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Finding your way |
It is frequently observed by practitioners of "hard" martial arts such as Taekwondo or Karate that Taijiquan is ineffective as a fighting art . As it is generally taught and practiced today in the West it must be conceded that this is indeed so. As with any martial art, the fault lies not in the substance of the style but rather with the lack of combat realism employed in training methods. The rationale of any kind of training is that one will become skilled at what one practices. If the emphasis in training is on kata, then one will develop skill in form work. if the focus is on fixed-step push-hands, then that is the skill that will emerge after long training. If you break many bricks, you will become a great brick breaker. Nonetheless, there are those who believe that by simply persisting in the practice of solo forms in Taijiquan, over time will come high skill in employing the concepts and techniques of Taijiquan in practical application. Vague and mystical references are made to "internal energy" and "chi"; the lack of any combat realism in training is excused on the basis of Taijiquan's supposed superiority as an "internal" art, and it is claimed that by simply practicing the soft solo exercise, "extreme hardness" will develop. This sort of faith may be admirable but it is quite unrealistic. More importantly, it is based on a faulty premise. In reality, Taijiquan is rarely taught in the West as a fighting art OR as an internal art.
It is obviously easier to learn the external postures of Taijiquan than to apply the intense mental concentration which characterizes these and other internal methods. In the final analysis, however, the internal work emerges as the only approach which produces the transformation sought by most people who study Taijiquan. The internal work gives the cerebral cortex the rest it needs to harmonize the body's myriad organic functions, resulting in superb health, and this improved physical condition provides the ideal "environment" for the mind to apply the inner form. This process is the transformation which seems so mystical and elusive- the true harmony of the internal and external aspects, the yin and yang, the mind and body as one.
Sadly, many of the old internal methods of Taijiquan have not been transmitted intact to the present and some aspects of the inner form which have survived have been distorted or diluted due to the cultural gap and language barrier which exists between China and the West. The transmissions of inner form which are most accessible to the average Taijiquan student in the West are contained within what are known as the "taiji classics", a slim and decidedly abstruse assortment of writings which may or may not have been passed down to the present with their originally intended meaning. For the average student, the "classics" nonetheless provide a framework of basic principles, but otherwise are of limited value until one has achieved a certain level of proficiency in the art. This is mainly due to the way that all old martial arts "training manuals" in China were written, ie, they tell the student what he/she should be doing, but not how to do it. The goals of lifelong training are clearly presented, but the tasks that comprise the practical aspects of training are not. Many excellent translations of the "classics" exist, and fresh interpretations appear all the time. Almost without exception, translations of the "taiji classics" simply restate the goals differently; again, no specific methods for achieving those lofty goals are given to the struggling student. With so little practical instruction available the student looks to the "classics" and focuses on the goals of training rather than the work which must be done to reach those goals. A Chinese proverb states, "If you always have one eye on your destination, then you are left with only one eye with which to find your way." The various methods of inner form which form the core training of the Northern Wu style taijiquan reveal themselves as practical training tools for actualizing the "taiji classics", making the wisdom of the "classics" accessible to all, regardless of one's personal level of development. The techniques serve as a model, always available for reference and mitigating the temptation to simply mimic the external movements of the teacher. The elucidations of Taijiquan theory and training methods that have have been passed on to me by my lineage teachers are taken directly from the tradition of Northern Wu style taijiquan. Learning and applying these methods resulted in an gradual but steady and ever expanding metamorphosis in my practice of Taijiquan. For those others who have struggled to find a correct path, it is my sincere belief that applying this knowledge to your study will help you to find your way as well. |