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The Treatise

5/23/2015

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“The Treatise”

One of Zhang San Feng’s first students, or followers, was a man named Wang Zong Yu. Master Wang lived in Tai-Gu County in the province of Shan Xi and most certainly encountered Master Zhang at the Jing-Tai Taoist Temple where Zhang was studying under the Daoist Huo Long.

Although he, Wang Zong Yu, was an important Tai Chi Chuan disciple and teacher, he is perhaps best known in the Tai Chi Chuan community for some Hand Written Manuscripts found in the back of a Salt Shop in Beijing, China in the ‘1850s. This manuscript contains many of the most Notable Tai Chi proverbs that are used today in the teaching of Tai Chi and especially Tai Chi Chuan.

Enjoy!

 

Taijiquan Treatise

Attributed to Wang Zongyue[2]

 

The "Taijiquan Treatise" is thought to be one of the most important writings in all of taijiquan. It is the second of the seminal Taijiquan Classics. The hand written text is said to have been found stored in the back room of a Wuyang salt shop in the 1850s. The following entry and its annotations have been taken from some of the best translations and commentaries made on the original texts.

 

 

1. Taiji is born from Wuji. It is the mother of Yin and Yang.

In movement Taiji separates; in stillness Yin and Yang reunite and return to Wuji.

Taijiquan

The Chinese term Wuji 無極 "limitless; infinite" is a compound of wu 無 "without; no; not have; there is not; nothing, nothingness" and ji 極 "ridgepole; roof ridge; highest/utmost point; extreme; earth's pole; reach the end; attain; exhaust".

Taijiquan

 

2. No excess, or inadequacies [In the postures and movements of taijiquan].

If your opponent extends out, then yield (withdraw). Adhere to his every movement.

 

3. When an opponent uses hard force, softly yield to it.

 

4. If he backs up in a retreat, follow closely.

 

5. If the opponent's movement is fast, react quickly.

If his movement is slow, then follow him slowly.

Although there are endless possible variations, there is only this one principle.

 

6. Through experiencing the sensations of martial arts movements done correctly, one gradually comprehends "internal strength" (Jin).

 

7. From the comprehension of "internal strength" one can reach spiritual enlightenment.

 

8. Without constant diligent practice there can be no sudden understanding.

 

9. Without effort internal strength [jin] rises to the top of the head. Vital life energy [qi] sinks to the lower abdomen (dantian).

 

10. Do not incline or lean.

 

11. Conceal suddenly. Reveal suddenly.

 

12. If left is heavy, then become empty. If right is heavy, then vanish.

 

13. If the opponent pushes upward against you, then become taller. If he pushes downward, then become lower.

 

14. If he advances, you seem further away. If he retreats, you seem even closer.

 

15. A feather cannot be placed. A fly cannot alight.

 

16. My opponent cannot detect my moves, but I can anticipate his. [Cheng Man Ching].

 

17. If you master these techniques, you will become an invincible hero.

 

18.  There are many other styles of martial arts. Most believe the strong will defeat the weak, or the fast will defeat the slow.

 

19. From the words "four ounces of force deflects a thousand pounds" we understand victory does not come from superior strength alone.

 

20. Observe an old person defeating a group of youthful attackers. How can that be due to swiftness?

 

21. Stand like a balanced scale and move like a turning wheel.

 

22. Sinking weight to one side allows movement to flow.

Double weighting (shuangzhong) [i.e., weight spread equally onto both feet] leads to stagnation.

 

 

23. After years of practice if someone is unable to neutralize an opponent, or is controlled by the opponent, the fault is caused by not having fully understood the concept of double weighting.

 

24. To avoid this fault [of being double weighted and/or being disconnected to your opponent as in being "double" with him] you must understand the dynamic interactions of yin and yang.

 

25. To adhere [sticking to] is to yield [move away]. To yield is to adhere.

 

26. Yin is not separate from Yang; Yang is not separate from Yin.

Yin and Yang complete each other.

 

27. Understanding this, you will understand Internal Strength ("Jin" - muscular strength and inner qi). Then with practice comes more skill.

