Secret #6 - 手如抽丝, 步如猫行

手如抽丝, 步如猫行

Today master chow many the above 8 words to take note of when practicing Taiji

手如抽丝

The feeling of the hand is like drawing the silk out of the cocoon. Slow and smooth. Another feeling to describe it is "Swimming in the air". You will practice to a stage whereby you can feel the resistance of the air as your hand/fingers move through the air.

步如猫行

The gracefulness of the cat in motion, so sure of its step. The way to practice this is back to the basic "differentiate the substantial and the in-substantial" (虚实分明)

Secret #5 - Relax (松) after every step

While doing the kata, you will notice that when you complete each step, your hand is actually "floating" and the body stiff. It is important that you relax (松) so that your hand does not "float" and the body is not stiff. Relax (松) the "kua", shoulder, elbow, waist.

Doing this also helps to bring your awareness back to you.

As Master Chow had mentioned, his master and the grand master and the great-grand master always had one word during Taiji practice, that is - 松

Secret #4 - Free the mind

Another tips given out during the pushing hand session with Master Chow.


Our mind is easily drawn to the point of contact, whether the contact is direct or indirect. Once the mind is "trap" at the point, that point will become stiff, harden, stagnation and chi will not flow.


For example if your arm is grasp tightly and your mind is trap at the contact point of the grasp. Then most likely you are trying to twist your way out at the point. However if you free your mind, you will be able to relax and lead your mind to the shoulder, elbow, waist and lastly finger to turn your arm.


This is just an example, there are much more subtle usage but the idea is the same.
Free the mind.

Secret #3 - Natural human responses

During a pushing hand session with Master Chow on Sunday, he showed and mentioned the following.

Its is human nature that when we move to extreme, we will then move the opposite (Ying and Yang balancing each other). For example, if the attacker push with his right hand, the defender will yield till the right hand becomes "empty". At this point, attacker will (by nature) automatically move his left hand to counter balance the right hand. 

This is like reading your opponent's mind in advance, but its actually natural human responses.

Secret #2 - There must be a circle somewhere

Master Chow always mention that in Taiji, every posture and every movement there is/are circle(s).

So that note and assess your posture and movement. If you don't find circle(s), then likely your posture is not "so" correct.

Secret #1 - Sink in the back leg (虚实分明)

When doing the Tai Chi kata, it is very important to differentiate the substantial and the in-substantial clearly (虚实分明).
 
When moving (shifting weight) from leg to leg, there should be no change in height and minimum shifting of body forward or backward. The secret to this is to sink into the back leg and relax the hip-joint. This will automatically shift the weight to the front leg, without any shift in height.

When shifting backward, besides sinking the back leg, you have to imagine the back knee moving forward, which then allows for the front leg to retract back and straighten.

What I try to imagine is that the "weight" is shift at (or below) ground level to feet to feet. You should not shift the weight at upper body level as your chi will be floated up and you are not so rooted.

All these small and precise movement is to ensure that the force/chi is direct to where you want them to go without losing too much in the process of reaching there.

There is no secret.

As my master and alot of many masters before my master said, "There is no secret in Tai Chi".

It is just that whether the student

1) know how to applied the "secret" OR
2) know how to train to attain the "secret"

Many a times, what I see in Tai Chi is that, there is no standard training
methodology. A Tai Chi master may be able to execute a move and release the chi beautifully, and "easily", but could not properly translate it into words for the student.

This is and will always be the issue, as all internal art practices. Very person feels differently.
The only way is to trust in your master and TRAIN, TRAIN and TRAIN, and hope you get the right feeling one day.

That is why it is very important to have "do not expect any result" mentality while learning Taiji.
At the end of the day, you may not had learn Taiji, but through practicing Taiji, you had learn and earn a lot more and find yourself a better person.