How to Move in T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement

T’ai Chi Chih teachers should emphasize the most important factor in TCC movement; “How to Move” correctly. Students come to classes expecting to use muscular effort and picture themselves standing up straight and waving their arms. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Pupils sent to Teachers’ Training Courses must move correctly, and it is necessary that other students move well and freely if they want to get the benefits of TCC practice.

Flowing, not moving, from the Center, the T’an T’ien, must be emphasized with beginning students. It must be like floating, not hard muscular exercise. It can be explained that tension of the muscles will tend to close the meridian channels thru which the Chi flows. If the Chi does not flow freely, how can it be balanced? In judging the progress of a student (and, in certain cases, judging if the student is ready for Teachers’ Training Courses), watch to see if (1) the student flows freely from the Center, and (2) watch closely to see if the student is correctly yinning and yanning.

In doing forward and backward movements it is necessary that the student sink down on the front leg and stay down as the weight shifts to the rear, where the back leg is bent as much as it was going forward (this does not mean leaning back to make it look as though he or she is sinking down). The picture the student may have of straightening up after bending the knee is incorrect, and many teachers make this mistake. Stay down and flow smoothly.

In performing sideways movements, such as “Carry the Ball to the Side,” “Pulling Taffy,” etc., the movement is made by swiveling the hips, with the waist turning to lead the hands. The waist and hands must be synchronized, otherwise the balance will be completely off. This swiveling of the hips and movement of the waist is ignored by many practitioners, thus reducing the movement to an arm exercise. Remember, look below the waist to check on the student’s way of moving.

If the student (or teacher) executes the sideways movements and the forward and backward movements correctly, as described above, chances are the student is ready for teachers’ training class. It’s true that there are other movements that have different problems (“Bird Flaps its Wings” and “Light at the Top of the Head” for instance) but most movements have either the forward-and-backward movements or the sideways movements. Accordingly, make your first priority the correct teaching of the above. To get the benefits of TCC practice, one must correctly execute the yinning and the yanning and know how to do the sideways movements using the swiveling of the hips. These are good criteria by which the teacher can decide if a student is ready to become a teacher. Don’t be “kind” and ignore these. Demand that students do them correctly. Try to attend workshops to make sure that you, the teacher, is not careless in performing these movements, and audit Teachers’ Training Courses where possible.