ChiDragon

I believe that the idea about "Yi" is from "Xing Yi Chuan". It is a different concept as far as I understood. It requires mind manipulation as oppose to spontaneous response in Tai Chi. If I'm a Tai Chi beginner, I wouldn't concentrate on the Yi.

In regard to the faster or stronger, I was only making a comparison between a Tai Ji and non Tai Ji practitioner to illustrate the philosophy in Tai Ji. In a way, when you had anticipated your opponent, you were considered to be quicker than him. Philosophical speaking, it doesn't matter what part of the body you touched him.

Let's analyze these points: 1. Tai Ji Quan uses soft when soft is needed, and hard when hard is needed. 2. That is how soft overcomes hard. 3. Soft and hard must balance. 4. 后發先至 Hou Fa Xian Zhi Launch later but arrive before 5. 以 靜制動 Yi Jin Zhi Dong meaning something like using stillness to control movement. If we categorize everything into the Yin-Yang attributes. Yin: soft, slow, passive, later, and stillness Yang: hard, fast, active, before, and motion To summarize it, actually we are really saying: The Yin overcomes the Yang. 1 and 3. Tai Ji is Yin-Yang, both are there all the time and in balance. 2. The soft was categorized as Yin and hard as Yang. How does Yin overcome Yang...??? That is when the opponent going through his yelling and screaming with the Kung Fu moves. While the opponent is in motion, it was considered that he is in the Yang state. As being a Tai Ji practitioner would be just standing still while waiting the opponent to make the first move. It was considered that he is in the Yin state. Since the stillness while waiting for the initial strike motion, it was considered to be 以靜制動(Yi Jin Zhi Dong) meaning something like using stillness to counteract the movement. 4. While I am standing still waiting to initiate my counter attack, if you don't move I don't move. If you do move, then I move first. This was considered to be 后發先至(Hou Fa Xian Zhi) Launch later but arrive before. What that says is: When the opponent made the initial move, as soon I saw the initial move was coming, then I'll move real fast as I was making the initial move. Only a Tai Ji practitioner can do that because his muscle tone and coordination are so natural resulted from years of practice. His physical body is well equipped with higher reflexes than a non Tai Ji practitioner. PS... I'll go over the Li and Jin later.

I know this is something hard to accept. Let me put it this way. This is one of the dumbest Chinese philosophies which always look at the good side rather than the bad. In this case, the good side is the one that has a good heart for treating a bad guy good. The emphasis is on the good guy's heart and ignored the rest of the bad guys.

Regarding to "acting like a teacher" reminds me of a conversation between LaoTze and Confucius. Confucius paid a scholastic visit to LaoTze once in his lifetime and the conversation started with this dialog. Confucius: "I come to be your student." LaoTze: "I am not your teacher. We all can be a teacher or a student. It all depends if you know more than I do at the time, then you are the teacher and I'm the student. If I know more at the time, then I am the teacher and you're the student." Anyway, I see that you are the teacher about the applications of the Tai Ji Chuan while I am a student into the practice....

Annotation: Whatever the people are kind to you or not but you are kind to them regardless. The initial kindness was from your heart is what made you a virtuous person. This is called the virtue(te) of kindness from you. 1. 信者吾信之。 2. 不信者吾亦信之、 3. 德信。 1. Those whom are trustworthy, I trust them. 2. Those whom are not trustworthy, I trust them too. 3. It is the virtue of trust. Annotation: Whatever the people are with trusting or not but you are place a trust on them regardless. The initial trust was from your heart is what made you a virtuous person. This is called the virtue(te) of trust from you. In both scenarios, the virtue was the good intention from you regardless of the intention from others. Thus that is what virtue or te was all about...!!!

LaoTze: "The softness overcomes the hardness." Is the IDEA softer than the Water....???

What is Tai Ji Chuan(TJC) all about...??? What is Tai Ji...??? It means the "great ultimate", literally, but in Tai Ji Chuan it simply means Yin-Yang as a whole. Thus one cannot be detached from the other. If we look at the Tai Ji symbol, we see a white fish and a black fish with an eye in opposite color. The white fish designated as Yang and the black one as Yin. The black eye in the white fish signifies that there is a little Yin in Yang and vice versa. The two fishes are in a circle signifies a perpetual circular motion. Here is where the Yin-Yang concept comes into play in TJC. At the beginning, a Tai Ji student knew nothing about Tai Ji; let's considered that the student was in the Yin level and the advanced level is at the Yang level. At the Yin level, the student just follow the basic movements and let the muscles adjust to the new stresses which being exerted to the body. The muscles will be sore in the next three months or so because the initial state of the body was in the weakest state or the Yin state. After six months or so, the muscles are getting stronger from the Yin state goes to the Yang state. At the Yin state, the regular body strength was called li(力). At the Yang state, the muscles have more strength which called Jin(勁). Jin4 is many many times greater than the li. The ultimate goal of Tai Ji was to build up the Jin in the muscles. Hence, a Tai Ji practitioner can "fa jin". Fa Jin(發勁), literally, means exerting a tremendous force much greater than the regular strength(li). Accuracy of the movements is insignificant at the beginning level. The main thing is learn the gestures and let the body parts adjust to the movements. As the practice goes along, the movements will become natural for the arms and legs. Hence, the body will correct the movements by itself. The more refine correction will be taken place at the higher level to reach perfection. Note: This is just an introduction; I will go into how the Yin-Yang concept was applied to the practice later.

善者吾善之。 不善者吾亦善之 德善。 Those whom are kind, I kind to them. Those whom are not kind, I kind to them too. It is the virtue of kindness.

