STUDY THE RULES CAREFULLY
HEAD | SPINE | RELAX | BREATH | EYES LOOKING FAR | FLEXED JOINTS | STEPS | CLOSING AND OPENING A MOVEMENT | FIND THE CENTER OF UP-RIGHTNESS | STEADY LEVEL OF MOVEMENT | SHIFTING WEIGHT | SLOW AND STEADY PACE | HAND AND WRIST | ROTATION OF THE WAIST
HEADThe head must be held upward as though suspended from above. This allows for the spirit to be aroused and attention to be stable. Dexterity in movement can be achieved easily. The intention is to be light. The suspension should feel as though coming from midway between the middle and back of the crown. The chin will be level (slight downward cast) to free the neck from tension.
SPINThe spine should be up-right but not rigid. There are four natural curves in the spine that allow for it to flex. Rigidity in the spine is a result of misunderstanding that having a straight spine means NOT TO LEAN. Sink the chest, pluck up the back and plumb the tail bone slightly downward. In this way, the Chi may sink to the Tan Tien.
RELAXWhen the body can relax, it has both the ability to enhance energy movement within and apply greater dexterity without. Relaxation does not mean to be limp but instead to be buoyant. One is relaxed but not relaxed.
BREATHIn the first phases of studying Tai chi the breath is not stressed. One is encouraged to follow natural breathing. As time passes, the breath naturally expands and deepens into the tan tien. The breathing naturally slows down. One can then concentrate to expand and control the breath in the tan tien. Belly breathing is natural and is the way babies breath. We often lose this important way of breathing when we are still quite young, so, it's something we have to relearn. The belly should not be constricted or the chi will not rise. The tip of the tongue should be placed on the upper roof of the mouth where it sits naturally when the mouth is closed. This stops the energy from being lost in exhaling and keeps the energy circulating throughout the meridians.
EYES LOOKING FARIf the eyes are looking into the distance and focusing in a 180 degree sighting, the chi can expand in the body and the area around the eyes will not tighten. This quality is also referred to as seeing "far and near" or simply "looking far". Outward attention helps to expand chi inside the body and simultaneously allows internal energy to grow and be felt as peng ching. As a result of internal expansion, a relaxed state of mind can more easily come about. This is important in helping: the nerves to become strong and receptive, the mind to become quiet and attentive. This induces meditation in movement and should be done while practicing the set. In push hands practice, the attention will be gathered internally while using awareness to follow the opponent.
FLEXED JOINTSTo bend at the joints of the ankles, knees, and elbows (the wrists are flexible but straight) allows the chi to move freely. The elbows should be poised downward and the shoulders relaxed. This condition is referred to as being strung together like nine pearls.
STEPSThe step forward is from heel to toe, backward from toe to heel and to the side flat footed or toe to heel. Diagonal steps will follow the same conditions according to forward or backward emphasis. In stepping, the two heels should not be placed inside of each other. This will block the hips and waist from moving freely and will contribute to instability. An example is the horse riding step used when single whip is in full expansion.
CLOSING AND OPENING A MOVEMENTEvery movement in Tai Chi has a closing inward and an opening outward. These movements should be executed compressing/pulling (inward) or pushing/reaching (outward)- as though one were dealing with a buoyant substance (drawing silk). For those who have pulled taffy the feeling should be similar to this sensation. Do not over-exert. The action should have a steady feeling much like the pull and grip exerted by a baby.
FIND THE CENTER OF UP-RIGHTNESSWhen you step to the center as in 'grasp the bird's tail' and 'push', step forward only as far as the body carries the front foot from heel to toe. You should end up in the center between the back foot and front foot. Centeredness means that the spine is straight up and down with the tail bone and top of the head in alignment.
STEADY LEVEL OF MOVEMENTDo not rise up and down in the changes. Keep the movement on a steady level. There are instances in the set when one sinks and rises but apart from these keep the action on an even keel.
SHIFTING WEIGHTIn shifting from the back leg forward as in the horse riding step, one's forward action comes to the center between front and back leg. Later-after development-the shift can be less apparent. In the practice of the set and in push hands the weight shift should be complete when one steps through from one leg to the other.
SLOW AND STEADY PACE
One should not be intermittent (stop and go) in movement. In the beginning assume a moderate and steady pace. Later, one can slow down the movements to the point where a set can take 45 minutes to one hour to complete. The slower sets are practiced with greater attention on the mind lifting, sinking, pulling, and pushing 10,000 pounds. Eventually, a weightlessness will arise and the mind can be fully silent. There are moments in the set when fast movements are executed. These are done to - 'Fa-shing' - release energy.
HAND AND WRISTThe thumb and fingers of the push hand are open but not strained. The fist hand is closed with the thumb joint bent and gripped between the first and second joint of the index finger. The wrist must be straight. The closed finger's hand is done with the center of the palm closed, the fingers touching and the thumb resting on the index and second finger. The wrist joint is bent with fingers pointing downward except in 'pull down leading to the great bear constellation' (seven stars movement) where the fingers are slanted in a lateral direction.
ROTATION OF THE WAISTThe movement of the waist is always referred to in classic literature on Tai Chi as moving like a great banner flag pole. The reference to the banner flag pole is made because lead warriors in ancient China carried a flag that stretched upward from the small of the back to several feet above the head. The flags let commanders and generals know where their troops were and helped them orchestrate movements in battle. The waist is the center from which action arises and must rotate freely to execute movements well. In Tai Chi, we are using the idea of the centrifuge in our movement and the waist plays a major part in this concept. Centrifugal movement is based upon the wheel. Energy is expressed from the center outward and received from the outer rim inward to the axis.