Advanced Tai Chi Open Hand Form
When Tai Chi Chuan is taught traditionally every aspect is included from the very first lesson, however most students are not aware of this. When you choose to move on from the beginners level it will be the time for you to explore the deeper meaning of the open hand form. This will involve direct or personal instruction from a qualified teacher who has achieved an understanding of the advanced techniques. It is my belief that the only way you can learn Taijiquan correctly is in a class or one on one with a suitable teacher. The reason I believe this to be true is because experience has taught me that only a teacher can transfer the essence and feel of the Taijiquan movements into both your mind and body. If your teacher is capable and has the experience he/she will be a role model for you to follow, if they are inexperienced you will not get the correct transmission of knowledge. As you learn and become more knowledgeable about Taijiquan you can explore other aspects of the art. These may include:
Form refinement
This takes the external expression of your form to a new level of understanding. In the beginning you learn the shapes of the form, then the sequential movements connecting these shapes. Finally you put it all together into a nice pattern of shapes and movements called "Postures."
Let me present a question at this point. Can these postures really be called "Tai Chi Chuan?"
The clear answer to this question is "No".
The reason I say "No" is because it cannot be called "Tai Chi"until the connection between mind and body has been established, allowing the postures to be performed in one continuous flow. The classics speak of the flowing movements of Tai Chi being performed as a "string of pearls."Everything must flow together and interact as one complete unit, this is what differentiates a true master from a beginner. Form refinement takes the open hand form and dissects it. If you are one inch out of alignment at the beginning of the form, you can end up 2 or 3 feet out of position at the completion of the form.
Pushing Hands
This is a pattern of movements which includes Peng (Ward off), Lu (Rollback), Chi (Press) and An (Push). These postures are practiced to allow the student to improve sensitivity or listening energy (Ting Jing) and structural balance (Zhong Ding).
This pattern is usually done with a partner, however it can be taught as a solo exercise in the beginning. Pushing Hands is very important because when working with a partner you get a true reference point of how relaxed you really are. In order to make physical contact with another person, you must first become aware of your own body. It is typical to see new people create more tension in their own body when trying pushing hands for the first time. Pushing Hands is practiced in the spirit of Win/Win so both partners are able to learn and improve their individual skills. I encourage everyone to practice with different people as much as possible because this will allow you to understand how different body types operate when making contact.
Ta Lu
Similar to pushing hands Ta Lu is an exercise done in a continuous circular pattern to the four corners or directions. This helps the student to align and coordinate their mind and body movements.
Ta Lu can be practiced as a solo form or with a partner as a two person set. It incorporates specific footwork and the applications of Lieh (Split), Chou (Elbow), Kao (Shoulder) and Tsai (Pull).
Applications
Application is usually an explaination about how each movement in the open hand form can be executed in a self defense scenario. The purpose is to explore the martial application and determine how the body can interact with any situation in a natural rhythmic flow while maintaining balance (or Zhong Ding - central equilibrium). Application will include specific techniques from both the Pushing Hands and Ta Lu exercises.
Tai Chi Chuan is unique because it is regarded as an internal martial art. Many try to fix the postures of the open hand form into set procedures like Karate or Kung Fu, however by its very nature Tai Chi Chuan is constantly in a state of change trying to create balance. Therefore, there can be no absolute posture to deal with a fixed set of circumstances. Static thinking creates static movement, therefore if someone throws a punch at you what would you prefer to happen:
a) Your senses allow your whole being to interact and flow with the incoming force to neutralize and/or redirect it.
or
b) You have a series of set moves fixed into memory which trigger your body into reaction to deal with the attack.
The choice is yours and yours alone, i.e. Interactive or Reactive!!!!
By Sifu Chris Turner