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The following is a discussion of several important points
with regard to proper body alignment in Taijiquan practice. The
discussion focuses on the principle of centering and becoming
more rooted in the postures during practice of the open-hand and
weapon routines as well as during push hands and actual fighting
situations. The material covered in this article covers only a
few of the many circumstances and methods for achieving better
alignment. It is not the author's intent to suggest otherwise.
Zhong Zheng An Shu (centered, calm, and comfortable) is a very fundamental principle found in all forms of Taijiquan. The following discussion will describe some of the finer points to the principle.
Benefits of Zhong Zheng An Shu towards the body: Zhong Zheng An Shu is included in one's innate character. Taijiquan is a form of mind boxing which requires the intent of the mind to move the body. When Zhong Zheng An Shu is applied within the motion of Taijiquan, it will regulate the internal organs, bones and joints, and the muscles to conform to the natural process of the body's physiological functions. Moreover, it will connect the other requirements of Taijiquan together in order to obtain maximum exercise for the entire body. This is especially important for the elderly to achieve proper body posture, increased mental alertness, and increased energy supply. When Zhong Zheng An Shu is followed, then the spirit will be natural and the internal energy will be full and sufficient to give the practitioner a feeling of tranquility and beauty.
Self-defense Functions of Zhong Zheng An Shu: Taijiquan requires that one does not lose the opponent and one does not resist the attack (Bu Diu Bu Ding). Subsequently, during the normal practice of Taijiquan, one should apply this essential by maintaining centeredness (Zhong Zheng). By being centered the body will not bend or tilt; no part of the posture will be exaggerated or constricted; and the movements will follow the opponent, bend, and then extend. In this way one can clearly differentiate substantial and insubstantial and not lose the opponent. By being calm and comfortable (An Shu) one can hide and not reveal one's intentions. No matter how fiercely the opponent may attack, the Taijiquan practitioner will express a calm and relaxed appearance to the point that he knows the opponent but the opponent does not know him. Not only will the Taijiquan practitioner be able to defeat the opponent psychologically, but he will also be able to stand on undefeatable ground in actual combat. The classics state this by saying "before the battle begins, one will be victorious".
The Relation between Zhong Zheng and An Shu: Many people commonly mistake that Zhong Zheng An Shu are one matter. In actuality, Zhong Zheng and An Shu are both directly linked together and also separately different. Zhong Zheng emphasizes an upright posture and a central circulation of internal energy. Zhong Zheng mainly involves the overall body movements in the practice of Taijiquan. An Shu is a natural way of being calm and comfortable. One can say that the emphasis of An Shu is on the expression and spirit of the movements. Even though the definition of the two are different, they still have a very close relationship. Only by achieving Zhong Zheng will one be able to attain An Shu. If one cannot achieve Zhong Zheng, then one cannot become An Shu.
How to Attain Zhong Zheng An Shu: Zhong Zheng An Shu has both a general and specific meaning. The general meaning of Zhong Zheng An Shu is to say that the entire body should be centered, calm, and comfortable while performing Taijiquan. The momentum of the postures should be upright, rooted, and happy. The specific meaning of Zhong Zheng An Shu suggests that every portion of the body must be centered to some degree without excess or deficiency. In terms of martial abilities, the principle of "using attack as a way for defense" is inherit within Zhong Zheng An Shu. The senses should be relaxed and at ease in order to achieve the goal of the practice.
In summary, the following must be emphasized about Zhong Zheng An Shu: Zhong Zheng is not formed by being so upright that one becomes stiff. One should not make the body into a hard staff in order to be centered and upright. This not only goes against the basic principle of Zhong Zheng, but it is also very bad for one's health. An Shu is not achieved by having no spirit or radiance in the eyes nor is it achieved by having limp, lifeless body motions. Zhong Zheng should be light, agile and alive; An Shu should be relaxed in shape and full in intention. In practice one should always follow one's own nature in order to become one with nature.
Sinking the kua is a very important principle for standing upright and being centered in Taijiquan. In actual usage of this principle, sinking the kua has a very close mutual relationship to sinking the internal energy, dissolving internal force, and issuing force.
