Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Fine Tuning - 37 steps Yang Style - 起势

Lesson on 30 Jan 2012

Master Chow again emphasized on the importance of the (Prof. Cheng Man-Ching) 37-steps Yang-style,
the very first step - 起势. 

Fast forward to the part whereby the legs had parted to shoulder width. (How the legs was parted was important but not cover in this fine tuning.)

Fine tuning points
- turn the should joints such that the palms are facing backwards and the thumbs touching the side of the body. This posture gives a natural curve to the arms.

- Sink the weight to the heels and relax the hip joint, as such a reaction force will raise the arms. Relax at the wrist so that the fingers are pointing down.

- With the arms raised, rotate the elbows to face downwards, without moving the wrist and fingers. I noticed that Master Chow while doing this, his shoulder is pushed back slightly.

- Relax the hip and shoulder, and sink at the elbow. As the elbow sinks, it will cause the wrist to "flip" up.

- In this position, imagine both hands (palms) is resting on a ball floating on water.

- Sink further and start to shift your weight forward, At the same time, relax the shoulder and feel the palms pushing the "ball" into the water. You should feel some resistance force there as you drop the hand. Another feeling is like your fingers moving through water. Relax the elbow, the wrist and the fingers to complete the full relaxation of the whole arm besides the body.

Easier-say-than-done
Practice, practice, practice

[杨式太极拳] 台湾郑曼青大师与其学生关于练拳、推手的对话录

 A posting I got from a friend on some comments by Prof. Cheng Man-Ching

一、在大部份武艺行中,学生的造诣均会接近老师,或高过老师。何故你的学生没有人能接近你。不管他们进步如何快速,其水准均低你远甚。可有何秘诀?

【师】不错,是有秘诀。但是此秘诀太过简单,简单的几乎令人不敢相信。但是你又非信不可。否则你就无法成功。其秘诀仅为:你必须身心放松,你必须长时间接受失败。你必须投资於失败,否则你就无法成功。我有如今的成就,是导因我把骄傲置之於一旁,相信我老师的话,把身体放松,心灵静定,只让气随意行。开始时常使我遍体受伤。有时我会被重击而跌至失去知觉。但仍坚持下去。听老师的话,注意我的气。在惨败时我会忘了骄傲、焦虑、及自我。把自己身心完全腾空而全部让位於气,渐渐的我的技术进步了。直到这时我的反应才变得灵敏。可使化与打於瞬间完成。我的学生或是不相信这一套,或是虽相信而不热心追求,何能得成。



二:你讲起来很容易,如果心意正确,身体放松就有进步,但是,如无辛苦的锻练规律的练习不断的努力,是否可以?

【师】如想精通此艺,必须求助於你刚才所提各项。你须辛勤努力,每日不断,但是却须注意不要把太极拳与少林拳混为一谈。後者注重锻练肌肉及力气,而练太极拳,心中常须念记拳经各论。并非要你每天苦练一、二小时就必能成,练习必须得法,否则全为白费。吾师杨公澄甫是由其著名的父亲杨霆侯所亲授。三十岁时任教於山东某富宦之府内。其处生活优裕,其人也就变得肥胖及懒散,此後他还返北京,生活实形放荡。其父得知此情,令其辞职逐里,将其禁闭於一空屋内,不准他与任何外界人物接触,前後四年之间,除了他父亲每天来与他练拳,推手,同时也练练太极邱器外,不准任何人去看他,在这期间他的成就远超过前此他的一生所学。四年後他走出囚室,便可轻易的打败他父亲最好的徒弟。前此他经常是他们手下的败将,如今他已是一位伟大的拳手。其伟大终身与共。此後多年间,虽然他不须多加练习,亦能可保持其效能。这是太极拳的一项必然特性,一个人如果不断的进步,将可达到一种程度,此後即不必要练习,因其已臻化境。对此我不再多谈。



三、在练拳时怎么能知道是不是已松?

【师】知不知道是主观的,而松不松是客观的。我愿意说,当一个人在练习整套拳架的过程中,其心灵完全不受外界的干扰,这便是求松的一个好的开始,但是这只是第一步。下一步是你须踏踏实实的练。练完时你会筋疲力尽。当你的双肩觉得沉重时,你就知道这已是接近真松了。这是「陆地游泳」的结果。



四、但是拳经不是告诉我们,你的身体必须如此轻灵,一羽相加都可以觉得。你怎样把这种轻灵与假设的抵抗而来的筋疲力尽相题并论呢?

