Understanding the T’ai Chi Chih form

To be a good teacher, one must understand the movements—all of them. Just to tell the students to place their hands here or there is certainly not enough. In certain movements the hips swivel and the waist turns, which I will emphasize in my video to the Conference. There are reasons why we finish movements by placing the hands parallel to the floor—when we start moving, the Yin and Yang aspects of the CHI separate, and coming to rest in the described manner allows the YIN and Yang to flow back together and we are not fragmented. The Cosmic Consciousness pose at the end of our practice allows the YIN and Yang to completely come together, and we again are whole. All these small bits of information must be conveyed to the student. The correct shifting of the weight is all-important. The circularity and polarity of each movement must be pointed out. We do not just push out in “Push Pull”; there is a slight circular motion, and we emphasize one side or the other as we push, to balance the Yang leg on the other side. The visualization in “Pulling in the Energy” is all-important if one wants to receive the total benefit of the movement.

It is taken for granted that teachers practise each day and try to improve their own movements, until, eventually, they will sink into the Essence of the T’ai Chi Chih form (which many never reach) and finally realize that no-one is doing anything; T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement is doing T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement.

We are dealing with the Great Cosmic Force (actually, far beyond the cosmos) in TCC practice and can think of the CHI as the modus operandi of Divinity if we are so-minded. In India this great force is thought of as Shakti, and CHI is one with this substance, without which there would be no life or any manifestation at all. Think about this. It’s not only the present that depends on this force; your entire future is tied up with it, all the way to Infinity.

To be a shallow teacher and just point out where the hands go is disappointing. Practise and learn to understand the movements and the overall meaning of T’ai Chi Chih Joy Thru Movement.