Misconceptions often pollute true respect for the potency of Chinese martial arts. This is especially so for internal boxing. The unexposed student and the undertrained critic offer a plethora of questions and comments that are usually left unanswered. And this, unfortunately, has been detrimental to the understanding and appreciation of authentic Chinese boxing. Students ask: "Is Taijiquan effective in combat? How do you actually apply those beautiful forms? What is the secret? How can I condition my body for Chinese boxing? Do you spar? Is forms training enough? What actually is internal boxing?"
Critics insist: "How can such seemingly soft movement be effective for combat? Forms are a waste of time. The techniques are no longer effective in today's world. Why are you standing in one position for so long? Where is the power?"
To address these comments it must, first and foremost, be reminded that
the Chinese martial arts or Wushu, are for fighting. This should not be
underestimated. Traditional Wushu is comprised of well-designed styles
of pugilism forged through China's military and folk histories. Conceived
by strategic military leaders, protectors of villages and temples, criminals,
and bodyguards, Chinese martial arts are meant for one thing - combat.
As the original style of Taijiquan, Chen style boxing is a living example
of this rich combative history. Thus, an explication of Chen Taijiquan
as it is meant to be - a combative art - can not only shed light on Wushu
usage, but can also expose the effectiveness of internal boxing to the
uninformed. Traditionally and most effectively, Chen Taiji free-fighting
mastery begins with a deep understanding of the distinct usage of the style.
Created by Chen Wang Ting , a respected seventeenth century general, Chen
Taiji is a rich boxing style with a deep history in powerful Northern styles.
Such richness demands close attention and painful practice to assimilate
the knowledge and requirements necessary for Chen style combat mastery.
Because Chen Taijiquan is a complete fighting art, it enjoys a rare balance of qinna (joint-locking), body throws, jumps, and strikes with different extremities. All of these techniques are designed around the style's unique use of "silk reeling" power or chansi jing. Geared by the waist and powered by an enormously strong stance, the focused use of fajing or "released explosive energy" is characteristic of Chen masters such as Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang and his senior disciple, Master Ren Guangyi. Such explosiveness results from highly developed chansi jing. Considered the highest level attainable in classical Wushu, focused spiraling power demands years of training. In Chen Taiji, this power is highly refined and fuels the fighting techniques recorded in the art's training forms. Form or routine training in Chen Taiji is the language of the art that trains one in the focused recitation of a well-designed boxing dictionary. This training is crucial. It is the primary conditioning tool for the overall body and is an analytic base for the mental tabulation and preliminary understanding of Taijiquan's rich technical content. Rooted in time-tested boxing and power development, Taijiquan forms deserve years of repetitive practice and quality coaching for mastery of their subtleties.
For both combat and health, Chen Taiji requires that the body achieve a state of physical and mental balance based on the distinction between hard and soft, fast and slow, heavy and light, erect and angled - in short, Yin and Yang. As such, Chen style reveals a clear distinction between these extremes, because it is the constant transition between these opposites that create the enormous power typical to the highly trained Taijiquan boxer. The science behind this power development is rooted in Chinese metaphysics, but is hardly mystical. It is, quite simply, the ability to produce flexible, fluid, constant power by way of training the body to issue sureness of movement in a variety of cadences, angles, and speeds. And it is through form practice that this difficult to master, but highly practical skill is achieved. Master Ren Guangyi, trained up to twenty-five repetitions of the Yi Lu Xin Xia ("First Form, New Frame") routine per session to train his body for the enormous power that it now displays with ease. What is most evident in this power is the presence of finely tuned chansi jing. According to Master Ren, this advanced level of Taijiquan mastery is achieved by "grinding out the strength" through heavy forms practice. Such training develops the explosive power of flexible strength, solely revealed when the body achieves the relaxed, controlled, yet natural ability to move efficiently between the forces of Yin and Yang.
At this stage, one's power is expressed through subtle circular movements with different parts of the body, typical to advanced forms practice. This dynamic interplay of physical extremes is fueled by a sunken coiling of the joints. It permits enormous contained power to be unleashed when fajing is expressed in the forms. Both the mind and body are then tempered - powerful for health, but especially potent for combat. Thus, disciplined forms training holds powerful benefits for all practitioners. For the health-minded, three to five repetitions is sufficient. But for the combat trainee, ten to fifteen repetitions with low stances should be the goal. At these levels of practice, forms training is responsive to different needs and key to overall mastery and understanding of the art as a whole. Furthermore, the secret to the applications become more apparent with dedicated forms practice. Such "shadow boxing" serves the practitioner well in his or her analysis of the vocabulary of fighting techniques recorded in the routines. Only through repetitive practice, however, can this be achieved. As the knowledge of the technical usage becomes discernible through dedicated forms training, the student is then ready to work on applications. He or she is ready to push.
