ChiDragon

Thanks. Yes, in the Chinese system, ten was the highest number for quantitative expression. e.g. three out of ten as 30%; and the western expression is 30 out of 100 as 30%

Chapter 50 Translation in terse English: 1. From birth to death, 2. Those who lived longer are three out of ten, 3. Those who die sooner are three out of ten, 4. Some of the people could have lived longer, 5. But they choose to run toward death, 6. Also, three out of ten. 7. Then, why so? 8. It was due to their extravagant way of life style. 9. I heard one who knows how to preserve life, 10.Walking on land will not meet a rhinoceros or a tiger. 11.Enlisted man will not be harmed by weapons. 12.Rhinoceros has no chance to thrust its horn. 13.Tiger has no chance to utilize its claws. 14.Weapon have no chance to cut with its sharpen edge. 15.Then, why so? 16.Because one has not entered a fatal environment. Note: 十有三, has two possible interpretations: 1. Three out of ten. 2. Ten plus three which is thirteen. It was improper to translate it as "thirteen" within context here. 1. 出生入死。 2. 生之徒，十有三。 3. 死之徒，十有三。 4. 人之生， 5. 動之於死地， 6. 亦十有三。 7. 夫何故﹖ 8. 以其生生之厚。 9. 蓋聞善攝生者， 10.陸行不遇兇虎， 11.入軍不被甲兵。 12.兇無所投其角。 13.虎無所用其爪。 14.兵無所容其刃。 15.夫何故﹖ 16.以其無死地。

Normally, the local tour guide in Beijing will take you to a TCM herbal visit. If not, you can ask the guide to lead you to one. Just be aware not to over bought the herbs which they may be recommended.

Yes, our friend was good at that all the time. We have to keep our eyes on him....!!!

The (之) in "為(之)心" is optional as I said before. 為 (之) 心 or 為 心 was understood AS "as (his) heart" FYI There are no rules in classic text. All interpretations have to be determined by the logic within context. A statement may be taken as a good interpretation as long it is logical. However, an interpretation of a phrase may be logical by itself but it may not flow with the rest of the phrases. Then, a different interpretation has to be done with another attempt until everything falls into place. One might call this is a trial and error method.

Tai Chi is Yin-Yang. All Tai Chi practitioners should have some knowledge about the Yin-Yang concept to be more appreciative about the art of the practice. Just for sharing our common knowledge for discussion sake, how much do you know about this concept when it comes to Tai Chi Chuan...??? Edited to add: Actually, I am really asking how was the Yin-Yang concept being applied to Tai Chi Chuan...??? This is not a question to be answered by a beginner per se. One may be either doing Tai Chi or not at all. Just by going through the routine of the movements or the gestures may not be considered Tai Chi if one was not applying the Yin-Yang concept during the practice of the routines.

As soon one touched the opponent, one stays in contact by sticking and following him with the head always upright.....???

Not true.

MWD-A and B Chapter 64 执(之)者失之 执者失之 Those who possess it will lose it.

To answer this question, I think this is the Wing Chun concept by Fa Jin in a short distance. Fa Jin can pull the muscle tissue away from the body of the opponent. It was a little more violent. The Fa Jin in a shot distance concept was to damage the most vulnerable area of the opponent before he knew it was coming. By the time he realizes it, then it was too late. As in Tai Ji, it is not a matter of short distance rather than body contact. The goal in Tai Ji is to stay away from the opponent. If no body contact, then there is no counterattack. However, if there was a body contact, the goal was to get the opponent off balance but causing no damage to his body. This was considered to be the virtue of martial arts by not having an intention to hurt anyone.

I think the reason that we are having this kind of line of questioning is because the we aren't sharing the same definition about Fa Jin. By the Chinese definition as I had indicated before, Since the definition of Jin was developed by the continuous Tai Ji practice, the Li becomes Jin in a Tai Ji body. Therefore, the exerted strength by a Tai Ji practitioner was Jin not Li; as oppose to an ordinary person, the exerted strength was Li not Jin. In other words, at any instant in time, any force exerted by a Tai Ji practitioner was Jin and considered to be Fa Jin(發勁). In our discussion, by your description that Fa Jin was taken place only occasionally. Therefore, I can understand why you did not understand my question. In the video, the instructor must have used Fa Jin in order to have his student fall back so far. Otherwise, the student would have had been fell back a lot shorter. BTW You had said that the instructor did not use Fa Jin which tells me that you have a different conception about Jin or Fa Jin.

以 百 姓 之 心 為 (之) 心 <------ the second (之) just gives it a little more emphasis. 以 百 姓 之 心 為 心 He takes the heart of the people as his heart. In classic text, both lines are saying the something. The second (之) may be omitted or optional; and it was mentally understood that the second (之) is there. Thus the original thought have not changed.

Thank you...!!! What is Qin Na, is 擒拿....??? In general practice but not in combat, why is so important that the arms and legs are not fully extended or lock out in Tai Ji Chuan...??? How do you consider yourself that you are being Fa Jin...???

Tai Chi Sparring

Steve and Stigweard... Do you have your students extend their arms or legs fully doing practice....???