Taijiquan has the intention of being circular. To be circular then there must be a center. That center is the area around the waist and lower abdomen sometimes refered to as the lower Dantian. This is where the center is for human beings. In the practice of Taijiquan there is much emphasis placed on sinking the internal energy into the Dantian. Besides being very beneficial for cultivation of the health of the body, it is also a key factor for stabilizing the center during combative applications.
In order to make the center more lively one must first make the waist and hip areas more loose and agile. This is the basic foundation of sinking of kua in Taijiquan theory. When the kua is sunk then the opponent will not be able to find one's center of gravity and will satisfy the proverb, "the opponent will not know me".
From the practice of push hands, one will readily realize that the shoulder joints are very difficult to make agile and loose. Even after many years of practicing push hands, many people still have very stiff shoulders. With each exchange in push hands, the opponent can easily use fa jin (issuing of internal strength) to off-balance. Because the feet must support the entire weight of the body, the hip joints are even more difficult to relax and loosen. Only when the hips are highly flexible and loose will the waist/kua and the rest of the body be able to root and be stable. When one can increase the agility of one's center, turning, retreating, and advancing will be much easier and relaxed.
Only when the muscles and joints of the entire body are relaxed can the movements of Taijiquan be truly mastered. To discuss the relaxation of the shoulders and hip joints, one must start from the practice of the Taijiquan routine. During practice one must constantly strive for relaxation in motion. This, however, cannot be achieved in a very short period of time. According to the founders of Taijiquan, only by practicing with sweat and blood can this be achieved; there is no other method but to train.
There are several ways in which the kua is positioned during the practice of Taijiquan. The following are three: 1) The most common problem occurring during the practice of Taijiquan is the lower back protruding out. This problem indicates that the kua is not sunk or it is not sufficiently sunk. In push hands this problem will cause one to be pushed backward causing one to lose contact with the opponent. 2) The next kind is where the tail bone is pushed forward too far and the abdomen is pushed up and out. This problem indicates that the kua is overly sunk. In terms of push hands practice, this will cause one to lose the principle of suspension. 3) The third type will allow the body to be upright and centered with the lower back naturally lowered.
According to the natural principles of Daoism, "standing upright and being centered" is a very simple principle and is the natural way in which human beings stand, sit, and walk. If one can maintain this natural position during the practice of Taijiquan, it will be the most ideal way to obtain the principle of "standing upright and being centered".
In actuality, sinking the kua is relatively easy to do. When the body is held upright and centered, then the kua will naturally sink. Taijiquan uses numerous bow stances in the routine. For the beginner learning to sink the kua in a bow stance, the hip of the rear leg will often be tense and stiff. This, consequently, goes against the principle of remaining in a relaxed posture. In the bow stance the knee of the rear leg should be slightly bent. However, if there is too much bend in the knee, the hip joint will not receive enough exercise to relax and sink. One must also remember that the knee joint should not be completely locked in the stance. This is very easy to put into words, but for the beginner it is very difficult to put into practice.
Sinking the kua requires the agility of the hip joints; this is especially true for the agility of maintaining an upright and centered body. The region of the lower abdomen is the center of the entire body. This area is often called the lower Dantian. In the classics of Taijiquan one often sees the phrases of "sinking the qi into the Dantian, relaxing the waist and sinking the kua, rounding the groin, etc..." Within each of these phrases, the emphasis is on sinking the center, developing agility, and becoming rooted. After the hips are agile and relaxed, the waist must become natural and loose so that it can move subtly. In this way one can dissolve the opponent's oncoming attack. In most cases, those who have not seriously trained in practice of sinking the kua will not be able to develop a very high skill level in dissolving energy.
The function of the waist is to turn and twist in order to move the limbs of the body. The achievement of looseness and agility of the waist is very basic in the training of Taijiquan. The hips are the basis for rooting and sinking during the motion of each posture. Even though the hips and waist are connected together on the body, their functions are different.
In theory, Taijiquan is round and circular. During the practice of Taijiquan, the hands can be seen moving in arc-shaped patterns. However, for those with high skill levels, the hips and kua are the controller of the movements of the hands and legs. For those with lower level skills, the hands and legs quite often move independently of the waist and kua.
