A Synopsis on Taijiquan (Part 2 of 3)

By Mak Tinghei 

      The principle of Taijiquan is based on Wang Tsungyueh's Taijiquan 
Treatise using the idea of Taiji in Yi Ching , and the requirements for 
boxing.  It stresses the application of the interaction of two opposites, 
Yin and Yang, to the strategy of fighting so as to achieve the utmost 
advantage over your opponent.  However, this treatise provides a concise 
description without details to methodology.  Still, the Taiji idea can be 
applied to find the details of the basic requirements of Wushu. 
When two opponents are in a fight, one must have a fighting strategy and 
tactics to achieve victory.  Strategies means external and internal 
maneuvers while tactics mean actions and postures.  Continuing this 
method of analysis, a set of requirements is obtained for the motion of 
hand and feet, as well as the body postures and state of mind.  Any 
routine that satisfies these requirements is called Taijiquan.  This set 
of requirements were grouped together by the Taijiquan masters, and is 
called the 13-Postures.  Of these, six are the names of curvelinear 
motions, and the rest of 7 postures are named as Lean, Elbow, Move Forward 
and Aft, Observed, Aware, and Calm.  Based on these 13-Postures, various 
stances of Taijiquan are formed.

	The important writings of the Yang style came from Wu's-wushu.  The 
earliest mention of Taijiquan by the Chen family is in [Chen Xin 
(1849-1929)]'s  book (1933).  There are no authenticated document and 
oral evidence to show that the name Taijiquan was first used by the Chen 
villagers, and no evidence to show who was the first to use the name 
Taijiquan for Chen-wushu.  There are other suggestions to the originator 

	To demonstrate that Taiji requirements are effective in fighting. 
Newtonian mechanics are used.  The conservation of angular 
momentum is used to show that the curvelinear motion of Taijiquan can 
conserve energy so as to outlast your opponent, store up energy for making 
the strongest blow, dispel incoming blow without being hit hard, and etc. 
The strike of Taijiquan against an opponent is of contact strike/pull, not 
impulsive nature.  The advantage of a Taiji strike over an impulsive 
inelastic strike can be understood by applying the conservation laws of 
momentum and energy and Newton's equation of motion.  When fighting, one 
usually doesn't stand straight up but lower the upper body somewhat.  How 
low should one's body be?  The static principle of lever is used to find 
the optimum body height to deliver the strongest blow to the opponent. 
This optimum height is approximately achieved when both hands can touch 
the knee cap while keeping the body vertical. 

      	Next, the motion of Taijiquan is continuous and curvelinear, not 
reciprocating.  It implies a swifter action and has two degree of motion 
than the reciprocating one.  Two degree motion is also harder to predict 
than one degree motion.  If one starts to move along a straight line, the 
intended target along that line is known before the strike's arrival. This 
known strike target enables your opponent to prepare for the strike a 
priori.  The direction of curvelinear motion is changing during its 
course, making its potential target harder to predict, and often catching 
your opponent unprepared when the strike does reach its target.

	One may wonder why only Taijiquan is practiced slowly compared to other 
Wushu?  There are two reasons for this.  First, practicing slowly enable 
one to sense the motion of one's body parts and, therefore, enable one to 
use his mind and thinking to direct his action instead of relying on the 
rash and subconscious judgement.  Second, practicing slowly trains one to 
control his temper and emotion so that one would not act recklessly during 
a fight.  Normally, we use our chest for breathing.  Taijiquan requires 
that breathing be performed by the abdomen, because in fighting, the chest 
muscle is used for striking.  If it is used for breathing, its efficiency 
for strike is reduced.  As a result, both breathing and striking are 
hampered.  On the other hand, the abdominal muscle is not used for any 
striking action, but can help breathing if needed.  Taijiquan trains one 
to a custom to abdominal breathing.

      Popular traditional Taijiquan routines have one hundred and eight 
or eighty eight stances.  Most of these stances are repetitive or 
similar.  If they are discounted, Taijiquan actually has only thirty some 
independent stances.  Confusion arises when these stances of traditional 
Taijiquan have literally names that are not fully explained in terms of 
the meaning of the name and its associated motion.  The names of some 
stances have no direct or obscure relation with the motion.  In order for 
the stance to have the correct movement, the meaning of the name and the 
movement must be consistent with each other. 
period of time.

About author: 

	[Mak Tinhei] has a Ph. D. In Electronic Engineering from Johns Hopkins 
University in Baltimore, MD.  He is now working in the U.S. Army Research 
Laboratory, MD.  One of the activities he does in his spare time is 
practicing Taijiquan.  Not satisfied with the traditional way of 
explaining and learning Taijiquan, he did his own research on the subject. 

	Using the results of his research, he published a book.  He 
welcomes to discuss Taijiquan with anyone and can be reached on Email 
thmak@yahoo.com.