On Tai Chi: 掤

Author: Zhang Zhaoping I. Preface Tai Chi Chuan has a form called "Catching the Magpie's Tail". Also known as "LAN Que Wei" or "LAN Qie Wei", it is also called "LAN Qie Wei", "Intercepting Hui" or "LAN Zha Yi", "LAN Cha Yi" or "LAN Zha Yi". Pull a robe. There are numerous names and no unified title to date. It is precisely because of their different names that their actions are not consistent. However, the art of application lies in each person's proficiency. The Taiji martial arts passed down by Xu Xuanping of the Tang Dynasty, known as "Three Generations and Seven Forms", also called "Changquan", has a total of 37 forms. Among them, the "Raising the Tail of the Sparrow" form, although it is different from the current name of "Catching the Tail of the Magpie", can be said to best follow the principle of nature without earth. "LAN" is 擥, also written as "LAN", which means to gather, hold, or hold in general. Therefore, "catching the magpie's tail" refers to taking two hands to hold the head and tail of a sparrow and rotating them up and down along with it. Here, the arm of the enemy is depicted as a magpie's tail, symbolizing its floating, sinking and rotating along with it. Magpies or sparrows are both small birds, and the tail is the tail of a small bird. When a little bird wants to fly away, it first moves its tail. If it wants to fly upwards, its tail hangs down first. If it wants to fly downwards, its tail lifts up first. If it wants to fly to the right, its tail leaves first. If it wants to fly to the left, its tail turns to the right first. This is due to the physiological structure of animals. We should first understand this natural truth. The "LAN Que wei" is a comprehensive general hand in Tai Chi, that is, the adhesive and continuous, reciprocating and inseparable pushing hand. There are four techniques: peng (bumping), lu (摅 or rolling), squeezing and pressing. Generally, it is called the main hand. Some people divide the collection of magpie tails into left and right sheds, and add strokes and squeezes. The five postures are combined. Some people divide them into six postures: lifting, squeezing, rolling, pressing, 掤, and cutting. Some people divide them into seven postures: right embracing the magpie tail, left 掤, left embracing the magpie tail, right cover, left rolling, right squeezing, and right drape. Some people divide them into two postures: right embracing the magpie tail, each with 掤, rolling, squeezing, and pressing, totaling eight postures. This article only discusses the form "掤". Ii. What is 掤 掤? Read peng; The meaning of "tie bang" is synonymous with "hold". If the opponent strikes, I will be inclined upward by his force 掤, so that his force is returned to my body and I cannot descend. When throwing, both arms are stretched out in a round shape like springs, and the shoulders and lower limbs seem to be placed with spring balls. The 掤 force of both arms seems to be supported by this spring ball, like a deflated rubber ball, touching the other hand. This one presses the other up, defying the other's momentum and supporting upward, preventing the other force from decreasing. So the character 掤 comes from the hand and from the double moon, just like the double 掤 of the cloud hand, and when it takes over, each side makes a hand to pass it on, it is like two new moons, indicating that the character 掤 has both phonetic and associative meanings. Youdaoplaceholder0 In ancient times, it was read as "ice", referring to the round quiver cap. The Zuo Zhuan and the 25th year of the Zhao era noted that the quiver cap could be used for drinking. Read "Peng" again, which sounds like "peng". Two months of sticking together, we are friends, not enemies. The character 掤 is listed as the first of the eight methods, indicating that the 掤 method is not unique to just one lake form; that is, all eight methods of Tai Chi and even any hand of Tai Chi contain 掤 force. Tai Chi moves with a 掤, which means defense and no intention of being an enemy of others. This is similar to the friendship between two friends, who stick together but do not resist, symbolizing defense through attack. Therefore, when the Tai Chi Chuan score starts with the right 掤 and then the left 掤, it implies the meaning of giving way again and again. This is the same as the Chinese culture of not invading others and stopping war as martial arts. In the past, there were five or ten sayings among Tai Chi teachers that were not passed on, one of which was "those who are aggressive should not pass it on." There is a saying: "Those who humble themselves can get along well with the crowd; those who strive for victory will surely encounter enemies." We should have a deep understanding of this. The grand master Yang Gongcheng, based on the chapter "Pushing Hands" of the entire book, stated: "The 掤 method is directed outward, controlling the enemy's pressing hands, and it is not allowed to press them close to the chest and abdomen, thus it is called 掤." He also said, "The way of the shed..." The most detested is sluggishness and also slowness and heaviness. Sluggishness