【师】这是不相冲突时。虽然听起来有此茅盾。你当然可以轻松愉快的练五分钟的拳架而毫无倦意。这却无助於你求松。你打拳时慢而正确,假设前有抵抗,你必会疲倦。但是在真正交手时,你的身体摆脱了你心中的抵抗的束缚,就会觉得无比的轻灵及敏捷。



五、如你所知,我曾跟过其他数位老师学习太极拳。我不是对你不敬。但因我们的时间都很有限,我又想写些有太极拳的书,我想最好是能尽量的学。其他各派大部份都加辅助的运动以增强其呼吸、活力及拳艺。你看这种运动是否有益。

【师】只有小气的老师才会嫉妒学生到别处学艺。我非常高兴你能从各派去尝试。因为我知道你必会发现,在这种拳中你将只有一位老师。拳架本身已是变化多端包罗圆满非常有益。附加的运动只会使你分心,防碍进步。



六、少林拳是否是一种非常好的健身运动及防身武术。

【师】如果我认为是的话我会取少林而舍太极。在运动方面来说,他注重肌肉的紧张及蛮力而不注意健康。在博斗时,因为你永不会超出依力气及技巧的范围,因此也就不会得到真正的优势。我不是自夸。当我年轻在大陆时,常遇各派人氏的挑战,吾艺从未败过。



七、一个人只看是否能会?

【师】能学到些东西,当然不是全部。练拳是必须的。在这方面,有一个关於杨霆侯的邻居的故事。他偷偷的从其住处看他们练拳几个月,然後他叫杨氏的一个学生攻击他。该生答应了,却被他重重的推倒在地。杨氏看到了,问他是从那里学到的武。邻居乐了,回答说:「跟你呀!」另一个更好的故事是有关杨露禅的,杨公可能是所有太极拳大师中最伟大的一位。他受雇於一药房主人。其主人聘请名师陈长兴教他的弟子学拳。杨露禅偷学的非常成功,而被收为正式弟子。



八、推手的重要性如何呢?

【师】非常重要,不经推手,你就不会有进步。但是注意,我现在告诉你,你最好与一小孩相推。同一有技巧的大人相推他会用力,你也就会跟著用力。与小孩相推时把他看作是大人。与大人相推把他看作是小孩。这话听起来茅盾其实并不。小孩会提供你一个松的练习伙伴。当你从他的「可松性」中获益时,你可把他看作与你相同,假装他是大人。这就把练习提升到「用」的方面来。现在反过来讲。为甚么要把大人看作是小孩呢?这只是一种轻视的方法,以使我们却除怕意,但这亦不意为这种「勇气」可以真的战胜怕惧。我们在却除惧怕时也去掉傲气。



九、在推手时,如让对手接触到自己的身体,是否危险,在真正交手时,这种情形是否会惨败。

【师】推手主要是一种达到目的方决。他教触觉的灵敏及辨别的能力。(意即听劲及种劲--译者注)也教你对於距离的审忖。在真正交手时不要让敌手触摸到你。但是却要尽量的近他以利攻击。有些大师们具有我们所说的接劲。这种劲不但可以收化敌人的攻击,在同时也予以反击。有些更高的大师们的这种能力是由潜意识所控制。你如从後向他攻击,他可借敌人之力将其反弹出一丈以外。而自己几乎并不觉得。这种人在真正交手时自无困难。一般的拳手虽无此种能力,但可经由推手缎练其知觉,使其可以接近敌人而不让敌人触摸到自己。



十、庄子曾说,醉汉不伤,其魂固也。这种状况是否就是太拳拳所追求的呢?如果庄子所言不假,那么我们只要变成酒鬼不更简单吗?

【师】把自己腾空是八了克复恐惧,这是「无为」的主要目的之一。这也是所以道士之将死,可生起烈火,从容走水之道理。(在这里我说,这种不怕死的品性,并非中国所专有。日本的武士亦求死的美。更不须提圣劳伦斯,在其身受炮启时对其行刑者说:「把我翻个身吧,这半边已烤好了。」)大师微笑著表示同意,继续说:「不错,醉汉是解除了顾及。他的肌肉不紧张,他的身体松弛。但是并非完全如此,因为醉汉总是会认路回家。醉汉失去了心意,为环境所左右。反过来在太极拳,我们虽然放松了身体,但却保持一颗灵活清醒的心。



十一、为什么杨澄甫不到西方教拳。

【师】一度曾有一中医生从美国回到广州,他游说杨氏同他返美,说是可赚大钱,被其所拒。西方及金钱对杨氏均不具吸引力。他对黄所属环境非常满意,不思改变。



(取自太极拳杂志四十五期  Mr.Rober W.Smith 原著  勇国本译)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Peng - Lu - Ji - An

 
  ( Peng - Lu - Ji - An )

Master Chow had devised a set for just practicing Peng - Lu - Ji - An.
The set will do Peng-Lu-Ji-An on both left and right side.

