09/29/2025
The Power of Tai Chi Chuan
The difference between exerting force and not exerting force
There are several types of power in Tai Chi, such as the reeling power, which is called twisting power in the old Yang style, and the most commonly used in the large Chen style, which is elastic power, generally called bouncing and shaking power. Why does this elastic power shake? It is because when the power is exerted, the upper body is relaxed, and the power of the crotch is combined, which is transmitted from the waist and spine to the shoulders, elbows, and hands. Because there is still residual power coming up and transmitting, the phenomenon of shaking hands at the end will occur. You can't learn it deliberately, because the roundness of the crotch cannot be lost, and the body cannot be tight. Therefore, the elastic power depends on the combination of the crotch. The body should be relaxed and the strength should be connected. Without these, the clumsy force will remain in the body or hands, and will not be truly connected. Some people have misunderstood the meaning of combining hardness and softness, and their bodies become tense when they exert strength. Of course, the strength cannot be exerted, so it will remain in the hands or body, creating a feeling of in and out alternating force. This cannot be said to be wrong. Therefore, some people particularly emphasize exerting strength from the waist and spine. It can only be said that the paths taken are different. However, from another perspective, isn't it precisely because of the inability to relax thoroughly that the strength cannot be connected? Only then is it necessary to use the feeling of interlaced force to give the appearance of exerting force. This way of exerting force is not bad. If you really like this way of exerting force, wouldn't it be better to practice Shaolin Kung Fu? Precisely because of this, there are only one or two fist-based moves that can exert force. If you encounter a move that uses the palm, you can only use the palm. Moreover, the circle of stored force cannot be reduced after long-term practice. The kinetic energy of Tai Chi comes from the circle, and the circle on the body should be smaller and smaller as you practice. When exerting force, you must also combine hardness and softness, which means that from the starting point to the end point of exerting force, you must also distinguish between hardness and softness. , (the lower part is solid and the upper part is empty), so the five fingers will grab the ground first, and then the crotch force will be combined and transmitted through the upper body, so there will be the phenomenon of shaking hands. This is the real meaning of elastic force, and the speed of exerting force will be more elastic (hardness with softness, softness with hardness), and faster. If it is just for one or two boxing moves in a set of boxing styles, and you want to make it look masculine, why not practice external boxing? What's more, the combination of hardness and softness does not mean comparing them and then using the force like Shaolin boxing to divide the combination of hardness and softness. This is off track.
In the old Yang style, if you want to exert force, most people use the most difficult to practice shaking force, as well as loose and sinking force and soft force. But which kind of force is the best to use? In fact, all kinds of force are good, but each kind of force must be practiced so as not to go astray. In the past, when we were learning martial arts, we learned step by step. There was no quick success, and we never thought about whether there were simpler, easier, and easier exercises to practice. So along the way, we practiced what we should practice, and learned what we should learn naturally. Of course, we have to thank our teacher for his unreserved teaching.
As for whether or not to use force in boxing, both are correct. However, if you don't use force, you must have soft force. Soft force means it should be continuous like the waves in the sea. It looks gentle but contains energy. In boxing, soft force should be transmitted from the circle of the crotch to the hands slowly. It should be expressed in boxing postures as a development and extension, rather than the kind of self-indulgent swinging and shaking. Many people, even some so-called famous teachers, have this problem. Otherwise, the center of gravity cannot sink. This is related to the lack of relaxation and sinking. If you have these problems, you can only practice loose and soft force. In addition, sometimes you can use force in actual combat, but sometimes you can't. Using force is like carrying a weapon on your body. Sometimes it is useless. For example, when there are many people, it is okay if there are less than two people, but it is not easy to use if there are more than 4 to 5 people. Or when the opponent comes fast and close to you, it is not suitable to use it. At this time, you have to use the twisting force. If there is no space and time for the twisting force to bounce out, you will use the throwing method of the twisting force. In the boxing form, many postures can be used for throwing when close to you, but many people don’t know it. Why don’t they know how to use it? It’s because the practitioners look far away instead of near, and always think about reaching the sky in one step.
In boxing forms, there are techniques like the Lotus Kick, Head Cannon, Tornado Kick, Hand Movement, Cloud Hands, Banlan Chui, Daochuan Elbow, and Daonian Hou. Even left and right peng techniques can utilize throws. The key is to strengthen the three power points on your body. It's nothing special; practice all the details correctly and you'll naturally master them. As for the various jin (forces), my opinion is that if you're missing any one, it means you haven't done enough to achieve the desired results, which will result in a lack of jin (force) and will also have limited benefits in strengthening your body.