means not knowing one's own movement, while sluggishness means not knowing the enemy's choice. If one neither knows oneself nor the other party, one cannot be regarded as a pusher. Those with severe delays. If one must use force to resist others, it will result in a dead hand, which is not the approach of Tai Chi practitioners. What must be said is 掤, which means sticking, not resisting. The hand is outward 掤, intending to stick back, but not allowing the 掤 hand to touch the chest. The regulation and transformation of the force all depend on turning the waist. Once the waist is turned, my 掤 posture is already complete. Its significance to 掤 and the movement of 掤 are quite clear. We should be sincere and earnest, and never let it slip away. Iii. The Practice of 掤 tai chi Chuan is a form of boxing, and boxing is for hitting people. There is no form that is empty and no form that cannot hit people. However, Tai Chi is slightly different from other forms of martial arts. Whether it is the Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu or Wu schools, whether it is the thirteen forms, twenty-four forms, thirty-seven forms, forty-two forms, fifty-four forms, sixty-four forms, eighty-eight forms, -08 forms... All of them advocate that "when the enemy does not move, it has already stopped; when the enemy moves slightly, it has already moved first", "In a confrontation, it is crucial not to be the first", and "strike after the enemy". There is also the saying that "Tai Chi does not hit people", so every movement in Tai Chi's postures is "defense first, then attack". That is to say, in the boxing postures they form, there are neither advanced attacking movements nor defensive movements without attacking. Moreover, the first movement of each boxing posture is defensive and backward, while the second movement is forward and aggressive. This is history, this is culture. We must never neglect it. When 掤, if the wrist of the 掤 hand is about 30 centimeters away from the chest and the finger of the other hand touches the wrist vein of the 掤 hand, it is considered positive. When positive meets negative, one should always give it a little less. Generally, 掤 is divided into vertical sheds and inclined sheds (left and right 掤). There are four types: upper 掤 and lower 掤. No matter which one 掤 it is, its strength is in the waist. Never exert force on your hands or shoulders. In the instant of 掤, it turns into a twisting transformation, whether palm, fist, finger, release, gathering, gathering, 挒, timing, or leaning, all within one 掤. In fact, the force of the eight methods is merely a 掤 force. So 掤 is like a scout of a mechanism, always standing on the first line of defense. Whether listening, transforming, taking or distributing, 掤 should come first. If 掤 is triggered, one should make the other party feel weightless; if 掤 is triggered, one must not lose one's own center of gravity. Whether it is the 掤 transformation or the 掤 introduction, once one gains the momentum, one should release the 掤. The 掤 release is the first move among the eight methods and holds an extremely important position among the thirteen postures. When it is released, it will not hurt anyone, so one should pay special attention to the measure. Stop at the right point and make people give up when they are in a difficult situation. The Eight Principles Rhyme states: "掤 What is the meaning of the force?" Just like water carrying a boat. First, solidify the qi in the dantian, then tighten the top of the head and suspend it. The force of the spring all over the body, opening and closing for a certain period of time, no matter how much force there is, it is not difficult to float. Boats come in various sizes and weights. The smaller ones are light and weigh in tons, while the larger ones can reach hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of tons. Regardless of their size or weight, boats can float on water. Since boats are hollow, water can support their weight. Here, water supporting the boat's movement is used as a metaphor for 掤 force, that is, when 掤, both arms are spread out like holding a round plate, and the center is stable like the pearl on the plate. No matter how the enemy attacks, I can only meet them by spreading the plate. And it still does not deviate from the pearl, nor does it lose its core. The first two lines of the thirteen-character practice of Tai Chi Chuan, "掤 hands and arms should be fully supported, and attack in any way that is dynamic, static, virtual or real," convey this meaning. The sixty-four forms in the boxing manual are used to strike 掤 with the right (left) hand from bottom to top and forward 掤, which implies a circle. Walk in a circular motion, changing at any time, reserved yet not revealing, defensive yet offensive, round yet square, "the lotus flowers slowly bloom at midnight", at 掤, lower your shoulders, form an arc with your arms, part and loosen your waist. The arch and leg must be in harmony. The lateral distance between the two feet should be approximately ten centimeters, and the center should be stable. When the right (left) foot is