Issue 2 Price 5,50 E

Taijiquan-Lilun
Q Journal of the Theory of Wu Style Taijiquan

Focus: Understanding basic philosophical terms in Taijiquan 2: Q yin and yang Q bagua Forum for traditional Wu Tai Chi Chuan

Imprint

Taijiquan-Lilun Copyright 2012 by Martin Boedicker Original Issue published in 2003 in German and English. In this journal (also in the citations) the official short characters and the pinyin of the PR of China are used. Cover picture: Patrick Kinzler Graphic design: Martina Schughart and Monika Ozdarska Translations: Martin Boedicker

Forum for Traditional Wu Tai Chi Chuan Kontakt: Martin Boedicker Zum Schickerhof 18 47877 Willich/Germany Phone: +49-2154-885780 Email: info@wu-taichi.com Website: www.wu-taichi.com

Introduction/Contents

Dear Reader, We are very pleased with how well Wu-style Taijiquan has developed in the West. But this development has concentrated mainly on mastering the Taijiquan movements. In the first issue of Taijiquan-Lilun we began to introduce the theory of Taijiquan. Following on from the success of that issue, Issue 2 aims to increase contact with Chinese culture and philosophy, which is the root of Taijiquan. From this should come a better understanding of Taijiquan theory as well as the possibility to integrate that theory in the practice of Taijiquan. Special thanks again to Dr Susanne Tietze for the translation, Kit Gerould for the editing and Rachel and David Barrow for all the help. We hope you all enjoy our magazine. Freya and Martin Bdicker

Susanne Tietze, David Barrow, Rachel Barrow

Imprint Introduction and Contents Philosophy: A brief history of Chinese philosophy Classics: The classical texts of Taijiquan The Song of the 13 Basic Movements The Taijiquan Classic Focus: Yin and yang The Names of the Sabre Form Shisanshi: The 13 Basic Movements of Taijiquan Focus: The eight trigrams

................................2 ................................3 ................................4 ................................6 ................................7 ................................8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2

Philosophy

A brief history of Chinese philosophy

Many readers of the first issue of Taijiquan-Lilun asked us to describe the basis of Chinese philosophy in more detail. This issue begins with a brief chronological overview. In the next issues, we will introduce the individual schools and philosophies. According to Chinese myths, China is said to have been ruled in the 3rd millennium BC by mythemperors. These included Emperor Fu Xi, Shen Nong, Hung Di (the yellow emperor) and Yu, who allegedly founded the Xia Dynasty. Around 2000 BC the first signs of a highly developed civilisation began to emerge. In the middle of this millennium, the Shang Dynasty ruled. For the first time, bronze was produced. From this period, there survive texts of oracle on the back of turtles, on bronze containers and inscribed on bones. In the 11th century BC the Shang Dynasty was toppled by the Zhou tribe. In the following period, the Zhous introduced feudal rule. The decline of the Zhou Dynasty in the 5th century BC led to the emergence of a series of smaller states. Because of continuous strife and wars between the feudal lords the time from approximately 480 BC until the unification of the realm in 211 BC is called the period of the warring states. It was a time of hunger and turmoil because of the ongoing wars. The invention of iron, of the plough and the introduction of monetary economics and consequent changes fuelled efforts to find new ways of living and values. The changes in society resulted in manifold forms of intellectual life. This time is also called the time of the hundred schools of philosophy. In no other time before had speculative thinking been cherished and promoted to such an extent. The competition between different intellectual trends reflects the external conflicts of the time. Amongst the schools one finds famous representatives such as the Confucians (rujia), the Mohists (mojia), the Daoists (daojia) as well as the yin-yang School (yinyangjia), the Legalists (fajia), the Dialectians (mingjia) and the Strategists of War (bingjia). Their central themes became social life, the ideal order and the relationship between human beings and nature. Teaching was based on dialogue, edifying anecdotes or on examples taken from daily life. The plethora of schools of philosophy was not to survive Chinas political unification in 221 BC. In 221 BC the state of Qin conquered its last rival. Under its lord, from then on called Qin Shi Huangdi, the first unified Chinese state emerged. Feudalism was abolished in order to promote the process of unification. Measures, laws and writing systems were harmonised. The Legalist School based on Han Feizi was made the state philosophy. The Legalist School was not concerned with moral questions. Its aim was to establish binding laws for everyone and thus to establish a stable political system unified under one ruler. The other schools of philosophy were persecuted and their books and documents burned. Following the death of its first ruler Emperor Qin Shi Huangdi in 210 BC, the dynasty declined and the Han Dynasty was established. The Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 AD) severed the links with the Legalist School. At the beginning of the dynasty, Liu An, the uncle of the first Han emperor, introduced the work of Daoist Huainanzi. However, it was not accepted as the prime philosophy. A slightly changed form of Confucianism became the new state philosophy. One of the leaders of this Han-Confucianism, which is also called New-text school, was Dong Zhongshu. He systematically described the connection of heaven, man and earth, i.e. between nature and social life. He merged in a complicated way the old Confucianism with the ideas of other schools e.g. those of the yin-yang School.