Special note given to us to take note during practice


1) The hand posture for Peng must be rounded. The Peng hand must be infront of the body
and not to the side.
2) Pump "腿" the leg at the end of the Peng
3) From Peng to Lu, when turning the waist, sink down on the back leg to turn the waist
4) During the Lu, when dropping one of the hand to the side, the forward hand must extend out
as a result of turning the waist
5) The Ji hand must end with a Peng jin
7) When transiting from Ji to An, sit back and sink the elbow to open out the hand. When shifting weight forward, both hand will be brought up automatically, be aware that the thumb is leading
the hand
8) When doing the An, sink the elbow, lead the chi to the fingers (1 by 1 from pinky to thumb),
and then opening of the "flower" at the center of the palm.


Easier-say-than-done
Practice, practice, practice

Thursday, January 12, 2012

17 pointers of Taiji


旋之於足
行之於腿
縱之於膝
活潑於腰
靈通於背
神貫於頂
流行於氣
運之於掌
通之於指
斂之於髓
達之於神
凝之於耳
息之於鼻
呼吸於肺
往来於口
渾噩於身
全身發之於毛

Not by me ... 

放鬆 - song(1) - relax

During taiji practice, master always say 放鬆, 放鬆 (to relax). 
I've never thought it is so difficult to relax. Human instinct is such that we will unconsciously tense up
in reaction to resistances and emotions.  
To relax is not to throw away (扔掉) or not to become lifeless. 

Two major area to relax is the shoulder () and the waist ().

To relax the shoulder, sink () the chi to the elbow (). Personally, I find that this is the easiest way to
relax the shoulder. Point to note is that you do not let the hand, especially the wrist and hand, go "lifeless".

To relax the waist, you have sink the hip-joint area (kua). This is tough. I've not fully gotten the feeling yet.
I tried to feel that the weight of the body flow through easily like flowing water, through the waist and to the
sole of the feet. When done correctly done, I can feel three contact points to the ground, two points from
the soles and one point from the tail-bone.

I tried to practice (放鬆) whenever I could. 
- be aware (mindful) whether my shoulder is tense or not, whether I am working on the laptop, eating, walking or even laying on the bed
- when walking or standing (waiting for transport), I'll relax my kua. When sitting down, I'll relax the
hip area and sink the weight to the tail-bone.

Easier-say-than-done
Practice, practice, practice

Monday, January 2, 2012

Stretching Exercise Set

This is one of the set of stretching exercise that Master Chow had taught us.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/pub?id=1bjgoNhFLo3Q0a1y4-1KMrGsHoldzE5ldQJDUMV3uQpE&start=false&loop=false&delayms=5000

Even if you are not practicing Taiji, this set of exercise is very good for desk bound people with constant shoulder/neck problem.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Taiji (太極) - Lesson for Life

I've pick up Yang style Taiji (太極) in 2008, and is still learning as of today.
Current sifu is Master Chow.



I've decide to learn Taiji, out of curiosity what this art is all about. Is it something that old man/lady do for their morning exercise. Can some art as simple as a morning exercise survive for hundreds of years. There must be something to this art.

After attending the lessons for a couple of months and getting a better understanding (or less understanding because you release you know so little) of Taiji (太極), you will notice the wonder (tip of the iceberg) of the art. No words can describe the art, as you had to personally feel and expericence it, provided that you had a sifu that can show you the way. It is no wonder that that Taiji (太極) is translated directly as the "Grand Ultimate".

Unlike other art (external), Taiji (太極) is an internal art, which you must approach with perseverance more than determiniation (with determination comes expectation). Taiji (太極) is an art that you must practice without expectation. Taiji (太極) is not a quick result orientated art. If you are looking for result, pick a external art. Taiji (太極) reward the people who are hardworking and committed. Having said that, not even a handful of hardworking and committed Taiji (太極) practitioner can tell you what Taiji (太極) is.

I am glad that I had open the door to the wonderous world of  Taiji (太極) - Lesson for Life, and through this blog I hope to share what I had learn.