brought back to the side of the left (right) foot, if the movement is proficient, the waist has sufficient support strength, and the key point of changing the body 's center of gravity can be mastered, the toes do not need to touch the ground to take a step forward into a right (left) lunge, and the right (left) hand can then move downward and upward 掤 along with the rotation of the waist. At this moment, the 掤 force of both arms is like a ball of air, touching the other hand. This one presses the other to rise, and any force that goes against the other's trend is carried upward to prevent the other force from descending. So when performing the 掤 pose, the elbow of the arm is usually bent slightly more than a right Angle, and at this time, the arm is in a half-moon shape with a round support. From the perspective of mechanical principles, the arch has a stronger compressive resistance than other shapes. Not only should the arm in the 掤 form be 掤 complete and not bent into an acute Angle, but the meaning of support is not only to support outward and upward 掤, but more importantly, the shoulder and armpit should be hollow, as if equipped with a spring, so that the arm is supported by the spring and becomes elastic. At the same time, with the waist as the axis, one should achieve the state that "when one moves, everything remains still." Always maintain the 掤 force as flexible as a bow. So there is the saying that "掤 should be fully supported." Some people believe that in the 掤 form, horizontal force is used in the walking frame and vertical force is used in the pushing hand. This has been studied. Generally speaking, when using the 掤 method to confront others, the completion of the 掤 form lies entirely within a single turn of the waist, that is, the left 掤 should be turned to the left. To the right, 掤 should turn the waist to the right, that is, whether moving the frame or pushing the hand. All of them are done with horizontal force. It should also be noted that whether defending or attacking, it is necessary to form an Angle and arc with the incoming force, even if it is a tiny arc formed by rotating the wrist, so as to achieve the smooth transmission of the force and prevent it from falling on me. This is something to be noted. Generally, there are eight directions of 掤 force: 1. Upward movement, moving forward and outward, is called 掤 force; 2. Reverse movement, moving backward and inward, 掤 force, is called stroking force; 3. The 掤 force within both hands is called squeezing force; 4. The downward and forward sticky 掤 exhalation is called the pressing force. 5. The 掤 force of both hands is distributed outward and exhaled as the gathering force. 6. The rapid ejection of the 掤 force is called the 挒 force. 7. The ejection of the hand outside the circle with the elbow is called the elbow force. 8. When the elbow goes out of the circle, use the body to relieve the rebound and shout it out with force. That is, all the forces of 掤 are still in the force of 掤. Although the movements and forms may vary slightly among different schools and sects, the meanings of the scriptures and the internal skills are the same. So we don't need to be overly concerned about the argument over the appearance and posture. We just need to always pay attention to the "enemy situation concept" and "not relax the enemy's thinking in the slightest". Basically, the postures of each school and sect all have their own significance and origin. One must never criticize this as right and that as wrong, this as good and that as bad. It is good to use them properly, and it is right to use them appropriately. If one can master the martial arts of their own sect to perfection and also have a thorough understanding of the postures and techniques of various sects, they will be invincible in every battle and unbreakable in every obstacle. There is a common saying in the Yang family: "Do not impose 掤 on others." There are also a few mnemonic rhymes: "掤 to the left, rely on pounding; 掤 to the right, stroke and knead. All kinds of punches can be used. One knee, two throat, three chest press." I sincerely hope that fellow practitioners will repeat these words three times. Fourth, conclusion As mentioned above: 掤 posture and 掤 force are the first of the eight techniques in terms of technique. Among the Thirteen postures, it holds an extremely important position. Especially in practical application, it is a perfect transformation, just like the endless cycle. However, based on the classics, treatises and rhymes of Tai Chi, scholars still need to progress from the techniques to the principles. The saying goes, "Train both the body and mind." "Proficient in both Taoist and martial arts." For example, in the Yang Family Boxing manual, "One move..." At the end of the chapter, there is the following advice from Zhang Zhenren of Wudang Mountain: "I hope all the heroes in the world can live a long life and not merely be at the end of their skills." And the "General Song of the Thirteen Postures" also states: "What is the ultimate intention? To prolong life and stay young forever." This precisely