A foundation of traditional Chinese thought is a belief in a universe full of energy called qi. In the beginning, the universe was an endless void known as wuji. The taiji classics say that wuji gives birth to yin and yang, which are expressed as taiji. Yin and yang are represented by the double fish symbol.
Yin and yang are the all, representing the opposites that exist throughout the universe. All opposites are aspects of yin and yang. Light and dark, day and night, earth and sky, water and fire, and female and male are typical aspects.
We practice taiji to develop our ability to understand and use yin and yang. In traditional qi gong and taiji practice, the wuji posture is used as a resting position before beginning your practice. It symbolically represents the “great emptiness” of the original universal void.
External Physical Aspects and Body Posture
The external is the yang. To stand in wuji, begin with your feet apart about the width of your hips or shoulders. Gently rock back and forth and side to side to feel the weight shift. Take a moment to make sure your weight is evenly distributed on the three balance points of each foot, the ball of the foot, the point at the base of the little toe, and at the heel. Be aware of your weight on your feet and allow your weight to sink down into the ground on each exhale.
Relax in the wuji posture for a few moments. Stand as still as a tree and pay attention to any sensations you feel. Do not try to change anything. Just pay attention to the sensations. Progressively relax your body from the top down. Don’t go limp, but focus on eliminating any unnecessary tension.
Relax your entire body and loosen all your joints. Be sure that your knees are not locked. Adjust your posture so that your weight is supported by your skeleton. Look forward and relax your eyes without focusing on anything. Relax your jaw, neck, and shoulders, and all the other places where you build up tension during the day. Relax your arms and hands, allowing them to hang loosely at your sides. Gradually allow your breath to deepen. Allow it to expand your diaphragm. Don't overdo it and force your breath, but be sure to completely fill and empty your lungs.
Internal Mental Aspects and Flow of Qi
The internal is ying. Let your mind travel through your body. Open all your joints by visualizing them expanding and loosening. Visualize a string, or thread, connecting the top of your head with the heavens. The string lifts from the bai hui point at the crown of the head and pulls down at the hui yin in the middle of your perineum. Imagine the string stretching your spine, opening up the space between the vertebrae.
Standing in wuji is the ideal posture to help you sense the flow of qi. Use your breathing as a point of mental focus. Use this time as a short meditation to calm your mind and body. As you stand, let your mind follow your breathing. When your mind wanders, bring it back to your breathing. Let the calmness empty your mind of other things. An empty, calm mind can better sense the flow of qi.
As you stand still, become aware of any feelings of comfort or discomfort. Be aware of any muscular tension. Do not be judgmental. There is no right or wrong. The goal is to develop your ability to sense what is happening in your body. Awareness of your body develops your self-awareness.
All the places where qi is not flowing become apparent. Areas of poor qi flow become uncomfortable or even painful. Discomfort during standing reveals places where your body is not functioning properly. Your natural instincts are to move when you are uncomfortable. Move your body to eliminate painful postures, but try to maintain the wuji posture when you are merely uncomfortable.
Instead of moving, bring your attention to any point of tension or pain and imagine that your breath is entering and leaving your body at that point, Let your breath carry away the tension and pain. With every inhale, visualize bringing healing qi into your body at the place where you have tension. With every exhale, visualize expelling stagnant qi. Allow the healing qi to eliminate the discomfort.
Another method to eliminate the discomfort is to image the discomfort dropping through your body toward the ground. Allow it to fall through your feet and into the ground. When the discomfort leaves your body, it should be replaced by a feeling of comfort.
Daily Practice
Try to stand in wuji for a few moments every day. It seems very simple, but it can be very difficult the first few times you try this. The time will drag on seemingly forever. Boredom will drive you crazy. Be persistent and these feelings will pass. Over a period of several weeks, gradually increase the amount of time you spend standing. Remember though, quality is more important than quantity. Do not force yourself to stand when you are distracted.
Regular practice helps to balance your yin and yang, your internal and external. The balance of yin and yang helps you become more aware of the connection between your body and mind and improves your taiji.
This was originally published in the June issue of Yang Sheng magazine.
© 2011 Eric Borreson
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Mindful Labyrinth Walking
I recently returned from a week-long tai chi workshop in Terre Haute, Indiana. We stayed and practiced at the College of St. Mary-of-the-Wood. This is a pastoral campus in a rural area on the edge of a small city. There were no houses in sight from the main campus. It was a beautiful place to get away the hustle and bustle for a few days.
