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Taijiquan Guide

Your guide to Taijiquan

Every action has a reaction – Tai Chi Rule 8

By Ben Sterling

If there is up there is down. If there is left there is right. If there is forward there is back.

有上即有下,有前則有後,有左則有右。如意要向上,即寓下意,若將物掀起而加以挫之之力。斯其根自斷,乃攘之速而無疑。


– The Theory of Taijiquan by Zhang Sanfeng

In Tai Chi we are constantly combining things that appear to contradict each other.

In doing so we find that what appears to be a contradiction is in fact two sides of the same coin and one cannot exist without the other.

You step forward by pushing backward with your foot. To push to the right you must apply force to the left.

The common analogy is a tree. The taller the tree the larger the root system required to support it. The larger the root system is the bigger the top must be to collect enough sunlight to nourish the roots.

Instead of trying to throw an opponent where they are strong, you can attack their support and they will fall all on their own.

Solo Exercise

Do the Yi intention exercises from Rule 7. Fill the 3 foot radius around you with Yi and when you step to the left make sure that the right side remains full the entire time. Don’t let the Yi shift to the left with your step.

Work on this with all your Tai Chi movement and make sure that you are filling the whole space the entire time.

You can also play with the Yi Leads the Movement Drill.

Instead of letting the Yi move ahead of where you are going, let it move in the opposite direction.

While working on rule 7 you might of thought of Yi as a magnet that pulls your body towards it. Now switch that polarity in your mind and think of Yi as a magnet that pushes your body away from it.

So if you wish to step forward the Yi shifts behind you and pushes you away from it.

Filed Under: Tai Chi Classics Tagged With: Tai Chi Classics, Tai Chi Rules, Taijiquan, yi

How to move with Intention (Yi) – Tai Chi Rule 7

By Ben Sterling

Move with purpose, not just the surface.

凡此皆是意,不在外面,
– The Theory of Taijiquan by Zhang Sanfeng


1. Every movement should be done deliberately with awareness and purpose behind it. Nothing should superficial or done for the sake of appearance or repetition.

2. Every principle and movement has a reason for existing. You must understand why it exists and what it is used for.

3. Move with Yi.

The most common translation of this passage is “Move with Yi (intention), not externally.” or some variation.

It is correct, but it can easily mislead beginners.

意 (yi) means different things depending on the context. It can mean purpose, significance or meaning, as I’ve interpreted it in parts 1 & 2 above.

However, in martial arts it often means a very trained and focused thought or intent. It is a sensation that can be felt and manipulated to great effect, similar to Qi.

Many arts use this. Internal, external, fine arts and most athletes. They may talk about it as focus or being in the zone.

For example, Xingyiquan puts a lot of time into training a very powerful and focused Yi that leads every action and cuts through the opponent. When a Xingyiquan practitioner stares at you from across a room you should feel their gaze cutting through you.

This meaning of Yi is often focused on and students will work to put it into every movement of their Tai Chi.

However, Tai Chi strategy is about disappearing & being inscrutable to an opponent.

A highly focused intent is something even an untrained opponent can sense. This becomes a form of telegraphing that will prevent you from using Tai Chi’s most fundamental strategy.

Tai Chi trains the Yi, it can focus the Yi, but it almost never uses a focused Yi.

Training the Yi

It’s much easier and faster to train something you can feel.
A focused Yi is much easier to feel than an unfocused one.
Tai Chi prefers an unfocused Yi for that very reason.

As a beginner we must use a focused Yi for a bit but always keep in mind that this is a crutch we are using to jump start the process. Don’t let it become a bad habit you must spend time untraining.

Yi (Intention) drill

Use your warm ups to get the Qi flowing then stand in a neutral posture.

Bring all your focus to one hand.

Slowly begin your Tai Chi set. Keep all of your attention focused only on your hand. Feel every centimeter of your hand. Experience every millimeter of movement.

If the rest of your body looks like garbage, ignore it. Bring the focus back to your hand so that you don’t even know what the rest of your body is doing.

As you do this the Qi sensation should get stronger in your hand and with practice you will get a sense of what the focused Yi feels like.

Once you get the hang of this, expand your focus to both hands.

Then do a set where the focus includes your entire arms.

Then focus only on the legs, then the entire torso.

Then do a set where the focus is on the entire body.

Then do a set where the focus includes a 3 foot radius around you.

Yi Leads the Movement

Go back to focusing on a single hand.

Instead of following the hand with your Yi, let the Yi get slightly ahead of your hand and let your hand be drawn to it.

Once you get comfortable with this, repeat all the stages of the previous exercise with the Yi now leading your movement.

Just an exercise

This exercise is meant to help you feel and build your yi.

Make sure that at each stage your Yi fills the entire area. If you find your mind darting around within the area of focus then you need to focus on filling a smaller area.

Shen follows the Yi

Remember that while you are working this exercise you are violating Rule #3 Draw the Spirit Inwards because the Spirit is drawn to where you focus your Yi.

That’s ok for now. Building a strong Yi is essential and this work will make manipulating Spirit that much easier and more effective later.

Filed Under: Tai Chi Classics Tagged With: shen, Tai Chi Classics, Tai Chi Rules, Taijiquan, yi

How to Draw the Shen Inwards – Tai Chi Rule #3

By Ben Sterling

The Shén (spirit) should be drawn inwards.
神宜內斂,

What is Shén?

Shén translates as spirit and opinions vary on how this concept is applied in Tai Chi.

Like Qi, Shén is a sensation that can be felt and manipulated. However, Qi is something beginners can feel and use.

Shén is more advanced and takes longer to understand in a tangible way.

Fortunately, a beginner can still put rule #3 into practice by understanding some basic theory.

How does Shen work?

Shén is influenced by our yì (意) and our xīn (心). Yì is our intention or thought and xīn is our emotion.

If you are stressed or agitated your shen will be disturbed. If your mind is constantly responding to your senses, jumping around to analyze what you are seeing, hearing, smelling, etc. then your shen will follow.

How to concentrate the Shen Internally

Be calm & relaxed so that your emotions don’t disrupt the shén.

Bring your attention and focus inwards to gather the spirit.

Here is a simple breathing exercise that can help you relax and calm your mind.

1. Breath in, relax and feel the body fill and expand.
2. Breath out and relax. Let any tension or stress leave with the breath.
3. Breath in, tense and feel the body fill and expand.
4. Breath out and relax letting go of tension and stress.
5. Repeat

You can use any warm up exercise that calms you and brings your focus inside the body.

Experiment and use whatever methods work best for you.

Filed Under: Tai Chi Classics Tagged With: shen, Taijiquan, xin, yi

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