Tag: taij

  • From nothing to something and back

    I let go and enter the domain of no one.

    Heaven and Earth are one.
    The circle and square are equals.

    They separate as necessary without effort.
    First boundless stillness, then endless movement.

    It makes no sense to talk about form or formlessness.
    Substance or no substance – what’s the difference?

    Body, energy and mind – what are they?
    I am just a conduit of the forces of Nature.

    My mind drives and fills out Form.
    Empty but full, it pervades the Universe.

    I stand in the Center.
    Watching the Master and the servant at work.

    When we offer no resistance,
    we meet no resistance.

    Miracles and Mystery.
    The mundane stuff is welcomed like a friend.

    I have no mind of my own.
    Eventually this will fall away too.

    Perfection in imperfection.
    Imperfection in perfection.

    It seems as if I am there, but I am not.
    I am not, but am I right here.

    Others cannot fathom it.
    I cannot fathom it either.

    Naturally – it’s ok.

    (Poem about the liberation of mind, heart and intention “Shen, Xin and Yi” in spiritual work like: Standing Meditation, Qigong, Neigong, Neijia and Taiji )

  • Postures of the Cheng Man-Ching Tai Chi 37 Form

    Zheng Manqing

    Traditional Chinese 鄭曼青
    Simplified Chinese 郑曼青
    Pinyin Romanisation (Mandarin) Zhèng Mànqīng
    Wade-Giles Romanisation (Mandarin) Cheng4 Man4-ch’ing1
    Other versions Zheng Manqing
      Cheng Man Ching, CMC

     

    Cheng Man Ching's 37 Posture Form Chart

    Section One

          

    1 預備勢 yù bèi shì preparation
    起勢 qǐ shì commencement
    2 攔雀尾 lán què wěi grasp the sparrow’s tail 
    • ward-off (left side) 
    • ward-off (right side) 
    • roll back 
    • press 
    • push
    3 單鞭 dān biān single whip
    4 提手 tí shǒu raise arms
    kào lean
    5 白鶴亮翅 bái hè liàng chì white crane spreads wings
    6 摟膝拗步 lōu xī ào bù brush knee twist step
    7 手揮琵琶 shǒu huī pípá hand strums the pipa
    8 摟膝拗步 lōu xī ào bù brush knee twist step
    9 進步搬攔捶 jìn bù bān lán chuí advance, deflect, parry and punch
    10 如封似閉 rú fēng sì bì apparently closing
    11 十字手 shí zì shǒu cross hands

    Section Two

      

    12 抱虎歸山 bào hǔ guī shān embrace tiger, return to mountain
    攔雀尾 lán què wěi grasp the sparrow’s tail 
    • ward-off 
    • roll back 
    • press 
    • push
    13 斜單鞭 xié dān biān diagonal single whip
    14 肘底捶 zhǒu dǐ chuí fist under elbow
    15 倒攆猴(五) dào niǎn hóu step back and repulse monkey (5)
    16 斜飛勢 xié fēi shì diagonal flying
    17 雲手(四) yún shǒu cloud hands (4)
    18 單鞭 dān biān single whip

     

    Section Three

    19 蛇身下勢 shé shēn xià shì snake creeps down
    20 金雞獨立 jīn jī dú lì golden rooster, single stance 
    • right side 
    • left side
    21 分腳 fēn jiǎo separate leg 
    • right side 
    • left side
    22 轉身蹬腳 zhuǎn shēn dèng jiǎo turn body and heel kick
    23 左右摟膝拗步 zuǒ yòu lōu xī ào bù left and right brush knee and twist step
    24 進步栽捶 jìn bù zāi chuí advance and plant punch
    25 上步攔雀尾 shàng bù lán què wěi rise up and grasp the sparrow’s tail 
    • ward-off 
    • roll back 
    • press 
    • push
    26 單鞭 dān biān single whip

    Section Four

     

    27 玉女穿梭(四) yù nǚ chuān suō fair lady weaving (4)
    28 攔雀尾 lán què wěi grasp the sparrow’s tail 
    • ward-off 
    • roll back 
    • press 
    • push
    29 單鞭 dān biān single whip
    30 蛇身下勢 shé shēn xià shì snake creeps down
    31 上步七星 shàng bù qī xīng rise up to the Seven Stars
    32 退步跨虎 tuì bù kuà hǔ step back and ride tiger
    33 轉身擺蓮 zhuǎn shēn bǎi lián turn body and swing over lotus
    34 彎弓射虎 wān gōng shè hǔ bend bow shoot tiger
    35 進步搬攔捶 jìn bù bān lán chuí advance, deflect, parry and punch
    36 如封似閉 rú fēng sì bì apparently closing
    37 十字手 shí zì shǒu cross hands
    合太極 hé tài jí conclude tai chi

    Reference: singongtaichi.com New Zealand

    The number of postures in different Tai Chi styles varies greatly. The original Tai Chi form consisted of 13 postures, based on the 8 trigrams and 5 elements. One of the most widely practiced styles of Tai Chi, Yang Style Long Form, uses a form with 108 postures and generally takes at least 20 minutes to complete.