Perhaps this is less clunky. How would you make it more acceptable in English...??? Please give it a try and help me to improve this translation. Thanks... Chapter 49 - The unselfish sage. 1. A sage is always unselfish. 2. He considered the craves of others as his own. 3. I'm kind to those that are kind. 4. I'm kind to those that are not kind too. 5. Thus I've gained kindness. 6. I trust those that are trustworthy. 7. I trust those that are not trustworthy too. 8. Thus I've gained trust. 9. A ruler by dismissing his personal ego, 10. And fulfill the requisition of the people. 11. Let the people devote to their own senses, 12. And return to the innocence of childhood.

Yes, it was my personality and the writing style reflects that. At times, I was warned a few times about my arrogance by others. I will make a mental note more seriously this time and make correction to improve this undesirable habit. I apologize and thanks again.

Anyway, no problem. The way I was taught is 順其自然, let it be natural, and everything will fall in place.

Very good demonstrate on fa jin(發勁). First, it was to make the guy off balance then fa jin. After the initial push, you can almost see and feel the jin was penetrating right through the opponent to make him flew away. It was the guy's own body weight plus the jin that was making him fall back non stop until he landed on the floor. The Tai Ji practitioner already have an idea how the guy is going to fall by the Yi(意) from his counteract movement.

Steve, I do agree 100% of what you said. This is a much higher level of understanding to explain to the beginners. What I trying to do is make it as simple as possible here so people will get a general idea. If we are feeding too much information to a novice, then it would be like a Ph. D. talking to a kiddy garden.

Please don't feel that way. I'm just looking at it more microscopically and get to the finest details and testing my own understand. It's the only way that I can do it by describing it in minute details. Unfortunately, this approach may not be widely acceptable. After all these years of practice, I would like to documented and share with someone as I was encouraged to do so by a new member here. Please don't feel offended. I do feel belittled at times, but I do need your encouragement. Thank you very much.

1. Don't forget song(鬆). (relaxed energy not limp / no tension) This was already attributed in the Yin state. 2. The more song you are the more sensitive you are to the other person and your surroundings. Your awareness and senses are heightened. Yes, I know what you are getting at. Actually, song(鬆) is really just the relaxation of the muscles. The sensitivity was from the continuous practice and it is immanent. Regardless, one was relaxed or not, a Tai Ji practitioner is always vigilant in his environment. It was just a natural instinct because that was the efficacy from the practice of Tai Chi Chuan. BTW The relaxation was conserving energy because the muscles were not under compression. 3. "Therefore you start later and arrive earlier." This is strictly by spontaneous reaction without thinking. This was the development of the fast reflexes contributed from the continuous Tai Ji practice again.

Chapter 49 - The unselfish sage. 1. A Sage do not have a heart of selfishness. 2. He takes the heart of the people as his own. 3. Those whom are kind, I kind to them. 4. Those whom are not kind, I kind to them too. 5. Thus I gained kindness. 6. Those whom are trustworthy, I trust them. 7. Those whom are not trustworthy, I trust them too. 8. Thus I gained trust. 9. A ruler by restraining his personal ego, 10.Fulfill the necessity of the people. 11.Have people devoted to their own senses, 12.Then, he helped them all returned to the innocence of childhood. 1. 聖人無常心。 2. 以百姓心為心。 3. 善者吾善之。 4. 不善者吾亦善之 5. 德善。 6. 信者吾信之。 7. 不信者吾亦信之、 8. 德信。 9. 聖人在天下歙歙焉， 10.為天下渾其心。 11.百姓皆注其耳目， 12.聖人皆孩之。

What is the difference between Li(力) and Jin(勁)...??? These two terms describes the difference in body strength. 1. Li is the natural body strength of a normal ordinary person. 2. Jin is the developed body strength of a Tai Chi practitioner. Jin can be many many times stronger and powerful than Li. Strength wise, Li may stop at the surface of impact depends on the natural strength of the individual. However, Jin can penetrate deeper through the surface of impact. I was told by my Tai Ji teacher, be careful who and how I touch someone because I may not know my own strength after years of practice. Hence, mind control and self discipline are very important to handle the Jin in you. An ordinary person has a limited of Li which can be exhausted by strenuous excise. As with Jin, it is unlimited because a Tai Ji practitioner knows when and how to release the body energy and regenerate it instantly. Jin was always reserved and readily available at all times. That's where the Yin-Yang concept comes into play. There is a saying in Tai Ji Chuan: 靜如山，動如江海。 Still like a mountain, move like the currents in a river or an ocean. Still was considered to be in the Yin state and moving is in the Yang state. In the Yin state, one was reserving energy. Thus that was why a Tai Ji practitioner never take the initial move to strike and always being a defender. While the opponent was taken action to launch and by the time he reaches the defender some of the energy was used and wasted. At the same time, the reserved energy of the defender was ready to be released. The concept here again, the strength of the offender was from the Yang state to the Yin state which made him weaker than from the time at the beginning of the launch. While the defender was from the Yin state to Yang state, that will make him stronger than the opponent at that instantly in time.

It's not a matter of can one handle all that "love" rather how much can one handle the philosophy about "love".