Taiji Basics
What are Taiji Basics? 1) Rootedness, 2) Relaxation, 3) Balance, and 4) Yin/Yang.
Rootedness --> To move from one's center, being light yet, grounded with the chi established in the legs.
Relaxation --> To move with economy of motion, lowering the mass from te shoulder to the torso to the soles of the feet, keeping the body & limbs like a young, live, tree. Able to bend, yet not brake, able to respond with power & whip.
Balance --> Physical balance, internal/external balance, Mental balance; emotional balance; being able to unbalance one's self and then return to balance.
Yin/Yang --> Each action has an appropriate response. each motion has an opposite & equal motion. Circular to linear to circular, lock to strike to lock, accumulation yeilds dissapation yields accumulation, Aggression yeilds to passivity to aggression. One must not look at just the dichotomy but also the loop. Stillness of mind leads to action of body yields to stillness of mind. Stillness of body leads to activity of mind and closes with stillness of body.
A true warrior must be able to have stillness of mind with action of body. If there is action in both, this creates a yin state and vice versa.
Email: loki@ris.net
