One
First Practice Opening
This “opening” is something we are all familiar with. Tai Chi should start with practicing large circles, which means stretching the major joints in our body. The purpose of stretching is to relax; if the joints are not open, it is difficult to relax, which is one of the goals. The second goal is that we all know that the method of moving the center of gravity in the past was to use the “back silk buckle,” sinking the left hip and flipping the right hip, and vice versa. If your middle section, which includes the waist, hips, and thighs, is not open, you cannot flip the hips effectively. It is well known that in the past, there was a strong emphasis on opening the front and closing the back; stretching the back is actually to facilitate flexible turning! Some say that when practicing the back silk buckle, the hips should be flipped far out; is this correct? Everyone should understand that this is just a stage of practice. If you do not practice this way at the beginning, you will not be able to flip, as the waist, hips, and thighs will not be stretched open. From my personal practice and observation, whether it is the older or younger practitioners in Chenjiagou, to develop skill, the waist, hips, and thighs must be stretched open, and the turning must be flexible; otherwise, you cannot develop skill! This means that in the initial stage, the main focus is on opening, stretching the major joints, starting with the waist, hips, and thighs, and then the shoulders. Once the major joints are opened, the minor joints will naturally open as well.
Two
Then Practice Closing
This “closing” refers to closing the hips and the groin. There is a saying that “if the groin is not closed, the whole body is scattered.” If we reverse this saying, when practicing Tai Chi, if the groin is closed, the whole body will be unified. I cannot explain this principle from a physiological perspective, but it can be felt in the body. In the process of practicing Tai Chi, the term “closing the hips” has two main meanings: First, the two hips must rotate into place; once they are in place, the distinction between solid and empty is clear, and being in place means they are closed; Second, during footwork transitions, you must stabilize your center of gravity 100% on the solid leg. The method to achieve this is through the rotation and sinking of the solid leg, which in Yang style is called “closing the hips.” When the center of gravity is 100% on the solid leg, the hips are closed; otherwise, the teacher will say you have not “closed the hips!” All footwork transitions, whether in Chen style, Yang style, or any other school of Tai Chi, follow the same principle: the center of gravity must be 100% pressed on the solid leg, sitting on the solid leg. Closing the hips or “buckling the hips” may have different terms, but they mean the same thing; when the center of gravity is on the solid leg, the empty leg becomes flexible. In the Chen style Jin Gang Dao Dui, many people jump forward when stepping with the right leg because the front leg’s hip is not closed, and the center of gravity is not 100% pressed on the solid leg, causing the body to move up and down erratically. Now let’s look at closing the groin. Some believe that the “groin” refers to the perineum, but I think the “groin” refers to the two hips; one hip is a hip, and two hips are called the groin. Generally speaking, the groin is divided into the front groin and the back groin. The front groin refers to the area at the roots of the two thighs. Looking at the skeletal diagram, the two hip bones have a large opening in front; the shape of the hip bones determines that the front groin is open at birth, while the back groin is closed, which is determined by our physiological structure. Therefore, some say opening the front groin is a joke! What we usually refer to as closing the groin is all about the front groin; opening the groin and supporting the groin refers to the back groin. The phrases “a seam in the groin” and “a line in the groin” refer to the back groin.(Click the link at the end to read the original text and watch the complete live video)What is the back groin? To put it simply, the back groin is the area between the tailbone and the sides of the pelvis. Opening the back groin means stretching the connection between the tailbone and the sides of the pelvis, which is equivalent to separating the two hips appropriately, facilitating the turning of the hips and the folding of the chest and waist. If you can find the feeling of closing the groin, you will understand that when the front groin is closed, the whole body is unified; if the front groin is not closed, the whole body is scattered, and the power cannot be concentrated. When we say the front groin is closed, the base will be more stable because the center of gravity is sitting on the legs and sinking to the feet, which solves the problem of having a solid footing. As soon as the front groin is closed, both legs immediately feel a kind of outward supporting force, the inner sides of the feet become engaged, and the five toes naturally grip the ground, establishing a solid base.When we talk about closing the groin, the first reason for closing the front groin is to open the back groin, the second is to unify the whole body, and the third is to ensure that the feet can root, making the base more stable. The closing of the groin is not only required during fixed postures but must be maintained throughout the entire practice of Tai Chi. In Chenjiagou, a teacher once asked me to perform a “loose hip” movement, and when I did, he said I was wrong! The hips were loose, but the groin was not closed; this does not count as a loose hip. To achieve a loose hip, the groin must be closed simultaneously.
Three
Finally Practice Flexibility
The third stage is to practice “flexibility.” I believe this does not require much explanation, as it refers to “groin flexibility.” Everyone knows the saying “the groin has its own spring force, and a sudden movement can make a bird fly away.” This is just a metaphor for “groin flexibility.” Everyone knows that the core of Tai Chi is in the groin; if the groin is not flexible, you cannot develop anything. The whole strength of Tai Chi, including long strength, short strength, and inch strength, is all in the groin. If you are still in the stage of practicing large circles, it is a joke to think you can issue inch strength; only when you reach the stage of small circles can you issue inch strength. In the third movement of Chen style Jin Gang Dao Dui, after pressing down with both hands, the left peng energy cannot be released if the groin is not flexible. When we observe Teacher Chen Hui’s movements, the waist, hips, and buttocks are very flexible; watching him exert force is a pleasure! Therefore, I always tell everyone that to develop skill, the waist, hips, and buttocks must be flexible; otherwise, you cannot develop skill!These old sequences and methods of practicing Tai Chi, do they have any reference significance for our current practice? The views are certainly different. For example, for many of our older friends, it seems unrealistic to stretch the major joints open. When we practice Tai Chi, we can loosen the hips, and then a slight closing of the groin is sufficient. For those who want to develop some skill, it is essential to practice the basics diligently; investing effort in the basics will benefit you for a lifetime.Soft and Breathable Genuine Leather Tai Chi Practice Shoes – Soft, Lightweight, and Ultra Comfortable
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