Essentials of Eight Taiji Methods

Tai Ji Chuan's eight basic skills are "pressing", "caressing", "squeezing", "pressing", "picking", "elbow" and "leaning".

The action of pulling the sparrow's tail includes four of the eight Tai Chi methods: giving up, rowing, squeezing and pressing. In pushing hands, we call it four-forward push technology. First of all, everyone should remember: the shed should be round, the strokes should be light, the crowd should be surprised and pressed. If you want to master the unique skill, you must understand its meaning, and in most Tai Ji Chuan routines, you start with the unique skill.

As the saying goes, "everything is difficult at the beginning." If you start well, you will try to understand later, and you will find it easier.

1 "Style": Pay attention to the shed style: when doing the shed style, the back is propped up, the arm is propped up to the left or right, and the other hand is propped up and smoothed. In the shed, the strength of the arms should be combined with the strength of the posture, and the four sides should be rounded, just like blowing balloons, so that the movements are full and mixed.

2. Swing: Pay attention to the principle that the waist turns slightly to the right when the arm swings forward, that is, you have to turn left first, and you have to turn right first. After swinging your arm, your waist turns left again. At this time, your hand will lean to the left and be light and natural. Use each other's strength to resolve, there is no rigidity.

3. Squeezing: Squeezing is like the impact force when a car brakes. Similarly, when doing this action, the back is propped up, and the directions of the two palms are crossed, and they are squeezed out with the cross force, forming a shocking force.

4. Depending on the situation: Pay attention to the fact that when doing this action, the tip of the elbow should not be outward, but downward, and the palms should not face forward, but have a certain arc, because in martial arts, you are aiming at the human body, and the human body itself is an arc, which is also the theoretical basis of Tai Ji Chuan's circle and ubiquitous arc. Hit each other with your palms together, so that you can adjust your strength.

Elbows droop, and in time, palms and heels should be pressed forward in a circular shape, and the back should be propped up, just like when pushing a wall or cart, and the waist should be used to attack.

5. Usage: This action contains Tai Ji Chuan's important skills and attack methods, that is, the above four methods should be used to defend oneself in pushing hands, so it is called the four forehands, and its force point is: the force point is in the arm and the force point is in the palm. The thrust is in the forearm and the thrust is in the waist.