T’ai Chi Chu’an: Body And Mind In Harmony

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Text originally published in 1960 under the same title.

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Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

T’AI CHI CH’UAN:

BODY AND MIND IN HARMONY

BY

SOPHIA DELZA

Calligraphy by

LIU CHENG YÜ

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

DEDICATION 11

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 12

PART I—THE T’AI CHI CH’ÜAN WAY 13

INTRODUCTION 13

WHAT T’AI CHI CH’ÜAN IS 16

BENEFITS 17

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE WAY OF MOVEMENT 18

STRUCTURE (YIN-YANG) 20

HARMONY OF BODY AND MIND 20

TWO INTRINSIC PRINCIPLES: SOFTNESS AND CIRCULAR MOVEMENT 21

FIVE ESSENTIAL QUALITIES 23

PART II—FUNDAMENTALS 27

GENERAL REMARK 27

PRINCIPLES TO BE OBSERVED 27

BASIC POSITIONS 29

PART III—PRELIMINARIES 40

SUGGESTIONS FOR STUDY 40

EXPLANATORY NOTES 41

PART IV—THE PRACTICE OF T’AI CHI CH’ÜAN 44

SERIES I 44

Form 1. Beginning Form of T’ai Chi Ch’üan—T’AI CHI CH’UAN CH’I SHIH 44

Form 2. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’ÜAN WEI 47

Form 3. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’ÜAN WEI 50

Form 4. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’ÜAN WEI 51

Form 5. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 52

Form 6. Raise Hands and Step Up—T’I SHOU SHANG SHIH 53

Form 7. White Stork Flaps Its Wings—PAI HAO LIANG CH’IH 56

Form 8. Brush Knee Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 58

Form 9. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 60

Form 10. Brush Knee Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 61

Form 11. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 62

Form 12. Step Up, Parry, and Punch—CHIN PU PAN LAN CH’UI 63

Form 13. As If You Were Shutting a Door—JU FENG SZU PI 65

Form 14. Carry Tiger, Push Mountain—PAO HU T’UI SHAN 66

Form 15. Cross Hands—SHIH TZU SHOU 68

Form 16. Oblique Brush Knee Twist Step—HSIEH LOU HSI NIU PU 70

Form 17. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CHˈÜEH WEI 73

Form 18. The Single Whip—TAN PEEN 74

SERIES II 76

Form 19. Fist Under Elbow—CHOU TI R’AN CH’UI 76

Form 20. Brush Knee Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 77

Form 21. Flying Oblique—HSIEH FEI SHIH 81

Form 22. Raise Hands and Step Up—T’I SHOU SHANG SHIH 83

Form 23. White Stork Flaps Its Wings—PAI HAO LIANG CH’IH 84

Form 24. Brush Knee Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 84

Form 25. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 85

Form 26. Needle at the Bottom of the Sea—HAI TI CHEN 85

Form 27. Fan Through the Back—SHAN T’UNG PEI 86

Form 28. Turn Body—Throw Fist—FAN SHEN P’IEH SHEN CH’UI 88

Form 29. Step Up, Parry, and Punch—CHIN PU PAN LAN CH’UI 89

Form 30. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’UEH WEI 90

Form 31. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 91

Form 32. Cloud Arms—YUN SHOU 92

Form 33. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 95

SERIES III 97

Form 34. On Right—High Pat the Horse—KAO T’AN MA 97

From 35. On Left-Open Body—TSO P’I SHEN 98

Form 36. Raise Right Leg—T’I YU CHAIO 99

Form 37. On Left—High Pat the Horse—KAO T’AN MA 100

Form 38. On Right—Open Body—YU P’I SHEN 101

Form 39. Raise Left Leg—T’I TSO CHIAO 102

Form 40. Pivot Body on Heel—Raise Leg—CHUAN SHEN TENG CHIAO 103

Form 41. Brush Knee and Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 105

Form 42. Plant Leg and Punch Step—CHIN PU TSAI CH’UI 106

Form 43. Turn Body—Throw Fist—TAN SHEN P’IEH SHEN CH ‘UI 108

Form 44. On Right—High Pat the Horse—KAO T’AN MA 109

Form 45. On Left—Open Body—TSO P‘I SHEN 109

Form 46. Raise Right Leg—T’I YU CHIAO 110

Form 47. Retreat Step—Beat the Tiger—T’UI PU TA HU 110

Form 48. Open—Extend Right Leg—YU FEN CHIAO 114

