking ‘with mouth open and pecking with mouth closed. Pecking with mouth open belongs to Zhanlian Jin, as & dragonfly touches the surface ‘of water; as soon as the povrer hits the target, itis taken back the practitioner utilizes the ‘opponent's force to influence and hold the opponent. Pecking with mouth closed is like a bird pecking a trunk, including the hand techniques of pointing, beat- ing, pushing, pressing, et. ‘We continuously release the power to a target, and ‘most of them should hit the target. In fighting, we distur the opponent's center of pravi- ty first, and then release the Youdangchui (gonging on and power, The master with deep surging punch). Also we can ‘Ciotieanitie inner work drives the power “4The application of Dou, a kind of shake in fighting, by internal gi Zhou: As for “Likong (separation) Jin,* can the master really make the ‘opponent separate from the ground? Li: “Likong Jin” is an approach that controls the opponent mainly by the Will and gi, providing that the practi- tioner has achieved a level of profound inner work. ‘The practitioner should make his external qi hang over his body, to inerease his ability of perception, in order to perceive the opponent's “actual condition and attempt” without touch= ing him, Thus, he achieves the realm of ‘opponent does not know me, but I know him well,” and “allure him in my control, and disturb his effort.” Zhou: Are “Likong Jin” and “Lingkong Jin” the same?” If not, what is the difference between them? Li: “Likong Jin” and “Lingkong Jin’ are different, but as “Likong Jin” is ‘one of the foundations of “Lingkong Jin,” they are something alike Lingkong Jin is the combination of power, qi and mind. It belongs to the category of hitting by mind in Taijiquan, and itis also the highest realm of Taijiquan, ‘The master can perceive the oppo: nent’s actual condition and attempt from a distance, with his will and qi, to control the opponent's breath with his, he The practitioner should make his external qi hang over his body, to increase his ability of perception, in order to per- ceive the opponent's “actual condition and attempt" without touching him, T’ai Chi Training and Advanced Chen Style Chen Tai Chi Chuan Part 8 Taijiquan Fundamentals Part 1 By George Xu. The Video teaches a series of power strtching and spi- ral (silk reeling) exercis- 5 to inerease internal energy and strength train- ing. The dls are repeat ed multiple times with front views and side and back views. 72 Min, 1347 $49.95 Taijiquan Fundamentals Part 2 By George Xi Invemal ining is taught wih standing postures and Ti igong. The standing postures enhance inter nal endurance training based on soueture and | filling the boay with gi. Taiji qigong shows 21 forms for enhancing gi flow. Concludes with demo af fee-syle $49.95 Taijiquan Fundamentals Part 3 By George Xu. } Teaches peng jin and Issuing power from the 8 ates, the 4 cardinal directions and the 4 cor- ners. The methods can be practiced collectively or individually. Each ofthe cight jin ae isolated for practice. The exercises are useful for push hands practice. Shows freestyle practice. 58 Min, 19 $19.95 peng jin. 61 Min, 1348 ‘and then control the opponent with his will and qi in a split second. The oppo- nent will get a feeling of being held up and thrown away. My grand master Wu Tunan had composed a verse, which explains the process of practicing the applications frame. The general idea is ‘The applications frame was passed through by Yang Luchan, Yang Banhou, Shaohou, generations’ hard work developed Lingkong boxing Tell you the secrets in it, and you will understand it soon, ‘The secret is only passed from ‘mouth to ear. Others never know it ‘Thanks to my teacher who entrust- g By George Xu. The advanced form of the Chen styl is taught by Xu. In this video, Xu ‘shows advanced tech- niques ofthe first half of the Chen first routine. 60 Min, 1350 $49.95 Ie Chen Tai Chi Chuan Part 9 By George Xu. The ‘advanced form af the (Chen style is shown with advanced techniques. SESE This tape covers the sec- ‘ond half of the Chen frst | routine. 86 Min, 1351. Bosh tapes assume sirong foundation inthe Chen style. Wu Wei Qigong By George Xv. A simplified version of the Wa Wei Qigong is tought Ths systema is practiced primarily for health and longevity. It is taught in five sections, including preparation, standing, up and dowa i circalation, sky and cath gi circulation and siting postures, The method emphasizes the flow of gi chroogh the meridians ofthe body and meditation, There are many repe- ttions. 61 Min, 1382 $4095 | ced me with so much and taught me all his skills, My explanation will make you learn and spread it easily. You should begin by practicing Zhuo Jin, and then Gudang Jin. ‘Then you should learn Likong Jin sand other powers, and practice to func tion your breath, and Heng and Ha, If you integrate your breath, you ‘can control the opponent freely. ‘Then you should persist in learn Lingkong Jin for one or two years You can control your limbs follow. ing your inclinations, and you will have learned it al 45