Principles of Tai Chi Chuan

Principles of the Cheng Man-Ch’ing Simplified Yang Style Tai Chi Chuan

Five Basic Principles:

(Represented with the Acronym BURST)

B: Beautiful Ladies Hand
     Straight relaxed wrists
     No tension in arms, wrists or fingers

U: Upright Body
     Coccyx tucks in slightly to straighten lower back
     Imagine that tail bone is if pulled down with weight
     Chin turns slightly down
     Top of head is pulled up as if lifted with a string
     Lower body is pulled down to the ground with gravity
     Upper body floats loose and free as if suspended

R: Relax
     Be aware of and let go of any tension in the body
     This is the pivotal principle in Tai Chi

S: Separate the Weight
     Weight not to be distributed evenly on both legs
     One leg is ‘Substantial’ and the other is ‘Insubstantial’
     (Except for in the Preparation Posture)

T: Turn the Waist
     Never move the body independently of the hips/waist
     All movements come from the hips/waist
     Move from the hips/waist
     Power comes from the legs
     Is controlled by the waist/hips
     Is expressed through the fingers

Additional Concepts:

   Softness (Yielding)
     Water is the softest element in the universe yet unstoppable. Soft always overcomes the hard

   Momentate (Made up verb)
     Momentum from one movement leads into the next
     Movements always flow from the previous movement
     In essence; Only one movement from start to finish

   Silk Reeling
     Movements are steady with no break between postures Like pulling silk from a cocoon

   Natural Breathing (as opposed to reverse breathing)
     Breathe through the nose
     Tongue lightly touching upper palette
     Breathe like a little child
     Abdomen expands when inhaling
     Abdomen contracts when exhaling
     Additional inhalation into the back of the lungs
     Allow chest to sink

   Rooting
     Weight falls naturally with gravity to the ground
     Imagine you are being rooted to the ground through feet

   Swimming in Air
     Air has substance which you will feel as you relax
     Tai Chi is like swimming in air

  Version 12/13/2006 Soft Answer Tai Chi – Instructor Sean Carney – http://www.SoftAnswerTaiChi.com