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Philosophy

Tang (618 - 906 AD) dynasties ended the time of disharmony. A strong central state supported by a system of examinations for civil servants as a way of recruiting a ruling elite emerged. It was during the Tang dynasty that Buddhism reached its peak in China. Following the 9th Century AD the adversaries of Buddhism focussed on Confucianism again. During the Song dynasty (960-1279 AD) the leading philosophers like Zhou Dunyi, Shao Yong and Zhu Xi merged the ideas of Buddhism and Daoism with Confucianism. This resulted in the so-called Neo-Confucianism (see Taijiquan-Lilun, Issue 1). The articulation and interpretation of this philosophy was based on Zhu Xi and became the new state philosophy. In the Yuan Dynasty (1280 - 1368 AD) China was conquered by the Mongols and fell for the first time under foreign rule. Politically, these were interesting times, but philosophically speaking there were no new developments. During the Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD) Zhu Xis school of rationalism dominated, but gradually Wang Shourens idealistic Neo-Confucianist school turned out to be a competitor of its influence. Under the Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911 AD) China was conquered by the Manchures. This was the peak of Chinas economic and political development. Confucianism remained the most influential philosophy. Within Confucianism, however, there were different traditions, from the philosophy of the classic Song and Ming Confucianism to the more modern ideas of, for example, Kang Youwei.

The Mythemporer Huang Di

In terms of philosophical history, the Han Dynasty is usually categorised as a neo-classical time because its discussions frequently refer to the old schools. However, it should be noted that although no completely new school was founded and despite the referral back to classic works, traditions were frequently changed drastically. The end of the Han Dynasty in 220 AD heralded a time of disharmony and schism lasting for almost 400 years. China split into a series of shortlived states and dynasties. The spiritual and moral vacuum of this time was filled by Neo-Daoism and by Buddhism, which came from India. The centre of the Neo-Daoists was a movement consisting mainly of artists and philosophers called The Seven Wise Men from Bamboo Grove. This movement rejected social and civic duties and demonstrated this attitude by deliberately provoking the public. The Sui (581 - 618 AD) and the

Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2

Classics

The classical texts of Taijiquan

Following the decline of the Chinese empire and the beginning of republican times, Taijiquan, which had been kept secret, was taught for the first time openly: As early as 1911 the head of the society for physical education in Beijing, Xu Yusheng (18791945) supported the traditional techniques for strengthening the self. In 1912 he extended invitations to the Taiji masters Wu Jianquan, Yang Chengfu and his brother Yang Shaohou (1862 1930) to teach at his institute in Beijing. This is how Taijiquan left the door, that is to say, from this time onwards it left the private realm to become known to a broader public. (Bdicker, Sievers, p. 47) In 1912, Guan Baiyi published at the Beijing institute five classic Taijiquan texts, which were probably brought to Beijing by Yang Luchan (see Wile, p. 33). Their titles are: Q The Taijiquan Classic Q The Taijiquan Treatise Q Mental Elucidation of the 13 Basic Movements Q The Song of the 13 Basic Movements Q The Song of Striking Hands The authorship of these five core texts is contested. Following the spreading of Taijiquan, more classic texts and commentaries of various Taijiquan schools were published. The family Wu received the five core texts from the family Yang. They were published in 1935 both by Wu Gongzao in his book Principles of Taijiquan (Taijiquan jiangyi) as well as by Ma Yueliang in Wu Jianquans Taijiquan (Wu Jianquan shi de taijiquan). In 1980, Wu Gongzao published The Taijiquan of the Wu family (Wujia taijiquan). Because of the colour of its cover, it is known as The Golden Book. Besides the five core texts and other texts, it also contains a collection of 40 titles: Explanation of the method of Taijiquan (Taiji fashuo) , which have been reproduced from
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Cover of Taiji fashuo

the original handwritten text. Wu Gongzao explains that these texts contain the teachings as they were received by Quanyou, the father of Wu Jianquan, from Yang Banhou. The same 40 texts were published in 1993 by Yang Chengfus son, Yang Zhenji, entitled 40 Chapters of the Family Yang. The Golden Book by Wu Gongzao is a source for the theories of Taijiquan, which will be drawn on extensively in this and future issues of Taijiquan-Lilun.

Bdicker, Martin, Sievers Armin, China im Wandel. Die Zeit der groen Tai Chi-Meister, Mach: Art, Ratingen, 1998. Wile, Douglas, Lost Tai chi classics from the late Ching dynasty, State University Press of New York, Albany, 1996.

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Classics

The Song of the 13 Basic Movements (Shisanshi gejue)

The 13 basic movements none of them should be treated lightly. It is known: the source (of the 13 basic movements) is the waist (yao). You must pay attention to the interchange between insubstantial and substantial. The qi flows through the body without hindrance. In silence one encounters movement, in movement one encounters silence. According with ones opponent the transformation seems to be miraculous. Keep each movement in your heart/consciousness (xin) and consider its purpose. It will come even though one might not notice through time and ceaseless practice (gongfu). Keep the heart/consciousness (xin) always on the waist (yao). The lower abdomen is completely relaxed (song) and the qi ascends naturally. The coccyx is erect and the spirit (shen) reaches to the top of the head. The whole body is light and agile, the head is suspended at the crown of the head. Concentrate with care upon your study. Bending, stretching, opening and closing let them happen freely. The passing on of basic knowledge and the guidance to the way need to happen orally. Ceaseless practice (gongfu) is the method of self-cultivation. You may ask, what are the criteria of foundation and application? Imagination (yi) and qi as the rulers bones and flesh as the servants. Become aware of the ultimate purpose. To prolong life. To extend the years. Eternal spring. This song has 140 written characters. Each word is clear and obvious and its meaning is beyond doubt. If you are not searching in this direction, you will waste a lot of time and ceaseless practice (gongfu) and you will leave behind nothing but a sigh.