In addition, the training of Qi, the circulation and strengthening of Dan Qi are also extremely important for the use of Fa Jin. Through the internal force running through the joints from the feet to the coccyx, spine, shoulders, elbows, hands, and then to the center, the Qi returns to Dantian, and the tendons and Qi of the upper three Yang sink through the Yangqiao meridian to the Yongquan point, which is beneficial to the unblocking of tendons and meridians. Every time you exert force, you run a large circle of circulation, which is one of the benefits of Fa Jin. For actual combat application, it is a relaxation and sinking, an opening and closing of the mind, and the force can be released. Moreover, through the expansion and extension of the internal force in the tendons and meridians, the elasticity of the tendons, blood vessels, and muscles is getting better and better, and the density of the bones is relatively Yes, some students have gained 5 to 6 kilograms after practicing boxing for two years, but their appearance and waist circumference have become thinner. Another effect is to achieve the effect of removing the remaining essence through repeated circulation of the Zhoutian, and expel the bad impurities and foul air from the body. In this way, the strength will increase, and the physical strength will also increase accordingly. They cannot be like some people who practice Tai Chi or other martial arts, Qigong, who say how good they are at practicing, how far the Qi reaches, etc. ... but have no physical strength and energy, and you can't see the strength of the legs when walking. You can tell the depth of a person's skill just by watching how he walks.
As to whether or not to practice releasing force in Tai Chi, in fact, both are right and wrong. Because when you first start practicing, you cannot release force, and of course you will not be able to release force. When you reach the intermediate level of accumulating force, you should start practicing releasing force. The reason why you cannot practice releasing force is that you do not know how to relax and sink properly, so you cannot accumulate force. After you have made some progress in releasing force, you should go back to practicing not releasing force, and then practice continuous force. Only by repeating the cycle in this way can you control your force freely, and when practicing or applying, you can give up yourself and follow others as you please, be strong when facing a strong force, and weak when facing a weak force. In this way, you will not be limited to a certain field, and your boxing skills will improve day by day.
Qi sinks into Dantian
In fact, the relationship between Qi sinking into Dantian and relaxation is a causal relationship. The result is the phenomenon of fetal breathing, which is the beginning of another causal relationship, for the purpose of an endless cycle. There is life and there is death, so that there can be endless life. The reason why Qi sinking into Dantian is not practiced well is because of the two words "relax" and "sink". People who practice Tai Chi know it, but why can't they do it well? Maybe someone will say that I am very relaxed, but don't forget that relaxation will lead to sinking. Generally, people only focus on relaxation and forget to sink, so they make the mistake of being scattered. Relaxation cannot be scattered, it cannot be soft, but it cannot be stiff. This is very contradictory. Yes, Tai Chi is a natural contradiction. It comes from the principle of the opposition, mutual generation, and mutual restraint of Yin and Yang. The boxing theory mentions that Qi sinks into the bones, cotton is like a needle, etc. In plain words, the strength is in the bones, but then again, how should it be practiced? In fact, the mind The method and formula are just one sentence, which is very simple. If you say it bluntly, it will be worthless. Many people often talk about boxing classics and boxing theories, but they don't understand their meaning or misunderstand their true intention. Boxing classics and boxing theories, after all, are still theoretical and conceptual. The real mind method and formula training method must be passed down orally from the master to avoid going astray. In addition, the real mind method, formula, these secret skills will not appear in words. They are often just a vernacular, a very simple concept and then persistent training. The traditional learning process requires time to accumulate the foundation; the purpose of basic training is to Only when you have a clear understanding of the concept can you leave the master's side. Otherwise, if you only practice the form but do not practice the inner skills, it will be difficult to make any progress. Only by being by the master's side and being constantly corrected and modified by the master can the foundation of your skills be solid and you will not go astray in the future. This is the real inner nature, because the mind is one thing and the body is another. This is why many people even practice the most basic Qi sinking into the Dantian incorrectly. Qi sinking into the Dantian is not just about using the mind to inhale air into the stomach. Qi sinking into the Dantian requires combining relaxation and sinking together. Otherwise, you will only be practicing for a lifetime. It's just about inhaling. The correct way to practice is actually just one sentence, one concept. Fetal breathing will occur only after the qi sinks into the dantian. The purpose of fetal breathing is to store energy. This is for the unity of movement and stillness, and the combination of hardness and softness. Without these skills, there will be no growth. Relatively speaking, isn't this also the inner pursuit that everyone wants most? In the past, I often told my students that it was very simple and nothing. The students' expressions were indifferent, but when they had the feeling, they would be surprised that it was not as difficult as they imagined. It just requires continuous enlightenment and experience. Of course, you can't practice kung fu with just words.
