The eight sides do not refer to the eight aspects alone, but to the 360-degree rounding from the inside to the outside, like an inflatable three-dimensional expansion. Bracing the circle is not pushing outward with force, and expansion is not swelling with force. Supporting the circle and expanding "also rely on gravity, and it is not good to mix with other forces" (Zhuanghong), especially not mixed with mental force and physical strength. It is caused by "bones and flesh falling to the ground", just like putting the semi-plastic bag of water on the ground, and the water bag is attracted downward by gravity and the ground reaction force at the same time. Correction and release not only refers to the stretching of the limbs and the roundness of the eight sides, but also refers to the relaxation of the body and mind, the release of the feathers, the expansion of tolerance, and the deepening of self-cultivation, which is a comprehensive cultivation from the body to the spirit.
1. Liberalization should be carried out in accordance with Mr. Li Pinyin's "three first, three major above, and three looser"; in the order of liberalization, it is necessary to "follow the inside before the outside, the lower before the top, and the latter before the front"; in the idea of opening up, it is necessary to "the inside is greater than the outside, the lower is greater than the top, and the latter is before the big work"; in the grasp of proportion, it is necessary to "loosen the inside outside, the lower is looser than the top, and the latter is looser than the front"; in the degree of attention to the release, it is necessary to be more important inside than the outside, the lower is heavier than the top, and the latter is heavier than the front; in the linkage of the release, it is necessary to bring the inside and outside, and the lower belt is brought to the front, and the latter is brought to the front. For example, in the relationship between the top and bottom, the focus of the mind should be placed between the waist and legs, imagining that the soles of the feet are spread out and fully in contact with the ground, as if stepping into the mud, the soles of the feet, the soles of the feet, and even the ankles have mud; the bottom seems to be supported by more than just two points of the two feet, as if a large round base with a diameter span of the legs of the feet is supported in all directions; the crotch is wide, as if riding a hydrogen balloon with upward buoyancy to practice boxing. For example, "the inside is greater than the outside" refers to the spiritual level, to be open-minded, and to have the courage to tolerate the world. Another example is "back, front", requiring the back of the shoulder blades, back ribs, waist and kidneys, and hips should be released from the middle spine to both sides, widened, and the skin and flesh on both sides of the relaxation are wrapped forward. In the upper body, it is called pulling the back with the chest, and the lower body is called loosening the waist and wrapping the hips.
2. Emptying the body. "Loose, fluffy, wide but not tight, relaxed, self-sufficient, easy and pleasant, not solid, containing small holes to accommodate other substances of the cow" (Wu Tunan). Loosening is to let go of the body and expand the space. For example, the distance between the bone cavity wall and the bone marrow: the distance between the muscles and the bones, the muscles are fluffy like sponges, the distance between cells is opened, and there are many small skin in them, and the distance between the muscles is widened, and the large and small spaces in the body, such as the bone cavity, the joint cavity, the stomach cavity, the intestinal cavity, the chest cavity and the abdominal cavity, are expanded, and even the entire body cavity seems to be empty. Emptiness is looseness, and pine is emptiness: emptiness is both the mind of pine and the realm of looseness. "If you want to loosen your boxing, you must be empty first, empty must be round, and the circle cannot be round, it must be complete, and it is not outside" (Wang Zhuanghong). Emptiness is nothingness, and nothingness is existence: if you feel that there is no physical object in your body, you can contain all things, and you can store more energy. In particular, the large space before the whole spine is a large warehouse for storing energy, and after the space is expanded, the force is dominated by the spine, the waist is dominant, the dantian is rotated inward, and the tail is driven by the tail to have enough energy support.
3. "Fur to attack". The word "attack" is also used to expand and round the body from the inside out, so that the skin spreads out, the hair stands up, and like a tentacle, it can sensitively detect the weak enemy information near the body. "The specific method of attacking the fur is to put all the mind seventy percent in the dantian, and three percent of the fur is concentrated on the fur, so that the fur has a sense of inflation, so that the fur sticks to the other party's fur like lacquer and glue. The attack is not piercing, and the resolution is not as good as the bone" (Zhang Quanliang). "It requires that the pores of the whole body should be opened during the exercises, so that they can communicate with nature, that is, the internal qi and the external qi are combined...... No matter how far away you are from the wall, it is as if you are sticking to the wall. After the pores are opened, it is as if one person occupies the whole space, and the space is as big as you are" (Wang Peisheng).