I habitually rise fairly early. Sleeping in a strange place certainly didn't change that. I decided to take advantage of that early morning time and walk around the campus. On Tuesday morning during my walk, I discovered that there was a large labyrinth on campus. I decided to walk the labyrinth.
I started to walk the labyrinth with the intention to have an enjoyable start to my day. I quickly discovered the gnats. Millions of them. They were swarming all over every living thing within sight. They were buzzing around my head, landing and crawling all over me. I spent the walk swatting at them. I let the gnats interfere with the enjoyment of my walk.
My dharma teacher, Carl, often says that one reason we have so much stress in our lives is because we make up stories to interpret our sensory inputs. In other words, when we have input from one of our senses or when we have a thought, we tell ourselves stories to explain the meaning of that input. The stories help us react to the world based on previous experiences.
The story I have in my head is that having "bugs crawling on me" is a "bad thing." It is unpleasant and potentially dangerous. Therefore, I "know" that walking a labyrinth while bugs are crawling on me is an unpleasant situation. However, stories are not reality. Creepy-crawly bugs are just a story we tell ourselves.
That evening, I thought of another story, The Buffalo and the Monkey. Blessings to Dr. Tom for sharing this story with me. Here is an abbreviated version.
Many years ago (presumably in the time of talking animals), there was a buffalo living on the edge of the forest. The buffalo was large, fast, and powerful. All of the animals, even the tigers, stayed out of its way. All except one. A monkey regularly tormented the buffalo. The monkey pulled the buffalo's ears, hit it with sticks, poked it in the eyes, and did any other deviltry that the monkey could think of.
The wise owl asked the buffalo why he put up with the torment from the monkey when he, the buffalo, was such a large and strong animal. The buffalo replied, "All the animals have a purpose here. Even the monkey has a purpose. He is here to teach me patience."I decided that I wanted to rewrite my story about the gnats. Gnats are not dangerous. They are not going to bite me. They are not going to spread disease. My new story is that gnats are just gnats. They are not important. I can ignore them.
One of my tai chi teachers, Caroline, said that in order to learn, we need intention, attention, practice, and a teacher. So the next day I walked to the labyrinth with a different intention in mind. My intention was to pay attention to my walking practice based on direction from my teachers Caroline and Carl. I decided to walk mindfully.
What is mindfulness? I posted a similar question recently on one my LinkedIn groups. I had 24 comments. Comments included " … the natural interactions between our conscious thoughts and the subconscious physiological responses that occur", "… a way to control the autonomic nervous system", and "… using the power of the mind to control pain". Let me give you my definition here. Mindfulness is being aware of your body, thoughts, and emotions at all times.
Following the direction from my teachers, I decided my intention was to use tai chi walking to walk the labyrinth. I wanted to enjoy the walk and continue to practice mindfulness. I brought my attention to my feet and my shifting weight. I focused on the path and how I was placing my feet. I focused on the feeling of my feet on the ground and how my feet felt as I shifted my weight from one foot to another.
I ignored the gnats and walked. They landed on my face. They crawled in my hair, around my ears, and down my neck. I noticed them, but I didn't worry about it.
I do have to admit that there were a few times when I had to shift my attention from my walking to removing the gnats from my ears. That was a little too much for me that morning. But I quickly brought my attention back to my walking.
During my walk, I met someone else walking the labyrinth. We passed silently and shared energy. Thanks to my new friend, Donna, for sharing that experience with me. That was truly a mindful, spiritual morning for me. It was truly meditation in motion.
© 2011 Eric Borreson
I habitually rise fairly early. Sleeping in a strange place certainly didn't change that. I decided to take advantage of that early morning time and walk around the campus. On Tuesday morning during my walk, I discovered that there was a large labyrinth on campus. I decided to walk the labyrinth.
I started to walk the labyrinth with the intention to have an enjoyable start to my day. I quickly discovered the gnats. Millions of them. They were swarming all over every living thing within sight. They were buzzing around my head, landing and crawling all over me. I spent the walk swatting at them. I let the gnats interfere with the enjoyment of my walk.
My dharma teacher, Carl, often says that one reason we have so much stress in our lives is because we make up stories to interpret our sensory inputs. In other words, when we have input from one of our senses or when we have a thought, we tell ourselves stories to explain the meaning of that input. The stories help us react to the world based on previous experiences.
The story I have in my head is that having "bugs crawling on me" is a "bad thing." It is unpleasant and potentially dangerous. Therefore, I "know" that walking a labyrinth while bugs are crawling on me is an unpleasant situation. However, stories are not reality. Creepy-crawly bugs are just a story we tell ourselves.
