The Right Way
Learning the seven stars step exercise is only the first step. It only teaches coordination and fluid balanced movement and the ability to change direction rapidly. However by itself it is insufficient to be able to be able fight. Correct judgement is required ot be able to make the right stepping move dependent upon the situation.
To be able to make the correct step you must be able to assess the complete situation including the terrain , the ability and fighting style of the opponent or opponents and have an appropriate strategy which guides you to the correct determination of the correct step.
In Taijiquan our strategy is predicated on the idea that we wish to make it as diificult for an attacker to strike us.
To take a concrete example of this :
1. An attacker step forward and thows a punch with his left hand.
You have several options
a) Stay where you are and block. He can then easily follow up with right hand punch.
b) Step back to avoid the punch. He can easily follow as his momentum is going forward and continue punching with rights and lefts.
c) You can sidestep to the left. This avoids the left punch but runs stright into the follow up right.
d) You can sidestep to the right. This not only avoid the punch but also gets out of the range of the follow up right forcing the attacker to turn and lose momentum to be able follow up the attack.
Any of these methods is a valid approach as long as it fits withing the defensive style of the fighting art being adopted and the strategy of the person using it. If however it isjust a panic move then only one of these tactics will have the desired effect.
The other coinsideration is the external environment. If for example you were standing at the edge of a platform the correct way to step would be informed by where it would be safe to step to avoid falling as well.
A similar consideration occurs when under attack by multiple attackers whereby it is undesirable to avoid an attack by one person just to run into the attacks of another. In this case the stepping would be informed by the concept of using one of the attackers as a blocker for the others so that you only have to defend against one attacker at a time.
Stepping the Right Way | |
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Not only is it important to select the appropriate technique it is also essential to step to the correct place. To be able to do this while under constant attack requires a lot of practise to develop the detachedness to see the entire picture and not just the immediate attack. |
February 28, 2010 at 10:59 pm | Training | No comment
First Steps
When teaching someone new to Taijiquan I do not start with the form but with breathing and movement. Without the breathing being under control one’s stamina will quickly dissipate and one will not be able to remain calm under a continued assault. To be able to do this we inhale and exhale through the nose. To prevent the mouth from drying out we keep the tongue positioned touching the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth which causes the saliva glands to continue producing saliva. We keep the teeth slightly clenched to prevent dislocation if struck.
Once this has been explained I then begin with a few gentle exercises to practice this breathing while performing movements and basic coordination. I have found a beginning style exercise followed by some Qigong exercises to warm up.
It is at this point that I teach the seven stars step. This step teaches the fundamentals of the taiji theory as well as setting the foundation of the fighting art.
To perform this exercise properly one needs to learn correct weighting, balance, coordination, evasion, yielding , following , continuity , centerline theory, basic postural components, timing and fundamentals of diversion.
As there are so many things for a beginner to learn it is obvious that the teaching of this must be broken up into small manageable components that a beginner may be able to learn without being overwhelmed. Once each part has been learned to a basic functional competence then they can be joined together to make the complete exercise.
Step 1. Show the basic footwork pattern 7 steps forward and backwards in a zigzag pattern.
Step 2. Show the basic arm positioning and the use of the waist explaining centerline theory.
Step 3. Show the methods of attack and defense, the seven strikes and the seven diversions.
Step 4. Merge the lower and the upper. Add the strikes and the diversions to the steps, striking on the forward steps, diverting on backward steps.
Step 5. Once the student has achieved basic competency in the coordination of the lower and upper can one then begin the real exercise with a partner.
Controlled Seven Stars Stepping | |
Stepping must be balanced and controlled. Beginners often are unable to judge their stepping distance especially when going backwards leading to the situation where they care doing 7 steps forward and 5 steps backwards with the same distance. It is necessary to be able to feel where you are stepping by body awareness of the position and tension of the legs and hence be able to step where you want to and not where you are pushed. |
Step 6. Only at this point do I describe the reason and purpose of the exercise. This is often the first experience that beginners have at either trying to hit somebody or having somebody try to hit them. This is the critical moment where the student must overcome their basic fears and autonomic responses and do what they have been taught and not what they would automatically do .
