Tai Chi and Qigong (Chi Kung)
Philosophy
"The Strategists have a saying: I dare not be a host, but rather a guest; I dare not advance an inch, but rather retreat a foot. This is called marching without moving, Rolling up one's sleeves without baring one's arms, Capturing the enemy without confronting him. Holding a weapon this is invisible."
Tao Teh Ching 69, Lao Tzu
Tai Chi Chuan has always been closely linked with the philosophies of Taoism, that of the Yin and the Yang and of the "non-action". The name Tai Chi was taken from Taoism - it is a concept of philosophical symbolism; it stands for the primordial emanation of the Tao. (Tai Chi, L.Galante).
The Symbol of the Yin and the Yang is, as a whole, called Tai Chi. It symbolised the duality of the Tao and of life. Taoism is rarely described as a religion but more of a philosophy, or a way of life, Tao literally translated means way or path. The Tai Chi According to the I Ching (the Book of Changes) the Tai Chi gave rise to the Pa-Qua (the eight directions), each being represented in the I Ching by three lines called a trigram. These trigrams form 64 hexagrams, when put in any combination with each other, and it is these hexagrams which are used to interpret the place of man within the universe. The components of each hexagram - each line of which acts as a symbol of the fundamental nature of the universe, shows a different composite meaning and a different aspect of any particular situation and are used as reference or to solve situations. (Mark Allen, www.taichido.com) These hexagrams were created from the Tai Chi and have now come full circle to represent and associate with certain moves with Tai Chi Chuan, a few examples of which are shown below: Beginning Derived from hexagram 35. At the start of the day the sun moves slowly higher and higher over the earth. This posture represents progress and the development of virtue. Grasp Sparrows Tail Derived from hexagram 1. The left hand is held at chin level as though grasping the head of the bird, the right hand placed to the side of the hip as though smoothing the bird's tail. The bird is a symbol of consciousness, air, spirit and breath. Single Whip Derived from hexagram 49. Heaven and earth bring about revolution, and the cycle of the four seasons is complete. The body turns, with the arms still parallel, in a gentle flowing motion as a light wind. The fingers are pinched together to form the bird's beak. (Taken from Mark Allen, www.taichido.com)
Tai Chi Chuan represents the duality of the Tai Chi through being a soft-fist martial art. It's main principles are that of relaxation, emptiness and fullness, evenness and slowness, rooting and sinking, coordination and centring, concentration and breathing and Chi.
Relaxation: It is only through this principle that Tai Chi Chuan can be practiced properly, allowing the Chi to move freely through the body. It is through this principle that the spirit is able to be one with the Tao, by relaxing, letting everything go, one may gain everything;
"Bend and you will be whole, Curl and you will be straight, Keep empty and you will be filled, Grow old and you will be renewed. Have little and you will gain. Have much and you will be confused." Tao Teh Ching 22, Lao Tzu
Emptiness and Fullness: Just as it is important to relax, to loose everything to gain the principle of emptiness and fullness is an important one within Taoism and Tai Chi Chuan. When the Tai Chi Chuan practitioner attains emptiness, they can then become the living channel through which the Tao can flow. Invest in loss. Little loss little gain, big loss big gain (Tai Chi, L. Galante)
Evenness and slowness: It is through perseverance and constancy that both the Tai Chi Chuan practitioner and the one treading the Taoist path will move forward.
Coordination and concentration: Tai Chi Chuan is often described as a moving meditation. Meditation is the complete emptying of the mind, preventing all those thousands of thought which plague it everyday from being in control. As with emptiness and fullness, it is only when the mind is empty that the fullness of the benefits (of Tai Chi Chuan and Taoism) can be achieved. "We should recognise that meditation is a very specific and exact discipline. There is a famous story of a Zen master observing someone sitting cross legged on the floor. He walked over to him, picked up a stone and started to rub it furiously. Finally the person looked up and inquired about his action. The master answered that he was making a mirror. The person protested that it was impossible to create a mirror by running a stone. The master agreed and added that it was also impossible to achieve enlightenment by merely sitting cross-legged!" (Tai Chi, L. Galante)
One westerner who has devoted a lengthy portion of his life to completing the arduous training required of the lineaged Daoist Priest (for want of a better word), Kristofer Schipper, refers in his book, The Daoist Body, to Tai Chi Chuan in the following terms:
"This wonderful method of harmony and well-being is a martial art for the defence of the inner world. The slow, supple dance of Tai Chi Chuan, performed with no apparent effort, is for everybody an excellent Initiation into the very essentials of Taoism." (http://www.zhong-ding.com/dao.htm)