    Professor Cheng Man-Ching studied the Yang Style Long Form with Yang Cheng-Fu, of the famous Yang Family lineage. Professor Cheng was one of Yang Cheng-Fu’s most accomplished students, and was given special permission to shorten the form so that he could teach it more rapidly to the Chinese military during World War II. This shortened 37-posture form eliminated many of the repititions that existed in the long form, while maintaining its essence. Professor Cheng taught it for the rest of his life, continually modifying it in terms of the general shapes of the postures and ultimately transforming it into a form designed primarily for the cultivation of energy (ch’i) and health, differing from its mother form which was designed primarily for martial purposes. Called the Yang Style Short Form during his lifetime, today the form created by Professor Cheng is called the Cheng Man-Ching form, because although his final version of the form roughly follows the Yang Style Long Form, the essense of it is quite different. In spite of the changes Professor Cheng made, his form does not betray its martial roots. Concealed within the postures are the original martial applications. Combining highly-developed softness, sensitivity, and energy as cultivated by Professor’s form with the hidden martial applications is what makes this form particularly powerful.

    Professor Cheng stated that one should take at least 7 minutes to perform his form for health benefits, and 10-12 minutes for “something more”. The 37 postures of Professor Cheng Man-Ching’s form are as follows:

    1. Preparation – Also known as wu chi or hun-yuan (Undifferentiated Unity)

    2. Beginning – or ch’i shih (where you perform the opening breath). Raise hands back and down, more familiarly known as “the ch’i exercise.”

    (3a. Preparation for Ward Off, Left – where you relax your shoulders and gain spatial understandings)

    3. Ward Off, Left – Also known as tso peng, the foundation of Yang Tai Chi. This is also a great stance to practice rooting in.

    4. Ward Off, Right

    5. Roll Back – One of Professor Cheng’s favorite defensive postures: essential for the small to overcome the large

    6. Press – an opportunity to transmit power through the wrist of the opposite-side hand

    7. Push – a vertical movement, unlike the Yang Style Long Form “Push.” The knee and elbow coordinate in this posture.

    Postures 3 through 7 are collectively known as “Grasping the Sparrow’s Tail”, which gives the impression of one playing a tugging game with a bird. Your motions should move forward and backward, like waves lapping at the seashore.

    8. Single Whip – An excellent posture for chi circulation

    9. Raise Hands

    10. Shoulder Stroke – A great inside fighting technique

    11. White Crane Cools Wings

    12. Brush Knee, Left

    13. Play Guitar – Also known as Play “Pipa”

    Repeat Brush Knee, Left

    14. Step Up and Block

    15. Parry and Punch – a neutralization is hidden here

    Postures 14 and 15 are collectively called Chin Pu, Pan Nan Ch’ui. Professor Cheng distinctly indicated there are two postures here.

    16. Apparent Close-up – Also called “Withdraw and Push”

    17. Cross Hands

    Posture 17 marks the end of the first section of the kung chia, which we call the “Short Half.” This is because it contains approximately half of the total postures in the form and lacks some of the repetitions we find in the second half (thus requiring less time for its performance).

    18. Embrace Tiger, Return to Mountain

    This is followed by Roll Back, Press, Push; then Single Whip in the direction of the corner (or diagonal).

    19. Fist Under Elbow – A good stance to practice one-legged rooting

    20. Step Back and Repulse Monkey, Right – Good for loosening hips and improving digestion (front-back foot placement)

    21. Step Back and Repulse Monkey, Left – same as above

    Follow these with three more repetitions of Repulse Monkey: Right, Left, and Right.

    22. Diagonal Flying

    23. Wave Hands Like Clouds, Left – Also good for loosening hips and improving digestion (side-to-side foot placement)

    24. Wave Hands Like Clouds, Right

    Follow these with three more repetitions of “Cloud Hands”: Left, Right, and Left; then go into Single Whip.

    25. Single Whip, Lower Style – Also known as “Snake Creeps Up” (or Down). An excellent posture for increasing flexibility, power and single-weightedness

    26. Golden Cock Stands on One Leg, Right – Also known by “Golden Pheasant”, this posture teaches balance

    27. Golden Cock Stands on One Leg, Left

    28. Separation of the Right Foot – Coordinates the hands with kicking

    29. Separation of the Left Foot

    30. Turn Body and Kick With Heel – Teaches balance while turning and improves flexibility

    This posture is followed by Brush Knee, Left and then Brush Knee, Right.

    31. Step Forward and Punch

    Next, step up into Ward Off, Right; followed by Roll Back, Press, Push, and Single Whip.

    32. Fair Lady Weaves (Works) Shuttle I- A textbook example of how defense proceeds offense in Tai Chi

    33. Fair Lady Weaves (Works) Shuttle II – A different hand position (opposing hand position).

    These postures are followed by Fair Lady Weaves Shuttle III & IV, which are all done towards different corners. Together they are called the “Four Corners”. The “Four Corners” are followed by “Grasping the Sparrow’s Tail” (Ward Off, Left & Right, Roll Back, Press, and Push), Single Whip, and “Snake Creeps Down” or Single Whip, Lower Style.

    34. Step Up to Seven Stars – A devastating solar plexus attack.

    35. Retreat to Ride Tiger

    36. Turn Body Sweep Lotus Leg – Teaches balance while spinning with a crescent kick.

    37. Bend Bow Shoot Tiger

    This posture is followed by Step Up, Block, Parry and Punch then Apparent Close-up, and lastly Cross Hands, which leads to the close of the Tai Chi form

    Reference: http://74.200.201.165