1. Yes, normally it is the case. However, sometimes a diagram of the actual figure was added to the character for artistic purposes. 2. The highlighted in yellow in the diagrams are just a combination of characters stacked together. They are really meaningless in the talisman. Only the Taoists in their religion would know what they are for. They have different symbols for different talismans.

From the responses, I already know how much everybody knows. I have the impression that some do not wish to know or don't need to know or don't care at all. Anyway, that's what I wanted to find out to get a feel of the Tai Ji Chuan public. I would like to go over the Yin-Yang concept as the way I understood it. For those who don't care maybe it will be a good amusement or don't bother with it. No body is putting a gun through your head to swallow it....

1. Is it fair to say understanding "Tai Chi Quan" is to know the BASIC theory behind it...??? 2. 太 極 拳 in direct translation is "Tai Ji Fist" but it's better to stay with "Tai Chi Quan". In general, 拳(chuan) was meant to be a set of martial art movements. The term was added to the end of the title of any kind of martial arts. e.g. 少林拳(Shaolin Chuan); 詠春拳(Wing Chun Chuan). 3. Knowing the theory will be developing a better skill in the art. 4 & 5. IMO After an extensive practice of the art for a few years, then the theory will become more clear about Tai Chi Chuan. 6. My initial post was to share my views on Tai Ji theory and Tai Ji Chuan by inviting replies to hear everyone's opinion. My judgments were assumed to be my appropriate responses. That was not my intention to poise myself to judge their replies; and it was just happened to be came across this way. I was waiting to go into it if no response. Thank you for your patience and being a fine Tai Chi practitioner....

Please answer this carefully because I am listening...

Does that mean that the teacher understood it or not...???

1. Yes, you don't need Tai Ji Quan skill to learn the Yin-Yang Theory. However, if you know the Yin-Yang theory, then you will understand more about Tai Ji Quan. 2. I agree, there is no question about that. 3. In that case, you are not learning or being taught properly. 4. If the "Tai Ji Quan" was being accepted with the improper name such as "Tai Ji Boxing", I wonder how much does the author knows about Tai Ji Quan. 5. By reading a book without really knowing the theory, you are only learning the limited portion of the author and nothing more. 6. If you don't know anything about it intellectually, but you are only expressing it through your practice. Then, it is not "Tai Ji Quan" NOR "quan". It maybe boring because one didn't know the answer to make it more interesting. PS... The issue was being questionable here, the intent was not to attack any person.

Chapter 48 - Rule with Wu Wei 1. In learning, knowledge increases daily. 2. In seeking the Principles of Tao, one's desires are lessen daily. 3. Lessen and more lessen. 4. Until reached to the state of Wu Wei. 5. Being Wu Wei then there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. 6. Ruling the world always with no accomplishment, 7. Or with multifarious decrees. 8. Then, one is not suffice to rule the world. 1. 為學日益。 2. 為道日損。 3. 損之又損， 4. 以至於無為。 5. 無為而不為。 6. 取天下常以無事， 7. 及其有事， 8. 不足以取天下。 Edited to change: 8. Then one does not fit to rule the world.

1. The diagram at the left hand side seems to be a RAT(鼠) character with the figure of a rat inside. The RAT the first symbol of the Chinese zodiac. 2. At the bottom seems to be a dragon with clouds and a circle in the middle maybe the sun or the moon. 3. At the right seems to be two animals sitting on top of something are kissing each other. FYI... The second picture is a talisman to keep the evil spirits away.

I have no wisdom and expertise to terminate but myself....

I hope it was not well done nor over cooked to the ultimate extreme.....

土 is Soil or earth 地 is Earth

Yes, what you said is true, but if you are a Tai Chi Chuan practitioner, it is an esoteric term for the Tai Chi group. Please do not lump all the definitions in one thought. Besides, we are talking about Tai Chi Chuan not cooking. BTW People are too lazy to say the three characters "Tai Chi Chuan", instead they preferred to say it in two characters such as "tai chi" for short. The term "tai chi of cooking" was really saying "the Art of Cooking", and tai chi is really has nothing to do with cooking.

Let it go for few days until you can do deep breathing again. Then, concentrate on your deep and slow breathing and focus on the pained area, while laying down, for fast healing. Take your breath to a deepest point where there is no pain and stop there as your threshold for a baseline. Repeat your breathing process until your breaths can go deeper and deeper to pass the threshold point. If you can have your breath reach the abdomen without any more pain, then you are home free...

We can learn a lot from this chapter. First is LaoTze's writing style; and, secondly, is the way he present his philosophy with metaphors. There are three levels of interpretation for the Tao Te Ching. First is the superficial meaning of the phrases, second is the interpretation, and third is the hidden message in the metaphor. However, if the first and second levels are illogical or make no sense at all, then go to the third level. In this chapter, the first three lines are written in metaphors. Line 1 was suggesting that one shall not rely on what it seems to be or superficial, the truth is always there in the world. One must use one's own intuition and impartial judgment to find out the truth. Line 2 was suggesting that one does not need to look outside to determine the Laws of Nature. It is because the Laws of Nature are always the same which do not change. Line 3 was suggesting that the more one sees, the more confusions that are deceiving one's principled thoughts.

太極拳(Tai Chi Chuan) and 太極(tai chi) are the same thing. 太極 was short for 太極拳 as you've said. These two came from the same source but differ in name.

Yes, it is. I would like to hear from you how would you interpret these three paradoxes based on your understanding of LaoTze's philosophy...?