 

28. With silent contemplation one can reach the stage where one's actions absolutely follow the mind. [Da Liu 107].

 

29. The foundation [of taijiquan] is giving up yourself, in order to follow the other person.

 

30. Many mistakenly give up the near to seek the far.

English           Pinyin Wades Giles   Simplified       Traditional

 

31. A discrepancy by just the measurement of a hair-breadth, and the opportunity is lost by a thousand miles.

 

32. All these things are to study and know if you wish to be successful with your practice.

(Complied by J. Parker)

Sources: http://qi-encyclopedia.com/?article=Taijiquan%20Treatise

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A Brief History of The "Supreme Fist"

5/17/2015

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A Brief History of the “Supreme Fist”

 

Although there are many, many Myths about the origins of Tai Chi Chuan, it is widely accepted that this form owes its origins to a Master named Zhang Sanfeng. Sanfeng was thought to have been born in 1247 AD., and his name before becoming a Taoist was Zhang Junbao. Although one tradition claims there were two Taoist priests with the same name, who happened to live in the same region and at the same time, (in fact on the same mountain in China named Wutang), we shall only deal with the one named Zhang Junbao.

 

Zhang Junbao was said to have been a Government official in his late youth and he learned Shaoiln martial arts while residing in the Pao-Gi Mountains of China, near the Three Peaks region. He is also reported to have lived to the age of 200 years, however, the date of his death is uncertain. (If we use the 200 year mark, Junbao would have lived from 1247-1447). It is said that Junbao, at the age of 5, suffered an illness, which caused him to go blind. His father took him to a temple where the Daoist priests were said to have amazing curing powers and indeed within a week, young Junbao was cured. The Doaist priest were said to have loved Junbao and convinced his father to leave him with them where he was taught writing and martial arts skills.  Junbao loved the martial arts but while at the Daoist temple he traveled from temple to temple and eventually wound up at the Jin Tai Temple in Bao Ji and was accepted by the widely respected Daoist Master Huo Long. There he became well versed in the Daoist life and it is here that he named himself  “SanFeng”, which translates to Heaven and Earth. San represents Heaven while Feng represents Earth.

 

Having learned the ways of Dao, Sanfeng traveled throughout China and eventually wound up in the Wu Tang mountain region of China. Here, after cultivating his “True Self” for nine years, Sanfeng finally achieved Tao. While in the Wu Tang mountains, he taught one set of boxing to his disciples which happened to be the original form of Taiji boxing. Having only thirteen forms, stretching out, stomping, squeezing, chopping downward, picking up, changing places, using the elbow and leaning against symbolizing the eight trigrams while moving forward, retreating backward, watching to the left, turning to the right and staying in the center were the five elements, Taiji was known as the “Thirteen-Form Taiji Boxing. This boxing technique was aimed at regulating the inner organs according to the five elements.

 

Zhang Sanfeng, even though well versed in them, thought that martial art forms, Wu Kuen, relied too much on physical strength and were too vigorous. Having one day, as it is told, been disturbed by a noise outside the temple, he went out to investigate. There, (ever aware of nature and it’s relationship to the Yin and Yang Qi theory of nature and life), he observed a fight between a snake and a bird. Sanfeng noticed that the bird would fly around the snake and then swoop in to claw and peck at the snake while in order to defend itself, the snake had coiled up in order to avoid the attacks and it in turn would strike at the bird when the opportunity arose. He also observed that when the bird would swoop in, and the snake would strike, the bird would use it’s wings as a defensive move to bat away the snakes strikes. That night, so it is told, Sanfeng had a dream. In his dream, Sanfeng was visited by the “Glorious Jade Emperor” Yu Huang, who instructed him on using the secrets of Tao.  Which of course the bird and snake already knew.

 

Upon awakening he immediately set about creating a new martial art style based on this dream.  It would be based on the principles that ‘softness overpowers hardness’ and that ‘yielding overcomes aggression’.  In honor of Yu Huang, who appeared to him in his dream, Sanfeng named this new idea Tai Chi Chuan.

 

Translated.., ‘ Grand Supreme Fist’.

 

This will be an on going set of articles on the history of Tai Chi Chuan written by J. Parker.

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    Phillip
    Edgington

    Been doing yang and chin style Tai Chi for over
    26 years

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