When one encounters an expert in push hand skills, one's own strength (internal) cannot overcome the experts movements. The expert will borrow one's own strength to cause off-balance and confusion. The reason behind this is the correct usage of the waist and kua. Consequently, the skill level is not just in the hands.
During the practice of the open-hand, push hands, and weapons routines, one must adhere very strictly to the requirements for the relaxation of the waist and the sinking of the kua. Only when the mechanics of the waist and kua are mastered will the study of Taijiquan be on the right track.
The health benefits of Taijiquan are known by most people who practice the art. However, within the masses of people who practice Taijiquan, there are varying degrees of knee injuries which occur. There was a study conducted in China which revealed that there are as many as 30% who practice Taijiquan with varying degrees of knee joint injury due to the practice of Taijiquan. The reason for these injuries is that the postures are not correctly performed. It has been shown through observations that there are numerous examples of beginners who perform Taijiquan postures incorrectly. Moreover, there are many teachers who are teaching incorrect posture methods and body mechanics.
There was a student who came to one of the my classes who had been practicing the simplified form of Taijiquan for approximately one year. Upon requesting a demonstration of the movements, I noted the improper knee alignment of the student's bow stance. The alignment was corrected immediately to prevent injury. During the next practice session, the student admitted that he had been having knee pains. However, after the alignment problem was corrected, he noted that the pain in his knees totally disappeared.
The practice of Taijiquan requires that the muscles in the entire body become relaxed and the joints open and become loose. However, this type of looseness and relaxation must follow the requirements of Taijiquan practice whereby the normal position and proper function of the joints are maintained. While the muscles relax, one must maintain an upright centered body as well as a hollowed chest, straight back, sunk elbows, relaxed shoulders, relaxed waist, and other requirements. If these requirements are not followed and put into place, there will be injury to the joints of the body.
During the practice of Taijiquan most of the weight of the entire body is put on the lower extremities. Consequently, there are very few who ever mention of injury to the joints of the upper extremities. There are, however, many who complain of knee pain. Taijiquan emphasizes the changes of yin and yang and the avoidance of double weightedness. Thus, there are many movements which require only one leg to support the weight of the entire body. A typical example of this would be an empty stance in which the weight and center of the body is positioned onto one foot with the knee bent. The other foot is completely empty of weight. The bend in the knee will produce a transverse force on the knee joint.
The lower the postures are conducted during Taiji, the greater the pressure/stress the knee joints will receive. This will inevitably cause greater cellulose irregularity and work to support the added weight to that particular leg. It is often said that Taijiquan is for the promotion and cultivation of health therefore postures should be performed higher to prevent strain and injury. Rather than placing all weight onto one leg in an empty stance, it is better to shift approximately 30% of the body weight onto the empty leg to minimize over stressing the body and legs. This will still satisfy the requirement of avoiding double weightedness.
Another problem in the prevention of knee injury is the positioning of the feet. Each style of Taijiquan has different requirements in terms of foot position. For example, the bow stance in the Yang style requires that the front foot point to the front and the rear foot be turned out 45 degrees. The bow stance in the Wu Jian Quan style requires that both feet point to the front in a bow stance. Before discussing further, we should discuss the functions of the knee joint.
The knee joint is not a highly mobile joint. The main function of the knee joint is to direct the upper and lower leg to bend towards the rear. The sideways movement of the joint is relatively limited. If the normal sideways movement of the knee joint is surpassed, there will be injury to the joint. Moreover, this type of injury is more serious than when pressure is applied down onto the knee joint. Consequently, the empty stance in Yang style requires that the groin be rounded to allow the upper leg, lower leg, and foot to be in a straight line. This will control the agility of the body to turn left if the left foot is placed in front to form a left empty stance.
The Wu style also follows along in these lines by
maintaining the upper and lower leg and the foot in one line. In
summation, no matter which style of Taijiquan is practiced, one
should never allow the knee joint to turn out or turn in from the
alignment of the foot. Otherwise, there will be serious injury to
the knee joint.
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