That evening, I thought of another story, The Buffalo and the Monkey. Blessings to Dr. Tom for sharing this story with me. Here is an abbreviated version.
Many years ago (presumably in the time of talking animals), there was a buffalo living on the edge of the forest. The buffalo was large, fast, and powerful. All of the animals, even the tigers, stayed out of its way. All except one. A monkey regularly tormented the buffalo. The monkey pulled the buffalo's ears, hit it with sticks, poked it in the eyes, and did any other deviltry that the monkey could think of.
The wise owl asked the buffalo why he put up with the torment from the monkey when he, the buffalo, was such a large and strong animal. The buffalo replied, "All the animals have a purpose here. Even the monkey has a purpose. He is here to teach me patience."I decided that I wanted to rewrite my story about the gnats. Gnats are not dangerous. They are not going to bite me. They are not going to spread disease. My new story is that gnats are just gnats. They are not important. I can ignore them.
One of my tai chi teachers, Caroline, said that in order to learn, we need intention, attention, practice, and a teacher. So the next day I walked to the labyrinth with a different intention in mind. My intention was to pay attention to my walking practice based on direction from my teachers Caroline and Carl. I decided to walk mindfully.
What is mindfulness? I posted a similar question recently on one my LinkedIn groups. I had 24 comments. Comments included " … the natural interactions between our conscious thoughts and the subconscious physiological responses that occur", "… a way to control the autonomic nervous system", and "… using the power of the mind to control pain". Let me give you my definition here. Mindfulness is being aware of your body, thoughts, and emotions at all times.
Following the direction from my teachers, I decided my intention was to use tai chi walking to walk the labyrinth. I wanted to enjoy the walk and continue to practice mindfulness. I brought my attention to my feet and my shifting weight. I focused on the path and how I was placing my feet. I focused on the feeling of my feet on the ground and how my feet felt as I shifted my weight from one foot to another.
I ignored the gnats and walked. They landed on my face. They crawled in my hair, around my ears, and down my neck. I noticed them, but I didn't worry about it.
I do have to admit that there were a few times when I had to shift my attention from my walking to removing the gnats from my ears. That was a little too much for me that morning. But I quickly brought my attention back to my walking.
During my walk, I met someone else walking the labyrinth. We passed silently and shared energy. Thanks to my new friend, Donna, for sharing that experience with me. That was truly a mindful, spiritual morning for me. It was truly meditation in motion.
© 2011 Eric Borreson
Saturday, June 25, 2011
The 13 Elemental Postures of Tai Chi
Bamen Wubu – Eight Gates (Hand Skills) and Five Steps (Footwork Skills)
Shi San Shi – Thirteen Basic Skills
The 13 elemental postures of tai chi are often considered the fundamental practices of tai chi. They really aren’t postures. They consist of eight expressions of energy (forces) and five directions of movement (steps). The first four energies, peng, liu, ji, and an, are considered the primary forces. They can be considered as four ways to enhance your internal energy. The second four energies, cai, lie, zhou, kao are considered the corner forces. They are important, but less common. The five directions are
A teacher can provide guidance, but a student needs to do the work. In this case, a student should work and focus to develop a deep understanding of every tai chi form. Each form can be analyzed in terms of the 13 postures and then the correct posture can be learned and the proper application of force can be used. The related acupuncture point is a place to focus when applying the force. It leads your energy in the correct directions.
The 8 Energies (Forces) of Tai Chi
1. Peng – Ward Off Peng can be thought of as a projection of force that places a curved barrier, or buffer zone, between you and an opponent. Peng is usually directed up and out. Ward off is the initial movement of Stroking Bird’s Tail in Yang-style tai chi. Your body is placed in such a way as to repel any incoming force and to ward it off. This is like pushing on a large beach ball. The word “listening” is often used to describe peng energy in the sense that you use peng to feel, or listen to, your opponent’s force.
There are 6 bows in the body that can be used in ward off: both arms, both legs, and the spine bow and the chest bow. Peng force is present in many tai chi forms. With the proper posture, a person using peng force is nearly immovable. It is a rising, or expansive, yang energy. The acupuncture point to focus on is Ming Men.
2. Liu (or Lu) – Roll Back Liu can be thought of any type of turning movement that diverts (redirects) the opponent’s force away from center to the side. It neutralizes (absorbs) the opponent’s force and causes him to lose balance. In the tai chi classics, liu means to “lead the opponent’s force into emptiness”, or “attract into emptiness” by diverting it to the side. Your body motion yields to your opponent’s incoming force to sense what it is like. You then use your waist to divert it to the side and pull him off balance. Roll back is the second motion of Stroking Bird's Tail in Tang-style tai chi.
