Views on relaxation and set out energy of

Chen Family Tai Chi Quan

by Grand master Chen Zheng Lei

(This article is from Grandmaster Chen Zheng Lei's old website.)

(The English still needs editing in this article)

At present, Tai Chi Quan has sprung up like mushrooms on a global scale. Under the directions of general and specific policies, with China's high-speed economic development, cultural and sports exchanging activities have become more frequent, in particular, Beijing's successful bid for Wushu to enter the Olympic Games provides a good opportunity. Among the many factions Wushu. Tai Chi Quan represent a unique Family of the fine Chinese nation traditional culture and is gradually liked in the world because Tai Chi Quan has good effect with self-cultivation, physical fitness, self-defense, mold character and entertainment. The number of Tai Chi Quan Participant is growing day by day. Many of whom were fond of the unique Family of Chen Family of extend posture, firm steps, continuous actions, harmony with energetic and gentle, chequered with quickly and slow, the explosive force of nimble loosing and elasticity. But according to my experience of visiting, exchange and taught at home and abroad 20 years, I know a lot of people is no deep feelings and little known to relax and set out energy of Tai Chi Quan. The following are my experience in the process of teaching practice years and I will introduced the experience to us and hope to give some help and inspiration to the broad masses of the practice of Tai Chi Quan lovers. It is hoped that the…will kindly point out my errors.

First: characteristic of Chen Family Tai Chi Quan
We all know, the characteristics of Chen Family Tai Chi Quan are extend and poised posture lithe and firm steps、straight and natural body、 internal energy leading whole body and using Chan Si jin( reeling silk power) as core、make waist as axis、coherent movements. Moving one part make the whole body move. Quieting one part make all the limbs and bones quiet. Making action like floating clouds and flowing water; Setting out energy is relax, nimble, spring and quiver.

Practice required: softly crane and straightly stand, relax shoulder and elbow, close chest and draw the back of body, drop internal Qi and breathe naturally, relax hip and bend knees, circular move power in crotch, be clear about what to empty and what to strength, followed with whole body, harmony with firm and gentle, chequered with quickly and slow, external form moved arc and internal power moved spiral, body lead hands and make waist as axis, twine and rotate, then gradually produce a kind of internal power which is soft and strong but it isn’t, the internal power is not only heavy but also dexterous and changeable. The internal power is soft of external form and energetic of internal body like wrap iron in cotton. The requirement of Chen Family Tai Chi Quan Routine has no plane, no straight line, no off and on, no hollow and projection, no pull and whip actions, no carry and draw. The Routine is an integral whole circular and continuous curvilinear motion. The main points of movements are rotating wrist and turning shoulders, rotating waist and turning hip, rotating ankle and turning knees, fold the chest and back of body.

Second: the aim of relax and setting out energy in relaxation
The requirement of practicing are to relax, soft and slow. This is unique method and means of practice but it is not aim. The aim of the requirement is to achieve for dredge main and collateral channels, lead internal Qi , make internal Qi and external form linked for an opportunity through the practice method of relax, soft, slow and break-through the process of discard the stiff and achieve soft. Then thought move Qi , then Qi move in whole body. External form is moved and changed by Qi. Only by progressively enriching 、growing 、energizing the internal Qi and making the Qi permeated and circulated all the limbs and bones practicing Tai Chi Quan can reach the effect of strong and healthy、defense oneself. Tai Chi Quan seek natural inborn Qi and return to original purity and simplicity. So the stiff energy and unskillful power are abandoned when practice Tai Chi Quan.
What are the acquired Qi or stiff energy and unskillful power? The acquired Qi is a kind of power which produced from the sucked water and grain for live、grow and labor after born. The acquired Qi must be give up for Tai Chi practitioner. Understanding and abandoning the acquired Qi is more early and more quickly the better. So the natural inborn Qi is got early.

How to be relax and abandon the stiff energy and unskillful power? Do the actions must be relax shoulder and elbow, relax hip and bend knees, relax and sink the muscles of shoulder、 back、stomach and both sides of the chest. Illustrate with example of “single whip” action: three position of Bai Hui point、the top of right wrist and the middle finger of left hand will upward, the other position of body all relax and sink meanwhile exhale. So you feel your Dan Tian point is full and the Qi in ends is sufficient. Under the state of Qi, setting out energy genuine reflects the explosive force of nimble loosing and elasticity、
Requiring relaxation of whole body is for make Qi smoothly reach ends and reducing the Qi loss in the progress as far as possible. The Qi move in body is like electric conduction, the electric conductivity with iron and copper wire is difference.
Third, relaxation and the result of setting out energy under the state.
If you thoroughly mastered the relaxation、soft 、twine、 steady and plenty of internal Qi in Chen Family Tai Chi Quan, your whole body will produce a kind of power bio-electromagnet field and inspiration which can make one’s sense of touch more acute and move more quickly. If you reached the state you will get three effect:
1.judged by strong body. Relaxing whole body、loosening muscles、exhaling and sinking can eliminate fatigue、inspire enthusiasm and full vim and vigor. Loosening muscles can raise to build up skin’s elasticity、sleek skin and improve looks. The soft and circular training bone joint can raise bone’s density、 pliability and toughness, can build up bone’s resistance to degeneration and decrepitude. In a word, through the soft exercise, the nervous、digestive and the circulatory system、muscles and bone can be good protected and strengthen its’ function, thus achieving real strong and healthy.
2.Through training Tai Chi Quan can enhance one’s sensitivity and shorten time of resumed from tense muscles to relaxation.
3.Through training Chan Si Jin(reeling silk power) will show three kinds of power are rotating、penetrating and reducing . The three kinds of power have been explained in my writing named 《on Chan Si Jin of Chen Family Tai Chi Quan》.
Hope you have know further to Chen Family Tai Chi Quan through the introduce. So you will get twice the result with half the effort during practice.