4. Yin pine and yang pine alternately loose
As mentioned earlier, using gravity to loosen and sink downwards is the first and most important. As long as the sinking is good, the relaxation in other directions, and the various internal strengths required for the movement of the fist will come into being. Light is produced from sinking, just as the ground reaction force is the reaction force of gravity, which is generated from gravity. Shen is the root of lightness, and lightness is inseparable from Shen, just as the shadow is inseparable from the form. Shen is the king of lightness, and lightness is dominated and mastered by Shen, just as the limbs must be dominated by the waist and spine. Shen is yin, light is yang. "Yin and yang are mutually beneficial, and the party is understanding". Although it was mentioned earlier that the elongation from the root node to the tip node and the release from the inside to the outside are both masculine movements, both of which are produced from the feminine sinking. The opposite side of the extension is contraction, and the opposite side of the opening is the closure. Both condensation and closing are feminine actions, both of which arise from the masculine lightness. This is the principle that under the action of gravity, yin and yang are rooted in each other and yin and yang are born together.
According to Mr. Zhu Datong's words: "How to practice Songgong?... From the hair to the skin, muscles, tendons, and bones, from the surface and the inside to the bones, and then from the bones, tendons, flesh, skin, and hair to the skin, this is the mutual cultivation of yin pine and yang pine. The joints should be loose, the fur should be attacked, and the knots should be intertwined, and the ethereal spirit should be in the middle's instinct. "Yin pine is loose from the outside in, and yang pine is loose from the inside out. What is the inner one? Inner is the "middle" between yin and yang, the place where yin and yang meet, and the place where the spirit gathers and disperses. As far as the human body is concerned, there is a "middle" between each pair of yin and yang, such as the spine between the two hands, and the perineum and tail lube between the feet. As far as the whole body is concerned, the core of the dantian in the sandwich before the sacrum and behind the bladder is the middle, and the lumbosacral abdominal cavity is the middle, and the large piece below the lumbar umbilicus and above the crotch is the middle. "Zhong" is the dantian that is commonly called, the furnace of alchemy, the body of Tai Chi, and the home of Yin and Yang. The so-called yang pine is from the Tai Chi body to the yin and yang two instrument pine, that is, from the "middle" to the end and the epidermal pine, just like the yin and yang from the home to do work, that is, open is to stretch, that is, the spine is erect. The so-called yin pine is from the yin and yang to the Tai Chi body, that is, from the end of the limb and the surface to the "middle" between the loose. A set of punches may have dozens of potentials, or more than a hundred potentials, but it can be summed up as two fists, Yin Pine and Yang Song.
Based on the power of the bones and flesh falling to the ground, and the extension and play of stretching the muscles and pulling out the bones and letting go of the eight-sided support circle, the yin and yang pine are alternately loosened, which is the comprehensive and yin and yang pine cultivation of pine gong.
When talking about eight-sided support, we can't fail to talk about Tai Chi body method.
Looking at the requirements of each body method of Taijiquan, in fact, it is necessary to exert the opposite force of each part of the body in different directions, such as up and down, front and back, left and right, inside and outside, so that the limbs are lengthened, the body supports the eight sides, and the strength of Taijiquan is generated. For example, the upper and lower sides of the torso are lengthened: the top of the head is erect, and the waist is loose and the waist is heavy, the front and back of the torso are pulled out, and the limbs are stretched in the opposite direction: the shoulders are heavy and the elbows are falling, and the hips are open and the knees are bent. Under the control of consciousness, Tai Chi Jin, which is traditionally called Jin, is gradually produced.