Round stop and loose sinking
The causal relationship between relaxation, sinking, and centering creates a phenomenon: the crotch must be round, and the roundness must be supported. This is a causal relationship. It's not enough to just achieve a superficial roundness. Otherwise, the sole of the foot won't be fully solid. Typically, the foot will either turn outward or tilt up. This isn't acceptable because it's not relaxed enough, sinking enough. Centering, relaxation, sinking, and the crotch are interconnected in a causal cycle. Without centering, there can be no sinking. Without sinking, the crotch can't be round. Without roundness, there's no support, and of course, no fullness. Therefore, there's no accumulation of power. Consequently, when faced with a strong force, there's no way to neutralize it (Tai Chi requires the unity of neutralization and attack). Consequently, the result is Tai Chi that's good for show, but not for practice, or just a gentle, slow-paced push-hands performance. The crotch must be round to be full of strength. When the strength is full, there will naturally be a round elastic force. When the opponent uses force, you can not only transform the opponent's force, but also directly send his force and crotch strength to him. If the crotch has corners (the crotch is not round), when you are accumulating strength to exert strength, the opponent retreats with your center of gravity and gives you the force, and your center of gravity is broken. In fact, Kung Fu is a complex composed of multiple components. It is certain that if any component is missing, a certain function will be missing.
The key to being straight lies between the spine and the waist and hips, because the entire relaxed and sinking gravity must sink through the spine to the crotch and then to the soles of the feet, and then the round crotch power is uploaded to the spine. If the spine is not straight, the power will be broken. This belongs to the martial arts level. From the perspective of the circulation of tendons, veins, qi and blood, if the angle between the back and the crotch is not right, the big circle cannot be circulated, because the three yin qi cannot be uploaded, and the three yang qi cannot reach the Yongquan acupoint. In this way, there is no yang and yin. Similarly, if the spine leans forward or backward, it cannot relax and sink to the soles of the feet. Relatively, the spine cannot be crossed in order to relax. Internal martial arts are inseparable from yin and yang and the circulation of the whole body. Tai Chi is not just about gestures. There will be strength after energy.
Looseness requires sinking, sinking requires straightness, straightness can fall, falling can store, storing requires roundness, roundness requires expansion, expansion requires fullness.
Shoulder is the first checkpoint of relaxation and sinking. Everyone is familiar with sinking shoulders and dropping elbows, but there is another sentence behind it (sinking shoulders, dropping elbows), lifting wrists, sitting wrists, and letting the palms pe*****te the fingers. Why? Because the palms are the outlet of the upper body's strength. If the shoulders are not relaxed, the strength cannot be transmitted through, so it will be stiff. Generally, in order to cover up this shortcoming, it becomes a slow and gesticulating Tai Chi. This is wrong. Tai Chi should be able to be slow and fast (when practicing or using the swinging force, it must be fast). Even if there is no force, there will be an extension of force, a continuous feeling, rather than indulging in the lifeless relaxation and softness. Of course, all roads lead to Rome. It is not necessarily the process and method of practice that is absolutely correct, but the result is what is important. Similarly, it must be in line with the principles of boxing. What everyone is learning now is really biased. It has strayed too far from the fundamental principles, so that even after practicing for a long time, nothing can be achieved. A type of Tai Chi that is very popular now simplifies many of its internal elements (the number of moves does not matter much). It is done in the name of promoting Tai Chi, but without those internal skills, this type of Tai Chi is no longer Tai Chi. It can be seen but not used. It is just gesticulating. In terms of health and fitness, it is not as beneficial to the body and mind as running. It is often seen that some people who have practiced Tai Chi for more than ten or twenty years still have not practiced the same way. They think they are very relaxed and that a few performance push hands are Tai Chi. That is too funny. In actual combat, those tricks cannot be used. They can be seen but not used. In fact, they are not even ranked as the most basic. Why? No matter how you practice, there is only one general rule: be relaxed and calm. Sinking requires straightness; straightness enables falling; falling enables accumulation; accumulation requires roundness; roundness requires expansion; expansion enables fullness. There are many small details in the teaching process; if you don't explain them one by one in detail, it's difficult to understand the principles behind them. The simplest way is to use the comparison method: actually try the correct movements and incorrect ones. If you omit a small, barely noticeable detail, the difference in the results will suddenly become clear. Therefore, when teachers used to teach boxing, they would always explain the exercises in detail. This is so that you can truly practice kung fu, rather than just gesticulating and showing off the moves. In fact, the things that are omitted are mostly internal. This is because most people who learn or practice boxing pay too much attention to the movements, but ignore the principle that internal energy must first exist before external movements can occur. With internal energy, external moves, no matter what they are, will have power.