Tui shou, or "pushing hands," marks a turning point in training that begins the path to combative usage and the surprising health benefits of sensitivity training. Performed with a partner, pushing teaches the Taijiquan stylist to further internalize the previously detailed requirements and benefits of correct practice. Executed at five sequential levels, push hands instill the requirements of balanced Yin and Yang personified by the skilled Chen practitioner.
Working in pairs, practitioners begin perfecting the basic requirements of sunken relaxation and correct stance usage with the single arm, horizontally circular dan tui shou. At this preliminary stage sunk shoulders, harmony with the partner, and stance control are the goals. Soon thereafter, the five levels of push hands utilize both of the arms and footwork. In the first level, huang hua, the shoulders are used to open and close the arms in three vertical directions while maintaining fluid partner contact with both the arms and stance. Still remaining in one place, this stepless pushing builds a greater awareness of posture, leg usage, sensitivity and torso-focused technical application. The health benefits unique to tui shou become most evident at this stage, when the improvement of leg strength, correct posture, relaxation and increased motor skills emerge.
Stage two increases the physical contact between the practitioners by introducing a combination of smaller circular movements that involves the usage of both hands to cover the forearms and elbows of the partners. Called ding bu, and the most recognizable of the routines, this stage further reveals the uniquely fluid qinna that is highly developed in Chen Taijiquan. Moving the arms in vertical circles at a plane directly facing the practitioners, the repetitive shift of weight in this stepless pushing is crucial to the introduction of stepping in stage four.
Moving back and forth with one step, hua bu, further trains the practitioners in sensitivity and qinna. Beginning with the unique movement of stage two, the arm is dragged down and sideward with a rear step as the arm is dragged by one practitioner while the other, whose arm is being held and dragged, steps forward. This important stage in tui shou introduces sinking, stepping, and arm coiling which is health-giving and crucial to combat application.
Stage four advances the previous stage to a demanding level that trains both sides of a double circular push and single drag at a deep stance, with one step. Called da lu, this level of tui shou conditions the legs and accustoms the boxer to pushing and locking with both the legs and arms to train rootedness in application. The health benefits of vigorous leg training is obvious, but the importance of da lu to combat is enormous. After perfecting this difficult stage of tui shou, stages two to four combine in stage five. In this free-form stage, huangjiao bu, multiple stepping in varied directions is combined with the covering and dragging of early levels of tui shou. Utilizing specific movements in freely expressed patterns bridges the gap between application practice and free-fighting in Chen Taijiquan. At this Level, the practitioners are free to move in rapidly changing techniques that involve sensitivity, complex stepping, dragging, locking, and finally, neutralization. Upon mastery of this stage, the combat oriented stylist is then ready for usage - he is ready to practice fighting.
Combat training in classical Chen Taijiquan is arduous and painful. Under Grandmaster Chen Xiaowang's direct tutelage, Master Ren was occasionally brought to tears from the painful training of qinna, applications, and free sparring. "Grandmaster Chen never held back," Master Ren recalls. "His power is enormous and in pushing, sparring, or qinna his fighting ability is far greater than is widely known." Master Ren's reputation as a deadly Taijiquan stylist has spread throughout North America almost upon his arrival in 1991. Winning gold medals in forms, weapons, and push hands in major American Chinese martial arts tournaments, along with his now legendary ability to apply full-contact techniques randomly, with clarity and at full-speed, hints at the might of Chen Xiaowang. "My level of power does not match my teacher, Grandmaster Chen," Ren insists.
After perfecting the fifth level of tui shou, Chen stylists practice free fighting from the base of free push-hands practice. This includes a fluid use of qinna, neutralizing throws, and shoulder strikes. Practicing in pairs, Chen pupils work to maintain firm rootedness while training to adhere and be sensitive to the opponent's movements and intentions. Maintaining constant limb and bodily contact at close range, the trainees attempt to dislodge, throw, lock, and shoulder strike each other with relaxed power. This type o f sparring further develops the neutralization technique and powerful root vital to Taiji usage. In fact, the Chen stylist's firm stance de-emphasizes muscular strength and permits Chen Taijiquan's natural, relaxed power to emerge.
The deadly hand, foot, knee, and elbow strikes are practiced repetitively, in pairs, and often with full-contact. Technical combinations from the forms are isolated and performed at varying speeds to build responsiveness and internalize the unique applications of the style. The techniques are then integrated in push hands practice and, of course, sparring and free-fighting. With such training, the goals of Chen Taijiquan combat: sensitivity, fluidity, coiling, and relaxed, explosive power, with neutralizing techniques, emerge.
A perfect balance of internal and external requirements, Chen style represents true classical boxing characteristic of the sometimes harsh life of ancient North China - an existence dependent upon the ability to defend oneself. This bred the art's practicality and instills a warrior spirit often imitated, yet seldom understood without complete, painful practice. For authentic Chen Taijiquan mastery, these requirements are routes to practical achievement and reveal the deep history and rich genius that is unique to classical Chinese hand-to-hand combat.
Stephan Berwick is a senior student of Ren Guangyi.