Another application is with Cloud Hands where your circular hand movements divert any force. Liu is usually used to direct the opponent’s energy backward toward oneself. Liu is also part of some forms of Leisurely Tying Coat in Sun-style tai chi, where your movement is backward along your center line.
The tactic is to present a false target for the opponent to attack. During the attack, the defender allows the attacker’s momentum move past the point where he expects to go and he becomes unbalanced. It is the opposite of Peng. It is a yielding, or contracting yin energy. The acupuncture point to focus on is Xuan Guan.
3. Ji – Press Ji can be thought of the action of squeezing your force into a small area of your opponent. It is your extension of force toward your opponent. It always requires both hands or arms working together. Press is the third part of Stroking Bird’s Tail in Yang-style tai chi. It consists on one arm being curved horizontally with the palm facing in or up and the other hand pushing against it.
Press often involves bringing forces together from two directions and forcing the opponent away. It can be used to squeeze your opponent’s elbows together to dissipate his power. Ji is usually directed forward toward the opponent. Be sure to maintain an upright posture. Tuck in your tailbone to be able to direct the force. The acupuncture point to focus on is Jia Ji.
4. An – Push An can be thought of gathering (receiving) power and then redirecting the power outward or back at your opponent. Push is the fourth part of Stroking Bird’s Tail in Yang-style tai chi and of and Push the Mountain in Sun-style tai chi. The incoming force is absorbed and then directed out and up to lift and drive the opponent away. The push can be done at any angle, but the actual power comes from the earth through the legs. Use your intention to direct your force. The acupuncture point to focus on is Tan Zhong.
5. Cai – Pluck or Pull Cai can be thought of as using your hands or fingers to pluck, or pull. Cai may also be called “Large Roll Back”. It usually consists of an up and down motion where you use ward off to lead your opponent upward and away to move the opponent off balance. It can be followed by a pull. The pulling is against some part of your opponent’s body. It is not a grab. It typically uses your thumb and one or more fingers to press on pressure points. A common use is to grasp your opponent’s wrist. One hand may be placed at the other wrist to help with the quick movement. An example of cai force is Needle at Sea Bottom. The acupuncture point to focus on is Xing Gong.
6. Lie – Split Lie can be thought of as a force that causes your energy to split into two directions. It may come from pulling with one arm and pushing with the other, such as an arm break maneuver or with Parting Wild Horse’s Mane. It may be used to break your opponent’s hold on you. Split requires two hands. Lie may be combined with Ward Off to provide power. It may include a lifting action as in Fair Lady Works the Shuttles or White Crane Spreads its Wings. It is the opposite of Cai. The acupuncture point to focus on is Dan Tien.
7. Zhou – Elbow Zhou can be thought of as using your elbow to strike an opponent or to create a twisting force. You can use the elbow strike to bump your opponent off balance or to prevent your opponent from controlling your elbows. Zhou is sometimes also known as “turn and chop with fist”, as displayed in Deflect Down, Parry, and Punch and in Fan Back forms. The acupuncture point to focus on is Jian Jing.
8. Kao – Bumping, or Shoulder Kao can be thought of as using your shoulder with your full body weight behind it against an opponent. If the shoulder force is insufficient or blocked, then your back or any other body part can be used to provide force. Kao is sometimes called Lean Forward. It is usually used to bump your opponent off balance to set up some kind of attack. An example of Kao is Diagonal Flying. It is the opposite of Zhou. The acupuncture point to focus on is Yu Zhen.
The 5 Steps of Tai Chi Rooting is an important concept in stepping and movement in tai chi. I’ll write more about that some time. Rooting helps build your awareness of weight shifts and delivering force. With this awareness, you can apply the footwork of the 5 steps. Standing meditation is a good starting practice for rooting.
1. Jin Bu – Advancing Forward Jin Bu can be thought of as momentum forward. Place your heel down, shift your weight forward, and place the rest of your foot down. The rear foot controls the waist. Jin is used in any form that steps forward, like peng, ji, and an, and Brush Knee. The acupuncture point to focus on is Hui Yin.
2. Tui Bu – Retreating Backward Tui Bu can be thought of a creating a space for your opponent to fall into while overextending. Step back and place the ball of your foot down, shift your weight back. This is used in Roll Back, Ready (Playing Lute), and Repulse Monkey. The acupuncture point to focus on is Zhu Qiao.
