The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle Paperback – 13 July 1994

"Is the T'ai Chi method soft and without strength? Can The internal energy come out this way? From ancient times it has been asked whether T'ai Chi boxing has only this soft practice method, or are the teachers generally unwilling to teach the secrets? We need to study and research these questions. Don't hesitate to raise questions for all to discuss. From the beginning until now, one question continues to come up. Is the T'ai Chi boxing method completely soft? Or is it hard and soft?According to Wang Chiao Yu, the famous teacher, there were two branches of T'ai Chi boxing. One was called Guang Ping and the other was called Pei Ching. Both are from the teachings of Yang Pan Hou. The Guang Ping school's most famous descendent was Ch'en Hsiu Feng . Ch'en Hsiu Feng served Pan Hou in the city of Pei Ching. He observed the Pei Ching school and the Guang Ping school. They are not in the least alike. He confidentially asked Pan Hou to differentiate between the schools. The Guang Ping school has hard and soft. Is the Pei Ching school completely soft?Yang Pan Hou first smiled and said, "Among the Pei Ching school there are many honorable men, but they practice boxing out of curiosity and play. Compared to the Mongol the nature and constitution of the body is different. The Mongol is not a Han. Do you understand?" Ch'en Hsiu Feng gave his deepest regards for this talk and he didn't dare to ask more. In those days the Manchus ruled China. They oppressed and killed and took everything to its most bitter extreme. All were men of China. Who could not bear a grudge in the heart? But there were those clear-headed men who know how to make use of the Manchus. In those days the Yang family was employed in the service of the Ch'ing dynasty. They managed the practice and teaching of the war arts for the Manchus. Who could believe that the Yang family should teach compatriots to kill each other? But Pan Hou did not teach them everything -- only enough to learn T'ai Chi boxing's form. He did not teach them the T'ai Chi boxing method or Achievement. He taught them to be soft as cotton but not how to acquire the astounding skill, so that they would not kill each other. He put them in a passive mode and compelled the royal families to get absorbed in mysticism so they would endlessly pursue an mental achievement.In those days, the Yang family did teach some villagers the Guang Ping style. Then during training they used the hard and soft method at the same time. Pan Hou trained their strength properly in accordance with T'ai Chi boxing's "Kung Hsin Chieh", which says: Extreme softness and afterwards extreme hardness. First to expand and then contract. This answered Ch'en Hsiu Feng's uncertainty. This helped him to search out the meaning. The Yang family said, "In Pei Ching there are many honourable men but they practice boxing out of curiosity and play. You can see that the royal families have bodies like golden cups and jade leaves. They have not tasted hardship! They practice with the intention of showing off their fashionable inner strength and that is all". Pan Hou also said: "Mongols are not Han, do you understand? The distinction between these men is very clear. One type of man learned the difficult way, properly. Can you distinguish?" So, the Pei Ching school is completely soft, and the Guang Ping school has hard and soft. The practice methods are different. We can believe and rely on Yang Pan Hou's explanations to Ch'en Hsiu Feng. The advice of Pei Ching's Wang Chiao Yu and Yang Pan Hou is recorded, because they were masters. Let them explain T'ai Chi boxing from their records. If you don't receive the real teaching of T'ai Chi boxing, then you can only get a strong body. You can practice boxing for ten or more years and in the end only be confused. You can assume that the real teaching is hard to get. If you practice in accordance with ordinary methods, you will cultivate a strong body, which is more than enough, but if you want to succeed in the real power of T'ai Chi and become perfect, then you must receive the real teaching. You must define this mysterious method; otherwise you will practice for years and in the end still be confused, because you couldn't practice out the real skill, your heart must look into a clear mirror. That way, in addition to T'ai Chi boxing's soft outer form you can completely understand the method. Now we will continue to discuss how to practice.We already introduced Yang Pan Hou. Pan Hou and his brother Yang Chien Hou followed their father Yang Lu Chan and his boxing practice from early childhood. It was toilsome and difficult and they wanted to escape. They were tired and discouraged and thought about becoming Buddhist monks. The two of them just could not stand the pain and suffering of practice. In those days to practice was to endure hardship and to be determined. It was not just a soft boxing style.Regarding the question of the hard and soft, Master Wang Chiao Yu once gave an explanation: "If you only desire to cultivate a healthy body then do a soft practice. It will give vitality and benefit the body and mind. If you want martial arts, on one hand you must know how to be soft to neutralize the enemy, and on the other hand you must know how to be hard to attack the enemy". Hard and soft must be combined to attain this function. If you want to attain this skill, then you must do a bitter practice, and receive instruction from a qualified teacher. Mr. Wang Chiao Yu and his teacher Yang Pan Hou, taught boxing in a way which was at first very bitter. But in the present day it is different. It is made easy. Ordinary men just can't stand the old way of learning. You must practice boxing like you want to succeed in getting the real skill and create a perfect body. If you only rely on the soft and don't use strength, like duckweed floating on water, the practice method is not going to succeed."