Form 49. Strike Ears with Fists—SHUANG FENG KUAN ERH 114

Form 50. Turn Body—Open Body—FAN SHEN YU P’I SHEN 115

Form 51. Raise the Left Leg—T’I TSO CHIAO 116

Form 52. Turn the Body—Open Body—FAN SHEN TSO P’I SHEN 117

Form 53. Raise the Right Leg—T’I YU CHIAO 118

Form 54. Step Up, Parry, and Punch—CHIN PU PAN LAN CH’UI 119

Form 55. As If You Were Shutting a Door—JU FENG SZU PI 121

Form 56. Carry Tiger, Push Mountain—PAO HU T’UI SHAN 121

Form 57. Cross Hands—SHIH TSU SHOU 121

Form 58. Oblique Brush Knee Twist Step—HSIEH LOU-HSI NIU PU 122

Form 59. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’UEH WEI 123

Form 60. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 124

SERIES IV 126

Form 61. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOH HUI P’I-P’A 126

Form 62. Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane—YEH MA FEN TSUNG 127

Form 63. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 129

Form 64. Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane—YEH MA FEN TSUNG 129

Form 65. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 133

Form 66. Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane—YEH MA FEN TSUNG 133

Form 67. Jade Girl (Angel) Works at the Shuttle—YÜ NÜ CH’ÜAN SO 134

Form 68. Jade Girl (Angel) Works at the Shuttle—YU NU CH’ÜAN SO 137

Form 69. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 138

Form 70. Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane—YEH MA FEN TSUN 138

Form 71. Jade Girl (Angel) Works at the Shuttle—YÜ NÜ CH’ÜAN SO 139

Form 72. Jade Girl (Angel) Works at the Shuttle—YÜ NÜ CH’ÜAN SO 140

Form 73. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 141

Form 74. Parting the Wild Horse’s Mane—YEH MA FEN TSUNG 141

Form 75. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’ÜEH WEI 142

Form 76. The Single Whip—TAN PEEN 143

Form 77. Cloud Arms—YÜN SHOU 143

Form 78. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 144

SERIES V 145

Form 79. The Snake Creeps Down—SHE SHEN HSIA SHIH 145

Form 80. Golden Cockerel Stands on One Leg—CHIN CHI TU LI 147

Form 81. Golden Cockerel Stands on One Leg—CHIN CHI TU LI 150

Form 82. Brush Knee Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 151

Form 83. Flying Oblique—HSIEH FEI SHIH 152

Form 84. Raise Hands and Step Up—T’I SHOU SHANG SHIH 153

Form 85. White Stork Flaps Its Wings—PAI HAO LIANG CH’IH 153

Form 86. Brush Knee Twist Step—LOU HSI NIU PU 154

Form 87. Hand Strums the Lute—SHOU HUI P’I-P’A 154

Form 88. Needle at the Bottom of the Sea—HAI TI CHEN 155

Form 89. Fan Through the Back—SHAN T’UNG FAI 155

Form 90. Turn Body—Throw Fist—FAN SHEN P’IEH SHEN CH’UI 155

Form 91. Step Up, Parry, and Punch—CHIN PU PAN LAN CH’UI 156

Form 92. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’UEH WEI 157

Form 93. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 158

SERIES VI 159

Form 94. On Right—High Pat the Horse—KAO T’AN MA 159

Form 95. Side—Face Palm—P’I MIEN CHANG 159

Form 96. Turn Body—Cross Leg—CHUAN SHEN SHIH-TZU T’UI 160

Form 97. Straight Center Punch—CHIH TANG CH’UI 162

Form 98. Grasping the Bird’s Tail—LAN CH’UEH WEI 164

Form 99. The Single Whip—TAN PIEN 165

Form 100. Snake Creeps Down—SHE SHEN HSIA SHIH 165

Form 101. Step Up to Form Seven Stars—SHANG PU CH’I HSING 166

Form 102. Retreat Step and Ride the Tiger—T’UI PU K’UA HU 167

Form 103. Turn Around and Swing Leg (Lotus Swing)—CHUAN SHEN PAI LIEN 170

Form 104. Curve Bow Shoot Tiger—WAN KUNG SHE HU 176

Form 105. On Right—High Pat the Horse—KAO T’AN MA 178

Form 106. Side Face Fist—and Turn Body—P’I MIEN CH’ÜAN CHUAN SHEN 178

Form 107. Carry Tiger, Push Mountain—PAO HU T’UI SHAN 180

Form 108. Closing Form of T’ai Chi Ch’üan—HE T’AI CHI 180

APPENDIX 183

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND: A CONSISTENT HERITAGE 183

EXCERPTS FROM MING DYNASTY DOCUMENTS 188

DEDICATION

To C. A. G.