In summary, relaxation and sinking must have a beginning and an end. You cannot just focus on relaxation and make no mistakes of being soft, wide, or loose. You must sink your strength into your bones so that the foundation will be in your crotch. Only in this way can you improve your realm step by step. There are elementary, intermediate, and advanced training methods for relaxation and sinking. The requirements of each level are getting higher and higher. Only in this way can you truly integrate strength and attack into one. It is both storing strength and transforming strength. The transformed strength is stored, making the opponent feel that our body is like a sponge, constantly absorbing his force, rather than like a normal push-hands performance, where the body tilts to one side or keeps retreating and then exerting strength. In this case, if the opponent's force is strong or fast, the kung fu cannot be used.
Be centered; no matter you are relaxing and sinking to accumulate strength, or shifting your center of gravity, or sitting on your hips, you must be centered. How to be centered in these situations is closely related to relaxation and sinking, and relaxation and sinking must be centered to be done well. Every link must be positioned. It sounds like it will be difficult, but it is not. The important thing is not to deceive yourself. You must practice step by step and accumulate skills bit by bit.
Yin and Yang transformation refers to the shifting of the center of gravity. Each shift of the center of gravity is an opening and closing of Yin and Yang. There will be several opening and closing of Yin and Yang in each movement. In the process of opening and closing, Yin, Yang, light, heavy, more, less, hard, and soft must be achieved. In this way, the roundness of the crotch and the strength of the support will not be lost in the entire shift of the center of gravity. Don't cut corners. This is the reason why many people cannot practice well. Similarly, in the transformation of Yin and Yang, there are elementary, intermediate, and advanced training methods. Improve your realm step by step. Don't always think about quick success. This is a mistake of greed. In Tai Chi, you must forget about your hands and practice until you have no hands. This is the word greed.
"Returning to the origin and settling in the center" refers to sitting on the hips. When sitting on the hips, the upper body should sink the qi into the dantian, and the lower body should round the crotch and support the hips. Only in this way can the root be returned to the origin and the body be set. There is movement only when there is stability, and there is yang only when there is yin. The upper body changes from yang to yin, and the lower body changes from yin to yang. In one fixed posture, another yin and yang are transformed. The next movement is another transformation of yin and yang. In this way, the three yin and three yang tendons can continue to thrive.
The relationship between relaxed and sinking strength and sinking shoulders, dropping elbows, sitting wrists, upright palms, and strength penetrating fingers.
Relaxed and soft power is the entry-level power method of Tai Chi. With relaxation comes sinking, and sinking will manifest in certain body movements and phenomena. Without achieving this threshold of relaxed and sinking power in the hips, one cannot enter the realm of Tai Chi's elegance. Many Tai Chi practitioners practice similar boxing techniques, but that's not the point. I've always emphasized that form isn't important; the key lies in the inner yin and yang, opening and closing, gathering and dispersing, and circulation. Yet, even within the same series of Tai Chi that has survived to this day, there are significant differences in practice. This is simply because each generation has passed down a little, a little less here and there. This is why practitioners today often have many questions. When questions arise, they speculate, guess, and make up their own ideas. But no matter how much they try, it's still just a change in form, and ultimately, it's nothing. Some people claim that Tai Chi requires a straight and upright posture, with a relaxed waist and low hips, but when they perform the boxing, they move back and forth, unsteadily, with their center of gravity high, as if standing upright. This is just Tai Chi exercise.