Sidestep and Turn | |
Seven Stars step with body turn to avoid a straight punch. |
I have had many problems with people who refuse to try to punch at their practice partner because they believed that they would hurt them or even knock them out. Their belief was based entirely on ignorance and watching too many movies which was readily demonstrated when they could not even move the punchbag when asked to strike it. In one case I actually stood in the way of a punch to show the person his lack of punching power.
Other people refuse to punch in a straight line, in a misguided attempt to show that the evasion techniques would not work. Yet others only pretend to punch and do not commit themselves. These people do not understand the purpose of training and will never make any progress as they do not listen and do not observe.
Only after starting off on the correct footing is it possible to make swift progress. Any mistteps at the beginning are compounded as time progresses and correcting them are correspondingly harder.
Seven Stars Step | |
Stepping Methods are the missing link between form and function. The Seven Stars Step is the simplest stepping method and the most important. It is taught first because it is the easiest to use, and is the most useful step, but is also the most difficult to master. |
So although a student needs to choose his teacher carefully, the teacher must also decide when it is the correct time to teach the student what they should be taught anything if at all.
February 20, 2010 at 5:33 pm | Training | No comment
Objective Measures
True understanding of a subject can only be determined if a person is able to pass on that understanding to others so that they can in turn pass it on to yet others. It is insufficient for your students merely to be able to do what you have taught them as this can be just a high level ability to mimic action without any underlying comprehension of what is being taught.
The demonstration of true understanding by the student can only be determined if the student is able to solve problems ( in this case perform techniques) in situations that they have not been shown by the teacher using the theories and practices of the system under study.
Physically gifted individuals who are natural fighters can easily learn the techniques and can adapt them to any situation without having to think about it a great deal. People like this will only ever examine how they are actually performing an action when they lose a fight. Most often they limit this consideration to the particular technique that did not work and so do not look at the their total approach just this particular symptom of failure.
It is for this reason the Taichi masters of old insisted that a student must invest in loss. Only by understanding why a technique does not work in specific situations but works in others can one attempt to get to a comprehension of the underlying problem. In Taijiquan this is even more important than in an art that relies on speed and strength alone because the method of application of the technique is invisible to the external observer.
This most often occurs when a student is much better than his fellows and so he can win with inferior application of techniques. It is only when he meets a superior technician that his his inferior application is exposed. If the student is bigger and stronger than his fellows he can also hide inferior technique using a larger degree of force or physical advantages such as extra reach. However these advantages will eventually be outmatched by other opponents.
Freestyle Fixed Step | |
Control of the elbows is an early goal for beginners but to reach the next stage one must learn that this control is illusory and leads to predictability and inflexibility. |
It is sometimes the case that the teacher is unwilling to pass on their knowledge fearing that the student may surpass them in ability and understanding. In this way arts become diminished and those arts will be superceded by those whose teachers did not do this.
To ensure that true understanding has been attained the teacher must ensure that this student passes on what he has learned and then test the student’s student to determine if the understanding has been transmitted correctly. In this way he can determine if any failure in communication was his or that of his student and can then take the necessary steps to correct the misunderstandings and by doing so enhance his own understanding.
February 13, 2010 at 1:27 pm | Training | No comment
The Gentle Art of Taijiquan
The Shadow Boxer | |
The Title Sequence of the Shaw Brother’s Movie – The Shadow Boxer featuring Cheng Tin Hung demonstrating the meaning of Intent and explaining the fundamental precepts of Taijiquan. |
Many people find it difficult to reconcile the apparent gentleness of the Taijiquan Empty Hand Form with the fierce brutality of real fighting. They imagine that they might effortlessly overcome their opponents without breaking a sweat and without actually having to practice real fighting against opponents that mean them harm.
The problem has been that the fighting art of Taijiquan which was originally transmitted by word of mouth and hard practice by illiterates was transcribed into the written word by intellectuals who abhored violence and hard exercise. The philosophical theory underpinning the art appealed to the intelligentsia and so they underplayed the physical aspects that actually related to fighting and concentrated on the philosophical aspects and then added the spiritual aspects of Taoism which are quite irrelevant to the fighting art.