3. Zuo Ku (or Zuo Gu) – Stepping to the Left Zuo Kou is a step to the left, like with Parting Wild Horse’s Mane, Brush Knee, Wave Hands Like Clouds and Single Whip. It also includes all kicks to the left. It is sometimes called rotate attack where you advance to the left to indirectly close with an opponent. The acupuncture point to focus on is Jia Ji.
4. You Pan – Stepping to the Right You Pan is a step to the right, like Parting Wild Horse’s Mane and Brush Knee. It represents the idea of avoiding and dissipating incoming force while gaining positional advantage. It also includes all kicks to the right. It is sometimes called rotate withdraw where you increase the distance between you and your opponent. The acupuncture point to focus on is Tan Zhong.
5. Zhong Ding – Central Equilibrium Zhong Ding can be thought of as maintaining your center position. “Be still as a mountain, move like a great river” – The Tai Chi Classics. Zhong Ding is the key direction of the 5 steps and represents the balance of yin and yang around the center. Zhong Ding is the primary direction in wu ji and standing post. Forms that include it include White Crane Spreads its Wings, Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, and Needle at Sea Bottom. The acupuncture point to focus on is Dan Tien.
© 2011 Eric Borreson
Shi San Shi – Thirteen Basic Skills
The 13 elemental postures of tai chi are often considered the fundamental practices of tai chi. They really aren’t postures. They consist of eight expressions of energy (forces) and five directions of movement (steps). The first four energies, peng, liu, ji, and an, are considered the primary forces. They can be considered as four ways to enhance your internal energy. The second four energies, cai, lie, zhou, kao are considered the corner forces. They are important, but less common. The five directions are
A teacher can provide guidance, but a student needs to do the work. In this case, a student should work and focus to develop a deep understanding of every tai chi form. Each form can be analyzed in terms of the 13 postures and then the correct posture can be learned and the proper application of force can be used. The related acupuncture point is a place to focus when applying the force. It leads your energy in the correct directions.
The 8 Energies (Forces) of Tai Chi
1. Peng – Ward Off Peng can be thought of as a projection of force that places a curved barrier, or buffer zone, between you and an opponent. Peng is usually directed up and out. Ward off is the initial movement of Stroking Bird’s Tail in Yang-style tai chi. Your body is placed in such a way as to repel any incoming force and to ward it off. This is like pushing on a large beach ball. The word “listening” is often used to describe peng energy in the sense that you use peng to feel, or listen to, your opponent’s force.
There are 6 bows in the body that can be used in ward off: both arms, both legs, and the spine bow and the chest bow. Peng force is present in many tai chi forms. With the proper posture, a person using peng force is nearly immovable. It is a rising, or expansive, yang energy. The acupuncture point to focus on is Ming Men.
2. Liu (or Lu) – Roll Back Liu can be thought of any type of turning movement that diverts (redirects) the opponent’s force away from center to the side. It neutralizes (absorbs) the opponent’s force and causes him to lose balance. In the tai chi classics, liu means to “lead the opponent’s force into emptiness”, or “attract into emptiness” by diverting it to the side. Your body motion yields to your opponent’s incoming force to sense what it is like. You then use your waist to divert it to the side and pull him off balance. Roll back is the second motion of Stroking Bird's Tail in Tang-style tai chi.
Another application is with Cloud Hands where your circular hand movements divert any force. Liu is usually used to direct the opponent’s energy backward toward oneself. Liu is also part of some forms of Leisurely Tying Coat in Sun-style tai chi, where your movement is backward along your center line.
The tactic is to present a false target for the opponent to attack. During the attack, the defender allows the attacker’s momentum move past the point where he expects to go and he becomes unbalanced. It is the opposite of Peng. It is a yielding, or contracting yin energy. The acupuncture point to focus on is Xuan Guan.
3. Ji – Press Ji can be thought of the action of squeezing your force into a small area of your opponent. It is your extension of force toward your opponent. It always requires both hands or arms working together. Press is the third part of Stroking Bird’s Tail in Yang-style tai chi. It consists on one arm being curved horizontally with the palm facing in or up and the other hand pushing against it.
Press often involves bringing forces together from two directions and forcing the opponent away. It can be used to squeeze your opponent’s elbows together to dissipate his power. Ji is usually directed forward toward the opponent. Be sure to maintain an upright posture. Tuck in your tailbone to be able to direct the force. The acupuncture point to focus on is Jia Ji.