A fantastic book for the martial artist looking for the theory of taiji. The book is not focussed on any one style, rather its discussion is on solid principles - rooting, issuing from the waist, etc etcthe best book I have on Taiji along with 'The Tao of TaijiQuan'

Read it through and feel that I will leave it on the shelf and re-read it in a couple of years time. There is a lot to think about in this book. It's great in that is does not depend on a particular style. It is the sort of book that you will understand more each time you read it.

Clear something to read if on the research on tai chi quan

This is an interesting book, not without its peculiarities. It is translated from the written Chinese language, into English, by someone who simply refers to themselves as 'Guttmann', apparently a student of the late master Kuo Lien-Ying, who was an expert in Wudang (Wu Tang) Taijiquan. This is a style that claims to have been created upon Wudang mountain, and to be Daoist (Taoist) in origination. Although distinct from the Taijiquan style that originated from the Chen family of Henan, China, master Kou, nevertheless, makes references to the Chens and to their students, the Yangs. Curiously, Guttmann, whilst continuously reminding the reader of the requirement of good quality knowledge and wisdom regarding authentic Taijiquan practice, (and is of the opinion that master Kou's words fulfill just this functions), he/she then asserts that although this is a complete translation of Kou's work, there are two extracts at the beginning that have not been translated, because, in the translator's opinion, they are too 'arcane' to render into English!.This book is essentially a summing-up of Taijiquan principles as conveyed within Wang Zongyue's book entitled 'Taijiquan Lun', or 'Taijiquan Discussion'. Master Kou has made a lifelong study of Taijiquan through the Wudang style and presents his wisdom through a commentary to Wang's book. In this respect, there are discussions on:1) Qi.2) Push Hands.3) Yin-yang.4) Five Phases.5) Weak Beats Strong.6) Slow Beats Fast.7) Form Practice.8) Self Defence, etc.Kou also provides a list of '72' attributes for practicing Taijiquan, entitled 'Essential Terms of the Chinese Boxing Art'. included in this book is master Chen Chang Hsing's text entitled 'The Yin-yang Summary'. This is a good text that covers many aspects of Taijiquan practice and theory. It is peculiar, therefore, that Guttmann, whilst claiming to have made a full translation, also admits to omitting two sections from the beginning, as well as providing a very strange backcover extract that claims that Buddhist monks existed in the Zhou Dynasty (1027BC-221BC) in China, and that due to their lethargy, they developed Bonewashing exercises, which were then merged with I Ching (Book of Changes) philosophy to create Taijiquan! This is utter nonsense - Buddhism did not exist in Zhou Dynasty China, and the story of the monks and their lethargy, I believe is to do with the Bodhidharma legend, set some 700 years later! It is ashame that master Kou's work should be preserved in English through such an inadequate translation. An interesting read.