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Classics

The Taijiquan Classic (Taijiquan jing)

Taiji is born out of wuji. It is the origin of movement and stillness and the mother of yin and yang. In movement, it separates; in stillness, it unites. There is no excess or insufficiency. Bending leads to stretching. The other is hard, I am soft this is called going along with (zou). I follow, he does the opposite, this is called adhering (nian). If a movement is fast, you respond quickly. If a movement is slow, you respond slowly. Although the transformations are infinite, the principle remains unchanged. If one is practised in this, one will gradually achieve understanding of the jin-power (dongjin) . The understanding of jin-power is followed by degrees by enlightenment (shenming). Without consistent effort, however, one cannot suddenly understand it. Erect head and empty neck (xuling dingjin). The qi sinks into the dantian (qichen dantian). No tilting, no leaning against it. Once hidden, once visible. Left weighted left empty. Right weighted right empty. Look up higher. Look down deeper. Retreat longer. Advance shorter. Not even a feather can be added. A fly cant settle. The other does not know me; I alone know the other. An invincible hero, isnt he, who has mastered all of this? There are many different kinds of martial arts schools. The movements might differ, but in general the following is shared: The strong oppressing the weak, slowness resigning in the light of fastness. The one with power defeats the one without. The slow hand surrenders to the fast hand. All of these are indeed inherent natural abilities, which are not associated with study and practice. The sentence With the use of four ounces one can easily deflect one thousand pounds, shows
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that one should win without the use of force. Behold, an old man beats away several enemies. How can this be by fastness? Stand like a balanced scale. Smooth like a wheel. If one side sinks, one can follow (sui). Double weighting (shuangzhong) leads to stagnation. Often, one sees people who even after years of serious practice are still far from having mastered the ability to neutralise (hua). Often the other person controls them, because they have not realised the fault of double weighting. If one wants to avoid this fault, one needs to know yin and yang. Adhere (nian) is to go along with (zou). To go along with (zou) is to adhere (nian). Yin does not separate from yang . Yang does not separate from yin. Yin and yang complement each other. This is the way to understand the jin-power (dongjin). Having understood the jinpower, more practice follows, and greater refinement. Recognise it silently, try to explore it until one is free to follow the desires of the heart (xin). The key is to give up yourself and to follow the other. Many mistakenly forsake the near to seek the far. It is said: to diverge by the breadth of one hair will lead you astray from the goal by 1000 Li [Chinese measurement of distance]. While studying, one needs to be aware of this. The long boxing flows continuously like a long river and the sea. There are 13 basic movements: peng, l, ji, an, cai, lie, zhou and kao, which are in line with the eight trigrams (bagua), and jinbu (to advance), tuibu (to retreat), zuogu (to look left), youpan (to look right) and zhongding (central equilibrium), which are in line with the five phases

Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2

Classics

(wuxing). Peng, l, ji and an belong to the trigrams qian, kun, kan and li and represent the four sides. Cai, lie, zhou and kao belong to the trigrams xun, zhen, dui and gen and represent the four oblique angles. Jinbu, tuibu, zuogu, youpan and zhongding are equivalent to metal, wood, water, fire and earth. (Note in the original: This is taken from the work of the teacher Zhang Sanfeng of the Wudang mountain, who wants the heroes of this world to use it to prolong their lives and not only for martial arts.) (Wu, p. 104) The Taijiquan Classic (Taijiquan jing) is one of the five core classic texts of Taijiquan. The authorship is contested and, depending on the source, is attributed to Wang Zongyue or Zhang Sanfeng. Also, the title sometimes changes depending on the tradition, sometimes it is cited as the Taijiquan Classic and sometimes as the Taijiquan Treatise. The body of the text is divided into two main parts. The second part beginning with The long boxing... is not always cited as part of the Taijiquan Classic. The special quality of the Taijiquan Classic is the merging of Chinese cosmology with the practice of Taijiquan. This cosmology follows the Explanations of the taiji- diagram by Zhou Dunyi (see Taijiquan-Lilun, Issue 1): 1. Explanation of the taiji-diagram by Zhou Dunyi Wuji and then (respectively and yet) taiji. In movement taiji creates yang. When the movement has reached its limits, there is stillness. When still, taiji creates yin. When stillness has reached its limits, there is a return to movement. Movement and stillness alternate. Each is the root of the other.

2. The Taijiquan Classic Taiji is born out of wuji. It is the origin of movement and stillness and the mother of yin and yang. In movement, it separates; in stillness, it unites.

