Tai Chi Talk on Classics

THE CLASSICS       Most classical martial arts are able to be traced back to their various       beginnings by some tangible means such as ancient drawings and script.       This is most true of the Shaolin derived martial arts. On the other hand       we have the internal Chinese martial arts where we find that not much in       the way of tangible evidence, drawings etc., has been left to us.       All that we have to follow for the most part is the lineage principle       where-by the Father taught the son or each master only took on one or two       trusted disciples. Some of these disciples did however write down all of       their thoughts on the internal arts as they learnt them. So, nowadays we       have many classical sayings and poems translated many times from ancient       Chinese to middle Chinese to modern Chinese then into English and many       European languages.       The principle of the Classic is most evident in the internal martial art       of T'ai chi ch'uan where we are left with many classic sayings and poems       written by various masters since the beginning of the art. Even today, all       we are able to test our knowledge with are these classics and many       arguments have resulted in different translations as to how certain       postures or techniques should be performed etc.       There are two ways that we are able to look at the classics. Firstly we       are able to take them as they are in their literal sense, or we are able       to take them as back up to our own evolution. I prefer to use the later       method and use the classics as back up to my own evolution of T'ai chi. Of       course in the beginning we must follow the teachings of a competent master       in order to learn the basic movements and some of his/her ideas etc., but       if we stay as disciples, we stay as sheep and never evolve our own ideas       and take the art right back to it's beginning and learn for ourselves what       the old masters learnt for themselves. If we are to take any internal       martial art which is largely based upon unseen internal forces back to       it's beginning then we must have some idea of what the old masters were       thinking. For this purpose we have their own thoughts, the classics.       There have been many translations of the classics but the ones that give       the most correct versions are those that use as little English language       license as possible, and only use direct translations. In this way we are       able to allow the words to enter our minds and give us a helping hand only       when we are ready to receive the correct information. This is because this       person is at a basic level of understanding, however, if this same person       reads that same classic writing at a much later time in his/her       development then they may receive what the classics have to offer. If your       martial art is to be truly your own then you must take it right back to       it's beginning and learn what the masters learnt.       THE CLASSICS:       Many arguments have arisen as to exactly what the initial use was for T'ai       chi ch'uan, whether for martial or for healing etc. Or many arguments       still exist today as to what the use is for certain postures or how to       turn the foot etc. All one has to do is to read the classics to find the       answers. If you do not find the answers then you just aren't ready to be       given the answers.       The T'ai chi classics were written by many masters of years gone by, some       were well known, some were unknown, some were anonymous.       As to the use of T'ai chi, we hear from one of the most famous Yang Style       masters, Yang Pan-hou who's Father invented the Yang Style.       "Hit the opponent's chest with single whip." Or for the posture of Stork       Spreads Wings, "Parry and hit the opponent's soft areas and use no mercy."       or, "Step up parry and punch to the ribs and protect your centre with       close up.       Quite obviously when this classic was written, the master had the martial       application in mind. By the time that Yang Cheng-fu wrote his classics, we       start to see a softening of the classics. Yang Cheng-fu was the nephew of       Yang Pan-hou. By the time that later masters after Yang Cheng-fu wrote       their classics, we see a leaning towards the great healing benefits of       T'ai chi. The later master did write about the martial aspects as well,       and most still regard T'ai chi as a martial art which has great health       benefits.       Many of the classics are written in poetic form and can only be understood       if the reader is advanced enough in their own training in Taijiquan.       "Execute play the pipa and use threading and transforming energy." Or, "in       moving to and fro, us the folding method In advancing and retreating use       changes and turning."       Many classics are quite clear in what they are trying, to transmit. "The       method of cross legs, breaks the softer bone below the knee." Some       classics have slightly esoteric meanings such as, "if there is hardness       within our softness we will never be defeated, if our hardness contains no       softness, it can never be called firm."       Some of the classics give us exact details as to the postures of T'ai chi.       "Before slant flying, use shoulder stroke." This tells us that shoulder       should be used before and in between each slant flying posture something       that many Yang styles have left out.       The classics give us explanations on how to use every facet of T'ai chi       from the form through to push hands and street fighting. If we are able to       understand them and use them as back-up to our own learning then they are       the greatest learning tool available to any T'ai chi student. If we take       them all as literal and never question or experiment, not keeping what we       want and losing the rest then we will become as sheep and never become our       own masters.