I was thinking about this--bear with me...

If you are a boxer, you need great basics, and those are (to my knowledge)--footwork, slipping, jab, cross, hook, uppercut, combinations.

Same holds true for any athletic--great basics go a long way (not saying it's all you need, but it goes a looooooooooong way).

So what are the "basics" for Tai Chi as a martial art? I studied a little Yang style, and we had push hands, form, and really simple stuff like "tai chi walking" or single posture practice--but I never understood what the fighting basics of Tai Chi were.

Any ideas on what the martial basics would be for a Tai Chi stylist (yea, I know that styles only exist in people's heads and all that, but humor me this once).

Thanks all

PS--this is assuming a base of conditioning and sparring--I am fully aware that they are universally essential for martial effectivness--now, assuming that, what are the "jab, cross, hook, uppercut" of Tai Chi?

Dear Jim,

Since no one else has answered you yet, I believe the answer to your question is what is called "Tai Chi's 13 postures. There are many descriptions on the web, however you might start with www.shenwu.com go to tai chi and Tim gives you a pretty thorough explanation.

I am somewhat of a novice my self so I hope this helps. I believe this is the correct answer to your question though!

I missed the original post. I think Jim answered his own question.

The basics for Tai Ji Chuan are footwork, slipping, jab, cross, hook, uppercut combinations.

Mike,

To my (limited) knowledge, the thirteen postures are not specific techniques, so I guess I'd have to decide for myself the specific movements to practice based on them, maybe?

Shane,

I can see what you mean with footwork and slipping, but do you mean that the exact jab, cross, hook, and uppercut of boxing are universal to all striking arts? Also, much of Tai Chi is not striking (from what I hear ), so what basics address the non-striking aspects (for example, judo guys have the basic hip throw).

I guess what I mean is--when someone tells you to work your basics in boxing or judo, they are pretty clearly defined and finite, there is little that is vague or confusing (we have listed them for boxing, for judo it would be a more extensive list, but still clear and finite--hip throw, arm bars, etc.).

Is there nothing like this for Tai Chi? And if there isn't, musn't there have been as some point if it was an effective fighting art?

Thanks for the responses, keep em coming.

I see the basics of Judo much like many of the boxing moves mentioned: not actual tenchniques, but fundamental movements; the pull, shrimp, bridge, turning in etc.

I'm sure that in TaiJi there are a few basics stance transitions, torso rotations and basic arm movements one could not do without, like palm changing in BGZ. I've seen videos of good TJQ practitioners (Tim Cartmell being the first that comes to mind) doing Tai-Otoshi, O-Guruma, Koshi-Guruma and Kata Guruma amongst others. Perhaps they just like wheels

for clarification see:

http://www.judoinfo.com/video4.htm

Jim,
I'm not qualified to give a good answer on the basics of Tai Ji Chuan. Aside from learning the form and a bunch of applications- I never excelled at it.

Hi Jim,

I think that focusing on techniques would not be appropriate to describe Tai Chi basics. Here are my thoughts:

I see the Tai Chi body as divided into three zones: legs, body core and trunk, and arms (including shoulders). In Chinese these zones are referred to as Earth, Man, and Heaven respectively. These correspond to the Tai Chi sphere. The lower body provides mobility, stability, and compression into the ground. Middle is the center that unifies everything. Upper body at the point of contact gently completes the compression path to the ground, and allows rolling.

1) Aligning with gravity - this includes proper structure & alignment (see the "Tai Chi Classics"), standing on your feet and sinking into the ground, and channeling all horizontal forces downward (not the same as horizontal bracing against the ground). These apply to your body when still, moving solo, or moving in contact with opponent.

2) Moving from your core - all leg, and arm movements should originate from your geometric center (the Dan Tien). The core can be thought of as a big ball that can roll, contract & expand. The shoulders and arms are just connected to this powerful dynamo.

3) Relaxed upper body connection to opponent - Arms and shoulders are lightly pressurized (with some "pang" ward-off energy) and connected to the opponent. Relaxation is required for the following reasons:

a)allow maximum touch sensitivity - interpret pressure and direction changes and read the intent of the opponent

b) allow smooth and flexible response - by rolling the point of contact you can change your relationship to the opponent's intended force direction.

c) not putting pressure on your weakest points - if your shoulders, elbows, and wrists are relaxed, you can use and deliver whole-body power without creating a bottleneck


Beyond this, I agree on the focus on the 13 movements. Undertanding the specific applications in the form based on the 8 energies is critical.