If one acknowledges that the cosmos is built following the theory of taiji, it follows that martial arts have to follow this theory in order to be effective. This means more than anything else as is also stressed in the Taijiquan Classic knowing about yin and yang. Therefore one has to analyse ones own movements as well as the attack and defence systems from a yin-yang perspective. With the help of this knowledge one can align oneself with the cosmological structure. In doing this one achieves the freedom to follow ones own wishes. Not only does one practise martial arts, but one is also able to prolong ones life through Taijiquan.

The taiji-diagram of Zhou Dunyi

Wu Gongzhao, Wujia Taijiquan, Xianggang Jianquan Taijiquanshi Chubanxiaozu, Hongkong, 1981.

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Focus

Yin and yang

The yin-yang sign frequently symbolises the martial art of Taijiquan. It expresses the cyclic change between yin and yang, with the black part standing for yin and the white part for yang. pairs such as dark/light; cold/heat, but also the northern/southern bank of a river and the southern/ northern side of a hill, which describe the opposite aspects of the same thing. The new ChineseGerman dictionary lists do not provide a direct translation as the first meaning. Yang is stated as: Yang: Yang, n is the male or positive principle in nature, following traditional Chinese philosophy, medicine and so on. For yin, male is replaced by female and positive by negative.

Historical discussion of yin and yang The central significance of yin and yang for Taijiquan is also discussed in the Taijiquan Classic (Taijiquan jing) . This starts with the sentences: Taiji is born out of wuji. It is the origin of movement and stillness and the mother of yin and yang (see previous article). It is important that the student of Taijiquan is knowledgeable about yin and yang, because this is the only way to understand this martial art and to avoid serious mistakes. This article is meant to contribute to an improved understanding of yin and yang. First, general concepts of yin and yang will be explained. Then opposite pairs will be allocated to either yin or yang. Finally, aspects of yin and yang when practising Taijiquan will be explained. The usage of the notions of yin and yang as philosophical terms started around 400 BC. They are found in an appendix of Yijing, at Zhuangzi and Mozi, but were also used in the calendar system, in geomancy and in the Shijing (a collection of folk songs). Granet comments: Between the 5th and 3rd century the symbols yin and yang were used by different theoreticians of different schools. This quite general use of these symbols points to their vast influence on a variety of processes and teachings. (Granet, p. 87) In the Shijing (approximately 500 BC) yin is associated with cold and dull weather, a cloud-covered sky, of the interior and it describes the dark and dank chamber, which was used to store ice in winter. (Granet, p. 88) Yang is associated with sun and warmth and it characterises those days of spring, which resonate with the gradual increase of warmth. (Granet, p. 88) Needham points out that even the old Chinese characters for yin and yang are connected with darkness and light. Yin involves graphs for hill (-shadows) and clouds, and the yang character has slanting sun-rays or a flag fluttering in the sunshine. (see Needham, p. 160)

The concept of yin and yang Mathews Chinese-English Dictionary provides the following explanation: Yin: Shady; secret; dark. Mysterious. Cold. The negative or female principle in nature; it is the opposite of yang. The south of a river; the north of a hill. Yang: Clear; bright. The sun. Heat. Pertaining to this world. Superior. Upper. Front. The north of a river; the south of a hill. Even though yin is called the opposite of yang, under yin and yang there are not only opposite
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Focus

yin

yang

The right-hand side of yin contains a cloud (yun):

Seal script

And jin

Standard script

as a sound-giving element. The pronunciation of yin is composed of yun and jin (cf. Needham, p. 137).
In the context of the reform of the written language in the Peoples Republic of China in the year 1958, which centred on the reduction of lines in the characters, the right-hand part of the character yang was reduced to the radical sun. The radical moon replaced the right-hand side of the sign yin.

The written characters for yin and yang consist to the left of the radical (character for a category) for hill:

yin

yang

Standard script (short characters) The right-hand side of yang contains the sun: In the Shuowen jiezi, a dictionary originating from about 200 AD, which explains the meaning of such written characters, the following meanings are listed: Yin: darkness; southern side of the river; northern side of a hill. Yang: opposite of yin; lightness.
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Focus

The southern side of a mountain is, like the northern part of a river, the part which catches the sun. The other part is in the dark.

As the extract from the dictionary shows, the usage of the words yin and yang reaches far beyond this concrete picture. Granet comments: The antithetical relationship between yin and yang is evidently... to point at every opposite. This explains the willingness to find in its opposite the antithesis of yin and yang, which expresses the essence of each opposite. (Granet, p. 92) If opposites are seen as the opposites of yin and yang, it must be possible to attribute opposite pairs to either yin or yang. Using an old table, one finds the following pairings. yang warm light sun day summer spring birth above heaven man outside yin cold dark moon night winter autumn death below earth woman inside

