? Tai Chi pays attention to the combination of movement and stillness of the body

Movement and stillness are dialectically unified. The denotation is the movement method of Tai Chi, and the connotation is the form and quality, the composition and regularity of the form.

1. The movement method of Tai Chi

The movement and stillness opening and closing of Tai Chi is the movement and stillness opening and closing. The dynamic opening and closing of the body is "dominated by the waist and spine", that is, it is controlled by the waist and spine. Boxing is done "intentionally without force" ("intention" means using feeling and imagination). It starts from the inside of the waist and spine, slowly and evenly, running through each section, and continuously. "The intention moves and the shape follows", which is the movement method of Tai Chi. Its dynamic and static balance, unity and change, as well as "movement leads to opening, silence leads to closing", have become the decisive conditions for a set of Tai Chi. Without this condition, there would be no Tai Chi. You must understand, remember, and use this movement method, which is the basic skill of Tai Chi.

2. The movement and stillness of Tai Chi are balanced and unified

There are two interpretations of movement and stillness. One is that movement and stillness are opposites, and stillness is absolutely motionless. But you can't do Tai Chi by standing still. Another kind of movement and stillness are unified, that is, dialectical unity, that is, "there is stillness in movement", "there is movement in stillness", and stillness is also moving, so that "stillness can unite", and in this way, Tai Chi can be achieved. The tranquility of Tai Chi is the tranquility of the body. The main sign of body tranquility is a stable heart rate, that is, the heart rate beats per minute are the same and do not fluctuate. Therefore, breathing naturally, relaxing the body, not talking, thinking about boxing and not thinking about other things, etc. are all elements of tranquility. The eyes are bright, not dull, and look straight ahead. This should be true for both movement and stillness.

Boxing is done "intentionally but not with force". The movements make the limbs make various postures and movements. This is a very light movement, and the quiet elements in the body will not be affected. cause changes. In this way, movement and stillness exist in the body simultaneously, becoming "stillness in movement." Then movement and stillness are transformed into stillness "with intention but not force", and stillness causes the limbs to make postures and movements. Stillness and movement are also unified in the body at the same time, becoming "movement in stillness". This kind of movement method of "intention without force" is the condition for the unity of movement and stillness. Movement and stillness are both movements of "intention without force". Only when the movement method is the same can movement and stillness become balanced and unified. After practicing Tai Chi to a certain level, if you practice for half an hour or even longer, your heart rate will always be the same per minute, with no fluctuations. In this regard, you can measure your own pulse during the preparation of boxing and after the boxing is completed. The times per minute are the same for both, which proves that Tai Chi is a process of unifying the movement and static balance of the body.

The movement of the body, again, when boxing, "movement is real" and "quietness is virtual", not other movements. Other movements cannot be unified or connected. , only real and virtual movement and stillness can be unified, transformed and connected with each other, and repeated many times to become the Tai Chi process. The ancient boxers said: The opening and closing of virtual and actual conditions is the boxing sutra, and the sutra is unchanging over time. This means "real and virtual opening and closing", which is the "special essence" of Tai Chi that distinguishes it from other boxing techniques. It can be seen from this that Tai Chi is one of the derivatives of "Tai Chi" and is not the same as "Tai Chi". The movement of Tai Chi is a kind of "Tai Chi" movement, not all of "Tai Chi" movement. Therefore, Tai Chi cannot be said to be "Tai Chi", nor can the movements of Tai Chi be said to be all movements of "Tai Chi". This needs to be distinguished and not confused.

3. The shape and quality of Tai Chi

The postures and movements commonly referred to as "pushing, squeezing, leaning on the elbows, advancing and retreating, looking forward and fixed" facing all directions are the Tai Chi body. . "The opening and closing of virtual and actual conditions is the Boxing Sutra", that is, the "opening and closing of virtual and actual conditions" is the essence. Opening and closing reflects movement, and opening and closing constitutes all movements such as pushing, squeezing, and pressing. This is how form and quality come into being. Therefore, the teaching and practice of Tai Chi should not only focus on form and not quality, but should also focus on both form and quality, so that the postures and movements can be standardized and achieve the desired effects of Tai Chi. Otherwise, the postures and movements will become empty frames without origin and basis. If things continue like this, they will deteriorate and become out of shape, and it will no longer be Tai Chi.

4. The composition of the Tai Chi body

The postures and movements of Tai Chi such as "pushing, squeezing, pressing, leaning on the elbows, advancing and retreating, looking forward and fixed", facing in all directions, etc., are the movements of Tai Chi. body. This form is composed of two movements: opening and closing. "Move to open", which constitutes the posture and movement of opening. "Quietness leads to unity", which constitutes the postures and movements of unity. The two are connected to each other and repeated many times to form a set of Tai Chi. This is how the 24-position Tai Chi is completed. The specific process is as follows.

"When you move, you open", that is, when punching, "intention does not use force". It starts from the inside of the waist and spine of the human body, and moves outward with strong will and energy, slowly and evenly, running through each section, and continuously. When the mind moves and the shape follows, it moves to the whole body and the ends of the limbs, which is opening. To open, the body bends the knees, sits at the waist, straightens the back, erects the neck, and makes various "set positions" or movements of the limbs. In the 24-posture Tai Chi, the "fixed posture" is composed of the process of "moving to open", including rising posture, wild horse parting mane, white crane spreading wings, hugging knees and stepping, reverse curling of humerus, single whip, and high-stretching horse There are twelve "set positions" such as left kicking, right kicking, shuttle, flashing arms, and so on. Every "set position" and every opening movement are "opening and closing", which embodies "movement and stillness", that is, "solidity and emptiness". Taking the palm of the hand as an example, use feeling and imagination , so that the palms and fingers slowly and naturally stretch out, that is, it is solid, solid but not stiff, that is, "there is a void in the solid", and the whole body is like this.

