Slowly, Middle of the Foot, No Leaning, Shift the Weight

Slowly. Practice all movements of the form slowly. It is important to put your mind into your body. When you move slowly you can feel your body. You can feel your energy, if you are peng or not. You can feel the twisting, turning. Practice slowly to notice where all your body parts are so that you can put in correction.

Middle of the Foot: When practicing put your attention on the middle of the foot. Young people move from the front of the foot, from the toe area. Older people move from the heel or back area of the foot. For taiji it is important to move from the center of the foot, from the middle of the foot. Not too much to either side. Not too much in front or in back.

No Leaning: Keep ding, keep centered with head leading from the bai hui point that is just behind the center of the head, directly in line with the top point of the ears. Be aware of leaning forward or back or side to side. If leaning it is easy to be led off from the center. Being centered one cannot easily be moved from the center of the feet, from being grounded. Even when in a position that seems to be leading such as Diagonal posture the body remains centered, not leaning.

Shift the Weight: In any part of the form, in any posture, shift the weight before moving the rest of the body to that side. By shifting the weight first, the intent of the upper body’s martial intent is stronger. If the body moves as the weight moves the strength of the movement is weaker, the impact of the movement is less effective.

The Lower Arch

Much of the taiji movements involve a shifting of weight, sinking and turning. Ultimately these movements have a circularity.

For the lower arch (as in Jin Gong Dao Dui) the body sinks and then moves forward without making a circle. The lower arch has a movement that feels like a swing.