Following Chinese thinking, therefore, one can establish connections within a category. Pairing warm cold and light dark, yang fits summer, day and yin, winter, night. The moon belongs to the night, the son to the day. With regard to the ordering of male female, Granet points to the traditional Chinese society, in which the division of labour was based on men doing agriculture work and women weaving hemp cloth. Working the fields is an outdoor activity (outside), taking place in the sunlight and during the warm seasons. Female weavers work during the winter months inside the house (inside). Both sexes were subject to an antithetical discipline. Their realms of activity were the inside (nei) and the outside (wai) which were also the areas of activity of yin and yang, of shadow and of light. This is why the opposite of the sexes found its mythical expression in the opposition of yin and yang. (Granet, p. 1004) The relationship between above and below, between heaven and earth or the hierarchical ordering between human beings is thus explained with yin (below) and yang (above). Ames uses the image that the higher overshadows the lower. (Ames, p. 52, Lau, Ames, p. 103)

The yin-yang relationship Pairs of opposites, which can be considered as a yin-yang relationship, are characterised by a specific relationship. Yin and yang are not irreconcilable opposites, and they are never really considered separate entities: The idea of the pair is never separated from the idea of a connection; the essential rule of duality is the notion that both parts together form a whole. The opposite duality of yin and yang is never and never was understood as a principal and absolute opposite, comparable to the to be or not to be, to good and evil. Rather it is a relative duality of a rhythmic nature, which consists of two rival, yet complementary, groups, just like opposite sexes, and which work interchangeably and alternate in dominance. (Granet, p. 107) Following Granets statement that yin and yang are dominant in an alternate manner, it becomes clear that the change between yin and yang is of a cyclic nature.

Following Western thought this table seems to imply that the elements of one category share certain characteristics and are connected by a shared essence. But as Ames points out, in Chinese thinking, categories are not defined in this manner. The establishment of categories is based on analogy, which is similarity as well as temporal and spatial proximity.
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The exchange occurs when either yin or yang have reached an extreme. This becomes clear in the area of the calendar. The change from winter (yin) to spring (yang) and from summer (yang) to autumn (yin) occurs at the suns solstice, which is the date of the longest night (greatest darkness) or the longest day (greatest light). It is therefore not a contradiction that yin and yang are also grouped with more static pairs of opposition, such as the sunny and shadowy sides of a mountain. This change does not only occur in the sequence of dark times (night, winter) and light times (day, summer), but also in the evocation of the two sides of a landscape, which can change from a shadowy slope (yin) to a sunny slope (yang). (Granet, p. 95) The change from yang to yin is always implied. According to Ames (p. 103), the day is not simply day (yang), but day-becoming-night and night (yin) is night-becoming-day. This implies that without yin there cannot be yang and vice versa. Yin and yang are to be applied to a concrete pair in a concrete situation. Man carries in general yang-aspects. This aspect he will contain in the relationship with a younger brother, for example, or his wife. In the relationship with his elder brother, however, he is yin. This means that in a specific situation and referring to specific characteristics this general order can change. It is important to consider which two things or persons are positioned in relation to which feature. (see Ames, pp. 47)

Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang comment on the pair movement (yang) and stillness (yin) in their explanation of the notion of Taijiquan: For the purpose of self-cultivation, it is taiji when there is stillness in movements, that is, when yin coincides with yang. (Wu, Ma. p. 13) The pair of bending and stretching can be found in the text Names (Cheng), which is over 2100 years old, and which contains a list of yin and yang phenomena: (Yates, p. 167) Heaven is yang, earth is yin. Spring is yang, autumn is yin. Summer is yang, winter is yin. (...) Those who stretch are yang, those who bend are yin. The Taijiquan Classic (Taijiquan jing) points on this occasion to a change between yin and yang: Following the bending leads to stretching. Hard (gan) and soft (rou) are in Taijiquan Classic distributed between the other (gan) and the student of Taijiquan (rou). This considers a relationship between two people. Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang explain this section: Rou means soft and flexible, gan means hard and energetic. Rou as the negative force belongs to yin, gan as positive force belongs to yang. If in tuishou the force you use is antagonistic to that of your opponent, we call it the gan force, regardless of its quality, that is, whether it is heavy or light. On the other hand, if your force does not resist or oppose the others, we call it the rou force. The dextrous and quick interweaving action of these two different forces are the fundamentals of the martial art of Taijiquan. (Wu, Ma. p. 9) This is followed by the comment that if two persons use gan force exclusively, the physically stronger person will win; when more lithe, soft power is used, it is frequently possible that the gan force the so-called dead force is cancelled out. The central ideas to this are to go along with (zou) and sticking (nian). To go along with, reacting with rou force to an attack based on gan force, is called neutralising an attack. Sticking is called controlling the enemy. As a counterattack the use of gan force is desirable and is adequate with the change of ones own force from yin to
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Yin and yang in Taijiquan The meaning of yin and yang in Taijiquan can be inferred from the word taiji. As outlined in Issue 1 of Taijiquan-Lilun, in Chinese philosophy the idea of taiji is closely related to the idea of yin and yang. This is also the basis of the theory of the martial art of Taijiquan, as one can tell from, for example, the first sentence of the Taijiquan Classic (Taijiquan jing) . There it states that taiji is the mother of yin and yang . The next sentences of this text contain several opposite pairs, based on a consideration of aspects of yin-yang: movement/ stillness; bending/stretching; hard/soft.