Hope this helps...

What are the "classics"?? Can you tell me the author?
Jake

Ok, lets take this a step further, just to stoke up the thread a little...

What are the "basic techniques" of Tai Chi and what is the best SPP conditioning for it?

(ducks and covers, then peeks around...)

It's a reasonable question to ask about any other martial art--why not Tai Chi?

Hey Jim, nice thread, curly question though - I've been pondering this one for a long time.

If you accept the premise that Tai Chi is predominently grappling / knockdown oriented, then I'd say the "basic techniques" of Tai Chi are unbalancing the opponent to the front and side and unbalancing the opponent to the rear and side.

Don't know what "SPP" stands for in relation to conditioning but if its the stepping and way you join with the opponent, (correct me if I'm wrong) it depends on the style and teacher, some approaches are more agressive than others.

Jake:
The following is a short excerpt is from the "Guiding principles" section from my extended article on "Wu Style Tai Chi Chuan as a Martial Art". The full version can be read or downloaded here:

http://sandiegotaichi.com/downloads.html

The best translation of the Classics that I have seen is "The Essence of T'AI CHI CH'UAN: The Literary Tradition" By Benjamin Pang Jeng, Lo, Martin Inn, Robert Amacker, Susan Foe

There is a review and link to it from my book reviews page:

http://sandiegotaichi.com/books.html

----

Until the twentieth century, most Tai Chi martial artists in China did not come from the educated classes. Like the vast majority of their countrymen they were illiterate. The martial arts knowledge was transmitted directly through a master/disciple relationship spanning many years. Most Chinese martial arts teachers embodied their art and taught by “being” rather than explaining important concepts. The students were expected to observe keenly and exactly follow the example of their teacher. Then, through diligent practice and investigation they were expected to derive the general principles and also come to embody them. As an aid to the transmission of information in this oral tradition short poems and songs were created to help preserve key ideas. Three important pictorial symbols, rich in multiple meanings, were also used to enhance understanding - the Tai Chi Tu diagram (above), the Bagua (or “eight trigrams”), and the Wu Xing (or “five elements”).

The writings evolved over several hundred years. In many cases the original authors are unknown. In the 1800s a set of manuscripts about Tai Chi were discovered and more widely circulated. These collected works became known as the “Tai Chi Classics” (or simply “the Classics”) and form the canon of Tai Chi principles. All major Ta Chi styles use them as a basis for practice. They are also used to answer many questions of interpretation – if something is done in accordance with the Classics, it is deemed to be proper and correct.

The full body of the written Classics is very short, and they do not constitute a how-to manual for Tai Chi. Rather, they are shorthand notes about the general principles, internal body sensations, and the mental state required for personal combat. There are notorious difficulties for even native Chinese speakers in understanding the Classics. Classical Chinese is very different from the spoken language, symbols often have multiple meanings, pronunciation of sound-alike symbols often led to confusion when they were originally or subsequently written down, and the concepts themselves are very subtle and can only be understood by someone with first-hand Tai Chi experience. To all of this, westerners can add the enormous problems of translation into their language, the Romanized spelling variations (there are at least three major systems for writing Chinese in English), and the vast gap in cultures. The result is that the Classics are often translated in extremely obscure and stilted ways. When you combine this with their original terseness and multi-layered metaphorical style, it becomes very difficult to extract the original meaning.

At the very beginning of Tai Chi practice the Classics may actually be of limited use. Your attention will be focused on the grossest levels of understanding – basic coordination, memorization of postures, awareness of rigid thought patterns, and the releasing of obvious large-muscle tension. The Classics should then be used as a touchstone to which you return over and over again – gleaning new insights based on your latest experiences and continued practice. Some of the content has to do with body alignment and internal feelings, and can be used to improve your practice of the Tai Chi form. But much of the content has to do with confrontations with an opponent. These portions will not make sense until you begin to learn “pushing hands” and other two-person practices that serve as the main gateway to the martial art.

The Classics mention the “thirteen postures” as the basis of all Tai Chi movement. These are broken up into eight internal energies (“chin” or “jin”), and five steps or directions. In order to aid the transmission, these are piggybacked onto existing cultural frameworks shared by all Chinese.