Now let's talk about the relationship and relativity between sinking shoulders, dropping elbows, sitting wrists, standing palms, and letting strength pe*****te fingers. Strength originates from the soles of the feet, and the hands are birth, and birth is from bottom to top. Relaxation and sinking are drainage, and they should also be from top to bottom. Some people emphasize the Tai Chi of beauty hands, saying that it is correct, but only half right. This is because it is right to relax before the palm is thrown. Of course, it is impossible to sit the wrist while accumulating strength and let the strength resist on the shoulder. However, when the palm is thrown again, when the strength reaches the wrist, the body will relax and sink, the wrist will sit down, and the strength will naturally flow out along the fingers, so there will be the phenomenon of strength penetrating the fingers. If the shoulder cannot relax and sink just for a gesture, how loose can it be? It's just skin-deep. If there is real strength, the strength is still in the hand. If you really want to hit someone, wouldn't you really not give all the strength to the opponent? But then again, without relaxation and sinking, where does the strength come from? Now, some people become a little loose after practicing for a long time, and naturally have some soft power in the upper body. When they perform some "performances" of releasing power, the people pushing always push lightly and slowly, cooperating with the performers. Tai Chi is not just about practicing some performances, Tai Chi is about practicing inner skills. Can these tricks still be used in actual combat? The key to becoming fast in Tai Chi is relaxation and sinking. Relaxation and sinking are for storing power, and the power is stored in the roots, and the roots must be deep. Imagine a tree with shallow roots, it is unstable. Conversely, if the roots are deep, it can be stable. Even the strongest wind will disperse the incoming power through the numerous branches, instead of just using loose hips to neutralize the power to the other side of the incoming power. That is useful for slow and light incoming power, but it is useless when the incoming power is fast and heavy. Some people seem to have superb skills when performing the trick of releasing power, but their crotch is not round and supported when performing the boxing form, and their back foot is straight when shifting the center of gravity, or their center of gravity is too high. Unable to sink, leaning forward, leaning back, etc., always talking about listening to the force. The reason why you can listen to the force is because the force comes slowly and lightly. The real place to listen to the force is not in the hands, nor in the waist, but in the root. When punching or palming in Tai Chi, you cannot use your hands. I often tell my students to forget your hands. I want to hit you. Whether it is a punch or a palm, it has nothing to do with the hands. The hand is just a point of transmission and contact. Moreover, any point of the body can be an outlet for force as long as it touches the opponent. This concept is based on the use of relaxed and sinking force. If you want to reach out with your hands, you must first relax and sink, and the force will naturally come out. With this relaxed and sinking force, you don’t need to care about the gestures. The upper body will position itself, forming a state of sinking shoulders, dropping elbows, sitting wrists, standing palms, and force penetrating fingers. If the mind is still on the hands, the body cannot relax and sink, so the force in the body cannot be transmitted and released. This is why many boxing postures practicing beauty hands are one higher than the other. The reason for not being able to sink is that even if you force yourself to practice a lower boxing stance, the crotch cannot be rounded and supported, so that the body tilts to one side, and the center of gravity falls on the waist and knees. These problems also appear in some people who practice Chen-style Tai Chi. Because of this, the center of gravity cannot sink, so no matter how much you practice, you can only practice slowly. Otherwise, the boxing stance is very beautiful, but you can't exert any strength. Of course, you can't practice the alternation of fast and slow, the combination of hard and soft, the late come first, etc. in the boxing theory. The biggest factor is misunderstanding the direction. Because there are too many people learning this way, and too many Tai Chi taught in this tone, Tai Chi has become a matter of gestures, and has lost the real Tai Chi martial arts level.
In addition, if someone performs certain Chen-style Tai Chi moves without sinking the shoulders and elbows, sitting the wrists, standing the palms, and letting the strength pe*****te the fingers, it may look very much like the Tai Chi style of the Beauty Hand, such as the Lazy Tie-Clothes and Single Whip. Some people mistakenly think that they can get away with it by just turning their wrists, but they are deceiving themselves. This is just superficial work. Tai Chi is about the concept of the equality of yin and yang. Up and down, head and tail, long and short, high and low, all have to be clearly distinguished in order to practice. You can tell how well you are practicing relaxation and sinking by looking at your hand shapes.