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yang: But retreating without attacking also runs counter to the principles of Taijiquan, which calls for the interaction of rou and gan. (Wu, Ma, p. 11) If the other person is in a difficult position, it is appropriate to attack with gan force. Even the understanding of the individual figures and movements of Taijiquan can be deepened by understanding yin and yang. For example, Wu Yinghua and Ma Yueliang (see Wu, Ma. p. 26) explain hand positions by referring to yin and yang. They differentiate open hands between the yin palm, the yang palm and the upright hand. The yin palm is a palm

which points downwards or is turned inside. It is used to absorb the opponents force. The yang palm points to the outside with upright fingers or is upright. These examples demonstrate how closely Taijiquan combines basic concepts of Chinese philosophy with the theories and practice of Taijiquan. Ma Jiangbao comments: In combining ones own practical experiences with the study of the theories of the old texts, it becomes possible to improve ones Taijiquan more effectively. (Ma, p. 5)

Ames, Roger, Sun-tzu: The Art of War, Ballantine Books, New York, 1993. Das neue chinesisch-deutsche Wrterbuch, The Commercial Press, Hong Kong, 1986. Granet, Marcel, Das chinesische Denken, Suhrkamp, Frankfurt am Main, 1997. Lau, D.C., Ames, Roger, Sun Pin: The Art of War, Ballantine Books, New York, 1996. Ma, Jiangbao, Grundlagen und Geschichte des Wu-Stil Tai Chi Chuan, Mach:Art, Ratingen, 2001.

Mathews R.H., Mathews Chinese-English Dictionary, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 2000. Needham, Joseph, The Shorter Science and Civilisation in China: 1, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 1978. Shuowen jiezi, Tianjinshi Xinhua Shudian Faxing, 1980. Wu, Yinghua, Ma, Yueliang, Wu Style Taichichuan, Shanghai Book Co, Hong Kong, 1991. Yates, Robin D.S., Five Lost Classics: Tao, Huang-lao, and Yin-yang in Han China, Random House, New York, 1997.

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Freya Bdicker Left hand: yang palm Right hand: upright hand Left hand: yin palm Right hand: yang palm

Left hand: yin palm Right hand: yang palm

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Sabre Form

The Names of the Sabre Form

Bart Saris

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
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Beginning Form Outline the sparrows tail Brush knee and step Parting sabre Draw like lightening and look at sabre Step back and steal the sabre Stab in the middle of the chest With the sabre in front of the gate Open the window and look at the moon

10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.

Turn and split Turn and draw the sabre upwards Open the window and look at the moon The sparrowhawk turns around Turn and draw the sabre upwards Advance and steal the sabre Stab the face Turn and hide the sabre The green dragon stretches its claws

Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2

Sabre Form

19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 62. 63. 64. 65.

To kill the tiger Advance and draw the sabre upwards Step forward and steal the sabre Stab in the middle of the chest Turn and hide the sabre Three times open Mr Zhen takes off his boot Turn and hide the sabre To stab against the direction of the scales Turn and split Step forwards and draw the sabre upwards To circle above the head and single whip With the sabre in front of the gate Turn and draw the sabre upwards To stab against the direction of the scales Turn and split Step forwards and draw the sabre upwards To explore the sea Step back and steal the sabre Stab in the middle of the chest With the sabre in front of the gate Open the window and look at the moon Jade-ring and hold sabre high The wild tiger jumps over the mountain brook Stab in the middle of the chest Night fight, eight directions and hide the sabre Wrap around the brain and hide the sabre Stab into the middle of the chest Lying dragon Arrival and the sabre parts the cloud Hide the sabre Dividing sabre, at the side of the body Retreat, wind round the head and hide the sabre Step forward and resting fish Protect the knee and hide the sabre Stab the face Retreat and hide the sabre Step forward and resting fish The sabre parts the cloud Hide the sabre Stab the face Turn and deflect sabre Stab into the middle of the chest Turn the horse and lift the bell Flying oblique Into the middle of the chest and embrace the moon Leap and stabbing sabre

66. 67. 68. 69. 70. 71. 72. 73. 74. 75. 76. 77. 78. 79. 80. 81. 82. 83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99.

The big bird Peng stretches its wings Step forward and lift the sabre To kill the tiger Step back and draw like lightening Advance and splitting sabre Stab into the middle of the chest With the sabre in front of the gate Advance and draw the sabre upwards Turn and split Step forward and draw the sabre upwards Crossed step back; to circle above the head and single whip The green dragon shows its claws Flying oblique Clouds cover the mountain Wushan Push the boat down the river The meteor chases the moon With the left hand draw the sabre to the right and upwards Draw the sabre to the left and upwards Step back and steal the sabre Leaping sabre Step forward and push with the sabre Turn and splitting sabre To stab in the middle of the chest Turn the arm and cut the bamboo To turn the ring and to lift the basket Sabre splits the horse In series splitting sabre To turn left and splitting sabre To turn right and splitting sabre To wind around the head and hide the sabre To wind around the brain and hide the sabre To stab into the middle of the chest To turn over the sabre and to embrace the concubine To finish the sabre form