indicates that beyond the skills of Tai Chi, the true purpose of Tai Chi lies in enhancing the happiness of the general public in their daily lives. As for techniques, skills and artistry, they are merely the steps of humanity. The "Dao" mentioned here refers to the "Way of the King", "Way of Benevolence" or "Middle Way" that the Chinese nation has long practiced, whether it is the Confucian principles of self-restraint, loving others, loyalty and filial piety. The Taoist philosophy of "being born without having, acting without relying." "Success is achieved but one does not rest on it." Even the Mohist concept of "crowding crowding and doing things for the benefit of the world"; The Buddhist concept of "compassion and joy" and "providing relief services to the human world with an otherworldly spirit." Even in Sun Wuzi's thirteen military classics, in the "First Chapter of the Initial Plan", "Dao" is ranked first among the "Five Matters", namely "Heaven, Earth, General, and Law". The way of "Who has the right path?" and the principles of "integrity, dedication, sincerity, uprightness, self-cultivation, uniformity, governance, and peace" are characterized by purity and few desires. The path of self-cultivation and benefiting the world is actually consistent and universal. The highest principle of Sun Tzu's martial arts is "the best military strategy", and the true meaning of the character "strategy" lies in seeking happiness, harmony, peace and prosperity for all the people in the world. The Chinese nation and culture have always followed this broad and smooth path, which is why they have withstood many tests and remained "polished but not thickened, dyed but not stained, divided but not scattered, and competing but becoming more visible". This spirit is precisely the "myriad variations" of Tai Chi. The spirit of "dedication". It is also the essence of "deeper and higher" in Taoism and Wudang. In ancient China, there was the Xuanming Master in charge of water conservancy on earth and the Xuanwu Emperor in charge of water conservancy in heaven. And water is the most gentle. "When galloping, it is the hardest in the world", which is what the boxing manual says: "Extremely soft, then extremely firm and tough." Water, as a symbol of the subtle, has no sense of belonging or self. It always accommodates and respects others, prioritizing the interests of others. However, this often makes it easier for one to achieve success in oneself, others, and others. It is often said that the Zhou Dynasty lasted for eight hundred years from west to east, and its founding spirit was truly a manifestation of benevolent governance and love. For instance, Gugong Bingfu (the grandfather of King Wen of Zhou) would rather lead his subordinates to move to the foot of Qishan than compete with the Rong and Di people for land and harm each other. He once said, "I would never bear to kill my father and son and have him as my ruler." (Records of the Grand Historian: The Annals of Zhou) This is to practice benevolent governance with the benevolent heart of concealment. By the time of Tai Bo, Yu Zhong and Ji Li, Tai Bo was even more willing to travel far to the remote and uncivilized regions of Jing and Wu and abdicate in the hands of Wang Ji (the father of King Wen Ji Chang). Therefore, the Records of the Grand Historian listed Wu Tai Bo as the top noble family. From these true and great historical facts, it can be inspired that Tai Chi is at the level of the Dao. Because Zhang Zhenren was in charge of teaching and learning, his way of benefiting the world was no less than that of Huang Shigong or He Shanggong. Specifically speaking: such as supporting, assisting, imparting, inspiring, soothing, embracing, and pulling, all of these can transform the mind of heaven, purify human will, avoid difficulties, increase longevity and happiness, and achieve harmony. This is precisely the true essence of Tai Chi Dao - sacrificing oneself for the benefit of others, and martial arts dao - turning stillness into martial arts. Shengyi, as early as the Spring and Autumn Period, the wise King Zhuang of Chu had already explained the character "wu" : "Fu Wu: prohibiting violence, suppressing troops, protecting the great, stabilizing achievements, pacifying the people, harmonizing the masses, and enriching wealth." This grand conference is honored to be held grandly in the "Treasure and Goodness" land of the ancient State of Chu and the temple of Emperor Zhenwu Xuan on Wudang Mountain. All of us who study Tai Chi should deeply adhere to the philosophical teachings of "stopping war" and "treasure and goodness" (The Great Learning states that the Chu people "only goodness is regarded as treasure"), and do our best to enjoy the art, follow virtue, rely on benevolence, and follow the way. Only in this way can we strive for health and happiness for our country, our nation, and even for all mankind in the world. However, to achieve universal peace and happiness will surely lead to eternal harmony. I sincerely hope that the virtuous scholars will not hesitate to correct me. How fortunate! What a blessing!