Human muscles are stretchable, elastic, and sticky. The muscles can be stretched under the action of external force or weight, which is stretchability, and can return to its original state when the external force is canceled, which is called elasticity. Taijiquan is the use of the characteristics of muscles, under the control of consciousness, through the moderate opposition force between the limbs, so that the muscles and bones produce a movement of tension and competition, improve the stretchability and elasticity of muscles, and enhance the contraction force of muscles.
So how can we achieve "eight-sided support"?
To achieve the "eight-sided support" has physical requirements, ideological requirements and spiritual requirements. Let's start with the physical requirements. Eight-sided support must be built on the basis of neutrality. "Taijiquan Interpretation of Names" says: "The thirteen potentials are divided, squeezed, squeezed, pressed, picked, pinched, elbowed, leaned, advanced, retreated, cared, looked forward to, and fixed." Wang Zongyue's "Treatise on Taijiquan" said that it is necessary to be "impartial" and "stand up for it", which is about neutrality. What is the middle determination? The center of gravity is the middle determination that Taijiquan says, not biased in the middle, and not leaning on the determination. The thirteen potentials should be based on the medium, from the fixed potential, to the potential into the determination, on the basis of the neutral and then talk about the eight-sided support, the eight-sided support can not leave the neutral.
The head hanging, the tail is up and down, the force of the forward push must have the back support is the front and back force, the three-tip of the fixed position is aligned, and the foot of the front must be at the same time as the rear foot pedal force to the point. The inner triad should not move inside and not send outside, and the outer triad should be tied up and down, up and down, relative to each other, loose and tight, etc.
The head is hung and the tail is closed, that is, the upper collar of the head Baihui acupoint and the tail lube bone are retracted inward and pulled up and down, the body is centered, the center of gravity is lowered, and the balance is stable, so that people have a stable and comfortable feeling. The head is suspended, the arms are stretched, and the demeanor of supporting the eight sides is its own. , up and down a line, that is, the Baihui acupoint and the perineum acupoint are aligned, and the upper body has no drawbacks of tilting, and then the shoulder well acupoint and the Yongquan acupoint are aligned, forming a vertical trend from head to toe, like a flag erected, standing upright, energetic, and having the idea of topping the heavens and the earth. By pushing the sky into the ground, pulling up and down, the forward force must have a back support, extending left and right, and the idea of radiating from all directions will be exercised, and the qi will be born, and the qi will run through the whole body and reach the eight sides of the support.
What are the requirements of the idea?
Mr. Hao Shaoru said, "When the spirit supports the eight sides, it must be centered on the waist, and the intention is to generate eight lines to support in eight directions; If the eight lines are short and uneven, the momentum will appear uneven. While seeking to achieve spiritual support on the eight sides, the practitioner must also make the eight sides equal. (Hao Shaoru, ed., "Wu-style Taijiquan", People's Sports Publishing House, April 1992 edition, p. 19) The starting point of the eight directions of the equal line is actually the middle fixed point, and the extension trajectory along the middle and lower arrow directions is the gravitational line of the human body, which is often said to be spherical, and the line with equal lines from a central point is a perfect ball. Eight sides can be sixteen lines of equal lines, or thirty-two lines of equal lines, or even sixty-four, one hundred and eight, or even countless equal lines, Taijiquan's "formless and imageless, the whole body is empty" is such a realm. Some people call this situation "air bag elastomer" and say: "It is necessary to deliberately use the dantian as a cocoon to bind itself as the aggregation center of the whole body qi, so that the dantian becomes the core part of the whole Tai Chi momentum, and the center of the dantian expands outward layer by layer, the mass is also from large to small, and the pressure is arranged in an orderly manner from strong to weak, so as to form a state of external softness and internal rigidity, rigidity and softness, which is the key to embodying the characteristics of Taijiquan movement." (Luo Hongyuan and Gu Daijuan, Taijiquan Techniques and Training, Guangdong Higher Education Press, February 2004, p. 90)
So what are the spiritual requirements?