4. An – Push An can be thought of gathering (receiving) power and then redirecting the power outward or back at your opponent. Push is the fourth part of Stroking Bird’s Tail in Yang-style tai chi and of and Push the Mountain in Sun-style tai chi. The incoming force is absorbed and then directed out and up to lift and drive the opponent away. The push can be done at any angle, but the actual power comes from the earth through the legs. Use your intention to direct your force. The acupuncture point to focus on is Tan Zhong.
5. Cai – Pluck or Pull Cai can be thought of as using your hands or fingers to pluck, or pull. Cai may also be called “Large Roll Back”. It usually consists of an up and down motion where you use ward off to lead your opponent upward and away to move the opponent off balance. It can be followed by a pull. The pulling is against some part of your opponent’s body. It is not a grab. It typically uses your thumb and one or more fingers to press on pressure points. A common use is to grasp your opponent’s wrist. One hand may be placed at the other wrist to help with the quick movement. An example of cai force is Needle at Sea Bottom. The acupuncture point to focus on is Xing Gong.
6. Lie – Split Lie can be thought of as a force that causes your energy to split into two directions. It may come from pulling with one arm and pushing with the other, such as an arm break maneuver or with Parting Wild Horse’s Mane. It may be used to break your opponent’s hold on you. Split requires two hands. Lie may be combined with Ward Off to provide power. It may include a lifting action as in Fair Lady Works the Shuttles or White Crane Spreads its Wings. It is the opposite of Cai. The acupuncture point to focus on is Dan Tien.
7. Zhou – Elbow Zhou can be thought of as using your elbow to strike an opponent or to create a twisting force. You can use the elbow strike to bump your opponent off balance or to prevent your opponent from controlling your elbows. Zhou is sometimes also known as “turn and chop with fist”, as displayed in Deflect Down, Parry, and Punch and in Fan Back forms. The acupuncture point to focus on is Jian Jing.
8. Kao – Bumping, or Shoulder Kao can be thought of as using your shoulder with your full body weight behind it against an opponent. If the shoulder force is insufficient or blocked, then your back or any other body part can be used to provide force. Kao is sometimes called Lean Forward. It is usually used to bump your opponent off balance to set up some kind of attack. An example of Kao is Diagonal Flying. It is the opposite of Zhou. The acupuncture point to focus on is Yu Zhen.
The 5 Steps of Tai Chi Rooting is an important concept in stepping and movement in tai chi. I’ll write more about that some time. Rooting helps build your awareness of weight shifts and delivering force. With this awareness, you can apply the footwork of the 5 steps. Standing meditation is a good starting practice for rooting.
1. Jin Bu – Advancing Forward Jin Bu can be thought of as momentum forward. Place your heel down, shift your weight forward, and place the rest of your foot down. The rear foot controls the waist. Jin is used in any form that steps forward, like peng, ji, and an, and Brush Knee. The acupuncture point to focus on is Hui Yin.
2. Tui Bu – Retreating Backward Tui Bu can be thought of a creating a space for your opponent to fall into while overextending. Step back and place the ball of your foot down, shift your weight back. This is used in Roll Back, Ready (Playing Lute), and Repulse Monkey. The acupuncture point to focus on is Zhu Qiao.
3. Zuo Ku (or Zuo Gu) – Stepping to the Left Zuo Kou is a step to the left, like with Parting Wild Horse’s Mane, Brush Knee, Wave Hands Like Clouds and Single Whip. It also includes all kicks to the left. It is sometimes called rotate attack where you advance to the left to indirectly close with an opponent. The acupuncture point to focus on is Jia Ji.
4. You Pan – Stepping to the Right You Pan is a step to the right, like Parting Wild Horse’s Mane and Brush Knee. It represents the idea of avoiding and dissipating incoming force while gaining positional advantage. It also includes all kicks to the right. It is sometimes called rotate withdraw where you increase the distance between you and your opponent. The acupuncture point to focus on is Tan Zhong.
5. Zhong Ding – Central Equilibrium Zhong Ding can be thought of as maintaining your center position. “Be still as a mountain, move like a great river” – The Tai Chi Classics. Zhong Ding is the key direction of the 5 steps and represents the balance of yin and yang around the center. Zhong Ding is the primary direction in wu ji and standing post. Forms that include it include White Crane Spreads its Wings, Golden Rooster Stands on One Leg, and Needle at Sea Bottom. The acupuncture point to focus on is Dan Tien.
© 2011 Eric Borreson
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