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Shisanshi

The 13 Basic Movements of Taijiquan

Usually, the beginner first learns the slow form of Taijiquan. Anyone who at this stage is interested in the classic texts of Taijiquan will find time and time again the notion of the 13 basic movements. So what are these 13 basic movements? In Chinese they are called shisanshi. The eight hand techniques and the five steps (Bamen wubu) Direction peng l ji an cai lie zhou kao South West East North Northwest Southeast Northeast Southwest Eight Gates kan li dui zhen xun qian kun gen

Shisan is the number 13 and the second shi means basic movement. In a direct translation shi is given as posture, position, gesture or, as in Sunzi, strategic advantage. When talking about Taijiquan it is best to use the word movement to express the dynamic character of shi. The 13 basic movements are subdivided into eight hand techniques (bamen, literally: eight gates) and five steps (wubu). The eight hand techniques are allocated to the compass points re spectively to the eight trigrams. The five steps are allocated to the five phases (wuxing). The eight directions are in China traditiona lly the four sides North, South, East and West and the four corners, NE, SE, SW, NW. Together, these make up the 13 basic movements of Taijiquan. They are explained in the Explanation of the method of Taijiquan (Taiji fashuo) in text 1:
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The compass points and the eight hand techniques demonstrate the law of the cyclic change between yin and yang, which changes eternally. In brief, one has to learn the four sides and the four corners. Peng, l, ji and an are the hand techniques of the four sides. Cai, lie, zhou and kao are the four hand techniques of the four corners. Combining the hand techniques of the four sides and the four corners we achieve the allocation of the gates to the trigrams. The differentiation between five steps (wubu) is based on the idea of the five phases (wuxing) and supports the eight directions. The five phases are: jinbu (to advance)/fire, tuibu (to retreat)/water; zuogu (to look left)/wood, youpan (to look right)/metal; zhongding (central equilibrium), the centre of the directions/earth. Advancing and retreating are the steps of water and fire and to look left and right are the steps of metal

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Shisanshi

and wood. The central equilibrium of the earth is the central point of the axis. The eight trigrams are hidden in the body, and the feet step the five phases. The eight hand techniques and five steps make 13. This is how the 13 basic movements are created naturally and are called the eight gates and the five steps. (Wu, p. 16). The 13 movements are the basis of Taijiquan. By combining the hand techniques with the different steps, one can achieve a large variety of movements. The execution of the 13 movements is discussed in the Explanation of the method of Taijiquan (Taiji fashuo) in text 2: The method of application of the eight hand techniques and five steps (Bamen wubu yonggongfa) The eight trigrams and the five phases are part of mans natural endowment. First one has to understand the meaning of the notion of conscious movement (zhijue yundong). Once one has understood it, one has mastered the understanding of jin-power (dongjin). Following the understanding of jin-power (dongjin) one can achieve enlightenment (shenming). So at the beginning of ones studies one has to achieve knowledge about the conscious movement (zhijue yundong), which although it is part of our natural endowment, is difficult to grasp. (Wu, pp. 16) The meaning and function of the 13 basic movements is again explained in the Song of the 13 basic movements (Shisanshi gejue) (see this issue, p. 7). Because of the importance of the 13 basic movements for Taijiquan, the next issues of Taijiquan-Lilun, beginning with this one, will present in detail first the eight hand movements and then the five steps. We will begin in this issue with the hand technique called l:

Taijiquan vocabulary. It was shown that no direct translation exists, but that there are only explanations of the quality of l. This is why it is so important to engage with these explanations. Ma Jiangbao says that l is the hand technique which needs to be learned first. It is the first, because it is meant to introduce the student to one of the essential abilities of Taijiquan: In using l the power of the other is diverted and neutralised. Chinese texts often use for an explanation of l the words yin or yindao, which means to lead or to guide. This is how it is for example used in the Secret song of the eight methods (Bafa mijue) , where one finds about l: How to explain the meaning of l? To lead the other (yindao) and let him come forward. Following the others incoming force. Light and subtle, without losing contact or resisting. The power ebbs out naturally (ziran) into the emptiness. Throw or attack follows naturally (ziran). Maintain your own centre. This can not be exploited by the other. (Wu, p. 102) Ma Yueliang explains: L is an overt power (mingjin). If the other attacks, this is the moment to familiarise oneself through peng with his direction. Then, one leads him on without even noticing to continue the advance. Thus one can divert the attack to the right or to the left. The power and speed of the diverting depends on the power and speed of the attack. One waits until the others power is waning (shishi), which is when one lets go and starts the counter-attack. Mechanically, l works like an axis, going either to the right or the left. (Ma, Xu, S. 10) Ma Jiangbao points to the explanation of l also in the Song of striking hands (Dashouge) (see Issue 1), where it says: Divert (yin) the attack (jin) into emptiness (luokong). In doing so he concentrates on the quality of a good l, which should give the attacker the feeling of falling into an abyss.
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In Issue 1 l was used as an example to demonstrate the difficulty of translating technical

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Shisanshi

Robert Rudniak und Martin Bdicker

Ma Hailong comments on l: L is the diverting (yin) power. It has a circular effect, follows the power of motion and retains control. If doing l, one has to keep ones centre. (Wu, Ma, p. 169) L is therefore a technique that leads the attacking power into a circle, so that it misses ones body and head into emptiness. It is important to note that the diverting is based on a minimum of power and ones centre is not in danger. If one can achieve this, one can also realise the principle
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of lightness (qing) and one can easily deflect the power of a thousand pounds with the use of four ounces.