"Quietness leads to harmony", that is, punching "intentionally but not forcefully" starts from the whole body and the extremities of the limbs (quiet but also moving), the mental energy converges, and returns to the inside of the waist and spine, slowly and evenly, and through each section. , continuous, following the movements of the mind and the shape, quietly returning to the inside of the waist and spine, which is the combination. When combined, the body relaxes the waist, bends the knees, and relaxes, and the limbs form a combined "position" or movement. In the 24-style boxing, there are four "set positions" composed of the process of "quietness leads to integration". There are four "set positions" such as hand waving pipa, double peaks piercing the ears, seabed needle, and cross hands. Each "fixed posture" and closing movement is "opening in closing", which embodies "movement in stillness", that is, "reality in virtuality". Take the finger palm as an example, use feeling and imagination to make the finger palm Slowly and naturally relax and bend, that is, emptiness, emptiness and unremitting, that is, "there is reality in the emptiness", and the whole body is like this.

In the 24-style boxing, there is also a "fixed position" composed of multiple openings and closings of "open when moving" and "close when still", including holding the bird's tail on the left, holding the bird's tail on the right, There are six "fixed positions" including cloud hand, independent lower left potential, independent lower right potential, and moving hammer. The opening and closing, movement and stillness, virtuality and reality of these six "sets" are also balanced and unified with each other. Coupled with the preparatory trend and the closing trend, both are static and combined. ***The 24 "set positions" are called 24 forms of Tai Chi.

"Establishment" means opening and closing, and there are also openings and closings between "sets". Some have multiple openings and closings and "re-opening" and "re-closing". In short, Tai Chi "opens and closes when moving", the posture opens and closes, everything is opening and closing, "the two words of opening and closing fully demonstrate the beauty of boxing", until the final closing posture is static or closing, and the set of boxing is completed. The 24 postures of Tai Chi are completed by "opening when moving, closing when quiet" and connected with each other for many times. Tai Chi routines such as 40 poses and 88 poses are also completed in this way, but the length of the process, the "setting" and the number of opening and closing movements are different.

Let’s talk about the opening and closing of the limbs. When the limbs are opened and closed, the hand is the leader. When opening, the feeling is used to lead (movement) to the tip. When closing, the feeling is used to lead (quietly) from the tip. The upper limbs open and close in an arc shape. The arcs may be large or small, and they are all designed to relax the limbs and unify movement and stillness. The arcs of the arms are extended in the same direction or spread in different directions, both of which are open. When the upper limbs are brought together, the fingers and palms start from being still (static but also moving), and then move inwards relative to each other. The arc shape can be large or small. The hands can be at a certain distance, or the wrists and arms can be crossed. The opening and closing of the lower limbs are always one virtual and the other real. The exchange of virtual and real is also opening and closing. Progress, step back (both steps forward and backward must be in an arc to ensure the stride length and width), side steps, and raising are all open, and retracting the feet ( The front foot controls the direction and points straight ahead (eight directions), and the front and rear feet form a small figure eight (about a forty-degree angle). The outer edges of the feet should be shoulder-width apart. When moving forward or backward, the raised legs and feet should fall straight and straight (feet on the ground, bend the knees unchanged, can be relaxed again, but cannot stand up) and touch the ground at one point, (heels or toes) gradually become firmer. is the appropriate stride length. The direction, angle, stride length, and step width of your feet are the basic postures for body stability and "centeredness, ease, and comfort." From the beginning of learning boxing, you must do it carefully and comply with the regulations. Only in this way can you practice Tai Chi well.

5. The unity of dynamic and static balance in Tai Chi is the law

All postural movements of Tai Chi, such as pushing, squeezing and pressing, are composed of two movements: opening and closing. "Position" and actions are both "opening and closing". The "set position" and movements of closing are all "opening in the closing", and the same is true for the "set position" and movements of Tai Chi. The opening and closing of potential is balanced and unified. Opening and closing reflect movement and stillness, and the momentum, movement, and stillness are balanced and unified. The balance and unity of movement and stillness become the law of Tai Chi. This law runs through the entire practice of Tai Chi.

Tai Chi's "intentional" opening and closing of movements, and the body's natural instinctive movements of blood, breathing, opening and closing, both of which are the movement of the body from the inside to the outside, from the inside to the outside, and from the outside to the inside. , from the outside to the inside, all over the body, up and down, inside and outside, vertically and horizontally, everything moves when it moves, everything opens when it opens, everything stays still when it is quiet, and everything joins when it comes together, and they are all opposites, balanced and unified, transforming and connecting with each other. , continuous and cyclical, becoming a Tai Chi process with a unified law of dynamic and static balance. It is the skill of opening and closing of movement and stillness of Tai Chi, balance and unity, and the success of complementing each other. This is the fundamental reason why Tai Chi dispels and strengthens the body, strengthens the foundation and strengthens the original source, and produces the magical effect of "prolonging life and extending youth".

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