Who made it possible for me to live in China

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author will always feel grateful to her teacher in China, Mr. Ma Yüeh-Liang, the great master of T’ai Chi Ch’üan, for having imparted his knowledge to her with such generosity.

She would like particularly to thank Mr. Koo Hsien-Liang, whose scholarly and sensitively artistic translations of Chinese classics helped her immeasurably and who so sympathetically supported her activities.

She is also grateful to Mr. Chang Kuo-Ho, of the United Nations, who suggested that she do the book on T’ai Chi Ch’üan; the San Francisco T’ai Chi Ch’üan Club for their warm sponsorship of her performances; Joseph Carter, of the New York Times; Nina Gordani for her personal management of the author’s performance-lectures; and Hubert Wang, who translated Chinese literature for her.

And especially, the author is happy to acknowledge the honor the members of the United Nations’ T’ai Chi Ch’üan Club have done her by asking her to teach them. There are too many to mention all, but those of the original group are: Hsü Ming-Chen, Djang Chu, Edward Lai, Shih Tao-Tsi, Tsao Hung-Chao, Shen Chang-Jui, Yen Cheng, Wellington Lee (present president), Robert Mok, Booker Lee, and Simon Chang.

PART I—THE T’AI CHI CH’ÜAN WAY

INTRODUCTION

"What is past one cannot amend,

For the future one can always provide."—From the Analects of Confucius

Is there anyone in the world whose idea of being truly healthy would not include, along with a healthy body, a fine mind combined with an ease of disposition? Fleeting glimpses of this feeling of harmony are experienced by everyone at some time in his life. In our colloquialisms we see revealed the inner clear relationship of mind and body. I feel as if I were floating is a common expression to describe a peak of contentment of physical comfort. Well-being produces a sensation of lightness where the body is sensed but not felt. I’m simply walking on air is an image that almost obliterates the body and makes the spirit seem all powerful.

What an agony of indecision and what physical immobility are exposed in I’m all tied up in knots. My heart stood still expresses an anxiety that almost strangles the circulation. Composure and mental equilibrium can hardly be sustained in a weak and unhealthy system where discomfort dominates the consciousness.

The effect of body on mind and mind on body is in evidence at every turn of our lives every day. The realization of this fact is a step toward making an effort to find a technique that can nourish the body and calm the spirit-a technique that, as an exercise, can give action to thought, and, as a philosophy, can give thought to action, and which as a composite art is so synthesized as to make the whole greater than the sum of its intriguing parts.

Such is T’ai Chi Ch’üan (pronounced Tye Gee Chwan), the unique Chinese System of Soft-Intrinsic Exercise, which, dating back to A.D. 1000, is extremely popular today. In the present century four T’ai Chi Ch’üan styles (P’ai) are being practiced: Yang, Wu, Ho, Sun. Illustrated in this book is Wu, a style that concentrates on harmonious self-development with the philosophical as well as the psychological aspects emphasized. It has as its goal the achievement of health and tranquillity by means of a way of movement, characterized by a technique of moving slowly and continuously, without strain, through a varied sequence of contrasting forms that create stable vitality with calmness, balanced strength with flexibility, controlled energy with awareness.

There is a significant difference in concept between the dance-art that is used as an exercise and the exercise that is an art in itself. As a modern dancer I appreciate this, having created dance forms for the purpose of art and for exercise. Designed movements, patterns, and excerpts of dance techniques, which are extracted from the dance-art for use as general exercise, though inevitably stimulating and enlivening, must be considered inadequate for the more profound, permanent aspect of the development of mind and body.

T’ai Chi Ch’üan is not a by-product, as it were, of any other art-dance form; it is not derived from ancient Chinese commemorative dance, folk, or classical Chinese theater dance, and does not resemble them in dynamics, rhythm, or structure. T’ai Chi Ch’üan is a complete entity, composed to answer the needs to which it is directed. Total in concept, it is a synthesis of form and function. With the elements of structure and movement so consummately composed, it is an art in the deepest sense of the word. Aesthetically, it can be compared to a composition by Bach or a Shakespearean sonnet. However, T’ai Chi Ch’üan is not art directed outward to an audience. It is an art-in-action for the doer; the observer, moved by its beauty, can only surmise its content. The experience of the form in process of change makes it an art for the self.

My intention in writing this book is to bring to the attention of Western people this ancient masterpiece of health exercise, which, ancient though it is, is supremely suitable for us all in these modem times. I wish to create an informed understanding of what is necessary, theoretically, for a vital life, and also to arouse the interest of the reader and his willingness to apply this exercise for his own