Tai Chi movements follow clear rules which have been passed down verbally or in written documents through centuries. If you are a Tai Chi practitioner, you are hopefully familiar with these essential Tai Chi principles, and if you’re a student, your instructor absolutely must be able to communicate these principles clearly. Following and incorporating these principles into your practice is essential in order to gain the benefits of Tai Chi and avoid injury, as well as increase your level of satisfaction.
Basically, if you don’t understand and follow these principles, you’re not really doing Tai Chi.
The earliest and most famous classic principles are thought to have originated in the 12th century by Master Chang San-Feng. However, Master Yang Ch’eng Fu’s, 1925 version remains one of the most admired.
There is not one definitive number of principles. While many of the Masters list ten principles, several Masters group principles into more or less. All principles relate to posture/structure, movement control, breathing, generating qi, and mindfulness or internal components. While the translations and listings differ slightly, the foundation the principles are based on is the same and they are followed by thousands of Tai Chi practitioners.
Let’s take a deeper look at the essential principles and why they are important to follow, starting with posture and alignment in the top half of the body.
Keep the body upright and the neck straight. This will improve postural alignment and make the spine flexible as it opens and loosens. Good posture strengthens the deep stabilizer muscles that support the spine, as well as provides more space for the internal organs. When the body is poorly aligned, strain is put on the spine and your balance will be compromised.
The head should be naturally suspended from the crown, as if you are “lifted by an invisible strand of silk from Heaven.” Yang Chen Fu asserted that this, and emptying the thoughts, allow qi to reach the crown of the head. Avoid using physical strength to suspend your head, or your neck will be stiff and blood and qi circulation will be hindered. Gently tucking the tailbone will help create an optimal structure for movement and relaxation, as well as reduce the need for muscular exertion.
Sink the shoulders by letting them relax, open, and hang downwards (this is known as Song). Keep in mind that this does not mean they are lifeless! Song is an internal sensation, and it will not always be outwardly apparent. If the shoulders are not dropped, they will pop upwards, qi will rise, the entire body will lack strength, and no strength will be able to be exerted by the body.
Drop or weigh-down the elbows (another internal sensation) and allow them to be Song - relaxed downward. If the elbows rise up, the shoulders have difficulty sinking and this will have a negative affect on the whole-body energy. In external martial arts, this is known as “stifling the power”, or cutting off the energy from parts or sections of the body.
In order for the qi to sink down to the Dantian, the chest must not be puffed out, but instead slightly reserved inward, with a very slightly rounded back. This allows the back to expand naturally. Expanding the chest will raise the qi to the chest causing top heaviness, with the lower body feeling light, and it will be easy for the heels to float upward. Slightly rounding the back makes it easier for you to emit strength from the spine which others cannot oppose.
Because the ultimate purpose of Tai Chi is to cultivate qi (or life energy) within us to flow smoothly throughout the body,as we move down the body in our next blog, we will look at the waist. The waist is central to all Tai Chi movements, the commander of the whole body, and the source of qi.
Whether you are a new or seasoned Tai Chi practitioner, learning to apply (or re-focus on) the principles can be difficult and it does take a lot of practice. Take your time, be patient and persevere, the rewards are worth the effort.