LEADING INTO EMPTINESS

In taiji we never resist force with force. If somebod hits !s with the hand" we do not b#oc$ it
with o!r hand. Th!s we wo!#d %et h!rt or even dama%ed. Instead of one &foo#& ' as an En%#ish
sain% %oes ' there are two now( )nfort!nate# that is how we a## instinctive# react...
*!t in taiji we #earn to fo##ow the o++onent&s force for some moments ' time eno!%h to asses
his,her stren%th and direction of the hit and +re+are in o!r mind a +#an for s!ccessf!# defense.
At the same time we can #ead the o++onent&s force +ast o!r bod or into &em+tiness& in which
it diminishes or even disa++ears or we can even !se it a%ainst the o++onent himse#f before it is
#ost. Th!s are the movements made in taiji forms- if we want to advance to the ri%ht" we first
%o a #itt#e to the #eft... and vice versa. *efore we %o down we %o !+ a #itt#e and vice versa.
.in/an%" chan%in%" a## the time in vario!s bod +arts" from fin%ers of the hands and feet to
the who#e bod tr!n$ and head. If" on one side we are +ressin% with the hands to%ether" we are
e0tendin% and re#a0in% in sho!#ders and vice versa. If we are c#osin% the !++er bod" we
o+enin% the #ower- if one side of the bod is c#ose" the other is o+en" etc. Thro!%h s!ch
chan%in% or e0chan%in% we are +rod!cin% the c#osin% +ower 1when we are %ettin% c#ose to the
o++onent" for e0am+#e with the hit2 and o+enin% +ower 1when we are #eadin% the o++onent
into em+tiness2. 3e are c#osin% and o+enin% a#so with a## bod +arts. In the form these two
+rinci+#es are e0chan%ed as in and an%.
The movement in taiji4!an is never #inear ' it is a#was circ!#ar or s+ira# which +rod!ces even
%reater +ower. S+ira#in% is es+ecia## a characteristic for chen st#e. Master 5hen 6hen%#ei
sas7
Chen style taijiquan combines the study of dynamics (force, energy, motion, and the
relationship between them) with the theories of the traditional Chinese medical theory of
'jingluo' (which holds that there are internal energy channels and collateral channels within
the body). It makes use of a spiraling method for moing internal energy, using a small
amount of force to oercome a large amount of force, and using a weak force to oercome a
strong force. It's just like a ery small screw jack, which can raise a truck carrying seeral
tons of cargo.!
Inner ener% is circ#in% in the bod a## the time. 3hen we stren%then it b the o!ter dnamic
factors it becomes e0treme# stron% and we easi# overcome the o++onent. And not on# that
' this +ower is invi%oratin% and hea#th for !s.
So" when we move" #et !s tr to $now when to advance and when to #ead the o++onent into
em+tiness- when to attac$ and when to retrieve. Th!s we wi## $now where to o+en o!rse#ves
and where to c#ose. One e0+ression is where to be em+t and where f!##. The hands serve as a
cond!ctor of the orchestra. If the hands are the cond!ctor" o!r bod is the orchestra. The
hands %ive command or draw a +ict!re how each +art of o!r bod has to move.
S+ira#in% in taiji is a#so ca##ed si#$ ree#in% 1chan si jin2- for +ractice we ree# or circ#e with #eft
or ri%ht hand" with do!b#e hands" in front or beside the bod" etc. Sho!#ders and e#bows are
com+#ete# re#a0ed and m!sc#es a#most not !sed- on# o!r hands are circ#in% aro!nd o!r
midd#e fin%er- ha#f of the circ#e is #ed b a sma## fin%er and ha#f b a th!mb. The circ#in% is
transmitted from the hands thro!%h o!r who#e bod ' a## orchestra starts +#ain%(
3hen we are rotatin% ri%ht hand in c#oc$wise direction" it is #ed b a sma## fin%er ' we are
!s!a## #eadin% the o++onent into em+tiness. This is ca##ed direct rotation 15hin. shun chan).
O!r hand is a#so made that wa that the +ower from the sma## fin%er is transmitted thro!%h to
other fin%ers and then a#on% the arm" e#bow" sho!#ders and down the tr!n$. The +ower is
comin% into !s. That is wh we sa that this +ower is &o+en& beca!se we are #eadin% the
o++onent into em+tiness.
3hen we are rotatin% ri%ht hand in co!nterc#oc$wise direction and the th!mb is #eadin%" the
force is comin% from the sho!#der 1beforehand from the #e%s" waist"...2" to the e#bow" hands"
fin%ers... and into the o++onent" beca!se this t+e of rotatin% is !s!a## !sed for attac$in%. 3e
a#so sa that this +ower is &c#osed&" beca!se it %ets c#ose to the o++onent" it c#oses him,her.
This is ca##ed reverse rotation 15hin. ni chan). The same r!#es a++# for #eft hand e0ce+t that it
is reversed.
These +rinci+#es are diffic!#t for taiji be%inners. 3e need a #ot of +ractice to master them. *!t
each +ractice brin%s e0+erience and e0+erience brin%s $now#ed%e. It is im+ortant that we
re#a0" !se as #itt#e m!sc#es as +ossib#e and each time brin% the ener% ri%ht to the fin%er ti+s.
Of co!rse this won&t do if we don&t re#a0 o!r sho!#ders" hi+s and remain in !+ri%ht and stab#e
horse stance. The masters sa that at initia# #eve# we are on# trin% to fee# this ener% or qi
and #ead it wherever we want to b he he#+ of e0terna# movements. On advanced #eve#s we
become so sensitive that we #et qi #ead o!r bodi# movement. And on the hi%hest #eve# we are
conscio!s# ab#e to #ead the qi and qi #eads the bod.
