Breathing the Essence of Taijiquan
Balancing the internal practice of energy flow with the strength training of martial arts, Taijiquan trains practitioners to find balance within their bodies and the rest of the world.

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By Adam Wallace

Taijiquan (I prefer the Pinyin spelling over the usual Tai Chi Chuan), in its purest form, is highly respected as one of China’s traditional martial arts. More than just a system of fighting, Taijiquan’s internal training, or Qigong, (guiding the flow of vital energy through synchronized movement, breathing, and mental relaxation) makes the practice so valuable to overall health.

But we dilute the essential quality of Taijiquan when we focus only on health, as the majority of practitioners today do, neglecting the central importance of the practice as combat training. Similarly, much of contemporary martial arts practice concentrates on developing the fighting skill, and omits internal training. This is why so many martial artists today do not become especially healthy from their training.

Taijiquan was actually created by a military general, from the Chen clan (farmers and bodyguards), at the end of the Ming dynasty, less than four hundred years ago. He combined techniques from various martial arts, with internal training for health, including yin/yang principles, together with Chinese medical theory of the channels and collaterals. Chen Taijiquan is the oldest style. All today’s popular styles, such as Yang, Wu, and Sun, originate from the Chen style.

Finding Balance through Strength

Traditional Chinese martial arts (including Taijiquan) incorporate internal training to replace expended energy, heal the body from injury and restore balance. Daoism, the Chinese philosophical/religious study of the way, stresses balance as the key to health. According to Chinese medicine, all illness is a result of imbalance.

Taiji is merely the (Daoist) principle of yin and yang in motion, and Quan means fist. So, Taijiquan (Taiji Fist or Yin/Yang Boxing) is a martial art, based on the principle of balance; alternating between hard and soft, slow and quick, solid and empty, and so forth. Taiji, by its very definition, must include both sides, so those that only consider the slow, soft, and yielding, are missing the fundamental principle, and only seeing half the picture. Understanding yin and yang extends beyond forms and combat: it is the very essence of health and fitness, and is a practical method to understanding nature through direct experience of these two energies within.

All traditional Chinese martial arts begin by training the legs. This develops a solid, unshakable connection with the ground, like the roots of a tree. A strong, healthy body must have strong legs, and martial artists must (or should) have strong bodies. Striking power does not come through training arms and fists, but through the legs. Taijiquan's foundation training is called Standing Pole (or Standing Like a Mountain), which also functions as a type of meditation, fostering a calm mind and a peaceful heart (training patience), both integral to health. This deceptively simple exercise – outwardly nothing appears to be going on - still causes the legs to shake and burn, and produces sweat. Training the legs, in this manner, also strengthens the kidneys, the marrow, and bones. As a non-exertion exercise, unlike other types of exercise, it actually alleviates fatigue and accumulates vital energy (Qi), so it is a form of stationary Qigong.

Flowing Like a Great River

The original Chen Taijiquan forms are characterized by spiral, coiling energy, known as Silk-reeling energy, so-called because the body's external movements resemble the spiraling work undertaken by the silkworm, as it manufactures its thread. Silk is extremely fragile when first ejected by the worm’s body, but as it is spun countless times, becomes reinforced and highly durable. Likewise, the body becomes fortified until a body of 'iron wrapped in silk' is forged.

Silk-reeling energy is that which links the individual postures of the form, like a string of pearls, into one unbroken form; flowing, as the Taiji Classics state, “like a great river”. This energy is trained through Silk-reeling practice, which involves repetition of certain exercises. The primary goal of this practice is to encourage the flow of vital energy throughout the body, so this may be regarded as a type of moving Qigong.

According to theory, disease is the result of blocked or stagnant energy, and pain indicates precisely where the energy is blocked. Reeling silk prevents and cures this situation. The physical activity of Silk-reeling involves a coordinated movement involving the whole body.

Most other forms of exercise isolate specific parts of the body, or specific muscle groups, and can cause the energy to become blocked, and/or the breathing to become labored with rapid heartbeat, causing the energy to become chaotic. Taijiquan unifies the whole body in movement, and the energy is encouraged to flow evenly, with the regulated breath. As the Taijiquan classics state, “When one part (of the body) moves, no part should remain still”.

True Relaxation Requires Practiced Tension

Relaxation is a major principle of Taijiquan, and the first step of development. Moving slowly does not necessarily mean one is relaxed, and many practitioners (and unqualified teachers) mistake ‘relaxed’ for ‘collapsed’. So, as they slouch, the posture becomes become broken, causing the acupuncture channels to become blocked, the flow of energy disrupted, and internal organs to become cramped (negating the health benefits). The body also loses its mobility and equilibrium (negating martial capability). This type of relaxation is superficial.

True relaxation is a process; whereby the strength, or tension, must be ‘ground out’, over time. Only when posture is correct, and the skeletal structure supports the body, can the muscles truly relax. In Taijiquan practitioners achieve relaxation by holding individual postures for extended periods of time. The student must find the most comfortable and natural position under the pain and internal pressure created from within.

As the tension from the upper body empties, energy sinks to the legs, so the torso becomes soft and flexible, while the legs become increasingly stronger. Deep cellular relaxation cannot be acquired from the outset on a whim, as tension will always remains in the upper body, if the legs are not trained. In this case, even if the movements appear to flow, there is no stability, or solidity, and the form may be considered ‘empty’.

Some appear so ‘relaxed’ as to be practically comatose, when, instead, the mind and spirit should be alert and lively, with increased sensitivity to the workings of the internal body. If one’s Taijiquan looks bizarre, feeble, or comical, to an observer, then it probably is! When it is fluid, with tangible strength, solidity, and ‘spirit’, then the energy is just right.

The Secret is in the Air

In the West, most exercise is conducted indoors in stale, sweaty environments, devoid of fresh air, and workouts with loud music, or in front of television screens, excites the mind. People who live life indoors, going from home to office, to gym, and back everyday (with occasional visits to bars or movie theatres), wonder why they suffer allergies and frequently become sick.

In China, Taijiquan is, mostly, practiced outdoors. This is the ‘secret’ to what makes it healthy! Breath is life - air is the main element of Qi - working with Qi brings vitality (and a strong immune system). Also, seeing the sky, and nature, is peaceful for the heart, and balances the mind.

Taijiquan has proven successful as a cure for high blood pressure, heart disease, tuberculosis, arthritis, and diabetes, among many other conditions. It improves the function of the skeleton and muscles, as well as the respiratory, lymphatic, and digestive systems. Taijiquan works for the internal body, trains legs for strength and stamina, trains breath to maximize efficiency, and fosters mental relaxation, which is a major consideration since, according to Chinese medicine (and Buddhist thought), many illnesses originate with the mind.

Adam Wallace teaches group and private classes in Manhattan and Jersey City. Call (212) 330 8327 or visit dayanqigong.com