Ma, Yueliang, Xu, Wen, Wushi Taijiquan Tuishou, Xianggang Shanghai Shuju Chuban, Hongkong, 1986. Wu, Gongzhao, Wujia Taijiquan, Xianggang Jianquan Taijiquanshi Chubanxiaozu, Hongkong, 1981. Wu, Yinghua, Ma, Yueliang, Wushi Taijijian, Renmin Tiyu Chubanshe, Peking, 2001.

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Focus

The eight trigrams (bagua)

In some of the classic texts of Taijiquan there is a connection between the eight hand techniques (bamen) and the eight trigrams (bagua). The system of the eight trigrams is of fundamental importance for Chinese philosophy and they are the foundation of the book of changes (Yijing). It is said that the eight trigrams were derived by the legendary Emperor Fu Xis observations of nature. It is certain that the eight trigrams were used in the early Zhou period as a basis for oracles. Only later were they integrated into the theory of the five phases (wuxing) by the yin-yang school. The eight trigrams are formed from three parallel, horizontal lines, which are either uninterrupted and hard (gang) or broken and soft (rou). Generally speaking, the hard lines are yang and the soft lines yin. Each trigram carries a particular meaning and feature: From the commentaries to the Yijing: 1 Heaven is high, the earth is low; thus the Creative and the Receptive are determined. In correspondence with this difference between low and high, inferior and superior places are established. Movement and rest have their definite laws; according to these, firm [hard] and yielding [soft] lines are differentiated. Events follow definite trends, each according to its nature. Things are distinguished from one another in definite classes. In this way good fortune and misfortune come about. In the heavens phenomena take form; on earth shapes took form. In this way change and transformation become manifest. (Wilhelm, p. 280) 2 Therefore the eight trigrams succeed one another by turns, as the firm [hard] and the yielding [soft] displace each other. (Wilhelm, p. 283) In this cosmology, the eight trigrams are also assigned to the heavenly directions. There are two ways of pairing, which are complementary. According to Fu Xi the first pairing tries to achieve symmetry. It is called the order of the early heaven (please note that in Chinese, South is at the top):

qian heaven The Creative

kun earth The Receptive

kan water The Abysmal

li fire The Clinging

zhen thunder The Arousing

xun wind The Gentle

gen mountain The Keeping Still

dui lake The Joyous

The trigrams according to Fu Xi

Based on these features, the trigrams became the basis of a distinct cosmology.
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Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2

Focus

An explanation for this is given in the commentaries to the Yijing: Heaven and earth determine the direction. The forces of mountain and lake are united. Thunder and wind arouse each other. Water and fire do not combat each other. Thus are the eight trigrams intermingled. (Wilhelm, p. 265) The second pairing is that of the late heaven, which is attributed to King Wen of the Zhou Dynasty. In this pairing, the trigrams are shown in the order of their appearance in the seasons.

of the Receptive. The Joyous is midautumn, which rejoices all creatures. Therefore it is said: He gives them joy in the sign of the Joyous. He battles in the sign of the Creative. The Creative is the trigram of the northwest. It means that here the dark and the light arouse each other. The Abysmal means water. It is the trigram of due north, the trigram of toil, to which all creatures are subject. Therefore it is said: He toils in the sign of the Abysmal. Keeping Still is the trigram of the northeast, where beginning and end of all creatures are completed. Therefore it is said: He brings them to perfection in the sign of Keeping Still. (Wilhelm, p. 269) Also based on the notes of Yijing is a graph that explains the development of the eight trigrams from the taiji (see picture on right). This is based on the Neoconfucian scholar Shao Yong (1011 1077 AD) and it refers to the sentence: In the yi [Change] there is the Great Ultimate (taiji), which produced the two Forms (yi). These two Forms produced the four emblems (xiang), and the four emblems produced the eight trigrams. (Fung, p. 384) Within Taijiquan theory the eight hand techniques (bamen) are allocated to the eight trigrams. The allocation of trigram to hand technique varies according to the Taijiquan Classic (Taijiquan jing) and in The eight hand techniques and five steps (Bamen wubu). It is not known what these differences actually mean.

The trigrams according to King Wen

From the commentaries to the Yijing: All living things come forth in the sign of the Arousing. The Arousing stands in the east. They come to completion in the sign of the Gentle. The Gentle stands in the southeast. Completion means that all creatures become pure and perfect. The Clinging is the brightness in which all creatures perceive one another. It is the trigram of the south. That the holy sages turned their faces to the south while they gave ear to the meaning of the universe means that in ruling they turned toward what is light. This they evidently took from this trigram. The Receptive means the earth. It takes care that all creatures are nourished. Therefore it is said: He causes them to serve one another in the sign
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Fung, Yu-Lan, A History of Chinese Philosophy, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 1952. Wilhelm, Richard (transl.), I Ging, Diederichs, Munich, 2001.

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The development of the eight trigrams from the taiji according to Shao Yong

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Taijiquan-Lilun Issue 2