One of the %reatest taiji4!n c#assics 5hen 8in describes7
"hen the opponent starts to prooke you, the tendency is for your mind#heart to adance
impulsiely in reaction, rejecting all thought to retreat. If you know nothing of retreat, your
mind#heart resembles a trapped object. If you ask me what kind of trapping I refer to, then in
this case you should know that in order to adance you first need to understand the true
meaning of retreat, which in actual fact, means to attract, that is, attracting into emptiness,
using soft to defeat hardness. $his means learning how not to be at the receiing end of the
opponent's strength. In other words, in order to learn to adance, one must first learn how
not to suffer a bad retreat.
"hen you plan to adance you hae to take into account all probabilities of ambush and the
ways of retreat to sae your remaining strength if something goes wrong. $he moment your
strength is e%hausted, your arms will hang down and your soles will not feel the ground. &ut
though you may hae no strength to fight, you still should fight to retreat, which is not equal
to defeat. $his is a manifestation of gong'fu, the skill of rising before lowering, bending
before stretching.
( good man may master many arts and spend much time in search of knowledge and its
application in specific conditions, but most of this knowledge will sink into obliion. In order
to thrie, gong'fu skills need to be e%perienced and applied in practice. )espite the myriad
systems and techniques e%isting, those who deote themseles to the mastering of gong'fu
cannot ignore the silk'reeling method of energy regeneration that lies at the heart of the taiji
bo%ing doctrine.
These masters of taiji4!an were %reat warriors themse#ves in their own time. The mastered
vario!s t+es of martia# arts. Accordin% to them s+ira#in% is one of the most im+ortant
techni4!e for %ood $!n%f!. Not on# it stren%thens the force for attac$in% and enab#es to #ead
the o++onent into em+tiness ' s+ira#in% of ener% invi%orates o!rse#ves" it %ives !s vita#it
and hea#th.
At another +#ace 5hen 8in e0+#ains how b fo##owin% taiji +rinci+#es we obtain %ood qi or
this #ife ener%. 3ith its +ower we become a#most invincib#e. There are two t+es of ener%7
the qi of earth and heaven. Everthin% is made of these two" even a h!man bein%. The
e0chan%e as in and an%" as b#ac$ and white" as...
$herefore when you moe up or down, back or forth, straight or in a cure, fast or slow, in
the opened or hidden manner, in opening or closing, in accumulating or releasing your
strength, you cannot aoid the nimbus of yin and yang that surrounds your body like a
colorful image. *ust like a flying kite or leaping fish, the lieliness of your nimbus is in
constant and ceaseless transformation.
This e0chan%in% is nothin% $new. It is ha++enin% a## the time everwhere" even inside !s. The
+rob#em is that we are not conscio!s of it" we are not havin% a contro# over these +rocesses so
we cannot derive %reater benefits from them.
"ith regards to taiji bo%ing, you do not hae to rely in the e%citement produced by your ears,
eyes or legs to bring you deep satisfaction and pleasant comfort. +ather, a student of
taijiquan first has to dele into the principles and only after understanding and applying will
he#she be able to obtain qi energy to produce actie moement from within, which will be
manifested as agility. ,nce engendered, such agility can stimulate further moement, thereby
actiating the mechanism of momentum and regeneration. If you can manifest this principle
and support it with the principles of internal power, you will be able to release the latter
outward. In a sense, to discuss internal power from this perspectie would be superficial and
would not do justice to the subject.
In taiji there is a #ot of ta#$ of qi. Some thin$ there is even no qi. 3e##" we&## +robab# not
e0+erience qi in the sense of en#i%htenment accordin% to o!r ima%ination. 3e won&t &see the
#i%ht& j!st #i$e that" witho!t fo##owin% the +rinci+#es and di#i%ent +ractice. *!t if we +ersist"
re#a0 in a## bod +arts" $ee+ !+ri%ht" caref!## distin%!ish between f!## and em+t and a few
other +rinci+#es 1see artic#e $he fie most important taijiquan skills for beginners2 we wi##
definite# fee# that +#easant" warm tin%#in% fee#in% in o!r hands and feet and then in o!r who#e
bod. 3e wi## a#so become aware how taiji is re%eneratin% !s ever time we +ractice.
5hen 8in a#so sas that once we obtain that +ower then we can !se it. On# then we !s!a##
become aware of how %reat this force is. 9e %ives an e0am+#e of a -ingle whip movement ' it
co!#d have been an of the :; movements of chen o#d form.
It is also said that the inability to fight an opponent is eidence of gong'fu deficiency.
.oweer, if your gong'fu is mature enough, it will resemble a circle so large that it has no
e%ternal boundaries, while your internal limitations become so minute that you cannot
discern its boundaries from within, until you face a stronger opponent and e%perience your
internal power suddenly unleashing outward like a blast of wind or awesome lightning
striking the withered and rotten trees around you. $his is what you can demonstrate through
your current )an &ian posture. $o perform the technique properly, you hae to first of all
accumulate energy through closing, otherwise your performance of )an &ian will hae
minimal effect. -o if you do not know what you are doing, do nothing. It's that simple.
Chen /henglei0 Chen -tyle $aijiquan, -word and &roadsword, 1223
* Chen Xin (1849-1929): Illustrated Explanations of Chen Fail! "ai#i$uan (%ei#in&: 'uan&hua (u)lishin& *td+, 2--8