The study of T'ai
Chi Ch'uan is unique in the sense that it marks the historical meeting of many
centuries of Taoist study known as Chi Kung ("Excellence
of Energy"), which was primarily dedicated to physical health and
spiritual growth, with the need of the time (approximately 1,000 A.D.) for
monks to defend themselves against bandits and warlords. The result was, and
is, an unusual blend of healing, martial, and meditative art which is referred
to as the internal practice of T'ai Chi Ch'uan.
In each of these
expressions, the emphasis on the internal aspect of the study is primary. This
indicates that the true focus of the study is not primarily that of the
physical level, but through the physical, places the true emphasis of the
practice more on the mental and energetic levels. The mental component is
really most important since the number one condition that inhibits an
individual from achieving excellence in anything, including one's own health,
is a state that Traditional
Chinese Medicine refers to as being
"weak-minded". This weak-minded state implies one who is easily
confused, scattered, or distracted. So the first quality to be developed in
T'ai Chi is that of strengthening one's concentration, or what is referred to
in the martial arts as being centered.
The ability to
center the mind is really that of keeping the mind interested and involved in
the experience of the present moment. This is understood to be the foundation
of T'ai Chi because from this state of attention comes the possibility to
change, correct, and heal. To facilitate this process T'ai Chi uses a physical
location in the lower abdomen/pelvis which is called the Tan t'ien in Chinese. This represents the true body center in
the sense that it's the natural movement and feeling center. With this specific
body awareness we can begin the process of distributing the attention more
evenly and equally throughout the body. The ability to spread attention
throughout the body is understood in Chinese medicine to be one of the most
important elements of good health because it's indicative of the ideal
relationship between the mind and the body. Unlike the prevailing Western view
that one must work hard for the experience we call being healthy, in T'ai Chi
health is understood to be natural (and therefore effortless) to that
individual who has achieved balance and harmony between body and mind.
T'ai
Chi's Core Principles
It is important
to understand that at its core, T'ai Chi Ch'uan is not a study of form or
style. At best, form simply allows a practitioner to explore the heart of the
practice which has always been understood as a set of principles. These
principles are qualities which have been observed to be effective in their
positive influence regarding life in all its expressions of movement and
change. T'ai Chi is therefore the study of how to better embody these life
affirming qualities, regardless of what style one studies, or what form one
practices.
These principles
have been handed down both orally and through the traditional writings of T'ai
Chi which are collectively referred to as the Classics. They
include:
Styles come and go. Form is of value only in respect
to the opportunity it presents for allowing insight into something more
essential. The emphasis that T'ai Chi places on principles, and their sense of
timelessness in the midst of constant change, is truly the key to the practice
of T'ai Chi being an "internal study".
T'ai Chi and the Concept of Change
T'ai Chi has, during it's 1000 years of development,
been considered to be a movement art. This implies much more than just physical
or even energetic movement. It denotes a relationship with the experience of
change. The attitude which T'ai Chi seeks to cultivate is an understanding of
change as a natural life process. One is asked to look at situations in which
we resist change, be they physical, emotional, or mental. Through the practice
of T'ai Chi one allows oneself to become a more willing participant in the
process of change, understanding that it is inevitable anyway. The practice may
begin primarily as a physical experience, but given time, applies the qualities
that we seek to develop physically, including balance, good timing, and integration,
to the emotional, mental, and spiritual levels as well.
The essence of T'ai Chi practice is not to learn a set of movements, nor to become talented in a system of self-defense, although these abilities may occur during the course of practice. The intention of T'ai Chi is to allow one the opportunity to become more aware of the natural laws which govern change; not just change in the body as affects physical, structural movement, but rather principles of change and movement that govern every aspect of our lives and the world around us. The exercises of the practice simply provide us with an opportunity to explore that process of discovery.