"Empty" and "loose" are the basic conditions for the pursuit of momentum, in fact, "empty" and "loose" are the necessary conditions for the pursuit of eight-sided support, and only with eight-sided support can there be round life, and "round life is inseparable from the prerequisite of "empty" and "loose". If the musculoskeletal joints of the practitioner have not yet reached a certain level of "emptiness" and "looseness", there will be nothing to achieve in "round work". And to meet the requirements of "round live", empty pine can be extremely wonderful. (Hao Shaoru, "Wu-style Taijiquan", People's Sports Publishing House, April 1992, p. 18)
Is the inner triad and the outer triad related to the "eight-sided support"?
Yes, this is a traditional statement, but there is no word to break it, in fact, it is to achieve the purpose of "eight-sided support". The outer triad, that is, the shoulder and the hip, the elbow and the knee, the hand and the foot, its essence is that the root joint, the middle joint, and the tip joint of the limbs cross left and right, and the shoulder and crotch are combined, that is, the root joint of the upper limb and the root joint of the lower limb cross left and right; the elbow and knee are combined, the middle joint of the upper limb and the middle joint of the lower limb cross left and right; the hand and the foot are combined, and the end of the upper limb and the tip of the lower limb are combined.
The outer triad is not in appearance, it is all based on the mind and effort, that is, with the heart and mind, with the intention of guiding the qi, and with the luck of the body. This enters the realm of the inner triad, that is, "the heart and the mind are in harmony, the mind and the qi are in harmony, and the qi and the force are combined", and it is necessary to understand that the outer triad is achieved by the inner triad. The outer triad and the inner triad are collectively referred to as the hexagram, that is, the upper and lower, front and back, left and right six sides of the force, the whole body is a family, forming a round sphere, and the resultant force is "O". This sphere hits people, and although it hits the body at a point, this is the midpoint of the face, and all the strength is concentrated on this point, and this point has penetrating power.
What does the "eight-sided support" do?
To achieve "eight-sided support", it will produce momentum. Momentum is a field, and this field is complete, vivid, and quality.
The Taijiquan boxing frame contains all kinds of skills, especially to practice according to the essentials, deeply understand the mystery, and all the kung fu is practiced in the boxing boxing. When it is done, it doesn't matter how tricks are used, but momentum, that is, the induction mechanism of the "field", that is, the subtle techniques of dressing, covering, pairing, and swallowing. People have aura, and when people come into contact with people, contact refers to the contact between the aura and the aura. When people get closer to each other, there is a sense of aura oppression, and those who are sensitive feel obvious, and those who are not sensitive cannot feel it. The practice of Tai Chi is to enhance the feeling of this aura, strengthen it, and make the feeling of the aura gradually sensitive and level to the gods. One sentence breaks the sky, and the formation of listening, understanding and gods is all sought in the "field", that is, the role of momentum. "Momentum is determined by the inner kung fu of the human body. The formation of strength and gods is all sought in the "field", that is, the role of momentum. "Momentum is determined by the inner kung fu of the human body. The size of the momentum is an important symbol to measure the depth of a person's Taijiquan Kung Fu, the greater the momentum, the deeper the Kung Fu, that is, the so-called "Taijiquan is not in the style but in the momentum, not outside but inside" practitioners practice in their daily lives, and the pursuit of momentum cannot be ignored. (Hao Shaoru, "Wu-style Taijiquan", People's Sports Publishing House, April 1992, p. 18)
The quality of the momentum is manifested in the roundness of Tai Chi. Tai Chi round strength is formed by the support of the eight sides of the body, and the round strength is full of qi Tai Chi. Tai Chi practice to a certain extent, front smash, back support, collar, sinking, dantian qi full of the body, so that the body is everywhere Tai Chi, usually in a soft state, in case of emergency can also be touched, Tai Chi round strength is gradually produced in the process of accumulating the line of boxing frame, among them, the requirements of the eight-sided support can not be deviated from for a moment, a move and a foot, are required to be supported on eight sides, can not be hastily engaged.
Repeat. The eight-sided support is the finger of the Tai Chi body method, and it is the general outline of the essentials of each family's body method, and the difference is only in whether it is broken or not. Boxing skills are thought of and practiced, and kung fu can grow.