Tim A.,

ok, here's the thing--I see what you mean and I absolutely agree with you about the "principles" of Tai Chi that you stated above being the heart of Tai Chi, but Principles are not physical basics or techniques--physical basics and techniques are built around principles. To learn to apply these principles, wouldn't the old time masters who were fighters who had only studied Tai Chi have to have had some pool of actual techniques that applied the principles, and some basics to train the skills needed to apply the techniques?

It makes me wonder if the absence of these basics and techniques is why, these days, Tai Chi is often used only as an "add on" to refine techniques trained in other systems. It seems to me that at some point in histroy Tai Chi must have been more than that...

Ozz,

That is an interesting point--a lot of effective Tai Chi that I've seen demonstrated did seem to be "takedown heavy", maybe many of the basic techniqes would be takedowns...

Thanks for the discussion--just tryin to understand the art a little better .

Taijiquan is about 75% grappling and throwing technique.

Basic techniques vary some among styles, but the Art places a heavy emphasis on horizontal spiralling techniques and "coupling" type takedowns (moving the head one way and the feet the opposite).

Projecting while blocking the leg type takedowns are also often used.

Basic strikes include straight various open hands strikes and straight punches to the body, elbow strikes, striking with the torso (primarily the shoulders), a basic forward knee strike, and kicks are usually thrown low.

Footwork drills are also practiced outside the regular form practice, and are very similar to the shuffling types of footwork found in most other combat arts.

The overall strategy of Taijiquan fighting is to strike first and immediately move into clinch/grappling range, preferably at a superior angle and to either knock down, throw or sometimes lock the opponent's joints as quickly as possible (hence the emphasis on "push hands" type drills and the virtual absence of "boxing" type drills).

Jim,
You can view pushing hands and related wrestling drills in Taijiquan as a type of SPP (specific physical preparedness) done with a partner.

I know this isn't my thread but I just have to say thanks to Tim, you really put things in perspective.

"The overall strategy of Taijiquan fighting is to strike first and immediately move into clinch/grappling range, preferably at a superior angle and to either knock down, throw or sometimes lock the opponent's joints as quickly as possible..."

Tim, how does the overall strategy of Ba Gua and Xing Yi differ or dovetail into the description for the overall strategy for Taijiquan above?

I concur with Ozz--thanks Tim!

And also, great follow up question, Ozz.

One further point/question...

I find Tai Chi-like knockdown/takedowns MUCH easier to pull off in live sparring than "high amplitude" throws, even though I've done lots of Judo, but my kenpo teacher always said that they weren't as good for "real life" self defense because you have to follow up, where a more slamming type throw may finish them by itself. Any thoughts on this Tim & anyone?

Yep, Mother Earth has the hardest punch...

The thing with some "high amplitude" throws is that while you have the control of the opponents body in space and can increase the acceleration at will you pay a price, if you set them up from a greater distance than the clinch and try and strike first you often use a line of force that is contray to the line of unbalancing required for the throw. This gives the opponent time to get out of your set-up position if the strike wasn't hard enough to affected their CNS - something that is difficult to train in sparring. In Taijiquan Classics type terms - you run the risk of breaking the Jing.

Knockdowns are a bit more forgiving, the final angle of the throw is not as crucial, you have the ability to follow the opponents responses/reactions more easily, you don't have the same control of the opponents body in space but you can strike along the same line as the unbalancing used - not breaking the Jing.

Knockdowns are something inherent in the body movement methods of the Internal Arts, Jim, if you haven't already read Tim's "Effortless Combat throws" grab a copy, its all in there, a genuine treasure trove of info.

Dave,

Xingyiquan is very close in strategy to the Taijiquan, although percussive techniques are more common. Entering and very close range techniques are favored in Xingyiquan as well, but the takedowns are usually percussive knockdown-type techniques (virtually no high amplitude throws at all).

The strategy of Baguazhang is similar across styles, but there is a fair amount of technical difference depending on the particular system (Cheng-based styles favoring throws for example). But out maneuvering the opponent and closing quickly to a superior position remains constant among systems, and similar to the strategies of Taijiquan and Xingyiquan.

Jim,

I agree, the higher the amplitude the greater the impact. Big throws are often harder to set up and execute though.

For more info on the throwing aspects of Xing Yi, check out the latest issue of Kung Fu Taichi magazine.
Jake

I just saw the article, Jake did an excellent job.

Thanks!
I have a copy for you when I see you next week.
Jake