The art appealed to the weak in mind and body as it held the promise of the weak overcoming the strong. However again the true meaning was corrupted by the intellectuals. The true meaning is that the less physically strong person can overcome a stronger opponent, but that person will not be weak. That person will be highly trained and strong of will. People will believe what is convenient to them and will conveniently ignore all evidence that contradicts their beliefs.
Cheng Ting Hung was a Tai Chi Master who knew how to fight. He was a champion fighter who taught champion fighters. He also taught many people who could not fight their way out of a paper bag but he made no bones about the fact that he was also a businessman who needed to look after his family. Softness is meant for defence but when you counterattack you are not soft at all as Cheng Ting Hung demonstrates in the video above.
February 7, 2010 at 8:53 pm | Musings | No comment
The Five Step Path
Every Martial Art must have fundamental strategies and that define the art and differentiate it from others. That is not to say that the other arts do not contain these same strategies and methods but that they implement them differently with different emphasis and focus.
In Taijiquan we have the Five Step Path :
Mian – Softness
Nian – Sticking
Lian – Continuity
Sui – following, yielding
Bu dui Bu ding – don’t break, don’t force
These are the fundamental close quarter fighting strategies of Taijiquan. These strategies should be incorporated in all the training exercises and applications practice that we do. Pushing Hands (Tui Shou) gives us the training vehicle to practice these strategies. However it is insufficient just to practise Tui Shou as we must make the transition from distance to close combat, from the known to the unknown.
Softness is the child of relaxation, which means that we do nor tense the muscles or stiffen up. Stiffness and tenseness slows us down, relaxations enables us to react faster and move quicker.
Sticking means attaching to the attack thus preventing your opponent form making further attacks once you have nullified the original. A parallel can be seen in boxing where when the boxes are stuck together they can no longer hit each other.
Continuity is the flowing of one move into the next, smooth transitions from defence to attack and vice versa. It is the continuous changing attacks that you make once an advantage or opening has been made which will not stop until the fight is over.
Following and yielding require softness. When a a force is applied it is necessary to move with it. You avoid it when it is applied, you follow it when it withdraws. Yielding allows you to redirect force and so be able to stick to it.
We do not feet force directly with force. We apply the minimum force tangentially to be able to divert the attack. It is not possible to use no force, what we must do is use force intelligently.
Continity Training | |
Combining defence with counter punches and finishing techniques in a smooth continuous manner is the ultimate goal of the taijiquan fighter. The ability to do this will keep the opponent off-balance and unable to anticipate what the taiji exponent will do next. |
February 6, 2010 at 5:54 pm | Training | No comment
To Teach is To Learn
A lot of people contact me with the express desire to learn how to become a Taichi Teacher. They often have the delusion that they can do a couple of courses, get a certificate and be on their way. I on the other hand never wanted to be a teacher I just wanted to learn the art.
However my teacher would always make us teach our younger Taichi siblings (in Taichi experiential terms – as they were often much older than we were) as he knew that the teaching was the best way to learn as long as you had an experienced guide who could help you out when you were unable to explain something or get through a particular learning barrier that the person you were trying to teach was experiencing.
The hardest thing to teach is the thing that came easiest to you, as you have no understanding as to how it is so difficult for others. It is easy to dismiss these people as inept, idiots who have no business wasting your time but the reality is that this is the greatest opportunity for learning that you will receive. It enables you to move from the state of unconscious competence to conscious competence which is the true understanding of what you are actually doing.
It is often the case that the very best practitioners cannot teach because they have never needed to examine what they are doing and how they do it. It is only when they lose or their abilities are on the wane that it becomes necessary for them to understand so that they can adapt what they do. Others who struggle and work hard to attain high ability are much better at teaching others because they have a better understanding of the issues that many people face in trying to learn.
I am still constantly surprised by the challenges of teaching some people techniques that I considered the most basic and have been been rewarded by having to re-evaluate the technique and understand a finer essence, a more fundamental formulation of the technique that they could eventually get to grips with.
Teaching has taught me many things and has improved my understanding and ability no end.
February 2, 2010 at 10:49 pm | Musings | No comment