Wu - Chinese Martial Arts
Tai Chi Introduction | History | Spiritual | Ying and Yang | Training | Weapons | Application
Training
To achieve martial skills and enter the door to the deeper aspects of the
art, a variety of training methods has evolved, including basic exercises,
stance holding (zhan zhuang), single-posture training, taolu (form) training,
power development exercises, weapons training and push hands drills for
sensitivity. Past generations of masters assiduously analyzed and researched the
various movements and skills through necessity. Prior to the invention of
firearms, self and group preservation often relied upon both barehand and
weaponry skills. These are no easy options if one seeks to develop higher-level
abilities. While individual goals dictate the level of intensity during
practice, combat efficiency necessitates a high degree of commitment in terms of
time and effort. In the words of a well-known Chinese saying, the practitioner
must be prepared to ˇ§eat bitternessˇ¨ (che ku)
"To train Taichi one must begin at Wuji; Yin and Yang, Open and Close, one must seek the truth". This phrase provides the guildline for training. One must start from Wuji, and then progress to Taiji. Without the foundation of the former, it is impossible to find the "real" Taichi. "Yin and Yang" is the core of Taichi and "Open and Close" (Kai Her) is a way of reconciling the differences, so that two phases can harmonize.