When you are standing still before you start the sequence, you are in a state of wuji. Your body is relaxed, with no intentions; your weight is evenly distributed on both legs. When you generate the intention to start the sequence, you are in a state of taiji—you shift from side to side, foot to foot, and each part of your body becomes alternately substantial and insubstantial. From this, you can see what is called taiji in taijiquan is actually the mind or intention of action.
Once you start a motion it is possible to modify or redirect it, but this modification is only possible after the motion has been started. If one change is made, others can be made, and each change opens up other possibilities for variation. Each factor in the situation introduces other factors as possible influences. The initial motion makes all other motions possible, and in a sense “creates” the other motions. The Chinese express this by saying that taiji is the mother of yin and yang. “Taiji begets two poles, two poles produce four phases, four phases generate eight trigrams (gates), and eight trigrams initiate sixty-four hexagrams.”
The eight trigrams are derived from taiji.
The yin and yang theory is used to classify everything—ideas, spirit, strategy, or force. For example, female is yin and male is yang. Night is yin and day is yang. Weak is yin and strong is yang. It was from the interaction of all the yin and yang that life was created and grew. Taijiquan is based on this theory and applies it to form, motion, force, and fighting strategy. In the thousands of years since the taiji theory was first stated, many taiji symbols have been designed. The best one for both theory and application is a circle that contains yin and yang and becomes Taiji yin/yang diagram. In this diagram, the circle and the curved dividing line between yin and yang imply that both yin and yang are generated and contained in roundness. The smooth dividing line between yin and yang means that they interact smoothly and efficiently. Extreme yang weakens and evolves into yin, first weak and then extreme yin. Extreme yin, in turn, evolves into yang. One evolves into the other and back again, continuously and without stopping. The diagram also shows a small dot of yin in the center of the greatest concentration of yang, and a little bit of yang inside the greatest concentration of yin. This means that there is no absolute yin or yang. Yang always reserves some yin and vice versa. This also implies that there is a seed or source of yin in yang and of yang in yin.
The yin/yang diagram.
Taijiquan is based on this theory, and therefore it is smooth, continuous, and round. When it is necessary to be soft, the art is soft, and when it is necessary to be hard, the art can be hard enough to defeat any opponent. Yin-yang theory also determines taiji fighting strategy and has led to thirteen concepts that guide practice and fighting. Thus, taijiquan is also called “thirteen postures.” Chang, San-feng’s Tai-jiquan Treatise says, “What are the thirteen postures? Wardoff (peng, 棚), rollback (lu, 捋), press or squeeze (ji, 擠), press down, forward, upward (an, 按), pluck or grab (cai, 採), split or rend (lie, 挒), elbow (zhou, 肘), bump (kao, 靠), which are the eight trigrams. Step forward (jin bu, 進步), step backward (tui bu, 退步), beware of the left (zuo gu, 左顧), look to the right (you pan, 右盼), central equilibrium (zhong ding, 中定), and these are the five directions. Wardoff, rollback, press, and push are heaven (qian, 乾), earth (kun, 坤), water (kan, 坎), and fire (li, 離), the four main sides. Pluck, split, elbow, and bump are wind (xun, 巽), thunder (zhen, 震), lake (dui, 兌), and mountain (gen, 艮), the four diagonal corners. Step forward, step backward, beware of the left, look to the right, and central equilibrium are metal (jin, 金), wood (mu, 木), water (shui, 水), fire (huo, 火), and earth (tu, 土). All together they are the thirteen postures” (see appendix A-l). The explanation of the thirteen postures can also be found in the Old Taijiquan Classic, written in the Qing dynasty (appendix A-13).
The eight postures are the eight basic fighting moves of the art, and can be assigned directions according to where the opponent’s force is moved. Wardoff rebounds the opponent back in the direction he came from. Rollback leads him farther than he intended to go in the direction he was attacking. Split and bump lead him forward and deflect him slightly sideward. Pluck and elbow can be done so as to catch the opponent just as he is starting forward, and strike or unbalance him diagonally to his rear. Push and press deflect the opponent and attack at right angles to his motion. The five directions refer to stance, footwork, and fighting strategy. They concern the way one moves around in response to the opponent’s attack, and how one sets up one’s own attacks.
Since ancient times, many taiji masters have tried to explain the deeper aspect of these thirteen postures by using the eight trigrams and the five elements. In order to find a satisfactory explanation, various correspondences between the eight basic techniques and the eight trigrams, and also between the five directions and the five elements, have been devised. Unfortunately, none of the explanations is completely reasonable and without discrepancy. We will not attempt to find another explanation that might be just as unsatisfactory. However, in order to help the interested reader in pondering this mystery, we will include some of the available diagrams and an explanation considered the most accurate. We hope that someday someone who is a master of Yi Jing and bagua theory and also an experienced taiji researcher can untie this knot of mystery.
The directions of the eight basic techniques according to Chang, San-feng.
First, the relationship of the eight basic techniques (wardoff, rollback, press, push, pluck, split, elbow, and bump) with the eight trigrams and the taiji symbol is shown in the diagram above. This diagram is drawn following Chang, San-feng’s Taijiquan Classic. Two alternatives are found in some of the available taiji books that are shown below.
The directions of the eight basic techniques according to Tai Chi Touchstones by Douglas Wile.
The directions of the eight basic techniques according to A Study of Taijiquan by J. J. Soong.
None of the above three diagrams gives a satisfactory explanation of the connection between the bagua eight “gates” and the eight techniques. However, from the viewpoint of yin and yang one can obtain a more or less satisfactory explanation. Here we will discuss the diagram as described in Chang, San-feng’s classic. In a trigram, a straight line expresses yang and a broken line implies yin. Therefore, when two straight lines are put together, it means strong yang, and when three straight lines are put together, it means very strong yang. The same can be applied to yin. The Chinese have used the trigrams to analyze the seasons, the weather, and even the destiny of a person or a country. Initially three lines were used, but when understanding of the relationships grew, trigrams were used in pairs, allowing things to be divided and analyzed in sixty-four different ways. These sixty-four hexagrams are the basis of the Book of Changes (Yi Jing, 易經), which has exerted an enormous influence on Chinese culture.
From Chang, San-feng’s diagram above, one can see several things. Wardoff is expressed by three straight lines, which means very strong yang. This means power, aggression, and offense. The opponent’s attack is bounced back in the direction it came from. Rollback is expressed by three broken lines, which implies defense, withdrawal, or retreat. The opponent’s attack is diffused by taking away its target. Pluck, elbow, and
