style from Chen, Qing-ping and the old style from Yang, Lu-chan and created Wuu Style Taijiquan.
6 Li, Yi-yu learned Wuu Style Taijiquan and created Li Style Taijiquan.
7 Hao, Wei-zhen obtained his art from Li Style Taijiquan and started Hao Style Taijiquan.
8 Sun, Lu-tang learned from Hao Style Taijiquan and began Sun Style Taijiquan.
9 Wu Style Taijiquan was started by Wu, Quan-you who learned from Yang, Lu-chan’s second son Yang, Ban-hou.
10 Yang Style Taijiquan has been famous since its creation by Yang, Lu-chan in the early part of the 20th century.
11 Yang, Cheng-fu’s taijiquan is not the same as his father’s, uncle’s, or brother’s. He modified it and emphasized large postures and improving health.
You should now understand why there are so many variations within the art, even within a style such as the Yang Style. After so many years and so many generations, countless students have learned the style and have made many modifications in light of their own experiences and research. It is understandable that a student today might learn taijiquan and find that his or her style is different from another claiming to be from the same source. No one can really tell which one is the original style, or which is more effective than the others. Observations from nature and contemplation of the Dao can help you to determine a style’s emphasis—either for healing or self-defense—but it is purely a subjective, human determination whether one is in fact “better” than any other. This is a deeply profound area of the art. Self-defense and good health are indeed closely related concepts, separated only by a philosophical frame of mind. Ultimately, such comparisons of techniques are meaningless. It is the time, consistency, and quality of your practice that matters. If you can understand this, even as you strive for deeper mastery of your chosen art, then you have already reached a profound understanding of Dao.
1-5. Taijiquan and Health
LECTURE
Taijiquan Lecture
Since ancient times, taijiquan has been recognized as one of the most effective ways of maintaining health. However, this treasure was not revealed to the general Chinese public until the beginning of the 20th century. Since then, taijiquan has become widely accepted as the most popular martial qigong exercise for health. This section will compare taijiquan with other martial qigong, to provide an idea of its relative effectiveness for improving health and preventing disease.
First, you should recognize that taijiquan is a qigong practice, even though it was originally created for self-defense purposes. Second, taijiquan was created based on the theory of yin and yang, the most basic natural concept in the Dao, or “natural way.” It is because of this that the balance of the yin and yang remains the most important goal of all practice. It is also because of this that the body’s healthy condition, which depends on the balance of yin and yang, can be attained. Third, taijiquan was created in the Daoist monastery, where the final goal of training was spiritual enlightenment. Because of this, the meaning of life was constantly pondered, and a peaceful, harmonious environment was created, both externally and internally. The product of this environment, taijiquan, is a calm and peaceful mind and a relaxed, healthy body. These elements are the critical keys to health both mentally and physically.
Because taijiquan is a qigong training, it was developed following the natural cultivation and training procedures of qigong—also known as the five regulations (wu tiao). Here, we will summarize how this training path can be beneficial for human health.
Regulating the Body (Tiao Shen). The first step in learning taijiquan, other than learning to do the movements accurately, is the emphasis on physical relaxation. In order to obtain a deep level of relaxation, you must first relax your mind. Moreover, you must feel the balance of your body and maintain your physical and mental centers. In order to reach this goal, you must practice until you have strengthened and firmed your legs and torso. This key to maintaining your spiritual center is to first stabilize your mental and physical centers.
Once you have reached the goal of relaxation, you have achieved the most basic condition for your health. If you can relax deeply in your body, the blood and qi circulation can flow smoothly. This will make cell replacement in the body occur without error. Maintaining cell replacement in the body is the key to health and longevity
Regulating the Breathing (Tiao Xi). Once you can relax physically, then you must pay attention to your breathing and come to a full appreciation of how your body absorbs oxygen and expels carbon dioxide smoothly and profoundly. Every cell in the body requires oxygen. If you can take in oxygen smoothly and abundantly, you will provide a crucial ingredient for the creation of new cells in your body. In addition, through deep breathing, you can help to eliminate dead cells from your body through exhalation (carbon dioxide). The carbon in our exhalation originates from two sources: one is from the biochemical combustion of the food we eat, which is primarily composed of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen. The other source is from our body’s own decay and replenishment. Every cell in our body has a lifetime (e.g., a skin cell is 28 days). Amazingly, a trillion (1012) cells die in our body each day.15 When these cells die, the body must eliminate them and their constituent carbon molecules. Each of our exhalations is a part of this ongoing process.
In order to increase your lung capacity and slow down your breathing, it is necessary to practice either your qigong or taijiquan with an emphasis on the breath. No matter whether you use regular or reverse abdominal breathing, it is necessary to use as much of the lungs’ volume as possible without tensing up. Notice that if you inhale to the full capacity of your lungs, you will feel a tightness right under your sternum and possibly into your back and abdomen. You want to avoid this feeling of tightness while still using as much of your lungs’ capacity as possible. A good method of practicing is to simply focus on your breathing, filling the lungs from the bottom to the top, and emptying them from the top to the bottom. Remember to avoid tension and to let the breath flow in and out in a controlled, smooth, soft, and uniform manner.
In addition, the breathing helps to prepare you for the next stage of regulating the mind. The breath is a pathway linking the external and the internal universes, and you can use it to guide yourself to this deeper level of existence. The speed, depth, and quality of your breathing will have a direct impact on your taiji, your mental and emotional states, and your physical and energetic bodies. Therefore, in taijiquan practice, you must learn how to breathe deeply and correctly.
Regulating the Mind (Tiao Xin). The mind is the general who directs the body’s battle against sickness. If the command post is disordered and the general is confused, naturally the battle will be lost. Remember, in Chinese culture the mind is viewed as having two distinct aspects. The first is the yi, or wisdom mind. The wisdom mind is responsible for the intellect and the higher mental functions, but it is somewhat sterile. The second aspect of the mind is the xin, or emotional mind. The emotional mind encompasses all emotional states and passions. It is the originator of desire and aggression and from it flows all actions and intentions manifested to the physical world. However, it is also selfish and fearful, and if not properly regulated by the wisdom mind, it will lead you to destructive purposes and possibly even self-destruction. Regulating the mind means learning how to calm down your emotional mind and strengthen your wisdom mind. Throughout this process, you must constantly conquer yourself and ponder the meaning of your life. The goal of regulating the mind is to lead you into a deeply profound, peaceful, and harmonious state. Once you are in this state, you can use your whole mind to lead the qi and circulate it through the entire body. From this training, you build clear connections between the mind, body, and qi.
Regulating the Qi (Tiao Qi). As mentioned previously, if you have a peaceful mind, a relaxed body, and correct breathing, you can lead the qi to anyplace in your body. For a martial artist, the first step is to lead the qi to the limbs to energize the muscles there for defensive purposes. The result of this is the production of strong internal power called